Update #2....509 sheep vote for concessions ... count so close Union won't disclose it....update

Boy-oh-Boy!...... poor old Dave "Judas Goat" Holway must have a RED FACE...... for the first time in recent memory he got beat in a race to the bottom.... that is...to sell out his membership in a concession contract..... 

I hereby declare the new ruling champion in the "Judas Goat Derby" to be Mike Grunko!..... President of local 509  ......congratulations Mike..... a dubious distinction if ever there was one.....

Hello, Local 509 members.... You've been PUNKED!..... ha, ha.....
 
.............................................the Sheeple from NAGE would like to WELCOME YOU TO THE FOLD!....(as in an "an enclosure for sheep or, occasionally, other domestic animals.")

The 509 web site says only that the concessions contract amendment was ratified....nothing about the count of the yays and the nays..... Why? I'm guessing the vote was so close it was an embarrassment to the union bosses..... if it was so close, it diminishes their credibility when they claim to be able to deliver th votes....

Well, well well..... I guess that concession vote did have something embarrassing about it!.... Presto Change-O....Now you see it now you don't.... 
Mike Grunko must have found the lukewarm voting margin a little, well if not outright embarrassing, then at least NOTHING TO BE VERY PROUD of!..... 
They've taken the vote count down off the 509 web site.... don't worry, we'll leave it up here.....

Meanwhile, narry a whisper from the Burgin Parkway Bandits about their "agreement...ALL BUT Written!"..... how pathetic.

OK.... here's the update from 509 giving the count, they must have been shamed into it.... but only 74% voted in favor, hardly what I would call "overwhelming".... especially when one considers how the union had gulled them into thinking the contract was going to avert 509 lay-offs....obviously 26% of the members were not fooled..... we'll see.....

.......Oh and one can't help but notice how 509's numbers are dwindling...... the administration is cutting them down like wheat...... and it hasn't stopped yet..... the administration's sinking ship is desperate to fund fat raises for the municipal unions..... in an attempt to curry local favor in the upcoming election....

Contract Ratification

On December 17, 2009, state workers voted overwhelmingly to ratify their contract. The agreement: delays a cost of living increase, authorizes a modest furlough program and applies these savings to prevent layoffs.(Really??....no where in the agreement does it mention averting 509 layoffs.... oh and the non-binding "side letter?"..... that doesn't mean anything, and it doesn't say anything..... nowhere are the "averted layoffs" identified, specified, or quantified.... you folks have been punked!......) 

Members of Local 509 provide support to persons with disabilities, at risk families and others in need. These vital services now will not be disrupted as a result of this vote. (Oh really?..... based on what?.... got ay actual facts to back that up?) 

The ratification results were:
Unit 8:

YES: 2369

NO: 619
Unit 10:

YES: 257

NO: 15509 declares that the concessions made will save jobs (yeah maybe they'll save the 1,300 new hires done by the governor in the last year)....

BUT JUST LIKE THE NAGE CONCESSION MOU, THERE IS NOT ONE WORD ABOUT SAVING 509 JOBS, nowhere are the "to be saved" jobs, identified, quantified , or specified..... Notice how carefully parsed the wording is on the website.....

Members of SEIU Local 509 voted on December 17 to ratify an agreement with the Commonwealth to save jobs, protect services,.....blah, blah, blah (yeah, but whose jobs, if it was agreed they'd be 509 jobs why doesn't the agreement say that...in fact the agreement makes no mention of any jobs at all...)

At least it has a requirement that the Legislature funds the contract prior to the furloughs taking affect..... the NAGE plan seems to be to take the furloughs and then get contracting funding later.....

IF the legislature does pass a funding bill (and that is a BIG IF, based on their recent actions).... then you'd beetter pay real close attention to the language to make sure it is specifically authorizing payment of the future 3% raises.... if there is no specific intention that it funds the future 3% raises then that leaves it an open question of interpretation..... you ought to no how that will go..... you'll never see the two 3 % raises.

Well.... I thought the 509ers had a little more intelligence and back-bone than the NAGE Sheeple, well.... I guess I was wrong about that..... welcome to the fold... fellow sheeple!

Here's a comment lifted from the Globe story:

jgattijr wrote:

Shame on SEIU 509 and AFSCME

Once again the so called public employee union bosses continue to sell out to their endorsed political candidate at the expense of the career state employees struggling to provide services with taxpayer dollars. The union bosses continue to promote by inaction of starving state agencies and allowing their membership to dwindle. The Union Bosses are too allied with consultants, vendors, and providers that have raped the taxpayers, legislature for too long and are unaccountable trying to organize them while the delivery system fails. Apparently dues are dues for the union bosses to play politics and their dedicated membership are expendable.

