Members want to pay the same across the region but the Union has its eye on members paying more.

Dues Standardization was discussed and committees formed but the issue fell through the cracks now after the recent beat down by County and City elected officials the membership across the region has once again taken up the topic of Dues Standardization and it has resulted in the largest single petition drive in the history of SEIU 721 International as the members gather signatures to deliver to the Executive Board Demanding all members pay the same reduced rate of $35.00 per month. Let’s take a look at the compensation of SEIU 721 Staff and the history of the 721 Dues.

 SEIU 721 Staff demand better than the very members they represent

Personnel Expenses accounted for 32.68% of the $4,520,059 income for the month of July, 2011. SEIU 721 staff worked very hard to get members to concede to pay 4% for Retirement Health Care, accept higher medical and dental costs, as well as giving up raises and delaying others but what about their own contract?

•     SEIU 721 Staff Refused ANY Retiree health care concessions
•     SEIU 721 Staff Refused giving up a floating holiday to share the sacrifice
•     SEIU 721 Staff Filed Unfair Labor Practice Claims against the union
•     SEIU 721 Staff Received Wage Increases each year indicated below:

  7/1/07 3%
7/1/08 3%
  7/1/09 3%
What Other Benefits Do 721 Staff get at the Members Expense?

We will delve further into the Contract that SEIU 721 Staff entered into which ended July, 2010. ₍₂₎

Generous Pensions Paid for by the Members:

• Local 721 shall make monthly contributions into the SEIU Affiliates Plan equal to fourteen (14) percent of salary for all Bargaining Unit members.

One pension isn’t enough for SEIU 721 Staff?

• SEIU 721 will provide a 401(k) plan and will pay $.50 (fifty cents) for each dollar deferred up to a maximum of three percent (3%) of salary deferred.
• (2 )Two Floating Holidays,
• Full Health
• Dental
• Vision,
• Life insurance in the amount of three (3) times the employee’s annual salary up to $250,000 shall be provided at NO COST to the employee.
• Very generous Vacation Days
• Sick Days earned at 100%, 75%, & 50% of pay are provided to SEIU 721 Staff even after most members have stopped earning the same.
• Sick Time Sell Back
• Local 721 agrees to provide cell phones.
• Employees who use their vehicle to conduct union business shall be reimbursed for the cost of membership in the Automobile Association of America (AAA) or any comparably priced roadside assistance service.
• The employer shall pay the deductible, up to a maximum of five-hundred ($500.00) for verified automobile accidents which occur during the conduct of Local 721 business

WORK OUT OF CLASS/ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
Section A. Work Out-of-Class
An employee assigned and authorized to do a substantial portion of the duties of a higher-level position shall be paid at the salary rate of the higher-level position for the duration

Most interestingly the following article might explain why staff always pushes for the will of the union even when it is inexplicable. After all having such a well paid job with benefits some members can only wish for or have recently given away is reason enough to support the rulings made but this clause forces the staff to keep quiet.

Staff Support of Executive Board Decisions
The Local 721 Executive Board encourages debate and discussion of policy alternatives for the local union through the joint Labor Management committee. However, once a Board policy or directive has been agreed upon, it is expected that all staff will support that policy or directive. Further, it is expected that staff will take no action in dealings with members to challenge or question Board policies, once adopted, or to do anything in dealings with the membership, or other staff, to foment dissension among the membership or staff relative to policies and directives which the Board has adopted. Staff are reminded that the must distinguish between their status as employees of the Local Union, and any status they may have as members. As employees, they are expected to adhere to this policy in all of their activities.
Violations of this provision of the collective bargaining agreement may result in discipline, up to and including termination.

35.00 Per Month It’s good for Ventura but not LA?

LA County & Special Districts Paid $3,545,890 in dues for the Month of July 2011 Making up 78% of the total income for the union, LA and other Cities within the LA/OC area paid  $561,348 or 12% of the total income for the month ending July 2011.

Dues rates for members in the LA/OC County range from 1.25 to 1.50% of a members yearly salary and can range from $50.00 to $95.00 or more per member per Month.

