July 2009
General Assembly
Wednesday,
July 1, 2009
5:30 pm
Health Services Bldg,
Room 110
Special accommodations will be made for our physically challenged members. Please call 596-1003 or 348-0266 if arrangements need to be made. / “… In dealing with the cuts yet to come from the state, we will cut services – we have no other choice – but we will also level with our employees about pay and benefits….”- Commissioner Mike Opat, County Board Chairman
See Page 2
Mike – It’s time to level with us –
what do you want to tell us about our pay and benefits?
And don’t be surprised if we don’t agree with you – we negotiated
long and hard to win fair wages, to receive regular “step” increases, to create a fair and respectful work environment through our contract language, and to protect a system of benefits that attracted us – and kept us working – in Hennepin County.
What do you want to tell us about our pay and benefits for 2010-2011? / L 34 Banner – 07/2009
Issue Contents:
Page 2 – Local 34 Officers & Stewards, Commissioner Opat’s Editorial Commentary – and ‘Level With Us…’
Page 3 – Highlights from the June General Assembly, Schedules, Contacts
Page 4 – From the Stewards’ Manual: “Past Practice”, Delta Dental Contact
Page 5 – HR Rules: General Rules of Conduct for Hennepin Employees, Good & Welfare Policy, Vacancy: MAT Coordinator
Page 6 – PERA Update – Meeting Times & Schedule, the “RAISE” Act, Hennepin County’s 2009 Legislative Summary
Page 7 – Update from the 2009 Union Women’s Leadership Retreat in Brainerd
Page 8 – Health Care RX – How to Mend our Broken System?
Page 9 – AFL-CIO: Health Care for All, Cliff Robinson’s Commentary – “They’re Doing it to us Again!”
Page 10 – “What Happened to Single Payer?”, Seven Part Health Care Series at St. Catherine, AMA Opposes Public Plans
Page 11 – McEntee: Taxing Health Benefits Could Kill Health Reform, Privacy in Workplace?, Waldron Retires
Page 12 – Big Business Favors Arbitration (the EFCA Debates Continue)
Page 13 – ROWE – Commentary by Local 34 Steward Carolyn Johnson – a ROWE Change Agent, Union News Items
Page 14 – Vicki Moore: View From the Cheap Seats, “10 Ways to Buy American”
Page 15 – VP Volkenant’s Column, Next US Supreme Court Justice – Sotomayor
Page 16 – President Diederich’s Column and Good & Welfare Thank You Notes
August 2009
General Assembly
Wednesday,August 5, 2009
(HSB 110)
http://www.afscmelocal34.org/ AFSCME Council 5, Local 34, Hennepin County Social Services and Related Employees
Local 34 Banner July 2009 -16-
Local 34 Officers & Stewards 7/1/09
President:
Jean Diederich 348-0266 – 880
Vice Presidents:
Vicki Moore 348-5939 – 140
Wesley Volkenant 348-9592 – 630
Chief Stewards:
Cliff Robinson 348-7542 – 961
Cathy Cowden 543-0301 – L890
Recording Secretary:
Rita Salone 596-1003 – L890
Treasurer:
Patrick Regan 348-8760 – L890
Membership Secretary:
Kela Williams 596-0954 – 630
Sergeant-At-Arms:
Chalmers Davis 521-3056 – N704
Members-At-Large:
Andrea Lazo-Rice 348-2249 – 959
Ibrahim Adam 348-2313 – 961
Angel Alexander 596-1863 – 630
Jacquelin Poole 348-4246 – 961
Jacqueline Coleman 543-2605 – N706
Randy Duncan 348-2368 – 612
Stewards:
Zachary Rice 348-2274, Century Plaza 1
Ester Killion 596-7858, Century Plaza 1
Mara Hill 596-0947, Century Plaza 2
Miguel Salazar 596-7465, Century Plaza 2
Nancy Scarlotta 348-9452, Century Plaza 2
Fatuma Kassim 596-8457, Century Plaza 2
Halima Said 596-7465, Century Plaza 2
Jamoda Williams 596-8948, Century Plaza 4
Nafisa Farah 348-8787, C Plaza 4- ComHlth
Diane Fossen 543-2506, NorthPoint Dental
Shawnice Reid 543-2699, NorthPoint Medical
James Stevenson 596-9220, STS
Jim Edin 763-221-4443, STS
Phillip Gray 348-5771, Juvenile Justice Ctr
Terry Grace 348-7308, Juvenile Justice Ctr
Aboubker Ouassaddine 543-0373, Family Justice Ctr
Bob Velez 543-0323, Family Justice Ctr
Keyur Desai 348-3611, Family Justice Ctr
Kathy Kelly 348-6593, Family Justice Ctr
Susan Frame 348-0293, Govt Center A15
Brian Arneson 348-7641, Govt Center A16
Carolyn Johnson 348-8586, Govt Center A16
Monica Jochmans 348-4192, HSB 5
Penny Wile 348-7133, HSB 9
Kristine Heckler 752-8332, Crystal Drop-in Ctr.
