General Membership Meeting-AFSCME 404
January 19, 2023
4:30pm
Present:
Erin Wiederich, Ryan Cates, Steaed Doehring, Annie Jakacki, James Kibler, Matt Stenger, Eric Manriquez, Cory Moon, Antonino Guerrero, Jamie Schwartz, Steve Wilking, Eric Hesse, Ben Zarn, Sherry Christensen, Judy Ehrman, Mike Hohenstein, Deb Burns, Melissa Smisek, Lisa Brandenburg, Jennie Mills, Jessica Butler, Vicki Demers, Melissa Dimmick,
My apologies for anyone that I missed via zoom.
1.Secretary Report:
Motion to approve meeting minutes by Matt Stenger. 2nd by Eric Manriquez. Motion passes.
2. Treasurer-Antonino Guerrero:
STATEMENT OF INCOME AND EXPENSES FOR MONTH ENDING: December 2022
CASH BALANCE BEGINNING OF MONTH: $ 176969.96
INCOME FOR THE MONTH: $ 7145.94
EXPENSES FOR THE MONTH: $ 4496.00
CASH BALANCE ENDING OF MONTH: $ 179619.90
SAVINGS: $ 152607.08
SUBMITTED BY: Antonino Guerrero
Motion to accept subject to audit by Eric Hesse. 2nd by Eric Manriquez. Motion passes.
3. Correspondence:
4. New Business:
1. Day on the Hill is March 28 if you’re interested in going then let Eric Manriquez know. IF there’s enough interest then we could get a bus. Will check with other locals in the area if they’d like to share a bus going up there.
2. DCT is going to be splitting off from the DHS umbrella so they can get needs met in each program. The split doesn’t mean they can’t take away retirement plan. Minnesota Management and Budget is controlling the money for all the programs. This is an effort to detangle the DHS umbrella so that each program can get the fundings they need. If you have any questions or concerns on this, please get them to Annie or Ryan so they can bring them forward at the appropriate meetings.
3. Lobby Weeks are February 13-17 or March 20-24 for our local. If interested in attending, please email Eric Manriquez. You need to have vacation or the days off to be able to attend. You don’t have to attend the whole week; you can attend a day at a time. If you have more questions about the lobby weeks, please contact your local union representative.
4. Delegates assembly is next Friday, January 27. Please try to carpool with other delegates if you can, so that we don’t have multiple mileage reimbursements.
5. If you rescind VOLUNTARY overtime management should NOT be taking away from your FMLA hours if you have them.
5. Old Business:
Motion to increase the per diem that is paid to members that participate in union activities to $200 made by Matt Stenger. Seconded by Jamie Schwartz and motion passed.
6. Items from the membership:
1. Member would like to discuss getting hats for the local membership. Aviator hats in the style the member would like.
2. A member had a question about blood donation leave as it states in contract that it needs to be endorsed by appointing authority. Member was advised to talk to Human Resources about this and was told that AFSCME members are drawing blood for the American Red Cross.
3. Member asked if it’s true that the Governor’s office is going to be pushing for more correctional type wages? We’re still pushing for that. The three job classifications that the Governor’s office deemed hard to fill were Security Counselor, Behavior Management Assistants, and HST’s. Minnesota Management and Budget is willing to discuss wage inequities, but they haven’t been able to meet. DHS is working on getting information to MMB. Council 5 had a meeting today to discuss the pay inequities but turned into a MAPE venting session. Council 5 is pushing on getting the pay inequities done sooner than later. Council 5 has been waiting for 6 months and told MMB we’re frustrated with the waiting game. Council 5 is also trying to get wage increases for other job classes, most of AFSCME positions. IF you’d like to put in input about the pay inequities contact a local union representative.
4. Bonuses coming back? -Marshall Smith said DHS is not doing well financially so they aren’t considering bringing the bonuses back. Smith made it sound like the reason that we’re so far behind in debt is because of the bonuses. Labor disagrees when seeing the number of supervisors and managers that are employed at our facilities. Send emails more than once, multiple times a shift, to put pressure on upper management to let your voices be heard and put some pressure on them.
5. Update on scheduling- no updates.
6. Ton of issues in Grove A- HSSS’s and LPN’s working in each other’s spots. Union officers had to reschedule the meeting to discuss Grove A issues because not everyone that was invited could make it to the meeting. The consistency across the program about how staffing is going, and overtime is issued will be discussed. Management agreed with us a couple months back that there should be four staff on NOCs on North campus. Be advised if you’re working in an area where you don’t feel comfortable to intervene don’t feel obligated to intervene until you have the resources you need. Call the cops first and then can initiate ICS.
7. Response to lower campus; who does respond? Will check with management on why drills are not being done on lower campus.
8. Member brought up the concern about Grove A getting the revoked PD’s. Chief Steward will ask more about it in the meeting when they discuss staffing, overtime, and distribution of work to job classifications. Staff were told that the most recent revocation was because he wasn’t assessed properly when he was brought back on campus.
9. Labor did bring up the cameras and monitors for prairie view and forest view at meet and confer today. We’re told they’re still on order
10. Scheduling- There were members that had a mutual denied by scheduling because they said it wouldn’t give them enough people to inverse. This is a grieve-able situation because it wasn’t a reasonable denial.
7. Good and Welfare: John Dunlap retired at MSOP possibly Chris Harvey retired too. Kim Draeger, Stacey Moeller, Scott Rausch, and Phil Hauge retired at MSH.
8. Officer Reports:
President: Ryan Cates- This past month I have…
Attended and led Forensic Meet and Confer- Notes are attached to the meeting minutes.
Attended MSOP Meet and Confer- Notes are attached to the meeting minutes.
Chaired the January Executive Board meeting
Chaired the January General Membership meeting
Filed multiple grievances and sat investigations.
Talked with members in multiple work areas, answered their questions and listened to their concerns.
Presented and argued grievances.
Communicated information to E-Board members about issues facing the Local.
We continue to push for changes to the vacation process in FMHP, that will allow more members to take vacation when they want to.
I have talked to state Legislators about the staffing issues at Forensics and MSOP in St Peter.
If any member of Local 404 feels they are not being represented by our Union, please let me know. We cannot fix problems if we do not know there is a problem.
We ask that all members who are interviewed as non-subjects in an investigation, request Union representation. If management refuses, then members should refuse to answer questions. Participation in investigations is completely voluntary and they cannot coerce you to answer their questions. We need to do this to compel management to discontinue their practice of refusing to allow Union representatives into investigations.
I am acutely aware of the forced overtime situation that has evolved out of the lack of staff and the elimination of the unfilled shift bonus. We do not have enough staff and to maintain safe staffing levels forced overtime has been happening. I cannot hire staff, I cannot force staff to work here, and I cannot with a clear conscious, advocate for or support a reduction in staffing that could create an unsafe work environment for our members, but I can advocate for increased wages. We need to increase the wages for employees enough to make people want to work here. We are advocating for this with Legislators, DCT leadership, DHS leadership, management, and HR.
Motion to adjourn by Ben, 2nd by Jamie. Motion Passes
Meeting Adjourned at 5:30pm