On July 7, 2010 ASPTEA and all the Labor groups made history. We all joined forces and showed the City Council and City Management that we can stand up for ourselves.  As a result the City Council heard us and did not vote for the elimination of Vacancies. They requested that all Labor groups be involved in developing strategies to help with our economic crisis.

I recognize that the economic situation for the City of Phoenix is tough, but outsourcing our jobs and eliminating our ability to sustain our jobs is not the answer.

I want to thank those ASPTEA members who were brave enough to participate in the walk and attend the council session. We cannot allow fear to dominate and waiver our right to speak.   Cutting our jobs will only contribute to the unemployment line, add to the growing number of people not meeting their car and mortgages payments. If we allow this to become a reasonable approach in resolving our problems we are wrong! Don’t think that you are safe, YOU ARE NOT! This issue is not over, just on break for the summer. So! I ask all members to stay vigil and don’t lose sight of what is going. The next few months are critical and I ask all to participate the best way they can.

Thanks to LiUNA (777), 2384, 2960, Fire, PLEA, and PPSLA for their commitment and support in our efforts.

FDR's Unfinished "Second Bill of Rights" – and Why We Need it Now(NEW)

Streets Dept. Work Force Reduction

The following FYI is being released for employees to get first hand information on the upcoming RIF’s…..Continue
 

Innovation and Efficiency Task Force Potential Additional Outsourcing - Short Term

New Tax Changes to our pay Checks

The members of W.I.N. (Women's Innovation Network) in the Water Services Department is conducting a food drive for St. Mary's Food Bank.  The drive will run from July 6th - July 16th.  Donation boxes will be placed in the City Hall Atrium as well as the 305 Building & the 8th & 9th floors of City Hall. Flyer

On May 6, 2010, between 11:40 a.m. and noonPhoenix time, the New York Stock Exchange went into a sharp freefall, the Dow Jones Industrial Average losing a thousand points in a matter of minutes. Fortunately, “the boat” righted itself, market values rebounded, and things returned to a state of relative calm.

But questions linger. What happened? Did someone confuse billion for million in a trade order? Was some other human error to blame? Was it a computer glitch using pre-programmed mathematical models? Were there sudden mass fears about the Greek debt crisis?

So far, no one theory has been proven. Nationwide Retirement Solutions, the administrator for the city’s 457 and 401(a) Plans, feels that from the perspective of a city of Phoenix Plans participant, what caused the “flash crash” probably doesn’t matter. Nationwide notes that what happened that day was a market volatility lesson in quick time – sudden proof of the statement: “Investing involves market risk, including possible loss of principal.”

As a retirement investor, you’re likely to be in the city of Phoenix Plans for the long term so short-term market volatility should be less of a concern than a long-term trend of asset growth for your retirement savings.  Nationwide cannot guarantee that, even over the long term, participants will not lose money. However, they point out that since the days of the Great Depression, every market downturn has been followed by an upturn. When that happens, – thanks to the concept of dollar cost averaging – those who continued regular contributions often see their portfolios strengthened.

When market conditions “rock your boat,” let Nationwide provide education to help you find your own “calm waters.” Call and speak with a Plan Representative for the city’s Plans at 602-266-2733.

Information from plan representatives is for educational purposes only, and not intended as investment advice.

© 2010, Nationwide Retirement Solutions, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Nationwide, the Nationwide framemark, and On Your Side are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company.

   Many Unit Seven employees recently were given new guidelines to administer the upcoming Furloughs. I raised some concerns to the Management and they refused to hear any recommendations or modify the guidelines. So, with that response I want to remind people that guidelines are just that “guidelines”. If people want to make changes or accommodate their staff then do so! Guidelines are to be used as providing guidance not strict rules or orders. If anyone encounters managers or Departments mandating to the guidelines contact ASPTEA. We understand there has to be some sense of order, but divisions or groups should work out their differences.

    In the past few months City Employees have become a target of the bad economic times. There is a political wave of anti-City Employee sentiment which is continuously appearing on the air waves and various news networks.  The most disturbing aspect of this smear campaign is the misleading and lynch mob mentally that is being generated.  The sad part is that people are led to develop misperceptions and act upon these self serving approaches to create greater destruction...more

Now that we have made our concessions many people are wondering how do we proceed with incorporating the obligations.  After all the concessions were agreed to many people started to ask questions about  how furloughs are to be done and will there be increments or full blocks of time required. These questions and many more have cause a tremendous amount of concern and the city management has decided to sit down and with the labor groups and work out the details.  This discussion will take place sometime in April...more