Elena Izaksonas 521-3056, 4th Precinct Station
Pamela Shones 763-413-3113, 1800 Chicago
Maureen Glover 348-4492, 1800 Chicago
Dennis Moore 879-3560, 1800 Chicago
Jeff Meyer 348-5880, 1800 Chicago
Martha Dille 348-2765, Grain Exchange
Trustees
Audie Lussier, Osman Aweis, Vacant
Delta Dental Trustee
Monica Jochmans
“Mike – It’s time to level with us –
what do you want to tell us about our pay and benefits?”
In an editorial comment for the StarTribune, on June 4, 2009, Hennepin County Board Chair Mike Opat laid out a message for his fellow DFLers, encouraging them to take up the challenge of new directions in a time of new realities. Opat asked what legacy we should leave for our children. Opat’s well-written questioning of both Governor Pawlenty and the Republicans, and of his fellow DFLers – especially those at the State Legislature – also appeared to mix in a message for Hennepin employees – especially those of us in the unions about to commence labor negotiations with Chairman Opat through the County’s Labor Relations Department. See if you can “hear” his message…
http://www.startribune.com/opinion/commentary/46855262.html
“… I write as the chairman of the Hennepin County Board, where we await the final, sad reality of the 2009 legislative session for 1.1 million Minnesotans, after which we will pick up the pieces -- meaning fewer services despite increased demand.
As the DFL Party, we need to level with Minnesotans. Throughout our state's 150-year history, we've had a tradition of providing high-quality public services -- and paying for them. Only recently have we elected a governor who either believes there is little popular support for those services or doesn't care about the fallout from cutting them. I think Minnesotans have a different opinion.
Minnesota is in a deep recession -- the likes of which we have not seen in 50 years. We must acknowledge that fact and take steps to bear the burden as evenly as possible. That means the wealthy should pay a bit more in income tax. Some excise taxes should be raised. Public payrolls should be flat for a while, and total employee compensation may even have to be slightly reduced. Some valued services may be cut until our economy recovers.
By now I've given up expecting serious effort from the governor in managing this fiscal crisis. During Pawlenty's "hiring freeze," 271 new positions were added to the state payroll. As it stands now, July 1, 2010, will mark the day when an estimated 30,000 of Minnesota's poorest are taken off of General Assistance Medical Care, in addition to program cuts and unallotments yet to be determined. On the same day, organized state employees under a contract negotiated by Pawlenty and tacitly approved by the DFL majorities will receive wage step increases and protection from higher health insurance premiums. The irony should not go unnoticed.
We also manage our budget. We have enacted a real hiring freeze, have put in place some mandatory leave without pay, have sought voluntary furloughs, and have frozen and cut commissioner pay. We've sometimes encountered forceful opposition but have matched it with forceful argument, with honesty and accountability to our constituents, and with fairness to both our friends and opponents. In dealing with the cuts yet to come from the state, we will cut services -- we have no other choice -- but we will also level with our employees about pay and benefits.
… we DFLers must change our ways. The challenges we face offer once-in-a-generation opportunities to reform, innovate and finally have a serious conversation about the kind of state we want to leave as our legacy to our children. That debate would be welcomed by the people of this state. The Democrats should lead it.”
Council 5 Business Representative:
Matt Nelson 651-287-0578
e-mail Matt at:
Council 5 Contact Information:
300 Hardman Avenue South,
South Saint Paul, Minnesota 55075-2469
(651) 450-4990 Fax: (651) 450-1908
To Contact the Newsletter Editor:
Call or e-mail—
Wesley Volkenant - 612-348-9592
For Distribution concerns, contact:
Rhonda Griffin at 612-543-0353
Internet Web Site Developer:
John Herzog – 952-492-5233
UPCOMING LOCAL 34
MEETING SCHEDULE
July
1st General Assembly - HSB 110
15th E-Board - HSB 917
August
5th General Assembly - HSB 110
19th E-Board - HSB 917
July 2009S / M / T / W / T / F / S
1 / 2 / 3 / 4
5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11
12 / 13 / 14 / 15 / 16 / 17 / 18
19 / 20 / 21 / 22 / 23 / 24 / 25
26 / 27 / 28 / 29 / 30 / 31
August 2009
S / M / T / W / T / F / S
1
2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8
9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14 / 15
16 / 17 / 18 / 19 / 20 / 21 / 22
23 / 24 / 25 / 26 / 27 / 28 / 29
30 / 31
Upcoming AFSCME Training
Chief Steward Training – Metro Office
July 14, 2009
Secretary’s Training – Metro Office
July 8, 2009
Table Team Training – HSB 110
August 10, 2009
Who We Are
AFSCME’s 1.6 million members provide the vital services that make America happen. With members in hundreds of different occupations — from nurses to corrections officers, child care providers to sanitation workers — AFSCME is the voice of the dedicated workers who take care of America, and is a leading advocate for all working families.
