Final Corrections News and Views

Hey all, thanks for your friendship all these years. Thanks for allowing me to represent you as a steward all those years. I've released the final Corrections News and Views. I will be keeping the detentionhome blog up, and may post to it from time to time.You guys are still welcome to post there.

I am now a licensed Realtor with theMLSonline.com. Call me, 763 807-6668 if you or anyone you know needs a house or wants to sell one. Or email me at wlaszlo@themlsonline.com 

Special thanks to MNPEA, especialy Tom Perkins, Mike Golen, Dave Deal and the Fowler Law Firm (Rob Fowler and Joe Ditsch).

Here's the last Corrections News and Views:

SEND 'EM

Eddie Frizell Speech to MNPEA 7/29/14

Thanks to Dave Bentzen for providing audio wav.

Meet and Greet-MNPEA Release

Contributed by Mike Golen

Attention all Detention Deputies, Detention
Technicians, Henn Co, MPLS & Edina Dispatchers 
and MNPEA Members living in Hennepin County. 

Come and join us for a “Meet and Greet” party 
with fellow union members & co-workers. MNPEA 

Director Mike Golen and MNPEA Vice President Tom Perkins will both be there. 

We have invited the candidates running for Sheriff 
to come for part of the meeting and speak to us and
answer questions. 

4PM Rich Stanek – 4:30PM Eddie
Frizell - for approx 20 minutes each. 

Come and be better informed on what is happening 
with your union. 

Where: Di Noko’s Pizza - 420 S 4th

(Next to Goldberg Bail Bonds)

When: July 29th

*25% discount on all food with work ID - Happy
Hour from 3-7PM.

 St, MPLS, MN

 (Tuesday) from 3PM till when ever...

May 6th Picket, Hennepin County Board and Sheriff''s Office

T

Thanks to all who showed up, Detention Deputies, Dispatchers, Techs and Clerks.

We will be back at the Hennepin County Board meeting on May 13th to address the Board.

Please come out in force.

Welcome Minneapolis 911 to MNPEA!

MNPEA Welcomes the Minneapolis Dispatchers!

AFSCME challange to MNPEA dismissed with Prejudice

This is a re-post from MNPEA's Facebook page. AFSCME and Teamsters Local 320 brought a challenge at the Bureau of Mediation Services challangeing MNPEA's right to status as a public employee union. They wasted thousands of taxpayer dollars for the hearing at the State, wasted their members dues money on attorneys and wasted MNPEA member resources. 

Brian Aldes, Teamsters

Why? Because Brian Aldes (Teamsters Local 320), 

Eliot Seide, AFSCME

Eliot Seide and Eric Lehto (AFSCME Council 5) were afraid of the MNPEA continuing to attract their members.

When they realized they weren't going to win, they threw in the towel.. Here's the post:

"Concerning AFSCME and Teamsters 320 claim that MNPEA should be de-certified as a Public Sector Union:

The Bureau issued a ruling that Council 5 and MNPEA shall share the cost of the hearing transciption equally and that there is not a reasonable appearance that MNPEA presently fails to comply with any of the requirements of sections 179.18 to179.231.

We'll have the COMPLETE Transcripts posted soon. You're going to love this!

That's Right! We're still here in spite of Brian Aldes from Local 320 bragging to members and others that we would be removed and in spite of AFSCME spending tons of member's dues money on the bogus hearing! Nobody from 320 even showed at the hearings, they sent a hired gun atty at the expense of their members. At least AFSCME's bureaucrats (appointed non-elected by the way, that's why we call them bureaucrats) had the courage to be there and go on record. 320 talks a lot of smack in the background but won't put anything in writing or go on record....

We're still $39 per month including On and Off Duty Legal Defense for members and their spouses."

BMS Decision

Correctional Pension in Danger!

Fellow Detention Deputies and C.O.'s. As I reported in a previous post Teamsters Local 320 is making it a priority to add NON-ESSENTIALS to our pension.

Here's the link to their bill: http://www.scribd.com/doc/181422645/Report-to-Pension-Commission

If HF No. 884 and Senate No. 998 are passed it will add 1,973 non-essentials to our pension.

