Alliance Email: May 30 Action Alert

The Alliance for the CSU sent out an email blast late this afternoon:

ALLIANCE FOR THE CSU "ACTION ALERT"

• Alliance for the CSU scores a win
• Help sign up more people to get the next victory

May 30, 2008
The Alliance for the CSU scored a partial victory in May when the governor released his revised 2008/09 budget proposal with an extra $97 million in funding for the CSU. It happened thanks to you and thousands of other CSU supporters.

This gets us about one-fourth of the way to the minimum state funding the CSU needs to serve current students, ensure access to new students, and stop another steep student fee increase.

We have $288 million to go. That is the funding we must now convince the state Assembly and Senate to add to their budget plans for the CSU. Action by Alliance members helped make the governor add that money. At least 21,000 faxes, calls and letters went to the governor's offices. More than 27,000 people leant their names to the Alliance for the CSU. Hundreds of news reports appeared in the media on Alliance activities.

See some of the news coverage at: http://www.allianceforthecsu.org/inthenews.html

This shows we can change minds at the State Capitol. It means that all the individual actions add up. It also means we are far from finished. A $288 million cut would still have severe consequences for the CSU.

ACTION: Help get more people to join the Alliance for the CSU This summer the state Assembly and Senate each must vote on budget bills. At key moments, we will need even more people to call and fax to remind lawmakers that: The CSU is the solution to California's troubled economy.

Right now, here is how you can help:

1- Ask someone you know to join the Alliance for the CSU. Send that person an email message by clicking on "Tell A Friend" at:

http://www.allianceforthecsu.org

2 - Send a letter about the Alliance for the CSU to your local newspaper or another publication such as a business magazine or a professional society newsletter. For guidance go to:

http://www.allianceforthecsu.org/letter.html

3 - Post about the Alliance for the CSU on your favorite blog. Describe what cuts mean to the CSU and urge people to join the Alliance. For guidance go to:

http://www.allianceforthecsu.org/blog.html

BE READY FOR A LONG, HOT ACTIVE SUMMER

Please watch for more "Action Alerts" from the Alliance for the CSU. Learn more at:

http://www.allianceforthecsu.org

Thank you for your continued support of the Alliance for the CSU!

[…]

This email was sent by: Alliance for the CSU
300 Capitol Mall, Ste. 1590, Sacramento, CA 95814

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Warning

Expect the personal information you provide on the Alliance cards and web form to be provided to others without your knowledge or consent. The Alliance had said, when asked, that they might release people's personal information – without notice or permission – to the CSU administration, but stated they would not release it to anyone else, including unions, outside vendors, or marketers. In fact the Alliance is releasing information to at least one union and one outside marketing firm. The Alliance does not allow you to opt out of having your personal information released. At this time, the Alliance does not post a privacy policy on their web site, or otherwise disclose how they will use your information or to whom they will release it.

If your chapter collects cards, or urges people to sign up on the Alliance web site, please warn people that their personal information may be released to others without notice. Employees should not provide any information they don't want given away to unknown third parties, including personal home or cell phone numbers, or personal email addresses. We suggest providing only your work contact information: campus mailing address, campus phone, and campus email address. An alternative would be for a group to select someone to act as a sacrifical lamb by giving up their personal information to the Alliance, and forward the action emails they receive from the Alliance to the rest of the group.

We will post Alliance email messages here as we receive them.

LSS Already In Use As Job Title

Sami Lange, a Library Services Specialist (LSS) at Sonoma State University, recently published an article titled NextGen: Why I Went Parapro in Library Journal. Though the LSS classification itself is not yet in place, LSS is evidently already in use as a working title. [It's common for job titles to differ from the name of the classification the job falls under: for example, a person classified as an Information Technology Consultant (ITC) might have a working title of Computer Lab Manager.]

As a Library Services Specialist at Sonoma State, I am in a unique situation. My job presents me with the opportunity to observe, talk to, and work with several professional librarians. I spend many hours each week working in a range of departments: reference, circulation, instruction, marketing, and the art gallery. With different librarians and different responsibilities in each area, I can easily compare and evaluate the similarities and the differences among the departments and understand the strengths and talents required of each area of librarianship. It is not only great work experience, it is great personal experience.

Thanks to Christine Thomas, from Chapter 319 (Pomona) and a member of the LSS Classification Implementation bargaining team, for alerting us to this article.

Links

• NextGen: Why I Went Parapro (Library Journal)
• Sami Lange entry in Sonoma State University Faculty and Staff Directory
• LSS Bargaining Update (Unit 9 News)
• Classification Bargaining 101
• Library Services Specialist (LSS) letter and FAQ list sent to Library Assistants April 2008
• Unit 9 Classifications (CSU)

Report on San Diego Meet and Confer On DMV Record Pulls

There was a meet and confer at San Diego last Thursday, May 22, over a change in when/how the campus pulls the DMV records of employees. Here is a bargaining report summarizing the background, CSUEU's concerns, our proposal, and the CSU's response, written up by Brian Young, the CSUEU Labor Relations Representative (LRR) assigned to San Diego State University. This report was sent to the bargaining team and has been verified as not confidential, so you may share it with your chapter stewards and anyone else interested in a look at the meet and confer process. This is the text of the report; we link to a nice printable PDF copy below.

BARGAINING REPORT: SDSU DMV PULL PROGRAM

Session of May 22, 2008

Background

The DMV pull program provides employers with monthly reports of actions against an employee’s driver’s license. This includes traffic citations, tickets for registration and insurance, convictions, etc. This program is mandatory for certain employees – Class A license holders and Class C license holders who transport other people (paratransit, shuttle, etc.) – and discretionary for employees who operate vehicles for the employer on a frequent basis.

CSU vehicle use regulations require a valid driver’s license and good driving record (three or less moving violations) for employees who operate University vehicles or private vehicles on the University’s behalf. A Defensive Driver Certificate is required if the employee will operate a vehicle more than once per month.

San Diego State University practice was to require Defensive Driver training for anyone who either operated a University vehicle or who planned to request mileage reimbursement for travel or who took Defensive Driver training (some employees took the training purely to lower their insurance rates). All of these employees were placed in the DMV pull program. At one time, it appears that enrollment was done without notification of the employee, although that practice has stopped and employees are now asked to sign the DMV waiver form.

Union Concerns

Status quo – Changes in wages, hours or working conditions require notification of the Union and an opportunity to bargain. This applies even if the changes are mandated by law (as is the case for the mandatory category of drivers under DMV). Many employees covered by the SDSU practice are not required to be included in the DMV pull program by statute. The Union insists on its right to bargain on the basis of the status quo ante – the conditions prior to the implantation of the program. We are willing to delay any charge pending negotiations and a settlement of the issues.

