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)

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....

Don't get fooled again- Vote NO! on Concessions

Remember the Contract (the current Contract) NAGE gave us those "solid assurances" that the Commownwealth would live up to it? ... We were going to get: the following:

• NO Retro (O% raise for FY 08).... "Check".... that happened alright
• 1% Increase on July 1 2009, fro FY 09..... NEVER HAPPENED DID IT!
• 3% July 1st 2010.... .... NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!
• 3% July 1st 2011.... NAGE has already sold you down the river on this one too, they're proposing you give further concessions..... Furloughs, give back optical and dental payments already agreed to.....
  

Remember how NAGE announced the SIGNING of the CURRENT AGREEMENT with such fanfare?

A real Historic OCCASION!..... or should I say HYSTERICAL OCCASION!.....

From the expressions on their faces I can only imagine how the dialog must have gone between EL Presidente' for Life David Holway and the Governor:

NAGE Hedging on the Concession Agreement before it's even unwrapped

NAGE IS hedging (what a surprise!).... though they made no mention of it before (not till after it was pointed out here on this blog):

Remember anything you think you're getting in this concession agreement is SUBJECT TO BEING FUNDED by the Legislature (Yeah the same legislature that refused to fund the current agreement.)

So NAGE is now admitting it......
Here's what they are now saying about the stinking concessions contract they have "negotiated", but which they still have refused to share with the membership apparently preferring to keep it under wraps as long as possible, lest the members think about what it really says...:

(NAGE admits it):It is also important to note that the legislature must approve the agreement, and NAGE is working hard to make sure that happens.....

Gee I thought you were working hard on the current agreement getting funded, I guess you were only "hardly working" on that stinkin 1% raise.....

YOU KNOW WHAT?.... I'd rather see you working hard to get the current agreement funded by the Legislature, rather working so hard to get the concessions approved!!!!!

no kidding, the NAGE sheeple might be stupid.... but they do catch on after a while

YET ANOTHER GOOD REASON TO VOTE NO!.... on this stinkin' contract....

So what to make of it?......

The concessions WILL be taken and you WILL take payless work days, see increases in you health care costs, outright lose optical and dental benefits.....
yet the other end of the bargain will never be lived up to.....

YOU WILL NEVER SEE the PROMISED PAY RAISES, YOU WILL NEVER SEE, the healthcare reimbursements.....

......AND NAGE's likely response will be to go back to the bargaining table OFFERING YET MORE CONCESSIONS!.... time will tell folks, but based on recent and current history.....that's what will happen...

New dedcutible= 1% pay cut

The new GIC $750 deductible is the equivalent of a 1% pay cut (if you make $75,000 per year).

Let me do the math for you ignorant sheeple:
If you make:
If you make:$70,000 the new deductible equals a 1.07% pay cut
If you make:$60,000 the new deductible equals a 1.25% pay cut
If you make:$50,000 the new deductible equals a 1.50% pay cut
If you make:$40,000 the new deductible equals a 1.88% pay cut
If you make:$30,000 the new deductible equals a 2.50% pay cut

Hey President "give away" Holway, where is the real concession contract? the one you've been keeping under wraps (that "tentative contract" was nothing but a piece of garbage.)

POST THE REAL CONTRACT AMENDMENT, So we can see what other concessions you've given away.

MORE STINKING LIES from NAGE

Remember that "tentative agreement" that NAGE published and made available to the members?

Guess what? That piece of garbage was not the agreement.

According to Geg Sorozan the ACTUAL AGREEMENT has not been shared with any of you morons.
You'll have your first look at it when the ballot comes in the mail.

Obviously NAGE is up to their usual tactic to keep the members IN THE DARK, as long as possible, and provide as short a timeline as possible to vote up or down ....
....with NO Democratic Forum to discuss and debate the merits.....

How much longer will you Sheeple put up with this kind of treatment?....======>

Here's what Greg is saying on his Blog: (has he gone off his meds or what?....sharing anything with the members?..... Holway will have to take him to the woodshed for this....)


AGREEMENT NEXT STEPS AND GIC INCREASES
 In a meeting today (Nov. 20), the Group Insurance Commission voted toincrease co-pays and deductibles (no kidding, what a surprise.... got to pay for all the free health care for those "New Americans"the Gov is so worried about....screw you NAGE Folks) for participants in GIC plans.

