THIS IS AN OFFICIAL NEWS SITE FOR CURRENT AND RETIRED CORRECTIONS OFFICERS! This blog will keep up on current events affecting Detention Deputies and Corrections Officers. SINCE 2006!
Thursday, March 31, 2011
The Front
The bill HF813, that would have required us to pay 3% more into our pension and the employer 3% less has died in committee. It will not be part of the budget. Special thanks to our B.A. Tom Perkins who had representative Hackbarth ready to amend it to exclude the Corrections pension. Next, please attend the rally on April 4th if you can. We need to show strength and solidarity as Public Union members. Our right to organize and pensions are under attack.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
Thank You Department of Labor
Last Friday you should have recieved your overtime augment backpay. We've been fighting for this since last July.
Thanks to Bill Buckingham at the Department of Labor for all of his hard work to get us the long overdue back pay!
Also thanks to Dave Bentzen for discovering the County's mistake!
Thanks to Bill Buckingham at the Department of Labor for all of his hard work to get us the long overdue back pay!
Also thanks to Dave Bentzen for discovering the County's mistake!
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Pension Alert
Source: PERA website http://www.mnpera.org/
"Senate bill calls for pension funding shift PERA Coordinated and Correctional members would effectively pay 50 percent more for their pensions under a bill introduced Monday, March 14, by Sen. Mike Parry, Waseca, and Sen. Gretchen Hoffman, Vergas. Employer contributions to the plans would drop a similar amount under Senate File 813.
The 3 percent of pay increase would mean a contribution rate of 9.25 percent for Coordinated members and 8.83 percent for Corrections officers as of July 1. Employer rates would drop to 4.25 percent and 5.75 percent, respectively. The bill does not affect the Association's Police & Fire Plan.
......Unlike Wisconsin, where, until this month pension funding has been primarily an employer responsibility, PERA members and employers have traditionally split pension costs. Both members and employers pay about 50 percent each for the General Plan and divide the costs 40%/60% for the public safety plans."
I must ask why pick on Corrections officers and leave Police and Fire alone? When Tom Perkins got us the 55 retirement the main selling point to the Minnesota Legislature was the fact that Corrections Officers have higher injury rates and lower life expectancy then cops. If you go to the PERA website or read the mailing you got from PERA you'd see that the Corrections Plan is at 97%, Fully Funded! Should you take a 3% paycut for a fully funded pension?
Call Joint Council 32 DRIVE at 612-331-5514. Tell them you want our lobbyist in St. Paul on this ASAP. (You pay the DRIVE lobbyist $105,000 a year with your dues).
Call your State representatives.
You might find this info useful when talking to your reps: Myths vs. facts on PERA
DON'T LET MINNESOTA BECOME WISCONSIN!
"Senate bill calls for pension funding shift PERA Coordinated and Correctional members would effectively pay 50 percent more for their pensions under a bill introduced Monday, March 14, by Sen. Mike Parry, Waseca, and Sen. Gretchen Hoffman, Vergas. Employer contributions to the plans would drop a similar amount under Senate File 813.
The 3 percent of pay increase would mean a contribution rate of 9.25 percent for Coordinated members and 8.83 percent for Corrections officers as of July 1. Employer rates would drop to 4.25 percent and 5.75 percent, respectively. The bill does not affect the Association's Police & Fire Plan.
......Unlike Wisconsin, where, until this month pension funding has been primarily an employer responsibility, PERA members and employers have traditionally split pension costs. Both members and employers pay about 50 percent each for the General Plan and divide the costs 40%/60% for the public safety plans."
I must ask why pick on Corrections officers and leave Police and Fire alone? When Tom Perkins got us the 55 retirement the main selling point to the Minnesota Legislature was the fact that Corrections Officers have higher injury rates and lower life expectancy then cops. If you go to the PERA website or read the mailing you got from PERA you'd see that the Corrections Plan is at 97%, Fully Funded! Should you take a 3% paycut for a fully funded pension?
Call Joint Council 32 DRIVE at 612-331-5514. Tell them you want our lobbyist in St. Paul on this ASAP. (You pay the DRIVE lobbyist $105,000 a year with your dues).
Call your State representatives.
You might find this info useful when talking to your reps: Myths vs. facts on PERA
DON'T LET MINNESOTA BECOME WISCONSIN!
Wednesday, March 09, 2011
Bad News for Wisconsin Unions
"In 30 minutes, 18 state senators undid 50 years of civil rights in Wisconsin," Democratic Sen. Mark Miller said in a statement. "Their disrespect for the people of Wisconsin and their rights is an outrage that will never be forgotten."
Support Fred Gergare & Brad Slawson Sr. 2011
I support Fred Gergare & Brad Slawson, Sr. in the 2011 Teamsters General President Elections. I urge all of you to vote for him in the October elections.
