NAGE DoubleSpeak, don't believe it!

I know I'm wasting my time on you sheeple, but for crying out loud, use what little brain you have and VOTE NO on this stinker of a contract amendment!

Let me highlight some of the issues I see with the proposed concessions, and the "Solid Assurances" NAGE has received

(SOLID Assurances?.... kidding right?, talk about a contradiction in terms....)

Pay cuts.....Fool me once shame on you...fool me twice shame on ME
NAGE already agreed to a Zero increase in the first year of the current contract, settling for a very modest 1% in year two (which is the current year.) The raise was due to be implemented on July 1st. Now NAGE advises us that the duly executed contract will not be honored by the Commonwealth and we should now agree to a second year of no raise, and we should trust the same folks who have reneged on the current contract, that they'll actually live up their end the next time.

Preserving the total of 7% raises?
Come on now, this goes to credibility once again. The Commonwealth has just reneged on a very modest 1% increase. Do you have any reason, whatsoever, to believe they will honor 6% additional..... it will never happen..... NAGE will just be telling you again, when the time comes, that they have agreed to concede the previously negotiated raises again, and the Judas Goats will lead you to more pay concessions, furloughs, and pay cuts via benefits cut...... like sheeple to the slaughter....the pattern is pretty obviouss.

Furloughs won't take affect unless the Contract is funded?
Another fairy tale..... Do you think this means that the legislature is going to fund all three of the raises in advance?..... it's not going to happen. Perhaps, just maybe, the Legislature will agree to pass the 1% on June 30th 2010.... but you'll never see the other 6%, and yet you'll have taken your involuntary furloughs... I'm sure NAGE, and the Admin negotiators had a good laugh over the thought of the sheeple biting for this fast one.

Who's getting saved by your furlough?

There is not one word in the "Tentative Agreement" about exactly who and how many positions the furloughs are allegedly going to save ..... you might want to ask yourself.... who exactly will the furlough save (anyone you know?) how many positions and in what agencies?.... this looks like more NAGE Smoke & Mirrors folks

How about the comp-time option
NAGE can't even get standard comptime (standard comptime can be "carried" until retirement, it's not subject to "use or lose").... but the NAGE "losers" have agreed to a use or lose deadline.....WHY?..... you mean to tell me the current admins is really worried about the comptime bill coming due years down the road?.... they'll be long gone.

Meaningless blather and flummery
Suffice it to say that the remaining "solid assurances" are just a lot of BS.

Early Retirement?-- come on...."The 'State' has agreed to 'work with NAGE' to 'develop an early retirement incentive program?....what does that mean?, what is the "state"?

..... remember it's the legislature that has to create an early retirement program, and they'll have to be bound to go along with the concessions contract amendment right?, just like they went along with the1% raise in the current contract, right?, oh...that's right they didn't did they?...never mind....not going to happen.
Both the Legislature and the Administration are already on record saying very plainly that there will be NO EARLY RETIREMENT PROGRAM.... so HOW STUPID does NAGE think you are?... you are gullible sheeple.

Units 1 & 3 Recruitment issues?...what is this garbage?
Some kind of BS good enough for the sheeple in unit 1 I guess, you don't even have to tell anybody what the hell it is, or whatever comes of it (want to bet nothing?) Sounds like some kind of local spitting contest.... How about throwing in some more of that "domestic violence leave," that's usually enough to suck in the  sheeple.

"Address" the Management to employees ratios, 120 day retirees
Oh boy, that is rich.... NAGE really knocked themselves out on that one..... I'm guessing that there wasn't a dry seat in the house when Holway and OER negotiated that one.... they probably all pissed in their pants  laughing at what easy marks, the NAGE sheeple are, when you've got a real cooperative union like NAGE.

"Address the ratios.... reminds me of the old Jackie Gleason/Art Carney golf routine:..."well, go ahead and address the ball!"...."OK, Ralph old boy....." "HELLO BALL"...... that's all the admin is going to do..... "hello Management employee ratios..."

