Council approved a collective bargaining agreement at the Center for Popular Democracy. A three-year “first Guild” contract covering three dozen employees at WBNG’s newest shop expires Jan. 1, 2020. (Local 32035 now has 29 contracts with 28 employers.)
Executive Director Cet Parks reported that the 23-member Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions had ratified a contract extension. The three-year deal that was to expire March 31 now runs to Jan. 1, 2018.
Council approved the formation of an Executive Election Committee to review the composition and practices of the local’s constitutionally mandated Election and Referendum Committee. The new committee will look into the ERC’s member-selection process and assess the members’ responsibilities, and will also study balloting procedures – including the possibility of implementing electronic voting for local elections – and the role of the Executive Council.
Council approved having the newly formed Executive Election Committee review how board and membership meeting minutes are transcribed and edited, and shared online.
After WBNG President Sheila Lindsay (ANA) explained the board’s role in filling a localwide “at large” seat vacancy on the Executive Council, two nominations were received: Tamara Brummer (AFL-CIO) and Mark Gruenberg (At-Large). Following discussion about the process, board members cast secret ballots and Gruenberg was elected by a vote of 8 to 5. He will serve temporarily – nominations to fill the vacancy will be received at the April 1 General Membership meeting, the first gathering of the membership since Jan. 31, when the Executive Council members for the 2017-2018 term were sworn into office.
Parks and WBNG Secretary Mikhail Romanov discussed the difficult bargaining situation at UFCW, where a contract covering 63 employees expired Oct. 6, but remains in force.
Cet Parks and Yvette De La Cruz discussed layoffs at the AFL-CIO and noted that the Guild’s successful negotiation of a Memorandum of Understanding one year ago “demonstrates to members that the unit can move the AFL-CIO.”
Council discussed internal and external organizing matters.
Lindsay noted that the listing of an agenda item regarding a WBNG-election issue was in error. The item was tabled until the next board meeting.
Jazmin Gargoum (At-Large) announced that in March she will be featured in a Labor Heritage Foundation musical production, “Love Songs From The Liberation Wars: The 1940’s Tobacco Workers Struggle.”
The next board meeting was set for March 21 in the local’s Washington office.