Privacy – The DMV pull program provides a great deal of information to the employer and includes actions which take place apart from University employment. While the University has a reasonable expectation of a valid driver’s license and good record from employees who normally operate motor vehicles, it does not have this same interest for employees who are not required to operate vehicles or who make infrequent mileage claims. Even for those employees who fall under the program, we want to make sure that the information is limited to those managers who require access.

Job requirements – Employees who have vehicle operation as part of their duties can be held accountable for maintaining a driver’s license and maintaining a good driving record. Other employees who are not required to operate vehicles for their positions should not be subject to this requirement.

Application of statute and policies – The DMV pull program and its statutory authority is only required for Class A and specific Class C operators employed by the University. The Union understands that these employees must be enrolled, although we still have the right to bargain over the effects of enrollment. The DMV allows enrollment for non-mandatory drivers for the employer, but they are required to be frequent drivers. The Union has the right to bargain over their inclusion or exclusion in the program. For infrequent or non-operators, the DMV does not allow enrollment and the University errs in applying the program to anyone who takes Defensive Driver training.

Union Proposal

The Union proposed settlement of the issues by the following:

• Notice to employees who have been enrolled in the program of the past practice and new changes.
• Limitation of the DMV pull program to mandatory operators and frequent operators of vehicles on University business. Frequent means more than onceper month every month.
• Defensive Driver training will still require verification of valid driver’s license but not enrollment in the DMV pull program.
• Ending enrollment for infrequent or non-operators.
• Opportunity to withdraw from the program if the driver changes their status from mandatory or frequent operator to infrequent or non-operator.
• Written clarification of the access and security procedures for DMV information.
• Written clarification that the DMV pull program does not apply to equipment which is operated on the grounds of the campus, such as forklifts and mowers, although it does apply to electric carts in cases such as shuttle drivers.

University Response

The University did not object to the proposed changes and will draft an agreement. That draft will be reviewed by management on the campus and then sent to Dennis Dillon (Chief Spokesperson) and Brian Young (Chief Negotiator). The parties intend to complete the review and sign-off within thirty days.

CSUEU Bargaining Team	CSU Bargaining Team
Dennis Dillon – Chief Spokesperson Lynn Barba – BUC 2 Sharon Cunningham – BUC 5 Annel Martin – BUC 7 Rich McGee – BUC 9 Mark Flahan – Chapter Vice President Sherry Velthuysen – Chapter Treasurer Tessy Reese – Chapter BUR 2 April Webster – Chapter BUR 7 Brian Young – Chief Negotiator	Sharyn Abernatha – Chief Negotiator Debbie Richardson – SDSU Campus Police

If you have concerns about how your campus handles DMV record access, please talk to your Bargaining Unit Representative, chief steward and chapter LRR.

Links

• Bargaining Report: Meet and Confer over San Diego DMV Pull Policy [PDF]
• DMV Employer Pull Notice (EPN) Program (California Department of Motor Vehicles)
• Request for temporary waiver of defensive driving certificate & entry into the employee DMV pull program (SDSU campus form, version dated 10/01/07) (San Diego State University) [PDF]
• DMV information supplied to bargaining team: Copy of DMV EPN program information page and copy of the Request for temporary waiver of defensive driving certificate & entry into the employee DMV pull program dated 08/01/07 [image PDF]
• Bargaining 101

New SLRR Assigned to Representation Committee

Notice of a staff assignment change from Phillip Coonley, CSUEU Chief of Staff:

TO: CSUEU Field Staff, Representation Committee and Board of Directors:

With the appointment of Lois Kugelmas to the SLRR for Representation vacancy, I am removing Hubert Lloyd from the Representation Committee and replacing him with Lois. Thank-you Hubert for your willingness to step up and fill this important position during the search for a new SLRR.

Phillip Coonley, Chief of Staff
California State University Employees Union (CSUEU)

Editor's note: SLRR stands for Senior Labor Relations Representative. We have two, who work at headquarters: Teven Laxer and Lois Kugelmas.

Links

• New SLRR: Lois Kugelmas from Local 1000 (Unit 9 News)
• Abbreviations, acronyms, and terms - your secret decoder ring for union talk

Unit 9 Council Agenda for June 21 Meeting

Bargaining Unit Council 9 (BUC 9) will meet on June 21, 2008, at the Crowne Plaza Redondo Beach and Marina Hotel in Redondo Beach. This is an open meeting; interested members are invited to attend.

Agenda

1. Roll call (BUC members)
2. Library Services Specialist (LSS) series
3. In-Range Progressions (IRP) update
4. Campus cell phone policies
5. Exempt, workload, and on-call issues
6. Outsourcing
7. Information distribution
8. Additional items as requested and as time permits

Links

• Bargaining Unit Council 9
• June 2008 BUC 9 Agenda for printing [RTF]

Scholarships for Union Education

Union Plus is offering diversity scholarships of up to $3000 for female and/or minority union members to pursue union-related education or training. The application requires an essay and a sealed personal recommendation, in addition to the application form. The eligibility requirements listed on the application form are:

1. CURRENT UNION MEMBER of a union participating in any Union Plus program. Member does not have to purchase any Union Plus products or participate in any Union Plus program to apply.
2. Applied toward the completion of an accredited degree, coursework or seminar at an accredited educational institution (college, university, community college, recognized technical or trade school). Note: Verification of acceptance/attendance at an accredited institution may be required prior to award being sent.
3. Awards must be used within 12 months of the award date.
4. Applicant must be female and/or a member of a racial/ethnic minority, defined as American Indian or Alaskan, Asian or Pacific Islander, African American, Hispanic, or Multi-racial.
5. Applications must be postmarked by May 30, 2008 in order to be considered.

CSUEU is SEIU Local 2579; as SEIU members, CSUEU members are eligible for this and other Union Plus programs.

Links

• Union Leaders of the Future Scholarship (Union Plus)
• Diversity Scholarship Application Form [PDF]
• Sample programs list (not a complete list of eligible programs) (Union Plus)
• Union Leaders of the Future Scholarship flyer [PDF]

The Future of SEIU

The Los Angeles Times today has a short piece about SEIU titled The battle for labor's future. Its subtitle is The SEIU's Andy Stern has an ambitious plan. Not everyone is on board, which about sums it up:

Within the SEIU itself, Stern is facing a revolt by United Healthcare Workers West, the 150,000-member California local that is led by Sal Rosselli, a former nursing home worker who has been a union leader since 1988, when he won an insurgent campaign to rebuild what was then Local 250 in the Bay Area. In the years since, Rosselli has been a pioneering militant, organizing nursing homes, hospitals and home-care workers throughout California.

Rosselli once worked cooperatively with Stern, but tensions have arisen in recent years over what the UHW considers an SEIU effort to sideline local leaders in hospital and nursing home contract negotiations. Rosselli and others at the UHW are just as sophisticated as Stern, but they take a darker view of their business and political adversaries.

