Contract
Negotiations Information
regarding the new contract negotiations, dates of meetings, and an opportunity
to for you to supply input and suggestions.
Website is best viewed with Microsoft Internet
Explorer.
What's New:
Contract Ratification / Annual Meeting:
The Eastside and Westside Contract Ratification / Annual Meeting will be held
September 15 & 16, 2008. Please see the Contract
Negotiations Page and the Calendar Page fore
more info.
New changes to the site:
The latest major update to the web site is the
Elections section. We will be posting all current election information
here, including past election results.
The Region 6 Job Rep. Position is Vacant:
If you are interested in this position, or wonder what it entails please
contact the
President (Russell Rogers).
Email and Internet Usage: A Cautionary Tale:
Improper internet and/or email usage has been a hot bed for employee
investigations and discipline. . . (Be sure to check the latest
Newsletter for
an article related to this subject).
Contacting the WAFWP:
If you would like to contact a Board Member, or have a general question you can
email us through the
Board & Reps Page.
2007-2009 Contract:
The 2007-2009 contract is completed and can be viewed and downloaded on the Contracts Page -
More-
The History of Labor Day - From Dol.GOV
Labor Day: How it Came About; What it Means
Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the
labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic
achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly
national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the
strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.
Founder of Labor Day
More than 100 years after the first Labor Day
observance, there is still some doubt as to who first proposed
the holiday for workers.
Some records show that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of
the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the
American Federation of Labor, was first in suggesting a day to
honor those "who from rude nature have delved and carved all the
grandeur we behold."
But Peter McGuire's place in Labor Day history has not gone
unchallenged. Many believe that Matthew Maguire, a machinist,
not Peter McGuire, founded the holiday. Recent research seems to
support the contention that Matthew Maguire, later the secretary
of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in
Paterson, N.J., proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as
secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. What is clear
is that the Central Labor Union adopted a Labor Day proposal and
appointed a committee to plan a demonstration and picnic.
The First Labor Day
The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September
5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the
Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second
Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883.
In 1884 the first Monday in September was selected as the
holiday, as originally proposed, and the Central Labor Union
urged similar organizations in other cities to follow the
example of New York and celebrate a "workingmen's holiday" on
that date. The idea spread with the growth of labor
organizations, and in 1885 Labor Day was celebrated in many
industrial centers of the country.
Labor Day Legislation
Through the years the nation gave increasing emphasis to Labor
Day. The first governmental recognition came through municipal
ordinances passed during 1885 and 1886. From them developed the
movement to secure state legislation. The first state bill was
introduced into the New York legislature, but the first to
become law was passed by Oregon on February 21, 1887. During the
year four more states — Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and
New York — created the Labor Day holiday by legislative
enactment. By the end of the decade Connecticut, Nebraska, and
Pennsylvania had followed suit. By 1894, 23 other states had
adopted the holiday in honor of workers, and on June 28 of that
year, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in
September of each year a legal holiday in the District of
Columbia and the territories.
A Nationwide Holiday
The form that the observance and celebration of Labor Day should
take were outlined in the first proposal of the holiday — a
street parade to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit
de corps of the trade and labor organizations" of the community,
followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the
workers and their families. This became the pattern for the
celebrations of Labor Day. Speeches by prominent men and women
were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed upon the
economic and civic significance of the holiday. Still later, by
a resolution of the American Federation of Labor convention of
1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday
and dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the
labor movement.
The character of the Labor Day celebration has undergone a
change in recent years, especially in large industrial centers
where mass displays and huge parades have proved a problem. This
change, however, is more a shift in emphasis and medium of
expression. Labor Day addresses by leading union officials,
industrialists, educators, clerics and government officials are
given wide coverage in newspapers, radio, and television.
The vital force of labor added materially to the highest
standard of living and the greatest production the world has
ever known and has brought us closer to the realization of our
traditional ideals of economic and political democracy. It is
appropriate, therefore, that the nation pay tribute on Labor Day
to the creator of so much of the nation's strength, freedom, and
leadership — the American worker.
