The city should be ashamed at a time when people are hurting...to use this as a way to take away healthcare when the city has millions. Get rid of them.

The site is awesome and easy to follow the trail of lies and deceptoon, I am ready to strike!!!!!!!

WRT "public trust and transparency," this site is registered to:

SEIU 521
2302 Zanker Road
San Jose, CA 95131
US

The City of Palo Alto should have hired an American owned firm to develop the Palo Alto See-It project?

There goes more taxpayers' money leaving our economy.

I don't get it. The City is short $100s of millions in deferred capital maintenance...the shelved public safety facility comes to mind, streets, sidewalks, park maintenance, you name it. Plus the state just withheld about $3 million in funds due Palo Alto, there have been virtually no layoffs for Palo Alto employees, yet everyone in the real world is worried about their jobs. NO one but muni employees get free health care and retirement benefits that can be gamed with a big last-year income. It is time the City got rid of every greedy employee who is willing to walk off the job...replace them.

PAIFS RESPONDS:
Two comments: 1. If you read through this Website, you will notice we use no personal attacks on the city or the council. The data highlighted reveal city leaders’ misjudgment, misguided priorities, and, in some cases, misrepresentation of city finances. Your comment about "greedy" workers reveals a personal bias that is unfortunate and unfair. 2. As for comparing with other workforces, Chapter 6 highlights what other cities are doing in these tough times, and none attacks workers' health care benefits as is the case here in Palo Alto.

Response to "Concerned" post:

Wake up and open your eyes...step out of your house and take a stroll through the streets of Palo Alto. Hard to believe it's that nice, huh? 100s of millions in deferred maintenance, you are kidding right. They are 100s of millions in pet projects.

I for one am thankful these City employees are keeping my city in good working order. Believe me, it's not the City Council that keeps it running. Ask yourself who fixes the broken water main at all hours, or who comes to the rescue at all hours...not the City Council. When theres a fire, you think a City Council is going to get out of bed to come help a distressful homeowner.

I think when you use the word greedy, you are directing it at the wrong folks. Maybe you should ask the City Council where Palo Alto employees rank in pay? Ask the City Council why in a bad year are they putting millions into projects that could be delayed until better times? Ask the City Council if the money identified in this website can be used to help close the deficit?

I think we all need to go ask our City Council some questions...

Wow - SEIU gave up the Cadillac PERS health plan all they way back in 2006. The rest of the US employees gave up such health plans in the 1990s. Sure must be nice working for City of Palo Alto.

PAIFS RESPONDS:
Our fight is to raise standards for all workers. The Wal-Mart employers of the world need to raise their standards; workers do not need to lower ours.

Fifteen years ago, I accepted a position at The City of Palo Alto with the compromise of less pay but with great benefits. I am a single mother with two kids; I cannot afford the $450.00 permanent monthly cut to my salary. It is not fair to take away the largest percentage of pay cut from the lowest paid employees. Please Palo Alto, do the right thing by keeping our benefits intact.

These city employees provide city services that keep the city running. It's WRONG for the city to take away from its employees and put them and their families at risk - especially in times like these. The city manager and city council should be ashamed of themselves! I know who I'm NOT voting for next election!

There will always be two sides to every story. As an employee for Palo Alto I feel my story is not being heard in all of this. I carpool to work about 25 miles. I have to since I can't afford a home in or near Palo Alto on my salary. I am one of the lucky ones though. There are many employees who live much further away such as in the central valley and the Fresno area. We commute these distances because of the benefits we get here. We could get paid more on the outside, but we want to work in a great city and receive the benefits to make up for the pay issues.
The last time I heard of a pay comparison with benefits included, Palo Alto employees were middle of the road to the low end. That illustrates how much less an hour we earn.
Many of us have been here a long time. Many of us have a long time to go until retirement. I love what I do, the people I work with, and the people in this community. The customers I interact with on a daily basis seem to love the job we do. I wish everyone did. We, most of us, are experts in our field and enjoy what we are doing. It shows too! Let's keep it that way.
Palo Alto is already losing employees left and right due to these contract negotiations. We have lost a lot of knowledge and it will take years to get it all back, if we ever do. Please don't force us to lose more!