Governor Deval Pattrick Threatens State Employee Cuts While insuring His Political Appointments Are Safe! That is an outrage. The place where there are the real Savings which could be at least $750 million to $1.5 billiuon+ Alone In The State Budget. .....Massachusetts Non Profits, Not For Profits, and Foundations Must Now Clean UP Their Own Management Greed As What Was Exposed In The Banking And Insurance Industry.


Government,Foundations, and Citizens all struggling in our nation's failed economy caused by unmonitored corporate financial greed and failed government oversight must show additional compassion and dig deeper into their pocketbooks. Compassion, Care, and Concern are needed to guarantee what is funded is precisely spent as intended.

However, the time has come that the non profits and not for profits be held to a higher standard also. Greed CEO salaries.golden parachutes, fat expense accounts, and interrelated sweetheart contracts must be addressed. Direct care services advertised must be maintained with need sincerity and actually being provided as funded.

Estimates not taking in consideration the $$$$billions in private giving accounts in the state budget alone if waste, fraud, abuse corruption and doing proper oversight could recover $750 Billion+ to $1.5 Billion + alone in State budget Expenditures by holding the non profit and not for profit Human Services Industrial Complex were properly audited and monitored.

I challenge to be corrected.

http://oversightwatchmassachusetts.blogspot.com

NAGE Xmass party---not worried about an extravagant image....

Here's the type of invitation YOU WILL NEVER GET....because you are in NAGE...... the Burgin Parkway bandits choose to spend your dues money on Christmas Parties for themseleves only!...... none for you low-life members..... But MOSES, an real democratic union for state employees actually does invite their members......

The Globe has an article about companies worried about the extravagant image projected by holding expensive holiday parties.....
http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2009/12/16/work_party_no_longer_so_hearty/

Not NAGE..... why?,

In my opinion it's becasue they do manage to keep it a secret from the vast majority of members..... only the in-crowd toadies get an invite.....everything on the LOWDOWN.... they don't dare to tell the members they are squandering thousands ($17k in 2008 and $13k in 2009) on catered affairs, for themselves, at the World Famous Jasper White's in Cambridge.... this info is the bare minimum they are required to report to the DOL in LM-2 report.

Even when you find out about, what the hell can you do about?..... nothing, these decisions are the sole prerogative of President for Life Dave Holway, his toady Jim Farley, the "treasurer".... merely rubber stamps everything..... The MEMBERS?..... they don't get to have a single word to say about.....

How nice for the Burgin Parkway Bandits....another fancy Christmas party coming up..... if you know when, post it here........... Bet you didn't get an invite..... they don't want to hear from the membership, they just want you dues.....

NAGE ERIP claims collapse, NAGE finally gives up on promoting false hope

For weeks the folks of Burgin Parkway have been insinuating that they had an "agreement" with the Commonwealth for an Early Retirement Package (ERIP.)

We've been telling you here that it had to be a false claim, I think it was surely meant only to gull the weak minded into voting for concessions that are not allowed under the current contract.

In spite of a joint public statement issued in July by the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House and the Governor; flatly stating that there was going to BE NO ERIP.......

.......NAGE has been telling you they had an agreement for an ERIP...... why?, In my opinion it shows  they have NO RESPECT for THE RANK AND FILE members who pay their salaries..... they do nothing but INSULT YOUR INTELLIGENCE..... and you keep paying your dues to these prevaricators....

Now NAGE has finally been forced to admit their their claims are nothing but flummery. There will be no ERIP..... which anyone with half a brain knew anyway.....


Why the hell have they wasted our time by repeatedly claiming they would deliver an ERIP package.....when there was never a shred of hope....

.......repeatedly making these claims, and then failing to deliver can't help but damage their  CREDIBILITY..
...... CLEARLY, THIS WEEKS LONG RAP ABOUT ERIP AMOUNTS TO A FAIR INFERENCE THAT THEY WILL TELL YOU ANYTHING TO GET YOU TO VOTE FOR CONCESSIONS AND TO VOLUNTARILY CUT YOUR OWN BENEFITS AND PAY......FOR NOTHING IN RETURN!

VOTE NO!!! on the stinkin' furlough contract, IN MY OPINION you'll wind up taking the furloughs, the planned layoffs will proceed inspite of the furloughs and other concessions, and the State will again stiff the employees on their paltry 1% (over 3 years)  raise anyway.

VOTE NO, ----VOTE NO CONFIDENCE IN NAGE....they are worse than useless.... they are obviously willing to sell you out!

Here's their statement from the web page:
State Rejects Early Retirement Incentive Program
For many weeks, NAGE has been working with the administration on the issue (ISSUE?..... what happened to the "agreement" you supposedly had..... your assurances are worthless!)of an early retirement incentive program. While it appears that the state is willing to continue—on an agency-by-agency basis—the practice of offering a one-time cash payment for individuals to retire early, the administration will not agree to any "years of service/age" early retirement incentive program that will change an employee's pension calculation.

