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Workplace Survival Guide

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Workplace Rights | Complaints & Grievances | Health & Safety | Family, Medical & Disability | Unemployment Help

Workplace Survival Guide
The Workplace Survival Guide is a 4-page Action Center pullout section in the April-May 2004 issue of the Local 616 Advocate.

The guide is available in both print and online editions. You can download it as a PDF file for printing – just click the image to the left – or bookmark this page to keep it handy in your web browser.

  Shop Steward Leadership Guide
The comprehensive online guide for Local 616 shop stewards.

  Political Action at Work
Read How to: Talk to Your Co-workers About Politics

Weingarten Rights: The Right to Representation
English   Español     Chinese     Vietnamese
If you are ever called in to meet with your supervisor so he or she can investigate a situation which might result in discipline, your Weingarten Rights give you the right to have a union steward present at the meeting.

Garrity Rights: No Self-Incrimination
Your Garrity Rights guarantee that public employees cannot be forced, under clear threat of discipline, to make any self-incriminating statement.

Skelly Hearing: The Right to Make Your Case
The California Supreme Court has ruled that public employees must get a chance to respond to charges against them before they can be disciplined. By law, an employee must receive advance written notice of any proposed disciplinary action, including:

• The specific policy or rule violated,
• A description of the proposed discipline and the date it takes effect,
• The reasons for the discipline, and
• A statement advising the employee of the right to respond.

If you believe your Skelly rights are being denied, contact your shop steward or Local 616 field rep immediately. This is not something you should attempt to handle alone.

For more information about workers' rights, see Steward Resources.

How to: File a Complaint or Grievance

How to: Use the Local 616 Conflict Resolution Program (PDF)

 Forms
(click links to download PDFs)

Member Complaint Form

Grievance Form

Assignment Despite Objection Form (ACMC)
•  Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about the new Assignment Despite Objection Form

SEIU Resources

 "Health & Safety Committees Make a Difference"
 Health and Safety Publications

Other Union Resources

 AFL-CIO: Safety & Health at Work
 American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)
 Teamsters: Safety & Health Links

State of California Resources

 Occuptional Safety and Health home page of the Dept. of Industrial Relations, with links to the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH), the Occupational Safety  and Health Standards Board, and more.
 Title 8, Division 1, California Code of Regulations (Cal/OSHA Standards)
 How to file a health/safety complaint with Cal/OSHA

Federal Government Resources

 Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) (U.S. Dept. of Labor)
 Worker safety and health stats from the U.S. Dept. of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)

Workers' Comp Information

 NEW - Report on Workers' Comp reform - Reform the Reform
 Calif. Division of Workers' Compensation
 Resources from the California Labor Federation
 Resources from the AFL-CIO

In 2003, California became the first state in the nation to pass a law granting paid family leave to all employees who have State Disability Insurance (SDI) deducted from their paychecks. On July 1, 2004, you become eligible under the new Family Temporary Disability Insurance (FTDI) program to take up to six weeks per year of paid leave to care for a seriously ill family member or a new child.

The California law extends the benefits you have under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which grants up to 12 weeks per year of unpaid leave for similar purposes.

Family & Medical Leave in California

 Family Temporary Disability Insurance (FTDI) (official state information)
 Paid Family Leave in California (from the Labor Project for Working Families)
 Resources from the California Labor Federation

Federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

 U.S. Dept. of Labor (includes complete federal law, regulations, and information for employees)
 Calif. Dept. of Personnel Administration

Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)

 U.S. Dept. of Justice official site

SEIU Local 616 has published a directory of 130 licensed child care providers in Alameda County. The listings include languages spoken, hours of operations, and a description of the services offered.

To learn more about SEIU child care providers in your neighborhood, call Local 616, 510/452-2366, or email Jackie Brady.

AFL-CIO Unemployment Help
Useful information on how to deal with the financial and emotional stresses of losing your job.

AFL-CIO Resources for Coping
Help in dealing with personal crises as well as unemployment and workers' comp issues.

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