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Actor Richard Masur and A&R retiree Joella Bouchard-Mudry at the AFT CT Summer Leadership Institute. (posted 8/14/08)
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Political Site for A&R Members (Password in every issue of our newsletter, A&R Update)
Winners of A&R's College Scholarships for 2008 Natasha Pohuja, daughter of A&R member Deepak Pohuja Samantha Healy, daughter of A&R member Henry Healy Jeremy Vendetta, son of A&R member Christine Vendetta Amber Schmitt. daughter of A&R member James Schmitt Marissa Catanzaro, daughter of A&R member Thomas Catanzaro Elizabeth Pond, daughter of A&R member Keith Pond Stephanie Nieves, daughter of A&R member Alexandra Nieves Vanessa Carlone, daughter of A&R member Stephen Carlone Harry Zilber Scholarship Winner Michelle Chambers, daughter of A&R member Martin Chambers |
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Office Hours 8:30 - 4:30, Telephone 1-800-842-4443
Monday, September 08, 2008
Order Form
A&R Offers Introductory Excel Training
On October 6th and 16th, identical, intensive Introductory Excel 2003 training classes will be held in New Britain from 8:30 to 3:30.
A continental breakfast and a catered lunch will be provided. Parking will be validated. The location is the Institute of Technology and Business Development (CCSU), 185 Main Street, New Britain, CT.
The computer lab is room 314. Each participant will have their own classroom computer. Enrollment is limited to twenty members per class.
Participants can use professional development leave to attend and will receive their regular day's pay under Article 31, Section Five of the Contract.
To see what this Introductory Excel 2003 course will cover, use this link.
To obtain a sign-up form for an Introductory Excel 2003 course, use this link.
National, State AFT Increase Dues 65 Cents Per Pay Period Effective 9/25/08 Paycheck
AFT and AFT Connecticut (our national and state affiliates) both increased their dues at their conventions. A&R (AFT Local 4200) has not increased it's dues. A&R members will see an increase of 65 cents per paycheck in our dues beginning with the paycheck dated 9/25/08. To download the August 28, 2008 Comptroller's Memorandum on A&R dues use this link.
Reimbursement Increases to 58.5 Cents Per Mile Effective 8/29/08
The mileage rate increases from 50.5 to 58.5 cents per mile effective August 29, 2008.
Comptroller's Memorandum 2008-27 states: "In accordance with General Notice 2008-08 from the office of Labor Relations (which will be forthcoming), the mileage reimbursement rate increase is effective for travel on or after August 29, 2008 for employees using personally owned vehicles for official State business."
For a copy of the Comptroller's memorandum use this link.
Grievance Victory
DAS Ordered to Re-write Attendance Policy (posted 7/29/08)
A Stipulated Agreement and the resulting General Notice 2002-20 forbids the State to mention days and occasions on our service ratings unless we use more than 15 sick days in a year, or have a pattern of absence, or repeated or extended unauthorized leaves without pay.
The Department of Administrative Services issued an amended attendance policy which didn’t mention A&R’s Stipulated Agreement or the provisions of General Notice 2002-20.
DAS said if any of their managers violated the Stipulation and General Letter out of ignorance they would fix it.
A&R argued that by failing to include the agreement in its policy, DAS was trying to coerce A&R members into following a stricter policy than was actually in effect.
The Arbitrator’s decision, "DAS shall forthwith change and re-issue the DAS policy to more clearly reflect the benefits provided for in the A&R contract as the provisions are noticed in General Notice 2002-20."
Rell Administration on Early Retirement and Layoffs (posted 7/15/08)
Subject: from Capitol Watch on ERIP (blog)
ERIP Is Not Palatable To Rell
By Christopher Keating (Hartford Courant reporter)
on July 9, 2008 2:37 PM
Early retirement plans were once popular back in the day, but many state officials said they have learned through the years that the state receives very little long-term savings when many of the state's best workers leave and their jobs are refilled.
Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell rejected the idea of fellow Republicans this year for an ERIP, and she largely continued that stance Wednesday while talking to reporters at the state Capitol.
"The only way I would look at it is to avoid layoffs in the future,'' Rell said outside the Old Judiciary Room on the third floor.
No layoffs are currently planned, according to testimony Wednesday by Rell's budget director, Robert Genuario, to the Appropriations Committee.
