[nagdu] FW: Fw: San Jose Mercury News: RE: Guide Dogs for the Blind

tina thomas tinadt at sbcglobal.net
Thu Apr 22 16:21:14 UTC 2010 

 
  



Union vote postponed at San Rafael Guide Dogs for the Blind
- San Jose Mercury News

Union vote postponed at San Rafael Guide Dogs for the Blind

By Jennifer Upshaw Swartz
Marin Independent Journal
Posted: 04/20/2010 03:31:57 PM PDT
Updated: 04/20/2010 03:31:58 PM PDT

SAN RAFAEL — Bay Area union organizers will have to wait when it comes to 
their bid to organize workers at Guide Dogs for the Blind, the San 
Rafael-based
educational center for the visually impaired.

Last month, the National Labor Relations Board indefinitely postponed an 
organizing vote set for March 26 among the organization's 47 instructors and

others
in the training department after Guide Dogs officials sought to expand the 
pool of those eligible to vote to 98. Guide Dogs employs 286 people, 
including
workers at its campus in Oregon. Of those, 208 work in San Rafael.

Managers at the nonprofit organization say they are following the law, but 
organizers and pro-union employees say they are trying to bust a union that 
hasn't
even been formed yet.

"We have no legal right nor would we try to stop an election," said Nancy 
Gardner, president and CEO of Guide Dogs. "We felt everyone impacted should 
have
a voice.

"We would prefer to be nonunion. We have not engaged in any union-busting 
tactics," she said. "We are honoring the law and following the NLRB. We 
think
we can resolve these issues without having a third party come in and it 
would be much more instructive."

Bill Klinke, an organizer with the Office and Professional Employees 
International Union Local 29, said workers "feel the employer wasn't 
addressing their
issues. It's very frustrating. It's frustrating to the supporters. Over 70 
percent signed cards. I think they
should have been recognized at that point.

"It would be good if there was a election scheduled immediately," Klinke 
said. No date has been set by the NLRB, he said.

Employee grievances include working without breaks, reductions in pay and 
benefits and a high number of workplace injuries.

Union officials and the organization agree that employees in the training 
department in San Rafael have suffered a number of injuries, such as 
shoulder
pulls and walking into stationary objects while blindfolded. There were six 
reportable injuries in the training department in 2009, the organization 
said.
Union officials place the number closer to 10 in the past 12 months, saying 
several were career-ending and six required surgery.

Both camps agree that strides have been made to improve the situation with 
the addition of personal trainers and wellness activities. The addition of 
safety
gear also is being investigated, Guide Dogs officials said.

Officials, who said they have reimbursed workers for lost pay and paid 
penalties, said they are cracking down on breaks by insisting employees take

them
unless there is an emergency.

Pay and benefits decreases are a result of a poor economy, Guide Dogs 
officials noted. In the past year, workers earning more than $75,000 per 
year were
asked to take a 2 percent pay cut; those under $75,000 took a 1 percent cut.

Employer matching retirement benefits have been reduced from 6 to 4 percent.

The money Guide Dogs uses to fund its operations and keep the education free

for students has taken a hit, officials said. Its operating reserve, which
is roughly 44 percent of its annual funding, peaked at $342 million in 2008 
and declined to $197 million in 2009. At the end of year, for spending 
purposes,
the balance was $225 million, or 34 percent below the high. The balance is 
now $260 million, officials said. The organization anticipates an additional
$1.5 million decline in operating reserve-based funding for fiscal 2012, 
officials said.

"We just did compensation review. We pay at a higher rate than other schools

or similar situations. We're pretty comfortable with that," Gardner said. 
Cutting
back "was, I think, hard for staff. They've never had to deal with pay cuts 
so I think it was a shock." The process has been disappointing, but spirits
among the rank and file remain high, organizers said.

Shawna Whooley of San Rafael, 27, an instructor at Guide Dogs, said 
improvements have been made at the organization, but unionizing, she 
believes, will
ensure such momentum continues.

"It's moving in the right direction," she said. "We're hopeful that by 
unionizing and organizing that the changes that are happening for the better

are
changes that stick around." San Rafael resident Heather Foster, 36, an 
instructor for about seven years, works with Whooley on the organizing 
committee
at Guide Dogs. She said management's reaction to the process is unfortunate,

but employees seeking to organize believe a vote eventually will take place.