Next week, our CSUEU delegates to the SEIU International Convention, together with delegates from other locals, will determine the future direction of SEIU. Delegates will decide whether we want to be a member-driven organization where each local directly represents its members, or a centrally controlled conglomerate of tame locals run from Washington:

Similarly, Rosselli and his supporters (not all of whom are in the UHW) argue that the very meaning of unionism will be bleached out of the SEIU unless local voices are once again made potent. "I want a movement of workers governed by workers for workers," said Rosselli, "to be in control of their relationship with their employer, to be in control of the political direction of their union."

[…]

All this will be fought out next week at the SEIU national convention in Puerto Rico. Rosselli and his UHW supporters will put forward resolutions calling for more local control of contract negotiations, organizing and finances, as well as direct, union-wide election of national SEIU officers (rather than selection by convention action).

CSUEU is SEIU Local 2579. Executive officers Pat Gantt, Dennis Dillon, and Lori Williams will be our delegates at the SEIU International Convention in Puerto Rico.

Links

• The battle for labor's future (Los Angeles Times)
• Dissent in the Ranks (In These Times)
• Wall Street Journal: Unions Forge Secret Pacts With Major Employers (SEIU Voice reprint of Wall Street Journal article)
  • Original: Unions Forge Secret Pacts With Major Employers (Wall Street Journal – requires subscription)
• SEIU Retaliates Against California Caregivers & Democratic Reform Movement (SEIU Voice)
• "Justice for All" or "Control for Just Us?" (SEIU Voice)
• Full Discussion Paper: "Justice for All" or "Control for Just Us?" (SEIU Voice) [PDF]
• SEIU Voice
• SEIU Member Activists for Reform Today (SMART)
• UHW West

LSS Bargaining Update

CSUEU and CSU bargained over the implementation of the Library Services Specialist (LSS) classification on May 6-7. Here's the bargaining report:

CSUEU Rejects CSU Roadmap

On May 7, 2008, the CSU Employees Union rejected the CSU roadmap proposal, in large part over compensation issues involving employees moving into the new LSS series. As an alternative, we presented our first counter-proposal to the CSU proposal of February 18, 2008.

It goes without saying that the union strongly believes that employees moving into the new LSS series should be adequately compensated for their skills, experience and education. Our counter-proposal provides that:

• All library assistants (LAs) should update their position descriptions within 60 days.
• Campuses conduct desk audits within 90 days of the receipt of the position descriptions.
• The CSU shall consider an employee's job duties, skills, experience and educational background both for placement in the appropriate Library Services Specialist (LSS) classification and for setting of the appropriate salary rate for that classification.
• The Salary Range Spread for the LSS classification shall be increased from 50% to 60%.
• Lead Library Assistants have the option of moving into the appropriate LSS classification.
• LAs and Lead LAs who move into the LSS classification shall receive at least 10% increases to their salary rates.
• If a Lead Library Assistant elects to remain in a Lead LA classification, the position will be filled with the appropriate Unit 9 classification once the position is vacated.
• There will be no changes to the status quo until bargaining over LSS implementation is completed.

CSUEU has rejected the CSU's roadmap because it completely omits salary increases, even for those LAs who have been working out of class for many years – which could be interpreted to mean that the CSU does not believe that employees moving into the new LSS series should be adequately compensated. After some discussion at the bargaining table, however, the CSU has acknowledged that those employees who are reclassified because they are performing out-of-class work should be appropriately compensated. The hitch: they have gone on record with their assertion – false from the CSUEU's perspective – that most of the LAs have not been working out-of-class. The next bargaining session is scheduled for August 2008.

Meanwhile, the extraordinary organizing efforts of students, faculty, staff, administrators and alumni who are part of the Alliance for the CSU have started to pay off, as evidenced by the fact that in the May Revise Governor Schwarzenegger has just restored $97.6 million to the CSU budget. This is good news, but it still leaves the CSU budget with cuts of $288 million.

In this environment, it may be difficult to adequately compensate Library Services Specialists. Those cuts must be rescinded to protect the livelihoods of Library Services Specialists and indeed of all CSU employees.

What can you do?

• Start preparing your revised position description based on the new LSS standards.
• Request support from your chapter leadership in providing a position description workshop.
• Enlist the support of your Library Dean/Library Director in communicating to the Chancellor's Office that LSSs need to be appropriately compensated.
• Support the Alliance for the CSU and take part in its calls for action, including writing letters to your legislators and local newspaper editors.
• Get educated about the budget process and about all the programs that are risk with this year's proposed cuts.

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Warning: Expect the personal information you provide on the Alliance cards and web form to be provided to others without your knowledge or consent. When asked, the Alliance said they might release people's personal information – without notice – to the CSU administration, but stated they would not release it to anyone else, including unions. In fact it turns out the Alliance is releasing information to at least one union, CSUEU. The Alliance does not allow you to opt out of this information release. At this time, the Alliance does not post a privacy policy on their web site, or otherwise disclose how they will use your information.

If your chapter collects cards, or urges people to sign up on the Alliance web site, please warn people that their personal information may be released to others without notice. Employees should not provide any information they don't want given away to unknown third parties, including personal home or cell phone numbers, or personal email addresses. If you do fill out the Alliance card or web form, we suggest providing only your work contact information: campus mailing address, campus phone, and campus email address. An alternative would be for a group to select someone to act as a sacrifical lamb who will give up their personal information to the Alliance, and forward the action emails they receive from the Alliance to the rest of the group.

Links

• Library Services Specialist Bulletin May 2008
• Library Services Specialist Bulletin May 2008 for printing [PDF, but apparently not accessible]

Contract Reopener Bargaining Update

CSUEU has released a bargaining update about the reopener bargaining which happened on May 8. We hope to have an LSS bargaining update soon.

FY 2008/09 COMPENSATION: CSUEU AND CSU BEGIN NEGOTIATIONS

The 2006/2009 Contract between CSUEU and CSU provided for wage increases in FY 2007 and FY 2008 predicated on the assumption the CSU would receive one per cent above the compact between the Governor and the Chancellor. In 2006, the CSU publicly proclaimed the goal of reducing faculty and staff salary lags within five years. In order to realize this goal, the CSU pledged to fight for additional funding from the state budget; that is why our agreement provided for one percent above compact funding. As pledged, the Chancellor’s Office requested additional funding in their budget for FY 2008/09. However, due to the economic downturn affecting the state and the nation, the 2007 state budget provided no state general funds above the compact, and the 2008 budget may not even approach compact funding. All other CSU union contracts are based solely on compact funding. Since it appears that the CSU will not be receiving any funds above the compact, CSUEU and CSU initiated bargaining on May 8th to negotiate a pay package based only on compact funding as a contingency. If the CSU receives less than compact funding, all of the unions will be returning to the bargaining table to explore options.

