Patriots Day and National Day of Remembrance
On Sept. 9, 2016, President Barack Obama issued a proclamation making September 11 each year Patriot Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance for all Americans to “honor all who lost their lives in the heartbreaking attacks of Sept. 11 and all who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country in the years that followed.”
September 11, 2001 was a day that forever changed debates about national safety and security, created controversial legislation, and was the first time an act of international terrorism was aimed at Americans on American soil.
Most importantly, it was a day more than 2,700 innocent men, women, and children were going about their normal daily routines when two jumbo jet aircraft slammed into the World Trade Center’s twin towers, another into the Pentagon, and a fourth attempted to crash into Washington D.C. but was thwarted by a few brave passengers who forced the hijackers to crash into the ground in Pennsylvania. Investigators believed this plane was headed either for the U.S. Congressional Complex or the White House.
Three New York City firefighters, William Eisengrein, George Johnson and Daniel McWilliams, raise the American flag at the site of the collapsed World Financial Center as a statement of loyalty and resilience. Photographer Thomas E. Franklin noted, “This was an important shot. It told more than just death and destruction. It said something to me about the strength of the American people and of these firemen having to battle the unimaginable."
Then mayor of New York Rudy Giuliani said, “The attacks of September 11th were intended to break our spirit. Instead we have emerged stronger and more unified. We feel renewed devotion to the principles of political, economic and religious freedom, the rule of law and respect for human life. We are more determined than ever to live our lives in freedom.”
Former President George W. Bush commented, “We will remember every rescuer who died in honor. We will remember every family that lives in grief. We will remember the fire and ash, the last phone calls, the funerals of the children.”
Let us remember them. Let us honor them. Let us, during this week of celebrating labor, never forget the sacrifices of the firefighters, police officers, doctors, nurses, World Trade Center employees and employees of the companies in these towers along with the military personnel, civilians, and many others who did not just lose their lives this day, but have since lost their lives defending the United States and her citizens.
These acts of terror were an attempt to break the American spirit and destroy our American values. Instead, Americans united and became even more resolute to maintain the American way of life as we worked to rebuild not just the lives and structures lost, but to reaffirm Americans’ unwavering optimism and strength and belief in and to the republic for which we stand.
Side Letter Ratification
Medical Cost Reimbursement for Less-Than 50%
Your Chapter 262 Leadership and Negotiations Teams are proud to announce an agreement with the District that will provide a process for limited reimbursement of medical expenses to classified unit members who work less than 50 percent of a full-time assignment.
Yes, that is correct. Your Chapter Negotiations Team has reached agreement with the District to provide a limited benefit to PART-TIME (less than 50%) permanent classified unit members!
The side letter is available to download on the Chapter 262 web site by following this link:
https://www.csea262.org/negotiations
During the pandemic, the CSEA Board of Directors has granted a waiver to chapters for the purpose of ratifying tentative agreements. For the duration of the coronavirus pandemic which prevents a chapter’s ability to meet due to district closure or shelter-in-place orders or limitations on gatherings, inclusive, Chapter Executive Boards may ratify negotiated agreements. Ratification by the Chapter Executive Board shall be permitted provided that the tentative agreement (or summary) shall be distributed by email or posted on the chapter website and members are provided an opportunity to vote via email, text, conference call, or online polling service.
Pursuant to this waiver, Chapter 262 is providing its members the following tentative agreements, side letters, or memorandums of understanding are available for review prior to the ratification vote.
The ratification vote will be for 10 calendar days on these dates:
Voting Begins Monday, 14 September at 12pm
Voting Ends Wednesday, 23 September at 12pm
A link to the SurveyMonkey ratification vote will be sent to each registered member to the e-mail address registered with CSEA (some will go to Mt. SAC e-mail and others will receive it via your private email). Only CSEA Chapter 262 members are allowed to vote. The e-mail message and link will be unique to you specifically and cannot be used by or shared with anyone else, and the link can only be used once, so make sure you submit your vote before logging out.
Classification, Reclassification, and Paygrade Update
The past six months of the coronavirus pandemic has required of us all to adapt to not just new experiences but experiences well beyond our expectations. We have mostly had to learn to understand new ways to live and work, to accept the “new normal,” and to be patient — oh, so very patient.
Patience is also a requirement if you have submitted applications for a reclassification, classification study, or pay grade upgrade. Some unit members have been waiting months to hear about the status of their applications.
Since Chapter 262 and the District created a classification process, delays occurred as the committee members formed their committees, received training in both classification study and reclassification review, developed processes for committee procedures, and learned how to process paygrade requests. It was a long learning curve, and we all understood and accepted that the beginning of this process would demand patience.
Now that we are a couple years into this process, much of the learning and creating processes and procedures has been done. Then coronavirus came along last March and ground everything to a halt. Since last March, there has been incremental progress with classification, reclassification, and paygrade applications.
Adding to the pandemic disruption, of the 12 members on both the classification and reclassification committees, nearly half from both the District’s and CSEA’s teams have had to step down for one reason or another, requiring more time to find replacements and train them. Then there has been an ongoing discussion about paygrades that halted progress with these.
Your Chapter Leadership understands and appreciates the patience members have exhibited in waiting for notifications of results of the reviews — or any word at all. Progress has been slow, demands high, and, unfortunately, many members have grown impatient. For that, we apologize and ask for understanding as the District and CSEA 262 work through and around the many challenges and roadblocks. Both CSEA 262 and the District understand the work needs to get done and agree that unit members need to be either reclassified or compensated for out-of-class work.