Consider: The correctional pension was passed because we have the highest injury rate of ANY public safety job class. Higher injury rates then police and fire. Our pension required 95% inmate contact for a job class to be eligible. If weakened to allow non-essentials with virtually non-existent inmate contact and non-existent assaults from inmates we will be in danger of being dumped back into the coordinated plan.

Consider: Probation officers make up to $90,000 a year. This means their payout from OUR pension will be greater than the C.O.'s it was created for.

Consider: With the higher required payouts to non-essential probation officers OUR pension contribution could increase about 2%. This would mean a 2% pay-cut in take home pay, with NO increase in our benefit.

Consider: If passed we may never get an increase in our pension benefit because higher payouts will be going to higher paid non-essentials.

It is important to stop this in it's tracks.

CONTACT YOUR STATE REPS NOW. FIND THEM HERE AND CONTACT THEM:

 Who Represents me?

Don't let corrections traitor Brian Aldes and Teamsters Local 320 ruin our pension.

Corrections traitor Brian Aldes, lower right

Sick Time Arbitration

No Slayer Shirt Today!

Today, December 17, 2013 MNPEA held an arbitration with Hennepin County regarding Article 13 of our Contract: Sick time. The arbitrator was retired Hennepin County Judge Crump.


The issues:

On June 1, 2011 the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office issued a new "Special Order" based on their newly minted Lexipol Policy stating that anyone using more than 96 hours (12 days) of sick time a year is abusing their sick time. The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office then went back one year and retroactively placed employees on monitored sick time for a policy that didn't exist at that time, and should have been negotiated.

The Union's position is that article 13 clearly states what sick time can be used for, not how much can be used. Article 13 does allow for the employer to make an employee get a doctors note if they miss three consecutive days. If the employer wanted different language it would have to be negotiated and they certainly had no right to enforce a policy retroactively.

The Employers position is that they have inherent managerial right to make policy and if the Union disagreed with their policy WE should have tried to negotiate that.. The employer believes they can do whatever they want without consulting the Union unless it is specifically mentioned in the contract.

The Union believes that contract trumps "policy." There have been many contentions with the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office over their dictating by Special Order and email without consulting the Union.

The grievance is now in the hands of the arbitrator. It could be a couple of months before we have a decision.

I will keep you posted.

This arbitration is BMS # 12PA0846

Teamsters to MNPEA, Lest Ye Forget

page 17, 2011 IBT Delegates

There's a lot of hand wringing going on about the MNPEA "raiding" Teamsters and AFSCME groups. How did this come about?

To the left you see WHO the Teamsters Local 320 Delegates were to the 2011 Teamsters International Convention. The names you see BEAT the Sue Mauren Slate, Secretary Treasurer of Local 320. They ran as the Anyone But Hoffa Slate, and won.

Yes, members, it can be done.

You will notice that some of the delegates are now officers of the MNPEA, Dave Deal and Mike Golen,  Some of the other delegates like Wade Laszlo and Carol Orcutt are now members of bargaining units that have left Teamsters for the MNPEA. 






How did this begin? What was the catalyst?

At the 2009 Steward training there was a MNTLEL meeting. The topic of discussion was the Correctional Pension. We voted and decided that the priority should be a raise in the benefit, which hadn't been raised since its' inception, and to get a corrections officer on the PERA board.

Instead, Mike Carey and Erik Skoog decided that correctional officers being  licensed was to be the priority. Union Steward Dave Deal was part of MNTLEL and was never consulted. Angered by the repeated ignoring of member votes by Local 320's leadership, Dave Deal ran a slate, the Members for a Better Union Slate, against Sue Mauren's Unity Slate, in the local board election. Sue Mauren's slate won, but then quickly turned on the members who dared to run against Sue and those who supported them. 

You can read some of their bullshit here, Teamsters Local 320 Election Result, it documents some of their personal attacks on members like me, who voiced support for Deal in the election.

This catalyst of ignoring members, then turning on them for exercising their rights as dues paying members resulted in several of us running against the Hoffa supporting Sue Mauren slate in the 2011 Delegate Election. We sought to represent the members of Local 320 as Delegates to the 2011 International Brotherhood of Teamsters Convention. We ran as the Anyone But Hoffa Slate, and as you see on the attachment, we won. Unlike other years, Local 320 did not picture us on their magazine or publish widespread who won. To this day many don't know Sue Mauren even lost to us.

