CITY OF L.A. PENSION REFORM - SAVING L.A. JOBS - MELODY REID FORWARDS INFO - CHATTER

[SEIU721REFORMERS]

Dear Friend:

Take Action This Friday

Come out to the City Council Meeting this Friday, Oct. 26, 10am to speak out against the city's plan to cut our pensions. We need to be there in numbers to tell the Council that they cannot take away our future. Let them know what you think!

Friday, Oct. 26, 10am
City Hall (Council Chambers, 3rd Floor)
200 N. Spring Street
Los Angeles 90012

Background

Los Angeles city workers are under attack. The City Council passed an ordinance in September that undermines the security of our pension system and creates a second tier of new workers who will be forced to accept lower benefits and retire into poverty.

See you on Friday,

Simboa Wright
LA city wastewater collection worker 

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Saving LA Jobs

Dear Friend:

Together, we are keeping city jobs safe.

Because of our efforts, the City Council decided not to rush forward with a plan to privatize the Los AngelesConvention Center.

Background

Mayor Villaraigosa and CAO Miguel Santana have been trying to privatize the Convention Center for months. The City Council was going take up privatization proposals this week. But we took action to stop it. Over the past few days, dozens of our union sisters and brothers met with Council members to let them know we strongly oppose any plan that takes middle-class jobs out of our city. We are protecting the reputation and operations built by the center and our members.

Stay Alert

The mayor and CAO still would like to transfer the Convention Center into private hands and do away with our jobs. This issue could come back to the City Council as soon as Nov. 20. We need to stay engaged and alert to keep our Convention Center public.

To join the team to protect city jobs, call LA/OC Cities Regional Coordinator Jason Elias: (213) 368-8620. 

In solidarity,

Maria Trujillo
Event Attendant, Los Angeles Convention Center

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FROM MELODY REID

Hi Rafe,
  In case you have not seen this....
 Attached is a chart showing the current and proposed pension features.  Also, link below.

Please see the attached document entitiled "Comparison of the Bankruptcy Avoidance and Pension Protection (Riordan) Charter Amendment to City Pension Plans" that was recently posted by the CAO on their internet webpage. I've also included the link below for your convenience.  

http://cao.lacity.org/Reports/Revised%20Comparison%20of%20Riordan%20Plan.pdf

  You may also find this information from the CAO's Internet website on the weblinks below of interest.  It is for new hires but it is best to read all information 

http://cao.lacity.org/Reports/Pension%20Reform%20for%20New%20Hires%20-%20LACERS%20CF%2010-1250-091812.pdf

http://cao.lacity.org/Tier%20II%20Mythconceptions.pdf

 

Thank you

Have a great day! 

Sincerely,

Ms. Melody Reid, P.E.

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From: Ed Kaufman
Sent: Oct 23, 2012 12:33 PM
Subject: Reply To Charlie

   First of all I applaud Rafael for opening up the conversation with this blog site.  I realize that my opinions  upset many in SEIU given the present "lock step" orientation of the organization.  By letting us speak our minds Raff is allowing dissenting arguments which many in the union may not be aware of.

   As for Charlies  argument that the rich employers who hire the illegal workers should be prosecuted what about unions like SEIU?  Since 1998 SEIU and its sister union the AFL-CIO have blatantly refused to oppose this practice.  Governor Brown and mayor Villaregosa have repeatedly blocked attempts by the Obama Administration to enforce the E-Verify Program.  This program does exactly what Charlie asks.  It prosecutes business owners for hiring scab workers.  Can somebody from SEIU tell me why our union is blocking a program which is essential to the continuation of the union workplace?

    As for this "racism" charge that is immediately thrown at myself and anyone that asks unpopular questions I ask you to think about this.  Is unionism about the workplace or race?  Should we break from proven union principles because members of a particular ethnic group are breaking those rules?  Does their ethnicity in any way make the violation of these rules permissible.  I think some of you need to separate your personal ethnic pride from your membership in union.  Union is a group separate from your ethnic orientation which is designed specifically to protect your job, pay and future.  And every decision you make in this regard should be based on this regard and NOT race.

Ed

Rafe's reply to Ed:

First of all, thank you for the commendation.

Second, I would like to apologize to you if I came across as if you were racist.

What I was trying to do was, first of all defend the Union, in as much as you did not provide evidence that the Union, SEIU 721, was training undocumented workers.

In today's job market it is very difficult for legitimate businesses to hire undocumented workers.  

With the way things are, I cannot imagine our Union using resources for a work force that cannot be legally employed.
xenophobic-	hatred or fear of foreigners or strangers or of their politics or culture.

Racism - 1. The belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others.

2. Discrimination or prejudice based on race.

Ed, I believe I used the word  xenophobic.

The Irish, Italian, Jews, Polish, German, Japanese, Vietnamese, Puerto Ricans, all have faced and still do, baggage that comes with being assimilated into the status quo.

African were brought to the Americas against their will and because of the pigment of their skins, their descendants have been made to carry a cross.

Racism can be a factor.  I did not look at it that way.

I don't know you well enough to say that you are racist.

Let's let it rest at that.

As far as the E-verify program, I am not familiar with this program although it rings a bell.

Unions represent labor,the working man and woman, their families and their best interests. Economically, politically and their welfare.

Political interests protect, defend and represent their constituency.

If Villaraigosa is protecting, defending and representing his constituency, then it is his prerogative to follow the course that he has taken.

This is just my opinion.

I know that you have directed this question to the Union:

Can somebody from SEIU tell me why our union is blocking a program which is essential to the continuation of the union workplace?

Ed, I don't see how how the E-Verify program has anything to do with the continuation of the Union workplace.   If anything, SEIU and all of the rest of Labor that help the down trodden and poor today, are laying the groundwork for the future of Labor here in the United States.

Again, this is just my opinion. 

Rafe

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That's all folks!

 

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SEIU Local 721 Reformers is an email address attempting to share information with SEIU Local Members, Stewards, Officers, Staff and Officials.
Rafe Garcia, Steward, is the custodian of this email address.
Those of us sharing, exchanging and participating in this forum are attempting to engage the membership to further the concept of a member driven Union.
We, you and all the rest of us have the best interests of the rank and file members, over 70,000 strong.
FOUNDED AUGUST 31, 2008