Local 34 Banner July 2005
http://www.afscmelocal34.org/ AFSCME Council 5, Local 34, Hennepin County Social Services and Related Employees
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From the Local 34 Website: http://www.afscmelocal34.org
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“When an individual is protesting society's refusal to acknowledge his dignity as a human being, his very act of protest confers dignity on him." - Bayard Rustin, Black American civil rights Activist, 1910-1987
Meeting Schedule for 2005 General Assembly/Executive Board Meetings
July / 6thGA- HSB 112 / 20th
E-Board- HSB 110 / August / 3rd
GA- HSB 112 / 17th
E-Board- HSB 110
Latino Leaders Speak Out Against Privatization DID YOU KNOW?
Currently, nearly 2.3 million Latinos receive Social Security benefits. Latinos represent the fastest growing population in the US and are more likely than other groups to occupy low-paying jobs. This means that in the next decade, Social Security will become even more crucial for Latinas and their families. Without Social Security, the poverty rate for Latinos would go up to 55 percent from 16 percent.
Leaders in the Latino community assert that reform should not come at the expense of the "social insurance" nature of Social Security. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) refuses to support proposals that jeopardize retirement income for elderly Latinas, disability benefits for Latinas and their families, and survivor benefits for widows and orphans.
Here's what leaders have to say:
Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-CA), Chair of the CHC, says that under privatization, the average Latina could wind up losing thousands of dollars in retirement savings.
Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-CA), Chair of the CHC Social Security Task Force, notes that for more than one of every two Latina seniors, Social Security represents their only income in retirement. He believes that the place to put your money for a secure retirement is in Social Security - and the place for risky gambling is in the casinos at Las Vegas.
Gabriela Lemus, Director of Policy and Legislation at the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and a co-founder of Latinos for a Secure Retirement, notes that Latinas tend to occupy jobs that start at lower wages, which makes them highly susceptible to falling into poverty in retirement without the safety net of Social Security.
We need your help! President Bush is pushing elected representatives in Washington, DC to support his privatization plan. It is critical that these leaders know our position when they are called upon to contribute to and support legislation. We encourage you to contact members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (http://www.nhli.org/resource.htm) and tell them you oppose any plan for privatization that hurts Latinas and their families!
http://democraticleader.house.gov/SScalc/indexsp.htmTAKE ACTION NOW!
Sign our petition to stop privatization: http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/actnow Learn more: Visit the AFSCME Women's Rights web page: http://www.afscme.org/about/ssp-women.htm
From the Desk of Local 34 President, Jean Diederich:
Health Insurance Update
The Labor/Management Health Care Committee is finishing up the wordsmithing the Request for Proposals (RFPs) that will be sent out to health insurance carriers by Benefits. We have another meeting scheduled on June 29, 2005 to look over the final document to make sure it reflects our discussions about what the group wanted to have included as criteria for possible responses. The group also has agreed that we would work on an RFP to be sent out to insurance carriers for a voluntary short term disability plan. According to the County's consultant from Deloitte, the industry standard is that at least 45% of the Employer's risk pool would need to sign up for the plan in order for it to be viable.
Negotiations update:
The Master Negotiations Committee has finalized the master contract proposal and will receive a copy of it at the Table Team training on June 22, 2005 to make sure that what we have on records reflects our decisions. All locals need to get their supplemental proposals to their respective Business Agents by Monday, June 20, 2005, so that information can also be included in the proposal given to the Table Teams on the 22nd. The Master Committee committed to having the final proposal ready by June 29, 2005. It is to be posted on the Council 5 website, as well as the websites of those locals which have them. The address for our website is www.afscmelocal34.org .
Anita Selin, Clifford Robinson, Mary Kay Popko, Shannon Wesley and I will serve as your Table Team for contract negotiations this year. The appointment of this group was approved by the June 15, 2005 Executive Board and will be brought to the July 6, 2005 General Assembly for acceptance. We will have Table Team training with the Table team members from the other AFSCME locals on June 22, 2005. Our first meeting with the Employer for negotiations will be on July 18, 2005. That is the date when we officially present them with our contract proposal. Hopefully, many of you will have attended the kick-off rally held earlier that day to show your support for everyone of the team as well as for yourselves.
The Action and Strike Committees still need members to become involved in the work to make this a successful endeavor. Please contact me if you are interested in serving on either group.
There is plenty of room for YOU to be part of this exciting adventure.
Dignity & Respect Update:
We had our quarterly meeting of the Dignity & Respect Committee on June 9, 2005. Reports were given by folks involved in the two pilot projects at the Library and Taxpayer Services. They are at different steps in the process. Both groups enjoy the full support of their respective Department heads which is a big plus. The Library is consulting with Deborah Anderson of Respond2, while Taxpayer Services has been using consultants from Human Resources.
