AFSCME MSOP Labor Management

June 9, 2022

Human Resources Room/Conference

12PM

Attendance:  Jessica Engle, Bonnie Wold, Ryan Cates, Nick Weerts, Jamie Schwartz, Elizabeth Trandem, Heather Staff, Erin Wiederich Michelle Breamer, Chris Hagen,  Michelle Sexe, Matt Stenger, Karen Holicky, Troy Sherwood, Shamara Freeman

Follow Up Items

1. 1.    OT/Inverse Numbers (numbers were emailed to recording secretary): 1st watch:  24 staff inversed for 74.5 hours 2nd watch:  16 staff inversed 57.5 hours  3rd watch:  11 staff inversed 32.25 hours GRAND total:  51 staff inversed for 164.25 hours TOTAL OVERTIME for May 2022:  2656 hours
2. 2.    Time Book Training:  HR sent out a draft document to labor and didn’t hear back.  Labor liked the document but that wasn’t exactly what they were looking for in terms of time book training.  There are supervisors handing out disciplines for not having timebooks correct but there’s no extensive training on the codes and how to use them correctly.  Labor would like to see a CBT, or an in-person training offered during NEO so new employees could learn or senior employees could refresh their skills.  HR agreed that they will try to get NEO implementation and also let supervisors know as well.  HR requested management to loop them in on the problems that employees are having with using codes appropriately.
3. 3.    Local Hospital Coverage: The update on the laptop use for hospital coverage is that MNIT is still working on the issue.  MNIT is having difficulty getting multiple pw#’s on a secure network that is outside of our secure network.  Work in progress.
4. 4.    Data Breach Payouts from St Peter: Labor is still wondering about the monetary number of damages caused in St. Peter due to data breaches.  Management said that the legal request has been made but there’s no one at the meeting that has the exact information.  Follow up with HR for specifics. 
5. 5.    Vacancy Rate (numbers were emailed to recording secretary): CPS SC/SCL rate:  1.9% SP SC/SCL rate:  15.1% SP/CPS overall vacancy rate:  18.6% MSOP program wide (all positions):  17.3%
6. 6.    Vacation Allotment: Tim Lokensgard unfortunately was unable to attend due to being on vacation, so it was tabled until next month with a possibility of meeting sooner than meet and confer next month. 
7. 7.    Lack of Classroom Trainers: Management would like to hear from Labor on any ideas they might have to get more trainers. Forensics did offer the idea of the achievement awards that some trainers in forensics have received.  Labor will work on ideas and follow up with management possibly before next meet and confer. 
8. 8.    Concerns about opening Bartlett:  Management has completed the 1768’s for the Bartlett spots.  Postings are coming down and none have gone dead that they are aware of…Michelle is working with Paul on a plan when to roll it out but hoping for some time in July.  They are also trying to get staff over to see the Bartlett building and make suggestions.  Licensing will be touring 1 north with hopes of opening soon.  There’s not a plan to open a second unit in bartlett at this time and they are hoping that opening 1 north will fulfill all the needs on the waiting list of clients who need to be placed in a less restrictive environment.

Side note on the bids: Labor wanted to make sure that all the bids are posted accurately so that someone doesn’t get awarded a bid that they didn’t know was going to be a different job.  HR assured labor that she called all the bidders when she corrected the bids that were posted incorrectly to make sure they were still interested. 

1. 9.    Student Loan Forgiveness Program from MoU—HR is waiting on updates from minutes of people that would have more information ie. Marshall Smith

Management Agenda Items

1. 1.     Recruiting Event:  Labor was questioning where the event will be held as it wasn’t said on the radio advertisement.  Location is the Pederson building on June 16, radio directs them to the website for more information.  The radio didn’t give them much time to put lots of information into the ad according to HR.  There are also links to positions on the website so they can apply right away and then interview on the recruiting date (June 16).  HR is making their best efforts to recruit but please share their flyer on facebook and any other medium you can.
2. 2.    Security Counselor Bidding/Award:  HR is also suffering from staff shortages so they are proposing a new process that is similar to how DOC posts vacancies—they will list all open SC/SCL jobs every other week on a spreadsheet that will identify the posting date, the closing date, the awarded date, and the projected start date.  The dates align with scheduling, payroll, etc.  This would help streamline the process a bit and then HR would like to post who is awarded the position on their HR page within the DCT site thus eliminating the need to notify the highest bidder via email.  Labor would like to have more discussion with their membership before agreeing to this process. 
3. 3.    Front Line Worker Pay—HR would like to remind everyone that frontline worker pay is now available, and they sent out an email that has details on how to fill out the application correctly. 

AFSCME Agenda Items

1.  Quarantine/Isolation Unit

Labor was given answers to several of these concerns by a management person that was unable to attend today’s meeting and didn’t want to encroach on speaking for that person so just asked a few follow up questions.

 Quarantined Client Breaks

Count Procedure

Inclement Weather Procedure—Labor would like to know where covid positive clients would go in a tornado warning?

Management is in the process of updating post orders to reflect that clients should evacuate to the basement of shantz and wear a procedural mask, and stay socially distant, they could also go into a bathroom as there are no windows in the bathrooms. 

Isolated client movement outside unit—if clients positive for covid have to go to an ITV, the program will go under ICS to move the client and halt all other movement.  Labor asked if there could be a backup plan, so they don’t have to contaminate the whole building with the client positive for covid walking through the area?  Could we get a laptop or another way?  Labor also wanted to make sure that it’s known that off unit movement requires an ICS. Management will follow up to make sure the ICS is called.  Labor brought clients responses to managements’ attention as several were angry seeing the quarantined client movement. Labor would like to mitigate that as much as possible.  Labor also brought up there is a difference in definitions of isolation and quarantine where isolation is more severe than quarantine and management are allowing both situations off the unit for reasons that seem insignificant.

1. Unit Coverage Down to 1 staff on quarantined units

Management brought up the situation on green acres north that only had 6 clients so they felt it was possible to run the unit with one staff.  Labor brought up the safety of everyone involved along with count procedure and would like to be seen as something that rarely happens rather than it is happening regularly.  Management responded with they don’t plan to make it a habit but take into account the totality of the circumstances before making their decision. 

1. Rescinded MMB HR/LR Policy 1446 Fallout

Labor was asking if staff still need to report vaccination status upon Hire—HR replied with nothing has been communicated but DCT makes those changes to the procedures and will probably be communicated by Marshall.

1. Unfilled shift bonus reminder to supervisors

Labor brought up that staff are still getting bonuses taken away and questioned.  Labor is requesting that supervisors check with their staff about the bonus before they take it away.  Labor brought up that there was a situation when a non AFSCME staff were able to stay on overtime and AFSCME allowed to go home.  Labor spoke with one OD and he agreed with the procedure of following that AFSCME staff stay for their overtime.   OD’s doing it consistently.  A procedure and email went out to make sure every OD is doing it the same.

1. Staff point prevalence surveillance testing

Management said that they’re not planning to offer staff testing, as there are many ways to get testing outside of work.

Meeting ended at approximately 1315