Meanwhile NAGE keeps collecting millions in dues from State Employees while delivering nothing in return....they are laughing at you all the way to bank

NAGE declares defeat, offers one-sided concessions, decreases dues?

NAGE sells you out at the bargaining table.

NAGE declares they have been defeated, and has conceded the current contract will not be honored by Commonwealth....so they have negotiated and new even crapier contract with the same folks that have refused to live up to the current contract!

Here are the highlights

Agrees to pay cut (it's not a delay, it's a cut.)

Agrees to involuntary furloughs.

Agrees in cuts to Dental and Optical Plans

Gets NOTHING in return, except more phony promises (of the same sort that have already been broken.)..... the following

NAGE truly lives up to it's reputation as JUDAS GOAT of the unions... pathetic.

This is what you Sheeple get in return for the million$ in dues you pay to NAGE!

How about NAGE agreeing to a reduction in dues equal to the the total economic value of the concessions they've agreed to!....maybe they'd try a little harder at the negotiating table if they had some skin in the game!

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 Furloughs on the way

Expect to see Pres Holway soon preforming, in his role as the Judas Goat of State Public employee unions.

How long can it be before NAGE cooperates with the Governor to snooker you sheeple into throwing your contract out the window, and submitting to payless furloughs, and to give up your stinkin 1% (which in case you haven't figured out, you are not getting anyway) and accept yet another year of no pay increase (while health premiums and co-pays go up, up, up, and coverage goes down, down, down.)

Mike Grunko, Pres of Local 509 seems to see the writing on the wall.....NAGE has this post on their web page:

It has come to our attention that 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.....apparently the only falsehood was in saying that they were state employees... they work at the Trial Courts.....close enough if you ask me..... you'll soon be getting the same recommendation from NAGE

NAGE will soon be telling you that they (once again!) will be recommending another round of concessions.... they'll be using the same old scare tactics (otherwise you may face lay-offs.)..... bunk....

I've got some unpleasant news for you: the layoffs are going to happen regardless as to whether you give up your 1% (really 1/2%) raise or not, and regardless of whether you willingly accept pay-cuts in the form of furloughs.

The Governor has higher priorities..... no cuts in local aid (by the way Municipal Unions aren't taking furloughs, or cuts to their health care, and they're not settling for zero pay raises, are they?), $50 million to pay for health care for non-citizen aliens (largely financed by cuts to State employee health benefits already.)Not mention that layoffs will be more politically beneficial than furloughs. What the administration is proposing is furloughs with no specific promises as to how many(and just as importantly, exactly whose) jobs are going to be "saved."

Ask the registry of motor vehicle clerks who are being mowed down like wheat, what NAGE has done for them.... How's NAGE working out for you?

Anonymous says.....

Two out of three (Locals 509 and 888) Massachusetts SEIU public sector locals now have decent democratically elected officers who are committed to rank and file democracy. These locals are going in a very different direction from NAGE, which in my opinion continues to be run almost as a fiefdom. Holway's salary is as much of an embarassment to NAGE members as it is an outrage.

8 years ago NAGE's assets were well over 13 million dollars and liabilities just over $400,000 resulting in net assets of almost $13 million. Today NAGE's assets are just $7.2 million and liabilities have ballooned to $6.9 million resulting in meager net assets of just over $300,000.

Meanwhile Holway is drawing down a salary of over $220,000/year. No other officer of a comparably sized local union (40,000 members) in SEIU is paid even half that amount. In the last four years Holway has paid himself over a million dollars of our dues while, some say mismanaging the union's program, staff, and finances. We have lost bargaining units to other unions (soem say nearly 100), arguably because of ineffective representation and Holway is increasingly seen by some as a pathetic, tired, old-school, washed up joke at the State House.

If we don't start acting to make a change now, by next year our union's assets will be fully depleted and we'll be in a deep fiscal hole. Which means Holway's next move will be to either cut staff, resulting in even poorer representation, or raise dues. Neither is acceptable. Lets follow the example of the reform slate at Local 888 and send Holway to the unemployment line where his s.o. Segat is waiting for him.

