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New York City lifeguards!
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Post New York City lifeguards! Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2009 11:04 am
Guest
There was talk of drastic cuts for the State budget at the recent BRA meeting. Chip Gorman is facing a 3 million dollar cut in his operating budget. Yesterdays papers mentioned New York city looking to hire it's upcoming compliment of 1,200 lifeguards. No cuts in staff there, they actually said they're hoping to reach that full compliment. 2008 they came close hiring 1,156 and in 2007 they had 1,072 lifeguards. We should all be watching and reading where things go towards the lifeguards at other municipalities.

Any word on those other lifeguard contracts?

City of Long Beach, Town of Oyster Bay TOBAY, Town of Hempstead, New York City, Town of Babylon, Town of Islip, Atlantic Beach Club - ABC?

All the info we have can't help but foster our case here on Long Island for the State of New York lifeguards. We also need to begin organizing the rest of the State. New York City, Palisades, Taconic, etc There are 13 regions statewide, does anyone have any connections with any other New York State guards?

There are 20 New York State Lifeguards who are working full time and are currently "On the Clock!"
Post Re: New York City lifeguards! Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2009 5:55 pm
Guest
http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailyp ... yoffs.html
Post Re: New York City lifeguards! Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2009 8:06 am
Guest
Interesting article and feedback.

The BRA meeting should be good tonight, we'll find out the latest position with the Talks with Chip Gorman & the negotiations between NYSUT and or rep UUP with the Governors Office of Employee Relations.

No one has the crystal ball on what this summers crowds and riptides will be like. How do you make staff cuts and beach closings, etc. then have to deal with Record crowds and Hot weather, Big surf, etc.?

As usual the JBLC and the guards on the beach will handle anything they throw at us. I hope Joe Scalise and Steve Agostinacchio have a plan. Is there the usual opening weekend Air Show? I'm sure that will set the pace for the summer.

Let the GAMES begin!
Post Re: New York City lifeguards! Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2009 8:15 am
Guest
Jim,
When you say "There are 20 NYS Lifeguards working and on the clock", what does that mean? And in your opinion how should that be viewed?
Sometimes you make good points. Other times.... debateable :) In this instance I just don't comprehend what this remotely means, and what this means to us.

THX
Mike
Post Re: New York City lifeguards! Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2009 10:50 am
Guest
Mike;
If you've been following the past several seasons; We've gone from our Union representing the JBLC or 400 long island lifeguards to NYSUT and UUP who now represent us, plus the other Lifeguards through-out New York state.

There are 1,200 lifeguards statewide that work for New York state. As a group the Jones Beach guards are the most organized and have been unionized since 1963. A brief timeline would show us being organized first as local 381 of the SEIU or Service Employees International Union affiliated with the AFL/CIO.

In 1972 after our strike the summer of 1971; we signed cards and affiliated with Counsel 81 and became local in the New York State Prison guards union. We began electing our own Executive Boards and our first lifeguard president was Pat Linehan. The bucket & Bouy began being published and we created a Constitution and began operating with Shop Stewards and organizing the beaches.

In 1999 a group branched out of Counsel 81 and formed NYSCOPBA and took us with them. They were still representing prison guards and people in Law Enforcement. After 4 long years we were finally allowed to leave NYSCOPBA and are now being represented by NYSUT and are in a local UUP that represents all people employed in the SUNY campuses.

In our group are ALL the lifeguards in the State of New York. 1,200 of them. They are spread over 13 regions from Buffalo to the Saint Lawrence seaway, Catskills, Taconic region, and the Palisades, as well as New York city. We are in the Long Island region.

In that group through-out the state there are 20 lifeguards who are in positions that are employed full time. One is a Mr. Forsyth who works at a State facilty on Staten Island and had been our Chief sector steward when we were affiliated with NYSCOPBA. Most of this info has been published in the Bucket and Bouys and has been discussed on the Forum in the Union section.

The point I was making about the 20 that are currently on the clock is that NYSUT and UUP are currently negotiating with GOER for a raise and retro package for us. In the past NYSCOPBA could usually use the excuse, "None of those lifeguards is on the clock" and they would ignore dealing with any negotiated pay issues till Memorial Day weekend.

It is a nice change having a parent union that actually gives a @#%&!
Post Re: New York City lifeguards! Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 7:51 am
Guest
Jim,
Thanks for the very good explanation, and recap. It took me a couple of readings due to all the Initials (UUP, NYSUT, Goer,.....) but I now get it. Somewhere in my reading for the past few years, this stuff has just put me in a haze.
Now I am up to speed again. And I now beleive that I do understand your point as follows:
Nobody representing the JBLC, nor representing NY State, can turn this into a 3 month, Summer-Only issue. As long as there are Union members "on the clock" as you say, issues must be addressed throughout the full year, as they are certainly timely all year round.

Very Good job Jim, and THX.
Post Re: New York City lifeguards! Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 11:21 am
Guest
Mike;
It gets even better, we have our local Executive Board handling issues with the Long Island region of Parks, (jones beach, robert moses, and the outer parks) but now we'll have a State wide Executive Board that will be representing all 13 regions.

