EMPLOYEE COUNCIL MINUTES
July 18, 2002    
    
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
PRESENTATION FROM TIM WELCH
NOMINATION OF SECRETARY
SELECTION OF EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH, JUNE AND JULY 2002
PROCEDURES FOR EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH BULLETIN BOARD PICTURE
EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH SUPERVISOR FORM
UNIVERSITY COMMITTEES
CONNECTION CARD
ADJOURNMENT/NEXT MEETING
HR NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

APPROVAL OF MINUTES
The name of the other individual responsible for creating the new Employee of the Month bulletin board in Bouillon Hall was not mentioned in the June minutes.  Teresa Rominger assisted Carol Mellergaard in creating the board featuring the 2001-2002 winners.  (Thanks, Carol and Teresa.  The new board looks great!). The minutes were approved as amended.
    
PRESENTATION FROM TIM WELCH
Tim Welch, Director of Public Affairs for the Washington Federation of State Employees, spoke to the Council about collective bargaining and what it means from the Union’s perspective to classified staff on the CWU campus.  Collective bargaining will allow negotiation of wages, benefits, seniority, contracting out, and employment rules (i.e., appointments, sick and vacation leave, work hours, etc.).  Bargaining units will negotiate contracts.  Unrepresented workers, those not covered by a bargaining unit, will be covered by the new civil service rules that will be set by the director of the Department of Personnel in Olympia and wages will be set by the Legislature.  The law allows higher education institutions to bargain individually or to form a coalition with other higher education institutions to bargain for the best package.  Welch distributed literature on the new collective bargaining law and answered questions from the Council members.  Please visit the CWU Human Resources Office web-site that provides some additional information on this bill:  http://www.cwu.edu/~hr (click on “news” and then on “civil service reform”).  

NOMINATION OF SECRETARY FOR 2002-03
Kirsten Garland nominated Crystal Whitaker for the position of Secretary for the Employee Council. Crystal accepted the nomination and was elected by a unanimous vote. Thank you and congratulations to Crystal.  With the selection of the secretary, the Executive Committee for 2002-2003 is complete:  Chair: Laury Berner; Vice Chair: Dorothy Tenney; Publicity Coordinator: Kirsten Garland; Secretary: Crystal Whitaker; Assistant Secretary: Nancy Bradshaw.  The officers will begin their term at the September 19 meeting of the employee council.

SELECTION OF EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH
Heather Harrel, Accountant Principal in Grants and Contracts Office, was selected as Employee of the Month for June, 2002.  The following was written about Heather:

Heather has been a fabulous addition to the Grants and Contracts office.  She is in constant communication with departments about their grant budgets, especially if she sees a problem, and is always thorough and accurate with the information she provides.  Heather is always willing to take the time to explain things or walk a person through how to access information.  Her patience has made the transition to FMS easier.  She shares her knowledge with respect and always helps in solving problems.  She is very patient and quick to respond to my questions.

Heather treats everyone with patience, kindness and respect in the confusing times of learning a new budget software program.  I strive to follow her example of professionalism and courtesy.  Her courteous demeanor and enthusiastic pursuit of the right way to handle issue has made it very easy to rely upon her for help.

Heather shows great personal initiative and excellent listening skills when a “problem” is presented.  She develops a “solution” and explains the issues in terms clear to those not intimately acquainted with the details of the old and new systems.  She is pro-active and willing to expend time searching for better ways to do things, not just “getting the job done.”   She is a huge asset to CWU and I’m proud to be her co-worker.

She’s a gem -- clone her!!  Congratulations, Heather.

Darcie Correa, Custodian in Facilities Management, was selected as the Employee of the Month for July, 2002. The following was written about Darcie:

Darcie takes a lot of pride in her work and is never afraid to go the extra distance when it comes to keeping her area looking good.  She does an outstanding job keeping Bouillon Hall neat and clean.  The offices, hallways, stairs and restrooms are kept clean and fresh.  She is always making extra checks to see if everything is ok.  Darcie does an outstanding job cleaning up the dust and dirt brought in with all the computers from across campus.

Darcie is always concerned about others and is always ready to help out wherever needed.  She shows an unusual amount of compassion as she went far out of her way to visit me when I was in the hospital in Yakima recovering from bypass surgery.  She is always concerned about keeping everyone in her building as comfortable as possible and is a very caring person.  

Darcie is always cheerful and accommodating when she comes to our workspace for cleaning.  She always displays a professional attitude.  She sets an excellent standard for custodial staff.  Darcie is always a pleasure to work with and a big asset to our Department and the University.  Congratulations, Darcie.

PROCEDURES FOR EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH PICTURES
The question was raised as to what is the appropriate procedure for disposing of pictures of the Employees of the Month after they are removed from the bulletin board in Bouillon Hall.  Rob Lowery would like to see a copy go into the individual’s personnel file in Human Resources for future use for publicity purposes.  The question was raised as to whether or not the pictures could be given to the employee since they are taken by a CWU photographer and are, therefore, CWU property.  It was suggested that perhaps media could print additional copies that could then be given to the individual if they are interested.  Rob Lowery agreed to follow up on these questions and report back to the Council.

EMPLOYMENT OF THE MONTH SUPERVISOR’S FORM
Kim Thomas passed out the revised supervisor’s form for Civil Service Employee of the Month nomination.  Thanks goes to the committee who worked long and hard to create new forms that are more user friendly and useful to the selection process.


UNIVERSITY COMMITTEES
Kariann Taylor read a memorandum from the President’s Office regarding the involvement of CWU faculty and staff on various committees and other service opportunities at the university and on behalf of the university in the larger community.  Each group was asked to discuss a list of criteria and report their findings to the President’s Office by Fall Quarter.   