Holway's significant other just lost her re-election bid for a second term as president of SEIU Local 888. A rank and file reform slate swept out the Segat slate. One of the outrages they campaigned around was her bloated salary -- which is only half of Holway's. If they can do it at 888, why can't we at NAGE? Check out www.change888.org for more info... and be on the lookout for Segat to get a soft landing on Burgin Parkway!

State Board of Retirement-Vote Donahue

State Board of Retirement-don't throw away that ballot, check off Paul Donahue and mail it.
Mr. Donahue, the former President of MOSES, an engineer and attorney deserves your vote!

He made a daring attempt to save NAGE members from the continuing shameful performance of NAGE as a union. He provided an opportunity for NAGE members to be represented by a real democratic union.
The attempt failed and we were stuck with the self serving layabouts in NAGE that do NOTHING but take your dues and transfer millions to the national SIEU for their far left experiments in political and social engineering.
It was not Donahue's fault that the sheeple in NAGE fell prey to scare tactics from NAGE , where they repeatedly and falsely told the cow-eyed clerks in the RMV and DTA that they would lose their optical and dental benefits.
We owe him a debt of gratitude for his noble attempt to save us from ourselves.
Vote Donahue,
...and please DO NOT vote for NAGE SHILL Theresa McGoldbrick

Suggested agenda/Motions for General Membership meeting

I think this bears repeating......

Please post comments for other agenda items and I'll see they are published here.....

If you ever get invited to a NAGE membership meeting bring this with you and make some motions to take up the urgent union business items listed below, see if any of the NAGE stooges allow any useful discussion....

Here is a suggested agenda for the meeting, when and if it is held.

Unit 1,3 & 6 General Membership Meeting Agenda-2009:

1st order of business: to set the time and place for next general membership meeting (and those to be scheduled for the rest of the year)
Don't let these skunks keep getting away with hiding from us while they squander our dues and get us nothing in return! Let's start calling these over-paid layabouts to account !......on a regular meeting basis!

Other business to be taken up AND VOTED by the members: (you all understand what voting is, right?.... that's what is supposed to happen in democratic organizations....something the sheeple in NAGE never get a chance at...)
Here' how you do it.... You stand up and "take the floor", you "move" an item to be considered by the members, you ask for someone to "second" the motion, then you debate it, and vote it.
Motions/agenda items.....

1. I move To see if the Members will vote to require that Mandatory general membership meetings be increased to 6 times per year
2. I move To see if the Members will vote to direct the "leadership" to see that meeting minutes are taken and published on the website
   
3. 
   
   I move To see if the Members will vote rescind (or approve) the recent dues increase foisted upon them by the "nationals".
   
   
   
4. I move To see if the Members will vote to limit the rate of future dues increases to be less than or equal to salary rate increases achieved by NAGE for members through contract negotiations (the recent increase in dues is approx 22%, while the recent salary increase is only 0%)
5. I move To hear the NAGE Financial report: Total Dues collected from members-by local and by agency, detailed expenditure report of same, proposed salary increases for NAGE officers and Employees.
6. I move To hear the report of the Grievance Committee: How many grievances have been filed, by agency, by local, and by issue. What is the current status of grievances, what was the outcome of settled grievances? How many grievances were handled by professional legal counsel, how many by unpaid volunteer stewards? What is the average length of time taken from grievance filing to settlement?
   
7. Election report: what was the precise tally, by candidate, for the recent election (every election gives the tally by candidate---except for NAGE and Iraq under Saddam Hussein)

Still no General Membership meeting!

Over two years ago I called for NAGE to hold the By-Law required general membership meeting for Unit 6........ STILL WAITING.... no meeting has been held, so I'm repeating the call.....

According to the NAGE constitution, such as it is (a piece of bleep), we members are entitled to have a general membership meeting once a year:

SECTION 8.
All Local Units shall have at least one general membership meeting annually.

But do we get one?..... NOoooo. Now one would think with there being so much to discuss (Contract negotiations, outrageous dues increases, the Governor's Budget....), that our duly elected Local Officers would be scheduling one..... but don't hold you breath.