Co-pays for primary care physician visits, specialist visits, and retail clinic visits will increase $5;
co-pays for outpatient surgery will increase $10;
and co-pays for emergency room visits and hi-tech imaging, such as MRIs, will increase $25.

Wait for it....here's where they are really putting the screws to you....

Deductibles of $250 for individuals and $750 for families will be imposed for the first time!!!!

These new co-pay and deductible rates go into effect February 1, 2010.

That’s the bad news....It sure is Greg....thanks for nothing NAGE....


The good news is that, in the tentative agreement (really? there is nothing like that in the agreement that has been shared with the members) reached between NAGE and the Commonwealth, there is the following provision:


“Should the GIC raise co-pays or deductibles in FY 10 or FY11,
employees represented by NAGE will be reimbursed for the difference
between current rates and the revised rates. (Oh that's rich, so we're supposed to believe that they are screwing us to save money, but then they are just going to reimburse us for the difference?....come on, what's really going on here?)This agreement is in effect through June 30, 2011.”

This provision, of course, will be in effect only upon members’ ratification of the agreement.
Here it comes:


The reimbursement process for the co-pays and deductibles will be cumbersome,(oh, do tell....) and the details of how the reimbursement program will operate are not final, but NAGE bargaining unit members in Units 1, 3, and 6 "have assurance"

(OH REALLY? only assurance?.... NOT EVEN "SOLID ASSURANCES?".... sounds pretty weak to me....OH IT just came to me.... the reimbursement mechanism will be SO CUMBERSOME, that they are counting on you sheeple to be TOO STUPID and LAZY to figure it out....meaning you'll never get reimbursed.... yeah that sounds right!)
...that they will be held harmless in this event of the GIC’s increases and any future increases through June 30, 2011.

On another note, we expect to be notifying members in the near
future of the new dates for the mailing of the ratification ballots and
the new date for the counting of those ballots. It is our hope to
complete the ratification vote by mid-December.

OK, when you get the ballot VOTE NO....
don't give up your optical and dental benefits,

don't take furloughs, and get laid off anyway....

don't say thank you for getting screwed out of your stinkin' 1%.....

stand up on your hind hooves and VOTE NO!

Remember anything you think you're getting in this concession agreement is SUBJECT TO BEING FUNDED by the Legislature (Yeah the same legislature that refused to fund the current agreement.)

SO don't be so gullible to think that just because you have a signed agreement that the Commonwealth will live up to it's end of the bargain, THEY HAVE ALREADY SHOWN THEY WON'T!

You won't get any of the "benefits" offered (like those "reimbursements of medical deductibles that shouldn't have been imposed in the first place..... BUT, for damn sure you will lose your optical and dental benefits and you will take those payless furloughs, OH...and the "handful" of layoffs avoided.... it won't help you.

AND Most importantly!..... Folks STAY HEALTHY!..... you can see the way this is going, if you actually need to have access to medical services...IT WILL COST YOU, at least until rationing begins under OBAMA-Care, then you may not get it at all...... 

Next step Health Insurance for State Employess via the "Health Connector"....mass health..... that will do till OBAMA-Care, then the Cdommonwealth will be able to dump your coverage completely..... you heard it here 1st....

NAGE is keeping you in the dark

NAGE had a meeting at their headquarters at Burgin Parkway last Friday.

There they laid out further details of the "tentative agreement" for concessions to the Stewards of Nage.
Among other things they gave out a chart showing the economic value (tens of millions according press reports) of the concessions they are foisting on the members..... WITH INSTRUCTIONS NOT TO SHARE THIS INFO WITH THE MEMBERS!..... you should be outraged!

The rank & file dues paying members have as much right to the info as any of the Burgin Parkway bandits, or the stewards and other assorted toadies.

I call upon Pres Holway....post this info on the web site and share it with the dues paying members!, we've got a right to know what we're voting.... how much lower can you sink...

VOTE NO on Conncession Contract...it is a SHAM!

MOSES is not so anxious to sell out their members as NAGE is (because, unlike NAGE they actually have to answer to the members.)

The MOSES negotiated agreement on concessions actually contained language that would ensure that NO CONCESSIONS would be made until the COMMONWEALTH actually lived up to their end of the bargain.

Specifically, MOSES took the position that NO FURLOUGHS would be taken UNTIL AFTER the Commonwealth filed, passed and IMPLEMENTED the promised Early Retirement Package.

