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Don’t dis us! Metropolitan water workers will rally on Tuesday
October 8th, 2009, 2:27 pm · 61 Comments · posted by Teri Sforza, Register staff writer
There’s a lot of handwringing going on, as folks try to figure out if the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California’s board will approve controversial new contracts on Tuesday.
“We are all aware of the negative press coverage our hard-fought negotiations have received from people who know absolutely nothing about us,” says a memo to union workers that made its way to The Watchdog.
“It appears that the MWD Board may choose to disrespect its employees by not approving the Tentative Agreement because of petty politics and fear of mean-spirited and uninformed crap-carriers like KFI’s John & Ken and their pitch-fork carrying partners in crime. (The usual suspects)”
So, to counter-act such “crap-carriers,” union members will hold a rally before the board meeting begins. It’ll start at 11:45 a.m. Tuesday in the Courtyard at Met’s Union Station Headquarters. “ THIS IS WHERE WE NEED TO BE IN ORDER TO DEFEND OUR REPUTATION FROM THOSE WHO WOULD DISRESPECT US!” the email says. “The first 200 members in attendance will receive a free AFSCME T-shirt.”
For text of the email (and a picture of an AFSCME T-shirt), see below.
WHAT: MWD Board Vote on MOU
WHEN: Tuesday, October 13, 2009
WHERE: Union Station - MWD Board Room
TIME: 11:45 - 12:45 pm
Next Tuesday the MWD Board will vote whether or not to approve the Tentative Agreement that we negotiated in good faith with District management.
We are all aware of the negative press coverage our hard-fought negotiations have received from people who know absolutely nothing about us.
If the MWD Board were to vote at this moment the best estimate is that 43% would vote YES and 31% would vote NO. The remaining 26% is UNDECIDED. 51% of the vote is required to approve this Agreement.
Nonetheless, it appears that the MWD Board may choose to disrespect its employees by not approving the Tentative Agreement because of petty politics and fear of mean-spirited and uninformed crap-carriers like KFI’s John & Ken and their pitch-fork carrying partners in crime. (The usual suspects)
Our rally call will begin at 11:45 am in the Courtyard at Union Station Headquarters.
The MWD Board meeting will start at 12 noon with an opportunity for the public to comment. THIS IS WHERE WE NEED TO BE IN ORDER TO DEFEND OUR REPUTATION FROM THOSE WHO WOULD DISRESPECT US!
The first 200 members in attendance will receive a free AFSCME T-shirt.
We need all Union members to be in attendance at this meeting that will determine our future relationship with the District.
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If the courts were not already deluged with frivolous libel I’d recommend an injunction to slanderous bullying harassment like this. First amendment rights are one thing but things like this and the Darwin books ought to answer profanity charges for attempting to foster hate and polarize people solely to further their selfish agendas.
Thumbs down.
Moles. Only place for them is a dark hole.
Since there really is no such thing as objective & factual media reporting anymore… I wonder whose agenda this article is really serving?
I know if this agreement isn’t passed, it’ll be virtual slavery for the MWD employees. The good news is they can always find another job in this market if they feel they’re worth more.
If they can find a way to pay for this increase without turning to rate payers to fund this, fine. But since they’ve already increased rates, I guess the answer for me is no.
MWD is currently paying the entire PERS contribution on behalf of its employees under the 2% at 55 system currently in place - this was my understanding when I took the job in 2001. The employees and management who negotiated this “enhancement” have claimed that while MWD would continue to pay the “full boat” for the 2%, the employees have found a way to effectively fund the .5 percent enhancement through concessions for the contract term, part of which includes NEW employees having to pay in 8% to the PERS retiree medical fund and incumbent employees paying in 2%.
It has caused consternation
1) among some employees who don’t like the two tier system
2) from the public that fears MWD and by extension, the ratepayers will be stuck with the bill for not only the 2% but the enhancement one day if a) PERS is underfunded because of a bad economy or b) the employees are able to negotiate getting back some of the concessions at the five year term.
3) from others in the public that simply do not believe it somehow right or fair for public sector employees to have a defined benefit pension plan, because they do not have it.