I want the General Membership meetings to be held at Jasper White's in Cambridge....not a "brown-bag" lunch to be held at an empty table in the cafeteria at One Ashburton, not some craphole-in-the wall NAGE Regional office at 70 Elm St. in Worcester!
I think they can break out a few grand to rent a suitable space, provide suitable refresshements with some of the $28million per year in dues they are collecting from us.

I understand Jasper's is quite the place!.... NAGE Headquarters has spent over $50,ooo there on parties for itself in the last few years (no members invited...) .... one has to surmise that the budget for the staff Xmas party is $12,500 per year and the budget to fund membership meetings is $$$ZERO!!!!! folks we can't keep putting up with this crap!

I think it's about time they started spending some of my dues money on ME and my fellow members! How about it?

And I can suggest how to fund the effort? .... here's how:
STOP squandering our dues money on the social engineers at SIEU national with their outrageously expensive and unsuccessful efforts to do, God only knows what, with their ridiculous fight for the future boondoggle.

Here is a suggested agenda for the meeting, when and if it is held.

Unit 1,3 & 6 General Membership Meeting Agenda-2009:

1st order of business: to set the time and place for next general membership meeting (and those to be scheduled for the rest of the year)
Don't let these skunks keep getting away with hiding from us while they squander our dues and get us nothing in return! Let's start calling these over-paid layabouts to account !......on a regular meeting basis!

Other business to be taken up AND VOTED by the members: (you all understand what voting is, right?.... that's what is supposed to happen in democratic organizations....something the sheeple in NAGE never get a chance at...)

1. To see if the Members will vote to require that Mandatory general membership meetings be increased to 6 times per year
2. To see if the Members will vote to direct the "leadership" to see that meeting minutes are taken and published on the website
   
3. 
   
   To see if the Members will vote rescind (or approve) the recent dues increase foisted upon them by the "nationals".
   
   
   
4. To see if the Members will vote to limit the rate of future dues increases to be less than or equal to salary rate increases achieved by NAGE for members through contract negotiations (the recent increase in dues is approx 22%, while the recent salary increase is only 0%)
5. To hear the NAGE Financial report: Total Dues collected from members-by local and by agency, detailed expenditure report of same, proposed salary increases for NAGE officers and Employees.
6. To hear the report of the Grievance Committee: How many grievances have been filed, by agency, by local, and by issue. What is the current status of grievances, what was the outcome of settled grievances? How many grievances were handled by professional legal counsel, how many by unpaid volunteer stewards? What is the average length of time taken from grievance filing to settlement?
   
7. Election report: what was the precise tally, by candidate, for the recent election (every election gives the tally by candidate---except for NAGE and Iraq under Saddam Hussein)

NAGE wins retro pay raise---zero percent! Dues increase pending!

NAGE continues their role as leader in the race to the bottom. They just settled a contract for zero percent and it's retro active for one year.
The latest contract is a disgrace.... merely continuing a long history of selling out the members by "leadership."

How long have the NAGE shills been feeding us the same tired old litany..... "Well, it's not a GREAT contract, but its all we can get during these tough times....." Whether the Commonwealth is racking up record surplus revenues, or as now when the economy is in the crapper.... it's always the same from NAGE..... there's nothing for you.....but from you we expect your dues
How long can it be before NAGE is looking for yet another dues increase, everytime they sellout on a lousy contract they raise the dues.

Together We Can... Fire some Republican Managers

According to the Globe (see article below), Gov. Patrick has convened a "star chamber" of advisers who, among other things, will accelerate the brooming of republican appointed state employee managers. So watch out you high paid do-nothing managers appointed by Weld-ducci, Swift and especially Willard Romney..... your days are apparently numbered.

Well, well, well..... not since the cultural revolution under Mao or the killing fields under Pol Pot have we heard such talk.....

Got to make room for the Partrick "supporters".... make way for squadrons of "dewy-eyed" togother we can cultists.... should be interesting....

Post your nominees (for firing) here.... you know who they are..... name names! Turn them out before they turn you in!.... it's every man for himself......

