Labor Advisory - 2/28/2007

ADVISORY!

There has been a rash of adverse actions against BU6 members at CIM, seeking reductions in pay for a term, which may be motivated by the recent $200M arbitration victory of CCPOA for BU6 Members. Many of these adverse actions erroneously cite invalid or expired LOIs, that exist in the employee’s Personnel and/or Supervisory file, as “supporting evidence by the state in a later disciplinary case” (§9.05 D). However, if you have an unexpired LOI in your Personnel and/or Supervisory file and you have complied with “all requirements contained in the LOI/WID” prior to it’s expiration date (§9.05 A), YOU must request it’s removal from your file(s).

This request, together with any supporting documentation, MUST be tendered to “the Appointing Authority or his/her designee”. This is generally done by giving the request to the Employee Relation’s Officer (ERO) and having the original and a copy date stamped, as being received. Keep and file the copy in a secure place because documents of this type have a way of disappearing.

If your request is being ignored, file a grievance alleging that Management is in violation of §9.05 A of the BU6 MOU.

A sample letter can be found by clicking HERE.

Please insure that ALL expired LOIs are removed from your files. Pursuant to §9.03 of the BU6 MOU, you have an absolute right to inspect your files.

The Blogmaster

Conditional/Continuous Post & Bid Results, March, 2007.

The results of the Continuous and Conditional Post and Bid for March 2007 are in.

CLICK HERE to see them.

WINNING THE BATTLE WITHOUT FIRING A SHOT.

Gary Clark, President
Chino Chapter
CCPOA
February 23, 2007

The recently won arbitration victory regarding the CDCR’s obligation to notice CCPOA regarding proposed policy changes has already begun to have profound effects in the way management interacts with CCPOA.

Prior to this victory, CDCR managers apparently considered nothing they did, regarding policy promulgation, to have “impact” on BU6 members for the purpose of triggering the implementation of §27.01 and Sideletter #8 of the BU6 MOU. Essentially, the attitude of CDCR managers and administrators towards CCPOA was, “What we do is none of your business.” The arbitrator did NOT agree.

The CDCR is now under orders to comply with these sections of the MOU and this is sending shock waves throughout the prison system.

Working in conjunction with CCPOA in Sacramento and the victory they achieved, the Chino Chapter has achieved victory without ever having to go beyond the planning stages of the proposed informational picket. Such is the reason that the online poll never materialized - there was simply no need for it after we achieved our victory. Make no mistake, now that the pry bar has opened the door for us, the obligation to meet with the Chino Chapter of CCPOA will no longer be ignored. If the arbitrator’s order is violated, it can always go back to him, immediately, for enforcement.

Pursuant to a memorandum signed by Associate Warden Mike Collier dated February 21, 2007, the Mini Yards at MSF, which were dismantled without proper notice on December 21, 2006, will be restored immediately. There will be a meet and confer between CIM and the Chino Chapter of CCPOA at a later date. This meeting will be for the purpose of negotiating and minimizing this proposed policy’s impact on BU6 employees - a meeting that management was legally obliged to notice and attend prior to the implementation of the policy.

I would like to thank Jerry Lerouge, Chief Job Steward, MSF, for filing the grievance on the abolition of the Mini Yards. The Chapter is fortunate that Jerry and his prodigious talents have come back, after a brief respite, to serve the Chapter.

I also will take this opportunity to thank the Mayor of Chino, Dennis Yates. In a meeting between Mayor Dennis Yates, Fred Stevens and I, on February 12, 2007, the Mayor expressed his willingness to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with CCPOA on the picket line to promote our common cause of staff and community safety. This is a man who is, genuinely, concerned about the plight of BU6 members at CIM as well as the Community of Chino.

Even though the proposed picket was not necessary this time, you can rest assured that CCPOA stands Battle Ready should such an action be necessary in the future.

Minutes From the February Chino Chapter Meeting.

For the minutes of the February Chapter Meeting, CLICK HERE.

