City of Dallas Employees Steelworkers

North Texas Association of Public Employees

Steel Workers Local 9479

Printable PDF Format of entire November 2004 Newsletter

Printable .DOC Format of entire November 2004 Newsletter

Membership Rule Change

Several times over the last few months, we have discussed various changes to the rules governing membership. At last months meeting, it was decided to impose a thirty day waiting period on certain services for new members.

What this means is that employees can no longer wait until the boom is being lowered on them to join, and expect to get grievance assistance. No actions against an employee that take place prior to, or within the first thirty days of membership will be eligible for grievance assistance.

This decision was not taken lightly; we discussed it numerous times, and argued about it quite a bit at the meeting. However we have many employees who decided that while they were in favor of the association working to make things better in the city, they were not going to join until *they* needed it. In other words, they were not interested in helping with the work that the association does until they first got help from the association.

It doesn’t work that way, or at least it doesn’t now. We took this action to encourage employees who might need help in the future to join the association now. We also wanted to protect the assets of the employees who are long term members. Grievance assistance is expensive, it was not fair to our long term members, most of which joined to improve working conditions not because they needed grievance assistance. Why should their funds maintain the association and then have Johnny-join-lately use up costly services? It just wasn’t fair. We do more work than just grievances, and we encourage people to join now, before they need assistance.

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Pension Election Update

The ballots were totaled and on the 19^th the winner was announced. Clara Brewer was re-elected to a fourth term in a very close race. Congratulations to Ms. Brewer on her victory, congratulations also to John Jenkins of the Parks Department on running such a close campaign, and congratulations to all the members who took an interest in the election and voted.

I spoke with Ms. Brewer on Sunday and she expressed thanks to all the people who voted for her. She also promised that as she is now the senior fund member, she would press to make sure that the pension fund did a better job of keeping everyone up to speed in the future. She will be encouraging them to update their website as her first communication priority. Ms. Brewer also promised to keep us informed and passed on the following news.

- The 535 million dollars in pension obligation bonds that will be sold so that the fund can be made whole, should go on sale the 4^th Wednesday of January.

- Even though he is retired, Auditor Mike Taylor will still be serving on the board until a new City Auditor is hired. Apparently, filling the Auditor position is quite a time consuming process, but fortunately Mr. Taylor has agreed to remain to allow a quorum for voting.

- The passage of Prop 1 means we will shortly be having *another* trustee election in March. Hopefully Mr. Jenkins will run for this position, third time being a charm, he will have an excellent chance of winning. This would be good, since Ms. Brewer needs to start training some young blood for when she and Mr. Praytor retire.

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Start Pay Problems Addressed

In late September the Steelworkers spoke with HR and the City Manager about the growing problems being caused by the starting pay having a sliding scale. We have numerous employees who have been with the city several years, sometimes in the same grade who are now getting less pay than new hires.

Ms. Suhm correctly identified part of the problem in a recent ‘Meet the Manager’ meeting. She pointed out that the City needs the flexibility to increase starting pay to attract new hires. While she did not comment when pressed, neither did she dispute that this was partially due to the numerous benefit cuts over the last few years. The benefit package that the city now has is no longer something that attracts new employees. However, both Ms. Suhm and Ms. Wright did agree that this inequity was causing a morale problem as new hires can come in at much higher wage than present employees. It was also pointed out the problems that this was causing employees promoting, they are restricted to an 8% increase, while new hires have the potential to be given salaries up to the center of the pay range.

I recently received the following update from Ms. Wright, “...the problem was discussed with department directors. We are still in the process of specific reviews, including Code Inspectors. As there are over 100 employees and a full review involves comparison of tenure, experience, education, etc., it's a very time consuming procedure. No decisions have been made, but it's a very active project.”

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Why Shop Union ?

Consumer spending on everyday items like clothes, toothpaste, food, etc. account for 68 percent of the wealth created annually in the United States . Please shop for union-made gifts this holiday season, You can find information on them at http://www.shopunionmade.org

Items like Top flight Golf Balls, Hersey's Chocolate, and Wilson Footballs are some of the items mentioned.

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Meetings Times

Join us on the 2 nd Tuesday of each month at 6:00 p.m.

500 South Ervay Suite 112A.

Don’t forget Parking is free in the attached garage after 5 p.m.