We discussed what our next step should be - wait for more updates from these two pilots, look at other areas where we could begin new projects.... We agreed that a sub-group comprised of our co-chairs, Karen Marquardt and Lynn Stetler, Don Sabre and I would attend the June 20, 2005 HSPHD Executive Team meeting to give a "pitch" for becoming involved in the process. I really did put in a hard sell to this group about the need to look at different areas in the Department. Syl Booth was very supportive of those remarks, noting that when you offer hope to folks, you need to follow through with a plan or you are selling employees short. Joe Gaspard, Jim Ramnaraine, Bobbi Lane and I are on the Web Site sub-group for this committee and we will be meeting beginning next week to discuss what we want to put on the Intranet, where we think the information should go and what we want it to look like.
Hennepin County Policy Committee:
The Hennepin County AFSCME Presidents have agreed that we should form an official Council 5 Hennepin County Policy Committee and ask for recognition of the committee by the Council 5 Executive Board. The purpose of the committee is to provide a unifying and organized body to guide the Hennepin County AFSCME locals in developing policy and guidelines for those matters that are common to all of us. We have been tasked with reading the constitution and by-laws of the State's Policy committee to see what we can use, what we think needs to be different and how to proceed. Our next President's meeting is set for July 7, 2005. If you have any ideas or suggestions, let me know before that date.
Early Retirement Buy-out Incentive:
The County Board will discuss a buy-out incentive at their June 28, 2005 meeting. If a plan is approved, it will be presented to us in time to discuss and vote at our July 6, 2005 GA on whether or not we would approve such an offering for our members. Under state law, if such a plan is approved by the Board, the Employer would need to give the employees notice 45 days before a decision cut-off date. Any plan would be announced via the County's e-mail system and, for those folks who do not have access to computers/e-mail, sent in paper form. As soon as I have any information, I will get it out to everyone.
July 20, 2005 Executive Board
This meeting has been canceled as the Executive Board will be in an all-day retreat on the following day, July 21, 2005. Any emergent business of the Local can be dealt with on an as-needed basis by the Executive Board between the July and August General Assembly meetings as directed by our Constitution.
Council 5 Convention
Here’s a brief notice that this Convention will be held October 6 - 8, 2005 in Duluth this year. It will be the first convention after a full year of being a merged Council and there is much to report on about what has happened with the directives given to the Executive Board and Director. Local 34 will have about 80 delegates allotted to us. We will receive our official Convention Call in July so keep your eyes peeled for the announcement of election of delegates.
That's enough for now. Happy 4th of July - celebrate our freedoms,
Jean
Good & Welfare
Dear Local 34,
I'd like to thank you for the beautiful plant that I received while out on medical leave. It is very beautiful and your thoughtfulness is much appreciated. Ginny Jordan
Thanks to AFSCME Local 34 for the donation of $500 to the Festival for Fathers and Families. I apologize for not having more information with me yesterday [at the General Assembly meeting]. Information about the festival is on the web at www.mnfathers.org/festival.html. They have a link to their printable flier at the website. It would be nice if you would forward this web information about the Festival to the members of your board. Thanks again for your assistance and for the board's support of the Festival. As we thought yesterday, AFSCME's contribution supports the general budget of the festival which includes expenses for entertainment, food, set ups for exhibitors, and publicity.
Donald E. White
June 2, 2005
Dear Brothers and Sisters of Local 34:
Thank you for sending the bouquet of balloons when I went in for surgery last month. It was kind of a bummer being in the hospital on my 40th birthday, however, the balloons did bring a smile to my face and made me feel good as I know I have family and many friends that care. Thanks again and have a great summer everyone!
Dale K. Johnson
Dear Local 34 Brothers & Sisters,
Thank you for your contribution to Omaha Visiting Nurses Hospice in memory of my Father. My heart was comforted by for your thoughtfulness.
Rhonda Washington
Dear Friends,
Your generous donation of $50.00 on May 6, 2005 will go a long was in our continued work to fund research to find the causes and a cure for children's brain tumors. We are so grateful to you and others who care enough to help save innocent children. We thank you for your generosity, support and concern for children who suffer every day from the most devastating of cancers. Because of your compassion, the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation is able to give new life and hope to these children and their families. Thank you for caring enough to help.
On behalf of kids,
Mike Traynor
Dear Jean,
Enclosed please find a copy of the Bill Peterson Scholarship application and essay for Jake Silberman, one of this year's recipients. His mother, Vicki Silberman, is one of your members in the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees Local 34.
Regards,
Barbara Hitzeman, Secretary, Minnesota AFL-CIO
[Jake plans to attend Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington to earn a degree in Environmental Studies. Following is his essay which we have permission to print:]
"How the Union Has Improved My Family's Life"
The union my mother belongs to (AFSCME) has been a part of my family's life for a long time. When my mom worked at the University of Minnesota Hospitals, about 39 years ago, she was terminated from her job without proper cause. AFSCME members staged a "walk-on" on the floor where my mom worked to protest her firing, which eventually led to arbitration and mom getting her job back.
The union still stands for things that are important to my family and me. In fact, when I see how upset my parents are over actions taken by the current government, and how excited they are going to political rallies with other union members, it seems to me that the union is about the only organization that represents our family's interests. For the past two presidential campaigns, I went with my parents to political rallies with other union members, and I passed around literature for Vice President Gore and Sen. Kerry. I learned about the issues that the union supports - fair wages, better health care, a cleaner environment, less corporate control over our lives.