I can fully understand the concerns 1 and 2. But I don’t buy the crabs in a barrel mentality of item 3. It would be one thing if labor and pension costs were a huge part of the budget at MWD, but they simply are not. If this does not pass, don’t look for the 31% hike to be decreased in any significant way if at all. We deliver water to 19 million people with fewer than 2,000 employees, and many of us are college educated with undergraduate degrees or better. Also, many of came here mid career and will not retire with six digit or seven digit pensions. I for one am going to supplement a pension of about 40% with another means for making a living simply because I want to do something different going into my 60s. Friends i know don’t begrudge me it. They in fact are happy for me. Too bad more people are not like that.
I do believe if we should pass legislation to take the employers and taxpayers off the hook should PERS be underfunded. Let us employees and managers take that risk. It will still in all likelihood be a better bet than Social Security.
In theory, I like the idea of taking the risk out of taxpayers and employers. And I think it is a better bet than Social Security. Somehow, when it comes time to pay the piper, I have every confidence the MWD will find a way to stick it on the ratepayers. I can hear the sob story now..
I don’t begrudge anyone for having something I don’t have. However, as a monopoly, the pay must be reflective of market forces. If not, ratepayers would continue to have to flip the bill for inflated pay packages. If justified, I’d rather see increases go directly to salary and into a 401K type account. All the risk would be on the employee, go invest.
We can argue whether this is a pay raise or not, ultimately if your entire pay package, including benefits, cost the employer more, then its a raise. In this economy, I don’t believe a substantial raise is justified. There’s a lot of things that was promised me when I took my current job that didn’t happen. My recourse would be to find another job, not stage a rally or attempt to pass it on taxpayers.
“We deliver water to 19 million people with fewer than 2,000 employees, and many of us are college educated with undergraduate degrees or better. ”
And not one finger nail was ever broken delivering all that water. How many college educated ditch diggers and pipe fitters do you have, lady ? Has any undergraduate plugged any of those broken water mains lately ? Whose rates are going to be raised next year to pay for the replacement of a million miles of antiquated pipes that are about to burst ?
Stop feeling sorry for yourself. If you don’t have your home paid for when you retire that’s your problem. You shouldn’t axpect to continue spending for the rest of your life the way you have done up to retirement.
Are you sure you are not confusing us with DWP there, Schelibs? They are the ones making the news with the pipelines bursting. Not to say we don’t have older pipelines, we do and we are retrofitting. Our maintenance folks work hard and get paid well, as they should. I’d like to see you out there wearing a “shoot me” safety vest working in sketchy areas of down in a pipe trench and see if you would not good compensation too. There is value in labor, whether it those of us with college degrees serving a variety of important functions or those who perform back breaking, dangerous work alike. There are different dollar values associated with different functions at MWD just as there are everywhere else. Just because labor has become so horribly devalued in this country, does NOT mean it should be devalued here, IF YOU WANT A RELIABLE, SAFE WATER SUPPLY. So long as the employees can find a way to foot the bill for the “enhanced” portion of the retirement, it should not be of concern to you.
As for the rest of your diabtribe in the last paragraph, forget it dude. I will not engage.
OCCent says:
I know if this agreement isn’t passed, it’ll be virtual slavery for the MWD employees. The good news is they can always find another job in this market if they feel they’re worth more.
=================
Bwhahahahahahhahahhahahahah..SLAVERY!
MET employee, you would not make it one day at Burger King.
Johnny, read the entire post. There was a bit of sarcasm in that statement.
What a bunch of greed-filled, selfish public trough feeders. I can’t wait until their house of cards completely collapses and leaves them with holding the empty paper bag. The looks on their faces will be priceless. All they think about is ‘me, me, me’. This insatiable greed has infected the entire society. It will be our downfall. If that isn’t obvious to you by this time your oblivious to what is happening around you.
I’m afraid the only way we fix this kind of thing is for the state to go bankrupt. As long as there is money available, you can bet the public unions will be there to take and take.
Self interest/selfishness, in a way I can’t blame them for trying, but there’s no checks and balances in our system. Politicans generally vote with their major contributors, guess who that is.