Get the Fax!

If you have a fax you can be the first to know what is happening. Simply fax your name and fax number to 214-760-7423 to be put on the fax info list. Want to be notified at home when a new newsletter is published? Email your home email address to newsletter@cityofdallasemployees.com or fax it to 214-760-7423. Or you can always just check on our website.

Humana PPO Questions Answered

Lots of employees thinking about choosing the PPO option for their insurance have questions about Humana. Here are some answers.

Q. I saw in the paper that Humana is testing a preferred provider tier in Dallas, What does that mean and how will that affect city employees?

A. Preferred Tier Provider is a fancy term for a health plan cutting doctors out of their favored circle, in other words any doctor who is not saving the health provider enough money, would not be in the preferred tier. You might still be able to go to that doctor, but you would pay more. But happily even though the City represents quite a bit of the Humana business in Dallas , Humana Rep Louise Roberson states that this is only going to affect Dallas customers with 50 members or less. (per conversation 10-28-04 )

Q. I have medicine I have to take all the time, where can I check to make sure it is in the Humana Formulary?

A. You can go to the Humana site at

http://cityofdallasemployees.com/FormularyHumana2005rx3druglist.pdf

Please check carefully, despite assurances by Humana to the health oversight committee that there were as many drugs on the Humana Formulary as on the previous Eckerds Formulary, that may not be the case according to an employee who follows this stuff.

Q. I have a problem with my PPO coverage that the benefits servicing operators can’t fix. Who should I talk to?

A. We have an inside Humana Rep, you can call her for those stubborn PPO problems.

Louise Roberson - Humana On-Site Account Advisor - Dallas City Hall
1500 Marilla Street, Rm 6AS
Dallas, Texas 75201
214 670 3556 - Office Telephone
210 582 1296 - (Computer Fax)
lroberson@humana.com - Email Address

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Prostate and Testicular Cancer

During a Street Operations awards and training event, department employees were given the opportunity to get checked for several health problems. This included getting a blood test to check for prostate problems, which perhaps makes this a good time for words of wisdom from our association member Nurse Carol.

Prostate Cancer is the most commonly diagnosed form of cancer, (other than skin cancer, among men in the United States . It is second only to lung cancer as a cause of cancer-related death among men. For the general population, a man in his lifetime has about a 16 percent (1 in 6) chance of being diagnosed with prostate cancer. He has a 3 percent (1 in 33) chance of dying from prostate cancer. The older you are the greater risk for getting prostate cancer.

Men with a father or brother who has had prostate cancer are at greater risk for developing the disease themselves. Prostate cancer is more common in African-American men than in Caucasian men, but less common in Hispanic, Asian, and Native American men.

Symptoms of prostate cancer are not always present, however if they occur, they may include blood in the urine, the need to urinate frequently, especially at night, weak or interrupted urine flow, pain or burning feeling while urinating, the inability to urinate, constant pain in the lower back, pelvis, or upper thighs. If you have any of these symptoms, see your doctor as soon as possible. (Ed. Note: But don’t panic, it could also be another far less serious prostate problem.)

Testicular cancer affects younger men, particularly ages 15-40. This form of cancer is unusual in children and in men over age 40. Testicular is more common in Caucasian men than African American men. Researchers don’t know what causes testicular cancer. Risk factors may include an un-descended testicle, even if the

testicle has been surgically relocated, and men with HIV/AIDS.

Testicular cancer can result in a number of signs and symptoms. These may include: a lump or enlargement in either testicle, a feeling of heaviness in the scrotum, a dull ache in the abdomen or groin, a sudden collection of fluid in the scrotum, pain or discomfort in a testicle or the scrotum,

enlargement or tenderness of the breasts, and unexplained fatigue or a general feeling of not being well. Cancer usually affects only one testicle.

Physicians classify testicular cancer as one of two types: Seminoma and Nonseminoma. Seminoma is the most common type and represents about 60% of all cases. If it is discovered and treated early, nearly all men recover from this type of cancer. Nonseminoma is actually a group of cancers. These tend to develop earlier in life usually between late teens and early 40’s.

Sometimes the diagnosis is unclear. Biopsies may be needed to determine if the tumor is malignant. After the type of cancer has been established, blood tests, x-rays, CT scans or MRI’s and other tests may be needed to determine if the cancer has spread to other parts of your body.