CSUEU presented a proposal that would be in line with the 4% compact figure for FY 2008/09. Our proposal would provide employees in Bargaining Units 2, 5, 7 and 9 with:

• a general salary increase (GSI) of 3.45%, effective July 1, 2008
• a service-based salary increase of 1%
• the equivalent of .75% GSI for system-funded in-range progressions

The CSU has not yet responded to the union’s proposal. Our next bargaining session will be held in August, at which time we should know more about the state budget.

MAY REVISE: GOVERNOR RESTORES NEARLY $100 MILLION TO CSU; MAJOR CUTS STILL PROPOSED

The extraordinary organizing efforts of students, faculty, staff, administrators and alumni who are part of the Alliance for the CSU have started to pay off. In the May 14, 2008, revisions to the state budget that was proposed in January 2008, Governor Schwarzenegger restored $97.6 million to the CSU budget. This is good news, but it nonetheless leaves the CSU budget with cuts of $288 million.

At the May 13-14 Board of Trustees meeting, the Trustees unanimously approved Access to Excellence, a new system-wide strategic plan. Major goals of this plan include reducing faculty and staff salary gaps and ensuring appropriate resources for professional development. It states that strategies should include a commitment to closing salary gaps where they exist, providing a safe and healthy environment, and offering appropriate levels of training and development.

These goals cannot possibly be met unless the CSU has sufficient resources in its budget. CSUEU strongly encourages its members to continue supporting the Alliance’s goals for full funding of the CSU. [See note below - Editor]

To find out how you can help with these efforts, visit http://allianceforthecsu.org

THE L WORD: LAYOFFS

To date, the CSUEU has not been notified of any layoffs of permanent staff on any of the CSU campuses. That is very good news, particularly when contrasted with the layoffs faced in 2003, 2004 and the early 1990’s. While those budget years were bad, they pale in comparison to the $17 billion deficit the state is now facing. That is why it is essential for us to continue to reinforce the value of the CSU and to work with the Alliance for the CSU. Each chapter should ensure that our membership is fully engaged.

CSUEU President Pat Gantt believes that this year’s state budget process will take longer than usual and that the CSU may not start substantial negotiations until they know more about the budget. We will continue to keep you informed about both the state budget deliberations as well as our negotiations with the CSU regarding compensation for FY 2008/09.

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Editor's note: Expect the personal information you provide on the Alliance cards and web form to be provided to others without your knowledge or consent. When asked, the Alliance conceded they might release people's personal information, without notice, to the CSU administration, but stated they would not release it to anyone else, including unions. We have recently learned that the Alliance is in fact releasing information to at least one union, CSUEU. The Alliance does not allow you to opt out of this information release. At this time, the Alliance does not post a privacy policy on their web site, or otherwise disclose how they will use your information.

If your chapter collects cards, or urges people to sign up on the Alliance web site, please warn people that their personal information may be released to others without notice. Employees should not provide any information they don't want given away to unknown third parties, including personal home or cell phone numbers, or personal email addresses. If you do fill out the Alliance card or web form, we suggest providing only your work contact information: campus mailing address, campus phone, and campus email address. An alternative would be for a group to select someone to act as a sacrifical lamb who will give up their personal information to the Alliance, and forward the action emails they receive from the Alliance to the rest of the group.

Henry Simpson Appointed to BUC 9

Henry Simpson, Bargaining Unit Representative 9 at CSU Monterey Bay, is joining Bargaining Unit Council 9 (BUC 9).

Duane Rueb, from Sacramento, resigned his at-large seat on BUC 9. After soliciting nominations from the eligible Bargaining Unit Representatives, Chair Rich McGee appointed Henry Simpson to the vacant position.

Henry is the Information Technology User Services Lead at CSUMB; User Services includes the IT Help Desk and desktop technicians. He's been at the Monterey Bay campus since 1997. He's been active in the union for more than 10 years and has served his chapter as Unit 9 Representative (twice), Vice President, and Secretary.

Links

• Bargaining Unit Council 9 (BUC 9)
• About the BUC 9
• Bargaining Unit 9
• CSUEU Chapter 322: Monterey Bay

Chico Chapter President Resigning

Janna Sterling, President of Chapter 302 (Chico), has announced her resignation as chapter president, as she leaves the campus for better opportunities. Her last day on campus will be June 5. Tom Alden will take over as chapter president.

Membership and Member Benefits Updates

A few updates (and good news, hooray!) about membership and member benefits, from another informative email sent out by CSUEU Vice President for Organizing Ronnie Grant:

New Employee Orientation

Phillip has asked me to pass along that your assigned LRR may inquire about your current New Employee Orientation participation.

I'd like to thank everyone who responded to my quick survey of NEO and membership packets. I am working with Phillip to codify and streamline the process for requesting additional packets.

Membership e-mails

We have made arrangements with CSEA Membership Services to send an e-mail to Chapter Presidents on the 15th and 30th of each month listing all membership cards for your Chapter were received at CSEA in the last 15 days. The list will show which cards were successfully processed and which cards could not be processed to the SCO and will be held for a future attempt.

Common reasons cards can not be successfully processed: missing, incorrect or incomplete SSN; member is a new CSU employee and has not been on the job for at least one whole payroll period; new member is not employed in units 2, 5, 7 or 9.

On the same day a membership application is processed, CSEA will also send an e-mail to the new member welcoming them to CSUEU and confirming their application was processed (provided the new member included their e-mail address on the application).

Member Benefits booklet

The 2009 membership benefits booklets were mailed to all members home addresses. If you have a member who advises they did not receive a booklet, please check your CSEA Chapter Register and verify their address is correct.

Please note there is a critical typo in the booklet: on the CSUEU membership application, it states that only the last 4 digits of the SSN is required. That is incorrect; we require all 9 digits.

Editor's note: CSUEU is an affiliate of CSEA (California State Employees Association). CSEA central support processes our membership applications. SEIU Local 1000, another CSEA affiliate, explicitly asks for just the last 4 digits of the SSN on their membership application [PDF file]. It's puzzling that a full Social Security Number (SSN) would be required for processing CSUEU membership applications but not for Local 1000 forms. We have asked about this, and will publish an explanation if we can get one.

Links

• CSUEU Organizing Committee
• CSUEU Membership form (CSUEU) [PDF]
• Membership Information (CSUEU)

Updates: Officers, Contract Campaign, SEIU

A few updates from an email sent out by CSUEU Vice President for Organizing Ronnie Grant:

Changes

I have a few changes to our member leadership to announce:

• Adriana Petterz has resigned from the Statewide Organizing Committee and as Chapter 315 Organizing Chair.
• Tessy Reese has resigned as Chapter Vice President to focus on her duties as Unit 2 Representative.
• Dan Clavin has announced he will resign as Chapter 318 President effective May 30.
• Malinda Howze has resigned as Chapter 319 Treasurer.

I would like to thank Adriana, Tessy, Dan and Malinda for their service to CSUEU.

If you have previously submitted your name to me for consideration of an appointment to the Organizing Committee, I still have your name on file.