“ocobserver” — Wow. Are you serious? I hope not. Your rhetoric is so dramatic that it’s laughable — “selfish public trough feeders; house of cards; me, me me; insatiable greed; entire society; downfall.” Come on, talk like a normal person and maybe people will see your point without being tempted to ridicule you. Either that, or take a moment to breathe before you write a response.
Again I see the same old tired response…I don’t have it, so you should not have it too. I go back to my post of the children screaming, ” it’s not fair!”. Why is it that so many people are so single minded and sighted on rate increases? You keep saying it, like it only goes to salaries and pensions. If you will do your research, and I am sure you folks are educated enough to do so, you will find that salaries are a miniscule portion of the overall budget. Did it ever occour to any of you that there is a thing called an infrastructure? It costs money to keep up and maintain the system that supplies us with the water that we need to survive. These things are not cheap and the costs are going up all the time, yet MWD has not raised thier rates in years. Please stop spouting the same tired retoric that is being talked about on the radio talk shows and start doing some fact checking for yourself.
Just wondering….When it comes time for your raise, would it be ok if the others in society that did not get a raise, come to your place of employment and protest? Just a thought.
HUH?????????????????????
This has absolutely NOTHING to do with ” I don’t have it, so you should not have it too.” And there is no point in responding to all THE REASONS due to your brilliant logic below:
Just wondering….When it comes time for your raise, would it be ok if the others in society that did not get a raise, come to your place of employment and protest? Just a thought.
——————————————————————————————————————————
You have got to be kidding right?
private sector guy says:
Again I see the same old tired response…I don’t have it, so you should not have it too. I go back to my post of the children screaming, ” it’s not fair!”. Why is it that so many people are so single minded and sighted on rate increases? You keep saying it, like it only goes to salaries and pensions. If you will do your research, and I am sure you folks are educated enough to do so, you will find that salaries are a miniscule portion of the overall budget.
=======================================
You misspelled your name MET EMPLOYEE, and you put “private sector guy” by mistake!
Oh, and I don’t give a rats a$$ how much of the budget salary and benefits are-you still don’t get to rip off the taxpayers with your retroactive, unearned scams.
“It appears that the MWD Board may choose to disrespect its employees by not approving the Tentative Agreement because of petty politics and fear of mean-spirited and uninformed crap-carriers like KFI’s John & Ken and their pitch-fork carrying partners in crime
—————————————————————————
John & Ken mean spirited? I think NOT! I know, we’re suppose to just lie down, shut up, so MWD can trample all over us, right? THOSE DAYS ARE OVER FOLKS. THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING. ENOUGH.
Can’t wait eh! If Calpers were to fail, God help us all.
What is truly so sad about this, is the inability of folks to understand, the facts.
Can’t Wait, Indeed!
OCCent — the employees ARE paying for the increase without turning to the rate payers. Increases in water rates are due to infrastructure, cost of northern water (missing delta delivery system), cost of chemicals, etc.
The proposed contract not only covers the cost of the enhanced retirement, but also saves MWD additional millions. This was confirmed by two actuaries. A NO vote by the board means they don’t want to save upwards of 25 million dollars — That is what everyone should be panicking about. A board that would turn down savings and employee participation in cost containment. ohmigosh.
ummm I love kool aid
JR says:
I love kool aid
=============================
LOL..I think it is more htan kool aid these folks are drinking!
Stop spreading lies.
You don’t pay for your own retirement. Most is funded with public funds.
And the fat cats negotiating the increase are benefiting most. Sleazeballs like Kightlinger. Pensions increasing over $40k a year starting at age 55 with a swipe of the pen. You think Kightlinger and his buddies are funding those inceases?
But down the bong, pal.
How is it with CA unemployment past 10%, prices of commodities way down versus the past several years, and home prices diving, can MWD “infrastructure” costs increase by over 30%? Are your pipes made out of gold? That’s the only way I can see your cost going up that much.
