State Contract Negotiations Begin • City IT Members Meet ... - Local 17

Constitutional Changes Passed By Large MarginIn the spring, Local 17 sent ballots toall PTE Local 17 members regardingproposed changes to Local 17's primarygoverning document, the Constitution.The Constitution can only be amended bya membership vote.The changes were necessary toensure that our Constitution accuratelyreflects the current reality of how Local17 operates as well as the identity of ourunion. After the disaffiliation from theIFPTE and our subsequent name changeto Professional and Technical Employees,Local 17, it was important that allNewsreferences to IFPTE and the InternationalUnion be removed from the Constitution.Another change included switchingthe reference to the specific monthswhen the Regional Executive Committeemeetings will be held to seasons of theyear, in order to reflect current practiceand provide scheduling flexibility.Finally, “electronic balloting”was added to the Constitution underbargaining agreement elections to providemembers with additional options forcontract ratification votes. To view theupdated Constitution, go to www.pte17.org/member_resources. City Light Workers Part of History:Seattle Celebrates 50th Anniversary ofthe 1962 World's FairSeattle City Light workers install underground powerlines on the fairgrounds, 1962. Photocourtesy of Seattle Municipal Archives, 165681.Thanks to the hard work of many engineers and technical professionals, the 1962World's Fair put Seattle on the map. The fair was to demonstrate how things mightlook in the future, and was aptly named "Century 21." To prepare for the fair,Seattle City Light workers removed over three and a half miles of overground power linesto install the revolutionary underground electricity that would power the fairgrounds,pictured above. In addition to the iconic Space Needle and the Monorail, the fair also hada "Pavillion of Electric Power." This exhibit highlighted the electric utilities of WashingtonState, and included a 40 foot replica of a hydroelectric dam. City Plans toCreate a Two-Tier RetirementSystemLocal 17 along with other CityUnions were briefed by theCity of Seattle on the workand recommendations of an Inter-Departmental Team that studiedoptions about retirement funding fornew hires at the City of Seattle.The report listed five alternativeretirement plan options forconsideration, which would apply onlyto future employees. The current planfor City employees is a defined benefitplan, which defines what your benefitwill look like for the rest of your lifeafter you retire.Of the five options listed forconsideration for new hires, threewere defined benefit plans, one was ahybrid of defined benefit and definedcontribution, and one was solelydefined contribution. The report listedprojected savings in contributions bothfor employees and for the City over thenext several years.The recommendations for changesto the retirement system came fromSeattle City Council which in 2010issued a statement of legislative intent(SLI) directing City council staff tostudy and develop alternatives to thecurrent retirement system.The City has acknowledged thatthis change is a mandatory subject ofbargaining and thus changes cannotbe made without negotiating withLocal 17.Local 17 has not agreed toenter into bargaining. The union isstudying the City's reasons for theadjustments to the current system,and if implemented, how the variousoptions would work and the impactsof each on future employees as well asthose who are already in the currentretirement system. 6 Insight