2009 Contract Campaign Plan

The Organizing Committee met May 2-3 in Pomona to write the 2009 Contract Campaign Plan. I am now in the process of compiling the notes and making a nice-looking document for your review.

SEIU meeting in Oakland

A few weeks ago the Executive Officer Committee met with SEIU at their Oakland office. Most of the meeting was a preview of SEIU's resolutions at the International Convention. We spent only a few minutes speaking about resources and the required renegotiation of the Unity Fund rebates. SEIU hinted that they are interested in CSUEU implementing a COPE program.

Executive Officer Committee

The CSUEU Executive Officer Committee will be meeting on Thursday, June 19 at the Crowne Plaza Redondo Beach. This meeting was accidentally omitted from the schedule you recently received.

SEIU meeting in Oakland

A few weeks ago the Executive Officer Committee met with SEIU at their Oakland office. Most of the meeting was a preview of SEIU's resolutions at the International Convention. We spent only a few minutes speaking about resources and the required renegotiation of the Unity Fund rebates. SEIU hinted that they are interested in CSUEU implementing a COPE program.

About COPE

Editor's note: COPE is the Committee On Political Education, one of SEIU's political efforts. The SEIU COPE web site requires a login and doesn't appear to have any information available to the general public. The main SEIU homepage at www.seiu.org, currently carries this statement: This web page is paid for by SEIU COPE (www.seiucope.org) with voluntary contributions from SEIU members and their families and is not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. One SEIU COPE membership form we found carried this statement about how the money is spent: SEIU COPE uses the money it receives for political purposes, including but not limited to addressing political issues of public importance and contributing to and spending money in connection with federal, state and local elections.

SEIU Convention

Ronnie states he will not be attending the SEIU International Convention in Puerto Rico in June. Instead, he will be taking a week of vacation to work on the contract campaign planning (follow-up from the recent Organizing Commitee Meeting), and working with CSUEU and central support staff toward improving IT and membership services.

Editor's note: The SEIU International Convention meets in Puerto Rico June 2-4. Delegates will elect SEIU officers and determine the direction SEIU will take over the next few years. A local's delegation has the same number of votes regardless of how many people make up the delegation, so we won't lose any votes at the convention because Ronnie's working for us here in California instead. CSUEU is SEIU Local 2579.

Links

• CSUEU Organizing Committee
• SEIU Convention 2008 (SEIU)
• SEIU COPE
• SEIU Members Sue SEIU Over Free Speech (Unit 9 News)
• SEIU Political Donations: 96% Democrat, 4% Republican (Unit 9 News)
• Lobbying Expenses: CSEA, CSU, SEIU (Unit 9 News)
• National SEIU Endorses Obama (Unit 9 News)
• SEIU Convention: Delegate Selection and Operation (Unit 9 News)
• Delegate Selection, Planning for SEIU Convention (Unit 9 News)
• SEIU International Convention 4 Months Away (Unit 9 News)
• All SEIU articles from Unit 9 News

New SLRR: Lois Kugelmas from Local 1000

CSUEU has hired a Senior Labor Relations Representative (SLRR):

From: Coonley, Phillip
Sent: Friday, May 16, 2008 3:58 PM
Cc: Kugelmass, Lois
Subject: SLRR vacancy filled!
Importance: High

TO: CSUEU Board of Directors and Staff:

I am very pleased to announce that we have selected Lois Kugelmas to fill the SLRR vacancy. Lois comes to us from Local 1000 with extensive representation, organizing and negotiations experience. Please join me in welcoming Lois to the CSUEU family.

Phillip Coonley, Chief of Staff
California State University Employees Union (CSUEU)

This fills the vacancy left when Jorge Salinas left CSUEU to become Director of Labor Relations at Chico.

Links

• Senior Labor Relations Representative Job Posting (Unit 9 News)
• Board of Directors Saturday Update (Unit 9 News)

Call-Back Is By Administrators Only

A reminder: call-back work must be assigned by an administrator, per the contract (and confirmed again this week by CSUEU Vice President for Representation Dennis Dillon and CSUEU President Pat Gantt).

For example, if an application or job stalls or produces an error during off-hours, a programmer or system administrator cannot be called back to work by a rank-and-file employee such as a computer operator. An administrator must be the one to call the employee back to work. The manager cannot delegate this call-back authority. Further, a machine cannot assign call-back work: if an automated monitoring system sends alerts about a computer system, that is informational. The automated system cannot make a work assignment. If the situation isn't important enough to disturb an administrator, it isn't important enough to interrupt an employee's home life or sleep.

Here's the relevant contract language:

Call-Back

19.17 Call-back work is work performed at a time outside of and not continuous with an employee's regular work schedule. An employee called back to work shall receive no less than three (3) hours pay at the overtime rate unless such call-back is within three (3) hours of the beginning of the employee's next shift, in which case the employee shall only be paid for the hours remaining before the beginning of the employee's next shift.

19.18 An employee may be called back to work at the discretion of the appropriate administrator. The appropriate administrator shall endeavor to assign call-back work on a volunteer basis. If no volunteers are available, or in an emergency situation, the employee who is called back shall be required to work.

If this contract provision is being violated on your campus, please file a grievance. Please contact Bargaining Unit 9 Chair Rich McGee if you have questions or comments, or need support or assistance of any kind.

Links

• 2007-2009 CSUEU-CSU Contract for Units 2, 5, 7, and 9 (CSUEU)
• 2007-2009 CSUEU-CSU Contract for Units 2, 5, 7, and 9 in PDF for easy searching and copying (CSUEU)
• Union Resources

May Budget Revision: $97.6 Million Added for CSU

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger released his May revised 2008-09 budget proposal this afternoon. Today's budget proposal allocates $97.6 million more for the CSU than his earlier proposal, but still presents a significant funding gap for the CSU. California Faculty Association (CFA) President Lillian Taiz called it a step in the right direction toward adequately funding our state university system.

From the Higher Education portion of the budget proposal summary:

Due to the State’s significant budget shortfall, the Governor’s Budget proposed to suspend the provisions of the Higher Education Compact (Compact) to help achieve fiscal balance. The May Revision protects education funding and makes additional resources available to the University of California (UC), the California State University (CSU) and the California Community Colleges (CCC) to ensure affordability, preserve quality and maintain essential levels of access. […] While the greater budget gap prevents fulfillment of the Compact, additional General Fund resources are provided to UC and CSU to ensure that fees will not increase beyond the levels agreed to in the Compact, to preserve enrollments in high‐state‐need instructional programs, and to address cost pressures from required implementation of new Teaching Performance Assessment standards pursuant to Chapter 517, Statutes of 2006. Thus, mandatory undergraduate fees will rise by no more than 7.4 percent for UC students and 10 percent for CSU students.

[…]

Total funding in 2008‐09 for CSU increases from year to year by $132.8 million (3 percent), with total General Fund essentially flat compared to 2007‐08.