Contrast that to the meaningless language NAGE has accepted: that the administration will only have to "file" the ERIP legislation (which is "filed" every year anyway, and never goes anywhere except the trash can.)

So what happened?.....   faced with MOSES language requiring that they would actually have to live up to their end of the deal in order to get the concessions, the Commonwealth promptly withdrew the "offer" of an ERIP ....why? (read about)
......I think it's fair to infer it was because they never had any intention whatsoever of living up to their end of the obligation.....

Remember this posting on the NAGE web site?, I do:

Commonwealth of Massachusetts
JOINT STATEMENT OF GOVERNOR DEVAL PATRICK, SENATE PRESIDENT THERESE MURRAY,
AND SPEAKER ROBERT DeLEO
BOSTON – Wednesday, July 22, 2009 – Governor Deval Patrick, Senate President Therese Murray and Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo today announced that the Commonwealth will not adopt an “early retirement incentive” program, as it has during past fiscal emergencies.
The leaders do not support an early retirement incentive program, for either state or municipal workers, because, based on experience with previous efforts, such programs have not saved substantial operating funds and have proven too costly to the state retirement system.

So why the Hell would NAGE give any creedence whatsoever to the Governor's alleged offer to implement an ERIP...... you can't make this stuff up folks, NAGE and the Governor are just laughing at your gullibility....

If they lied about the ERIP, then they are more likely than not lying about the layoffs....

Remember those 1,000 layoffs that will be "avoided" as a result of concessions, (oops, now it's down to only "hundreds" of layoffs, what's the next statement going to say "dozens" avoided, or a "handful" avoided?).... they are laughing at you

...it's nothing but baloney folks , you probably believe in the Easter bunny too

There is not ONE SINGLE WORD IN THE  CONCESSION AGREEMENT, THAT IDENTIFIES, QUANTIFIES, OR SPECIFIES... WHERE EXACTLY THESE LAYOFFS WOULD BE AVOIDED.....
IF THEY WERE REAL ...THEY WOULD BE SPECIFIED FOLKS, SO I THINK IT'S FAIR TO SAY, IT'S NOTHING BUT SMOKE AND MIRRORS

In other words, the layoffs will happen regardless, yet you will have taken furloughs, cuts in optical and dental benefits, cuts in health insurance benefits, and wage cuts.... for NOTHING. NAGE has sold you down the river, for nothing....and acting in typical Judas Goat fashion, they have led the other weak sister unions (509 and AFSCME) down same road.

VOTE NO! on this underhanded scheme cooked up by NAGE.

The STATE POLICE UNION, LIKE MOSES IS NOT READY TO SELL THEIR MEMBERS DOWN THE RIVER....taking an even harder line, here's what they have to say about furloughs:

(The State Police Association) wants to see more cuts made at the management level before furloughs, because everyone is under tough times.

“Taking 3,4,5, even 6 days away from someone, especially someone new, you can cost them a mortgage or a kids school or some of the expenses we all have to pay.” – Jeffrey Gordon, State Police Association of Massachusetts

They are not slinging any of the NAGE BS to their members.....

CONTRAST THAT WITH THE KIND of SNIVELING, WHINING, and PRATTLING THAT WE HEAR FROM NAGE:

..."BOO-HOO ....it's not really a "GOOD DEAL" and we certainly can't call it a "victory" but it's the best deal we are willing to try to do for you fools who provide us with million$ in dues each year, for which you receive virtually nothing in return..... thanks chumps ....and keep those due$ coming."

By the way, I'm looking into recent municipal collective bargaing agreements across the state..... they continue to get fair wage increases, cost of living increases, even "longevity bonuses!"..... they aren't losing benefits, taking furloughs or pay cuts.... local aid is the Governor's sacred cow.... you are expendable..... more later

MOSES & State Police --NO DEAL.... Municpal Unions still livin' large...

MOSES is not so anxious to sell out their members as NAGE is (because, unlike NAGE they actually have to answer to the members.)

The MOSES negotiated agreement on concessions actually contained language that would ensure that NO CONCESSIONS would be made until the COMMONWEALTH actually lived up to their end of the bargain.

Specifically, MOSES took the position that NO FURLOUGHS would be taken UNTIL AFTER the Commonwealth filed, passed and IMPLEMENTED the promised Early Retirement Package.

