Labor strife ahead? City employees hire 'in your face' new negotiator
When city police got their outrageous arbitration award last year, we predicted that other City employees were going to expect lots more, too. Now, with several of the City’s labor contracts set to expire Dec. 31, one of the largest City bargaining units, the San Luis Obispo City Employees Association (SLOCEA), has hired Strobridge and Brennler and Associates to negotiate its next contract. SLOCEA represents about half of the City’s 300 employees. Strobridge and Brennler and Associates Principal Dale Strobridge, who retired from SLOPD and now works as a county deputy sheriff, is often given either credit or blame for making SLO’s police salaries and benefits nearly the highest in the state. While he hasn’t always been that effective in other jurisdictions, his “take no prisoners” approach is sure to inject a level of divisiveness that was unknown in this city before he got involved here. Interestingly, his approach doesn’t always win praise from the groups he represents. Recently the County Deputy Sheriff’s Association voted overwhelmingly (70 percent to 30 percent) to decertify Strobridge as its representative and form a new association.

New name for American Principle Bank
It seems that Principal Life Insurance Company, headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, has never been very happy with what SLO’s American Principle Bank chose for its name. While it may be hard to imagine that someone would confuse a national insurance company in the Midwest with a local bank headquartered in SLO, pressure from Principle Insurance has "inspired" a new name: American Perspective Bank. Although shareholders have approved the new name, insiders report that it will appear gradually over the next several months.

'Serial entrepreneur' Jeff Buckingham strikes again
Insiders report that business leader and entrepreneur Jeff Buckingham has formed a new telecommunications company in SLO, Blue Rooster Telecom. Buckingham is again partnering with Cheryl Lovell, who helped him start Call America’s second iteration in 2001 in SLO. Buckingham founded the original Call America in 1983 and later sold it to a national company. Their new company will offer traditional local and long distance phone service, plus Internet and private networks to local businesses. Buckingham has long been a business leader both locally and nationally in his field of independent telecom suppliers.

Can Hearst Castle reverse its attendance decline?
The management of Hearst Castle is trying some creative, new ideas to reverse a slow but steady attendance decline that’s been going on since 1989. In that year, attendance at the county’s most important tourist attraction peaked at just over 1 million. The latest attendance figures are about 650,000. New self-guided garden tours are among several new ideas that are being instituted. The attendance decline is especially important to SLO because about half of Hearst Castle visitors actually stay overnight in SLO. The attendance decline is probably caused by several factors: unfamiliarity of young people with William Randolph Hearst, lack of funds for promotion, and, lately, the slumped economy.

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