Central Washington University’s
Employee Council of Civil Service Employees
Minutes of the Meeting
September 18, 2003
The basic purpose of the Employee Council shall be to provide civil service employees with a forum for sharing timely information and facilitating employee recognition. The Employee Council does not perform any function of organized labor and is not intended in any way to supplant collective negotiations or employee organizations provided for in WAC Chapter 251-14. http://www.cwu.edu/~hr/minutes/purpose.doc
1. Call to order
2. Approval of Agenda
3. Welcome & Introductions
4. Minutes Approval
5. Selection of Employee of the Month for July
6. Selection of Employee of the Month for September
7. Campus Community Building Program
8. Parking Advisory Committee
9. For the Good of the Order/New Business
10. Adjournment/Next Meeting
11. HR Announcements
The Employee Council of Civil Service Employees meeting in Barge Hall, room 412 was called to order at 2:12 p.m. on September 18, 2003.
WELCOME & INTRODUCTIONS – Laury Berner, Chair of Employee Council, welcomed the new members and shared with them the purpose of the council and what we did. It was decided to go around the room at this time introducing ourselves and where we worked.
MINUTES APPOVAL - The Employee Council Minutes of the last meeting were approved as read.
Paula Dietrich, Wenatchee Center, was selected as the July Employee of the Month.
“Paula is often a student's first contact with Central and her friendly and professional manner is an excellent representation of this institution. She does everything possible to make things go smoothly for the students, staff and faculty, which means consistently going out of her way. There was one day when one faculty member brought an exam to me 15 minutes before class started and asked me to fax it to the Wenatchee Center so those students would have it on time. I later found out that the distance education classroom was not functioning that day, so Paula made copies, then got into her car and drove to the classroom so students would have the test on time. She keeps the Wenatchee Center office running smoothly and always follows through on commitments and deadlines.” Congratulations, Paula!
EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH FOR SEPTEMBER – Caroline Busch, Accountant Principal - Payroll
“Caroline promotes a professional and service-oriented image of the Payroll department. She is calm and kind when dealing with upset employees, reassuring them that she will help solve their problem. She is kind and friendly, with a good sense of humor and the patience of a saint even when stressed. She has an impressive array of skills and talents, and is truly a rare jewel. She is able to use her creativity and knowledge to work within the system to assist others. She has worked many long hours in Payroll under stressful conditions working to make sure employees receive the pay they deserve. Caroline deserves our thanks and celebration of her service to the university community. We are lucky indeed to have someone of her caliber at CWU.” Congratulations, Caroline!
Campus Community Building Program -
“The purpose of the program is to give members of the university community who are concerned about improving the university’s climate a positive way to direct their energy and an opportunity to connect with other university members who also want to take action to improve their community.” http://www.cwu.edu/~ccbp/
The Campus Community Building Program’s kickoff month will be October. The Employee Council encourages everyone to participate in this valuable program. If you are interested in joining or if you have any questions about the Campus Community Building Program, please contact Linda Garcia at garcial@cwu.edu. Employee Council will continue to participate in the project.
Parking Advisory Committee – There was a brief meeting to discuss how CWU student move in days would be handled.
For the good of the order/new business–
Kim Thomas asked if anyone had heard anything about the request to the President’s Cabinet concerning the Wellness Hour facilities accessibility during the summer months. The Council indicated no response had been received yet. Pedro Garcia mentioned that there are alternative locations for wellness at two dorms but that prior approval would have to be obtained.
Civil Service Employee of the Month Nomination Forms can be found at the Human Resources website: http://www.cwu.edu/~hr/forms/EOTMnominate.doc. You can also call Human Resources at 1202 to obtain a nomination form. Anyone may nominate a civil service employee who has worked for Central Washington University for at least two years.
If you have any questions regarding Employee Council or the Employee of the Month program, please contact your Employee Council Representative or Human Resources @ x-1205.
Adjournment/Next meeting - The meeting was adjourned at 3:51 p.m. The next meeting of the Employee Council will be Thursday, October 16, 2003, in Barge Hall, room 412.