"Contract Update?"..... nothing but more crap from NAGE

NAGE web page has the "update:" given beloW

These guys just keep slingin' the old BS.... the update says nothing, nothing useful anyway.

Local 509 already has their agreement in hand, with slightly superior provisions for the pay raise than what NAGE previously posted.... of course NAGE is now talking like they never posted the previous concession agreement.

My take on it... is this:

While Holway and his over-paid do-nothing minions and toadies were in Disney land pounding down cocktails (at the members expense)....

Mike Grunko was here in Mass pounding on the table with Deval's negotiators hammering out a deal (albeit a lousy one)...

... but at least its something the members can vote (hopefully vote down....send these guys a message that we've had enough of being treated like second class citizens.)

Contract Update (more meaningless BS from NAGE)

December 9, 2009

As you are aware, NAGE has reached a tentative contract agreement with the Commonwealth that must be voted on by the membership and approved by the legislature. (That would be the SAME legislature that has refused to fund our contract...and they've done it before as well..... they have shown they can not be trusted....) Before we will put this contract out to our members for a vote, however, there are important details that must be worked out to ensure that the administration upholds its end of the deal....(translation: "we decided to fly down to Florida last week to pound down some cocktails and lay in the sun, rather than stick around to work out theses "important details".... can you blame us??? Ha, ha, ha")

Most significantly, we need the administration to tell us how they're going to handle the reimbursement of health insurance co-pays and deductibles. While this reimbursement program is assured with the ratification of the contract (what just like our current contract was assured that we would be getting a stinkin 1% on July 1st...after two years of zero%???...don't you realize by now that we are not dealing with credible people?...), our members need to know how it's all going to work.
We understand that this process has been frustrating and that members want a final agreement as soon as possible.(WRONG!!! we don't want a "final agreement that puts us in a worse position than we're in Now!!! ) We want to assure you that we're moving it along as quickly as possible. We also want to remind you that the legislature will not be back in session until January, and that they have to approve any agreement we ratify....(No kidding!.... I think we get it by now..... these contracts aren't worth the paper they are printed on....

.....it is apparent that the Legislature has no intention of funding any pay raises for State employees.....

.......the state has money problems and the Local Municipal Unions have lucrative contracts that must be honored!....

....screw the state employees..... they have demonstrated something as well..... by allowing themselves to get screwed by NAGE year after year and having done nothing about getting rid of NAGE.... they have shown they are chumps that can be safely ignored....
We have time to make sure that this gets done right, and we won't ask you to vote on a contract until we know that members will receive their reimbursements in a timely manner. (What a crock of nothig)

Speaking of Holiday Parties.... Jasper White's Summer Shack

....its Dave Holway's favorite watering hole here in the frozen North ( the land of the endangered cash-cow Mass State employee.)


Yes I'm sure the Burgin Parkway Bandits will be having their annual Christmas Party at Dave's favorite: Jasper White's Summer Shack.....
 
..........once again paid for with your dues (no members need apply for admission) ....they don't want anything to do with you, except your dues money.

Last year they spent $17,987 dollars on their private little X-Mass party.... or the "Childrens Christmas Party" as they've taken to reporting it on the LM-2..... RIGHT?!!!!..... 

........AND they have the sheer gall to CATEGORIZE THIS $17,897 Christmas Party EXPENSE as a "REPRESENTATIONAL ACTIVITY".... you've got to be kidding me!  

.......and here I keep complaining that NAGE doesn't spend any of our dues actually representing the interests of State Employees.....OH, I guess I never thought of a dues funded  drinking party as having anything to do with representing my interests.... 

......especially when the Commonwealth is cutting our pay, cutting our benefits, and flouting our signed contract..... 

.......NAGE accomplishes nothing about any of that, but you bet your bippy they'll be having their Christmas party....and we pick up the tab!.....

......and they'll still be sporting those tans they worked on while down at Disney land last week.... what a good life these folks have at our expense..... zero accountability must be nice....for them!


While we settle for gathering around the conference room table at lunch time to share dutch-treat pot luck snacks and pizza and to discuss our impending NAGE engineered furloughs....

.......the "officers and employees" at NAGE will be enjoying another sumptuous Christmas Party at the world famous Jasper White's in Cambridge......
......for $17,987 I think it's fair to assume it also includes OPEN BAR.... Whooo- Hooooo! Party hardy dudes!

Does anybody know the DATE?....POST IT Here, maybe we'll crash and have Dave by us a few drinks with our own money!

NAGE Holiday at Disney World

Wouldn't you love to be able to enjoy an all expenses paid vacation at Disney?....Maybe bring the family along?..... can't afford it?..... Too bad you're not one of Holway's toadies, they've been living it up with your dues money!

