Bill,
This coming Friday, 3/17, at 2:30 PM, we will be arguing Jerry Lueck's motion to dismiss our Consumer Protection Act claims against him. The hearing will be before Judge Leveque, whose chambers are in Room 403 of the Spokane County Courthouse. If you and some of your Firefighter friends could join us, we'd appreciate your support.
Thanks . . .
Roger
D. Roger Reed
Reed & Giesa P.S.
drreed@reedgiesa.com
Phone: (509) 838-8341
Thursday, March 16, 2006
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
KXLY report - latest on the AMR story...
A big story in the Spokesman-Review this morning. Here's the latest from KXLY. You can click on their picture to view the story.
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Friday, February 24, 2006
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
From Art of Bleeding - The First Aid Movie
This might be good to show before "CPR for Friends and Family," to get the crowd warmed up.
Art of Bleeding...
Maybe Training could get these guys and gals to help out with OTEP stuff. Enjoy.
UPDATE: Some concern about viewing this at work. There are images on a "naughtiness" level of a Victoria's Secret catalog, or the JEMS website. And given the ambiguity of what is and what is not pornography as it relates to city computers, use your best judgement. Some people are really into feet and shoes, and have been warned about looking at the Red Wing and Hush Puppies web catalogs.
Monday, January 30, 2006
Follow the legislative conference online
Right now, our union reps are lobbying for us over in Olympia. If you would like to see what they are lobbying for and check in to see how it's going, the WSCFF website says it will provide updates. If you haven't registered on the website, it will ask you to do so before you can access all material.
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Meeting With Gavin Cooley...
Greg and I met with Gavin Cooley and Tim Dunivant today. Mr. Cooley had requested this meeting. He read entries in this blog and wanted to set the record straight. At the meeting, I told him that one of our members had recently seen him on TV and that he had heard Mr. Cooley say that firefighters had not given any concessions, in regard to the lidlift. I said this was an important issue for us, as we had, in fact, voted for every member to donate 24 hours of labor to the city. And many voted for this so citizens would see that we aren't greedy b*st*rds. We were willing to give something back - free labor - 24 hours worth.
Mr. Cooley responded by saying that the last time he talked on TV was December 12th - the budget meeting. He said that he didn't say anything of the sort. In fact, he believes that Local 29 is the only labor union to have actually made a very real, very substantial giveback/concession.
I then asked him about some of the rumors we heard earlier. We heard that he was speaking out against the lidlift levy before the election in November. He pointed out that he had not only drafted the proposition's language, he persuaded many of the lidlift's opponents to not actively oppose this measure.
Overall, the meeting was positive. Mr. Cooley would like to work with Local 29 for a change in state law so municipalities (us) will have the same ability as counties to institute an M&O levy for more than one year. This was something that the WSCFF tried to do last year, but had no luck.
Mr. Cooley responded by saying that the last time he talked on TV was December 12th - the budget meeting. He said that he didn't say anything of the sort. In fact, he believes that Local 29 is the only labor union to have actually made a very real, very substantial giveback/concession.
I then asked him about some of the rumors we heard earlier. We heard that he was speaking out against the lidlift levy before the election in November. He pointed out that he had not only drafted the proposition's language, he persuaded many of the lidlift's opponents to not actively oppose this measure.
Overall, the meeting was positive. Mr. Cooley would like to work with Local 29 for a change in state law so municipalities (us) will have the same ability as counties to institute an M&O levy for more than one year. This was something that the WSCFF tried to do last year, but had no luck.
Sunday, January 08, 2006
Charred Mouse Burns House...
Man tries to dispose of mouse by throwing it onto a burn pile in his yard. Flaming mouse exits fire and returns to man's house. Mouse burns down house.
Saturday, January 07, 2006
Friday, January 06, 2006
Sumner and East Pierce are hiring...
Sumner and East Pierce are going to hire aprox 13 new employees. Around 10 are going to be firefighter medics. If anyone is interested, call Chief Dan Packerd @ 253-863-1800.
Thursday, January 05, 2006
Did anybody else see this?
Heard from some folks that they saw Gavin Cooley, the city's CFO, on TV the other night. They said they heard him say that the city's firefighters didn't give anything back to the city like we said we would. I can't believe that he doesn't know that we are each donating 24 hours of work to the city! And we changed our dental plans to cheaper ones, too. I had heard stories that he was out campaigning against the lidlift levy using the same line that we wouldn't give anything up. If you saw him say these things, e-mail me. Local 29 would like to document this. Most citizens don't know that we gave anything back, and if he is deliberately spreading misinformation, we need to know.
John
John
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
ESCORT SERVICE WORKERS NEEDED - not that kind of escort...
Brothers and Sisters,
I am looking for two or maybe three people to work for me doing funeral escorts. The pay is good but the hours are very part time. If you have any questions, give me a call and we can talk about it.
Bill Gonzalez
13D
I am looking for two or maybe three people to work for me doing funeral escorts. The pay is good but the hours are very part time. If you have any questions, give me a call and we can talk about it.
Bill Gonzalez
13D
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Health Insurance Companies sock away hundreds of millions more than they will ever need...
A link to the SR article this morning.
Remember how we were told much of the city's budget woes were because of rising healthcare costs? Remember how we laid off firefighters because of budget woes? Well, this article should be the beginning of outrage by city governments all around this state. I wonder if it will.
