Post by Peggy Covert on Nov 26, 2013 13:24:59 GMT -5
We are so fortunate and blessed in this community to have so many wonderful giving people, organizations and activities. It is definitely the very best of communities in so many ways. Unfortunately, as in so many things, there is a darker side to all of this. I feel an urgency to alert everyone to a serious problem I am aware of.
As you may have read recently the City negotiations with our long time, loyal workers have reached “fact finding” phase. The purpose of this phase is to allow a neutral third-party's opinion into play. It is also a phase which is open to the public. Through false accusations the City tried to put even these by-law-open-to-the-public proceedings behind closed doors. They do NOT want us to realize how unfair and unrealistic they are being to OUR workers.
I went to this open meeting from which the City unsuccessfully tried to ban the public. What an eye-opener. I won't go into details over this meeting between the City and their employees since these negotiations are still ongoing but you can read for yourself the fact finding results for Lowell Light and Power which have been completed as reported in the September18 Lowell Ledger.
I would, however, like to give my perceptions of the attitudes within this meeting. The City's attorney has been brought in as a “Union-busting” attorney used against our long time, dedicated employees who are simply asking for the security of a fair contract comparable to the Police contract and in accordance with their Policy Handbook which has been in effect for years. This attorney, in my opinion, is condescending, belligerent, and intimidating and behaves like a school yard bully, in stark contrast to the professional, respectful attitudes of both the fact finder and the employees' attorney. Contrary to what has been published, I feel it is this attitude from the City which has kept these negotiations going on for so long and at such expense to the citizens. As I interpreted it, it seems that the main points of disagreement have to do with a “grievance” procedure—or rather the lack of! --and “at will” employee status (both of which basically negate the contract itself and have been deemed “unreasonable” by the previous fact-finder) as well as the prerogative of management to at any time bring in part timers and/or subcontractors to replace our workers. In the face of what I experienced as an observer in this meeting I must commend our loyal workers for their willingness to hang in there for us, their true employers, through two years of such abuse.
I believe that if the City remains adamant about their version of the contract which has been deemed unrealistic by a NEUTRAL third party fact finder as reported in the September 18 Ledger, we will ultimately lose our dedicated long time employees and the service we have long become accustomed to.
This is only the tip of the iceburg. Please check out the Lowell Ledger reports, additional threads on this Forum, companion website to the Forum, voiceoflowell.org, Alan Teelander's website, lowellcityhall.com as well as City Council and LL&P Board meetings. We are not the happy Mayberry we are led to believe and the concerned citizens asking legitimate questions are NOT the problem!
As you may have read recently the City negotiations with our long time, loyal workers have reached “fact finding” phase. The purpose of this phase is to allow a neutral third-party's opinion into play. It is also a phase which is open to the public. Through false accusations the City tried to put even these by-law-open-to-the-public proceedings behind closed doors. They do NOT want us to realize how unfair and unrealistic they are being to OUR workers.
I went to this open meeting from which the City unsuccessfully tried to ban the public. What an eye-opener. I won't go into details over this meeting between the City and their employees since these negotiations are still ongoing but you can read for yourself the fact finding results for Lowell Light and Power which have been completed as reported in the September18 Lowell Ledger.
I would, however, like to give my perceptions of the attitudes within this meeting. The City's attorney has been brought in as a “Union-busting” attorney used against our long time, dedicated employees who are simply asking for the security of a fair contract comparable to the Police contract and in accordance with their Policy Handbook which has been in effect for years. This attorney, in my opinion, is condescending, belligerent, and intimidating and behaves like a school yard bully, in stark contrast to the professional, respectful attitudes of both the fact finder and the employees' attorney. Contrary to what has been published, I feel it is this attitude from the City which has kept these negotiations going on for so long and at such expense to the citizens. As I interpreted it, it seems that the main points of disagreement have to do with a “grievance” procedure—or rather the lack of! --and “at will” employee status (both of which basically negate the contract itself and have been deemed “unreasonable” by the previous fact-finder) as well as the prerogative of management to at any time bring in part timers and/or subcontractors to replace our workers. In the face of what I experienced as an observer in this meeting I must commend our loyal workers for their willingness to hang in there for us, their true employers, through two years of such abuse.
I believe that if the City remains adamant about their version of the contract which has been deemed unrealistic by a NEUTRAL third party fact finder as reported in the September 18 Ledger, we will ultimately lose our dedicated long time employees and the service we have long become accustomed to.
This is only the tip of the iceburg. Please check out the Lowell Ledger reports, additional threads on this Forum, companion website to the Forum, voiceoflowell.org, Alan Teelander's website, lowellcityhall.com as well as City Council and LL&P Board meetings. We are not the happy Mayberry we are led to believe and the concerned citizens asking legitimate questions are NOT the problem!