The election was ugly and Sue Mauren's slate cheated. The Federal Elections Supervisor found their slate in violation of elections rules. They used Brian Aldes', non-union, brother in law's business, Razworks, to to make a free website for their slate. Sue Mauren was found guilty by Election Supervisor, Richard Mark. 

You can read it here: http://www.ibtvote.org/protests/2010/2011esd087.htm  She was forced to pay for the website and post this message for 30 days on their slate's website:

Richard W. MarkElection Supervisor
The Election Supervisor has found that Sue Mauren and the Mauren slate violated the Election Rules by accepting web design and hosting services for the Mauren website from Razworks LLC, a commercial web design and hosting service. Campaign contributions from non-members are strictly prohibited by the Rules. The Election Supervisor has directed Mauren to pay Razworks its usual and customary charges for the services provided and to cease using non-member contributions to campaign.

The Election Supervisor has issued this decision in Laszlo, 2010 ESD 87 (January 27, 2011). You may read this decision at http://www.ibtvote.org/protests/2010/2011esd087.htm.

You can read more about Mauren's and Hoffa's corrupt campaigns here.

A Federal Elections Supervisor ended up having to supervise Local 320's delegate election to ensure fairness. With Federal oversight at the ballot count, the Anyone But Hoffa Slate won. Interesting is the fact that many of the same people on the winning slate had lost in the local election just weeks earlier. It made many of us question the legitimacy of 320's local board election.

The convention was outrageous. Watch videos of Hoffa supporters here, including delegates walking out as Fred Gegare was nominated:
http://detentionhome.blogspot.com/2011/07/teamsters-local-320-delegates-at-ibt.html

At the convention we succeeded in our goals of getting Fred Gegare and Sandy Pope on the national ballot to challenge Hoffa.. Hoffa won the national election.

Having lost faith in the Teamsters to represent their members, some of the Anyone but Hoffa slate and their supporters formed the MNPEA. A labor organization dedicated to representing the members, not over paid so called "labor leaders." Many of  Teamsters large corrections  bargaining units decertified Teamsters to join the MNPEA.  Groups like Hennepin County Detention Deputies and Washington County Corrections.  You can see  MNPEA's groups here at http://mnpea.com/

In a strange turn of events, Teamsters Local 320 is once again working against corrections officers! You will remember that the initial catalyst of the strife was their unwillingness to support the corrections officers with their pension. Now they are working against corrections officers by proposing letting non-essential probation officers and security guards into it!

I'd like to make one final point. The Anyone But Hoffa Slate people who left for the MNPEA are not anti-labor or even anti-Teamsters. We were the reformers who won in the delegate election, we believe in labor and are proud of the labor movement's and Teamsters' history. We simply believe that the current Teamsters structure and  leadership has lost the way paved by great men like Jim Hoffa Sr. They no longer represent members, just themselves. 

The Thunder and Lightning has left for the MNPEA.

P.S. If any reader has any doubts as to my former loyalty to the Teamsters over the years scroll back through the history of this blog. Local 320 leadership caused the rift. At the end of the day the members are most important, and if one labor organization has forgotten who represents who, then it's time to move on to one that will.

Discipline: The Contract and the Law

Every so often I like to post to remind our members of their rights, today is that day.

THE CONTRACT

ARTICLE 34 - DISCIPLINE AND DISCHARGE
Section 1. The EMPLOYER will discipline or discharge a permanent employee only for just cause. Grievances under this Article may
be processed in accordance with the grievance procedure of this AGREEMENT.

Section 2. Discipline, when administered, will be in one or more of the following forms and normally in the following order:
 A. Oral Reprimand
 B. Written Reprimand
 C. Suspension
 D. Discharge or Disciplinary Demotion
 Circumstances may warrant waiving one or more steps in the progression.

Section 3. Employees will not be questioned concerning an administrative investigation of disciplinary action unless the employee 
has been given an opportunity to have a union representative present at such questioning. An employee desiring such
opportunity shall promptly notify the EMPLOYER and arrange for such representation in a timely manner. The employee
shall cooperate fully in such questioning providing full disclosure of all pertinent facts.

