Embedded Files
The NLRB will hold a hearing against IFES for unfair labor practices beginning on June 17.
Below are updates from the IFES Staff Union Collective Bargaining Committee (CBC) and
Contract Action Team (CAT) that include information about bargaining sessions, solidarity actions, and other union-related information.
Have questions about any of the below? Reach out to us: ifesunion@gmail.com
BARGAINING UPDATE | November 13, 2023
Dear Bargaining Unit Members,
We hope this message finds you well. We have some important updates to share with you this week:
Tomorrow (Tues 11/14) at 3:00 pm, we will be in our usual bi-weekly CBA bargaining session with Management. For those in the office, the meeting will take place in the Manatt conference room. If you are working remotely, please join through the following link: Nov14 IFES/Union Negotiations. We also encourage you to follow along in Slack for updates and a place to ask questions.
During this session, the CBC plans to cover various topics, including a permanent Grievance & Arbitration procedure, Discipline & Discharge protections, and a response from IFES Management to a Union proposal from 4 weeks ago called “Safe Working Environment” (including anti-harassment and anti-bullying language to protect us from management abuses). Given that there are only two or three bargaining sessions left this calendar year, we strongly encourage staff to come and observe!
Additionally, the CBC plans to propose a much improved Paid Parental Leave benefit, as a needed competitive enhancement to the mere four week benefit IFES currently provides. Please review the attached draft proposal and respond to this email with any suggested feedback or other comments.
Lastly, HR has organized a post-open enrollment benefits listening session this Wednesday at 10am. We urge all colleagues to attend so we can provide feedback on the recent open enrollment season, which was fraught with problems. If you only want to share concerns directly with us, reply to this email and we can pass them on to HR “anonymously” from members of the bargaining unit.
As always, we are here if you have any questions, comments, or concerns. Feel free to reach out to anyone on the CBC or CAT!
Best,
IFES Staff Union Collective Bargaining Committee (CBC)
IFES Staff Union Contract Action Team (CAT)
BARGAINING UPDATE | October 2, 2023
IFES Colleagues,
Before we provide an update on benefits open enrollment (so please read on!) - just a reminder that we are having Union Lunch this Wednesday October 4th at Highline. Join us at Noon for free pizza and important updates (and then for Happy Hour Wednesday at 5pm)! There will be gluten free, vegetarian, vegan pizza etc- so don’t let dietary restrictions stop you from coming!
We bargained with Management 4 days in a row last week (Tuesday through Friday) due to the urgent issues of open enrollment and staff layoffs. Changes to insurance plans and open enrollment are legally a mandatory subject of bargaining. However, because Management did not notify the Union prior to announcing or beginning the open enrollment period, we were not able to bargain on it until this week (despite immediately requesting time to bargain on Wednesday 9/20/23, as soon as we learned about open enrollment that morning from HR).
When we directly asked Management what the backup plan was if the members of the Union did not want to change their dental and vision providers, Management stated that staff could go without benefits, and stated there was no time left to bargain on these healthcare benefits as new plans started October 1. Having staff without benefits is unacceptable, and the Union will seek to ensure staff do not go without benefits. Please read on for important updates from this week’s bargaining below - and we will seek to bargain with Management next week on benefits until the issue is resolved:
Bargaining dates and subjects covered:
Tuesday 9/26: Bargained on Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) articles
Wednesday 9/27: Bargained on Benefits
Thursday 9/28: Bargained mostly on Layoffs, brief conversation about Benefits
Friday 9/29: Bargained on Layoffs, Management did not provide enough time to bargain on Benefits
Key Takeaways:
Management admitted they were at fault for not notifying the Union about the changes in staff healthcare plans and for not planning ahead and getting this done sooner. They shared a document from their insurance broker that shows they were presented with renewal options back on July 14, 2023, but never notified the Union and moved forward unilaterally, and unlawfully, with open enrollment.
The changes to dental and vision coverage have a 75% provider overlap with previous coverage. If you can, please check online on the Carefirst site at this link: CareFirst Dental / Vision Provider Search to ensure that your providers are still covered on the new plan (if not let us know - we want to be able to tell Management the impact of this change and will not share your name - but it is important we share ongoing identified impact).
Health insurance costs for employees are going up. Our paycheck premium deductions will rise anywhere from roughly $100 - $550 / annually, depending on your plan choices and coverage levels. Management claims this increase is offset by a rebate some staff received from Carefirst last year. However, last year’s rebate only prevented the 2022-23 rate increases from being even higher over the 2021-22 rates. Year-over-year rates are still increasing right now by the above amounts and Management must bargain over this change.
Management has said medical insurance is NOT changing - all of the specifics of the plans you have now should be available in the next FY (coverages, deductibles, prescription costs, etc).
Management has provided no alternatives to the current plan (bundling dental and vision with CareFirst) and seems unwilling to provide any alternatives.
One alternative the Union suggested was extending the current plans until January 1, so that we can properly review options and bargain as required, and shift to a calendar year cycle for all benefits. Management claimed this was not possible, further evidence that they unlawfully moved ahead without bargaining first.
What’s next?
OBSERVE BARGAINING - the more people who attend and observe, the more we’re able to show Management that this is a significant issue for us as a collective.
Please let us know your thoughts by email, or by letting a CBC member know. We want to hear your thoughts, and if you are already dealing with concerns about coverage so we can respond accordingly.
Union Lunch this week at Highline, Wednesday, Oct 4th @Noon - we need to see your lovely faces on Wednesday! Join us at noon for FREE PIZZA and at 5pm for drinks if that’s your shtick!
In Solidarity,
The IFES Collective Bargaining Committee
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