Winter
2008 -
Most Recent Newsletter
Contents:
By Russell Rogers
 A
little over eleven years ago I took my first job in WDFW as a temporary employee
while I was finishing up graduate school. Since then I have worked in the
Habitat, Wildlife, and Fish Program, and on projects that covered both sides of
the Cascades. I began my career studying habitat selection in nongame birds
which...naturally evolved into my current position as the statewide coordinator
for shellfish disease, pest, and predator control. Naturally, right? Clearly,
some things are difficult to explain, if they can be explained at all. What’s
not hard to explain is the enormous respect that I have gained for the many
dedicated and knowledgeable WDFW employees that I have met in these past eleven
years. In my observation, the common bond that runs through us all is a deep
desire to see that Washington’s fish and wildlife are cared for in the best
possible way. I am honored to be able to work as your colleague and serve as
your president of WAFWP.
A couple of years ago, like many of you, the civil service reform act forced me
to be a part of a bargaining unit. I was relived that there were three different
unions to choose from and it did not take long to realize that WAFWP was the
right union for me. While the other unions were larger in total members, the
specialized nature of WAFWP to focus on the particular needs of fish and
wildlife professionals was the key selling point. Another key selling point was
it was a 100% member run organization. No one from out of state, in state, or
even within
our department dictated the direction of the organization. My gut feeling was
that this had to be a good thing. Once I became a member, it did not take me
long to get
involved. From my very first interactions
with other union volunteers and leaders, I could tell that the same passion to
be good stewards of Washington’s fish and wildlife was also important when it
came to working for the rights of those fish and wildlife stewards. Looking at
the past two collective bargaining agreements and my first hand observations
behind the scenes, I can tell you that my gut feeling was correct.
The past several years have seen many changes within WDFW. Many of those changes
were giant steps backwards to our members. WAFWP has worked hard to see that as
many rights and privileges that our members once enjoyed are restored. While
WAFWP has made great strides in that direction, there is still much to be done.
We are seeing positive steps being made with issues such as exchange time.
However, there is still much to be done with alternative schedules,
telecommuting, and pay. I promise that WAFWP will continue working hard on all
of these issues and others.
Finally, I would like to express many thanks to out-going President Steve Bell.
Steve has served tirelessly as president for the past four years. Chief among
his many achievements as president, Steve guided WAFWP through the civil service
reform, which included the accretion of many new members (myself included) and
our first two collective bargaining agreements, no small task. Steve has been as
passionate advocate for the rights of all of our members and has guided many
class and individual grievances to successful outcomes. I will do my best to
live up to the high standard that Steve established.
Many members have contacted us saying that they are still having problems
with the accrual of exchange time. In our meetings with executive management
they have assured us that they have no problem with the accrual of exchange time
and approve all requests that reach the appointing authorities. The problem is
that many requests never make it that far. Many lower level managers and
supervisors are still under the impression that the accrual of exchange time is
simply not allowed.
Here are the facts. The collective bargaining agreement (article 7.8(c)) states
that “the salary paid to overtime-exempt employees is full compensation for all
hours worked.” It goes on to say (article 7.8 (d)) “With approval of the
Appointing Authority, overtime exempt employees will accrue exchange time for
hours worked in excess of the normal forty (40) hour workweek.” This has been
further codified with a Memorandum of Understanding which can be found as an
appendix to the collective bargaining agreement. In short, you can not be denied
exchange time for hours beyond 40 in any given week.
For our part, we agreed that when ever possible to seek approval prior to the
accrual of exchange time. But as many of you already know, this is not always
possible when working in the field. To accommodate this, WAFWP members have an
exemption that other bargaining units and unrepresented employees do not have.
On the form for exchange time accrual there is a box which can be checked
labeled “Coalition Exemption.” If you are required to work over 40 hours in a
given week and were not able to obtain prior approval you can check this box and
approval must be given to you. Further, you need to list the work week that you
accrued the exchange time and not the pay period. It is best to be as specific
as possible.
If you request to accrue exchange time using this method and it is denied,
contact a job representative or officer as soon as possible and we will see to
it that it gets rectified.