* Corrected portion from the letter sent out
in recent survey mailing *
A couple of announcements for you: First, our Contract
Ratification/Annual Meeting dates and locations are set. Lunch
will be provided for all in attendance. Also, remember that you
are allowed to attend the annual meeting on state time (see the
Collective Bargaining Agreement Article 38.6). If you do chose
to attend the meeting you are not allowed to use agency
vehicles. Following are the details;
Westside WAFWP Annual Meeting
15 September 2008
10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
General Administration Building, Auditorium
210 11th Ave SW
Olympia
Eastside WAFWP Annual Meeting
16 September 2008
10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
The Palace Café
317 N Main Street (4th and Main)
Ellensburg
If you plan to attend either of these meetings please RSVP so we
can make appropriate lunch plans (president@wafwp.org).
This is an important meeting where you can get information on
the 09-11 Collective Bargaining Agreement. I look forward to
seeing you at one of these meetings.
Lastly, nominations are being solicited for the three Board
positions that are up for election this year. Your Association
depends on you to be successful, so please consider supporting
your fellow employees by volunteering to run for a Board
position. The Vice-President, Treasurer, and
Habitat Program Representative positions will be on the
ballot. In addition, your current WAFWP Treasurer, Derek
Stinson, has announced that he will not seek reelection at the
end of his term (which terminates at the annual meeting 2008)
resulting in an open position. If you are interested in having
your name placed on the ballot, or wish to nominate a member for
any of these positions, please contact your Secretary, Tom Cyra
(secretary@wafwp.org).
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at any
time (president@wafwp.org).
Only two weeks until the annual meeting!
Please RSVP if you are planning on
attending
We would like to have some idea of how
many members are planning on attending the Annual Meetings.
If you are planning on attending please RSVP the president
at president@wafwp.org
or you may mail your RSVP to The President (Russell Rogers)
at: PO Box 551, Olympia WA 98507-0551. Please indicate
whether you are planning on attending the Eastside,
Westside, or both meetings. Thank You!
Ballots with statements from those seeking to retain/attain
these offices should be showing up in the mail soon. At
this point, if you are interested in running for one of these
offices, you will be able to organize as a write-in candidate.
Contract Negotiations
Greetings WAFWP members,
Negotiations for the 09-11 Collective Bargaining Agreement are
coming to a close. Our
team has been meeting with the representatives from the WDFW and OFM. Thus far, having our own table has greatly simplified
the process for us over past negotiations.
Here are the WAFWP negotiation team members;
Rhonda Fendrich, Lead Negotiator, Spokesperson
Russell Rogers, WAFWP President, Fish Program
Bryan Murphy, WAFWP Vice-president, Wildlife Program
Teresa Eturaspe, WAFWP Board Member, Habitat Program
Are Strom, WAFWP Board Member, Fish Program
Lynn Anderson, Fish Program
Jeromy Jording, Fish Program
Steve Bell, Habitat Program.
Please refer to the Contract Negotiations
page for more details. Please plan on attending one of the
two Annual/Contract Ratification meetings!
Past Newsletters
Needed!
Our library of past newsletters
is not complete. If you have any PDF
versions or printed versions of past Newsletters not listed on the
Newsletters Page please contact me so they can be added to the
site webmaster@wafwp.org
Who is WAFWP?
By Steve Bell
- Past WAFWP President
Washington Association of Fish and Wildlife Professionals (WAFWP), formerly
known as Washington Association of Professional Biologists (WAPB), is an
independent Labor Union comprised entirely of Washington Department of Fish and
Wildlife (WDFW) employees with similar working conditions, professional
interests, issues and concerns. Larger unions usually generalize in
representing an assortment of unrelated professions (such as security guards,
police officers, librarians, teachers etc.) throughout various Agencies that
sometimes have competing interests. By specializing solely on fish and wildlife
professionals in WDFW our members benefit from a union that specializes in
representing their interest, and only their interests.
Unlike large multi-conglomerate unions, our members are directly engaged in
running all aspects of the union (negotiations, finances, disciplines,
grievances etc.). We believe no one can represent you and your interest better
than you or your colleagues. Instead of relying on hired support staff that
generalizes in representing dissimilar job classes, we are a hands-on union.