[…]

The May Revision proposes a General Fund increase of $97.6 million to maintain funding for CSU level from year to year and to limit fee increases to the levels agreed to in the Compact. This funding is also intended to preserve enrollment levels in high‐state‐need instructional programs and provide resources for implementation of the Teaching Performance Assessment standards for teacher preparation programs required to be implemented in 2008‐09 pursuant to Chapter 517, Statutes of 2006 that would otherwise have to be absorbed. Thus, the unallocated portion of the reduction to the workload budget level for CSU is reduced to $172.1 million for a revised total reduction of $215.3 million.

Budget Links

• CFA on the revised budget (CFA) [PDF]
• May Revise Restores $97.6 Million to CSU Budget (CSU press release)
• California State Budget 2008-09 (Department of Finance)
• Revised budget detail: Higher Education (Department of Finance)
• Revised budget detail: California State University (Department of Finance)
• Governor's Budget May Revision Summary: Higher Education (Department of Finance) [PDF]
• Governor Schwarzenegger Proposes Responsible Budget with Creative Solutions in Face of Worse Deficit (Governor's Office press release)

News Stories and Commentary

• Governor proposes deeper health and welfare cuts (Sacramento Bee)
• Schwarzenegger defends using lottery funds to pay off budget deficit (San Francisco Chronicle)
• Governor's budget plan would divert gas taxes to help close gap (Los Angeles Times)
• Dan Walters: California confronts a budget deficit with more gimmicks (Sacramento Bee)

Board of Trustees Meeting Report

• CSUEU President Pat Gantt addressed the Trustees, complimenting the California State Student Association (CSSA) on the student rally at the capitol, and stating there are no better advocates than the students themselves. He mentioned the governor's proposed borrowing from the state lottery and sales tax increase, and noted that our continued lobbying in support of the CSU budget during the summer was critical.
• CSUEU Vice President for Representation Dennis Dillon addressed the Trustees, thanking Chancellor Reed for his improved approach to Human Relations at the CSU, and stating that our dialogue with the CSU has recently been more meaningful and hopeful.
• CSUEU Bargaining Unit 9 Chair Rich McGee addressed the Trustees Committee on Collective Bargaining, urging them to address the workload issue, which will likely worsen as the CSU's budget deteriorates. Increasing demand for the work done by staff, without increasing staffing levels, is a path to disaster which will not be fixed by CSU leadership hiding their heads in the sand.
  
• The Trustees approved a student fee increase of 10%. In an article titled State fees might make Ivy League look cheap, the San Diego Union-Tribune says Ivy League and other elite colleges may soon be cheaper for some of the state's top students than California's public universities. A succession of students and employee representatives, including CSUEU leaders, spoke against the fee increase. As a courtesy to Lt. Governor Garamendi, the Board of Trustees considered the student fee increase earlier than indicated on the agenda, so as to allow the Lt. Governor to take his travelling road show to the UC Regents meeting. Garamendi recently penned an opinion piece for the Pasadena Star-News titled Opening university doors for all, where he wrote:

  As the state budget is debated, we in California must make a critical decision - whether to continue to invest in our future or to abandon the historical commitment to public investment that built the Golden State. We cannot abandon our responsibility to future generations. We must increase our investment in public education and at the same time implement serious reforms to dramatically improve the quality of public education.

• As noted previously, the Trustees announced their selection of Jon S. Whitmore to be the next president of San José State University.

Links

• Whitmore from Texas New SJSU President (Unit 9 News)
• Board of Trustees Meeting May 12-14 (Unit 9 News)
• CSU Trustees Increase Student Fees (CSU press release)
  

Whitmore from Texas New SJSU President

Jon S. Whitmore has been chosen by the CSU Board of Trustees to head San José State University and will start on August 1.

Whitmore is currently president of Texas Tech University, where he implemented the Graduate on Time Contract with entering freshmen and set an ambitious agenda for increasing minority faculty at the university. He has a B.A. and M.A. in Speech from Washington State University, and a Ph.D. in Dramatic Arts from UC Santa Barbara.

12:18 Update: The CSU has now posted the press release on Whitemore's appointment, linked below.

Links

• CSU Trustees Appoint Jon Whitmore President of San José State (CSU press release)
• Jon S. Whitmore biography (Texas Tech University)
• Three Finalists Named for San José State Presidency (CSU press release)
• Campus Description and Presidential Position Statement, San José State University (San José State University)
• CSU Executive Recruitment site
• San Jose President Selection Committee Meets April 10-11 (Unit 9 News)
• San Jose President Search: Closed Meeting On Campus (Unit 9 News)
• Picking the Next President of San Jose State (Unit 9 News)

Alliance: 21,000 Contacts to Governor

The Alliance for the CSU reports, via CFA newsletter, that Alliance supporters have contacted Governor Schwarzenegger over 21,000 times to urge support for the CSU budget. This includes 1,191 phone calls, 17,113 faxes, and 1,425 letters.

The governor releases his May budget revision today at 1 p.m. After today's revised budget proposal, the Alliance's focus will shift to our legislators. CFA describes the next part of the process:

State lawmakers will devote the next month to budget hearings. At some point the state Assembly and Senate each will vote on budget bills. Then "conference committees" will attempt to reconcile the two houses' and governor's budget plans.

For this week's action in support of the CSU budget, the Alliance is suggesting that you put an Alliance for the CSU window sign in a visible location in the community (local businesses, churches, etc.). The Alliance for the CSU window sign is available from their web site as a printable PDF document, linked below.

Alert: The Alliance sent out an email blast dated April 25 with the subject Thanks for Supporting CSU- Action Needed. We know that not everyone who filled out the Alliance signup form received this – if you didn't, you may want to return to the Alliance web site and sign up again to make sure they have your information in their database.

Reminder: Expect the personal information you provide on the Alliance cards and web form to be provided to the CSU administration. The Alliance does not allow you to opt out of this information release. At this time, the Alliance does not post a privacy policy on their web site, or otherwise disclose how they will use your information. If your chapter collects cards, or urges people to sign up on the Alliance web site, please warn people about this. Employees should not provide any information they don't want the CSU to have, including personal home or cell phone numbers, or personal email addresses. We suggest filling out the form with your work contact information: campus mailing address, campus phone, and campus email address.

Links

• Alliance for the CSU
• Alliance for the CSU Signup
• Alliance for the CSU Window Sign [PDF] (Alliance for the CSU)

CSUEU Web Server Scheduled Downtime

Update: Maintenance rescheduled!

The Network will NOT be shutdown this weekend. We will reschedule the maintenance for next weekend and a reminder email will be sent out next week.

---

CSEA will be doing some server maintenance this weekend:

The CSEA Network – including all email servers, web sites, and databases – will be down for maintenance on Saturday, May, 17th from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The CSUEU web site lives on a CSEA web server, so presumably it will be down during the maintenance period. If you desperately need to download the policy file or a Know Your Rights flyer, do it ahead of time.

