Contract between San Diego Teachers and School District Successfully Ratified

A labor contract is a form of agreement between the management and workers that specifies the nature of their relationship and the rights of each party. Having one is an advantage on the part of the workers because it will protect them from unjust practices of their employers.

Hopefully, San Diego teachers will rejoice in the changes made in the recently-ratified written labor agreement with the San Diego Unified School District.

According to reports, 3,062 union members voted in favor of the contract while 108 others voted against it.

Some of the changes included in the contract are:

• Teachers will be require to take at least five furlough days through 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 school years.
• Contract language calls for protecting smaller class sizes and staffing levels for both school counselors and nurses.
• Teachers will be provided with three different salary increases, which will happen between the 2012-13 school year.
• The district’s health care costs will be lessened by boosting the teachers’ co-pays.
• Other small changes to the teachers’ health care benefits

Aside from the different changes that the contract will require, this agreement will also serve as an instrument in building a harmonious relationship between the teachers and the school district.

Prison Health Care Workers Locked Out after Strike

Employers should listen to the grievances of their employees and try to solve them in a way that is beneficial for both parties. However, not all employers choose this method and some of them opt to punish their employees by locking them out.

Alameda County jails’ health care employees were recently locked out after being involved in a strike as a protest to the slow contact negotiations.

According to reports, around 140 Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West members held a one-day rally at the North County Jail and Santa Rita Jail in Oakland after they have worked for more than two months in the absence of a contract.

In addition, the protest was done after they have paved way for a new contract with the “Tennessee-based Prison Health Services.” A contract currently exists between Alameda County and the company, which requires the latter to provide health care workers and staff to both jails.

The union claimed that the negotiation is mainly concerned on the management’s desire to require workers to pay for about 30% of total costs of their own health care, said reports.

Hopefully, this issue will be resolved and a contract will be drafted quickly so that everyone can focus on their duty, which is to help inmates get the medical attention they need.

Democratic Bill: A Possible Solution to State Employee Furloughs

Implementing furlough days has prevented many Californian employees to receive their regular full amount of salary because their work days were reduced to address the state’s financial problems.

Luckily, a Democrat bill that can end the “three-day-a-month furloughs,” which affect about 80,000 state workers, has been recently approved by the California Legislature.

According to reports, this bill is aimed at reversing Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s move of imposing furloughs that could affect about 200, 000 state workers. It will cover different employees who are being paid using funds from user fees, the federal government, or any source that is excluded from California’s general fund.

However, this bill may not be immediately implemented because it should first be approved by Schwarzenegger, which is unlikely due to the governor’s firm stand regarding furlough days.

Schwarzenegger’s office even filed an appeal and requested for the Supreme Court’s help after Alameda County Judge Frank Roesch ordered the state to provide back pay to over 50,000 state employees who were unlawfully furloughed and issued numerous rulings against the controversial policy.

Roof Contractor Pleads Guilty to Workers’ Compensation Fraud

Workers’ compensation insurance is given to all employees to ensure that they will receive financial help from the company if ever they were injured at work. A roof contractor who failed to provide it to his injured employee is now facing probable jail time.

Reports stated that Michael Amzie Hollings, 41, from Murrieta, has entered a guilty plea to at least 16 felony counts related to perjury, making false statements, and filing false documents. He can be ordered to spend at least three years inside the state prison during his sentencing, which was scheduled on June 25.

The issue began when one of his So Cal Roofing employees was injured after falling from a roof in March 2003. According to reports, the injured employee filed a workers’ compensation claim but Hollings denied his employment, thus preventing him to receive benefits.

Prosecutors argued that the minimum workers’ compensation policy was purchased by the contractor for his company, but he reported that no one is working for him. His employees were paid in cash and he provided incorrect payroll reports just to conceal their employment.

Hit-and-Run Results to Injuries, Property Damages

Every motorist is required to have an insurance policy in order to make sure that they could not escape their liability of ever they get into an accident. However, most people choose to run away thinking that they will escape their liability.

A pick-up driver and his passenger were recently injured after their vehicle was rear-ended by another vehicle that took off immediately after the crash. The collision caused the truck to hit a curb and a fire hydrant that squirted water at least 20 feet up.

The vehicle that hit the pick-up in Placentia Avenue was later located by authorities but its four occupants took off running.

The pick-up truck driver and passenger were hospitalized and their vehicle was totaled in the accident. The northbound lanes also had to be closed as authorities fixed the fire hydrant.

The occupants shouldn’t have run off as registered vehicles can be traced to its owners in no time. They should have just got off their vehicle and assisted the injured party who may have needed immediate medical attention.