The importance of hearing directly from the affected employees in grievances,
negotiations and on state benefit boards is critical to our success. There is
no better motivation to win a grievance or negotiate favorable changes than
empowering those most affected by those changes. WAFWP does employee experts as
appropriate (CPA, book keeper, attorney).
WAFWP uses the labor law firm of Garrettson, Goldberg, Fenrich and Mackler
PC. This law firm represents independent labor unions that specialize in the
needs of their members throughout Washington and Oregon. This is a full-service
law firm that provides experienced contract negotiators, salary surveys and many
other resources as needed. One of the law firm’s partners, Rhonda Fenrich, has
been our primary attorney since our inception in 1992. While other unions may
have been in existence longer, they often have a higher rate of turn-over with
their legal staff. Our 15+ year relationship with the same attorney has
resulted in an unparalleled degree of understanding of our Agency, working
conditions and natural resource concerns.
By specializing in a specific class of employee in one Agency, we have
developed an excellent working relationship with WDFW management and personnel.
By using a cooperative interest-based approach, many issues are resolved
expediently through dialogue before they become formalized time-consuming
grievances. When satisfactory solutions are not possible we file grievances as
appropriate but continue to respectfully work towards resolution in a
professional manner.
Some of the multi-conglomerate unions use member’s dues to fund issues that
do not benefit the chapter (such as grievances for unrelated professions in
other Agencies). Instead of the chapter member’s receiving direct and full
benefit of their dues, their chapter may be given a small use-it-or-lose-it
allowance. In WAFWP all the dues remain within the control of the
elected-member run board.
In WAFWP each member in good standing is entitled to a vote and an
opportunity to run for office. Each member has a direct voice in the union.
Being a smaller union our member’s voices are not diluted by the bureaucratic
layers of chapter representatives or by competing chapters that represent
employees in other Agencies. In WAFWP our members are also our coworkers, our
colleagues and our friends.
Mission Statement
The Washington Association of Fish and Wildlife Professionals (WAFWP) strives
to provide the highest level of professionalism and advocates for the State’s
fish and wildlife and their habitats. The goals of the Association are to
promote an environment for all employees to achieve their professional best by:
promoting fair and reasonable working conditions, developing effective means for
prompt adjustments of differences, misunderstandings and disputes; and working
with legislators and organizations to promote policies that protect and manage
fish and wildlife resources.
Brief History of the WAFWP/WAPB:
(Reprinted from Winter 1994 Newsletter)
By Rocky Spencer - Past WAPB President
Several of you are likely wondering why the WAPB was formed. It’s a long
story, far too long to be completely covered in this newsletter. However, a
brief summary is possible.
Basically, with a change in administration in 1989 came several policy decisions
that directly affected the working conditions (overtime, grievances,
commissions, etc) of all biologists. Following this, biologists held several
organizational meetings to identify issues and concerns important to our group.
These meetings resulted in a core group of biologists taking these concerns to
the administration for resolution. This nearly two year effort to resolve issues
was unsuccessful.
It became apparent that organized employees groups (those in unions or
associations with legal representation) received consistently more favorable
results on policies affecting their working conditions. This prompted biologists
to formally organize an association in late 1992. Nearly 70% of working
biologists chose to form the WAPB.
(Note: The WAPB name was changed to WAFWP in 2005 to reflect a broader based
membership (adding Sci. Techs., Research Scientists, Lands Agents, Environmental
Specialists, and FW Health Specialists.)
How does the new exchange time policy effect WAFWP members?
People have asked how the new exchange time policy recently put in place by
the director applies to WAFWP members. The key portion of the exchange time
policy to take note of is the line that says, “…if policies or procedures are in
conflict or are modified by a bargaining unit agreement, the agreement language
shall prevail.”
WAFWP members earn exchange time for all hours worked over 40. We agreed to seek
pre-approval for exchange time whenever we think we might need it in order to
perform our job duties. If you are denied a request for exchange time, then
management needs to give you some direction as to what job duties will fall off
your plate because of it. If you earn exchange time unexpectedly you can use the
“coalition exemption” box on the exchange time request form.
Remember if you earn exchange time and are denied accrual for any reason, please
let us know right away and we will take care of that matter for you.
Message
from the President