February 3, 2012 • www.myvalleynews.com • The Valley News


9 Local


County reaches tentative labor deal with largest union; manages effects from SEIU strike


RIVERSIDE – Riverside County


reached a tentative labor agreement with its largest union on Jan. 31, a deal which improves salaries and benefits in return for pension reform that could save more than $60 mil- lion per year once fully implement- ed. The four-year agreement, which still must be ratified by members of the Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA), would be- gin with the new fiscal year in July. Board of Supervisors Chairman


John Tavaglione lauded the agree- ment and said it would not have been possible without cooperation. “This is what happens when both


sides sit down with realistic goals that honestly consider the county’s budget picture and the needs of our employees,” Tavaglione said. LIUNA’s business manager, Ste-


phen Switzer, said the agreement addresses the current budget crisis in a meaningful way while acknowl-


edging the value of the employees and the worth of the work they perform.


“LIUNA and the county realize


that we still have difficult economic times ahead but this agreement will help move us closer to a condition of financial stability,” he said. The tentative agreement with LI-


UNA addresses pension reform that was a key point for the county, which has asked miscellaneous employees to contribute 8 of their salary to cover the employee’s share of pen- sion costs. Terms of the proposal were not released Tuesday because the agreement is tentative. The agreement came the same


day as a strike by about 1,394 mem- bers of the county’s second largest labor group, Service Employees International Union. County depart- ments shifted personnel to cover for employees who did not show up for work and county operations


were largely unaffected Tuesday. The Community Health Agency and Mental Health Department reduced their appointments with clients to compensate, and planned to resume normal appointment schedules. Riverside County Regional Medical Center also canceled elective surgi- cal cases, stopped taking transfers, postponed some diagnostics, and cancelled a portion of outpatient clinics. About 556 workers did not show


up for work in the Department of Public Social Services as well as 65 at the hospital, 137 in the Com- munity Health Agency, and 248 in the Department of Mental Health. The remainder were spread across county departments but exact figures were not immediately available for all departments. SEIU called the strike after the


county, in November, imposed terms of employment following almost


three dozen meetings with the union over eight months. On Monday, a Riverside County judge ordered about 250 nurses and other medical employees not to join the strike after the county argued that their inclusion could pose a threat to public health and safety. To date, failed negotiating ses-


sions with SEIU led Riverside County to impose terms of employ- ment in November. Riverside County imposed new terms of employment on more than 5,800 employees after union members rejected a proposed contract that offered a pay increase despite the lingering recession and the county’s $80 million budget deficit. The county’s last, best, and final


offer to SEIU would have saved $23 million over three years. It included a 2.7 percent pay raise and would have had SEIU members begin paying 3 percent of their salary in the current


fiscal year to cover pension costs, in- creasing to 8 percent in the fiscal year that begins July 1, 2013. Currently, the county pays the employees’ share after five years of service. The union initially responded to


that offer with a proposal that in- creased costs by $177 million over three years. Within a few days, the union reduced its demands by lop- ping off about $110 million. In recent labor negotiations, the


county has emphasized cost-cut- ting needed to close an $80 million budget deficit and reform a pension system that is unsustainable. An- nual general revenue used to provide county services has fallen by more than $200 million compared to levels four years ago. The majority of the damage was caused by the region’s economic downturn and plunging property values, which cannot as quickly as the economy recovers because of Prop. 13.


MSJC to recognize individuals in their contributions to the school TEMECULA –The Mt. San Ja-


cinto College Foundation Alumni and Friends Association will recog- nize four people for their outstand- ing contributions to Mt. San Jacinto College and its students during the Feb. 11 MSJC Foundation Evening With Our Stars Annual Gala at Pechanga. Rose Salgado, vice chairwoman


on the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians Tribal Council, will receive the Community Member of the Year award and the Alumni of the Year award will go to Duane Burk, the city of Banning’s director of Public Works. They will join two of MSJC’s own; Ron Guglielmana will receive the Staff Member of the Year award and Erik Ozolins will receive the inaugural Faculty Member of the Year award. These individuals are being honored for their extraor- dinary work in support of the Mt. San Jacinto College, its students, and the MSJC Foundation. Rose Salgado, retired from South-


ern California Edison Co. after a 27- year career, is known for graciously giving back to her community. She has been a tireless supporter of Mt. San Jacinto College and its founda- tion. She attends the foundation’s galas. She has graciously donated funds and her time to support the college and its students. Rose has held positions with


several local nonprofit organiza- tions. She is currently serving on the San Jacinto Unified School District board and is vice chairwoman on the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians Tribal Council. She is on the Board of Directors for the Hemet-San Ja- cinto Chamber of Commerce. She served on the San Jacinto Education Foundation for 8 years. In 2011, the city of Hemet chose Rose as grand marshal in the city’s Christmas parade. Duane Burk spent two years at


