South Bay

$650M San Jose Pension Projection "Unsupported"

The State Auditor released an evaluation today (August 21, 2012) reporting that San Jose leaders embellished future employee pension costs.

In March of this year, on a bipartisan vote, the members of the state Joint Legislative Audit Committee approved a requested state audit of the city of San Jose’s pension obligations.  The audit looked into the $650 million pension cost figure the Mayor and City Manager used to build voter support for pension reform and Measure B. 

Over the past year, San Jose members have been inundated with attacks from Mayor Chuck Reed and the City Council. It’s our time to fight back! Local 21 members are working hard to defeat Measure B, an initiative designed to dramatically reduce retirement benefits, and campaigning for a solid majority on the City Council so that attacks on city employees will stop.

As you have no doubt noticed the last several years, the political climate in San Jose has been heavily dominated if not outright controlled by a well orchestrated and disciplined cadre of politicians and their backers with a singular message. Read more.

When employees and political leaders broke ground this April on the BART-to-San Jose extension, City of San Jose Association of Engineers and Architects (AEA) member Henry Servin began to realize that the end of decades of work was in sight. In the 1970s, a teenage Henry envisioned BART’s presence: it would bring fast, convenient, environmentally friendly transportation to the South Bay. This dream propelled him to study engineering in college. 

On behalf of Local 21’s City of San Jose Chapters, Local 21 sent a letter to the City Council today, bringing to their attention the March 25 NBC Bay Area report that exposed manipulation of pension data.

When Labor votes, Labor wins --Join fellow Local 21 members getting out the vote by talking to union members. Be a part of electing local officials on June 5 who share our values and vision.  Find out how to get involved.

On behalf of your CAMP/IFPTE Local 21 Board and negotiations team, I want to acknowledge the difficult week we've endured. It is now the weekend, time for family and friends and time off to rest and rejuvenate. It is also time to work at healing any woundedness we feel from the constant negative public employee campaign we've also endured for an extended period of time.  You deserve to feel proud of the work you do and services you deliver to the residents of San Jose on a daily basis.

I realize that after Tuesday's Council action, many of us are frustrated and feeling under appreciated by our employer, however, we are asking you at this time to remain positive, strong, and dedicated to the work that you do.