Section 4. Upon written request of the employee, a written reprimand shall be removed from the employee's personnel record if no
further disciplinary action has been taken against the employee within two (2) years following the date of the reprimand, or
if no disciplinary action has been taken against the employee for the same or related offenses within three (3) years
following the date of the reprimand.

Section 5. When an employee's conduct as determined by the EMPLOYER through investigation, interviews or other pertinent facts
is cause for disciplinary action(s), such disciplinary action(s) shall be taken in a timely manner.

THE LAW

241.026 CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS DISCIPLINE PROCEDURES.

Subdivision 1.Definitions.

(a) For purposes of this section, the terms defined in this subdivision have the meanings given them.

(b) "Correctional officer" and "officer" mean a person employed by the state, a state correctional facility, or a local correctional or detention facility in a security capacity.

(c) "Formal statement" means the questioning of an officer in the course of obtaining a recorded, stenographic, or signed statement to be used as evidence in a disciplinary proceeding against the officer.

Subd. 2.Applicability.

The procedures and provisions of this section apply to state and local correctional authorities.

Subd. 3.Governing formal statement procedures.

The formal statement of an officer must be taken according to subdivision 4.

Subd. 4.Place of formal statement.

The formal statement must be taken at a facility of the employing or investigating agency or at a place agreed to by the investigating individual and the investigated officer.

Subd. 5.Admissions.

Before an officer's formal statement is taken, the officer shall be advised in writing or on the record that admissions made in the course of the formal statement may be used as evidence of misconduct or as a basis for discipline.

Subd. 6.Disclosure of financial records.

No employer may require an officer to produce or disclose the officer's personal financial records except pursuant to a valid search warrant or subpoena.

Subd. 7.Release of photographs.

No state or local correctional facility or governmental unit may publicly release photographs of an officer without the written permission of the officer, except that the facility or unit may display a photograph of an officer to a prospective witness as part of an agency or unit investigation.

Subd. 8.Disciplinary letter.

No disciplinary letter or reprimand may be included in an officer's personnel record unless the officer has been given a copy of the letter or reprimand.

Subd. 9.Retaliatory action prohibited.

No officer may be discharged, disciplined, or threatened with discharge or discipline as retaliation for or solely by reason of the officer's exercise of the rights provided by this section.

Subd. 10.Rights not reduced.

The rights of officers provided by this section are in addition to and do not diminish the rights and privileges of officers that are provided under an applicable collective bargaining agreement or any other applicable law.

History: 

2005 c 136 art 13 s 3

Weingarten Rights 

(If called to a meeting with management, read the following 
or present this card to management when the meeting begins.) 

If this discussion could in any way lead to my being 
disciplined or terminated, or affect my personal working 
conditions, I respectfully request that my union 
representative, officer, or steward be present at this meeting. Until my representative arrives, I choose not to participate in 
this discussion. 

MNPEA LEGAL DEFENSE

Remember, as members of MNPEA you have the best Legal Defense Plan out there.

If you are involved in a Critical Incident at work or are arrested outside of work call:

651-287-8883

Don't  talk to any one or make any statements before calling our attorney.

Why we left Teamsters and joined MNPEA

There's a lot of propaganda being spread about MNPEA by Afscme and the Teamsters. Those of you seeking to leave the dinosaur unions for MNPEA might find our experience helpful in making your decision.

Watch the video I made in September of 2011 while we were in the decertification process. It states  why the Hennepin County Detention Deputies, Telecommunicators and Techs were leaving the Teamsters for MNPEA. Some of what happened to us might be happening to you. There is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Contract Negotiation Update

Below is a copy of our response to Hennepin County's initial offer:

MNPEA Response to Employer's Initial Proposal from Oct. 29'2013

1) Duration. MNPEA is open on this issue.

2) Wages- 3% General Increase in each year of contract to all unit members (also
referred to as a "COLA"), applies to all steps. See also #3,4 & 5 below.