The fact that we have a serious parent union NYSUT, (New York State United Teachers) and our local UUP, (United University Professionals) backing us up means that GOER or the Governors Office of Employee Relations has to actually take us seriously. No more days of the state pawning us off while they deal with the State Prison guards. Nelson Rockefeller made quite a deal back in 1972 getting us put into Counsel 82, and basically keeping us in line. Now we'll have one representative looking into the issues that affect lifeguarding State-wide.
Rehire papers will be mailed out today and need to be filled out and returned by May 1st, 2009. Also the rehire test is going to be held saturday May 16th, 2009. They pushed the time back though and you can be there starting at 12 noon and have to get there by 2 PM to be processed.
Go Team Fischer!
Post Re: New York City lifeguards! Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 9:55 pm
Guest
I attended the BRA meeting and was very impressed with the dedication and total commitment from the E B. All questions were entertained and answered without any bullshit. Times are touph and may not be getting better any time soon, but they are breaking balls to get the best for the majority. I for one am very grateful, being affected if they cut back. I want to thank them and give them my full support
Sincerely
Kevin P
Post Re: New York City lifeguards! Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2009 1:38 am
Guest
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/ny-li ... 4869.story

So at the minimum WE 2 and EBHP will be closed. Any word on how this will effect rehire/ new hiring?
Post Re: New York City lifeguards! Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2009 7:49 pm
Guest
Right now it looks like all guards working West End Two, Field One, and East Bath pool will be redistributed. There will probably be no New Hire unless more than 56 guards don't come back. That is the number of spots that the STATE is saving by closing those fields. Hopefully now that the plan has been posted in the newspaper at least Newsday, there will be some sort of outcry over closing beaches and cutting lifeguards. At least maybe a debate over the feasability of the STATES plan.

Hopefully the lifeguard union through NYSUT and UUP will have some sort of response. What does the general membership THINK?

What does Bob Lenti THINK?
Post Re: New York City lifeguards! Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2009 10:50 pm
Guest
It is nice to be upset over closing beaches but if no lifeguards are being let go then to me that is ok....what upsets me is teachers being let go all over Long Island or not being able to find a full-time jon and being unemployed all winter like I have been!!! if they want to close down some fields and just re-distribute the guards and not let them go...great, no one loses their job!!!
Post Re: New York City lifeguards! Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2009 5:33 pm
Guest
uummm...im a bit confused...did we get a contract? cause we're on a new topic here...beach closings...

lets remember last year...july hot...lots of rescues...many jones/moses beaches were staying open late...some died in longbeach others drowned in the rockaways...spitzer was spending lots of the states money...now unelected patterson is making cuts...newsday is on board...the EB is on board...it is april 10th and lifeguards have no contract...no mention of that...why not?

i did see a blurb about jblc entering uup in a gotham newpaper...or something like that...

serious...what is the story...what is our plan...are we really waiting for lenti to respond...give an inch take a foot?

so if 10,000 people visit ebhp on a weekend day...that means 2,000 extra bodies on all the other beaches...add the thousands that will be redirected from we2 and field1...maybe 2,000 more at every beach...so total of 4,000 more bodies lets say...no new lifeguards...not to mention when the heat wave hits, do you think those fields will stay closed...in other words if all the lots are filled and row after row of 8.00$...will be waiting?you think the state will eat that money?

plus we will have to buy a new polaris because people will be swimming in those fields anyway so fld2 will be cruzing out west...leaving their beach lite...

my beach has two captains...so does one get the boot...or can he knock off a rookie?

so whats on peoples mind?
santiago
Post Re: New York City lifeguards! Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2009 8:02 pm
Guest
do we even have a contract yet??? We should worry about that because if we did have a contract then maybe lifeguards wouldn't be losing jobs....priorities people!!!
Post Re: New York City lifeguards! Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 7:35 pm
Guest
Tony;
Save the Cutbacks of Teachers comments for the NYSUT teachers FORUM.

Ask Bruce Mierowitz or Tom Donovan about the contract. First we got into UUP, now they are negotiating with GOER on our behalf. UUP allready has a contract, but since we're a new addition of 1,200 lifeguard employees they have to add language into that document that addresses our jobs.

We didn't have much in the old NYSCOPBA contract anyway just a one page Addendum and that "old" meeting minutes letter that has followed us from NYSCOPBA and goes back to the days of Council 82.

Lets use this UNION section of the forum to discuss lifeguard issues as they relate to the beach we all love and enjoy. Save the Economy, Politics, teacher cutbacks and layoffs, firehouse closings, Home foreclosures, Madoff scams, etc. for their proper FORUMS.

What's the plan? Nice to see Santiago is looking towards the upcoming summer JULY and AUGUST, not preseason, Airshow, or rehire test. That's when the results of the lifeguard cuts and beach closures will be really felt.

Will the STATE close the parking lots to limit the crowds in July so they are manageable for the limited staffing the STATE budget alows?

I doubt it, Where are Joe Scalise and Steve Agostinacchio's comments?

Keep reading the papers and discussing the issues and writing those letters to our Political representatives and newspapers. Get the word out there to the public, there will be some rallys planned soon. Bruce is allready looking into getting a permit.

Regards; Rooney
Post Re: New York City lifeguards! Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 9:22 am
Guest
No one has the right to tell me what to discuss what and where to do it...if I need to bring up something to make a point I will do so...don't like it...don't read it!!
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