Announcement! The Western State Police and Fire Games

Those that are interested in participating or that would like more information, can email me at:

rosascimjs@yahoo.com

or contact me at work 3rd/W Z-31 MSF.

The games are in Mesa, Arizona the week of Oct. 6-13. There are many different events to enter.

Thanks!

Ruben Rosas

An Informational Picket At CIM!

We, the membership of the Chino Chapter of CCPOA, have had it with this administration's intransigence!

What can be done?

CLICK HERE!

By Gary Clark, President
Chino Chapter
CCPOA

Admittedly, there are some issues which impact our prison which our Warden is not able to control. A recent example of this is James Tilton’s decision to transfer inmates out-of-state, by forcible means if necessary. However, more often than not, the promulgation of poor security policy and the failure to correct bad security policy and demonstrably deficient physical plant defects is the result of local action and/or inaction at CIM.

During the current CIM administration, two Correctional Officers, within a two week period, were seriously beaten in incidents which occurred at the MSF yard in housing units without proper offices. Proper offices, NOT open-air podiums, would have afforded the officers a chance to see the attack coming and, perhaps, offer some defense against it.

In a meeting with the Warden, soon after my current term as Chapter President began, we discussed retrofits to make these offices more secure. No action on this issue yet.

Recently, during the current CIM administration, there was a major riot at the Reception Center West which exacerbated the need for escape routes for Correctional Officers working the recently fenced-off housing units. Even though these escape routes were suggested during the construction of the fences, they were ignored.

Recently, during the current CIM administration, the well established security measure of the Mini-Yards was dismantled by one of CIM’s managers. This procedure prevented large groups of inmates from congregating on the MSF yard at the same time. Considering the changing and more violent nature of the “minimum” inmate at CIM, the Mini-Yards are needed now, more than ever. However, day-by-day, week-by-week, month-by-month the, potentially catastrophic, demise of the Mini-Yards has yet to be reversed.

There are currently many grievances, at various levels within the grievance system, which contest the fact that policy, within the scope of CCPOA representation, is being unilaterally implemented and CCPOA is being locked-out of the state’s legal obligation to afford labor to be part of the process of policy development in these areas. Bad security policy and insecure physical plant certainly impacts terms and conditions of employment.

Now, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation plans to build a mental health facility at CIM which will pose even more of a burden to a security system gone awry. Since CCPOA has been locked-out of the policy making process, perhaps Sacramento should reconsider CIM as one of their proposed sites until the administration gets its security act together.

Since CDCR no longer provides legal notice to CCPOA prior to most policy implementations, perhaps it is time to take our case to those who ultimately pay for the programs and services offered to inmates by CDCR and who are most effected by these policies. That would be the taxpayers of the communities surrounding CIM.

For this reason, a poll will be conducted from February 16, 2007 until March 5, 2007 at the CIM blog at http://cimccpoa.blogspot.com as a feasibility study into an informational picket in front of the California Institution for Men. Based on the reception, either pro or con, the determination will be made whether or not to organize the picket line.

Please visit the blog and vote, one way or another.

The Warden's To-Do List

Clear and Present Danger

Your humble Blogmaster discovered an editorial on another blog which exemplifies the frustrations that many BU6 staff have for a CDC bereft of a plan.

With the author's permission I have linked to the article which can be accessed BY CLICKING HERE.

With the author's permission I have linked to another of her articles, entitled "Tilton's Corcoran", which can be accessed BY CLICKING HERE

With the author's permission I have linked to another of her articles, entitled "Corporate Raiders in the Prison System", which can be accessed BY CLICKING HERE

Conditional and Continuous Bid, 2007

The Continuous and Conditional Bid Forms for 2007 are out and published in the "Forms" section of the blog. To go there now, click HERE.

Thank you Personnel Assignments for your efforts in producing them.

The Blogmaster

February's Chapter Meeting

When?

February 20, 2007 at 1630

Where?

Mr. Berry's BBQ
5670 Shaefer Ave., Unit "A"
Chino, CA 91710

For the flyer and more information, CLICK HERE.

Click Here for Minutes of the January Chapter Meeting

The Blogmaster