Winter Forestry Statewide Meeting, January 27, 2013

Our next Forestry Local Statewide meeting will be held on January 27^th in Eugene at the Valley River Inn in conjunction with the biennial Stewards Conference and DAS/ OUS Bargaining Conference.  Our meeting will run from 0800 to 0900 before the start of the Bargaining conference set to begin at 0930.  Breakfast will be provided.

The primary focus will be to solidify/  re-establish local leadership and build communication pathways prior to the start of bargaining.

Registration information for the Stewards and DAS/OUS Conferences are available at the SEIU 503 website.

ODOT Coalition Bargaining is tentatively set to begin the evening of Tuesday, February 5^th in Salem.

Bargaining Surveys Look for Better Ideas

What are your priorities for our next contract, wages, health insurance, or something else?  Well now through November 1, 2012 bargaining surveys are available on-line at the SEIU 503 website or through your organizer to get your thoughts down in writing.

Do you have an idea that should be addressed at the bargaining table?  Two years ago Central Oregon Firefighters thought that Agency firefighters who were laid off in good standing should be able to apply for Agency Internal job offerings.  Using that idea, contract language was developed, considered at the bargaining table, and eventually adopted.  Without that initial idea none of that would of happened.

What are your ideas?

Forestry Statewide Meeting - October 14th in Eugene

The next Forestry Local 629 Statewide meeting will be on Sunday, October 14th from 10am to 1pm at the Eugene SEIU Office.  The office is located in the basement (not as bad as it sounds) of the Oregon Community Credit Union.

The agenda includes:

• What are your Bargaining ideas
• What will it take to be successful in our 2013 contract
• Report from our last Labor/ Management meeting
• For Seasonal Employees, what would you like to see on ODF's website?
• President's and Treasurer's reports
• Promotional item purchase

An optional pro-worker candidate phone calling will run from 1pm to 2:30pm.

Crowd Sourcing Improvements

At our last Labor/ Management (L/M) meeting our Deputy State Forester (now acting State Forester) Paul Bell asked if our outreach for agenda items was good enough, are we hearing what is going on. I want to know that too.

We, the crowd, are a source of ideas to improve our service delivery and make changes or affirm processes that continually improve how we do business and operate in our workplaces. Labor/ Management meetings are one way to bring those ideas forward. Pretty much un-filtered they are heard by the Deputy State Forester and Human Resource Chief as they are presented by your elected union leadership. The recent publication “Out of State Dispatch” came in part because of an agenda item from one of our meetings. Now in one place you can know a little more about what to expect before you go out of state to help on an incident.

Rumor Control is another agenda item. What are you hearing that needs to be checked out? Our Committee may not have all of the “Myth Busters” tools but do a pretty good job of finding out the real or developing story behind a rumor.

Paul put a good question to us “are we doing enough” to find out what the issues and rumors are within the Department? That is our responsibility as your union leadership to seek out and be available to field these ideas and concerns. Look up Bryan, Doug, Tim or myself, we are all in different geographic areas and also as close as your phone or e-mail. I want to know.

I Did My Part

About a year from now (May 2013) the State of Oregon will release its revenue forecast for the next two years. At that point whatever was talked about in bargaining will shift from the many issues to the big two: wages and PEBB health care. Bargaining success will depend, at least in part, on a budgets prepared that lower the health care cost shift to the employee and inclusion of step and cost of living increases.

As forest firefighters, Stewardship Foresters, managers of our State Forests, and support staff you do your part in keeping Oregon’s real green economy going. Firefighters you fight forest fires aggressively and provide for public and personal safety first. Stewardship Foresters you ensure that streams flow clean and clear and reforestation is successful following a timber harvest. Foresters you manage state forest lands for sustainable harvests providing a range of social, environmental, and economic benefits. Support staff you provide the infrastructure to keep everything working smoothly. All of this is important to Oregon’s economy, image and forestry leadership. In May 2013 when bargaining focuses on wages and health care, hold your head high knowing that “I did my part” for Oregon with the expectation that those preparing the budget will have done the same.

Forestry Local 629 Leadership - 2012 to 2014

Elections have been completed and these are your elected leaders for the Forestry Local:

President: David Wells
Vice President: Bryan Kohen
Secretary: Doug Firoved
Treasurer: Tim Seitz

Forestry Statewide Meeting, May 5, 2012

Our next Forestry Statewide Local meeting will be May 5, 2012 in conjunction with ODOT in Lincoln City. We will be meeting at the Surftides Beach Resort, 2945 NW Jetty Avenue from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.. Lunch will be provided and mileage and lodging are available in accordance with SEIU Local 503, OPEU Administrative Policies and Procedures.

Agenda:

Forestry and ODOT Joint Meeting

Introductions ODOT and Forestry

Election Results and swearing in of new officers

ODOT Coalition Report from our industry rep

Report on recent Healthcare Summit held in Salem

Bargaining timeline and concepts

General Council preview and resolutions

Forestry Meeting

President's Message

Treasurer's Report

Training: Interview tips and Application hints

Firefighter school orientations - who will provide Union orientations?

Labor/ Management Topics (Tents and Field Gear committee report)

Constitution and By-lays discussion and vote to bring ours into SEIU compliance

Promotional item (t-shirt and sweatshirt) distribution.

Please plan on attending, for more information contact myself of Troy Barnard. Lodging arrangements can be made through K Ratcliff at 503-408-4090 or ratcliffk@seiu503.org