Prevention and treatment depends on early identification. Be alert to new changes in your body, and seek medical attention promptly. - Carol Lawrence RN BSN

Ed. Note: While of course cancer is the worse, there are several other troubling, but less serious problems that men can have with their prostates. And sadly, blood tests do not answer all questions. A direct check by your doctor is necessary. Early detection is key to a good recovery.

On a sadder note, we just received word that one of our members just lost their brother due to undetected prostate cancer. Guys, while the test to check your prostate is unpleasant, it can really save your life if done on an annual basis. Please, do it for yourself and do it for your family. M. R. Frey

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Great Gifties!

Don't forget attending meetings, workshops, events and signing up new members earn you chances at the huge year end name drawing!

You still have one last chance to attend a meeting before the drawing in December. Come on, see ya there.

Also you can help grow your union and get paid… You can earn up to $10.00 for each member you sign up!. And they get a hat and the knowledge that they taking a positive step towards creating a better workplace.

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Sniplets……..

Safety Repairs Planned at Southside -Word is that the GTB building reported to OSHA over at the Southside WWT facility is going to be shut down this winter and rehabbed. We will keep you apprised of the progress on this important safety fix. Perhaps…. J

Recruiters Rewarded – Congratulations to Honorio L who picked up a check at this months meeting for signing up new members. Other members who have recruited for the association and are eligible for this bonus at a future meeting? James M., Gene T., Dennis H., and Ernesto P. J Thanks to you all for helping to make your association grow!

Dallas County Steelworkers win lawsuit – The Dallas County Community Supervision & Corrections Department, Adult probation officers have over come some incredible odds and are now recognized by the county. While there has been a bit of last minute mis-information put out by management to try to poison their victory. We congratulation Steelworker Organizer Roy Robinson and President Kurt Kuehl on their persistence. You can read about their struggle at http://www.ntape.com

Our gifts to the Troops in Iraq – Were sent out by Carol L. We were able to send three good sized boxes. A last minute addition by our own Vice President Rowdy of a couple of multi-packs of Chewing Tobacco is apparently going to be very well received according to one of the ladies from the Military Mom’s group. We sent games and snacks and DVD’s (quite a few new even) personal supplies and of course added a few of our own Steelworker Ball caps. Special thanks to Kathy J. Gene T. John S. Carol L and Diane G and others.

If you forgot, or are just now in the Christmas spirit, you still have a chance… we were just asked to try to gather some stuff for a few marines who need a little cheering up. So if you want to donate please call or fax the office to arrange a pick up. 214-760-7422 voice 214-760-7423 Fax.

Code Enforcement Update - Well the wheels of Justice move slowly, but we are pleased to announce that two more Code Enforcement employees got their jobs back. Since we still have other members who are in the process we can’t discuss specifics, but suffice to say that we are very glad that two more of our co-workers are back on the job.

Holiday Cheer and Fellowship – Our next monthly meeting is scheduled for Tuesday Dec 14, 2004 , at 6:00 p.m. at 500 S. Ervay, Suite 112 A. We welcome all of our members to attend this meeting and our end of year Participation Drawing. Remember, if your name is drawn, you must be there to win. Non-members can sign a card at the door and attend the meeting as well. Since this is the end of the year, and we will be celebrating the participation of our members’ sandwiches, cakes and refreshments will be served. J So come attend the meeting, meet some of your co-workers and get your name popped in the hat for the Participation Drawing. Hope to see ya there!

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Grievances, don’t waste time

We would like to stress to all members the importance of contacting the Local Union immediately after any disciplinary action is taken against them. Your representatives only have five days from the date the incident happened to file a grievance.

Remember, waiting to the last minute could mean you miss out on getting assistance! Scott and Mark are not always in the office, and they may have other cases to work on the day you call. With all the activity going on these days you need to get with them as soon as you get notice of the original action or the appeal. It is unacceptable to call the day before the hearing is to be held. Another thing to remember is to be on time for your appointments. Scott and Mark have lots of stuff to work on. Please don’t waste their time by being late or skipping your appointments. Remember they may have some one else scheduled for later in the day. Lastly…. Follow up! Get that paper signed and get it delivered! Deadlines happen. Don’t let them happen to you!

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