Their Motto must be.... "I don't have to BE A MILLIONAIRE, I JUST WANT TO LIVE LIKE ONE.... on those sweet Units 1,3 6 dues..."
Check out the OASIS BAR AND GRILL.... I'm sure our fearless leaders spent a fair share of their time pounding them down at this "watering hole"......

NAGE fat cats live it up at Disney World Resort

....While we sit around ringing our hands about how in the hell we are going to pay our bills, make ends meet, send our kids to college, and praying that no one gets sick so we don't get whacked with new deductibles..... year after year NO COST OF LIVING RAISE!.....these lucky devils live like kings on our dues money.

The Burgin Parkway bandits had themselves a NICE, ALL EXPENSES PAID VACATION at DISNEY.... thanks to you dues paying dopes.

They collect your dues to the tune of $13.5 million per year, and  YOU GET PRACTICALLY NOTHING IN RETURN

Check out the phony-baloney "Agenda" .......... you have got to be KIDDING me.....

They HAD to go to Disney World to have this self-serving mutual admiration society confab?..... RIGHT!?.   Oh, and our broken contract?.... not even on the agenda

509 does a little better...

But not much..... it will still leave you social workers worse off than you are now.
You can review the 509 package yourself.... here

509 would see their stinkin' 1% raise 6 months earlier than NAGE...by December 31, 2009 (NAGE waits till June 30, 2010) ...so put another way 509 gets 1/2% for FY10 and NAGE gets another goose-egg....zero percent for 2010.

Both agreements contain meaningless unenforceable language concerning the two 3% cost adjustments (509 "gets" theirs 6 months earlier on 12/31/2010 and 12/31/2011, NAGE waits till 6/30/2011 and 6/30/2012).....

The 509 agreement does not even bother to mention the worthless promise to "file" an early retirement package.... which proves, I guess, that Mike Grunko does have a sense of shame, unlike Dave Holway who will shamelessly promise the the ERIP package when he knows it doesn't have prayer (the Gov, the Senate Pres and the House speaker were all going to make liars out of themselves and reverse their earlier statement about NO ERIPS, right?.... in deferenc eto the powerful negotiators at NAGE?....come on)


IT NEEDS TO BE NOTED that neither of these amendments are worth the paper they are printed on..... the Commonwealth has a long and growing history of simply reneging on agreed upon raises.... don't forget the same folks that want that want you to agree to these concessions just screwed you on the current contract (oh, they did provide the zero% in year one...)

Furloughs.....
509... <$40k=1 day, >$40k and <$50k=1.5 days, >$60k= 3days
NAGE...<$50k=0 days, >$50k=3 days

Simple arithmetic.... value of the concessions:

New deductibles, co-pays, etc....approx value 1%-2% pay cut depending on what you make and what medical services you an dyour family are likely to use.

Furloughs.....................................approx value 1.25% pay cut

Cuts to Dental & Optical plans..........Value?... remains to be seen... need more info

Value of NAGE raise in FY10 =0%..... another goose egg for NAGE
Value of 509 Raise in FY10   =.5%

So the value of the concessions package, for you, is roughly equivalent to a 2.5% to 3.5% pay cut..... this on top of two years of no cost of living raise.......

NAGE is killing you financially..... the cops don't get this kind of raw deal, the municipal unions don't, the nurses don't, certainly the teachers don't, the MBTA doesn't ....why? because they don't suffer the burden of being "represented" by NAGE....

VOTE NO on this concession contract, consider it a vote of no confidence in the people that have been screwing you over for years...... send them a wake-up message

MOSES & Local 509 getting better deals?

Local 509, remains silent on what is going on. They have nothing  on their web site informing the members of any "deal."
(This in spite of news reports indicating they have knuckled under to the same lousy concession agreement that NAGE "negotiated" with A&F.)

Some are interpreting this to mean that they are getting a better deal than the NAGE shills have put before the NAGE membership. If true, then Mike Grunko stood up for his members (unlike Holway)..... if not true?.... well we'll see.

Did 509 manage to get their raises without giving up furloughs, dental & optical benefits? The word is that the 509 "better deal" is being quietly introduced to members in local meetings, that ballots will be hand carried to local work sites, and the deal is being kept off the web page....in order to keep things on the "Q-T".... so that poor NAGE sheeple don't get to feeling bad.

The idea is to keep things on the "low down" until after the NAGE sheeple have voted to the accept the furloughs, pay cuts and benefits cuts endorsed by NAGE to their members.

After the sheeple take it in the neck, by their own hand, then Local 509 will unveil the much better deal they negotiated for their members..... details are not yet available.....

Likewise MOSES has, thus far, refused to throw their members under the bus..... they have refused to endorse the NAGE-Holway concession plan. Negotiations continue between MOSES and the Commonwealth (though NAGE has already thrown in the towel.....).... we'll have to wait and see....