On Monday, March 7, 2011 the Administration presented ACsE with two proposals from the Chancellor: a one-year and a three-year offer. Both offers were refused as written so the Administration came back with the one-year offer as their “last, best, and final” proposal which we were informed they would impose. This means there was only one offer on the table from the Administration at the end of bargaining at 3:30 p.m. It is a proposal and not a contract. A contract is an agreement between two parties that is ratified and signed by both parties. There was no agreement so there is no contract. Their proposal indicated in writing that the Chancellor will impose terms and conditions on you for one-year. These imposed terms and conditions will have a negative effect on future negotiations. For example, it makes closure days a management right and specifically allows them to impose closure days at any time in the future (see Section 12.12 of the Administration’s offer).

Their proposals were not as simple as four unpaid days and a guarantee of no layoffs in FY 2011 (which ends June 30, 2011). The language Administration proposed gave them the right to impose an unlimited number of unpaid days as well as the power to impose temporary layoffs (less than 30 days).

The media stories make it appear that ACsE is being unreasonable. We knew we would not receive everything we asked for but we remained hopeful an agreement would be reached. The issues we took to the table were issues our bargaining unit members told us were important to them early in the bargaining process. Some of these issues include:

Ø  Unpaid Closure Days

ACsE has made numerous suggestions about how to implement four unpaid closure days including employees being charged 1-2 hours per week, unpaid half days each month, Voluntary Unpaid Closure Days, among others. All these options would be less cruel and would lessen the hardship on the lowest paid employees at SIUC.

Ø  No Layoffs

Asking for no temporary layoffs during the life of our contract was to protect you. ACsE employees are already doing more work with no additional pay. ACsE refused to consider any offer allowing Administration to have unconstrained power to impose an unlimited number of unpaid days AND to impose temporary layoffs without the 30-day notice if the layoff was for less than 30 days.

Ø  Wage Increases

ACsE requested wage increases equal to an amount granted to the SIUC Faculty Association. We are a vital part of this university also.

Ø  Five Personal Days

These five personal days will be deducted from your vacation benefits (not an additional five days) and can be taken without prior approval. They could be used for emergency use (such as your car breaking down, or hot water heater at home flooding your basement, etc.). They could not be taken all at one time.

Ø  SURS Information

Imposed unpaid closure days will not affect insurance or vacation/sick leave accrual, however they will have an effect on your retirement benefits. 

The unpaid closure days imposed will occur on March 15^th, April 22^nd, May 27^th, and June 20^th. According to the “Side Letter “ in the imposed offer, you should not report to work on these days and you are not allowed to take vacation or sick leave (see the Side Letter that is at the end of the one-year offer posted on line at acsesiuc.org). Under the imposed terms, ACsE represented employees are not allowed to report to work on these days. Any questions regarding the imposed offer should be directed to Brent Patton, Director of Labor Relations (brentp@siu.edu).

Again, their proposals were not as simple as four unpaid days and a guarantee of no layoffs in FY 2011 (which ends June 30, 2011). The language Administration proposed gave them the right to impose an unlimited number of unpaid days as well as the power to impose temporary layoffs (less than 30 days).

You will be receiving further updates from ACsE as the process continues. Please continue to send your questions to ACSEquestions@gmail.com.

NOW IS THE TIME!   ACsE ELECTIONS!

ACsE Bargaining Meeting with SIUC Labor Relations

August 23, 2010

3:00 – 4:30

Present were ACsE Team Members Bonnie Bateman, Deb David, Ami Ruffing, Doug Flummer, Tammy Keen, Cyndie Kessler-Criswell, and James Clark (IEA UniServ Director) who met with SIUC Labor Relations (Administration) Brent Patton and his assistant Diann Bauer.

Below are some issues discussed at the meeting between Administration and your ACsE Bargaining Team.

• ACsE raised the issue of the lack of notice given to ACsE employees who were reassigned rather than laid off due to the 4% cutbacks. While ACsE understands reassignment is preferable to layoff, there was little or no prior notice given to a number of these employees before reassignment.

ACsE’s stand: Employees should receive more advanced notice.

Admin’s stand: Administration will look into the situation and get back with ACsE to let us know why advanced notice was not given.

• ACsE requested a list of ACsE represented employees not paid on state appropriated funds. 30% of these employees are paid on non-state monies raising a question of how a pay cut to these employees can benefit the university since state and non state monies cannot be commingled. Enough information through our inquiries was not received to provide us with what we need. Additional requests have been made.

• A bargaining team member stated she listened to Dr. Poshard on the radio in the morning (August 23, 2010) and he stated he was optimistic there would be no furlough days. We asked for clarification as to whether the Chancellor’s position on a four-day pay cut squares with President Poshard’s public comments.