As a native Palo Alton, current resident and CSD employee of 19 years for the first time I'm outraged & embarrassed. Our City Council & new City Manager seems to have no conscious, trying to fix the of City of Palo Alto long time poorly managed financial problems by cutting pay & benefits of the lowest paid employees.
The “City” has historically shown that they don’t know where the “City” money is, or what it’s being spent on. Management needs to get their act together and stop playing the blame game.
-Let management take a 8-10% pay cut, their part of the hundred thousand a year club.
-Let those City Council members lined up to accept free medical for life in exchange for their short term positions give up that “perk”.
The City of Palo Alto is one or the wealthiest cities in the country, in one of the most expensive area to live with some of smartest people in the world residing in it. Why can’t we work together to get it right? I’m so disgusted!

Dear SEIU,
I am a thirty-year City of Palo Alto Employee and an SEIU member from a time when membership was voluntary, and before we became a union shop.
In an effort to promote amity between Labor and Management and the people of Palo Alto, I am asking my brothers and sisters in Local 715 to consider graciously accepting the contract offered.
I know we are shouldering a significant financial burden in doing so.
It is my hope that by accepting the contract we will be regarded by our community as possessing motivations beyond financial for having devoted (and continuing to selflessly devote) our lives to the service of our City.
In Solidarity,
William Warrior
Police Department/Animal Services Division

PAIFS RESPONDS:
You are right when you say the current city proposal would pose a significant financial burden. This Web site clearly refutes the city claim that it has to be one or the other: A balanced budget or a decent workers' health-care plan. The data show Palo Alto can balance its budget AND do right by workers.

I think that the City Council should stop denying that there is $22 million in savings. To get through these hard times, everyone should take an equal responsibility in balancing this deficit, management included! Workers who have quality benefits and salaries provide quality services, which is what Palo Alto residents deserve. Management and City Council do not help the public on a daily basis. It is the rank and file workers that are serving our community. I think the workers should go on strike. Let's see how long over-payed management can fill your shoes.
I work for San Mateo County's Health Department. Our contract ends in October. Our negotiations team sits down with management on 8/31. I can only imagine what takeaways they will propose. We need to stand together during this time, frontline workers with other workers, and send a clear message to management and the City Council that "we're not gonna take it." Let us know if/when you will be going on stirke, cause I'll be there in a heartbeat. :-)

I am the (volunteer) Chapter Chair for the SEIU employees and a City of Palo alto employee...I am a single mom with a daughter, and a niece that I have taken in. Last summer I had my nephew living with me. I make about 73,000.00 in salary a year as a construction site inspector. Fot Santa Clara County in 2008 an income of $59,960 was "sustainabiltiy" for a parent with a preschooler and a grade school child. Employees with my same job in other cities (and with less responsibilities) make $80,000 - $90,000 a year...In private industry as a contract inspector you can make $100,000.00 a year and have deductions...(I do not own a home). I work for the city to stay in one place for my child. I have been here almost 9 years.

As negotiations goes on it is surprising to find (reveal) the number of selfless employees who are not only taking care of themselves but have a spouse or partner who has been laid off. OR ..they care for their parents, grandparents, grandchildren, nieces and nephews...Maybe they are also putting kids through college while working a second job.

I figure it is the nature of people who have the kind of family values that a lot of city employees do. They are the "straight" ones ...a lot of whom who believe in a regular job, looking out for family...and generosity. It is also a class issue...they can't afford a nursing home for mom and dad...their siblings became ill and they take in the kids. They are single divorced with children...These are often hard working people living paycheck to paycheck.

The current city negotiations "ask" of 8-10% will bankrupt these families. So when we consider"employees"..we need to be considering the peripheral damage that could occur if the city council members (not all) who are enthusiastically attacking employees under "the guise of a cut in benefits"...are willing to take in all the people that will go bankrupt (about 1/3 of employees earning 50- 65,000 a year..some 200 people) ..and six months later those of the next 200 employees who then are put at the tipping point economically.