That is unless, you’re buying from another monopoly who just increased salary for their own workers…
Send a message to those “greedy” MWD workers…
Starting now, don’t drink their water. instead, drink Evian and other bottled water that cost $8/gal and not regulated by the EPA. Let them know that we don’t need their water that cost less than 1 cent/gallon and requires stringent EPA regulations during treatment. Heck! if you really want to send a message, don’t shower and go to the river instead. By sending these messages, those “greedy” people will eventually fold and their company will be financially affected. Once they are depressed, maybe they’ll cut back in cost during water treatment and not care and give us bad tasting and unsafe drinking water….then, we can really bash them some more.
Imagine the nerves of these public servants working all these years and supplying us safe water to drink and now they want some raise? They should have worked the private sector and made more money there and not depend on the public they serve. Instead, they worked as public servants and protected their company from collapsing during the recent financial meltdown, and now they want raise during their retirement years! That’s outrageous! and could drive our water cost from 0.3 cent to 0.5 cent per gallon (yes! less than 1 cent per gallon). What amazes me is that you have lawyers working there for more than 20 years and making $178,000/year. Problem solved it those lawyers have taken private law firm jobs and be making 3x their salary now.
To the bloggers that bashed these people, let’s combine our efforts and hate these public servants that worked all these years and gave us good and safe water to drink. These people should have let their company collapsed during the financial meltdown. Instead, we still have water to drink and we’re stuck with this retirement problem.
What an over-inflated sense of self-worth you have. Wow you deliver water to us. I can get a burger fries and a coke from the guy who works at McDonalds who probably works ten times harder than you do. What exactly is it that you do? Turn knobs all day?
STFU you said it all!
“What an over-inflated sense of self-worth you have”
OBNOXIOUS, ISN’T IT?
The difference is, the guy or girl at McDonalds say ‘Thank You’ when you go there
JoeBlow says:
The difference is, the guy or girl at McDonalds say ‘Thank You’ when you go there
================
They don’t bend you over either!
Here’s something that nobody mentions:
Several years ago, when the stock market was going strong,
and CalPers’ investments were “beating the (stock) market,”
they became so overfunded that agencies like MWD
( the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California )
did not have to pay their normal assesment to CalPers.
I believe that CalPers will once again outperform their
investment benchmarks, and become overfunded.
If and when that happens, the participating agencies
in CalPers mignt not have to contribute their yearly fees.
That would make moot all of the (false) points against
the modest pension enhancement in the proposed MWD MOU.
I’ve heard that CalPers has already made back
about half of the money that their investments had lost
due to the recent world-wide financial meltdown.
So let me get this straight. When the market crashes, the taxpayers have to pony up to make the fund whole. Then when the market rebounds, the pensioners get to keep all the gains and not pay back the loan from the taxpayers? Damn, how to I get my hand on the prospectus for this magical mutual fund?
water man says:
I believe that CalPers will once again outperform their
investment benchmarks, and become overfunded.
========================
Great, since you’re such a believer, then YOU can guarantee/back stop YOUR gold plated Cadillac pension-not the taxpayers.
Sound like a plan waterboy?
Is this the same CalPers you are referring to…read what the actuary had to say about the fund:
“I don’t want to sugarcoat anything,” said Ron Seeling, the CalPERS chief actuary, according to a story in the Capitol Weekly. “We are facing decades without significant turnarounds in assets, decades of - what I, my personal words, nobody else’s - unsustainable pension costs of between 25 percent of pay for a miscellaneous plan and 40 to 50 percent of pay for a safety plan (police and firefighters) … unsustainable pension costs. We’ve got to find some other solutions.”
Even the guy running the fund admits it is UNSUSTAINABLE. How much more evidence do you need. The recession in California will be long and brutal and it will complelely expose these pension ponzi schemes.
You better hope and pray that the stock market keeps going straight up to fund this scam. If we have another big leg down…your goose is cooked.
JOHN & KEN SOUND LIKE A COUPLE OF LITTLE BRATY KIDS!
ALL THEY DO IS BITCH AND MOAN!
WAH, the mexicans, WAH, they make more money than me, WAH, the mexicans, WAH, my tax money, WAH WAH WAH!!!!!!!!!!!
KFI SHOULD CHANGE IT’S NAME TO KOOKY F***ING IDIOTS!
