Present: Scott Grefe, Jill Gorman, Molly Kennedy, Connie Anderson, John Knobbe, John Collins, Matt Stenger, Kevin Graves, Cory Stadick, Bruce Erkel, Jamie Sheppard, Mike Homer, Jonas Thompson, Mark Heilman, Sam Arneson, Britta Higginbotham
Greet Membership
1.Secretaries Report:--Feb meeting minutes- Additions or Corrections? John Knobbe motioned to accept, Molly Kennedy second- carried.
Correspondence Review (See File)
1. Council 5 Job Posting – Field Rep
2. DOTH Update
3. Council 5 Scholarships
4. Training Reminder – Steward and Treasurer Training
5. AFL-CIO Retiree Council Fundraiser
6. Nellie Jones Scholarship Fundraiser
7. 404 Social Fund Statement – Jan 2010
8. Jan 2010 404 Per Cap and PEOPLE reports
2.Presidents Report:
• FD M&C today- please see notes.
• CBHH Meetings- please see notes.
• March 2010 Report for AFSCME 404
1. Staff Safety
a) We have received an OHSA report for the year 2009 that indicates 74 reportable injuries for Minnesota Security Hospital staff. This report is limited to injuries severe enough to necessitate a trip to the Emergency Room and the doctor has reported that injury. It would be safe to assume that there was twice that number that went unreported. To date we have had 18 more staff injured in 2010 with injuries up to and including broken bones.
b) We have been in contact with Rep Morrow and he is drafting a bill addressing staff injuries. We have asked staff to e-mail Terry if they have been injured at work and he has received 37 messages with some of people being injured multiple times during the year.
c) Rep Thissen in concert with Rep Morrow and Sen. Sheran have addressed the Staff Injury issue at multiple hearings at the capital and are in contact with DHS Asst Commissioner Sulik.
2. Lay Offs/Budget
a) The state Dept of Human Services is facing a significant budget shortfall and our information from management in St Peter was that management was prepared to lay off Security Counselors despite the overwhelming safety issue. We applied pressure through Council 5 and our legislators to forestall any lay off planning.
b) Sen. Sheran met with the Assistant Commissioner of DHS and grilled him on staff safety and what he is doing to address it.
c) My information from the CEO of State Operated Services as of last Friday is “There will not be a reduction in Security Counselors this year.”
d) I am of the belief that 404’s efforts have achieved the unprecedented result of stopping lay offs before they are announced. Instead of fighting lay offs – we prevented them from ever getting past the planning stage.
e) The bad news is that DHS is moving ahead with plans to close the Mankato Crisis Center. This will impact several of our members – LPNs will be forced to take a CARE/CBHH or an on campus position.

3. Legislative Initiative
a) 404 met with Sen. Bakk and our local representatives to lobby against the Moose Lake project’s inclusion in the Bonding Bill. The project was deleted from the Senate and Joint bills as of Feb 17th.
b) The Moose Lake and St Peter locals met with AFSCME Council 5 and formulated the position that a compromise position is possible with;
Fund the Infrastructure and Treatment areas (only) and delay the Residential building until 2012. The program has over 200 empty beds at this time and can wait for their population to catch up with need and the lay offs will never be enacted.
c) The final version of the Bonding bill gives MSOP 47.5 million of the 89 million they wanted. How this money will be put to use is yet to be determined.
In Solidarity,
Chuck Carlson
President Local 404

3.Old Business:
• SEPC Delegates- April 30th at RMOA. Molly Kennedy made a motion for chair members and e-board members plus Sam Arneson to attend with usual expenses. Sam Arneson second and carried.
• March Lobbying Dates- March 22-26. We need members to lobby at the State Capital. Anyone interested contact Chuck Carlson. Per Diem and mileage for one (carpool) vehicle will be paid.
4.New Business
• Military Care Package Program- Connie Anderson will work with Michelle Rodning and Travis Caven on this.
• Progressive Dues Change- Voting will take place at the June general membership meeting.
5.Items from the membership:
• A member brought forward concerns about the low morale at MSH due to staff assaults. There is still much confusion about the use and/or discontinuation of restraint and seclusion.

Officers Reports:
VP-John Knobbe:
Since last month’s meetings we attended Day on the Hill. Remember it is political and we ultimately elect our boss. The local will be lobbying for AFSCME issues March 22- 26.
We’ve met about staff injuries and safety. I’ve sat one investigation & there are multiple investigations firing up in MSH & MSOP. I sat 2 Laudermills and managed to get one discipline reduced, and presented a 3rd step on a non-cert.
Remember to protect your rights & ask for a steward if being questioned.
In Solidarity,
W. John Knobbe
VP- Molly Kennedy: Electronic 101's; in speaking with Tim Lokensgaurd when submitting 101's electronically you are to put your current days off on the form. He did state that he will be sending back 101's that do not have your days off on them.