-     Release time is a major factor for many employees in deciding whether or not to take an active role on campus committees.
-      Published information about the various committees would be helpful in helping people choose a committee on which to take an active role.  
-      Utilizing tele-conferencing would allow employees at the CWU centers to also participate on committees.
    
These are just a few of the issues raised by Council members. Kariann will talk to Libby Street for more information and clarification.  It was recommended that a committee be selected to work together to draft a memo with the Employee Council’s ideas.

CONNECTION CARD     
Crystal Whitaker announced that individual departments will be contacted soon to have pictures taken for the new Connection Cards.  New cards are being issued that will not bear the individual’s social security number.  New ID numbers are being assigned.

ADJOURNMENT/NEXT MEETING
The meeting adjourned at 4:00. The next meeting of the Employee Council will be Thursday, August 15, at 2:00p.m., in Black Hall, Rm. 229-19

PRESENT    
Kirsten Garland, Business Support
Crystal Whitaker, Computing and Telecommunications
Laury Berner, Facilities Management
Kariann Taylor, Instructional Support: Unit A, EC Chairperson
Barbara Sisko, Graduate Studies and Research
Leona Lindvig, Library
Kerry Slaughter, Library, EC Secretary    
Patti Minshull, Student Affairs and Enrollment Management
James Lees, University Centers/SeaTac
Kim Thomas, University Relations and President’s area

ABSENT
Karol Barker, Dining Services
Dorothy Tenney, Facilities Management, EC Vice Chair
Pedro Garcia, Facilities Management

ALSO PRESENT
Dale Hubbard, Union
Dennis Defa
Colleen Rose
Becky Baker    
Rob Lowery


HR NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

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 individual is in need of shared leave:  Gayle Robbins (Student Health and Counseling Center).

Individuals interested in donating leave should request a Shared Leave donation form from Human Resources.  Copies may also be downloaded from the HR Forms section of the Human Resources home page: www.cwu.edu/~hr/forms/index.html .  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.  Please call Human Resources (963-1202), if you need a shared leave donation form.

INFORMATION ON COLLECTIVE BARGAINING, CIVIL SERVICE REFORM, AND CONTRACTING OUT

Please visit the CWU Human Resources Office web-site that provides information on collective bargaining, civil service reform, and contracting out.  http://www.cwu.edu/~hr   (click on “news” and then on “civil service reform”)

Implementation of civil service reform will take place in stages over the next three years, with the majority of changes taking effect by July 2005.  The following are key dates in implementing Civil Service Reform:

June 2002	Salary Survey streamlined
	Bargaining unit determination and representation transferred from Department of  Personnel (DOP) to Public Employee Relations Committee (PERC)
July 2003	Review of classification system completed by 7/1/03
Sept 2003	Collective bargaining parties meet to discuss potential impact on mainframe payroll  system of changes they plan to negotiate
March 2004	Washington Personnel Resources Board adopts new classification rules by 3/15/04
July 2004	Remaining labor relations responsibilities transferred from DOP to PERC
	Collective bargaining begins no later than July of 2004
	Director of DOP given rule-making authority
January 2005	Implementation of new classification system begins by 1/1/05
July 2005	New collective bargaining agreements effective by 7/1/05
	Contracting out provisions apply
	Personnel Appeals Board (PAB) responsibilities are transferred to Washington Personnel Resources Board
July 2006	PAB abolished

    

TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT
The number one question received in the Training Office this summer has been, “Where do I find classes on <insert name of software>?”  If you’ve been looking at brushing up on your computing skills, the following is for you.   

Do you need training in GroupWise, MS Word, Excel, Access, or simply how to use Windows?  You may find what you’re looking for in Computer Support Services, at www.cwu.edu/~css/training/ .  Workshop costs vary from $0 to $30.   Kristi Gladen, CSS’s newest software trainer, has been busy settling into her new office, so there may not be many workshops scheduled for the moment.  However, if you are interested in attending a workshop that isn’t on the schedule, please contact Kristi at training@cwu.edu , or call x2392, and let her know.

Did you just figure out where your department’s web pages are located, and now your boss wants you to create an online form?  Jane Chinn and Terri Covey, from Academic Computing, are our presentation and web software experts, teaching PowerPoint, Blackboard, FrontPage, PhotoShop, Acrobat, and more.  You can locate workshops, and register at http://mac70167.clt.cwu.edu:8080/faculty/workshops.html    Don’t forget to check back each quarter for a new schedule.

Is PeopleSoft getting you down?  http://www.cwu.edu/~assp/ will give you some basic, “How to’s”.  Cec Calhoun (cec@cwu.edu) can also give you information about available training in PeopleSoft and in Crystal.

You can obtain information about more computer training courses by other CWU departments, by the Department of Personnel in Olympia, and by a variety of commercial trainers, on-line or in person, by visiting our web site at www.cwu.edu/~training , by calling our office at x2288, or sending an email to hutchinl@cwu.edu.

EMPLOYEE ADVISORY SERVICE VISIT

This year has been stressful for our country, and for our state employees and their families.  Sometimes, seemingly small things push people over the edge.  If this is happening to you or to someone you care about, it’s time to suggest a confidential visit with EAS.  In person or by phone – don’t wait until things get “worse.”  

Dave Smith, Certified Employee Assistance Professional, Employee Advisory Service, will be coming to Ellensburg on Wednesday, August 21, 2002.  (CWU Center employees will have a different appointment date.)  Free, confidential appointments are on a first call, first served basis.  For an appointment, or more information, call the Spokane EAS Office at (509) 482-3686 or e-mail for a returned call at EAS@dop.wa.gov .  Remember – You don’t have to wait for an Employee Specialist to visit to call for assistance.  The Employee Advisory Service is provided by the Washington State Department of Personnel for state employees and family members, and sponsored at CWU by the Human Resources Office.