Labor Policies
House Votes
6 no-shows (labor or otherwise) in any 60 day period require that during the next house meeting a membership review date must be set. (voted 6/8/14, effective 6/23/14)
3 Nags within a 30-day period = 1 No-show (Voted on 9/12/10).
Selling of labor is limited to 60% per month. Exceptions will be granted by Labor Czar. This will be a six month trial period. Sasona will revisit 8/1/2015. (passed by house vote 2-15-2015) Members may be no showed for not adhering to this policy.
Kitchen labor is permanently canceled on July 4th, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day to accomodate special meals and togetherness labor. Passed 6/2/18
If an officer position is known to be unfilled or not performed for the next week, the Steward should be assigned those lumps in the following week’s labor schedule. Passed 4/2/2023
Clarify in The Machine that single, double, or triple time should be applied when issuing the amount of makeup lumps and not when converting makeup lumps to fines. Passed 8/20/23
SAFLA (South Austin Free Labor Agreement)
Any CHEA members of the same house may consensually exchange: labor for labor, labor for goods, labor for currency, labor for services, labor for favors. Any member who enters a documented agreement to do another member’s labor is responsible for that labor and can be held accountable for labor that is late, incomplete, or undone and will be subject to any and all of their house’s and CHEA’s policies for labor accountability.
In the event that labor is late, incomplete, or undone, and it is not clear who is responsible -- both due to a claim of an undocumented exchange and also no party willingly accepts responsibility -- then the original member scheduled for labor will be held accountable. (Passed 6-0-6 on 1/29/2012)
Labor Fine Policy
The last day of any month is a fine deadline after which all no-shows from the previous calendar month will be zeroed into fines. (House vote, 04-12-20.)
Here's an example:
- January 1st (The beginning of the no-show period) - Fred is no-showed.
- January 31st (The last day of the no-show period) - Billy Jo is no-showed.
- February 1st – The Labor Czar makes everyone aware of how much make-up labor they owe for January no-shows. Each lump of no show is given single, double, or triple time in make-up lumps.
- February 29 (last day of month) – Last day to complete your make-up labor before it turns into fines. Fred and Billy Jo did not do their make-up labor by midnight on the 29th, so they are fined. Their fines -- $10 per lump of make-up labor owed -- will be invoiced separately from rent.
- March 1st – Fines are on both Fred's and Billy Jo's balance.
Fred, since he was no-showed at the beginning of the month, has 9 weeks to complete his make-up labor. Fred should check with the Labor Czar to confirm how many lumps he owes if he wishes to complete makeup labor before the official labor report is sent out. Depending on the situation, his no show could be reduced to a nag, reduced to one lump, doubled, or tripled.
Billy Jo, no-showed at the end of the month, still has a full 4 weeks to complete his make-up labor.
(While this may not seem fair, things should even out in the long run -- sometimes you get 9 weeks, sometimes you get 4 weeks, depending on when you're no-showed.)
The 1st of every month is the beginning of the next no-show period, and the last day of the month is the end of the preceding period.
So, every month, on the 1st of the month, fines will be assessed. And no one will owe any make-up labor for more than 9 weeks.
The Machine
:The guideline used by the Labor Czar to determine how no-shows are penalized. (Voted on 4/30/06.) The no-show lump is converted into 1, 2, or 3 make-up lumps. If make-up lumps are not done in time, they are converted to fines at a fix rate ($10 per lump). (Voted on 8/20/2023.)
- All judgment calls are up to the discretion of the Labor Czar. Appeals on any no-shows can be made to the membership meeting.
ONE LUMP
- Late
- Unfinished
- Half-assed
SINGLETIME
Good excuse for missing labor & sent out email or advance notice
Good excuse for missing labor & good excuse for not giving advance notice
DOUBLETIME
- Good excuse for missing labor but didn't send out email or give advance notice
Bad excuse for missing labor & sent out email or advance notice
- Sent out notice less than 24 hours before labor starts
TRIPLETIME (We called it a "Nefarious no-show" at 21st St)
Bad excuse for missing labor & didn't give any notice
DEFINITIONS:
- Advance notice: 24+ hours in advance by email or note in conspicuous place.
- Good excuse for missing labor: Work, family, out of town, emergency, etc.
- Bad excuse for missing labor: Party, forgot, hungover, etc.
- Good excuse for not giving advance notice: Emergency, no access to phone or computer, got your new work schedule less than 24 hrs. before labor, etc.
Members are contractually obligated to do weekly labor and Labor Holiday ("additional labor") by Section 28 of the Contract:
"28. HOUSE LABOR. Resident agrees to do an assigned share of the regular work duties necessary for the proper operation of the house. Such duties are not to exceed 6 (six) hours per week. Additional labor may be assigned by the house. Resident agrees to pay up to $20 for each hour of assigned labor not completed during the contract period."
Section 4.4.8 of the House Rules states that "Non-performance of house labor" is grounds for eviction.
From Section 4.6 of the House Rules:
"4.6. Criteria for eviction due to non-performance of labor: 4.6.1. Three no-shows in 3 months shall cause the member to be liable for eviction. 4.6.2. If labor is assigned to a member as punishment for a previous no-show, and that labor is not completed before the next infraction, that member will be liable for eviction."
Section 4.7.5 states that "A simple majority vote is required" to evict someone from the house.
Section 4.7.6 states: "A person who is evicted through the house process has the right to appeal to the board. The board will hear the appeal and decide whether to call a grievance committee or deal with the issue at that time. The Decision of the board (or committee) is final."