Highlights from the June General Assembly—June 3, 2009
Officers attending were: Jean Diederich, Wes Volkenant, Vicki Moore, Chalmers Davis, Patrick Regan, Rita Salone, Jacquelin Poole, Angel Alexander, Kela Williams, Andrea Lazo-Rice, Cathy Cowden and Randy Duncan
Excused Absences: Ibrahim Adam, Jacqueline Coleman and Cliff Robinson
- Five members were elected to attend the July 10-12 International Labour Council conference in Bloomington: Fatuma Kassim, Elena Izaksonas, Katie Farber, Rhonda Griffin, and Wes Volkenant.
- President Diederich delivered a 2009 Elections Report; Randy Duncan was elected to the vacant Member-at-Large position and Ester Killion to the vacant Trustee position. However, Sister Killion decided she’d prefer remaining a Steward, so the membership accepted her resignation as Trustee. Subsequently, Sister Killion was re-appointed a Steward by the Chief Stewards. There is a vacancy again for the Trustee position.
- After investigation by the Local’s Treasurer, it was determined that since we had not renewed our support for the NAACP since March 2008, a renewal was in order. A motion to renew at $100 was approved by the membership.
- President Diederich updated us on the Council 5 Progressive Dues Committee’s work. At this time, that Committee is considering Council-wide dues of 2% of gross scheduled income – with some type of ‘cap’, if no other decision is reached.
- Vice President Volkenant proposed forming a Committee to look into the advantages/ disadvantages of continuing the union dental plan administered by Delta. The motion passed – Brother Volkenant will identify members to participate on the Committee.
- A motion to donate $100 to the July 24-26 One Day in July Festival was approved.
- A motion to pay lost time, mileage and registration for Recording Secretary Salone to attend a July 8 Council 5 training session was approved.
- A motion was approved to add language to our Standing Rules concerning a new MAT (Member Action Team) Coordinator position. There is now a vacancy for this Coordinator position, which interested members are encouraged to apply for. It will be a compensated position – a motion was approved to pay a monthly stipend of $35.
- PEOPLE Committee reported on a June fundraiser for Commissioner Randy Johnson. A motion to contribute $100 was approved.
- Vice President Moore reported on May’s Meet and Confer, and discussed the continuing Social Worker concerns around the issues of PINS and licensure, as well as Governor Pawlenty’s decision to eliminate GAMC and our on-going voluntary SLWOP program..
- Chief Steward Cowden submitted Katherine Kelly for approval as a Steward as of 6/1/09. It was approved. Katherine was also approved to attend Steward training at Council 5 on June 24-25. Chief Cowden was approved to attend Chief Steward training at the Council office on July 14. The membership also approved up to 3-hours’ lost time and mileage for Steward Shawnice Reid to attend a grievance hearing on her day off.
- Vice President Volkenant highlighted the Labor-Management Health Care Committee article in the June newsletter. Discussion followed about drugs/meds that HealthPartners continues to disallow, such as Birth Control patches.
- President Diederich reported that members of the E-Board approved a retirement gift of $40.00 to Pearl Coleman, AFSCME’s International Secretary, and friend to the locals.
- President Diederich also reported on Negotiations. Labor Relations contacted the Hennepin Locals, and requested that we return to the bargaining table later this year. Members of the Local have been participating in two Master Committee meetings – May 12 and June 2, with another scheduled for June 29. She reported on general conversation the Master Committee has had concerning the County’s finances and the impact of the Governor’s unallotment plans. Several members, including John Herzog and Wes Volkenant have been tasked with creating an online membership survey, using Survey Monkey, to identify sources of savings and potential additional revenue as part of the AFSCME efforts to influence the County Board’s property tax levy decision-making.
- Business Representative Matt Nelson reported that the Stability Pay grievance is now delayed until APEX is set, due to the expected compensation changes in the new system. Labor Relations will hear our grievance concerning laid-off dental hygienists at North Point, and he’ll be discussing North Point concerns with Richard Johnson. He also reported on three Arbitration cases involving Local 34 members. The Hennepin Policy Committee is also looking forward to receiving a report from the International concerning the state of the County’s budget, as well as a legal opinion from attorney Gregg Corwin concerning the legalities of mandatory furloughs under the terms of our current contract.
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