Contrast that to the meaningless language NAGE has accepted: that the administration will only have to "file" the ERIP legislation (which is "filed" every year anyway, and never goes anywhere except the trash can.)

So what happened?.....   faced with MOSES language requiring that they would actually have to live up to their end of the deal in order to get the concessions, the Commonwealth promptly withdrew the "offer" of an ERIP ....why? (read about)
......I think it's fair to infer it was because they never had any intention whatsoever of living up to their end of the obligation.....

Remember this posting on the NAGE web site?, I do:

Commonwealth of Massachusetts
JOINT STATEMENT OF GOVERNOR DEVAL PATRICK, SENATE PRESIDENT THERESE MURRAY,
AND SPEAKER ROBERT DeLEO
BOSTON – Wednesday, July 22, 2009 – Governor Deval Patrick, Senate President Therese Murray and Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo today announced that the Commonwealth will not adopt an “early retirement incentive” program, as it has during past fiscal emergencies.
The leaders do not support an early retirement incentive program, for either state or municipal workers, because, based on experience with previous efforts, such programs have not saved substantial operating funds and have proven too costly to the state retirement system.

So why the Hell would NAGE give any creedence whatsoever to the Governor's alleged offer to implement an ERIP...... you can't make this stuff up folks, NAGE and the Governor are just laughing at your gullibility....

If they lied about the ERIP, then they are lying about the layoffs....

Remember those 1,000 layoffs that will be "avoided" as a result of concessions, (oops, now it's down to only "hundreds" of layoffs, what's the next statement going to say "dozens" avoided, or a "handful" avoided?).... they are laughing at you

...it's nothing but baloney folks , you probably believe in the Easter bunny too

There is not ONE SINGLE WORD IN THE  CONCESSION AGREEMENT, THAT IDENTIFIES, QUANTIFIES, OR SPECIFIES... WHERE EXACTLY THESE LAYOFFS WOULD BE AVOIDED.....
IF THEY WERE REAL ...THEY WOULD BE SPECIFIED FOLKS, SO I THINK IT'S FAIR TO SAY, IT'S NOTHING BUT SMOKE AND MIRRORS

In other words, the layoffs will happen regardless, yet you will have taken furloughs, cuts in optical and dental benefits, cuts in health insurance benefits, and wage cuts.... for NOTHING. NAGE has sold you down the river, for nothing....and acting in typical Judas Goat fashion, they have led the other weak sister unions (509 and AFSCME) down same road.

VOTE NO! on this underhanded scheme cooked up by NAGE.

The STATE POLICE UNION, LIKE MOSES IS NOT READY TO SELL THEIR MEMBERS DOWN THE RIVER....taking an even harder line, here's what they have to say about furloughs:

(The State Police Association) wants to see more cuts made at the management level before furloughs, because everyone is under tough times.

“Taking 3,4,5, even 6 days away from someone, especially someone new, you can cost them a mortgage or a kids school or some of the expenses we all have to pay.” – Jeffrey Gordon, State Police Association of Massachusetts

They are not slinging any of the NAGE BS to their members.....

CONTRAST THAT WITH THE KIND of SNIVELING, WHINING, and PRATTLING THAT WE HEAR FROM NAGE:

..."BOO-HOO ....it's not really a "GOOD DEAL" and we certainly can't call it a "victory" but it's the best deal we are willing to try to do for you fools who provide us with million$ in dues each year, for which you receive virtually nothing in return..... thanks chumps ....and keep those due$ coming."

By the way, I'm looking into recent municipal collective bargaing agreements across the state..... they continue to get fair wage increases, cost of living increases, even "longevity bonuses!"..... they aren't losing benefits, taking furloughs or pay cuts.... local aid is the Governor's sacred cow.... you are expendable..... more later

VOTE NO! on the Contract amendment

You will soon be getting a contract amendment voting ballot from NAGE.
(supposed to be going out Dec 14th, I've heard)
NAGE is, once again, asking you to vote against your own interests by:

taking furlough days (which contractually you can not be made to take).... so don't take them....VOTE NO!.....

cutting your optical and dental benefits.... coverage has been shrinking every year thanks to NAGE back room deals.... what will be left, if anything, of your optical and dental plan if you volunteer to cut your benefits even further?....VOTE NO!..... don't believe any malarkey that NAGE will be putting out there about a "surplus" in the Trust Fund..... NAGE has no credibility.... they have never provided to you the members, any accounting whatsoever of the status of the Trust Fund, or how the decisions get made to continually reduce the benefits and increase the co-pays.....