Agency Offer of ADA Accommodation Could Cost You Your Job (posted 7/9/08)
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), permanently reduced productivity is not an available accommodation. For example, rheumatism reduces a workers' data entry speed and productivity. The worker wants to explain the situation and avoid a bad service rating. Management asks for a Doctor's letter for an ADA accommodation. While the Doctor does not have to give a diagnosis, the Doctor writes that you'll have permanently reduced productivity due to a permanent, progressive condition. The reduced productivity and the Doctor's letter could be grounds for bad service ratings and/or dismissal.
A reasonable accommodation might require a permanent reassignment to a different job (in the case of someone with arthritis, to a job with less typing perhaps) but performance standards do not have to be lowered as part of an ADA "reasonable accommodation". And management does not have to disrupt the entire workplace to accommodate you.
If management steers you away from a medical certificate (Article 19, Section Ten of our contract) and towards a request for a reasonable accommodation under the ADA, contact your union immediately. If you suffer from a permanent condition which affects your productivity, contact your union immediately.
Never give management your diagnosis without consulting with the union first. Experience has shown that in some agencies you don't want management to know your diagnosis. You are not required to give a diagnosis on a medical certification. You are are not required to give a diagnosis to apply for leave under the Family Medical Leave Act. You are not required to give a diagnosis to apply for a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). For an accommodation under ADA, the doctor only has to inform your department what functional limitations exist, as a result of your condition, that require an accommodation.
Have your family doctor write the paperwork. A specialist's specialty may, by itself, disclose more about your diagnosis than you want to reveal. Always ask the doctor to give you the completed forms. Never have the doctor mail them directly to your employer. This way, you can review them first and have them rewritten if necessary to avoid disclosing your diagnosis.
Technical High Schools Best Example of DAS's "Downgrade" Policy (posted 7/8/08)
Frequently, as vacancies occur in state job classes, DAS is downgrading the position at least one job series level (if a refill is permitted). For example, if an Associate Fiscal Administrative Officer position becomes vacant, DAS only permits the department to hire a Fiscal Administrative Officer. This policy began under the Rowland administration after the layoffs in 2003 and has accelerated under the Rell administration.
The best example of this is at the State Technical Schools. The chief operating officers at most of these high schools were Fiscal Administrative Supervisors. DAS pointed out that these FAS's did not supervise three "professionals" as required by the job spec because employees with titles such as cafeteria supervisors are considered "non-professionals". As FAS's at the technical schools retired, DAS required that they be replaced by Associate Fiscal Administrative Officers.
Now, by simply redrawing the schools' organizational charts so that it appears that almost everyone reports to the principals, DAS has announced that it will gradually replace the Associate Fiscal Administrative Officer at each technical high school with a Fiscal Administrative Officer. The duties haven't changed, our member is still the chief operating officer. DAS's attitude is employee costs will be reduced and reclassification grievances can be stymied if DAS's appointees on the reclassification panel stick together.
At the lower end of the job series, DAS recently rewrote the job spec for Fiscal Administrative Assistant so that Assistants can supervise!
DAS can take these actions because a singular exception in the collective bargaining statute gives DAS complete control over the hiring, testing and promoting of state employees. DAS rewrites job specs at will. The result: Upward mobility for state employees is disappearing. Employees in lower classifications are having their duties expanded with no increase in pay.
Without meaning to offend our Republican members, this policy will continue at least until there is a Democratic Governor.
State Exam Scores Available Through A&R (additions made 7/8/08)
Latest: Emergency Management Area Coordinator
Older lists also available:
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To obtain a copy of any list, e-mail us at mwataandr@aol.com or call 1-800-772-7344 and spell your last name and street name. The exam lists are available only in printed form.
DAS is currently extending examination lists rather than give tests during a "hiring freeze". For an Excel spreadsheet listing the new expiration dates for exam lists use this .
DAS and OLR Direct Agencies to Prepare Layoff Seniority Lists (posted 6/25/08)
The Department of Administrative Services and the Office of Labor Relations have sent a joint memorandum to every state agency directing them to assist in preparing the layoff seniority lists for the Engineering and A&R bargaining units. The layoff seniority list for the Service and Maintenance Unit has already been prepared.
The layoff lists for Engineering and A&R are difficult to prepare. For example, A&R layoff seniority is total time in A&R, including any time in A&R at any agency including time in A&R before and after any breaks in service. During layoffs, the Engineering and A&R units have statewide lateral displacement and/or bumping rights making accurate seniority lists critically important.
