July 07, 2004

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Palo Alto Online

News digest

A strike of city workers was officially averted on Thursday, July 1, when 95 percent of the city's rank-and-file workers voted to approve a new two-year contract. The City Council will vote on the contract at a future meeting, and is expected to approve it.

The 600-plus members of the Service Employees International Union, Local 715, perform the basic functions of city government, from cleaning to filing to taking calls to repair work.

The contract will give the workers no raise this coming fiscal year (which begins in July) but a 3 percent raise in May and a 1 percent hike in January.

Workers were concerned about losing the top tier health care plan. Under a compromise, all existing workers on the plan can stay on, while only 17 more can join. Cash incentives from $100 to $300 a month will be offered for workers currently on the plan to switch to a lower tier plan.

"We think that maybe some people will take advantage of that, and that will save the city some money," said Maya Spector, the chair of the union's chapter and a senior librarian at the Children's Library. Also, $50 to $150 a month will be offered to workers on the next highest tier plan to keep them from switching.

Workers also avoided being forced to take three days off without pay. Instead, the union will ask employees to take time off without pay to save money.

The union also won the ability to have more oversight regarding the benefits of temporary workers, and the city's practice of using contractors. But the union gave up requesting a better retirement package, and allowed new workers to be required to work a minimum 10 years in the city before the city would pay for retirements benefits.

The only city strike was in July of 1975, and the hard feelings lasted for years afterward. --Bill D'Agostino
Stanford school hits fund-raising goal

Stanford University's School of Humanities & Sciences has topped a $100 million fund-raising goal, triggering an additional $98.9 million in matching funds from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.

Called the Hewlett Challenge, the school raised $100.5 million in new gifts and pledges. With the matching funds, that will expand the university's endowment by almost $200 million.

Back in 2001, the foundation made a gift of $300 million to the School of Humanities & Sciences, with a promise of an additional $100 million if the university was also able to raise $100 million in gifts.

"This is a truly important milestone," said Sharon Long, the dean of Humanities & Sciences. The school does the bulk of undergraduate education at the university, granting almost 80 percent of Stanford's bachelor's degrees.

The money will be used to support professorships, fellowships and new and existing academic programs. --Don Kazak
Foundation gives grants to children's agencies

The Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health has awarded $1.46 million in grants to 13 non-profit agencies, including $100,000 to the Edgewood Center for Children and Families in East Palo Alto.

Seven of the grants were given to agencies in Santa Clara County.

"Nonprofit agencies continue to feel the impact of the economic downturn, and their concerns are intensified by impending budget cuts," said Stephen Peeps, president and CEO of the foundation. "These organizations are struggling to provide the same invaluable services to children, but with significantly reduced staffing." --Don Kazak

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