Patrick forms team to help market agenda

Group will offer advice on governing, policy

By Frank Phillips, Globe Staff | April 20, 2007

Governor Deval Patrick has assembled a small group of seasoned political and media strategists to informally advise him on how to market his agenda and deal with the heated political world of Beacon Hill, another sign that the first-time leader is being forced to embrace the traditional kind of governing style he often denounced during the campaign.

At the governor's direction, Patrick's new chief of staff, Doug Rubin, gathered the group for its first meeting Wednesday night at a private downtown office, where they agreed on a major priority: to crack the whip on the administration's lagging efforts to replace Republican-appointed government managers with a team loyal to Patrick.

The push for new agency leaders, regulators, and commissioners reflects the frustration of many Patrick supporters and Democratic leaders, who believe that the governor has not acted swiftly enough to take control after 16 years of Republican rule.

"It became clear that the first thing we had to do was to get the administration to reflect the campaign that the governor ran," said one of those at the meeting. "It cannot be a government which is made up of managers who were part of the administrations of Republican governors who had a completely different vision of what state government should be."

The group, which will meet monthly, includes Ronald Homer, former head of the Bank of Commerce, who spearheaded the drive for new blood in key government positions; former attorney general Scott Harshbarger; veteran political strategist John Marttila; pollster Tom Kiley; Democratic political consultant Michael Goldman; state Democratic Party chairman John Walsh, who served as Patrick's campaign manager; and Dennis Kanin, former political adviser to the late senator Paul E. Tsongas.
Rubin told the group Wednesday that the meeting was part of Patrick's outreach to supporters and advisers from his gubernatorial campaign who may feel disconnected from what the governor has been doing on Beacon Hill. While many of Patrick's campaign advisers have continued to offer him guidance, some Democrats have criticized him for not following through on their counsel.
"There's been a disconnect, and the governor realizes that and he wants to correct it," said another participant in the meeting, who did not want to be identified because of the confidential nature of the gathering.
After stumbling several times during his first months in office, Patrick is working to rebuild his senior staff with a team steeped in politics and media relations.
Patrick, whose campaign challenged the political establishment and eschewed traditional political and media strategies, tried to bring that philosophy to the State House.
But within the first few months, as he focused nearly exclusively on the state budget, he faced a furor caused by several controversial decisions: to upgrade his state car to a Cadillac, to buy expensive furnishings for his office, and to call a major financial institution on behalf of a subprime lender, Ameriquest Mortgage, where he had recently served as a board member.
His critics and supporters also said he had failed to use the traditional honeymoon period to dramatically champion several well-defined initiatives, an important political step for any new governor.
Rubin, who at 39 is a veteran of state politics, was brought on last week to replace Patrick's initial choice for chief of staff, the politically inexperienced Joan Wallace-Benjamin. Several weeks earlier, Patrick bolstered his senior staff with Joseph Landolfi, a veteran State House press aide, and David Morales, a policy aide to former Senate president Robert E. Travaglini.
The new group of advisers is reminiscent of the kitchen Cabinet that Governor Michael S. Dukakis assembled when he returned to office in 1983 to help him avoid the mistakes that contributed to his defeat in 1978. The Dukakis team consisted of several politically savvy advisers who met regularly with his chief of staff, John Sasso.
Patrick's group, however, could be a little more unwieldy, with more than 15 members attending the first meeting.
One participant in the meeting said the group, while large, will break down into smaller units to deal with specific areas.
Rubin declined to comment in detail on the meeting, saying he wanted to keep the discussions confidential. But he confirmed he assembled the group from advisers who helped in the campaign.
Others in the group are Jon Jennings, who heads US Senator John F. Kerry's Boston office; Michael Kineavy, chief of policy and planning for Mayor Thomas M. Menino; Bill Wasserman, a former North Shore newspaper publisher and early Patrick supporter; Liz Morningstar, executive director of the Patrick political committee; Steve Wright, a Boston lawyer; and Larry Carpman, a former press secretary to Kerry and a media consultant to Patrick.