Layoffs will proceed in spite of concessions made.... sorry to tell you this folks, but conceding to give away the wages and benefits you have "won" with NAGE at the bargaining table WILL NOT SAVE any of YOUR jobs..... there is not a single word in the amendment that says anything about saving any of YOUR JOBS..... VOTE NO!.....

YOU will be far worse off than you are right now if you ratify this stinker of a contract.....VOTE NO!.....

I think NAGE is lying about what's in the Tentative Agreement

Here's a comparison of the WHAT NAGE CLAIMS is in the tentative agrement versus WHAT IS in the Tentative Agreement.... hey I'm getting this right from NAGE's own publications

What NAGE Claims:
1) Any agreement had to guarantee that we would receive the full 7% in raises during the original term of the contract (ending 6/30/2012), even though they might have to be somewhat delayed.....

What it really is:
What, guaranteed like we we were "guaranteed" 1% as of July 1st 2009?
Since there is NO SUCH THING as guarantee, and the admin and legislature have shown themselves only too willing to Welsh on a signed deal (to swindle by failing to fulfill an obligation) .....THERE IS NO Guarantee in the TENTATIVE agreement, get it?

What NAGE Claims:
2) No mandatory furloughs would take place unless a new contract were negotiated and funded by the legislature.

What it really is:
How stupid are you?.... Funding the full 7% means the legislature would have to appropriate funds to pay for all three raises...... IN ADVANCE!..... that means some kind of special appropriation that would span three Fiscal Years.... this is a virtual impossibility.... there is absolutely no guarantee of what will happen in future fiscal years...

But here is what NAGE will likely do: if the Legislature (which has already made your current contract worthless) does appropriate funds for the 1%, then NAGE will declare the contract "funded", you'll take your involuntary furlough....and you will never see the other 6%.

What NAGE Claims:
3) No concessions would be made unless we had solid assurances that the premium split on our health insurance and the co-pays and deductibles we are responsible for would not increase for FY 10 and FY 11.
What it really is:
Solid assurances?.... are you kidding me?
The health care premiums, co-pays, premium splits, etc. are set by The Group Insurance Commission and the Legislature..... are they going to sign the contract? Of course not, they are NOT BOUND BY ANY PHONY "ASSURANCES"...... past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior by these Independent bodies.

The Supreme Judicial Court has already determined that these matters are not subject to collective bargaining for state employees (not so for municipals which is why so many of them have refused to join the GIC which has continually jacked up co-pays and premiums while cutting coverage.)
So this "assurance is nothing but a worthless sham, it is completely unenforceable, and designed only to gull you into voting to cut your own pay.....how stupid are you people?

What NAGE Claims:
4) The savings from any furlough program would have to be used to reduce layoffs in NAGE units
What it really is:
THERE IS NOT ONE SINGLE WORD in the "tentative Agreement" which quantifies, identifies, or states in any manner whatsoever, whose jobs, in which bargaining units, in which agencies, will be spared, not to mention for how long (till 6/30/2010?) by your furloughs. NAGE's claim appears to be a flat out lie.

What NAGE Claims:
After intense negotiations, we believe we have reached an agreement with the Commonwealth that passes these four tests.
What it really is:
Read the "tentative agreement" yourself...... These folks at NAGE will say any damned thing they please.....

NAGE Judas Goat Performance in full swing

There goes trusty old Dave from NAGE, the Judas Goat... doing his best to lead the other unions to slaughter..... by poisoning the well with easily given concessions

I see nothing on the Local 509 web site about making concessions in their contract.
Likewise there is nothing on the MOSES web site.

They are no doubt scratching their heads wondering how they will deal with the usual NAGE betrayal. NAGE is always first in the race to the bottom among unions when it comes to concessions.

I can guess, from the pissy posting Holway had up on the web site whining about Mike Grunko having called him out on NAGE caving in to furlough's while getting nothing in return.... , that Grunko is not relishing the idea of having concessions and furloughs crammed down his throat.... his members are already hurting enough, though they were among the Gov's earliest and stongest supporters 509 doesn't seem to be having much luck with the current administration.....