Pedro Garcia, Business Support
Sandy Arbuckle, Business Support
Monica Wallace, Alternate Business Support
Laury Berner, Facilities Management, EC Chair
Kelly Minor, Financial Services
Anna Fischer, Alternate Financial Services
Cynthia Kuhlken, Alternate Instructional Support Unit A
Laurie Stehle, Instructional Support Unit B
Obie O’Brien, Library Services and Academic Computing
Wanda Waldron, Student Affairs & Enrollment Management
Peggy Eaton, Alternate Student Affairs & Enrollment Management
Melanie Palm, CWU-Yakima
Rob Lowery, University Relations & President
Kim Thomas, Alternate University Relations & President, Assistant EC Secretary
Dale Hubbard, Local 330 Representative (non voting observer)
Judy McNeil, Dining Services
Jeff Goede, Facilities Management
Crystal Whitaker, EC Secretary
Colleen Rose, Human Resources (non voting observer)
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HR Announcements
A lot has been happening to reform the state government personnel system. Employees of state agencies and public colleges and universities have been attending information meetings all across the state on the effort to overhaul the 40-year-old state employment system. “Think of this initiative as a three-legged stool, with civil service reform, collective bargaining and competitive contracting supporting a higher level of state service and efficiency for Washington citizens,” said Governor Locke. “We’re calling the whole effort Washington Works because we are confident it will make our great workforce even better.”
The Personnel System Reform Act of 2002 ties together the interests of state managers, labor and business in changing the existing state employment system to make it more effective and more fair, while providing new opportunities for improving the way the state does business. Civil service reform will completely revamp the system for job classification, layoffs and recruitment. Collective bargaining gives state employees represented by unions the same rights as other union workers to negotiate for wages, hours and terms of employment. Competitive contracting allows the state to contract for services, but the law also gives state employee groups the opportunity to compete for those contracts.
See the Washington Works website at washingtonworks.wa.gov for information on this three-way effort to make the state’s first-class workforce even better. And keep up with the latest developments in the current issue of the Washington Works newsletter, In the Works.
Benefits Fair
The Annual Benefits Fair will be October 29, in the SUB Pit from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm only. We will have Flu Shots available from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm in the Owhi Room. The shots are $18.50 each. Subscribers to Uniform Medical Plan will be reimbursed for their flu shot by returning their flu shot voucher to UMP for reimbursement. Subscribers of Group Health, Group Health Options and Premera Blue Cross will not be reimbursed for their flu shot; however, Group Health, Group Health Options and Premera Blue Cross subscribers may receive a free flu shot at their primary care physician’s office. In any case, this is a good opportunity to get your flu shot while at work, rather than using your sick leave to obtain one.
Bring your lunch and attend a free workshop in the Yakama room at 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. and learn about “Workplace Stress,” presented by Employee Advisory Service.
There will be a “Retiree Meeting” from 11:00 to 12:00 in the Yakama Room. The meeting is for retirees or those who may be retiring in 2004. Sponsored by the Health Care Authority.
Come learn about the changes in your Medical and Dental plans for 2004. It is also a good time to research alternate retirement savings programs with TIAA-CREF, Vanguard, Fidelity, and Deferred Compensation. Plus information from credit unions regarding mortgages and saving for your future.
“How to Handle People With Tact and Skill”
A one-day seminar on December 16, located in Yakima, and offered by “CareerTrack,” this training gives you concrete ways to deal with the difficult people in your life. It provides specific strategies for getting adversaries to cooperate, bullies to back off, wallflowers to open up, and chronic complainers to quiet down. Cost is $149 per person. For more information, or to register, call 1-800-556-3009, or visit http://www.careertrack.com.
Employee Advisory Services
Do you have a problem that could interfere with your work? This could include a problem at work, interpersonal, marital, emotional, alcohol and/or other drugs, financial, physical, or any combination. Do you have a problem with your supervisor, and you're not sure where to turn? Are you a supervisor or manager needing help with difficult supervisory issues, or having personal problems of your own? If you answer "yes" to any of these questions, Employee Advisory Services (EAS) is a good, safe place to go. EAS provides assessment and referral services for all types of personal problems; helps access needed services from employee's health care provider; and conducts supervisor consultations on how to work effectively with troubled employees. By law, EAS guarantees your confidentiality. For more information, visit http://hr.dop.wa.gov/eas.html. You may pick up an EAS brochure from the brochure rack in the Human Resources reception area, Bouillon 140, or from the Training Office in Bouillon 104.