The Union is fighting many of the meal receipt requirement issues and went to arbitration on June 23, 2009 over the “brown bag” denial. We believed we were clear at the bargaining table to make sure that when an employee purchased food prior to the day of travel they could still be reimbursed if they provided grocery receipts.
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View Article 12 sections that deal with Temporary Layoff Days.
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New Professional Engineer Competency Requirements
April 28, 2009
The Michigan Board of Professional Engineers has drafted administrative rules to define new continuing professional competency requirements for licensed professional engineers.
The rules are a preliminary draft and have not been adopted by the Board or accepted by the state regulatory agency, the Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth (DELEG).
During the promulgation of administrative rules, there will be an opportunity for further public comment. DELEG has set a target date of October 1, 2009, for implementation.
Please submit your comments on these draft rules to cmason@seiu517m.org for coordination and submittal on behalf of SEIU members. If you have any questions, please contact Cindy Mason.
2009 Education Support Program Accepting Applications
April 28, 2009
The 2009 Education Support Program (ESP) is now accepting applications through Friday, June 12, 2009. This program provides administrative leave to accepted employees who are pursuing associates, bachelor's, and master's degrees from accredited institutions in fields specific to MDOT's most needed job classifications. Employees must demonstrate how their participation in ESP will benefit MDOT, including their impact on MDOT's Strategic Plan. Go to ConnectMDOT to review the eligibility requirements or to obtain an application. From the "Services" drop-down menu, select "Employee Services" and then "MDOT Education Support Program." If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact Kristie Cheadle in the Performance Excellence Division at cheadlek@michigan.gov or 517-241-4697.
Demand For PDF Money Depletes Fund
April 9, 2009
Once again, due to high demand for training and tuition, the Professional Development Fund is depleted! The second half of the fiscal year began on April 1, 2009 and all of the funding has been secured by members from various departments. The Fund will be replenished on October 1, 2009 with $125,000.
On March 25, 2009, the Coalition of State Employee Unions met with Professor Charles Ballard of Michigan State University at the SEIU Office.
This meeting was held to discuss strategies to highlight the sacrifices that state employees have already made in helping the State save money. This is being done in response to House Resolution 45 calling for an additional 5% pay cut for State Employees as well as the March 23rd request by the Michigan House Republicans to cut existing state wages by 5% plus cancel all future contract wage increases for state employees.
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A grievance was filed against the Department of Environmental Quality when a request for supplemental employment was approved but with limitations/restrictions. The request was to teach a class. The Employer claimed there was a conflict of interest if the employee taught this class because he would be teaching, “individuals or employees of communities that you regulate, oversee, or evaluate.” The Union’s position was that the Employer could not prove that there was an “actual” conflict of interest which is what is required in order to prohibit/limit supplemental employment.
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