If you are jealous of the benefits of a Union..

If you wish to enjoy the life of a union member.

Free your self from oppression..

Secure your future.

Join or establish a Union where you work.

Solidarity Forever (Pete Seeger)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=...

If you think the settlement s final, go here:   http://people.bakersfield.c...  The union and county have reached a tentative agreement but it still needs ratification. 

Ratification just might not happen.

Tk..must you always be so enigmatic?

Curt, thanks for keeping feet on the ground around here.  "It ain't over til it's over."

Nancy-

The political "Arm-Twisting" has begun so look for this to be ratified by the rank & file members of the union.

My wife's e-mail "in-box" is stuffed with info on what would happen if the contract isn't approved.  Typical arm-twisting and scare tactics so nobody (except the employees) have to do any work.

When will they ever learn, when will they ever learn.

Apparently never Curt.  I hate to hear of tactics like that.  The only thing I've gotten is a rah rah email telling us how glorious the whole thing is and how the union didn't get all they wanted but neither did the county.   Maybe we didn't hear much because the county tends to forget we exist out in the hinterlands.

7 months..and counting.

Nancy,Curt,

The county caved like a non union coal mine!!!!!

Talk about strong arm tactics. Talk about undo influence.

Are you two trying to stir up trouble?

Have you been anti union at work? You certainly seem to be be influenced by the likes of Inga.

What point is there to continue to run this trash in public. Other that to stir up trouble?

You can send out emails to members. You can show up at the hall. You can discuss this at the lunch room.

If there are sectors of the county employment that are not happy. There is a simple solution. They can elect a Union that only represents  their sector. Of course a Union consisting of Curt and Nancy is not going to have much influence on anyone.

I hate to see sectors such as the nurses suffer the fate of a unwise strike as they have in the past. We have traveling nurses blogging on TBC blog already. Individual nurses who are unhappy. Have the opportunity to leave and go elsewhere. There are always openings in the private sector.

Well. gee doggies.  TK is allowed to post on any subject he chooses, comment on any comment, add his two cents worth to any topic whether he knows anything about it or not, but HE has decreed that Curt and I should not discuss our thoughts or feelings on the subject of unions.   How....how...  how...."royal" of him.

Nancy,

Don't be ridiculous. I never said you couldn't do anything. I said you where airing trash that should be discussed in private.

Do what you like. But don't hold a double standard. The Union sent you a email. They didn't place a billboard, on Chester Avenue, addressing the whining of Curt and Nancy.

But you choose to bicker about the email and other things in public.

That is the double standard.

GEEZ, go to a union meeting.

I am the outsider. I am giving you my opinion. It is not my integrity that is in jeopardy. Do as you wish.

Airing TRASH?  My, you certainly are full of yourself deciding what's trash and what isn't.   I'm still chuckling over that one.  All the "trash" has been aired all over the place and now you think it should stop.  Well, thank you for your opinion, although I doubt it will influence my future posts no matter what the topic.

You'll have to find someone else to argue with..I'm gone.

By the way..for the record.  I'm usually at work when Inga's show is on and I never listen to the radio at home, so I have no clue what she said or didn't say about the union.

Now I'm gone.

TK puts on his conservative hat..

If you don't like my wordsmythery. Don't read it.

I will look around for a delete button for you.. OH!, here it is..

The unions negotiation with the County of Kern affects the wellbeing of every single taxpaying citizen in the County of Kern and therefore is absolutely fair game.

PERIOD.

I completely stand by my post and if anyone doesn't wish to read it they can happily go to the next post or correct any inaccuracies I may have posted. 

To say the discussions have no place in a public forum is ridiculous.   The fact of the matter is there are a LOT of union-represented employed who are NOT happy with the "settlement."   In fact I have received several e-mails to my personal e-mail address thanking me for actually seeing this issue from the county employee's point of view.  Several have remarked upon the clarity of my assessment of the SEIU settlement.

Just because those who are carrying the County and SEIU's water don't like what I have to say doesn't make it any less true.

PREDICTION:

Watch the exodus of seasoned, highly skilled county employees from employment with Kern County if this union agreement is ratified and salary adjustments are not overhauled as promised.  It certainly won't be business as usual.

Along with my first prediction above, watch for the costs to the County to exceed any current forecasts as these seasoned employees have to be replaced with extra-help employees.  To further complicate the cost assessments  there will be considerable training costs to the county as new-hires need to be trained.  Once trained, they will (as usual) move off to a higher paying job with another municipality or to an associated position in the private sector.

As for me being influenced by Inga:  , You need to check your intake of mind altering substances.  Ms. Barks and I couldn't agree on the day of the week let alone something as substantive as a county negotiation.  Unlike Inga, I have an open mind.

Personally, I think the agreement will be ratified, maybe by a small margin but ratified nonetheless.   I have told those represented employees who have asked I wouldn't vote for or against the proposal, but tell the union in writing my lack of a vote is in fact a vote of "No-Confidence" in their ability to negotiate a decent contract so they will get the message and do better next time.  If all you are willing to do is bitch about it and not put it in writing to the Union, you might as well as STFU and stop waisting your breath.

Kurt

I have people I know in Kern that are not even covered by the SEIU contract but are Management County employees with skills that could be "sold" in the private sector for much more that they are getting.

Their value will only be realized when  it is too late. The future CAO and top management employees in the County will come from the people now manning the middle management positions. It is not a pretty picture. What "American" would go through 4 years of college on their own dime when they could have county pay for it so they can watch imbeciles watch TV all day? And retire at 50 at as much or more than they took home when they were working??

Capice?

Maybe it's the SEIU, when they came to the local hospitals, management was also not part of  the plan.

jes

u r nasty     LOL!

The SEIU came into the picture when the employees were dissatisfied with the negotiations performed by their union.  Indeed, the SEIU promised to work harder to secure better compensation than employees were receiving from their old union - that was part and parcel of their sales pitch. 

Well, as it turns out, one union is as bad as another when it comes to negotiating with Kern County so as I said before watch the long lines form for personnel out-processing as employees opt for early retirement and the private sector.

Parents:  Tell your kids the county needs extra help employees...  nine month stints and the possibility of going full time as seasoned people leave the ranks of county employment.  Not a bad first job!

The private sector has failed Kern County again. Their Boom or bust mentality is the reason for the counties problems. Speculators come to town. Take what they can and leave the mess for Kern County citizens to straighten out.

It is Gov't management that is the problem. They are complicit with the developers it seems. It is the councilmen and supervisors that need to be chastised. Not the Union. Not the employees.

Unemployment is going up. To disastrous levels I am afraid.

Housing values are going down. By 20% or more I am afraid.

Curt,

In times that are about to come about, you may want to reconsider a move from Government positions to the private sector. You may not realize how lucky you are.

It's not going to be pretty.