The main Unit 9 web site, and Unit 9 News, do not reside on CSEA servers and should be available.

Humboldt Too Exciting: Bomb Scare

Humboldt State had some excitement yesterday: three cardboard boxes taped to campus buildings as a prank prompted a bomb scare and evacuation of six buildings. The boxes had been placed at least as early as last Thursday, and were reported to campus police on Monday morning by an employee. One package bore the words We will destroy your city and university police treated the packages as potentially containing explosives or booby traps. The students responsible turned themselves in and said they thought passersby would find the boxes interesting and wonder how they'd been placed in locations such as a second-story ledge. The emergency text-message system was not used for this incident because it was not a campus-wide emergency or evacuation.

Earlier in the year Humboldt State had a real live (small) fire in the music building. The fire is rumored on campus to be the result of toilet paper being stored too close to a water heater, but reported on the University web site as having started in a metal trash container in a custodial closet. Faculty sounded the alarm and evacuated the building. There was some smoke and water damage, but no one was hurt. One of three fire department vehicles responding got bogged down in a soggy lawn while trying to get to the affected building. The emergency text-message system was not activated for this incident either.

We hope your campus is less interesting (in the sense of the reputed Chinese curse).

Links

• Prank at HSU leads to bomb scare (The Eureka Reporter)
• Suspicious packages close six HSU buildings (The Times-Standard)
• Arson Ruled Out in HSU Fire - more detailed report (Humboldt State Now)
• Arson ruled out in HSU fire - brief report (The Eureka Reporter)

Fresno State Discrimination Cases Lead Story

USA Today leads an article about gender discrimination in college sports with the recent cases at Fresno State University:

When Lindy Vivas and Stacy Johnson-Klein were coaching women's athletic teams at Fresno State, they questioned school administrators about what they viewed as inequities in staffing, facilities and job demands between the men's and women's athletics programs.

After they were fired — Vivas in 2004, Johnson-Klein in 2005 — they went to court, alleging sex discrimination.

Separate juries sided with the women in 2007, and awards in the cases could cost Fresno State — and by extension California taxpayers — more than $14 million, plus interest that's accruing while the university appeals. That doesn't include the more than $3.5 million the school has paid to settle with Diane Milutinovich, a former associate athletics director who had asked why she was fired for "budget reasons" in 2002 — and Fresno State's athletics department increased its budget by $2.7 million and added 17 positions over the next two years.

After exploring Title IX in general the article returns to Fresno State, discussing the impact of the discrimination and the resulting legal cases on the women, proposed legislation to bring in oversight for institutions which ignore the law, and additional gender discrimination cases at Fresno State. Milutinovich, who settled her case with Fresno State, says All we ever wanted to do is work and do our jobs.

This morning's agenda for the closed session of the CSU Board of Trustees meeting includes Johnson-Klein v. CSU, et al. and Vivas v. CSU, et al., as well as [a]n additional claim that presents a significant exposure to litigation.

Links:

• Lawsuits, disputes reflect continuing tension over Title IX (USA Today)
• CSU Board of Trustees Meeting May 12-14 – quick overview (Unit 9 News)
• CSU Appeals Fresno Discrimination Case (Unit 9 News)
• CSU bets in court -- with your money (Fresno Bee)

Spouses and Partners of Bullying Targets Needed for Study

The Workplace Bullying Institute (WBI) is seeking spouses or partners of people bullied at work for a study, until May 18. It looks as if the study participation consists of a simple phone interview.

Dr. Gary Namie, co-founder of the Workplace Bullying Institute, was a speaker at the CSEA 2002 Women's Conference. His book, The Bully at Work, is an excellent resource and educational tool for stewards and employees.

An awful lot of the cases we work on come down to workplace bullying, one way or another. WBI lists these characteristics of typical bullying targets:

1. independent, refuses to act subserviently,
2. is more technically skilled than the bully,
3. is better liked, has emotional inteligence and social skills, and
4. has the honesty and ethics of a whistleblower.

Sound familiar?

Links:

• Study seeking spouses or partners of individuals bullied at work (WBI)
• Book: The Bully at Work
• Workplace Bullying Basics (WBI)
• Workplace Bullying Institute

Tentative Schedule for June Board of Directors Meeting

Headquarters has sent out the registration form and tentative schedule for the June 20-22, 2008 CSUEU Board of Directors meeting in Redondo Beach. The response deadline is 5 p.m. next Friday, May 16; responses received after that cannot be be guaranteed a reservation.

There is a closed meeting Friday evening, and a speaker (Paul Clark) on the Saturday. Paul Clark, of the Department of Labor Studies and Employment Relations at Penn State, is the author of Building More Effective Unions. Because of Saturday's speaker, the Sunday session may run as late as 5 p.m.

The Bargaining Unit Council 9 (BUC 9, a.k.a. Unit 9 Council) meeting is scheduled for Saturday evening, 5:45 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. If you have suggestions, requests, or questions for the BUC meeting, please contact Rich McGee, Chair.

You don't have to be a member of the Board of Directors, or a chapter officer, to attend the open committee or board meetings.

The schedule can change without notice; if you plan to attend a committee meeting on Friday, especially, double-check that week with the chair or headquarters to see if the meeting time has been changed.

Links:

• June 2008 Board of Directors Meeting Information and Tentative Schedule
• Paul Clark
  
• Redondo Beach travel information for CSUEU - information about the hotel, transporation options, nearby restaurants, local activites, maps, weather, etc.
• Union Travel Tips for CSUEU travelers
• About Closed Sessions for CSUEU Meetings (Unit 9 News)

Easily Contact Governor and Legislators

Sent out by CSUEU Chief of Staff Phillip Coonley earlier this week:

TO: CSUEU BOARD OF DIRECTORS, COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND STAFF:

Please visit our website and use our new political action tool. Distribute the following message to your Chapter e-mail list:

Take five minutes to make your voice heard!

(You’re only a mouse click away…..)

Members of CSUEU can now fax or e-mail a message directly to the governor or their state legislator from the union’s website, www.csueu.org. Just click on “Write to your legislator” and enter your zip code. From there it takes only a few moments to let your elected representatives know how you feel about the proposed CSU budget cuts or any other issue.

Phillip Coonley, Chief of Staff
California State University Employees Union (CSUEU)

Hey, and while you're sending messages out to your chapter email list, why not mention Unit 9 News as well? Try this:
Unit 9's online newsletter, Unit 9 News, is updated frequently and is an easy way to stay up-to-date. Most topics are of general interest, since few things affect only one bargaining unit. Unit 9 News has archives by date and by topic, a newsfeed (learn about feeds), and email subscriptions. Visit http://csueu9.blogspot.com/ to take a look.