Earlier this year, we pointed out to the city that Local 29 negotiated a very modest increase in our healthcare premiums for the LEOFF Trust plan. We suggested the city do the same thing. The city could have saved taxpayers a bundle. They could have kept layoffs from coming, perhaps without any increase in taxation to the city. Instead, the city decided to just take whatever increase Premera or GHNW had slated. All the folks of a particular political bent who continually talk about the benefits of competition and the wisdom of the "free" market simply said "no thanks," when it came to demanding some competition between insurance companies for our city tax dollars. How strange.
I know the Spokesman-Review is busy investigating the AMR stuff, and rightfully so. But there may be even a bigger story here. The questions that need to be answered are:
1. Why wouldn't an entity with a million? ten million? a hundred million? dollars worth of health insurance business not shop around?
2. How much money did employees and the city pump into GHNW and Premera via premiums? How much did these companies expend in healthcare? What's the difference between the two numbers?
3. If there's this kind of money to be made, without any oversight, in regards to gouging, why doesn't the city underwrite its own policy?
4. Who's in charge of making sure the city gets the best deal in insurance and other expenditures? What happened when we suggested that they shop around for more competitive insurance companies?
5. If this is the deal insurance companies get with the city, what about road construction, general contracting, etc.?
What gives?
Remember how we were told much of the city's budget woes were because of rising healthcare costs? Remember how we laid off firefighters because of budget woes? Well, this article should be the beginning of outrage by city governments all around this state. I wonder if it will.
Earlier this year, we pointed out to the city that Local 29 negotiated a very modest increase in our healthcare premiums for the LEOFF Trust plan. We suggested the city do the same thing. The city could have saved taxpayers a bundle. They could have kept layoffs from coming, perhaps without any increase in taxation to the city. Instead, the city decided to just take whatever increase Premera or GHNW had slated. All the folks of a particular political bent who continually talk about the benefits of competition and the wisdom of the "free" market simply said "no thanks," when it came to demanding some competition between insurance companies for our city tax dollars. How strange.
I know the Spokesman-Review is busy investigating the AMR stuff, and rightfully so. But there may be even a bigger story here. The questions that need to be answered are:
1. Why wouldn't an entity with a million? ten million? a hundred million? dollars worth of health insurance business not shop around?
2. How much money did employees and the city pump into GHNW and Premera via premiums? How much did these companies expend in healthcare? What's the difference between the two numbers?
3. If there's this kind of money to be made, without any oversight, in regards to gouging, why doesn't the city underwrite its own policy?
4. Who's in charge of making sure the city gets the best deal in insurance and other expenditures? What happened when we suggested that they shop around for more competitive insurance companies?
5. If this is the deal insurance companies get with the city, what about road construction, general contracting, etc.?
What gives?
Monday, December 12, 2005
Local 29 Election Results
Debit Day Donation (the giveback)
Yes - 137
No - 54
Dental Plan
Yes- 143
No - 45
Emeritus status
Yes- 174
No - 19
E-Board
Haff - 167
Gonzalez - 131
Wisniewski - 123
Staggs - 109
Yes - 137
No - 54
Dental Plan
Yes- 143
No - 45
Emeritus status
Yes- 174
No - 19
E-Board
Haff - 167
Gonzalez - 131
Wisniewski - 123
Staggs - 109
Thursday, December 08, 2005
More Firefighter Openings in other Washington State fire departments...
Here are some more openings that a brother from another dept was kind enough to forward to Local 29. And again, isn't it strange that other cities and counties in Washington State are hiring so many firefighters, while our city (currently in the midst of a construction boom) is in such "financial trouble" that we still have 17 guys laid off? What gives?
Message follows:
My name is Mike Westland, I am the treasurer and on the e-board for Local 3520 (East Pierce firefighters). We are in the fortunate position of adding 9 positons in the next 16 months or so, and our neighbors whom we work with closely should be hiring 3. The first 5 or 6 will be ff/paramedics. If you have any firefighter paramedics who are still laid off and are looking for a job have them call me. Our chief has said he is willing to take a close look at our laid of brothers and perhaps do a direct recruit/lateral hiring. It is my hope that we can do the same in the future for firefighters also, but for the time being it is just paramedics.
Fraternally
Mike Westland
home phone 253-826-6146
work phone 253-863-1800
Message follows:
My name is Mike Westland, I am the treasurer and on the e-board for Local 3520 (East Pierce firefighters). We are in the fortunate position of adding 9 positons in the next 16 months or so, and our neighbors whom we work with closely should be hiring 3. The first 5 or 6 will be ff/paramedics. If you have any firefighter paramedics who are still laid off and are looking for a job have them call me. Our chief has said he is willing to take a close look at our laid of brothers and perhaps do a direct recruit/lateral hiring. It is my hope that we can do the same in the future for firefighters also, but for the time being it is just paramedics.
Fraternally
Mike Westland
home phone 253-826-6146
work phone 253-863-1800
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Job Openings from Dan Daniels...
Dan has a friend who is a mine superintendent for Hecla Mines. He is shorthanded for workers at the Lucky Friday Mine in Silver Valley. The fellow's name is Bearhunter. Just starting, the pay is $13 per hour. And there are worker's incentives too. Most guys are making an extra 1000 bucks a month. The job also has full medical benefits. If you are interested, call 208-744-1751 X303. Tell Bearhunter that you know Dan.
Monday, December 05, 2005
Best Firefigher Movies?
Great article about FF movies and why they really don't work, written by a FF from the Bronx. This is from the Nov/Dec Issue of American Heritage Magazine.
Saturday, November 26, 2005
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