.... hey, endless chin-music concerts and whining about in-door air quality don't add up to much, compared to having rank and file members getting cut down like wheat..... 509 is starting to look more and more like NAGE!.....  pluggin away at the non-issues....while giving up on wages and benefits....


I'm still chuckling at how Holway bristled at Grunko (seems to be gone, now that the cat is out of the bag and he has no choice but admit to it):

SEIU Local 509 President Mike Grunko has sent an email stating that
NAGE has accepted an 8-day furlough program for NAGE-represented state
employees. Unfortunately, Mr. Grunko has created much unnecessary
anxiety, fear, and anger with this falsehood....(let's not split hairs Dave, so it's three days and not 8.... but you've also given away the negotiated raise and optical and dental benefit.... thanks for nothing)

NAGE has performed the Judas Goat routine well..... showing, as always, they willing to give back more from their members for less in return, than any of the other unions...

.. doesn't make it any easier for 509 and MOSES to hold out..... they've got a few sheeple too.....

The ONLY THING NAGE is NEVER willing to concede, are the obscene dues they collect from state employees..... How long will it be before they'll be looking for another dues increase, telling you that the last sh*tty deal they got for you could have been worse... so it's time to pay up.

Furloughs done deal NAGE sells you out

OOps! while the NAGE main web page is denying that they have sold out on the Furlough issue (Denying that Grunko was right to say that NAGE has agreed to furloughs)..... the Local 282 web page is proclaiming it is a done deal:

We got word back from the Governor that he has responded to our Counter Proposal. Our Negotiating Team will be meeting on Friday, November 6 to discuss the response and to plan next steps.Several previously planned Reduction in Force Meetings with State Agencies have been suspended pending review of agency budgets, plans and anticipated budgetary impact.

On Friday, 11/6/09, our Negotiating Team favorably responded to a compromise worked out with the Administration. Details with explaination(sic) will be posted on www.nage.org/state . A Notice Letter will be mailed (very soon) to all our members announcing a forthcoming vote, by ballot . Ballots will then be mailed, collected and counted. (That’s the formal and legal process we adhere to in matters pertaining to our Contract Bargaining Agreement.)



I believe that our members will quickly understand the value contained in the Agreement. It is a very smart agreement and it distinguishes us from other unions, while at the same time working in harmony with our brothers and sisters toward the common good.

Indeed.....what kind of crapola is that? Why not just put the govenor's letter up. Why not jsut put the proposed concession contract amendment up? NAGE distinguishes itself alright..... 1st union to sell out, the perennial Judas Goat.

What did the union get in return for the concessions?.... more domestic violence leave, another vacation buy-back that can not be exercised?......

Just remember sheeple, the layoffs are going to happen anyway..... these NAGE contracts aren't worth the paper they are written on.....

NAGE thumbs nose at LMRDA Annual Report Deadline .... again

The NAGE LM-2 (Financial Disclosure) report is due at the Department of Labor 90 days after the close of the reporting union's fiscal year.

The NAGE fiscal year closed on August 31, 2006 making the LM-2 report due by November 29, 2006.

It's filed electronically, on-line and can be downloaded on the DOL Public disclosure web site.

The NAGE Report is not yet available.... what a surprise. I'm sure they've been too busy getting ready for this year's staff Xmas party...to bother with the federally mandated reporting... The Burgin Parkway Bandits didn't get around to filing last year, until May......... what's that? six months late?

Let's see what the scoff-laws do this year, how late will it be?..... well, you'd almost think they have something to hide....

What Things may we find out from the LM-2 (when it's finally filed)...hmmmm?

1) What did it cost us in hard earned dues to throw a good time for the "hardly -workin" NAGE HQ staff at THEIR (as opposed ot OUR) Xmas party ?...., (it was $12,400 for a good time at Jasper White's in 2005..... do you think Cambridge Dave was able to out-do that soiree in 2006 ?)

2) What was the Tab for the NAGE support of Level 4 Reilly, the NAGE endorsed candidate for governor in the democratic primary.... how much did we dump supporting Reilly while idiot Holway was going out of his way to insult Governor-elect Deval Patrick..... way to go Holway, you dope....
....by the way, would you please confine yourself to worrying about getting me a decent contract for a change and leave things like who's going to be ambassador to Netherlands up to the real big-shots in Washington.... you tomato-nosed fly-weight! And don't pull your usual Judas Goat Act, low-balling the NAGE members and leading the bargaining units in race to the bottom....

