SEAG News & Updates

New Rule Interpretations

Pursuant to Article 5, Section 1 of the SES Attorneys Unit Agreement, SEAG has been informed by the Department of Management Services’ Division of Human Resource Management that they have posted a rule interpretation for #60L-34-2011-#002, Timesheet Submission and Approval Deadlines, effective June 10, 2011.

The rule interpretations address 2 questions, (1) What are the agency responsibilities concerning employee time records (timesheets)?, and (2) Is there a specific deadline prescribed for submitting and approving timesheets?

In short, agencies are responsible for monitoring employee attendance and leave, as well as maintaining accurate records of all regular and overtime work and leave taken by employees, and that the primary tool for recording this information is the “timesheet,” whether electronic or paper form. Further, there is no specific deadline for submitting and approving timesheets since the state does not have one standard pay period and various other factors such as nature of work, eligibility for overtime, etc. cause employees to have different work periods and therefore it is not feasible to prescribe a uniform timesheet submission or approval deadline for biweekly and monthly agencies. Nonetheless, the Bureau of State Payrolls (BOSP) establishes payroll processing deadlines that can serve as a guide to avoid salary underpayments and overpayments for a particular pay period.

You can further review this rule interpretation at the Division of Human Resource Management’s web site - Tracking number #60L-34-2011-#002.

Fiscal Year 2011-2012 Successor Collective Bargaining Agreement

As you are all too painfully aware, Governor Rick Scott, in concert with the Republican controlled Legislature in their notorious attack against public employees, has once again refused to provide any pay increase. Additionally, he has legislated that all public employees pay 3% toward their FRS accounts and continue to pay a portion of their health insurance.

While this mean-spirited, anti-public employee Governor wanted to “gut” state and other public employees’ benefits even further, our lobbying efforts at the very least decreased the amount of employee contributions to the FRS at 3% in lieu of the Governor’s demand for 5%. Our efforts also held contributions to health insurance at its current level, whereas the Governor supported a cap on state contributions and that all state employee’s pay up to $5000 a year for family coverage.

Because of the unwarranted attacks and anti-public employee legislation, numerous litigations naming the Governor and the Legislature are taking place. Privatization of 18 state prisons, the 3% retirement contribution issue, and the demand that all DOC employees be subject to Random Drug Testing, to name but a few, are all being challenged as unconstitutional.

In any event, with respect to this Fiscal Year’s Agreement, the Parties were unable to reach an agreement on any of the proposed articles offered by the Union or proposed by the State. Therefore, all of the unilateral anti-state employee changes were imposed by the Legislature and signed by the Governor, including no pay raise, 3% FRS tax, contribution for health insurance (although at the same rate as last year) and privatization of DOC.

In light of the anti-employee imposed agreement, we propose that YOU VOTE NO and reject the Agreement by filling out the ballot you have recently received, or will soon be receiving, and return it to our address. These are hard times and we must all stand together through negotiations and legislation and create a strong message that we are “mad as hell, and are not going to take it anymore.” Let’s collectively throw the bums out. If you are not a dues paying member, now is the time to join your colleagues and support the fight we are all up against. When you receive your ballot, enclosed will also be a Membership Form – fill it out and return it to our office with your ballot. As always, feel free to call with any questions.

Trumka Delivers Major Address at National Press Club Friday May 20, 2011

Washington, DC - AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka spoke at the National Press Club today, putting a sharp edge on the questions our nation faces as he reflected on recent activity in states like Wisconsin and Ohio affecting public workers’ collective bargaining rights. Trumka’s response to some state governors’ claims that eliminating workers’ rights is necessary to balance their state budgets was essentially, ‘how dare they make such a claim.’ And in talking about “shared sacrifice,” his tone was that the middle-class has given up their jobs, their homes, their benefits - how much more do “we” have to sacrifice? Where’s the ‘sharing?’ When are the big corporations going to put in their ‘share?’ Trumka further issued yet another warning to Democrats proclaiming that if lawmakers don’t push hard enough to stem attacks on labor’s interests, workers will abandon the party in the 2012 election. To paraphrase, “We’ll help friends who help us give power to the workers, regardless of what party they’re in,” says Trumka.

In order to streamline certain sections of our web site and to avoid redundancy, we have reorganized some of the information that used to be on some of your web pages. Please note that access to stuff like legislative information (ie., Acts, Statutes, Laws, etc.), information about the 2010 health care law, and other valuable resources can now be found by clicking on our new “Resource Center.”

So, if you want to know more about, say, the FMLA, or Whistleblower Protection, or what health care law provisions are currently in effect, or what corporate spin and governmental propaganda to watch out for, check it out.