West Virginia Public Workers Union, UE Local 170
Public Policy Objectives, and membership Action plan talking points for 2010
These following policy objectives were adopted by a democratic vote of the UE Local 170 union general membership at the Public Workers Union state convention held this past October 10, 2009. Please use these policy objectives as talking points to engage your representatives in the state legislature between now and our 2010 Presidents Day Rally. Ask your legislators to support all or at least some of these concepts to improve the working conditions for public workers all across our great state.
1) The West Virginia Public Workers Union calls for statewide recognition of the seniority rights of all public workers, by requiring consideration of seniority as a qualifying factor in all promotions and lateral transfers, and to provide security of tenure in all involuntary transfers and layoffs as may be provided for by law, rule or executive order.
2) The West Virginia Public Workers Union calls for an annual cost of living raise based on the actual rate of inflation for both current public workers and retired public employees, to exceed any cost increase for health insurance as passed onto public workers and retirees.
3) The West Virginia Public Workers Union calls for the end of the questionable freeze on pay raises and to allow merit raises for public workers as currently provided for in law.
4) The West Virginia Public Workers Union calls for a minimum living wage for all public workers in this state of not less than $10.00 per hour or $20,000 per year.
5) The West Virginia Public Workers Union calls for collective bargaining rights for all state workers, Provided that no public worker shall be denied the right to chose to join a union of their choice and proportional representation shall be afforded all employee organizations.
6) The West Virginia Public Workers Union calls for an end to all mandatory forced overtime and an end to overtime without pay or appropriate compensation for hours worked outside of the normal work schedule. Flex time utilization shall be provided for at the rate of time and a half and all un-utilized flex time shall be paid at the standard overtime rate of time and a half for all hours worked outside of the normal work schedule.
7) The West Virginia Public Workers Union calls for the immediate implementation of, and statewide compliance with the WV Occupational Safety and Health Act (enacted in 1987) to protect the health, safety and welfare of public workers on the job.
8) The West Virginia Public Workers Union calls for the establishment of adequate safe case load standards for all offices of public employment, including state hospitals, in the offices of health and human services, and in all potentially dangerous work environments such as those found at the Division of Highways and the Department of Environmental Protection.
9) The West Virginia Public Workers Union supports employee flex time work schedules (4 ten hour work days), Provided that adequate and appropriate staff levels are maintained in order not to compromise employee safety, employee benefit utilization and the functional operation of any participating agency.
10) The West Virginia Public Workers Union calls for a moratorium on all privatization plans related to the delivery of public services. Privatization results in higher costs to the taxpayer and reduced quality of services for the communities we serve.
11) The West Virginia Public Workers Union calls for the removal of administrative conflicts of interest in the Public Employees Grievance System by moving the grievance process from the executive branch to the judicial branch of government.
12) The West Virginia Public Workers Union calls for the adoption in state law of specific penalties for all managers, supervisors and other agency administrative personnel for any insubordination act of retaliation, reprisal or bad faith related to any grievance or any other negotiation with public workers, or public employee retirees.
13) The West Virginia Public Workers Union calls for no further benefit reductions of employee and retiree health insurance coverage and an end to any increases in premium and deductible costs for health care currently covered by any employment insurance plan.
14) The West Virginia Public Workers Union calls for the repeal of the law providing for the involuntary transfer of public employees, because the law as written provides no check on the potential abuse of this executive power.
15) The West Virginia Public Workers Union calls for the end of any form of gender based discrimination and that the principle of equal pay for equal work shall be applied in all offices, agencies and political subdivisions of this state.
16) The West Virginia Public Workers Union calls for the Division of Personnel to announce by official notice to all covered public workers and their supervisors and managers, that all public employees have the absolute right to have an employee representative in any meeting with management that could result in any form of discipline.
UE Local 170, the West Virginia Public Workers Union
1591 Washington Street East, Charleston WV, 25311
(304) 699-4401 www.uelocal170.org
Representing Public Workers all across West Virginia