3) Steps- All unit members not at tcp of range receive steps each year of conlract,
' General lncrease (or "COLA's" ) percenta ge in #2 above shall apply and increase to
all step levels. Steps will not be contingent on any perforrr,ance review or merit.
In addition, certain employees were in recent past o'frozen". For these employees,
two step movements will occur in2014 with the applicable percentage increase.
Applies only to employees employed at time of freeze.

4) Change $18.01 from employers proposal to $20.01, and change $300 lump sum to
$500.

5) Market adjustment- all step grids to ittcrease by $3.00 per hour
.
6) I\{NPEA is ready to sign.

7) Employers proposal is acceptable.

8) Employers proposal is acceptable.

9) No as proposed. Statutory right.

l0) Hold for further discussion- but as drafted, No.

1l) Employers proposal is acceptable.

CHANGES OR ADDITIONS from MNPEA's Initial Proposal

A) MNPEA will drop item under Article l1- Holidays

B) Article 2l- Insurance, see above, ready to sign.

C) All other proposals remain as originally stated or as modified in response to employer
items above. MNPEA reserves the right to add or modify its position and proposals.

D) NEw- 28 day schedule. Want written rules on applicability and procedures in
contract

E) NEW- Telecommunicators Bid- "on or about Nov. 1" language. Add language stating
"on or about means at most a one week grace period from Nov. 1"

An interesting side note. While waiting to go upstairs for our negotiations we ran into a couple of fine folks from AFSCME. You know the guys who got our addresses and came to our homes accompanied by a pedophile.

Well we told them we didn't appreciate Ryan Hanson and Dale Blom's antics. One of them then had the nerve to ask us to sign a bunch of cards they had.soliciting THE PUBLIC for signatures to get them a raise. I told them we were pissed and wouldn't sign anything with AFSCME on it.

Welcome City of Zumbrota PD

Welcome aboard the MNPEA juggernaut. Nice to see another former Teamsters MNTLEL group leaving for real Law Enforcement representation!

Welcome to MNPEA Sherburne County

Congratulations Sherburne County on joining the MNPEA juggernaut! I feel a certain personal connection to you. Like Hennepin, the vote to leave Teamsters Local 320 was overwhelming...only 2 voted to keep Teamsters!

Like Roger and Natalie, I was also removed as a Union Steward without due process by Teamsters Local 320 Secretary Treasurer Sue Mauren, even though elected by the members. We both learned of Teamsters Democracy!

Back when I still believed the Teamsters could change and actually represent the members, Sherburne County supported me in my winning bid to be a delegate to the 2011 Teamsters Convention on the Anyone But Hoffa Slate. Of course even that election would have been corrupted had we not received Federal oversight.

So for these and so many more reasons I say welcome aboard. You will love the fact that members actually control their destiny and the legal protection is unprecedented.

In solidarity,
Wade Laszlo

New Corrupt Challange

This is a sad tale. The MNPEA has been a good hardworking Association for us for over two years. It has grown into one of the largest Corrections, Law Enforcement, Public Employee  Associations in Minnesota. 

On November 14th the Bureau of Mediation Services, for the third time, will be holding a hearing at AFSCME's request challenging the MNPEA's right to exist. The following is from MNPEA's Facebook site:

AFSCME is making its 3rd feeble attempt to remove MNPEA as a union! Instead of getting off their butts and doing the job that their members pay dues for they're spending $1000s and $1000s to attack us. The usual 1950s BS union tactics. Rest assured, this attack will fail. We will continue to liberate public employees in MN from the neanderthal unions that have enslaved them for so long. Join us in the 21st century. You know its time for a change.www.mnpea.com

AFSCME went as far as telling Pine County Public employees looking to join MNPEA, that MNPEA is not going to be recognized as a Union, their bullshit challenge, so don't bother voting for them. The vote at Pine County went to AFSCME by one vote. Our attorney challenged this due to AFSCME's lie and the status quo order has been reinstated so they can vote again with the FACTS.

My question to the Bureau of Mediation Services is this:

How many times must MNPEA be certified? How many times will they have to sit through bullshit hearings? Why don't you tell AFSCME that that decision has already been made? Or do you owe favors to Eliot Seide of AFSCME? Is the Bureau only for the large Unions like AFSCME and Teamsters who are losing members? Or representing working citizens and the Unions they choose without prejudice?

