General Membership Meeting-AFSCME 404
August 16, 2018
430PM Redman Club
Present:
Adam Castle, Emilio Florez, Crystal Kreklow, Matt Stenger, Kurt Crosby, Ryan Cates, Jake Schoenecker, Jamie Sheppard, Marvin Sullivan, Eric Hesse, John Zickler, John Hillyard, Jean Diederich
1. Secretary Report:
Motion to approve meeting minutes by Adam Castle, 2nd by Marvin Sullivan. Motion Passes
2. Treasurer-Antonino Guerrero:
STATEMENT OF INCOME AND EXPENSES FOR MONTH ENDING: July 2018
CASH BALANCE BEGINNING OF MONTH: $ 92551.54
INCOME FOR THE MONTH: $ 7098.12
EXPENSES FOR THE MONTH: $ 7348.49
CASH BALANCE ENDING OF MONTH: $ 92301.17
SAVINGS: $ 54827.30
SUBMITTED BY: Antonino Guerrero
Motion to approve Treasurer Report subject to audit by Matt Stenger, 2nd by Marvin Sullivan, Motion Passes
3. Correspondence: John Hillyard running for Council 5 Vice President, Jean Diederich running for President of Council 5. Each presented to the Local.
MSH Minutes: https://www.union404.com/news/august-2018-msh-meeting-minutes
MSOP Minutes: https://www.union404.com/news/august-2018-msop-meeting-minutes
4. New Business: 3 Retirees to pay out. Need motion to pay them. Motion by Kurt, 2nd by Emilio. Motion passes. Kurt Crosby-A couple of members with deaths in the family. 3 active members who’s father passed away. We started good and welfare committee due to this. Proposal is150 for a parent of active fee paying members. These 3 have same father. Each to receive 150 in total for all 3 members. Member who is currently paying dues and in good standing. Suggestion by Kurt to give 300 for a parent’s death of member of family. Discussion amongst present members. Motion by Crosby, 2nd by Stenger. Motion passes. Kurt-Recently had a member whose child died. Would like to give 300 benefit to the father minus cost of a plant for the funeral not to exceed 50 dollars. The child was still in grade school. Hesse friendly amendment to pay for plant besides the 300. Kurt accepts. Marvin 2nds. None opposed. Motion Passes.
Cates-international constitutional change. Changing language to reflect what is needed for a quorum. International is 2 percent of membership
Hesse-had a union member who was murdered in Stillwater. Motion to donate 300 to the family. 2nd by Emilio Florez. Motion passes.
5. Old Business: None
6. Items from the membership: Eric Hesse has a new T-Shirt design to change logo. He will send it out to the E-board for approval. Cates would like to get shirts to nursing home, physical plant, and MSOP.
7. Good and Welfare: Motion by Jamie Sheppard to give Jeffrey Zimmerman 150 for father passing.
8. Officer Reports:
President: Ryan Cates-
-Went to MSOP Meet and Confer.
-Attended Forensic Safety Committee.
-Led Forensic Meet and Confer where multiple issues were brought forward.
-Union reiterated our stance that members are allowed to rescind overtime. Management stated that they cannot make staff come in and work overtime but they do not believe we have a right to rescind overtime.
-Asked for date and time stamp for vacation requests on Atlas. Management said every time the system resets it changes the date of vacation acceptance so a date and time stamp would do no good.
-Listened to management’s update on the radios.
-Asked for reimbursement for staff who are forced to spend their own money on outings. Management said paying for meals is too expensive. Encourage members to refrain from spending their own money on outings until management changes their policy.
-Asked for a set process for the staff in hiring pool being placed in permanent positions on units.
-Requested that the obscene number of scheduled turnarounds in Transitions be reduced.
-Complained about different classes being part of the same vacation pool in Transitions.
-Argued that supervisors in Security Services should be forced to wear the same uniform shirts that they make Security Counselors wear. Management stated that the dress code policy would not allow this.
-Asked for the Lead List to be opened up.
-Pointed out that the coverage rotation agreement for MSH is not being followed by some SOD’s.
-Attended a meeting that management requested about the cascading shifts. In this meeting, Scott informed 404 that the different shifts in MSH would be eliminated and staff would now work 6:30pm-2:30pm or 1:30pm-9:30pm. No other shifts will be offered. We pointed out that this limits our members flexibility but management refused to see this as a reasonable objection.
-Went to interest based problem solving group. Here we agreed that a tardy will be determined by the time a staff swipes their badge at a key box. This is no change for MSH but it does change the tardy definition for FNH, CCRP and Transitions.
-Went to Boston for the AFSCME International Convention.
-Sat numerous internal and licensing investigations.
-Filed and presented Step 1, Step 2 and Step 3 grievances.
-Met with Commissioner Piper when she toured the construction. Expressed our anger about the way the new radios were rolled out and the fact that they are still not fully functional.
VP: Matt Stenger-
VP: Eric Hesse- This past month, I and four other members of Local 404 attended the AFSCME International Convention in Boston. At the convention, we learned about the attacks that happened recently to our union (the Janus Supreme Court case), what attacks are coming down the road, and how best to combat them and move forward (organizing, having conversations with members, etc). We also heard from and honored our past leaders of the union and heard from people that were at and lead the Memphis Sanitation Strike in 1968 (the strike were Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated) held by AFSCME members that worked for the city sanitation department in Memphis, Tennessee. We also had several people come and talk to us, such as Senator Elizabeth Warren from Massachusetts, Mayor Marty Walsh of Boston, and Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey. We also debated and passed several amendments to the International Constitution along with several resolutions, which can be found here: https://www.afscme.org/members/conventions/resolutions-and-amendments/2018
We are only a month and a half away from a very important election. There is a lot at stake as far as union rights are concerned in this upcoming election. I will talk about how AFSCME endorses candidates, then talk about what all is at stake in this election, and what you can do to help get pro-labor candidates elected in November.