3) How much did it cost us to pay for Holway's defense in DC as result of that fracas started by the wronged local?.... no award of legal fees to NAGE because the Judge couldn't really conclude that that the charges made by the aggrieved local were frivolous (unlike the some of the cases filed by NAGE HQ)

4) How obscene were the raises Pres for life Holway granted to himself and his cronies (I'm gonna stick my neck out here and guess he didn't sell himself and his toadies down the river for 2% raises, with off-setting cuts in Health benefits and increases in premiums to boot.... like he did to the State Employees)

5) How many more settlements (pay-offs) did NAGE have make in response to lawsuits like the mystery of the $100K it cost us for a pay-off to Celia Olaes and William F. Sink in Honolulu, HI in 2005.....

6) More general financial evidence proving that NAGE is operated for the benefit of of Holway and his merry band (at the expense of the membership), and that the interests of the dues paying members are the furthest things from their minds and their expense accounts.

I'll keep you posted........

Dave Holway--- Judas Goat of the State Unions, Romney Shill

The NAGE spin on the lack of funding for contracts screw-up is that "NAGE was a victim of it's own success!! What a laugh....

TheNAGE line of crapola goes like this:

NAGE was the first Union to cave in to Willard Romney and meekly accept a contract for a measly 3% raise during a time of record high revenue surpluses and when inflation is running at 4.15%.... and they're PROUD of that???? (not to mention increases in health insurance premiums and co-pays.....more on that later.)

By doing this they set up the other unions....to be played both sides against the middle:

Romney won't negotiate, because his trained "Judas Goat" Dave Holway has already settled for 3%..... Romney just points to that as says:, "They settled for 3% and that's all your going to get"

Even if a decent union such as MOSES, is inclined to fight for a better contract for their membership, they're in trouble because --they have Sheeple too [Sheeple are humans with the brains and temperament of sheep.]

If MOSES leadership hangs tough looking for a fair contract, eventually the Sheeple will begin to whine and bleat..."NAGE got their contract, why can't we settle?"..... the pressure on the other unions to throw in towel after Judas goat NAGE does, is irresistible.

This has been the pattern for a number of years.... NAGE settles for an insultingly unfair contract and leads the other unions to their slaughter...... this is SHAMEFUL..... and if NAGE membership fails to step up, it will be repeated again this year.....

Dave Holway/NAGE is a Judas Goat and a Shill......

"Judas goat" is the official slaughterhouse term for a trained animal used to lead others down the ramp to their death.

(This may apply to "Sheeple" as well....) Sheep can not be readily driven to their death, especially in modern slaughterhouses where they may have been trucked beforehand for as long as three days, wide-awake and without food or water (Or for years without a decent contract for the case of Sheeple).

Judas goat is also a term that is occasionally used to refer to the shills at crooked carnival games who attempt to convince observers that the game is not only winnable, but easily so.

Contract Funding: A Glimmer of Hope

The NAGE spin on the failure to secure funding for the Unit 1,3, 6 contracts-- a monumental screw-up, is that "NAGE was a victim of it's own success!"
(More on that in another post----NAGE as the Judas goat of the State Bargaining Units)

You've got to be kidding, right?... With success like that who needs failure?.... all the other unions were funded in the supplemental (Chapt 192) budget.... not NAGE.

(Other unions have already seen the raise in their pay checks, and they've gotten their retro....NAGE neglects to mention that on their web site)

What some people are saying is: that somehow NAGE offended the House of Reps and that it was no accident or misunderstanding that the House excluded only NAGE from the list of collective bargaining reserve accounts in the supp budget....who can say?

HOPE?
Word is that the Legislature has agreed to return for ONE DAY ONLY, sometime next week, to go into formal session for purpose of taking up the badly needed bond bill.

Now if NAGE manages to get it's act together, facts straight, and bare their throat to the legislature they offended, etc..... there may be a glimmer of hope for the members.

A supplemental budget item could pass (along with the bond bill) funding the NAGE contracts.... if that doesn't happen folks, it could be ugly..... the "L" word..... quite a sacrifce for the members to bear for the sins of Dave "Slobodon" Holway (whatever they may, or may not have been).

There are a number of members working on this for you.... they didn't offend anyone.

...... more to follow....