As organized Public Employees we need to have trust in the Bureau. If it appears to be in the pocket of other entities then it serves no purpose. 

Public Safety Salary Comparison

This is a list of Public Safety Salaries I've composed. I will list them from highest to lowest paid. All salaries are 2012 compensation. *

2012 pay

1.  Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek                                                         $151,102
2.  Hennepin County Community Corrections Director, Thomas Merkel           $144,943
3.  Ramsey County Sheriff, Matt Bostrom                                                       $135,630
4. Minneapolis Police Chief  Janee Harteau                                                     $126, 155
5. Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton                                                                     $119, 850
6. Minnesota State Patrol Chief, Kevin Daly                                                   $114,721
7. Minn. Commissioner of Corrections, Tom Roy                                            $112,126

* source for salaries: http://extra.twincities.com/car/salaries/default.aspx


Commentary: As you can see Hennepin County pays it's Public Safety "CEO's" the highest salaries in the State. At the same time their Public Safety employees are the lowest paid in the 7 County Metro Area.

Why? The anonymous comment on the previous post, Hennepin County vs Ramsey County Detention, holds the key. The anonymous comment stated, "Wade, the Sheriff gets the same raises that all non-exempt employees get (basically the standard as the AFSCME clerical union sets). Which ultimately is the standard that is set for basically all of us." (Bold emphasis mine).

Hennepin County has had a cozy relationship with AFSCME for decades. They settle with the non-essential clerical and then say, "The pattern is set," and impose that settlement on everyone, including essential employees. 


AFSCME has NEVER allowed it's Hennepin County Adult Corrections essential employees to bargain separate from the clerical. This cozy little AFSCME arrangement has led to Hennepin County essential employees being dead last in pay in the metro area by accepting non-essential contract settlements. 


I doubt the State Patrol Troopers bargain with their clerks!

My opinion is that AFSCME has been complicit in keeping down essential employee pay. It is time for this to end.

Contract Talks Update

We meet again with Hennepin County on October 29th to receive their proposal. Our position is resolute. We need a market adjustment and a cost of living raise in addition to steps.

Hennepin County Detention Deputies and our counterparts at the Workhouse ARE THE LOWEST PAID IN THE 7 COUNTY METRO AREA!

This is unacceptable. A Ramsey County Detention Deputy starts at $22 an hour. A Hennepin County one starts at $17. At 5 years a Ramsey County Detention Deputy is at $31 an hour. Hennepin tops out at $27 an hour after 8 years, that is if there wasn't the 5 years of wage freezes we just had. Ramsey tops at $34 an hour.

We are the biggest busiest jail in the upper Midwest and the only ACA accredited jail in Minnesota, which means shit when it comes to more wages. It only means we get hours and hours of more training than our better paid counterparts.

Well, Hennepin County had better have a serious offer or this steward won't think twice about going to arbitration. After all, the only mint left on the pillow after we got screwed last time, was that we can compare ourselves to Ramsey County, and we will.

I hope the Workhouse gets on board and doesn't get stuck bargaining as clerical, instead of essential as AFSCME always does to them.

MNPEA response to AFSCME smack talk

Dear members,

AFSCME has been talking smack about us, claiming we're not a Union. Here's our MNPEA Business Agent's response:

Attention Minnesota Public Employees:

Because of our ongoing organizing of public groups in Minnesota there have been numerous rumors and statements originating from a couple of big unions about who we are, what we promise and what our service to members is. Here are some of the things being said and our response.

In a recent letter from the President of Local 82, AFL-CIO (MPLS Firefighters Union) he starts with the statement that MNPEA has been comparing itself to the AFL-CIO and AFSCME. Neither I nor the other Officers of MNPEA have ever compared ourselves to them. Why would we? They represent most of the things wrong with the Labor Movement in the 21st century. When I was President of Local 320 Teamster President James Hoffa, after years of requests from Teamster members and officers to leave the AFL-CIO, finally took a vote among the top two officers of all the Teamsters Locals. The desire was overwhelming to leave and we did. In the 34 years I've been involved in MN unions as a member, agent and officer, I have watched AFSCME roll over in contract negotiations time and again. Our members and many of theirs have voiced the same opinion. While the Teamsters left the AFL-CIO, they kept a non-raid pact with AFSCME or we would have had several of their groups cross over to Teamsters. Until MNPEA there has been a monopoly on most public jobs in MN by AFSCME and Teamsters.