When we endorse politicians, AFSCME invites every candidate, regardless of their political party, to a candidate screening. Some refuse to accept the invitation or don’t respond due to their political beliefs and their thoughts on public sector unions, but we carry on with the screenings regardless. When we screen for national seats, such as senators and U.S. representatives, the AFSCME Council 5 Executive Board makes a recommendation to AFSCME International, whom ultimately makes the endorsement. When we screen for statewide seats, such as the governor race, this is done by the Council 5 Executive Board. When it’s a state rep, state senate, county, or city seat, it will got to a regional screening committee that was appointed by the Council 5 Executive Board. When screening the candidates, they are asked questions that are important to us as a union, such as their thoughts on collective bargaining rights, right-to-work legislation, defined benefit pensions, among many others. Then each screening debates the candidates and vote by a majority vote on who to endorse. In the past, we have endorsed candidates on both sides of the aisle. While it may seem that AFSCME endorses mainly down one party line, it’s not for lack of trying.
In this next election, if anti-labor candidates get into power, we have a lot to lose. For one, our collective bargaining rights will be stripped to essentially nothing. They have done this in Wisconsin and they have done this in Iowa, so it’s only a matter of time before it comes here if we don’t elect pro-labor candidates. Just last year in Iowa, they passed a law that severely crippled their collective bargaining rights. Basically the only thing they have the right to bargain over during contract negotiations is base wages. Their state contract went from almost 300 pages to 26 pages, with only one of them having anything of importance on it. Things such as insurance, step increases, dues check-off (where dues are taken out of your check), and staff reduction procedures are no longer permitted during negotiations. So for example, they no longer can bring up insurance during their negotiations and the state gives them an insurance package and there is no way for them to try to make it any better through negotiations. Things such as grievance procedures, seniority, overtime compensation, holiday pay, shift differentials, and vacations are allowed during negotiations, but if one side does not want to talk about that subject during negotiations, then it can no longer be talked about in negotiation. Also, each contract, they have to do a certification vote before entering into negotiations to see if the majority of people the union represents wants to stay in the union. But they put a clause in the law that if someone does not vote, it is counted as a “no” vote.
One way to prevent this is to go out and vote in November. Another way is to donate to PEOPLE, which is AFSCME’s political action committee. Since none of your dues money can be used to give to political parties or candidates, this is how we try to help get pro-labor people elected and to try to prevent us in becoming the next Iowa or Wisconsin. If you would like to donate, please let me or another officer know.
Finally, as the dust settles with the decision in the Supreme Court case Janus vs. AFSCME, we learn that there is another case that was recently put into the federal court system coming out of the St. Cloud State University that challenges our exclusive representation rights. Next month, I will explain what is exclusive representation and why it is important.
As always, if you have any questions, issues, or concerns, please feel free to contact me. If you have not signed up for Member Link yet, please do so at www.members.afscmemn.org
In solidarity,
Eric Hesse
Vice President – Steward Coordinator
AFSCME Local 404
Executive Board: Jake Schoenecker-Union duties over the past month include supporting members with A/Q and sitting investigations as representation for members.
Executive Board: Chief Steward Emilio Florez- I have sat a couple investigations as well as scheduled some for others to sit in on. Met with staff about issues and concerns. I’m working on scheduling more meetings to meet with more staff. Also looking to schedule more site visits soon.
I attended meetings with management and have been looking forward to completing some of the issues we are working on.
I’m also still working on grievances and files for members and looking to provide more opportunities for our stewards.
Executive Board: Chief Steward Steve Wilking-
Executive Board: Chief Steward Mike Homer- It has been a quiet month for me. There have been a few investigations sat by other Stewards in MSOP but nothing else is happening at this time.
Mike
Executive Board: Chief Steward Marvin Sullivan
Executive Board: Jamie Sheppard- I attended MSOP Meet and Confer earlier this month, as well as several meetings with nursing to help them with some morale issues, i.e. only having 1 vacation spot total between the RN’s and LPN’s, losing a position that is not being filled, workload increase due to the clientele population nearly doubling and staff shortage, etc. We have some of these issues worked out and Hesse has filed a grievance on only having 1 vacation spot for them. There is also another meeting that has been scheduled. Please continue to send your grievances to me and the responses for all steps.
In Solidarity, Jamie Sheppard-E-Board
CS Facility Support: Stacey Mueller-
Chief Steward MSH / CRP / Nursing Nights: Kurt Crosby-I have been on vacation but have been following up on several step 1 grievances and talking management about hospital coverage and 1 to 1s. I had the privilege of attending the International AFSCME convention in Boston. Thanks to those for allowing us to go. We attended many classes ranging from communication to new ways to get the attention of leadership. Going to those conventions gives us an opportunity to learn how the International operates and tools we can use.
Crystal Kreklow: Have not lost any members since Janus. 1pm AFSCME picnic at Battle Creek in St. Paul.
Motion to Adjourn by Hesse, 2nd by Cates. Motion passes
Adjourned at 547PM