Spending time reading SERB fact finding reports…
The lack of new postings so far today was related to my spending a few hours reading a variety of different fact finder’s reports from SERB. I was searching specifically for opinions or reports referencing employee’s privacy rights since the question has been raised by TPPA president Dan Wagner that the City of Toledo violated the privacy rights of employees by releasing a public list of officers who called off sick during the perceived blue flu episode.
While I did not find anything specific to that, I did find quite a few instances where a local governmental entity stated they were experiencing budgetary issues that required concessions. A good many of the concessions sought referenced increased health care premiums being sought by the employer and freezes in wages being sought. Also in almost all of the cases read, the contracts/agreements with other local unions was a factor in the decision process of the fact finder/arbitrator. Even in scenarios where the government entity claimed a budgetary crisis, raises were still given and the level of payment sought by the employer related to health care premiums was not agreed with. This would suggest that the recent deal given to Local 92 that has been not given to all of the other unions could play a factor in any future fact finding/arbitration rulings.
A recent case that actually involves the City of Toledo and employees in the Toledo Municipal Clerk of Courts office represented by UAW contains some relevant material for what is happening now. That report can be read here in pdf form.
Additional media reports that relate to the current scenario between TPPA and the City of Toledo: WTOL, WTVG with more expected later today on this continuing story since Mayor Bell has returned from vacation and is holding a press conference at this very moment.
