EMPLOYEE COUNCIL NEWSLETTER
July 20, 2000

TOPICS DISCUSSED

COUNCIL MINUTES
Minutes of the June meeting were approved as read. The newsletter is distributed electronically to all classified staff on their GroupWise account. Paper copies are sent only to Facilities Management, Housing, and Dining Services. These departments have employees without general e-mail access.

Everyone can access the minutes via the Internet. Just go to the CWU home page; click on "Administration," then on "VP Business and Financial Affairs," then on "meeting minutes." From here you will see a list, click on "Employee Council." (Past and present minutes are listed by date). The minutes are also on the Human Resources web page at: www.cwu.edu/~hr/minutes

PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION COMMITTEE UPDATE
Kari Taylor reported that seventeen committee members are meeting every other Thursday. Four sub-committees have been formed (events, reception, invitations and publicity, and ceremony.) The Seattle Symphony will kick off "Inaugural October: A Celebration of University and Community" with a concert at McConnell Auditorium. The actual ceremony will be October 5, with celebratory events occurring throughout the month. There will be a Westside reception for the centers on the westside of the mountains. The Eastside centers will join us for the reception at the Ellensburg campus in the Science Hall. Everyone on campus and in the Ellensburg community is welcome to attend.

EMPLOYEE COUNCIL DELEGATE AREAS
We reviewed the latest organizational chart, dated 7/13/00, for the Senior Vice-President/Provost for Academic Affairs. The reorganization for some areas and departments is still on going; when it is complete the Employee Council will be looking at final configurations to decide if reallocation of Employee Council groups and delegates is appropriate. Steps will be taken to assure that all employees have the appropriate number of delegates on the council. For instance, because of its large number of classified staff, Plant & Facilities currently has two delegates on Employee Council.

EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH BULLETIN BOARD
Ann Arango and Leona Johnson completed a beautiful new display honoring the Employee of the Month winners for the 1999-2000 year. It’s in a glass case just inside the main door to Bouillon Hall. Stop and take a look. There are a few people who are represented by "photo not available." If you know Barbara Hinchliff, Margaret Taylor, or Teri Bangs, let them know it is not too late for them to have a picture taken!

EMPLOYEE OF MONTH / SELECTION COMMITTEE UPDATE
Marilyn Thompson and Barbara Hodges reported that some of the past committee members, Paula Moffatt and Kim Thomas, have met to review the procedures, criteria and guidelines used by the Employee of the Month selection committee. The sub committee has been reviewing and clarifying the process. When nominations first arrive at Human Resources, Colleen Rose sends a form to that employee’s supervisor for his/her comments. The application is then forwarded (with or without supervisor comments) to the selection committee. The selection committee meets monthly to review all of the nominations and brings the top three candidates’ names to Employee Council. Written comments are reviewed, and an Employee of the Month is chosen by secret written ballot. The other nominations all go "back in the hopper" and remain for the rest of the year. Several items are under consideration for further clarification and possible changes. The Employee Council will also look at the procedures for the Employee of the Year and discuss any modifications or clarifications that need to be made. Several members of the council stressed the importance of having the procedures for each of these awards clearly identified and written down. The committee will meet in a special meeting on August 3 to discuss and vote on the procedures and select Employees of the Month for April and May. Nomination forms are available from Human Resources, or on the web at:  www.cwu.edu/~hr

SALARY INCREASE & PAYROLL
The salary schedule that took effect July 1 gave all classified staff an approximately 3% raise. The individual salary increase letters indicating your new salary were sent out on 7/20/00. If you did not receive a letter, please contact Colleen Rose at 1205.

Kari commended the Payroll, Cashiers, and Human Resources departments for doing an excellent job of correcting errors when they occur and getting people paid promptly. We are still in a transition period with PeopleSoft; this past change was the first time an entire salary increase table was entered. Continue to watch your leave balances, and contact your leave recordkeeper if you notice problems. And again, a big "thank you" to all those who work hard to troubleshoot and correct errors so that PeopleSoft remains people compatible. Thank you!

DOMESTIC PARTNERS
Becky Baker will have information at the next meeting to explain the changes to be implemented with the new "Domestic Partners" benefits, and the impacts that we can expect.