Notes:

1. CSUEU links to the the "State Worker's Action Center" but you can also go there directly with the link below.
2. There does not appear to be a privacy policy posted at the "State Worker's Action Center" used by CSUEU and other CSEA affiliates. The site is run by Capitol Advantage, whose posted privacy policy, at this writing, is ambiguous for users of client sites.
3. You can also contact your legislators and the governor through their individual web sites.

Links:

• State Worker's Action Center for CSUEU and other CSEA affiliates
• California State University Employees Union
• Send the Governor a message (Governor's web site)
• Your Legislature (California State Legislature)

CalPERS Chief Retiring

California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) Chief Executive Officer Fred Buenrostro has announced that he plans to retire at the end of the fiscal year. CalPERS says the CalPERS Board of Administration will discuss naming an Interim CEO at its May Board meeting while it conducts its search for a permanent replacement.

Links:

• CalPERS CEO Sets Retirement Date (CalPERS press release)
• CalPERS Losing Chief Investment Officer (Unit 9 News)

Board of Trustees Meeting May 12-14

The CSU Board of Trustees meets next week, May 12-14, at the Chancellor's Office in Long Beach:

Monday 1:00 p.m. Closed session	Selection of San José State University president
Tuesday closed sessions	Full Board for litigation (Johnson-Klein, Vivas, and An additional claim that presents a significant exposure to litigation) Committee on Collective Bargaining
Tuesday Committees beginning at 10:00 a.m. Open sessions	Collective Bargaining Committee of the Whole Governmental Relations Audit Organization and Rules Campus Planning, Buildings and Grounds Educational Policy Institutional Advancement
Wednesday	Committee on Finance Full Board meeting (estimated to begin 10:00 a.m.)

Selected tidbits from the Agendas

• Initial Bargaining Proposals for State University Police Association (Unit 8) and United Auto Workers Local 4123 (Unit 11)(Committee on Collective Bargaining)
• Status report on internal audits. (Committee on Audit)
  Audit topics include:
  1. Information Security: review of the systems in place to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and access/availability of information including systems to limit collection of information, control access to data and assure that individuals with access to data do not utilize the data for unauthorized purposes, encrypt data in storage and transmission, and implement physical and logical security measures for all sources
  2. Student Records and Registration: database recordkeeping and registration systems procedures for creating and changing records, and security measures protecting against unauthorized or inadvertent modification, removal, or destruction of records
  3. Information Systems: Disaster Recovery, Common Management Systems (CMS), and Web Security and financial internal controls for both campus (FISMA) and auxiliary audits
• Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi is proposing a resolution to cap student fee levels and restrict future fee increases to the rate of inflation. (Committee on Finance)
  The proposed resolution:
  1. The California State University will stabilize student fees by capping fees and by limiting future student fee increases to the rate of inflation; and
  2. The Trustees and the University representatives will keep the Legislature and the Governor apprised of the state budget resources required to adequately fund the University; and
  3. Where appropriate, the University will seek savings from administrative efficiencies to reduce the cost to the state of adequately funding the University.
• Proposal to raise student fees (Committee on Finance)
• Revisions to the Student Fee Policy, including provisions to modify reporting and make it easier for campus presidents to raise fees (by eliminating the requirements for prior review by the fee advisory committee and a request to the chancellor). (Committee on Finance)
• Conceptual Approval of a Public/Public Partnership Project at San José State University with the City of San José for a Joint Use Sports Field Complex … consisting of four lighted, synthetic sports fields, a concession stand with administrative space for the complex management, parking, one basketball court and three volleyball courts on approximately 13 acres of campus property. The City would finance the project and the University would be responsible for its pro rata share of the operations and maintenance of the facilities. (Committee on Finance)
• Authorization of bonds and notes in an amount not-to-exceed $155,380,000 (Committee on Finance)
• Proposal to approve an increase in the authorized amount of the California State University’s Commercial Paper Program from $250 Million to $500 Million. (Committee on Finance)
• Proposed Schedule of Board of Trustees’ Meetings, 2009: January 27-28, March 24-25, May 12-13, July 21, September 22-23, November 17-18. This schedule reflects an attempt to reduce the overlap between CSU Board of Trustees and UC Board of Regents meeting schedules. The overlap between the two systems' schedules makes it difficult for ex-officio members of the Board to attend. (Committee on Organization and Rules)

About Trustees Meetings

For the most part, the discussion happens in the Committee meetings, and then the full Board meets in Plenary session and approves whatever is before it. The Board seldom says no to internal (Trustee- or CSU-generated) agenda items.

The open sessions are open to anyone at all, and there is no sign-in or identification requirement. You can just go and watch if you're interested.

The (as yet unapproved) minutes of the previous meetings are in the agendas for the current meeting.

Anyone can address the Board of Trustees, or write to them. To write, use the mailing address on the second page of the current meeting schedule or the email address list compiled by Ronnie Grant.

Links

• CSU Board of Trustees Agendas and Notices (CSU)
• About addressing the Board of Trustees
• Long Beach travel information (includes transportation options and parking information)
• Trustees email address list (compiled by Ronnie Grant)

Budget Battle Update

From a message sent by CSUEU President Pat Gantt today to the CSUEU Board of Directors:

As you may know, the state budget battle most likely will carry on through the summer and into the fall. We want to get people signed up for the Alliance so that we can contact them all the way through the budget process to help protect the CSU budget. Please work with the other campus unions and get the message out at and around the graduation exercises in May and June.

The May revise is due out as early as next week. It will not be good as the state is now projecting a deficit perhaps as high as $20 billion. We need to be ready to advocate strongly at every step of the process and force the legislature to seek alternatives to a cuts only approach.

Reminder: Expect the personal information you provide on the Alliance cards and web form to be provided to the CSU administration. The Alliance does not allow you to opt out of this information release. At this time, the Alliance does not post a privacy policy on their web site, or otherwise disclose how they will use your information. If your chapter collects cards, or urges people to sign up on the Alliance web site, please warn people about this. Employees should not provide cell phone numbers, personal email addresses, or any other information they don't want the CSU to have.

Links:

• Alliance for the CSU
• Alliance for the CSU sign-up form

Budget Presentation - State Senator Ducheny

CSUEU President Pat Gantt sent this out today:

Chapter Presidents, Bargaining Unit Chairs and Vice Chairs, Legislative Committee, Organizing Committee, CSUEU Staff:

I have attached a budget presentation from the California Budget Project website that was done by Senator Denise Ducheny at the annual conference. Senator Ducheny is the chair of the Senate budget committee and the presentation does explain how the problems developed and some of the impacts. It also advocates that a balanced approach must be used to solve the crisis. You can use this information in your chapter meetings and with your members to educate them on the budget process and impacts.

Pat Gantt, President
CSUEU

The attachment is linked below. The Governor's May revised budget proposal is expected late next week; now is a good time to contact the governor about your budget priorities.

Links:

• Reaching a Balanced Reaching a Balanced Budget for California - Senator Denise Ducheny [PDF]
• California Budget Project