City Of Seattle
Shoe requirements for Muse call at the Key
Mar 26th
Hi all,
Because of a safety concerns related directly to the Muse call at the Key on April 2nd Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) will be required, namely composite or steel toed shoes.
Proper PPE for this event will be fall protection when applicable, head protection (hard hat), and composite or steel toed shoes. The City of Seattle is supplying the hardhats and harnesses that will be needed, but employees will still be able to use their personal gear if it complies with the OSHA and WISHA codes. Workers must provide proper shoes that comply with OSHA and WISHA standards. The following codes can be found on the footwear if they meet the regulation set by federal and state law, ANSI Z41-1991 or ASTM stamp.
If you do not have the proper shoes you will be sent home without pay.
If you have any question please email me at Pres@ia15.org
Andrew
Additional ORCA card information
Mar 1st
Dear Sisters and Brothers
In response to questions that have come up, here is some additional information about the ORCA cards for City workers:
« Once you’ve started work with the City, you won’t go into “S” status unless you go six pay periods (three months) without City work.
« If you’ve gone into “S” status, you will return to active status as soon as you start work again in a City job. If you’re working for the City, or have worked for the city within the past three months, but are told that you’re in “S” status, you may have to call your supervisor to have him or her verify your work.
« Going into “S” status will not affect credits that you have in your E-purse.
« You cannot accumulate more than $300 in your E-purse. If you have $300 credit, no more credit will be made until you’ve spent some of that $300.
« If you think you may be in the City computer as “S” status (“pending separation”) when you’re actually active, you should ask your supervisor to verify your status, or contact City HR.
« Some of our members may have concerns about the privacy of your use of an ORCA pass, given that it’s theoretically possible to track individual use. The Legislature is considering legislation (SSB 5295) which would ensure that only aggregate information – information about total usage by all card-holders – would be available, with two exceptions. The only exceptions would be for law enforcement agencies, which would be able to obtain individual usage information only by getting a court order; or for the employer providing the subsidy, only for the purpose of preventing fraud. This legislation was passed by the Senate by a vote of 47-0, and should be voted on shortly by the House.
« If you have not used your ORCA card within 30 days of adding value, please contact ORCA Customer Service. E-purse value does not expire and will be restored to your ORCA card. A current monthly pass will be restored; however an expired monthly pass will not be restored or refunded. For more information about ORCA cards generally, please go to www.orcacard.com; or call ORCA at 1-888-988-6722.
If you have additional questions, please contact Business Representative Paul Bigman: stagerep@ia15.org, or 206-441-1515, ext. 225.
Notice to City Card Holders
Feb 12th
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
As a result of the last labor-management meeting between the Coalition of City Unions and the City, there is information about two issues of importance for Local 15 members working for the City.
ORCA cards
Can intermittent employees get ORCA cards? Yes. The City has agreed to maintain the practice that has been in effect for intermittent employees.
Where can I get the card? Intermittent employees need to go downtown to the Department of the Treasury (Seattle Municipal Tower 700 5th Avenue
,42nd floor) both to get the ORCA card and to have the $81 monthly subsidy put into the E-purse. Regular staff will have to go to the Department of the Treasury to get the ORCA card, but after that the subsidy will be automatically added each month. The City is considering re-instating a location at Seattle Center where employees would be able to pick up an ORCA card and to get money put into your E-purse
Is there a window of time to get the card or the addition to the E-purse? Yes. The window is fairly wide – but it’s quite a while in advance. The card or the addition to the E-purse has to be obtained in between the 25th of a month and the 13th of the following month – but that for the month after. So, for example, for the month of April, you’d have to go to the Department of the Treasury between February 25th and March 13th.
How do I show that I’m an active employee, eligible for the benefit? You don’t need to bring anything with you. When you give your name, they’ll check on the computer to verify that you’re an “active” employee.
What’s “S status”? If you haven’t worked or the City for a period of time (we’re still trying to verify how long), you go into “S” status, meaning that you’re suspended from active status until you work again. When you’re in “S” status, you can’t get a new ORCA card or the E-purse contribution. Since this isn’t the way things worked in the past, the Union is trying to see if we can get this policy changed, at least until we have an opportunity to negotiate with the City.
What happens if I don’t use the card right away? If you don’t use the card within 30 days of picking it up, it will automatically become invalid, and you will need to get a new card. Once you’ve used the card, it will remain effective.
Will the City be able to keep track of my use of the pass? The City assured the Unions that although it is theoretically possible to determine how an individual employee is using his or her ORCA card, they have not and do not intend to do that.
Please contact the Union if you have questions or concerns about the ORCA cards.
Paperless paychecks.
About 90% of City employees have chosen to have direct deposit of paychecks. The cost of distributing paper records of the paychecks, however, is almost as great as the cost of providing checks. So the City hopes to eliminate the paper “pay warrants,” as well. Any employee with access to a computer (either at work or elsewhere) can access records on his or her pay. In addition, the City has indicated that any employee who wants a paper record of the paycheck, but does not have access to a computer to print it out, would be able to request that the record be mailed to his or her home. “Phase one” of the plan would be to eliminate the paper warrants for employees with direct deposit; in “phase two,” paper checks would be completely eliminated. Employees who don’t want direct deposit could instead receive a “payroll card” usable at an ATM. The exact terms for the card need to be worked out, but the intention is that you would be able to withdraw the entire amount of your pay in one withdrawal; and that there would be no user fee for withdrawals from the payroll card.
Please contact the Union if you have questions or concerns about this proposal.
