ACORN authorises Strike in California

[Creeker]

For those who don't know, ACORN is SEIU... but the media won't say that. :rolleyes:

California public union OKs strike authorization
Sat Aug 1, 2009 7:55pm EDT

California public union OKs strike authorization | Reuters.com
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - California's largest state employees' union voted on Saturday to approve a strike authorization measure to protest furloughs of state workers and pressure state officials to ratify its labor contract.

A spokesman for Service Employees International Union Local 1000 said a strike was not imminent but that the vote authorized union officers to initiate certain job actions, including a strike if necessary.

The SEIU represents about 95,000 state employees, including clerical workers and teachers.

The group's labor contract with the state expired last year, SEIU spokesman Jim Zamora said. The union negotiated a new deal with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration in February, but the contract has not been ratified by the state Legislature.

Earlier this week, the Republican governor signed a bill that closed a more than $24 billion budget gap. Under the legislation, furloughs will continue for state workers for three days a month, cutting their pay by 15 percent.

"We feel that he (Schwarzenegger) really undermined any kind of a contract deal by pushing these furloughs on folks," Zamora said.

The SEIU said the strike authorization was approved by 74 percent of its membership.

(Reporting by Gabriel Madway; Editing by Peter Cooney)

[phantasm]

For those who don't know, ACORN is SEIU... but the media won't say that. :rolleyes:

California public union OKs strike authorization
Sat Aug 1, 2009 7:55pm EDT

California public union OKs strike authorization | Reuters.com
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - California's largest state employees' union voted on Saturday to approve a strike authorization measure to protest furloughs of state workers and pressure state officials to ratify its labor contract.

A spokesman for Service Employees International Union Local 1000 said a strike was not imminent but that the vote authorized union officers to initiate certain job actions, including a strike if necessary.

The SEIU represents about 95,000 state employees, including clerical workers and teachers.

The group's labor contract with the state expired last year, SEIU spokesman Jim Zamora said. The union negotiated a new deal with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration in February, but the contract has not been ratified by the state Legislature.

Earlier this week, the Republican governor signed a bill that closed a more than $24 billion budget gap. Under the legislation, furloughs will continue for state workers for three days a month, cutting their pay by 15 percent.

"We feel that he (Schwarzenegger) really undermined any kind of a contract deal by pushing these furloughs on folks," Zamora said.

The SEIU said the strike authorization was approved by 74 percent of its membership.

(Reporting by Gabriel Madway; Editing by Peter Cooney)

Does california have a law similar to the NYS taylor law? We can't strike, and I'm pretty sure that NO public employee (even non-essential) can't strike either.

NYS PERB STATUTE

NYS PERB STATUTE

The Taylor law gives most of the power to the municipalities.

[retdetsgt]

In Oregon, only public safety personnel can't strike, e.g. police and fire. Anyone else can. We have binding arbitration, which we usually win because we can hire better lawyers....:D

Frankly, I can't say I blame them. I wouldn't want a 15% pay cut either because the state can't handle money.

My wife works for the state and is a member of SEIU. The union here voluntarily gave up 10 to 15 days a year of non paid furlough days.:rolleyes: But at the same time, the state's continued to create positions......

[L-1]

Does california have a law similar to the NYS taylor law?

There is no law prohibiting strikes per se for state employees, however, the Government Code authorized disciplinary action for absence without leave and if you are AWOL for five consecutiuve days, the law used to automatically presume that you have resigned. I don't know if that has changed since I retired.

It should be noted that the union in question, SEIU, does not represent public safety employees.

[retdetsgt]

It should be noted that the union in question, SEIU, does not represent public safety employees.

I couldn't imagine a cop being part of that union.

That being said, when a lot of the right wingnuts up here have tried to mess with our pensions, police and fire included and SEIU has stepped up to the plate and stopped them.

One example was, years ago public employees all over the state agreed to forgo COLA for several years and in exchange, governments would pick up our pension contributions. It was a win win for everyone. By not giving us raises, our taxes and the employers matching taxes didn't go up and we didn't have to pay out about 6% to the pension system.

The right got an initiative passed requiring us to go back to paying. SEIU fought it in court on the grounds it violated a contractual agreement and won, but it went all the way to the state supreme court.

They've also help defeat a lot of draconian anti public employee crap that's nothing more than vindictive.

Other than that, they do give money to every left wing politician that comes along. I can't stand their politics.