• The ACsE Team continues to gather information about the number of Extra-Help positions that have appeared to increase over the last three years raising questions as to whether the Administration is avoiding the hiring of permanent employees. The Administration is in the process of complying with this request.

• ACsE requested further information about the legality of “One day lay-offs” and “Fiscal Closure Days” and also requested any information given to us by Administration be in writing from the General Counsel of the State Universities Civil Service System (SUCCS).

• ACsE and Administration together worked on paperwork required for the Labor Board indicating the status of ACsE bargaining.

We are looking forward to representing you in the next bargaining meeting on September 1, 2010 with another session set for September 13, 2010.

Association of Civil Service Employees

(ACsE) IEA/NEA

*Open Items for Successor Agreement

Presented July 29, 2010

Items presented are printed in RED

Preamble 

 Article 1—Recognition

     1.1  Recognition

     1.2  Definition

     1.3  Statutory Authority

     1.4  Representation

     1.5  Status of New/Changed Classifications

     1.6  Flex-Year Employee Classification Change

 Article 2—Purpose of Agreement

     2.1  Purpose and Intent

 Article 3—Agreement and Board Policy 

     3.1  Status of Agreement

     3.2  Conflict with Agreement

     3.3  Impact of Benefit Changes

 Article 4—Effect of Agreement

     4.1  Zipper Clause

     4.2  Savings Clause

     4.3  No Strike/No Lockout

     4.4  Nonwaiver of Negotiations

 Article 5—Association Rights

     5.1  Nondiscrimination/Noncoercion

     5.2  Association Member/Officer Access

     5.3  Association Staff Access

     5.4  Release Time for Association Activities

     5.5  Representative Assembly Delegates

     5.6  Bargaining Unit Lists

     5.7  Staff Orientation Portfolios

     5.8  Quarterly Meetings

     5.9  Payroll Deductions

    5.10  Fair Share Payments

    5.11  Printing of Agreement

·         Release time for ACsE officials:

a)      Meeting time release on same basis as Civil Service

Council

b)     Attendance at National and State Association conferences

treated as University business

 Article 6—Management Rights

     6.1  Employer Rights

 Article 7—Nondiscrimination

     7.1  Sexual Harassment Policy

     7.2  Nondiscrimination Policy

     7.3  Americans with Disabilities Act and Accommodations

     7.4  Health and Safety

 Article 8—Grievance Procedure

     8.1  Definition of Grievance

     8.2  Adjustment of Grievance

     8.3  Grievance Procedural Steps

     8.4  Rights to Representation

     8.5  Automatic Step

     8.6  Time Extensions

     8.7  No Reprisals

     8.8  Release Time

     8.9  Withdrawal of Grievance

    8.10  Grievance Records

 Article 9—Jurisdictional Disputes

     9.1  Resolution of Jurisdictional Disputes

     9.2  Reserve Rights and Prevailing Practice

 Article 10—Disciplinary Action

     10.1  Representation Rights

     10.2  Notification and Schedule of Meetings

     10.3  Forms of Disciplinary Action

 Article 11—Leaves

     11.1  Sick Leave Accrual

·         Improvements in Sick Leave benefits, e.g. increased accrual rates

     11.2  Use of Sick Leave/Definitions

     11.3  Misuse of Sick Leave

     11.4  Sick Leave Application to Work Schedule

     11.5  Order of Sick Leave Usage

     11.6  Payment for Unused Sick Leave

     11.7  Extended Sick Leave Benefits

     11.8  Required Medical Examination

     11.9  Bereavement Leave

     11.10  Jury Duty

     11.11  Military Leave

     11.12  Return from Military Leave

     11.13  Leave of Absence

     11.14  Release for Voting

Article 12—Holidays, Vacation, and Administrative Closure

     12.1  Recognized/Designated Holidays

     12.2  Regular Compensation for Holidays

     12.3  Overtime/Holiday Pay

     12.4  Holidays on Saturday/Sunday

     12.5  Holiday for Irregular Workweek

     12.6  Pay Status Eligibility for Holiday Pay

     12.7  Vacation Accrual

• Improvements in vacation benefits, e.g. increased accrual rates

• Personal Emergency Days not chargeable to Vacation

     12.8  Maximum Vacation Accrual

     12.9  Vacation Approval

     12.10  Change of Status and Pay for Accrual Vacation

     12.11  Administrative Closure Days and Pay Status

           12.11(a)   Employees Not Required to Work

           12.11(b)   Employees Required to Work

           12.11(c)   Overtime Pay for Required Work

           12.11(d)   Minimum Work/Equivalent Pay Requirement

Article 13—Employee Benefits

     13.1  Insurance

• Insurance – Summer insurance payments for non-12 month ACsE personnel

     13.2  Tuition Waiver for Employees

• Early retirement incentives

Article 14—Employee Work Rules and Conditions

     14.1  Work Schedule and Operational Need

     14.2  Normal Workday

     14.3  Workweek

• Review of Accounting System for work time – same rules for semi-monthly as bi-weekly