On the upside, the wheels of progress are starting to turn again. Progress is still slow, but moving forward. There is light at the end of this tunnel. Your Chapter Leadership also reminds all who have submitted a classification study or reclassification request that compensation is retroactive to the date your application was submitted to Human Resources. Whether your application is approved in two weeks or has taken two years, you will receive the appropriate compensation and retroactive backpay.
So please be patient a little while longer. You have not been and will not be forgotten.
A Message from Your CSEA President
Ben Valdepena, President California School Employees Association
Before I say anything else, I ask that you take a moment of silence this Patriot Day. On September 11, many were injured and nearly 3,000 people died in the 2001 terrorist attacks. Moments are fleeting and lives are precious, and it is important that you take the time to connect with your friends, family and coworkers each day.
Even though the ways in which we do so and communicate have been transformed in many ways, it is a critical component of staying connected to one another, now more than ever. For that very reason, I am sure you are getting more emails than ever before. And one of those messages that you receive each week is this “Fridays with Ben” email. It is imperative that you don’t ignore these; they are one of the most important ways you can stay connected with your union and stay informed of what is going on within your chapters and CSEA. Just this week, for example, I have a lot of news to share with you; some of which you might otherwise not be aware.
Wildfires: Fires are continuing to rage across California and are impacting more people than ever, including more than 25,000 of our own members. If you've been affected by the fires, CSEA is here for you! Simply reach out to our Member Benefits department at (866) 487-2732. If you would like to support your brothers and sisters in need, donate to the Dorothy Bjork Assistance Fund by calling that number or by visiting www.csea.com/assistance.
Lead L.A. Times Op-Ed: This Labor Day, we were honored to have the lead opinion piece in the L.A. Times. The editorial focuses on the essential role our members play in students' education and highlights districts that value their role and are keeping classified staff working. It also called out the districts that are not following the intent of the state budget and are attempting to lay off classified staff. I hope you take the time to learn about what some of your union brothers and sisters are experiencing by reading the article here.
Assembly Bill 2234: Another testament to our union's strength is the news we got this week that our Assembly Bill 2234 was signed into law by Governor Newsom. Sponsored by Assembly member Ed Chau, AB 2234 will allow school district personnel commissions to hire their own independent legal counsel without needing permission from school district attorneys when the commissioners believe there is a conflict of interest. This independence from district influence will ensure you receive a fair hearing if you ever find yourself before your personnel commission.
CSEA Store now open: Your union has teamed up with Promoco to bring you an online e-store with new items and a new, modern take on our beloved Rosie the Riveter. Show your union proud spirit with a CSEA mask or Rosy buff, or one of our CSEA branded office items. Click here to browse your CSEA online e-store.
Be sure to share this news with your fellow union brothers and sisters and remind them to open “Fridays with Ben” after it is released each week. Thank you for taking time out of your day to open my email and watch the video. [Editor’s Note: you can also watch each “Fridays with Ben” at the Chapter 262 web site.]
In Solidarity,
Ben Valdepeña
Association President
CALIFORNIA SCHOOL EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION
CSEA’s Voter Guide
The 2020 November general election promises to be historic on a number of levels and for a number of reasons. CSEA remains a party-neutral union that bases its voter recommendations on candidates and issues best representing the interests of CSEA members.
Candidates are selected by CSEA’s Political Action for Classified Employees (PACE) Committee for recommendation to the CSEA Board of Directors, with CSEA Board Members making the official endorsement. These recommendations are made by PACE based on candidates’ voting records, answers to CSEA’s questionnaires and candidate interviews or some combination of these. Candidates are rated for such recommendations based on issues of importance to CSEA, including school and community college funding, retirement benefit protections, health care reform, workers’ rights and other issues impacting CSEA members in their workplace.
CSEA’s voter guide for the November 3 general election — just 53 days away as of the publishing date of this article — is now available online at the CSEA web site. The CSEA Board of Directors has approved endorsements for candidates in the elective offices of President and Vice President of the United States, California State Senate, California State Assembly, California propositions, and the U.S. Congress. You can find these endorsements by following this link to the CSEA web site.
Ways to Contribute
STRONGER TOGETHER:
Some chapter members vote to take a certain amount out of their general fund. Others hold online or virtual fundraisers. Even passing a virtual hat at a virtual chapter meeting can help the fund; simply share the online donation link or automatic payroll deduction form link at your virtual meetings.
Or, you can always make an individual donation.
DONATE ONLINE:
Use this link to make a one-time or recurring donation in the amount of your choosing.
DONATE BY CREDIT CARD:
Call CSEA Member Benefits at 866-ITS-CSEA (866-487-2732)
DONATE BY PAYROLL DEDUCTION:
Download the Assistance Fund Payroll Deduction Form (PDF)
DONATE BY MAIL:
Send a check donation to CSEA Headquarters. Make checks payable to CSEA Assistance Fund and mail the donation to:
CSEA Headquarters
Attn: Member Benefits
2045 Lundy Ave.
San Jose, CA 95131
Your CSEA Chapter 262 Executive Board:
Robert Stubbe, President • Rosa Asencio, 1st Vice President • Marlene Espina, 2nd Vice President
Barbara Carrillo, Secretary • Zak Gallegos, Treasurer
Elizabeth Jauregui, Chief Union Steward • Mark Fernandez, Communications Officer
Brandon Gillett, Site Rep Coordinator • Sandra Bollier, Past President
“To improve the lives of our members, students, and community.”
CSEA Chapter 262 • 1100 N. Grand Avenue Walnut, California 91789 • 909.274.6262