And the happy, honest, open times continue at Clallam County...
A
union representing Clallam County employees has won a grievance against the
county and a significant award in arbitration.
County
officials say they won't honor the award to Teamsters Local 589 because it is
illegal to pay hourly employees for time they did not work and that if forced
to do so, layoffs are possible.
Arbitrator
James Lundberg ruled May 27 that Clallam County violated a collective
bargaining agreement when it placed about 45 union employees on a 37½-hour work
week in January of 2014 and again in January 2015.
Lundberg
ordered the county to “cease and desist” from departing from a normal 40-hour
work week and ordered the county to back-pay the affected workers with interest
from Jan. 13, 2014.
“Although
we have not precisely calculated that amount, we certainly believe it to be in
excess of $150,000,” Teamsters Local 589 representative Dan Taylor told
commissioners in the public comment period of Tuesday's business meeting.
“This
is unfortunate, because during the last contract negotiations the county's
negotiating team proposed to settle the grievance for just $33,000,” Taylor
continued.
"The union negotiating team accepted the proposal and the membership ratified it, only to have the...(County) Commissioners repudiate the settlement and force the union to proceed with arbitration."
According
to Taylor, County Administrator Jim Jones testified under oath that the county
would not honor the arbitrator's award and would “simply lay off enough
Teamsters to pay for the award” if a court ruled in the union's favor.
Jones
confirmed Friday that the county is filing an appeal to overturn the arbitrator's
award on the advice of legal counsel.
“In no
way, shape, or form is anybody, least of all me, intending to do anything to
hurt any of our employees," said Jones. " We respect the heck of them.”
Sure, Jim. You respect the heck out of them. That's why you bully them. That's why you cut their hours. That's why you try to bust their union. That's why you allow the courthouse to continue to be a hotbed of dysfunction and dishonesty. It's all because you just respect them so much, and know they can take your abuse - or find the nearest exit.
If this is how you show respect for your own employees, then you must really, really respect your cronies - I mean associates - at the City, the Port, the EDC, etc. After all, Jim Jones and Dim King Jim have been fighting equally hard to give the County's money away to those folks, even when some have cried foul, and said it was illegal. Still, that fight continues.
Now, I know these are different pots of money, and have different sources, different rules attached to them. But still...Symbolically, it sure does make it look like the people running the County have it in for their own employees, while simultaneously wanting nothing more than to give away the store to well-connected cronies and fellow travelers.
Symbols count for a lot to people. So, really, if (as the Supreme Court says) money is speech, this sure does make it look like Clallam County is telling their own workers to fuck off, drop dead and pound sand.
Speaking of money - Water is the new oil.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know details about the city project described this way on KONP's web site?
July 20th, 2015 - 6:16am
"(Port Angeles) – Part of the access on and off Ediz Hook will be shut down beginning today.
Crews will start installing a new water main along Marine Drive, between 2nd Street and the log channel bridge at Nippon Paper.
The project is expected to take three months, depending on the weather."
Is this to be a drinking water main (from the Municipal water system, that conveys water from the treatment plant on West 18th)? Or will the new water main hook into the stub of the Industrial water line that ends now at Nippon?
This is an important question to answer.
As a side story that does involve the EDC, here is part of the Quarterly Report from the EDC. I'm posting only the parts about employment, as the candidates talk about the need for job creation:
ReplyDelete"The EDC Board immediately approved spending for two ads to be run in the Peninsula Daily News that would encourage job seekers to send their resumes to the EDC with our promise that we would seek a match.
Sadly, only seven individuals responded’ They are getting our full attention but the ad campaign has ceased. What’s going on? King County’s
unemployment rate is 3.3 percent. The U.S. unemployment rate is 5’3 percent’ Ours exceeds 8 percent’
But hundreds and hundreds of jobs are available in our county. Bottom line: It appears that we have an employment crisis, not the reverse.
Our belief is that the answer lies in making a concerted effort to create a much better balance in the variety of jobs available; to create a better balance in our entire economy. We have abundant talent’ desire, and dedication. commissioner Bill Peach tells us that if a top-line manufacturer moved to Port
Angeles looking to hire, 300 people from Forks with a high work ethic would be knocking on the opportunity door at three o’clock in the morning. Those folks might have to go through work force training at Peninsula college, but that fact would just make Luke Robins smile’
A key part of the EDC strategy is to try our best to support our timber interests – and we are. But the fight will be,a long one. The timber harvest has dropped by 75 percent. A host of great people here are trying hard to point the needle up. The EDC is one of them. However, we are also aiming
io bring light manufacturers in technology, health care devices, and recreational equipment to our county, just as other counties have done in places like Moses Lake and Yakima."
And, the Quarterly Report closes with:
"Respectfully submitted,
Bill Greenwood Jennifer Linde Amy McDonald
A Prrvate flon-Prot’tt Corporatton \l/orkrng fe:r Busrnesses ln Claliom County"
( Must have been late at night!)