NEXT TO THE COMEDIAN RUSH, JOHN & KEN ARE ABOUT AS BAD AS IT GETS.
But down the bong? Must have hit a nerve. Facts bug you John Birch Wanna be’s, huh? No doubt a spawn of pin heads! Get a clue. ” I ain’t say’in you treated me unkind” “you could have done better, but I don’t mind”. Maybe they have a job for you, but I doubt it. Cause you drank the bong water. Gulp! Ha, ha, ha. How ’s it taste?Obama won! Get a life!
you are such a fool, ” fire back, look, stupid is and it can blog!
Don= MET scammer!
Increible the level of news or information this tabloid provides. Don’t you have anything else to report and watch for? What about those agencies that have higher retirement percentages under PERS, but are quite about it? Why target Metropolitan, the most efficient special district in California? What is the agenda? You better get some real news or real issues and stop believing everything a disgrunted employee ex-union steward tell you. You may be guided to your own failure. Write about the need to put in jail all those bankers that stole money or created toxic bonds. Those are getting money from the government, started by Bush.
Oh boy…… That letter was put out by the Union President, by the way. Not his finest moment, IMHO………
Moles, Jan? It doesn’t matter. Unfortunately, this attention is on all of you, instead of where it really belongs.
Shame on the MWD and its employees, especially with the economy the way it is. Its an in your face, slap in the face to the rate payers.
A private company, that actually makes a profit, can’t afford these types of raises and pensions, why should a public sector outfit be allowed to.
This is one of the many reasons the state and other public entities are on the verge of bankruptcy. The agency board and the union morons should be ashamed of themselves.
For you information two actuaries, one hired independently by the Met Board of Directors, have stated that the new employee’s agreement will save between $55.7 million and $72.8 million dollars over 5 years, compared to the current agreement. You can look at the facts on MWD’s website. What this blog has reported is a limited amount of information and not all the facts.
One of the concessions on the new agreement would be all Met employees paying 2% of our salaries for retirement benefits compared to 0 currently. Others include giving up cost of living pay adjustments, a holiday and personal day.
Also, the potential “25 percent” increase in pension benefits is only true if one retires at exactly age 55. Most Metropolitan employees retire later than that, in fact the average age of retirement is 59.5 years old. This is important because the current pension formula (2.0% @ 55) keeps climbing to a maximum of 2.418 percent at age 63. The 2.5%@55 formula remains flat at 2.5% beyond age 55. So, most employees would not see a “25 percent” increase. In fact, the difference is only 10.56 percent (at 59.5 years old the formula is 2.236 percent for the current pension plan versus 2.5 percent under the proposed plan), and only 3.4 percent at age 63 (and there are many employees at this age and older).
What a shame..having to pay into your retirement. I’ve been doing that for years, welcome to the real world. And a 10% pension increase is better than zero.
Amazing..no shame at all.
Gov Employee says:
For you information two actuaries, one hired independently by the Met Board of Directors, have stated that the new employee’s agreement will save between $55.7 million and $72.8 million dollars over 5 years, compared to the current agreement. You can look at the facts on MWD’s website. What this blog has reported is a limited amount of information and not all the facts.
=================================
LOL… an actuary hired by the MET Board!!!
Is this the same MET Board that is trying to give unearned, unpaid for retroactive pension increases!
You clowns never stop….
The real issue here is the change in the employer/employee relationship at MWD. The money savings from that alone could surpass any stated savings.
Crybaby quasi gov’t employees… QUIT IF YOU DON”T LIKE YOUR JOB AND PAY PACKAGE, WHICH IS WAY TOO GENEROUS ALREADY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
CROOKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SHAKE DOWN ARTISTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Unions FORCE dues payments while chastiing John and Ken who you voluntarily listen to.
