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Allegations from union members
Dear Taft citizens,
I had the pleasure and duty of serving on the West Kern Water Board for a season to replace a Board member who needed to quit. During my tenure there, I found the other Board members to be men of incredible integrity! They were very careful to fulfill the requirements of the law and to treat all employees fairly and justly. Some of the recent blogs that have been submitted by some union members tries to tell a different story. NOT SO! The disciplinary procedures are the result of a negotiated contract between the union and the Board of Directors. The members of the Board by law are required to fulfill the agreement negotiated in good faith without partiality to any person. THIS THEY WERE ABSOLUTELY COMMITTED TO! When difficulties with an employee would arise, they would also require the management to ask the union stewards to submit a grievance in order to act upon any violation of the contract. Besides the requirement of following the contract, the water code gives strict direction to how authority is delegated within the district. The recent complaints want the board to operate outside those codes. This Board has people who really care about the folks within the West Kern District. They have fought hard to keep the water flowing and the rates reasonable during drought, huge restrictions from the delta, arsenic issues, infrastructure rebuilding and battles with adjoining water districts. All the while, providing excellent wages and benefits and working conditions for their employees. Elections come and go, but I believe it would be a tremendous mistake to make decisions about who to vote for based upon these foolish blogs.
Jesus Fernandez
Allegations from union members
Dear Taft citizens,
I had the pleasure and duty of serving on the West Kern Water Board for a season to replace a Board member who needed to quit. During my tenure there, I found the other Board members to be men of incredible integrity! They were very careful to fulfill the requirements of the law and to treat all employees fairly and justly. Some of the recent blogs that have been submitted by some union members tries to tell a different story. NOT SO! The disciplinary procedures are the result of a negotiated contract between the union and the Board of Directors. The members of the Board by law are required to fulfill the agreement negotiated in good faith without partiality to any person. THIS THEY WERE ABSOLUTELY COMMITTED TO! When difficulties with an employee would arise, they would also require the management to ask the union stewards to submit a grievance in order to act upon any violation of the contract. Besides the requirement of following the contract, the water code gives strict direction to how authority is delegated within the district. The recent complaints want the board to operate outside those codes. This Board has people who really care about the folks within the West Kern District. They have fought hard to keep the water flowing and the rates reasonable during drought, huge restrictions from the delta, arsenic issues, infrastructure rebuilding and battles with adjoining water districts. All the while, providing excellent wages and benefits and working conditions for their employees. Elections come and go, but I believe it would be a tremendous mistake to make decisions about who to vote for based upon these foolish blogs.
Jesus Fernandez