So, we see the conclusion that only businesses that offering interesting employment need to consider relocating to Clallam County. If your business has boring work, don't expect to get people to work, here.
Obviously, boring jobs get done everywhere else. A lot of work, even in light manufacturing of medical devices and recreational equipment, is repetitive and boring. And doesn't pay particularly well.
Again candidates, what are your ideas? What do you propose?
Selinda Burkhuis just penned an article explaining the latest in the grants made to the Port of Port Angeles and the City of Port Angeles. As my childhood hero, Elmer Fudd used to say, "There's someting vewy vewy screwy going on here."
ReplyDeletewww.portocallpublishing.com
As much as they would like to try, including quoting Jones, there was no way the PDN could spin this to look anything other than the shaft job it is. Sickening. These are your neighbors, family, and friends trying to eke out a living at ostensibly one of the larger employers in the County and the Administrator and Commissioners can't even be bothered to pay a fair days honest wage.
ReplyDeleteAs much as they would like to try, including quoting Jones, there was no way the PDN could spin this to look anything other than the shaft job it is. Sickening. These are your neighbors, family, and friends trying to eke out a living at ostensibly one of the larger employers in the County and the Administrator and Commissioners can't even be bothered to pay a fair days honest wage.
ReplyDeleteThe community learned several years ago there were serious problems downtown with the PADA leadership . . . as a result . . . the farther we went "upstream" to fix the problem, we learned that our City Council was inept and lacking basic leadership skills. To a large extent, the situation is still the same on the Council. As we continue "upstream" to the County Commisoners and County Administrator, the ineptness and lack of basic leadership skills at the City level has morphed into manipulation and backroom dealing at the County level - a fundamentally different way of governing - a "good ol boy" approach. Our Commisioners are inclined to skirt the rules and simply say, "let them eat cake" to accomplish things that fit their agendas. They and the Adminstrator need to be exposed for their lack of openness, accountability and transparence. They also need to be voted out of office when possible. Did anyone read Norma Turner's Letter to the Editor in Sunday's paper about their attempt to enlist the State Auditor's office over this public meeting flap? It was quite good and to the point. I can't speak for Chapman and Peach, but McEntire is a manipulative bully who has no business being a representative of the people. How far "upstream" do we have to go? Maybe we just need to get out the pitchforks and torches and take care of the problems locally ourselves.
ReplyDelete"County Administrator Jim Jones testified under oath that the county would not honor the arbitrator's award and would “simply lay off enough Teamsters to pay for the award” if a court ruled in the union's favor." Jesus, this guy's just asking for an unfair labor practice ruling from PERC. I can't believe he said this out loud.
ReplyDeleteOut of sight, out of mind: They know that remote little Clallam County is out of the sight of most people, which causes the people here to go out of their minds. It's a frontier mentality mutated and corrupted into something very unsavory.
DeleteAnd totally indefensible.
So, you would prefer Jones give the typical political doublespeak answer? Sounds like he was asked a question and answered it truthfully.
DeleteShow up at county commission meeting, say the words, "Superior Court" then sit down. They will shit their pants and do the right thing. Try it.
ReplyDeleteI do hope PERC steps in and starts kicking some ass, and taking names. We need the state to step in and put the fear of god into these morons. But, given how the state seems to just peer in (like the auditors office and Karen Rogers) and then shake their heads and step back.
ReplyDelete""According to the State Auditor's report, Karen Rogers violated state law by not disclosing business relationships while she was a City Council member. A city official is required to disclose business relationships with a company if the city is considering hiring that company. These disclosures have to be mentioned in the minutes and the vote of that city official cannot be counted.
Kim Hurley, special investigations manager with the Auditor’s Office, said no legal action is required because the contracts have expired."'
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20110413/NEWS/110419997
Heck, law schools even study this Rogers dilemma: http://www.scu.edu/r/ethics-center/ethicsblog/herhonor/9803/Revolving-Door-For-Public-Officials-Should-Be-Shut
It's not like this county isn't known for being corrupt, now is it?
http://www.topix.com/forum/city/port-angeles-wa/T3EOH5JP8M771IATP
Can't really blame the State Auditors -- seems that we aren't above destroying records. Remember back in 2010...the thefts? http://www.komonews.com/news/local/81446102.html
"It appears former $45,000-a-year Treasurer's Office cashier Cathy Betts cashed real estate excise tax checks directly from the cash drawer in the Treasurer's Office, then doctored the books to make it look like everything added up, Treasurer Judy Scott said Wednesday.
"I'm doing the best job I can," Scott said.
"I'm sorry it happened. We have yearly audits, and nobody picked up on this.""
Oh poor stupid Clallam County...we whine to get out of trouble, and then blame it on a sacrificial goat. In this case...I'm going to wager that nothing will happen. I'd like to be surprised, though.
Your work in digging up these links is great. Thank you for adding this all to the mix.
DeleteOh, and I think it's safe to say we'd all like to be surprised.
"I have better things to do than babysit these commissioners."
ReplyDelete