Main Entry: ar·ro·gance
Pronunciation: \ˈer-ə-gən(t)s, ˈa-rə-\
Function: noun
Date: 14th century
: an attitude of superiority manifested in an overbearing manner or in presumptuous claims or assumptions
The “journalist” in charge of this column is playing in the hands of disgrauntled union members who provide her with information. The reason they are doing that is to stop the negotiated contract. According to them, this is the worst contract in the history of Metropolitan for the employees. They are giving away about $80 million dollars in the next 10 years. Future employees will not get medical insurance until 20 years, one group gave up a 2.5% increase in salaries, the list of concessions is to large to mention. If fact Metropolitan employees are better off without this contract. It will cost Metropolitan more if it does not pass. The “journalist” should look into how much other agencies in OC are paying to their employees, some of them are directly charged to the rates, and are way above Metropolitan. Metropolitan contract impact on the rate is minuscule compared to the large expenses that are coming ahead in order to bring water to Southern California. Let’s pray that there is not an earthquake and the Bay-Delta does not fail. Then, there will be no jobs for anyone. Plus those who critique negatively have to remember that the lobs they lost are in China, courtesy of George Bush and his republican friends, many of whom live in Orange County. BTW, get someone to calculate the actual change in pension for Mr. Gilbert and for Mrs. Man, they are in their 60s (although they keep in good shape excercising) and they would qualify for a 2.42%, so the delta if this contract passes is 2.5 - 2.4 = 0.1 %, a lot less than what you calculated.
Finally some one who is educated. I don’t think the bloggers here will understand the language you speak in.
I get it, Gov. I live in Orange County by the way.
Larry Elder has often said this about liberals, but I am beginning to think it appropriate for those spewing the vitriole against this contract::
Facts to them are like Kyrptonite to Superman.
Francis Vega says:
The “journalist” in charge of this column is playing in the hands of disgrauntled union members who provide her with information
=================================||
Scams up waterboy, deal with it.
The China/US and NAFTA trade deals were done by CLINTON not BUSH moron.
The union ignorance and propaganda posted in these blogs is mind boggling.
Here is a news flash:
We do not want your jobs.
Private sector CEO pay is irrelevant. Tax payers don’t pay their salaries or subsidize for their retirements. The open market determines CEO pay.
“Hard earned” or “promised” labor contracts made by union politicians and union leaders for union workers is not collective bargaining when there is no competition.
Advanced degrees only matter if the job description requires it and customers are willing to pay for it – well, that is how it works in the private sector.
Many finance industry workers who you vilify are in the top 1% generating 50%+ of CA tax revenue (i.e. paying your frickin’ salaries). Their income during the tech and real estate booms fueled PE union demands for more union labor comp. I am sure you are happy that 72,000+ finance jobs in LA and SF are now gone for good.
This is about taxpayers being on the hook for another govt bailout of CALPERS and other CA pension funds for labor deals that should have never happened. And, we as citizens and taxpayers have a right to know what these labor contracts consist of, how much PE union workers are being paid and how much financial risk we are exposed to, particularly since we will be expected to bailout the pension funds when they go bust.
Anyone who thinks that CA economy will bounce back and CALPERS will be able to recover the 25% loss in 2009 anytime soon is smoking crack. CALPERS has already stated the current retirement program is not sustainable. The state is broke. Our credit rating is junk. Today, CA was barely able to sell 1/3 of their bonds. No one wants them.
There are many industries providing mission critical services to our citizens whose workers are not demanding ridiculous retirement packages and threatening to walk off the job if they do not get them. Utilities, energy, heatlthcare and, yes, banking are just a few examples. The difference is the arrogance of the CA PE union monopoly; the cancer killing our state.
Counties and cities should join together, file bankruptcy at once and scrap these labor contracts. Let these losers quit and try finding a new job. They will be begging for their jobs back in less than 2 weeks.
OCNative: You are full of hate. Try to see inside you and your family before judging some workers that happened to be working in one of the public agencies that work in California. Do not spit to the air, it will fall on your face. Hate will not take you but to hell.
The truth hurts Oliver.
The PE union rats are starting to turn on themselves. They are realizing the union over promised and there will not be enough CALPERS pie to go around.
If you don’t want the public in your business then scrap the union and pay for your own retirements.
Keep your greedy hands out of my family’s wallet.
Greed will talke you to hell.
Counties and cities should join together, file bankruptcy at once and scrap these labor contracts. Let these losers quit and try finding a new job. They will be begging for their jobs back in less than 2 weeks.
=========================
ocnative-you’re my new HERO!