MSOP is currently offering .8 employees full time spot. There are two .8 employees that took full time positions on nights.

The e-board has discussed what type of things that stewards can be doing and we will be coming up with list of expectations for stewards. One of the items we discussed was having all stewards do a report every two weeks about things that are going on in their work areas. Another thing discussed would to be having more stewards shadow during investigations, laudermills and disciplines so that stewards feel more comfortable when called upon.
If anyone had any ideas please feel free to contact me at 53001. In solidarity, Molly Kennedy Local 404 Vice President Steward Coordinator

Treasurer-Connie Anderson: Motion to accept subject to audit by John Collins, second by Matt Stenger- carried.
CS MSH/Transition: John Collins:
We continue to address staff safety and injuries with management on many fronts. A Class Action Step 3 Grievance was filed with management on behalf of all direct-care AFSCME members. As management asks how they are doing in terms of short-term solutions to this problem we have advised them that we have not seen anything tangible from them yet. Management is working on long-term solutions including creating a norm of non-violence in our facility. I have attended a Violence Reduction Task Force meeting and again expressed our concerns. In the task force studies have been shared that if applied effectively could be promising for us in reducing the violence we face. But again these would be initiatives that would take time to implement.
CS-AMH/CARE: Kevin Graves: Encouraged members to send injury reports etc. to Terry Morrow. He would like individual stories. Kevin also filed several grievances.
CS- NOCs/ Forensic Nursing Home: Jeremy Tubbs: Excused- out on union leave.
CS – Facilities Support : Jill Gorman: Current investigation in FNH. Nothing else new to report.
CS – MSOP : Matt Stenger: Matt is hoping to get new stewards to shadow current stewards. Also, some MSOP vacancies have opened up for bidding.
EB-Steaed Doehring: Excused
EB-Greg Naumann: Excused
EB- Eric Ridout: Excused.

Good and Welfare:
Sandi Blaschko, Shad Coyour, Katie Trimbo, Joe Biehn, Dan Quiram, Mike Card, Dan Hauger, Jeremy Goettlicher, Kier Carstensen, Kim Langer, Rachel Schoenborn
CLU delegate report:
(Chuck written report)
Council 5 Field Representative Scott Grefe:
As a result of the 5% solution SOS services will be redesigned resulting in 200 layoffs. The state will be closing all the Crisis Centers and combining them with CBHH. These changes will happen now until the end of April.
The state will be privatizing all dental services.
Forensic Nursing Home will become a State Operated Nursing Home- PERTS (Psychiatric Extensive Recovery Treatment Services). PERTS will save 60% over a CBHH because they are staffed with less staff according to acuity. METO will transform to a PERT. These and more changes will result in 200-300 layoffs.
We can affect some changes here- It all comes down to getting a labor friendly governor. These changes are just the beginning. It’s the tip of the iceberg.
Contract negotiations are coming up!
Message to Members: Protect your Rights, Ask for a Steward!
Drawing for door prizes: Jonas Thompson, Mike Homer, Mark Heilman, Connie Anderson
Progressive Drawing: $410. Must be present to win!
Shane Rykhus- not present.


















Good morning,

Thank you to everyone from the St. Peter RTC for your wonderful work this week:

Chuck Carlson
John Knobbe
Anne Mehltretter
Charles Johnson
Kevin Graves
Mike Forliti
John Collins
Matt Stenger

Tuesday's Health and Human Services Policy committee hearing was very productive. As a team, we presented a compelling case regarding the dramatic rise in assaults on the St. Peter campus. This testimony, I believe, led to the nearly two-hour meeting with Dr. Reed Sulik and Mike Tessner. I am glad to learn that Dr. Sulik agreed to your four requests and to add staff during the problematic shift. This meeting also produced agreement on other issues and led to Dr. Sulik's agreement to meet directly with St. Peter line staff.

The high number of emails I received from St. Peter staff regarding assaults were a major part of the committee's willingness to hold this hearing. Each person from the St. Peter RTC who wrote me is part of the team that led to this week's positive results. I greatly appreciate each person's willingness to share with me their personal stories.

Thank you as well for bringing to my attention concerns regarding treatment at the Othropaedic and Fracture Clinic and River's Edge Hospital. I have contacted both facilities to express my deep concerns and to ask that future treatment be positive and appropriate.

Again, without your time, energy, and persistence, these results would have been much, much more difficult to achieve. For example, we were able to ensure that security staff will not be reduced.

I know that we have much more to do to address questions and issues at the St. Peter RTC. Please stay in touch regularly and let me know if you would like me to join you at a meeting in St. Peter.

Take care,

Terry


Representative Terry Morrow
Minnesota House District 23A
Nicollet and Sibley Counties
(800) 793-5149 (toll free)
(651) 296-8634 (state office)
(507) 327-8226 (cell)

House Website: http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/members/members.asp?id=15258