OPEIU Voice

Kaiser Permanente will make changes to Employees' Pension Plans. These changes will occur on January, 1st, 2010.

Workers may confirm these changes and their potential effect in relation to their pension amounts by contacting the Kaiser Permanente, Human Resources Service Center, directly, at 1 (877) 457-4772 and/or by visiting Kaiser Permanente's, http://www.myretirement.kp.org. Kaiser Permanente's web site is scheduled to be updated with information about the pension changes by June 26, 2009. Additionally, Kaiser Permanente has begun mailing letters which describe and explain the pension changes to Employees' homes as of March 31, 2009. OPEIU, Local 30 issued a memo indicating that they would also be mailing a letter to Kaiser Employees' homes reiterating the pension changes.

While I appreciate OPEIU's effort to provide Members with important information, such as changes to our pension plans, I am aware of some Members who are not quite so appreciative of the fact that the Union Representatives will only explain the changes during a meeting scheduled by Mr. Allen (OPEIU, Local 30 Executive Director/CFO). Further, I believe the $300+ spent to rent a meeting room at the Handlery Hotel could have been better spent; Why not schedule one or more meetings, utilizing either or both of the two conference rooms which our San Diego, Union office now has (due to Mr. Allen's decision to double the size of the San Diego office)? Further, why patronize (with money paid for by our dues) a hotel and resort which employs Brother and Sister Union Members from UNITE-HERE, Local 30 who have been fighting for a new contract since last year. According to Unite-Here, Local 30's web site, "The contract there [Handlery Hotel] has been expired since 11/02/2008. The Union has been negotiation with the Company for a new contract. However, the Company has yet agreed to our demand in wage increases. We will have picket line there very soon." (see: http://unitehere30.org/Handlery.html). I have attempted to contact Mr. Allen via email, in relation to this concern and will provide his response should I receive one.

Please feel free to respond with any thoughts you may have in regards to this issue.

Fraternally,

Dustin

The below links are for documents which were emailed from OPEIU, Local 30 today, 04/06/09;

http://www.opeiu30.org/CoalitionPensionUpdate.pdf

http://www.opeiu30.org/CoalitionPensionFAQ.pdf

Dustin

Re: Concerns Regarding KP Pension Change Meeting and Meeting Location
Thursday, April 9, 2009 11:20 AM
From:
"walter" <wca55@aol.com>

To:
"Dustin Teske" <opeiuvoice@yahoo.com>
Cc:
"Marianne Giordano" <mariannegiordano@cox.net>


Dustin,

Not sure if there was a question that you wanted answered in this email or not. Your views on the issue/s you raise while yours are not well informed. As I have suggested to you before, I am happy to share my reasoning on these and other decisions that I was elected to make but would prefer to be asked the question rather than accused of something first.

Feel free to rephrase your actual question if there is one, and I will be happy to respond.

Walter

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Re: Concerns Regarding KP Pension Change Meeting and Meeting Location
Thursday, April 9, 2009 4:50 PM
From:
"Dustin Teske" <opeiuvoice@yahoo.com>
Add sender to Contacts
To:
"Walter Allen" <wca55@aol.com>
Cc:
"Marianne Giordano" <mariannegiordano@cox.net>


Walter,

Well, to be quite honest, when I initially received and read your response, I was upset and intended to reply with a knee jerk email. Instead, I decided to wait and reconsider my response; I'm glad that I did.

To begin, I hope that you'll accept my apology; it was not my intention to 'accuse' you of things. Rather, I was intending to better explain the reasoning for my concerns; i.e. I mentioned the fact that you, as the elected, Executive Director/Chief Financial Officer, had decided to expand the Union office in San Diego. In light of this decision and the fact the the San Diego office now has significant space for meetings, I made the effort to provide factual information which supports my concern regarding the decision to rent a meeting room at another facility. Further, I provided information which is available on the UNITE-HERE, Local 30 web site which describes a hostile bargaining environment and states that picket lines may be formed at the Handlery Hotel soon (see: http://unitehere30.org/Handlery.html), which added to my concern in regards to the specific location chosen for the meeting. As the elected, Executive Director/ Chief Financial Officer of OPEIU, Local 30, I assumed it was your decision (or that you had provided approval) in choosing the meeting place. If I jumped to an incorrect conclusion, I apologise for this as well.

I am aware that nearly 200 Members attended were in attendance for the meeting and that much fewer could have attended the same meeting, were it held within the Union office, but, as Members did RSVP, the meeting could have been split up into several, smaller meetings and everyone could have been able to attend. I understand pensions are an important issue to all Members (including myself) and the discussed changes WILL occur but the information is/will be disseminated via several methods and the changes will not occur until January of next year - meaning that there is sufficient time to ensure all Members receive all the information.

In response to your stating that you were elected to make decisions, I don't disagree with that, but, I believe you were also elected to LISTEN to Members' concerns and perspectives, and as a dues paying Member of this Union, I am making the effort to provide you with mine. Remember, 'Our Diversity Makes Us Strong'...

Fraternally,

Dustin

Hi,

A second meeting, held by OPEIU, Local 30 has been scheduled for July 8th, 2009. This second meeting is scheduled for;

When: Wednesday, July 8, 2009, 6pm - 9pm

Where: Holiday Inn Mission Valley Stadium
Room Stadium II
3805 Murphy Canyon Road
San Diego, CA 92123

Walter Allen scheduled this meeting at the Holiday Inn, rather than at the typically used Handlrey Hotel location. This is, presumably, due to the continuing labor dispute between the Handlery Hotel and UNITE-HERE, which I had originally addressed to Walter when he had recently chosen to schedule the first OPEIU, Local 30 Pension meeting at the Handlery Hotel.

hmmMMmmm....whats wrong with OPEIU? are they good or bad???

Hi ladymistress,

To answer your question, "Yes"; It's my opinion that OPEIU (and OPEIU, Local 30) is both good and bad. There are many instances in which this Union has done some very good things for Members but, just as with all organizations, it has it's shortcomings too. Overall, however, it is the Members who choose the Union's "leaders" and it's those "leaders" who choose the direction the Union takes in regards to various issues. So, if/when the Members determine it's time for new leaders and those Members actually take the initiate to vote during our elections, those Members will change the direction of our Union from it's present course. Until that point, OPEIU is, apparently, "good" enough for them.

Dustin