Volume XXXIII No. 4 • 5 September, 2013
Union Disturbance at VWR
The Teamsters Union used their Aug. 16 labor demonstration at VWR International’s distribution warehouse in Visalia to signal they are once again prepared to drag their long-simmering labor dispute with VWR back to the public stage. The peaceful demonstration, dubbed a “Day of Action” by local Teamsters officials, was attended by a crowd of 80 to 120 sign-toting union supporters, according to rally organizer Chris Zent, business agent for Teamsters Local 948 of Visalia. Visalia police estimated the number of demonstrators at a more conservative 50. Zent said the demonstration was held to bring attention to the pending certification of the election and the Teamsters Union by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) as the recognized elected representative of the more than 100 workers at VWR’s Visalia facility located at 8711 W. Riggin Ave. Rank and file warehouse workers voted overwhelmingly to join the Teamsters Union at an NLRB monitored election held Feb. 14. Certification of the Teamsters had been held up first by questions regarding the legality of President Obama’s methods for appointing three members to the NLRB board during a Congressional recess, and then by bickering over the 42 objections to the election which were filed by VWR. According to Zent, all of the issues have now been decided and a recommendation for certification of the Teamsters by the NLRB is now just days away. Following the certification, Teamsters officials can begin potentially contentious negotiations with VWR over a contract that will include provisions for hourly wages, working conditions and workplace rules, health benefits, etc. Zent said the union will be looking for an increase in the starting hourly pay at the facility, currently set at about $10 per hour, to between $12 and $15 per hour.
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DAVID MARSH The two sides have one year following certification of the election to reach agreement on a new contract, or to hold a new election calling for decertification of the February election. Zent has accused officials at VWR’s distribution facility of terrorizing and unlawfully terminating workers in a failed attempt to dissuade them from voting to bring in the union. “Given their history,” said Zent, “that’s the tactic they will take.” Zent and the union have alleged that VWR has a long history of union busting. Valerie Collado, director of corporate communications for VWR, responded to a request for comment from the Valley Voice regarding the recent labor demonstration at the Visalia facility and the union’s successful efforts at organizing the workers there. “We believe that union representation is not in the best interest of our associates, company or customers,” Collado said. “However, we do respect the associates’ right to join a union. Experience shows that we can provide a better workplace environment when we deal directly with our associates as opposed to through third party representation.” VWR is an industry-leading worldwide distributor of laboratory supplies, equipment and services with reported sales in excess of $4.1 billion for 2012. The company is headquartered in West Chester, Pennsylvania. The state-of-the-art warehouse in Visalia opened early last year, and, at 500,000 sq. ft., is the company’s largest warehouse facility anywhere. VWR employs over 8,000 associates worldwide. But trouble between VWR and the Central Valley’s largest labor union had begun in earnest long before VWR opened its doors in Visalia. For over 50 years, the Teamsters had represented over 100 workers at VWR’s former
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Collins Re-Ups for City Council Anyone who has lived in Visalia since the 1980s remembers Greg Collins as the young and congenial mayor of Visalia. Since those early years, Council Member Collins says he has always had a firm vision of what he knew to be best for our city and its future growth. Today, with seasoning and years of experience, Collins admits he has learned one very important thing, “What is best for Visalia is not always popular. “I am really a conservative guy, not the old liberal hippie some say I am,” Collins says. In fact, he adds that he often stands alone on specific conservative issues facing Visalia. His greatest passion is an aggressive plan for “infill” growth and enforcing a more efficient model for city planning. “Spokespersons hired to negotiate deals for investors will say land is
ADINA ESCARSEGA
Greg Collins
not available within the city boundaries, but this is absolutely not true and I can prove it,” Collins said,
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208 W. Main St., Ste. E • Visalia, CA
The Atwell Island solar project. Photo by: Steve Pastis
New Solar Projects to Create Energy for Local Use
STEVE PASTIS
Nineteen solar projects have been approved in Tulare County, three are complete and five – including those near Ivanhoe, Exeter and Lindsay – are under construction. Last year, the Tulare County Board of Supervisors set the groundwork for these projects by interpreting the zoning ordinance to include solar and wind generation, explained Michael Washam, county economic development manager. The new interpretation allows for solar developments for both personal use and to sell energy. “If you’re putting up solar for your own use, it’s by rights,” he said. “You just come in for building permits to make sure everything is up to business code. If you’re putting up solar to sell energy, what we consider utility scale solar facilities, they require you go through special use permit process.” So far, there haven’t been any wind energy projects in the area. “There’s not enough wind,” said
Washam. “We’re not the Tehachapis. We’re not the passes in the Bay Area.” Each solar project will generate 295 megawatts during peak times (when the sun is up). “I’ve seen it reported that one megawatt will generate enough power for 800 houses,” said Washam, before providing his own, more conservative estimate. “One megawatt should supply 200 houses with their annual use.” The first solar project in Tulare County, Atwell Island, southeast of Alpaugh, opened in May and had its ribbon-cutting in June. “The project leased Alpaugh Irrigation District land,” Washam said. “The soils aren’t very good there. They’re very alkaline.” Six solar projects in the area are being developed by the ImMODO Group, based in Spain, which has solar projects in Spain, India and Chile, and is developing projects in Colombia, South Africa, Peru and Uruguay.
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Valley Prepares for ObamaCare
APRIL HEATH PASTIS
On October 1, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, more commonly known as ObamaCare, will enter its final phase: the opening of the health insurance marketplaces in which individuals and small businesses can shop for health plans. The online markets, like Covered California in our state, were set up to help the uninsured comply with the new law requiring that all Americans have health insurance by Jan. 1, 2014 or pay a fine. Around the Valley, the mood ranges from optimism to caution and confusion. After years of hype and politics, Valley residents seem to be waiting for more information. (To get up to speed, see the article “Shopper’s Guide to ObamaCare” in this issue.) In our next issue, we’ll cover the affect of ObamaCare on local businesses and their options in the health insurance marketplace. In Kings and Kern counties, nearly one in four people are uninsured. In Tulare County, the number of uninsured is .6 percent over the state’s average at 20
percent. The state has until March 31st, six months, to enroll 5.3 million Californians—a feat considering a national poll shows that 90 percent of Americans don’t know what the marketplace is. Area health professionals, county agencies, community groups and local business groups have been preparing for open enrollment for the past two years by training and licensing what the state calls “assisters,” educating members and employees about the law, and setting up hotlines to answer questions in every language from Spanish to Tagalog. A $290 million marketing campaign in California will roll out in October with television commercials, social media outreach and a grass-roots campaign, according to Peter Lee, director of Covered California. The first commercials have already run in test areas–Chico, San Diego and Sacramento– and can be viewed online on YouTube. The marketing strategy will be
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