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PRESS ROOM

BREAKING NEWS

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Click link below:

Legislators Introduce Cost-Containment, PERS Bills As Part of Budget Solution

 

  • Election Results - 11/9/16

    • Congratulations to President Elect - Brice Blackwelder and Treasurer Elect - Darcy ​Todd.  They both will take office on January 1, 2017.
       

    • Dues Increase - for the first time in 23 years the COBEA dues will be increased.  Starting January 1, 2017 - dues will increase to $20 per month per full-time member and will be prorated for part-time members (as is currently the case).  Thank you for supporting your Association who supports your wages, benefits and working conditions.  Together we are strong!
       

    • See the official tallies. Click here - Tally Count

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  • Revised Seniority List - Please see the revised Seniority List.  If you spot any problems, errors or have questions, please let us know.  Click here - Seniority List

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  • Voting is underway - Elections for President and Treasurer 2016-2018 Term and Dues Increase are taking place right now thru November 8th, 5pm.  See your area Steward for a ballot.  Majority rules - so be sure to vote.

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  • CBA Votes are counted! We have a YES - vote from our members

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       173 Members Voted   / 207 Total Members

                              84% of Membership Participated

       146 Voted Yes   84.4%

       27 Voted No     15.6%

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   Participation by workspace:

Boyd                          83%

WRF/Airport               100%

WFF                           88%

Finance                      100%

Finance Utility Billing    89%
Fire Admin                 100%

Muni Court                 100%

Streets & Operations    56%

Code Enforcement      100%

CDD                           97%

IT                             100%

EIPD                         100%

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  • Bargaining Voting Begins - 9/26/16 at meeting at Pappy's Pizza. Voting will continue at respective work areas on 9/27/16 thru 10/4/16 at 4pm.  See your Election Committee Member in your work area for your ballot.  

Elections Committee Chairperson:  Julie DeVoe

Elections Committee:
     Finance: Julie O'Connor
     Streets: Julie Craig
     Code Enf.:  Julie Craig

     Muni Court: Julie Craig
     WRF: Erynne Fore
     WFF:  Corey Mastrud
     Boyd: Mike Edwards

     IT:  Stephen Aldrich
     EIPD/Growth Mgmt/CDD at Wall St Annex:

           Stephen Aldrich
     CDD: Donna Hamilton

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       COBEA and the City will work in tandum to review the new contract for correct grammer,
        language and terminology.  We will have a clean version of the contract for everyone by next
        Monday. Click this link to get the raw redline document.

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  • City's Economic Proposal - (link here)
     

  • SEPTEMBER SCHEDULE -(Posted 9/4/16)

All COBEA work groups - 

 

Brown Bag Meetings
Wed  9/8  11-11:30am      
WRF-Kerry Training Center

 

Tue.  9/13  11-11:30am    
15th Lunch Room - Streets/Garage/Code E/Muni Court

 

Tue 9/13 noon - 1pm    
City Hall - Downtown - Finance, Utility Billing, IT, EIPD, CDD

 

Wed 9/15 11-11:30am       
Boyd - Bldg B Lunchroom - Utilities.

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Quarterly Membership Meeting

Monday 9/19 5:15-7:30pm  
Pappy's Pizza - Pizza, Salad & Soft Drinks.  COBEAs Economic Proposal will be presented.

 

Pizza will be provided.

Please RSVP to your Steward's Email Calendar Invite if you plan to attend so we know how much pizza to purchase. 

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  • Bargining Meeting - CounterProposal to Economics with the City of Bend
       Wednesday, August 31st
       Council Chambers
       1-5pm
  • Quarterly Meeting Postponed AGAIN - until September 15th.  
POSTPONEMENT – has been POSTPONED – No meeting on August 15th
 
The City did not received their Wage/Comps in a timely fashion from their consultant.  At our last bargaining session, the City announced that the consultant had “quit” and HR staff will be compiling the Wage/Comp Analysis.  Therefore, the City and COBEA have pushed back our Bargaining schedule to allow for proper prep time. 
 
The City and COBEA will resume Bargaining on August 25th.  We expect the City will make their first “economic” proposal at that meeting. And a second, “economic” meeting on September 15th.
Therefore, COBEA will push back our QUARTERLY MEETING until September 19th, so we can give our members a full prospectus regarding what the City is proposing and what COBEA is proposing.
 
If you have any questions, please contact your area Bargaining Member.
Our website will continue to be updated with the latest information.
www.cobea.org
 
Thank you for your vigilance and solidarity as we negotiate your wages and benefits.
 