The other major problem that has arisen is the practice of flexing your schedule
to accommodate field work to avoid the accrual of exchange time. Again, the
problem is the unpredictable nature of field work. When it goes as planned,
pre-flexing your time works out fine; when it doesn’t, you may end up short on
hours worked. In this case, some members have been told that they must use
annual leave to make up for the short hours. This is not so and is an
inappropriate use of annual leave. You should never be forced to use annual
leave to make up for scheduling irregularities surrounding field work. The
employer should provide you with alternative work in case field work gets cut
short.
Another common problem associated with flex time occurs when you have worked
many hours early in the week and are left with a small amount to work on a
Friday. For many employees, this works out just fine. However, some members have
been forced to drive long commutes to work one or two hours at their desk to
round out the week. This can be an unproductive use of time for both the
employer and the employee.
Again, if you have any problems with exchange time accrual or flexing your
schedule, please contact a job representative or officer as soon as you can. If
you have any further questions about this topic, please feel free to contact
Russell Rogers at any time.
By Bryan Murphie
 For
each of us that knew him, Rocky had a unique and positive impact upon our lives.
His confident swagger and warm, friendly smile had a way of winning over
volunteers and professionals alike, but it was really his ability to share his
knowledge and experience with others that endeared him to us.
The WAFWP Board would like to recognize Rocky’s significant contribution to bear
and cougar management in both Washington state as well as nationally, and his
positive impact upon colleagues and the public. Rocky had a love for Karelian
bear dogs and believed in their use as an effective alternative to lethal
removal. He also believed that education and outreach would go a long way in
minimizing conflicts and misconceptions about bear and cougars. Combining these
two passions, the Board decided to donate $3500 on behalf of Rocky to the Wind
River Bear Institute for the purpose of funding their public outreach and
education program for one year. This seems a most appropriate recognition of a
man who has had such a positive influence on so many.
Rocky’s unfortunate passing highlights the often over-looked hazards that many
field biologists face on a daily basis. I sincerely wish you all the safest of
journeys.
By Rhonda Fenrich
Improper internet and/or email usage has become a hot bed for employee
investigations and discipline since the turn of the century. The widespread
usage and ease of information exchange on the internet has created a culture
which is potentially fraught with pitfalls for the unsuspecting employee. A good
rule of thumb for all employees is to not use your work internet access or email
account for anything that is not work related.
 All of the email traffic that you send or receive through the State email system
is considered the property of the State and is subject to public disclosure.
While email is an efficient means of communicating, always keep in mind that
whatever you send over the State's system could end up on the front page of your
local paper. Keep that in mind when hitting the send button.
WDFW has taken a zero tolerance stance on the inappropriate use of the internet
system for personal use. We have had several members disciplined, including one
termination for inappropriate use. We therefore encourage you to review the WDFW
policy and make sure your use is in compliance.
By Derek Stinson
The WAFWP bylaws call for an audit to be conducted every 10 years, the first
of which would happen in 2008. Since the addition of that item in the bylaws,
WAFWP has begun having our certified public accountant (CPA) do “Agreed-Upon
Procedures” (AUP) which was necessitated to determine how much was spent on
‘ideological’ activities which certain members refused to pay. That % of dues is
reimbursed to those members (FYI, it is a tiny amount). The AUP includes
reconciling our accounts for 3 months picked at random in the past year, an
activity that serves many of the functions of an audit in that it would uncover
irregularities, for example, in banking and reimbursements. The AUP and our tax
return cost around $1,500. A full audit, which would look at the books for a
full year, picked out of the previous several, would cost about $7-10,000 if
done by an outside firm.
The bylaws allow for an audit to be conducted by a committee of members, which
would take a couple of days, require several volunteers, and probably the
services of our CPA. If this process took 15 hours, compensating the committee
and the CPA’s time might cost $3,500-$4000. Another approach would be to have
another board position or ‘auditor’ who had no involvement in money (i.e. their
name was not on the bank accounts), periodically check bank statements and
financial records and receive and review the CPA’s annual AUP report. The
Secretary could fulfill the duties of the auditor whenever the position is
vacant. The auditor, like board members, would be compensated for time spent on
WAFWP business. However, I anticipate that this would require only a few hours
per year. So here are the options:
1) Have an audit conducted by an outside firm for $7-10K.
2) Recruit a committee of members to do the audit (maybe $3-4K).