I can't thank you enough for supporting the Anyone But Hoffa Slate in the Teamsters Local 320 Delegate elections, but we're only half way there. The next step is to elect a General President worthy of that title. I believe that man is Fred Gergare and his running mate Brad Slawson, Sr.
In Solidarity,
Wade Laszlo
Tuesday, March 08, 2011
Congratulations Letter from Sandy Pope
Congratulations Letter from Sandy Pope.
March 7, 2011 in ABH
Dear Members of the Anyone But Hoffa Slate:
Congratulations on a well-deserved victory in your Convention Delegate
election. Our union and our country needs your activism and
leadership more than ever!
Politicians across the country are coming after public sector workers’
wages, benefits, and union rights. It’s the fight of our lifetimes.
Corporate politicians are trying to divide us and turn public and
private sector workers against each other. Our real enemies are the
reckless Wall Street bankers who drove our economy over the cliff—not
the fire fighters and teachers and Teamsters who provide the public
services we need.
Public employees have power and can be a tremendous force for change
when we get active and get involved. That’s the lesson of
Wisconsin—and that’s the lesson of your victory in Local 320.
I congratulate the “Anyone but Hoffa Slate” and Local 320 members for
standing up for change.
Your successful campaign to win this delegate election is a model for
what it will take to turn our union around. You reached out to your
brothers and sisters, member-to-member, talking face-to-face and on
the phone about what it will take to turn around our union.
That kind of grassroots activism is what my campaign is all about.
That’s why I was honored to back your slate.
I look forward to working with you to stand up to corporate
politicians, defend working families and rebuild our union’s power.
In solidarity,
Sandy Pope
Reposted fron the Anyone But Hoffa Site
March 7, 2011 in ABH
Dear Members of the Anyone But Hoffa Slate:
Congratulations on a well-deserved victory in your Convention Delegate
election. Our union and our country needs your activism and
leadership more than ever!
Politicians across the country are coming after public sector workers’
wages, benefits, and union rights. It’s the fight of our lifetimes.
Corporate politicians are trying to divide us and turn public and
private sector workers against each other. Our real enemies are the
reckless Wall Street bankers who drove our economy over the cliff—not
the fire fighters and teachers and Teamsters who provide the public
services we need.
Public employees have power and can be a tremendous force for change
when we get active and get involved. That’s the lesson of
Wisconsin—and that’s the lesson of your victory in Local 320.
I congratulate the “Anyone but Hoffa Slate” and Local 320 members for
standing up for change.
Your successful campaign to win this delegate election is a model for
what it will take to turn our union around. You reached out to your
brothers and sisters, member-to-member, talking face-to-face and on
the phone about what it will take to turn around our union.
That kind of grassroots activism is what my campaign is all about.
That’s why I was honored to back your slate.
I look forward to working with you to stand up to corporate
politicians, defend working families and rebuild our union’s power.
In solidarity,
Sandy Pope
Reposted fron the Anyone But Hoffa Site
Monday, March 07, 2011
Saturday, March 05, 2011
Anyone But Hoffa Slate to Represent 320 at the IBT Elections
March 5, 2011 in ABH
The Anyone But Hoffa Slate won the Teamsters Local 320 Delegate Election by a nice margin. You can see the vote count here and it will also be posted early next week on the Election Supervisors site, IBTVote.
We thank all of those that assisted us with getting the word out.
Without your support and feedback, we would not have been able to focus our efforts and our campaign would have been less effective. We now need to focus on the Delegate Convention and getting the word out to more members to vote this fall in the IBT election. As you can see from the number of ballots in this election, only about 25% of the membership returned a ballot. We need to get ALL of our members involved and voting so that their voice is heard. We, the members, ARE the Union. Let no one take that away from you, misrepresent you, or use your resources against you.
(Reposted from the Anyone But Hoffa site)
The Anyone But Hoffa Slate won the Teamsters Local 320 Delegate Election by a nice margin. You can see the vote count here and it will also be posted early next week on the Election Supervisors site, IBTVote.
We thank all of those that assisted us with getting the word out.
Without your support and feedback, we would not have been able to focus our efforts and our campaign would have been less effective. We now need to focus on the Delegate Convention and getting the word out to more members to vote this fall in the IBT election. As you can see from the number of ballots in this election, only about 25% of the membership returned a ballot. We need to get ALL of our members involved and voting so that their voice is heard. We, the members, ARE the Union. Let no one take that away from you, misrepresent you, or use your resources against you.
(Reposted from the Anyone But Hoffa site)
Friday, March 04, 2011
VICTORY: ANYONE BUT HOFFA!
The Anyone But Hoffa Slate has WON the Teamsters Local 320 delegate election.
THANK YOU all for voting. We will do our best to bring the Teamsters Union back to you, the members.
Anyone But Hoffa
THANK YOU all for voting. We will do our best to bring the Teamsters Union back to you, the members.
Anyone But Hoffa