Letter to the Editor in Response to Mayor Lancelle

I'm grateful to Elaine Larsen for running my recent letter to the editor in regards to Mayor Julie Lancelle's inappropriate plea to city employees to essentially knock heads with their union reps over negotiations to bridge an $863,000 budget gap:

http://www.mercurynews.com/pacifica/ci_13447534

Here was my response published in the Pacifica Tribune this week:

Editor:

As a lifelong liberal Democrat and one-time candidate for Pacifica City Council, I was shocked to read Mayor Julie Lancelle's column in this week's Pacifica Tribune. Though I have moved out of state, I have maintained strong ties and property in Pacifica, and still have a vested interest in a community I love.

So imagine my surprise that Mayor Lancelle encourages city employees and union members to essentially question their union representation during ongoing negotiations to help bridge a $863,000 budget deficit. First, she lists the possible consequences of failing to bridge this gap, which include salary and merit freezes, loss of vacation benefits, and employee termination. She closes by saying: "We encourage you to talk with your union representatives, ask questions about the City's proposals, and offer options for labor cost savings that we have not considered."

Now I may not be brushed up on the intricacies of the labor negotiations, but I have been a Democrat and union supporter long enough to know "unfair labor practices" when I hear them (or read them). The common definition of unfair labor practices is "Coercing workers not to join unions or engage in legit union activities, with threats of job loss or benefit deprivation."

According to her voter information from the 2006 election, Mayor Lancelle received the endorsements of the San Mateo County Labor Council and the San Mateo County Democratic Central Committee.

I encourage all true blue Democrats and Union supporters to call and write either the San Mateo County Labor Council or San Mateo County Democratic Central Committee and demand an explanation.

Jeffrey W. Simons

Frisco, Texas

For a full follow up, here's a link to Julie Lancelle's endorsements for the 2006 election:

http://www.smartvoter.org/2006/11/07/ca/sm/vote/lancelle_j/

And here is the contact information for the SMC Labor Council and SMC Democratic Central Committee

San Mateo County Labor Council
Phone: (650) 572-8848
Fax:  (650) 572-2481
1153 Chess Drive
Suite 200
Foster City CA  94404
e-mail:  smclc@sbcglobal.net

San Mateo County Democratic Central Committee
Voicemail: (650) 344-1714
Email: contact@sanmateodemocrats.org
Central Committee General Meetings – Everyone Is Welcome!
When: 7:30 pm, 3rd Thursday of every month.
Where: Machinists Hall, 1511 Rollins Road, Burlingame
Chairman:  Dave Burruto, davidburruto@yahoo.com

I would also encourage union members to contact the offices of Leland Yee, Jerry Hill, Fiona Ma, and Jackie Speier.

During Measure L, I agreed to do a video interview after someone left a cross on my lawn the day before I was hosting Don Peebles at my residence.  I was quite upset at Leland Yee for taking a public stance against Measure L (and pretty steamed someone left a cross on my lawn!) when I felt some of the forces behind the No on L campaign were the same old "nothing for Pacifica" crowd, and possibly the people who denigrated my lawn.  I made a comment directed towards Mr. Yee in the video that I do not regret, but perhaps was overstated.  There are a lot more people to blame for Pacifica's dismal financial future than Senator Yee.

So my wife and I were very surprised after her mother passed away last year to receive a letter of condolence from Senator Yee's office (we also received flowers from Peebles Corporation).  My wife's father had been a postal supervisor for years before his death in the late 1980s, and a strong union man, and my late mother-in-law carried on that torch with her work with the National Association for Postal Supervisors auxiliary.  Elaine Conciatore was much loved by her co-workers as shown by the outpouring of support at her viewing and funeral, but she also helped push through a lot of support for the union, often working with Senator Yee's office.  I hope Senator Yee can offer some guidance to Mayor Lancelle on proper labor negotiations.

After reading Julie Lancelle's letter, I also contacted the California Public Employee Relations Board and the California State Employee's Association.  Some people may feel my comments are once again overstated, but the unanimous reply of any union member I have spoken to has been that Mayor Lancelle violated the spirit of labor laws, possibly even the letter of the laws, with her editorial.

I can't help but make a final comment that it seems irresponsible of Mayor Lancelle to be pushing the unions to compensate for her lack of leadership in providing a stable and vibrant economy for Pacifica, much as she saw "Rovian" conspiracies from the citizens who helped reject Measure D (the 1-cent sales tax proposal), who were predominantly Democrats.  Apparently, this is what passes for leadership in Pacifica.  When you turn away development and money time and time again, its everyone else's fault you can't balance the checkbook.

JEFFREY W SIMONS