Benefits Enrollment 2008
Benefits enrollment will be conducted from May
12, to May 23. There will be a change to the Premium and
Preferred PPOs. A new carrier, Anthem Blue Cross will
replace Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois. Please check
with your provider to confirm that they will continue to
participate in the network. You should have received
Benefits information in the mail by now. Review the
available plan options in order to make an educated
decision that will satisfy your situation. Plan costs
for the upcoming year are listed in your S.E.A.
agreement. If you have not received an agreement from
your representative, please contact the union office.
Attention
Please make sure that you check your
Beneficiaries
online. Print a hard copy for your records. It is also
important that you pay attention to any Loans
that you may have. Check your pay stubs regardless of
direct deposit to ensure proper payment.
Cost of Living Adjustment (May 26, 2008)
The Cost of Living Adjustment, effective May
26, 2008 is $.21 per hour, or $8.40 per week. The next
COLA is effective on November 24, 2008.
March 2008 Increase
Effective March 3, 2008 -
S.E.A. members “whose work and attendance is
satisfactory, will receive a salary increase up to the
maximum of the rate range for their then current
position on the first Monday of March. The standard
increase shall be 3.0 percent of the employee’s then
base pay,” per the S.E.A. agreement. “Employees, who do
not receive an increase on the basis that their work or
attendance is not deemed satisfactory under the
provisions of Paragraph C. above, will be informed in
writing of the reasons therefore within 10 days
following the due date of such increase. A copy of the
notice will be provided to the Union. Any dispute as to
denial of re-rate increase shall be subject to the
grievance procedure following notice.”
Please review your pay for this period if this increase
applies to you.
Constitution & By Laws Change
A Constitution &
By-Law change was made, effective on October 10, 2006 at
the Annual Membership meeting of the S.E.A. By a vote of
92 For and 10 Against, the motion passed to make the
following change. Two members did not vote and there
were 104 members in attendance.
Page 18 - Article 111 – Voting Quorum
FROM
Section 1
Twenty-five (25) Council members, entitled to vote,
shall constitute a quorum at any Council Meeting.
TO
Section 1
Thirty percent (30%) of total Council members, entitled
to vote, shall constitute a quorum at any Council
Meeting.
This change is more in line with the number of Council
members. Thanks to the Constitution & By-Law Committee
for their hard work.
60-Plus Years and Surviving
In 1938,
Franklin D. Roosevelt was on his second of what would be
an unprecedented four term presidency. The Yankees
won their third successive World Series in a four game
sweep, "what's new," of that year's victim, the Chicago
Cubs. Bread sold for $.09 per pound, the minimum
wage hovered at $.25 an hour, and gas held stable at
$.19 per gallon. Spencer Tracy received the
Academy Award for Best Actor in, "Boy's Town," Betty
Davis won Best Actress in, "Jezebel," and the Best
Picture was, "You Can't Take it With You."
You Can't Take It With You
How
appropriate. In June 1938, professional employees
working for Westinghouse Electric Company were told
basically the same thing, when their salaries were cut
by 10%.
This across-the-board
action by Westinghouse created discontent from
Pittsburgh to Baltimore and spawned the first Bargaining
Committee in 1938, which consisted of six engineers.
The creation of this committee subsequently resulted in
the "birth" / certification of the Salaried Employees
Association, S.E.A., on June 13, 1939.
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