Building a Stronger EAA & IBEW Relationship
Note from IBEW Leadership: Congratulations to Marleen Fonseca, who was recently appointed the new permanent Executive Director of our sister organization, EAA, the 5,000-member Engineers and Architects. EAA is a division of IBEW Local 11, and we will be featuring them regularly in our communications. We look forward to working with EAA to build a stronger and healthier union.
By Marleen Fonseca
Executive Director, EAA
If you look at the rich histories of EAA and IBEW 11, the partnership between our two organizations makes perfect sense. Combined, we have over 250 years of labor between us – our paths crossing in the early days of industrial Los Angeles. We built this city together – electricians, engineers, scientists, architects. The history is there.
That is why EAA has immense pride in our affiliation with IBEW 11. We are proud to be part of the brotherhood and sisterhood. We know our strength comes by increasing our membership and in solidarity of our missions. Together, with our blended skills, knowledge and abilities, we can continue building this city’s history to advance matters that are important to all of us – bringing green jobs to the city, expanding apprenticeships and pathways to careers into underrepresented communities and making Los Angeles a city where working families can afford their own home.
Our current affiliation remains strong. More than 1,700 EAA members have already become members of IBEW Local 11, reaping the additional benefits Local 11 provides:
- AFL-CIO membership: You will have the pride of being part of an association that is constantly fighting for the rights of its 12 million members, insuring dignity and respect and a voice at your jobsite.
- Discounts and Scholarships: Union Plus offers a variety of discounts on everyday purchases as well as free 2- and 4-year college degrees for EAA/IBEW members and their families. See all the details on unionplus.org.
Together We are Stronger!!
Whether seated at the negotiating table, organizing new membership, promoting campaigns or fighting for equity across the board, our joint membership brings a force like no other. It merges the powers and political connections of IBEW with the inside depth and city knowledge that the EAA membership contains – the IT professionals, the City Planners (including Transportation Planners), the Housing Analysts, the Finance Specialists and more.
Let’s keep moving forward together, building our membership and our power. Every EAA member should sign up to be an IBEW member through our EAA website (eaaunion.org). Share this information with your co-workers, and encourage them to join IBEW today. The benefits are worth it!
A Report on What Your EAA Unit Has Been Doing for You in 2021:
In the last three months, your EAA business agents have been busy in the field handling matters such as:
- Grievances for members receiving poor evaluations, notices to correct, reorganizations that have resulted in lost bonuses, denial of tuition reimbursements, departments not allowing telecommuting, non-accommodation of medical restrictions, bonuses not being paid and acting pay matters to name a few.
- Disciplinary actions including allegations /suspensions for poor work performance, DUI’s, insubordination, violation of department policies and not responding in a timely manner to supervisor requests.
- Nine pending arbitrations. Many arbitrators are choosing not to have electronic hearings and EAA will be looking into selecting new arbitrators to proceed on those hearings.
Negotiations/Meet & Confer – We have been cleaning up the last of our negotiations with the City on the four unpaid days, including who gets to work on 24/7 operations, and clarifying language for the new bank of 40-hour personal time.
Upcoming negotiations – As the city calls our members back to work, we will be negotiating permanent/partial telecommuting and safety protocols including the need for employees who interact with the public to have plexiglass partitions installed, staggered shifts for office workers, appropriate cubicle heights, and the possible need for employees to be vaccinated.
City Budget – With the news that the city will receive $1.35 billion in federal funds through the American Recovery Plan, the city’s fiscal situation begins the healing process. The city will receive half of the total amount this year (June 2021) and will likely use most – if not all – of it to close the remaining budget gap and replenish the reserve fund. Mayor Garcetti will present his budget to City Council by April 20, 2021 and the Budget and Finance Committee will begin discussing it on April 26.
Our New Building – Work on our new office building continues. Currently on deck is electrical work by our professional IBEW 11 brothers and sisters, which should begin this month. They will be providing electricity for a new front sliding door and an electric roll down gate.