"Of course we are disappointed with the appeal; however, we are feeling 
pretty optimistic that we are going to get to have the vote," she said. 
"We're just
trying to stay as positive as we can."
Copyright ©2010 - San Jose Mercury News

found at:
http://www.mercuryn <http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_14922510>
ews.com/breaking-news/ci_14922510

------------------------------------

Yahoo! Groups Links



__._,_.___
Reply  <mailto:patricia at ilr.org?subject=Fw: San Jose Mercury News:  RE:
Guide Dogs for the Blind> to sender | Reply
<mailto:gsdguides at yahoogroups.com?subject=Fw: San Jose Mercury News:  RE:
Guide Dogs for the Blind> to group | Reply
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gsdguides/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJxaDY5M3RsBF9TAzk3M
zU5NzE0BGdycElkAzM4OTcyMTQEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA3Mjk0OTk0BG1zZ0lkAzIxMjExBHNlYwNmd
HIEc2xrA3JwbHkEc3RpbWUDMTI3MTk1MTIyNw--?act=reply&messageNum=21211> via web
post | Start
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gsdguides/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJldmNyMmdlBF9TAzk3M
zU5NzE0BGdycElkAzM4OTcyMTQEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA3Mjk0OTk0BHNlYwNmdHIEc2xrA250cGMEc
3RpbWUDMTI3MTk1MTIyNw--> a New Topic 
Messages
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gsdguides/message/21211;_ylc=X3oDMTM2N2t2bTVo
BF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzM4OTcyMTQEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA3Mjk0OTk0BG1zZ0lkAzIxMjEx
BHNlYwNmdHIEc2xrA3Z0cGMEc3RpbWUDMTI3MTk1MTIyNwR0cGNJZAMyMTIxMQ--> in this
topic (1) 
Recent Activity: 

Visit
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gsdguides;_ylc=X3oDMTJlOGlvMDJoBF9TAzk3MzU5Nz
E0BGdycElkAzM4OTcyMTQEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA3Mjk0OTk0BHNlYwN2dGwEc2xrA3ZnaHAEc3RpbW
UDMTI3MTk1MTIyNw--> Your Group 
MARKETPLACE

Stay
<http://us.ard.yahoo.com/SIG=15oqnjee8/M=493064.13983314.13965207.13298430/D
=groups/S=1707294994:MKP1/Y=YAHOO/EXP=1271958428/L=4eb418e4-4e26-11df-8daf-2
7f9ec6fbfb3/B=AKfHFEPDoHI-/J=1271951228061529/K=2IhaZp7.Okxd9.KeBlNtAQ/A=606
0255/R=0/SIG=1194m4keh/*http://us.toolbar.yahoo.com/?.cpdl=grpj> on top of
your group activity without leaving the page you're on - Get the Yahoo!
Toolbar now.

 
  _____  


Welcome
<http://us.ard.yahoo.com/SIG=15o7n1ru2/M=493064.13814537.13965224.10835568/D
=groups/S=1707294994:MKP1/Y=YAHOO/EXP=1271958428/L=4eb418e4-4e26-11df-8daf-2
7f9ec6fbfb3/B=AafHFEPDoHI-/J=1271951228061529/K=2IhaZp7.Okxd9.KeBlNtAQ/A=604
2764/R=0/SIG=11jbo19n3/*http://advision.webevents.yahoo.com/momconnection>
to Mom Connection! Share stories, news and more with moms like you.

 
  _____  


Hobbies
<http://us.ard.yahoo.com/SIG=15objv28t/M=493064.14012770.13963757.13298430/D
=groups/S=1707294994:MKP1/Y=YAHOO/EXP=1271958428/L=4eb418e4-4e26-11df-8daf-2
7f9ec6fbfb3/B=AqfHFEPDoHI-/J=1271951228061529/K=2IhaZp7.Okxd9.KeBlNtAQ/A=601
5306/R=0/SIG=11vlkvigg/*http://advision.webevents.yahoo.com/hobbiesandactivi
tieszone/> & Activities Zone: Find others who share your passions! Explore
new interests.

 
 
<http://groups.yahoo.com/;_ylc=X3oDMTJkYjdhMWp1BF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzM4O
TcyMTQEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA3Mjk0OTk0BHNlYwNmdHIEc2xrA2dmcARzdGltZQMxMjcxOTUxMjI3>
Yahoo! Groups 
Switch to: Text-Only
<mailto:gsdguides-traditional at yahoogroups.com?subject=Change Delivery
Format: Traditional> , Daily
<mailto:gsdguides-digest at yahoogroups.com?subject=Email Delivery: Digest>
Digest • Unsubscribe
<mailto:gsdguides-unsubscribe at yahoogroups.com?subject=Unsubscribe>  • Terms
of Use <http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/> 
.
 
<http://geo.yahoo.com/serv?s=97359714/grpId=3897214/grpspId=1707294994/msgId
=21211/stime=1271951227/nc1=4025321/nc2=5741395/nc3=5191952> 

__,_._,___

No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 9.0.814 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2827 - Release Date: 04/21/10
11:31:00

More information about the NAGDU mailing list