Asplundh Tree Expert – Effective March 1, the company will no longer be working in California. All areas will remain intact with the same management team. All contracts will be issued to the Asplundh Utility Affiliate Utility Tree Service. An easy transition is expected.
Davey Tree Surgery – We are still getting a lot of calls from employees regarding Paid Time Off (PTO) and medical insurance issues. We’re hoping the March 9 joint union meeting with representatives from Lineco will help address some of these issues. Davey is also pushing the CDL policy. The Company is enforcing its CDL policy per the union agreement. Notices have been sent to all employees system-wide.
Trees Inc. – The Company had informed us of a planned layoff due to the cut forecast by PG&E. We held a meeting in Modesto on Feb. 20. Since the majority of the membership started on the same date, the parties agreed to accept the Provco hire date as the trigger in case of a layoff. The Union’s position is layoffs are to be applied by company seniority and not by certain work group. The contract is clear! Neither the Fresno area nor T.I.D. have been affected by layoffs as of yet.
Mario’s Tree Service is now a signatory contractor with IBEW Local 1245. All the employees in our areas signed up for membership, as well as having a soccer team. Mario has expressed only good words of coming on board with IBEW.
There are issues concerning the transition to the Master Agreement. There have been some rough moments but things are working out. There were substantial changes in the new agreement ranging from conversion of PTO to vacation, Lineco Health Benefits and wage anniversary date changes. There were glitches along the way and probably will be more.
Soccer Update -The 2013 soccer tournament planning is well underway. Because of growing interest, we will have 16 teams participating: 8 in the southern tournament in Merced on April 13 and 8 in the northern tournament in Fairfield on May 4. Our planning committee, which is comprised of team captains and a few of us staff members, has chosen the theme “Friendship, Unity and Solidarity” (Amistad, Unidad, Solidaridad). The planning committee has met twice to create the framework of the games, which will emphasize team and community building, and to organize the details. In addition to soccer, we will have expanded activities for families and kids, including a Cook Off, pi탱atas, kids’ soccer, face painting, and other games.
The winning teams from the two tournaments will meet each other in a Labor Day Weekend picnic/championship play off in Vacaville.
All are welcome!