December 10, 2004 Volume 9, Issue 6

IN MEMORIUM

In the past week, Watsonville has lost three community members that will be sorely missed, both for their contributions to the community and their work for social justice and equality. Each of these gentle men made the world a better place just by being in it.

Henry Mello served in the California legislature for many years fighting for the needs of our community. Among his numerous accomplishments were the protections of our beautiful Monterey Bay against off shore drilling, the creations and support of our colleges and universities, and many laws that improved the quality of life here on the Central Coast.

Gil Mello's commitment to our county fair over so many years resulted in the high quality affair that draws so many to our fairgrounds each September. Even after he retired from the rigors of running the fair, he continued to contribute to his beloved Watsonville.

Thurbie Marco was one of the original organizers of PVFT and served for many years on our Executive Board. Even when illness forced an early retirement, he continued to work in the labor movement. His commitment to social justice, equality, and workers rights shaped his life.

Upcoming Dates:

• New Building Rep training will be: December 15, 2004 at 4pm in Conference Room C
• PVFT Holiday Party will be on December 21, 2004 at Green Valley Grill from 4 to 6pm—A $5 Donations for PVFT Scholarships would be appreciated. PVFT gave out $2800 in Scholarships this year!
• Next General Membership/Building Rep Meeting will be February 7, 2005 from 4:00-6:30pm in Conference Room C

Happy Holidays!

PVFT MEMBERS RATIFY!

On December 7, 2004, PVFT members overwhelmingly ratified the negotiation team's tentative agreement with the district. Despite misgivings surrounding modifying our benefits once again, members accepted the decision of the team that these proposed changes were in the best interest of all certificated staff. Eighty-two percent (82%) of the union membership supported the proposal. The Board of Trustees unanimously accepted the tentative agreement at their meeting on December 8, 2004 and offered their sincere thanks to the membership for ratifying it.

This was the first time that a ratification vote was held at each school site rather than at central locations throughout the district, and the process went smoothly and successfully. By 6:30 P.M., all sites ballots had been turned in to the union office and were ready for the count. The union thanks each building rep for their cooperation and hard work in making the voting at their sites secure and successful. Site voting enhances the opportunity for all members to participate in the decision-making process and the numbers participating were far higher than any previous ratification votes.

The agreement will go into effect on January 1 st although there may be a short interval of time between then and when each component is fully implemented. Again the changes to the plan involve chiropractic which will now be provided by Chiropractic Health Plan of California, acupuncture which will now be covered under the Major Medical plan rather than Landmark, and the prescription card which will now cost $0 for generic prescriptions, $15 for brand names on the formulary list, and $25 for brand names not on the formulary list. The formulary list can be found on the Blue Cross website (www.bluecross.com)

These changes should not go into effect until January 1, 2005. If you are required to pay for prescriptions before that date, report the costs to Maria Burnett in the Benefits Department to receive a reimbursement of your charges.

NEW BOARD CHOOSES LEADERSHIP

On December 8, 2004, PVFT, CSEA, and Watsonville community members celebrated an historic event. Union endorsed candidates Sandra Nichols, Doug Keegan, and Karen Osmundson were sworn in as members of the Board of Trustees for the district by the Honorable Heather Morse. Many speakers saw this as a new beginning for the voice of the people to be heard and they committed to a new era of cooperation and mutual respect among the various groups with the district.

As their first order of business the Board suspended their by-laws to reappoint Rhea DeHart as President of the Board, and Sharon Gray as Vice President/ Clerk of the Board. Newly sworn in trustee Karen Osmundson was selected as the third member on the Board Agenda Review Committee.

PVFT would like to publicly thank Dan Hankemeier and Carol Roberts, outgoing Board members, for their dedication and hard work for the students and staff of the district during their tenures on the Board. We know that we will continue to see them in the future as they contribute to our kids and the community in different ways.

Joe Mani l di
Not your average Joe J“Joe”
734 East Lake Avenue, Suite One Watsonville, CA 95076
I help teachers buy and sell homes!
joemanildi@yahoo.com www.tricountyrealestateservices.com
Bus 831.722.3188 x 121, Fax 831.722.7899, VM 831.722.3017 x 121

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