3) Change the bylaws so that the AUP fulfills the purpose of the audits (tweak
the AUP as necessary to tighten controls) and establish an auditor position to
ensure financial accountability.
My recommendation is number 3, because an audit would seem to be a needless
expense given our annual AUP, but a little more oversight by someone that does
not have the ability to access bank accounts would be healthy. I have full faith
in the people involved in our money (our book keeper, president, and me), but
who knows who will be in these positions in 5 or 10 years? Let us known what you
think; what option makes sense to you? Send your comments to:
treasurer@wafwp.org by 1 January, so we
can proceed with a bylaw change or audit.
By Joe Evenson - WAFWP Webmaster
If you have looked at the union Web site recently, you will have noticed that
the URL has changed and we now have our own domain (www.wafwp.org). This is the
first step in fulfilling our new President’s vision of placing emphasis on the
WAFWP web site and is important for several reasons: first, saving on paper and
reducing carbon emissions ultimately reduces impacts on the fish and wildlife we
manage; second, timely and up-to-date information regarding union matters can
now be readily accessed by members, and third, board members and job
representatives can now be emailed directly through union web addresses (see the
list elsewhere in this newsletter).
Some of the things that are in the process of being changed on the Web site are:
· A new more user-friendly design.
· A FAQ’s section.
· A new calendar that includes upcoming union and employee meetings and events.
· An updated Employee Rights page.
· A Current Grievance and Arbitration Section, as well as an archived section
for past issues.
· Retirees Page that will include a section honoring WAFWP members who have
retired, as well as information pertinent to retirement planning.
· Employee benefits page that will include timely and useful information
pertaining to benefits and open enrollment.
 Our goal is for the website to be recognized as a place where union members can
obtain timely information related to Union and WDFW work issues and as a place
where answers to commonly asked questions can be found. Also, it contains
important contact information in case you have a question for one of the board
members or job representatives. One of the primary objectives for doing this is
to have the web site be a tool that is available and readily accessible to union
members.
Most importantly, the Web page is your Web page. If you have suggestions or
criticisms on its content or format, please forward them on to me so we can
continue to make improvements.
A final note, the website is in need of digital images depicting the work we do
throughout the state. Currently, the page has a marine emphasis as that is where
this webmaster’s WDFW position finds him. Ideally, the imagery on the site would
be reflective of all of us, so any images you might have that you feel are
appropriate would be much appreciated (photos will be credited). Suggestions,
criticisms, and images can be emailed to
webmaster@wafwp.org.
Recently WAFWP acquired new members to our bargaining unit. Please welcome
the Fish Program’s Biological Data System bargaining unit, unrepresented
Environmental Planners in the Habitat Program, Natural Resource Technicians and
Scientific Technicians in the Wildlife Program’s Weed Control unit, Community
Outreach and Environmental Education Specialist in the Wildlife and Fish
programs, Scientific Technicians in the Fish Program’s Inland Warm Water unit,
and Scientific Technicians in Region 1. WELCOME ALL!
WAFWP is a member-run organization. WAFWP will only be as good as the time
and energy that its members put into it. Help your fellow members as well as
yourself by volunteering to serve. We are always in need of people to serve as
board members, job representatives and on standing committees. Please contact
Russell Rogers if you are interested.
Remember that with the new contract, you are now eligible for Assignment Pay
when you are engaged in low level flight operations or chemical immobilization
utilizing Class B drugs.
Health Care – New employees have to choose a health plan within 31 days of
employment. For current employees, open enrollment for 2008 is over, but under
certain circumstances you may still be able to add or remove dependents, or
change plans.
VEBA - If you are eligible to retire inrt5runj 2008 you may be eligible to take
advantage of the medical expense plan for retired employees (referred to as VEBA,
or voluntary employees' beneficiary association). In order to WAFWP members to
qualify as a group, we will need a simple majority vote from our eligible
members. Look for a letter and ballot from WAFWP in December with this important
ballot attached.
We are always looking for better ways to communicate with members. E-mail is
fast, cheap, and efficient, but we do not have a comprehensive list of member’s
HOME e- mail addresses (We cannot use agency e-mail for union communication). If
you would like to be included in the e-mail updates, please send your home
e-mail address to www.wafwp.org
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