AFGE Local 910 Family,
February Newsletter:
Current Employee Issues:
Can my supervisor work overtime if a bargaining unit employee is available to work it instead? The answer is No. Reference: Master Agreement Article 21 Section 4D page 92. Master Agreement books are located in our office, on line via Google and on the KCVA intranet.
If I am going to be terminated by the agency, can I apply for unemployment? Depends… If you are terminated because of something that you did, then you are not eligible for unemployment. If you are terminated because the VA no longer had work for you, and your termination resulted based on no result of anything you did to cause the termination, then yes, you can apply for unemployment.
Can the Agency read my computer? It has been confirmed, the Agency can read all email, lync messages, social media posts, and also see any searches you perform, links you click on and websites you visit. Please use your VA computers wisely.
Recruitment Information:
The VA blitz/bonus bucks program is still in effect until March 31st 2019. If you know of a non-member that you can recruit, it is recommended that they join by 3-31-19 so that both you and the member can receive a bonus of 100 dollars; 30 days after joining. This money is provided to both the new member and recruiter in the form of a check. Communication is sent to the employees via outlook email.
Off Site event and Ticket Information:
- This year’s off-site event is scheduled for April 14th Sunday at Worlds of Fun.
- Both AMC and BB movie tickets are for sale in the office. Each member is allowed 12 tickets total. (6 tickets twice a year)
- The “every day” tickets to WOF will be for sale in the office starting on March 20th. The “every day” tickets are 20 dollars each. Limit of 6 tickets sold to each bargaining unit employee.
Leave Scramble:
If your supervisor has not approved your 2019 leave that was entered in October/November 2018, please call or email our office!
Our next Union Lunch and Learn is scheduled for March 28th 2019.
- The food will be catered by Panera; sandwich, salad, soup and desert.
- The topic will be on Workman’s Comp… you never know when you will be needing this information, anyone could need it during their career.
- Handouts will be provided and a DOOR PRIZE RAFFLE for attendees.
- Offsite employees will be mailed the presentation and handouts.
What is the difference in a grievance vs a gripe?
In order for AFGE local 910 to file a true grievance, you and your steward need to prove that the agency has violated either a master agreement regulation, an MOU, a hospital policy or a law. This grievance must have merit and evidence to prove the violation. Anything else is just a gripe. Where do you find all of these rules and regulations? Google lists the master, the VA handbook regulations, the FLRA statutes and the laws that we follow. Our intranet lists the master, the VA policies, your departments SOPs and the VA handbook regulations. The hospital MOUs can be found in the union office and soon on our locals web page.
Office Contact:
4801 E Linwood Blvd Room M11-244 Kansas City Mo 64128
- Office phone: 816-922-2040
- Office Cells: 816-924-7733 and 816-924-4440
- Office Web page: AFGE910.com
Leave Without Pay:
Why would an employee take leave without pay? A few reasons to take LWOP are maternity or paternity leave, illness and out of SL, family FMLA, extended trip, going back to school. Once an employee reaches 80 hours of LWOP, the employee will lose 1 pay period of benefits (AL and SL). This does reset every year. Reference: Email to outlook on 2-13-19 OPM government policy.
New Payment Options:
AFGE Local 910 now accepts credit cards as a form of payment. Minimum amount charged is 30 dollars. We have both PayPal and the Square, call the office for more details. Offsite employees can use this method of payment for tickets.
Weingarten Rights:
If you are ever being asked to meet with a supervisor and you think it may lead to ANY type of discipline, please invoke your rights and call our office. If you are already in the meeting, please ask your supervisor to call our office and request a rep to join your meeting. Any bargaining unit employee working at the KCVA has this right.
Are you logging into My pay and looking at your pay stub (LES)?
The answer should be yes. Please read the email sent on 2-12-19 about LES deductions and reading and understanding your pay check.
Can you call in and use the weather as an excuse?
The answer is no. If you have received an AWOL, or you have questions about this issue, please call our office and we will explain. Also an email communication on this subject was sent on 2-28-19 to your home email.
Do you have to tell your supervisor why you are calling in sick?
You do not until you call in on the 4th day in a row. At that time you have to give a reason for your illness and a doctors excuse for your absence of more than 72 hours.
Our last advice from your union officials:
- Don’t sleep at work
- Don’t touch your coworkers
- Just because your coworker did it, does not mean you can also.
- Come to work
- Come to work on time
- Do your job
― Robert Fulghum,
- Share everything.
- Play fair.
- Don't hit people.
- Put things back where you found them.
- CLEAN UP YOUR OWN MESS.
- Don't take things that aren't yours.
- Say you're SORRY when you HURT somebody.
- Wash your hands before you eat.
- Flush.
- Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
- Live a balanced life - learn some and drink some and draw some and paint some and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
- Take a nap every afternoon.
- When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, and stick together.
- Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.
- Goldfish and hamster and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup - they all die. So, do we.
- And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first worked you learned - the biggest word of all - LOOK.”