MSJC before transferring to earn the degrees that would eventually lead him to his job as Director of Public Works for the city of Banning. Dur- ing his time at MSJC, he was an outstanding basketball player under MSJC’s much-esteemed former coach John Chambers. Decades after leaving MSJC, Duane has remained an MSJC supporter. He speaks proudly of his years at the college. With a generous $750,000 award from Banning’s redevelop- ment agency, MSJC was able to build its new campus in Banning and Duane provided instrumen- tal help in that project. The San Gorgonio Pass Campus opened in January 2011. Ron Guglielmana is the supervi-


sor of the MSJC Cafeterias, but the food and service he offers should not be considered the usual cafeteria


fare. In the cafeteria, students are offered delicious breakfast burritos and salads and other fine meals. Un- der his supervision, Ron’s team also prepares healthy and delicious meals for the Childcare Centers on the San Jacinto and Menifee Valley cam- puses. Ron goes above and beyond when he pulls up with his own BBQ grill to events like Homecoming, graduation, and foundation events. He dishes up delights like chicken and Tri-tip BBQs for students and the community. Ron’s Tri-tip has become a favorite for participants of the MSJC Foundation Scholarship Motorcycle Run. He comes with a smile and makes sure his staff is friendly and helpful, too. Erik Ozolins is an associate pro-


fessor and chair of the Anthropology Department at the Menifee Valley Campus of Mt. San Jacinto College. He is dedicated to the students and the college. In addition to teaching anthropology, he is co-coordinator of the Honors Enrichment Program at MSJC and the President of the Honors Transfer Council of Califor- nia. Erik serves as a member of the Governing Council for the Western Center Academy charter Middle School in Hemet and participates in a number of committees at the col- lege. You will be sure to see Erik at every honors and scholarship event as he supports the students and en-


Fallen soldier’s body returned home, memorial service to be held


LOS ALAMITOS – A Hero Mis-


sion for Cpl. Christopher G. Singer, 23, of Temecula, was held at the Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos on Tuesday, Jan. 31. Honoring Our Fallen, in support


of his family, coordinated with Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos and community organi- zations for the mission. The body of Cpl. Christopher G. Singer was flown into the Los Alamitos Army Airfield, Joint Training Base, in Orange County. Lt. Col. Tom Lasser coordinated


the event and a chaplain joined Singer’s family and friends to receive the fallen Marine’s flag-


draped coffin. It was then escorted to a Laguna Hills mortuary by the Patriot Guard Riders, a motorcycle club whose members pay tribute to servicemen and women, as well as firefighters and police officers, killed in the line of duty. Cpl. Christopher G. Singer died


Jan. 21 with 5 others in a helicopter crash while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He had been assigned to 3rd 1st


Combat Engineer Battalion, Marine Division, 1st


Marine


Expeditionary Force, based at Twentynine Palms. Memorial services will be held on Friday, Feb. 3, at 10 a.m. at


Saddleback Church, located at, 1 Saddleback Parkway, Lake Forest, CA 92630. Honoring Our Fallen, Inc. is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing comprehensive support to the families of all fallen heroes within 24 hours of notification by local, state, or federal officials. We work with appropriate government agencies and community members to provide comprehensive assis- tance during their greatest time of need. This assistance includes link- ing families with the resources they need to cope with life after loss.


courages them to continue to reach their educational goals. The MSJC Foundation gala will


be held at 6 p.m. at the Pechanga Re- sort in Temecula. It is the Founda- tion’s signature event to raise money for student scholarships and other endeavors that benefit students and Mt. San Jacinto College. The event is open to the public. You can order tickets by calling (951) 487-3171 or visiting www.msjc.edu/gala.


This year’s theme is Beyond Imagination – A Celebration of the Visual Arts. The semi-formal event includes a fine buffet meal, danc- ing, and entertainment by MSJC’s Menifee Jazz Ensemble and DJ Bob Bozonelos. Artwork by MSJC students, including sculptures, paintings, and photos, will be dis- played throughout the area. MSJC students will receive scholarships for their artwork.


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