Working with the local 32bj

FALSE. 

Joining the union could change almost everything about your work experience at Planned Companies.

Such conversations would be considered unlawful “direct dealing” by the company.  Rather, wages for all employees in the unit will be determined during the collective bargaining process.

It depends.

Your direct supervisor is still your main point of contact to receive information about assignments, staff overtime and the administration of various benefits such as approving PTO requests, calling out sick etc.  

Anything that is eventually covered by the collective bargaining agreement such as wages, seniority, health insurance, vacation amounts, attendance requirements, scheduling etc. would be fixed and unable to be changed until the contract is renegotiated with the union.  

Likewise, if you had a grievance or if your supervisor had to deliver a write up, a shop steward, usually nominated by the union, would likely be present on behalf of the union for all conversations and the process would require a strict adherence to what is outlined in the contract.

It’s tricky.

Again, hours of work and scheduling practices are subject to negotiation, and any deviation from the contractual schedule could have negative consequences.  

Planned Companies has been flexible in the past, however, typically with a union contract time and attendance is very clearly defined. These rules must be followed closely to avoid any impression of unfair labor practices or grievances.  

While Planned Companies prefers to treat and interact directly with our employees as individuals, collective bargaining is often a one-size-fits all process that not only removes discretion to deal with employees on a case-by-case basis, but eliminates the ability to deal with you directly.  

Possibly.

Attendance and timeliness requirements are common in collective bargaining agreements.  Planned takes pride in having direct relationships with its employees and working through issues on a case-by-case basis.  

The ability to interact with employees as unique individuals is often lost through the collective bargaining process.  

Absolutely, but it’s complicated. 

You can still apply for any position that is open at Planned, however, if the role is not part of the bargaining unit and you are selected for the role you would leave the bargaining unit.  The union status applies only to the roles specifically outlined in the CBA and are not transferrable.  

Any roles within the bargaining unit would have clearly outlined rates of pay as a union environment does not generally allow for self-advocacy or merit-based increases.  

Yes and no.

Any interpersonal issues can be addressed directly, but if a formal grievance is filed, typically the shop steward or the union business agent is present for the conversation – remember we will not be able to deal with you directly.  Waiting for a union representative to be available to address issues can be a long process which could mean missing work, and thus a paycheck, until issues are resolved.

With a union, management can’t directly deal with employees over their wages, benefits and other conditions at work. Instead, you would have to go to a “shop steward”, an employee elected by only those employees who choose to the join the union and pay dues under the SEIU Constitution, to resolve your problems.  At that point, the decision whether to pursue your problem, or to drop it, belongs to the SEIU alone.  

No matter how you feel personally about this individual, their character, or judgement, once elected, the shop steward will be your primary point of contact for many key aspects of your employment and livelihood

In SEIU contracts, a shop steward usually gets “super seniority” even though he or she might have been hired after other employees. This means that, in the event of a layoff, the union steward will be the last to be laid off, even if the steward was hired after other employees. 

No.

When the SEIU disciplines its members, it is considered an internal union matter, and Planned Companies would have no right to do anything. 

Not necessarily.

Most terms and conditions of employment for Local 32BJ-represented employees are negotiated and governed by the collective bargaining agreement.  Most collective bargaining agreements are three to four years long.  As part of the negotiation process some benefits currently enjoyed may be traded away for other benefits.  

If a new benefit is offered to non-bargaining unit employees during the term of the CBA the school does not automatically have to extend this to the members of Local 32BJ.  The law does not allow a school to automatically confer benefits without union negotiations.

 Yes, SEIU 32BJ does offer a pension plan, but you should be aware of the “critical status” of their pension fund.

The union does offer a pension program, designed to provide benefits over the long-term to its members who have retired. It is the responsibility of the union and the pension plan’s trustees to ensure the long-term viability of the fund, and, each year, the fund’s trustees review the funding status of the pension fund to make sure it is on track to meet its funding goals. 

As of October 24, 2020, SEIU 32BJ’s pension fund is still considered to be in critical status (red- zone) under the Pension Protection Act of 2006. The union’s recent communications, including the Notice of Critical Status, can be found by clicking here and explains what this means. The Fund is considered to be in critical status because it has funding or liquidity problems, or both. More specifically, the Fund's actuary has determined that the Fund has an accumulated funding deficiency for the current plan year.

The notice linked above shows that SEIU 32BJ has millions of dollars in liability to the pension fund, creating a risky environment for its members’ contributions and the management of the fund should concern existing or potential members. 

Generally, the benefits you already earned are protected and insured, but only to the extent required by law. However, the Notice of Critical Status also lists “adjustable benefits,” under a Default Schedule, that can be reduced or eliminated when the pension plan is in the red zone. These benefits would be eliminated under the specified Default Schedule.