Knock, knock

The Hennepin County Workhouse Corrections Officers are strongly considering joining the MNPEA. The advantage would be that rather than being lumped in with the non-essentials as AFSCME always does, they would finally bargain as essential employees. The Hennepin County ACF Corrections Officers and the Hennepin County Detention Deputies could bargain as the majority of the Essential Hennepin County Employees and it wouldn't matter what the non-essentials settled for.

 AFSCME Union reps are calling our members and even knocking on our doors. Scared? They should be. All of the Arrowhead AFSCME corrections groups have already joined MNPEA. .See the full list of MNPEA groups  here. Of course one must wonder where they got a list of Corrections Officers names, addresses and phone numbers. Also, in States like Wisconsin over 40% of AFSCME's bargaining units went FAIR SHARE. Why? They don't represent their members. While AFSCME members have endured wage freezes and cuts, AFSCME CEO's, er Leaders took hefty salaries. For instance,.Intl. President Gerald Mcentee made a cool $1,121,988 in 2012. Go to Union Facts.com to see all of their salaries. You'll get the point.

Let's compare representation:

MNPEA Dues - $39 a month, including the Legal Protection

AFSCME Dues-1.5% taken out of every check.

MNPEA Legal Plan- Full on and Off Duty protection, no extra cost.

AFSCME-NO LEGAL DEFENSE! As a Corrections Officer why would you risk criminal and legal action out of your pocket? Especially in the era of the PREA (Prison Rape Elimination Act).

MNPEA, Attorneys at Internal Affairs interviews

AFSCME, Not

MNPEA, Attorneys at Step 2 Grievances

AFSCME, Not

MNPEA, 24 hour hotline. Attorneys available for all critical incidents, day and night.

AFSCME, Not

Maybe AFSCME should spend less on CEO size salaries and politicians and more on members.

Workhouse Corrections Officers, every contract they force you to bargain with non-essential employees. By law, you could have bargained separately, and should have. As essentials you have no right to strike, instead you have the right to binding arbitration. AFSCME has NEVER arbitrated your contract.

One more point. For years us Detention Deputies wanted to be in the same bargaining unit as the Workhouse CO's. We had two obstacles. Teamsters Local 320 and AFSCME. They had a "no raid" clause and required whoever decertified the one to go a full year non-union before joining the other. Get rid of the last obstetrical. Join MNPEA!