     14.4  Vivarium Workweek

     14.5  Shift Differentials

• All shift differentials paid at a percentage rate

     14.6  Temporary Upgrade

• Adjust temporary upgrade contract provisions to address increased workload and duties assumed by civil service employees due to the “hiring freeze”

     14.7  Overtime Pay/Compensatory Leave

     14.8  Scheduling of Overtime

     14.9  Lunch Period/Break Time

     14.10  Seniority and Building Foreman Vacancies

     14.11  Flextime

     14.12  Performance Evaluation

     14.13  Workload and Classification Review

     14.14  Use of Extra Help Appointments

• Use of extra help and student workers to avoid hiring full-time permanent    

   Civil Service workers

Article 15—Promotion

     15.1  Release Time for Testing

     15.2  Pay Increase for Promotion

     15.3  Within Classification Salary Adjustment

• Strengthen “Within Classification review” guidelines

Article 16—Seniority and Layoff

• Layoff protections, e.g. longer notice, stricter bumping rights, no RIF

     16.1  Seniority List

     16.2  Acceptance of Less Than 12-Month Employment

     16.3  Employee Notice

     16.4  Transfer to Open Position

• Transfer to Open Position restrictions

     16.5  Bumping Least Senior Employees

     16.6  Retreat Rights

     16.7  Rights of Refusal

     16.8  Other Rights

Article 17—Wages

     17.1  Wage Increases

• Salary issues subject to SIUC ability to pay

a)     General across the board raise

b)     Salary system that rewards  years of service

     17.2  Application of Wage Adjustment

     17.3  Wage Adjustment for Classification Change

     17.4  Increase in Pay

     17.5  Decrease in Pay

     17.6  Decrease in Pay – Any Other Classification

     17.7  Salary upon Return to SIU Employment

     17.8  Parking Fees

• Parking – SIUC payment of parking fees as a civil service employee benefit

Article 18—Duration and Ratification of Agreement

     18.1  Duration

     18.2  Negotiations Procedure

     18.3  Ratification and Signature of Representatives

Signatures

2010 Collective Bargaining Teams

Appendix A—Represented Classifications    

Appendix B—Confidential Positions

Appendix C—Schedule of Minimum Rates

Appendix D—Guidelines for Progressive Disciplinary Action

Initial University List of Items for Discussion in the FY2011

Collective Bargaining Negotiations with ACsE

July 29, 2010

The following list of items contains sections of the FY2010 Collective Bargaining Agreement between the SIU Board of Trustees and the Association of Civil Service Employees (AScE) that the University puts forward for discussion during negotiations of an FY2011 successor agreement.  This is an initial listing and the University reserves the right to amend this list at a later time.

4.3       No Strike/No Lockout

4.4       Non-wavier of Negotiations

5.7       Staff Orientation Portfolios

6.1       Employer Rights

8.3       Grievance Procedural Steps

10.2     Notification and Schedule of Meetings (b)

12.11   Administrative Closure Days and Pay Status

12.12   Temporary Fiscal Closure Days (NEW)

16.5     Bumping Least Senior Employees

16.6     Retreat Rights

17.1     Wage Increases

??.?      Reduction in Force Section

We are working to protect your interest in wages and job security. We are looking forward to representing you in the next bargaining meeting on August 23, 2010.

In Solidarity,

Your Bargaining Team:

Cyndie Kessler-Criswell

Bonnie Bateman

Doug Flummer

Tammy Keen

Deb David

Ami Ruffing

ACsE is on FACEBOOK! Click on this link to contact the Group Administrator to join this discussion group!

August 5, 2009

Congrats and welcome to our campus Office Administrators to the Association of Civil Service Employees-IEA/NEA bargaining unit!

Working the front lines across campus, this group of approximately 60 individuals contains many senior SIUC employees whom we previously lost when they were promoted out of our unit.

A strong majority of those sharing the OA title (former title: OSS-III) signed confidential authorization cards required by state law to approve the addition. Thanks to all who signed and to all who considered doing so.

The Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board (IELRB) certified the petition August 5. Meanwhile, bargaining for a new contract for all ACsE titles is underway, and SIUC Labor Relations has been informed that all aspects of the Agreement will include OAs as well.