The DAS/OLR memo gives an approximate run date of October 10, 2008 for the seniority lists.
For a copy of the memo, use this link.
Compensatory Time Does Not Expire in A&R (modified 6/10/08, modification underlined)
memorandum In 2003, Accenture's staff called the A&R office to let us know our compensatory time would expire after six months because that was how CORE-CT was going to be programmed. After a brief chuckle at the audacity of the caller, A&R's President at the time informed Accenture that our members earn compensatory time under our contract, and could not be deprived of earned time without due process. Such due process would have to be in the contract. Under some union contracts compensatory time does expire. In A&R's contract there is no time-related "comp-time" expiration clause. For A&R members compensatory time stays on the books until taken, or until the member is paid for the compensatory time, or retires. (Unused compensatory time does "expire" at retirement. See Article 16, Section Five(d)(4) of the contract.) Since 2003, the "expiration" issue has come up several times and each time the member was able to use the compensatory time.
Make sure that any compensatory time earned appears on your official time and attendance records. A new manager might not consider him/herself bound by an "under-the-table" arrangement and you might not be able to prove you earned the compensatory time.
Under specific circumstances, departments may choose to pay cash in lieu of comp time. See Article 16, Section Five(d) subparagraphs (5) and (6), and Article 17, Section Four.
If any member is threatened with the loss of compensatory time, please call the Union at (860) 953-1316 or 1-800-842-4443.
DOIT and Agencies Reviewing E-mails and Computer Hard Drives (posted 3/27/08)
The Department of Information Technology (DOIT) and many state agencies are reviewing e-mails and contents of hard drives of state employees. State employees are being walked out the door after personal business and/or pornographic material is found. If state employees have been sharing such materials, the trail leads from employee to employee to employee.
Do not use state equipment for anything other than state business!
If you're accused of misusing your computer, say nothing and contact the union. Say nothing, even if you know you're innocent. It is our experience that giving management an explanation does not make the charge go away. By defending yourself, you may lose the right to refuse to answer questions (Article 14, Section Six(b) of our contract).
To sign up for an event, call 1-800-842-4443. For more information click on this link: http://www.andr.org/social.asp .
DAS States that Employees can Use State Computers to Visit Union Websites
DAS has some surprising new answers to what it calls frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the Acceptable Use of State Systems Policy.
20. Q: Can an employee use the state telephone to receive/make calls relating to doctors appointments, union matters and/or check on status of children, etc?
A: Yes. However, time spent on personal calls should be kept to a minimum.
22. Q: May a caller leave a personal message in an employee's voicemail box? For example, if a doctor's office is calling to confirm an appointment?
A: Yes. However, these types of situations should be limited to only those requiring prompt attention.
25: Q. Is it okay for employees to visit their union's website using a State computer?
A: Yes
26. Q: Is it okay for users to distribute Union information via (State) e-mail?
A: No.
27: Q: Is it okay for employees to use (State) e-mail to contact their Union Steward to arrange for representation?
A: Yes
Join the A&R Retirees! ONE YEAR FREE DUES
Dear Retired or Soon To Retire State Employee,
Yes, there is an A&R Retirees Council. A&R's Representative Assembly has voted to pay your first year's dues for you. We are offering not only the local's help on our issues, but also AFT CT and AFT National. Please join us. You'll enjoy the company and the food.
If you're a member of another state retirees group you're still welcome to join ours.
In Solidarity,Marylou Pfenning
Retiree President
Email: Brumar123@cs.com
Phone: 860-342-1334
Attorney Available for Workers Compensation Appeals
A&R has a surprising (for a white-collar union) number of Workers Compensation claims. Besides workers being injured on the job, claims are being filed because the leaky State-owned or leased buildings make some members sick.
If a member loses his/her claim at the first step of the Workers Compensation process, he/she should file an appeal and then contact the A&R Union (1-800-842-4443). Through an arrangement with AFT CT, the Union will provide an attorney to handle the appeal hearing before the Workers Compensation commissioner.
UPDATE YOUR A&R CONTACT INFO
Members please contact the A&R Union office at 800-842-4443 with any changes to your home address, agency or job title. We DO NOT receive these changes from your Human Resources Department.