COBEA is STRONG because we are unified!!!
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  • The Next TWO Bargaining Session with the City are scheduled for July 28th and August 11th. We expect to talk ECONOMICS during those sessions.  If you are interested in helping with our own Wage/Comp Survey - please contact your Bargaining Team member in your respective areas.  The City has hired an independent consultant to do their wage/comp analysis.  We want to make sure we have our own information, as well.  Their consultant has not given the City any information yet, however we expect it within the next two weeks.
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  • BARGAINING TEAM TA's Select Articles - 7/14/16
    • Your Bargaining Team worked in tandem with the City of Bend's Bargaining Team to come to a resolution/agreement on some select CBA Articles.  Click here to see the ​document.  They are in their working form, therefore items that are underlined are new additions to the document and items that have a strike out thru the verbiage have been removed.  In some cases you will see notes or comments that will be included in the final articles.
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  • COBEA COLA Presentation - we are asking for 4%, 4%, 4%.
    •  3 year - life of this contract: This is a cost of $3,031,419 to the City. The current COLA has been 1.5%, which costs the City $2,859,829. The proposed difference is 2,341,182.  See our presentation, click here.
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  • COLA Presentation -
    • Thursday, June 23rd, abt 4:30pm at North Fire Training Room
      Your Bargaining Team will be presenting to the City of Bend Bargaining Team regarding your COLA for the next 3 years​.  Learn why the City DOES have money, what the real numbers regarding BEND inflation look like and COBEA employees rate of "keeping up".  If you care about your income...this is the one meeting to attend!  Gallery seating will be available. Groundrules - Visitors are observers and are not allowed to make comments or address the bargaining teams unless called on to testify.  By being at the meeting it shows strength in numbers!!!  Do you care about your contract?  A strong union/association has a better chance of getting what they ask for - as opposed to a union/association that doesn't care.  Show your support - stay for 10 minutes, half hour, hour - whatever works for you.   
       
  • Interim Vice President Named - Brice Blackwelder for the Utility Department/Boyd Acres has been named as the COBEA Interim Vice President.  Thank you Brice.
    • Also, a big thank you to Joe Burghardt for being our VP for the last year.  We appreciate your help, time and effort.  ​
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  • Hearing Test Waivers and Retest Hearing Waivers- 6/21/16 
    • For those members who do not wish to have their hearing tested a waiver form must be submitted.  Please click on the links below. 

 

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  • City of Bend Proposed CBA Contract  Redline - 6/13/16​     click here
    • The City has submited it's initial redline proposal regarding changes they would like added/deleted or edited to the current contract.  This by NO MEANS is a final document.  It is simply the City's first rendition of what they are asking.  Your bargaining team will continue to negotiate on your behalf.  Please note the City's requests:
      • No COLA,
      • About $20 to $30 wage decrease for members based on their new LEAP software rounding situation, 
      • No 6 month step increases,
      • Probation - 24 month probation period for new hires and 12 month probation for internal promotion OR LATERAL transfers; 
      • Payroll - by-weekly payroll,
      • Documents - short timelines for COBEA admin to turn around documents - from a volunteer based admin,
      • Membership Info - less requirement for them to tell us about membership retirements, terminations, cancellations, leaves, new employees, salary changes, personnel actions and more;
      • Comp-Time - No cashing out comp-time to VEBA; OT-prior commitment clause is taken out;
      • Discipline - Coaching and Counseling clause is added but oral warning is taken out; Mediation is added; Arbitration rules are changed
      • Evaluations - Everyone at the same set time of year - City can modify employee's anniversary date to a different calendar-based date
      • Worker's Comp changes
    • NOTE - Redline shows original contracts salary schedules and has not been updates in the City's Redline Proposal
    • And more .......
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  • Facebook - COBEA has a facebook page - well, it is developing - we need someone to be our offical Facebook efficiato.  If anyone is interested please email us at COBEACommunications@outlook.com or click here.
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  • Health Care MOU    (6/7/16)
    • We have just reached an agreement with the City of Bend, regarding the implementation of the Telemedicine and enhanced hearing aid coverage, for a limited trial period.  Please click here to view the MOU.  The City has agreed that this MOU will not interfer with COBEA's opportunity to bargain over the impact of health care and the benefits there in.
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Please reveiw the list,  check for accuracy and report any edits or corrections to Julie Price, COBEA President, as soon as possible.
 
 
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