Kokua Line
Kokua Line
Overtime work for
state janitors is
fairly assignedQuestion: Some state janitors have been cheated from earning overtime pay due to a DAGS (Department of Accounting & General Services) building manager's unfairness and favoritism. It is clear to everyone that overtime work should be offered to the ones with most seniority and down the line. She has consistently on at least seven dates (election days) given overtime work to two working foremen who have the least seniority. Please have her respond to her giving these working foremen excess overtime and bypassing several senior janitors.
Answer: We passed on your complaint, with the name of the manager, to new state Comptroller Russ Saito (head of DAGS), who said the department believes overtime "was assigned fairly and equitably."
Working foremen are required on each shift to provide supervision, access to supplies and access to secured areas housing electrical and air-conditioning systems, he said.
DAGS was asked to provide four custodians for two consecutive shifts for both the primary and general elections. Each shift was staffed by a working foreman (Janitor III) and three janitors (Janitor II). The janitors were offered overtime based on seniority, Saito said.
For each of the two special elections to elect a successor to the late Congresswoman Patsy Mink, DAGS was asked to provide two custodians for two consecutive shifts. A working foreman and a janitor were assigned to each shift. Again, Saito said, the janitors were selected based on seniority.
Because the second special election was held on a Saturday, DAGS was asked to provide two custodians to help with cleanup the next day. Because both working foremen were unsure about whether they would be able to work the entire eight-hour shift, they were both asked to work that Sunday rather than have a janitor work unsupervised.
Usually, disagreements such as yours are "handled right there and then" between workers and managers, Saito said. But if the disagreements can't be worked out, there are grievance procedures that can be pursued via your union, the United Public Workers, he said.
Q: Why is President George W. Bush called "Dubya," and what does it mean?
A: "Dubya" is an irreverent reference to the 43rd U.S. president's middle initial, "W" (for Walker), and a way to distinguish him from his father, George Herbert Walker Bush, the 41st president.
Some critics have gone so far as to dub the younger Bush "President Dubya Dubya Three" because of his aggressive foreign policies.
Auwe
On the H-1 freeway, town-bound, after the Waialae Avenue offramp, but before the Kapiolani offramp, on the right side, are three sprinklers that are on every morning at 3 a.m. They are going off like waterfalls into the freeway. Seems like such a waste. Can something be done? -- No NameWe passed your complaint on to the state Department of Transportation. Alternatively, you can call the Board of Water Supply's water waste line at 527-6126. That's the number to call if you see any individual, business or government agency wasting water.
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Honolulu 96813. As many as possible will be answered.
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