We asked 22 year former SEIU 721 Steward Dan Mariscal about the history of the dues the members pay and the petition drive, here is what he shared with us. The history of the dues comparison in Local 721 was addressed by the former Local 721 appointed President, (1) Annelle Grajeda, about the time of the 721 mergers. She had promised other regions in writing, not to change their dues structure until they had bargained their next contract.

Shortly after the mergers, a Dues Unification Committee was set up, of which I participated in. Through teleconferences with the other regions, the County and City regional members of the committee, were frustrated that the other two regions were resistive to changes in their dues structure and often referenced the written agreement, by Annelle Grajeda, to maintain their dues structure, which was flat rated to a set monthly amount. Through the mergers, the Tri-counties and Inland Empire regions saw an increase in services, where the LA City workers and LA County workers did not have the increase in services. In fact, they no longer had business representatives as they once did in legacy locals 347 (LA City) and 660 (LA County). Despite the efforts of the Dues Unification Committee, there was no consensus reached on what would be a fair equalized standard Local 721 members should pay.

Pursuant to 721′s Constitution and By-laws the intent of Article 5, section A, was that “Members in each of the four regions have plans to equalize dues. In some areas dues have been lowered, in other areas increases will be tied to raises in order to reach a uniform rate.”

The Local’s Executive Board and/or union administration has simply failed or neglected to achieve a uniform or equalized rate as each region has a different dues rate, so that entitles the members to act on their own. It is legally recognized that the members are the highest authority of the local. One Rank and File LA County steward put it best when he stated, “there’s no good reason why some are entitled to drink from one water fountain, while others are forced to drink from another”. I’ve also been informed that the Union has instructed some worksite organizers to travel to worksites to discourage this Petition signature gathering as another City Worker noted, staff is obviously “doing nothing more than protecting their raises….at our expense”. The staff obviously have a vested interest in fighting this standardization as it may directly affect their pay.

The Union staff often responds by saying that “this is no time for a weakened union”.  Some responded that “we already have a weakened union…..there’s no point in paying top dollar for it”
The bottom line: The Rank and File membership has had enough! -Dan

Dues Petition and mailing instructions

After reviewing the facts above most members feel violated they trusted union staff on making concessions, with the added burden of lower take home pay members feel very strongly that the union needs to make significant adjustments to its budget since it comes directly out of our pocket.

Enclosed below is a PDF version of the document with the instructions on how to turn it in, they will present it to our elected Executive board, They should have little choice except supporting the will of the members, unless the $300.00 per month stipend is more important to them that is.

Mailing Instructions per Mr. Mariscal

721 Rank and File
1012 W. Beverly Blvd. # 304
Montebello, CA. 90640

SEIU 721 Response to Petition
SEIU 721 was asked to comment on what lowering the dues for members would entail Specifically they were asked to answer the following two questions.
•     “If this is a member run organization, don’t the members decide?
•    Specifically What are the downsides of standardizing the dues to the requested $35.00?

We gave them significant time to respond and we have yet to hear back from them, certainly they will decide it is better to respond by spending tens of thousands of dollars on robo-calls, email, and literature all at your expense.

Anticipated Union Position

SEIU WILL use fear tactics to scare you into paying more, don’t be fooled!

Basically the union position is that it needs to continue to increase everyone’s dues to 1.5% because we need to pay for representation and to continue to donate to the politicians that never remember who we are.

LA City Workers.com position we are neutral on this issue because we are concentrating on many others and feel the union needs to step up and fight a different fight. If the members demand they pay less, the executive board shall mandate that they make the cut’s and tighten the financial belt and suck it up.

SEIU 721 did not spend 1 cent on advertising for LA City Employees when they demanded it, they let us get furlough after furlough. They charge the county a huge sum and fail to even secure them a decent contract. I feel the members’ pain and it is up to them to decide if the time has come to stop the waste, mismanagement and corruption at SEIU 721, or if they want to continue to pay for better benefits for someone else.

_________________

^{(1) Annelle Grajeda, former president of SEIU Local 721, and a former executive vice president of the international stepped down after the Los Angeles Times report indicated there was evidence she had arranged a transfer of tens of thousands of dollars in improper payments to a former boyfriend, Alejandro Stephens.}

^{(2) Latest Contract available}