That was a smack down like no other I have seen!!!
Ocnative,
You hit the nail right on the head and speak the truth. All these money grubbing state union workers can’t deal with the truth.
Like you mentioned, these pension agreements should have never happened in the first place. Corrupt policitans were influenced by corrupt union leaders…all at the expense of the tax payer. Funding these ridiculous pensions only would have happened in a fantasy world where 10%+ rates of return are seen indefinitely. This recession has exposed these scams and made the general public aware of them.
I’m crossing my fingers that reeling in these pensions shows up on the ballot asap.
the only reason the MWD board will vote “no” is to preserve the 5-year vesting for medical retirement — it’s how they take care of their friends.
that, and those who direct them just don’t understand the actuarial of their choice describing money savings - a concept beyond their comprehension.
or, could it be that no other agency or city wants to ask their own employees to make similar concessions, esp the contribution towards their unfunded liabilities for retiree’s medical coverage.
Do members of the board of directors get medical too? Can they retire after 5 years? If that is true, then they will vote NO. They do not want to lose that.
I work in government and Ianyone who believes that politicans, including Boards and Management, will hire an independent consultant who won’t give exactly the opinion that is wanted is deluding themselves. And so are the people who are claiming that the contract will pay for itself in consessions. Even the first consultant who made a presentation on this issue to the MWD Board didn’t claim that. MWD has yet to get its story straight. That usually means that it is precisely that. A story.
I am sorry that public employees are being tarnished by this coverage, but the employees at MWD only have themselves to blame for this. Instead of trying to find a scape goat, why not try instead to understand WHY you are seeing the response that you are getting? Perhaps you could learn something from what the County of LA did. They understood that economic and political climate, and came in compared to you as the poster children for reasonableness in public service. Even the City of LA made consessions, and voted for incentives for the older workers when they were facing layoffs. I don’t agree with that, but I do understand both the CIty’s dilemma in how long it would take to implement a layoff, and labor’s incentive to chip in more money to save jobs. Or are you too “special” and deserving of more?
LA. Well put…..
Francis Vega. Laughable. I don’t know if you are trying to be sarcastic, or serious. Whether or not an earthquake impedes the water supply, the proposed contract won’t make a difference. Unless you are thinking the money savings could be used to hire an earthquake prevention consultant………good that Mr. Ivey and Ms. Man are keeping in shape. Appreciate the update. (but I don’t think Debra is in her 60’s)
Rumor has it that the proposal has been pulled……
In Anaheim, the MWD rep is Kristine Murray. Call Peggy at (714) 765-5137 x4269. Don’t yell at her, she is nice. Just ask Anaheim to vote NO on this obscene vote.
We need to stop the one year pension spiking also. That hurts everyone who is honest in the system. We need to exclude anything by base pay - overtime and sick leave payouts should not be used to spike a lifetime pension. No more golden handshake pension spikes either. So much more goes on here that isn’t being reported.
No need for a complicated ballot initiative, Why not just mandate a few simple guidelines:
* You can never get more than 60% of base salary (averaged over your last 5 years of service).
* Any pension costs are split 50/50 between employer and employee.
Why should public employees get a pension AND a matching payment from the agency for 401K?
Once again it is amazing that people can be tricked by lies - John and Ken only prove Hitler’s idea that all you need to do is make the lie big enough and tell it long enough and people will believe it!
It is a shame that a true assessment was not made of the cost & benefits of this agreement and instead people got emotionally railroaded into looking at lies concerning the pensions.
Once again - Met Employees are Taxpayers and pay for their water too!
And for those who constantly use the “go someplace else to work” idiotic point - I say why didn’t you prepare for your future or why didn’t you not apply for a Met job? Too greedy over the last 10-years raking in your high salary with no retirement benefits, living for today and not thinking of your future.
Well the Met management spoke and we will see if they will abide and how much the cry babies complain when MWD has to abide by agreements with some of the units with the contracts that are still in force? Like a retroactive COLA for some of the groups which was one more thing going to be given up in exchange for this new contract. But you did not hear about that in the OC Register or on KFI - wonder why - not so “fair and balanced”.