We want a great city and are dedicated to the city. Our actions show that we are dedicated to efficiency and performance by employees and by the entire staff.

LET'S GET REAL. The fact of the matter is that some members of Palo Alto City Council want
THE SAME WORK FOR LESS MONEY WITH THE SAME AMOUNT OF EMPLOYEES.
With 44+ retirements and 70 frozen positions...where is the 4.4 MILLION PER YEAR that city coulc save in reorganization?

SO...early on in negotiations, when asked why the city was asking for so much from SEIU
the city negotiator Mr. Murray said..."It's political".

We would not strike becuase we are greedy..we have offered to take reasonable cuts.
And unlike the papers suggest...it's not aoubt 1% cuts...it's about 8-10% cuts as of today August 24, 2009.

I started at the County of Santa Clara in 1996,. I took a wage cut and let a real estate appraisal business go. In return, I got healthcare and a pension. During the mid 1990's the stock market was going crazy and everyone, especially in Palo Alto, was getting stock options. No one complained about our pensions then. At the county, SEIU 521 worked closely with the Board of Supervisors and management to save jobs. If there was unnecessary reserves it would be used to save jobs.
Why?
If you cut jobs, you cut services too! Work doesn't get done or slows down.

If the people of Palo Alto had any idea what really goes on behind the scenes in the various departments,
the manipulations, the cover ups, protecting the managers who should be fired for incompetence,
the investigations that go nowhere, you would all be astonished. Does anyone remember the scandal in
the Utilities Division in 2008? Any Managers get in trouble? How about the investigation in the Equipment
Management Division in 2008 that went nowhere even though the Assistant Fleet Manager was escorted
off the property by the Police for threatening an employee.

The people of this town need to pay attention to what is really going on.

As a former employee, I am aware that yes there are too many managers and some of them have no people reporting to them.

One of the benefits of that for Palo Alto, is the manager is no longer part of SEIU.

Palo Alto is an amazing organization. Probably the most screwed up place I ever worked.

The Real Question is…
Why does the city have 22 million dollars in excess funds?
This is outside of the general fund reserves - - -
and the city is claiming a general fund deficit?

The city has not denied that it has the 22 million available
14 million unrestricted funds in I T
3 million +/- in Vehicle Maint., and
3 million +/- in Health and Benefits…

And we could be saving an additional:
4.5 million per year ongoing savings in reorganization around 40+ retirements and 70 frozen (funded) positions
0.5 million in phone bills (as described by the auditor last week)

= 27 million Dollars…OUTSIDE OF the general fund reserves.

So why is there a claim of a general fund deficit?
And why isn’t a public hearing called to address this matter?

SEE: www.Paloaltoisfallingshort.com and then e-mail your city council member to ask…
Why is there 22 million in unrestricted funds?
And why aren’t we reorganizing for the additional 4 – 5 million?

Look at the facts - not the hysteria.
Ask City Council...how is it we have these monies and the city is
claiming a general fund deficti?

The real question is how can the city have a 10 million dollar deficit and 22 million in unrestricted funds. These unrestricted funds are in just three department accounts - - - there are more departments - what do they look like?. The city needs to be transparent on it's available funds and the unrestricted funds (that exist outside of the general fund reserve).

When I came to the city as an SEIU employee almost 9 years ago from private industry...I took a cut in earning potential and did so to stay in one place for my family.

Palo Alto SEIU Employees recieve less in pay and benefits for the same job than the average of surrounding cities. Private employers in the Bay Area also have expences beyond the pay rate - Social security, unemployment,medicare, disabilty, taxes, healthcare, 401K....Why are the Bay Area additional private employer costs not tallied into the rumored private industry pay rates?

The hatefull conversations and attacks on employees based in anger and fear help no one.. The long range financial health and morale of the city and community are important to us all.

We are in this TOGETHER.