OVERTIME/WORK SCHEDULES
The Union is currently undergoing a membership drive. You may have had union representatives come door-to-door to your house. While they are not allowed to solicit in your office, you may meet with them during your breaks or lunch periods, if you wish. At CWU, Bargaining Unit I is a union ("closed") shop, and Bargaining Unit II is open. A union ("closed") shop requires that all employees pay union dues. To change Unit II to a union ("closed") shop would require a vote; all employees on the active payroll and employed within the bargaining unit on the date of the election would be eligible to vote. If you have questions about the union, please contact Dale Hubbard, Local President, at 2984.

Kari read the flyer for the upcoming Union meeting scheduled July 25. Compensation for extra hours was one of the issues. Classified employees working over 40 hrs/week without compensation for the hours over 40 should contact your supervisor or Human Resources. All regular workweek classified staff must receive 1-1/2X in money, or you may request compensation in time. (Excepted workweek classified staff are not normally eligible for overtime.) Your supervisor decides if comp time will be granted. All comp time taken must be approved in advance and must be turned in to the leave recordkeeper on the regular leave slips. You may elect to do a voluntary schedule change (i.e., for projects or events like graduation or for personal business) to change your hours per day, but still work a total of 40 hours per week.

SHARED LEAVE
CWU employees may donate leave to a fellow employee who is severely ill or injured or has a family member who is severely ill or injured. "Severely" is defined as serious or extreme and/or life threatening. Recipients must be off work and have used all their paid leave to be eligible. Employees who wish to receive shared leave must notify Human Resources and submit a doctor's certificate.

The following individuals is in need of shared leave: Laura Lahaie of Dining Services.

Individuals interested in donating leave to Laura should request a Shared Leave donation form from Human Resources. Requests must be approved by your supervisor before forwarding the form to Human Resources. Donated leave is also subject to approval by your department head, and Human Resources.

Annual leave may be donated in eight-hour blocks. Employees who wish to donate annual leave must retain at least ten days (80 hours) of vacation leave and cannot donate excess leave (that over 30 days or 240 hours) that he/she would otherwise lose at the beginning of the leave anniversary month. Sick leave may also be donated in eight-hour blocks. The donating employee must retain a minimum of 480 hours sick leave balance after the transfer. No more than six days of sick leave may be transferred during any twelve-month period. An employee’s personal holiday may also be donated. Forms for leave donation are available from Human Resources, 963-1202.

TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT
"Simplifying Supervision, The EAS Connection" will be presented in Yakima on October 19 from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. There is no charge to attend this session, which is given by the EAS staff of the Department of Personnel. EAS (Employee Advisory Services) provides clinical assessment and referral of troubled employees, supervisor consultations regarding troubled employees, and supervisor training on how to deal with troubled employees. CWU has already paid for these services, so if you would like to learn what EAS is about, or how to make the best use of this resource, please register by calling EAS at (206) 720-3514, or the CWU Training Office at 963-2288. Alternatively, this class is will be brought to Central's campus in the spring. The Training Office will make an announcement when that is scheduled.

ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 3:50 p.m.

NEXT MEETING
The regular Employee Council meeting is scheduled for 2:00 p.m., on Thursday, August 17, 2000. If you are a delegate and cannot make the meeting, be sure to notify Colleen Rose and to alert your alternate to attend in your place.

Present:
Karol Barker, Dining Services
Marilyn Thompson, Housing & Residential Services
Kariann Taylor, Instructional Support: Unit A; Chairperson
Gene Wilson, Instructional Support: Unit A
Leona Johnson, Library Services; Secretary
Ginger Linnell, Enrollment Management & Marketing

Absent:
Kim Thomas, Business & Admin Support: Unit A
Elaine Long, Business & Admin Support: Unit A
Paula Moffatt, Business & Admin Support: Unit B
Mike Posada, Business & Admin Support: Unit B
Karen Simmons, Instructional Support: Unit B
Debbie Nethery, Instructional Support: Unit B
Dorothy Tenney, Plant & Facilities
Vernon Bier, Plant & Facilities
Jeri Francisco-Porter, Plant & Facilities
Pat Devlin, Plant & Facilities
Carola Alden, Student Services & SUB
Celia Johnson, Student Services & SUB

Also Present:
Ona Youmans
Barbara Hodges