March 1, 2005, ALADS membership voted to reject the County’s contract offer that would have provided a 5% salary increase, a potential 11% longevity bonus at 20/25/30 years and a re-opener in 2006 for salary. Out of 4,301 ballots counted; 1,983 (46%) Yes, 2,318 (54%) No.

Local 1014 Executive Board has been anxiously awaiting the outcome of this vote, and we are evaluating the impact of the outcome on our table. We are meeting with County Supervisors and the CAO this week and the beginning of next week to discuss our issues and to see where they are at given the situation at hand.

There are now still over 10,500 public safety workers to include Fire, Lifeguards, and Sheriff’s that remain without a contract. The County needs to recognize this significant problem as real, and come to the table to deal with it appropriately.

We will be suggesting solutions to the problem and offering arguments to tear apart their reasoning and line in the sand positions. We have worked very hard to put together facts and comparatives and all the data they need to make good decisions in the coming days.

One key issue is the longevity program that is a substitute for the 3% at 55 formula. This program that was offered to the Sheriff’s has only been brought to our table as a concept for Fire and Lifeguards with the provision that our members would sign a waiver for pensionability of Ventura Vacation and Holidays.

Although it is true that the Sheriff’s don’t get to cash in as many days as us, they do cash in some days and there was no waiver in their offer. We also work 40% more hours than the Sheriff’s to get our hours and our pay.

Obviously our task is to push through this reasoning that the CAO is championing. We will either have at least three votes that do not support this reasoning or we won’t after next week. We will report to the members the outcome of the meetings. We have solutions for the problem and if our solutions won’t work then we will ask them for their solutions. It is time to get their positions squarely in front of the membership.

We are unable to discuss much more about the salary side of the contract but we have talked with many of our members about their concerns and those concerns are in the mix. We very much appreciate the comments and suggestions from the membership throughout this process.

We are asking our membership to hold fast at the level of "work to the rule" that we are seeing. Stay the course and continue to do your job and do it well. Serve the public, your community, and help the firefighter groups that are from the firefighters for the firefighters. We are appealing the Department’s decision to order our members to carry out duties over and above the regular job duties to the Employee Relations Commissions as an Unfair Labor Practice. We feel they have unilaterally implemented on issues that are mandatory subjects of bargaining and require them to meet and confer. These issues will not be decided overnight and until then please continue to work now, grieve later. Stay out of trouble, and support each other during this time. Do not turn on each other; stay resolved, but not angry. Our strength is in our solidarity and our resolve.

On another note, we successfully moved the 4850 Vacation Day cash out issue, the 40/56-hour Vacation day accrual issue, and the 2880 Sick hour issue to hearing at the Employee Relations Commission. The County hired outside council to do battle with our attorney, and after a bit of debate, the Commission referred all cases to hearing.

The next step is to pick an arbitrator and set hearing dates. We will keep you informed as these cases unfold. We must fight every avenue of attack on our Ventura days.

What is every labor organization representing workers in the county learning? It is quite clear that the problem is the CAO and the Board of Supervisors tact in dealing with their workforce. How do we change that? You know the answer to that question.

Please continue to check the website and inform the Union Board with any information from the field and call us with any questions you may have. We will communicate with the members at the end of the week following our meetings. Make plans to attend the General Membership meeting on Tuesday, March 8^th, 2005 at 10:00 a.m. at the Union Hall.