He also stated that MNPEA doesn’t have political clout because we’re too small. MNPEA is already three times larger than the MPLS Firefighter Union. We haven’t had issues speaking with elected officials, their doors are open to us just like the others. The main difference is that we only endorse candidates if 70% or more of our members are in agreement. We report relevant information concerning political impact on their jobs to our members and let them decide who they want to support and/or vote for like adults. We don’t badger them with endless phone calls and mailings, wasting their dues money and time. Our members consider such behavior on the part of unions to be intrusive and insulting to their intelligence.

He then went on to say that people don’t have a voice with MNPEA and our 3 staff members. In fact our bylaws allow the members to over-ride Executive Board Decisions on grievances they want taken to arbitration if the Board isn’t recommending it! If 70% of the members in a bargaining unit want to arbitrate anyway we do it. He also said that we make promises we can’t keep! WE MAKE IT VERY CLEAR THAT WE CAN’T PROMISE BETTER CONTRACTS ETC, just that we’ll work harder and return all calls etc. What we do promise are $39 per month union dues through 2016 . No hidden costs. We invite Stewards to our Board meetings and if we ever need to raise dues they will be part of the decision process and we must have the members vote in the increase. We hold Steward elections after each contract is negotiated and approved by the members. The AFSCME groups up in the ARC that came to us were flabbergasted! All of the positions there were appointed under AFSCME!

Both Teamsters and AFSCME representatives have claimed that we aren’t elected. We started this association from scratch and are the first Executive Board Members. Our bylaws provide for elections just like theirs. All of the groups that have come to us elected to do so. That’s the process through the MN Bureau Of Mediation. Before I retired from Teamsters Local 320 myself, our President Dave Deal and several members ran against their Executive Board in the Teamsters Delegate Election in 2011 and WE WON! None of the 320 Board Members, Agents and members running with them got to go. WE represented the Teamster members at the convention. This had never happened to an existing Teamster Executive Board before. Change can be had if you have the courage and conviction to stand up, which we did and continue to do. Don’t let the big unions intimidate you, they’re not tough guys like some of them pretend to be unless lazy is the new tough LoL! You deserve better.

AFSCME is currently spending their member’s dues money paying several people to take off work and replacing their wages while they come out to places of work and member’s homes to spread lies about MNPEA. They are doing mailings, emails, home visits and phone calls 7 days a week. Many of the mailings and flyers have no author listed! Not much due process when anonymous letters and rumors lead the procession. The lies for the most part are down right childish. Silly things like your contract doesn’t go with you. You’ll lose your job. Anyone can call the MN Bureau Of Mediation, the State Agency that handles union and employer affairs, and ask them how things really work.http://mn.gov/bms/index.html Do you really want people that tell childish lies and slander instead of stepping up to the plate and making changes? We don’t go out and cold call groups. They contact us! For many years AFSCME and Teamsters have had a monopoly on Public Employees in MN. That is no longer the case and members all over are finding that out. We are being contacted all over the state.

One of the things big unions aren’t telling their members is how many paying members they have lost in Right To Work States. For example in Wisconsin AFSCME went from over 50,000 paying members to under 15,000! AFSCME wants to blame conservatives for their condition. NO! It’s the lack of service and the high monthly dues that are the downfall of big unions. We hear this constantly from workers calling us wanting to leave their outdated Neanderthal unions. Meanwhile Officers and Agents working for the big unions continue to receive multiple salaries and retirements. They continue to hold extravagant conferences around the country where they stay at fancy hotels with free drinks and food etc. It’s like the rats at the top are stealing everything they can before their ships sink.

We have a new vision for the 21st century instead of the archaic 1950s model the large unions use. 24/7 Legal Defense for our members and their spouses. Including not just Licensed Peace Officers but all public employee members! If a legal issue arises outside of work you call our attorneys. If your employer wants to question you and it can lead to discipline we send an attorney to represent you. We also have open financial dealings. Try to get the spending facts including “Miscellaneous Expenditures” from the big unions. It’s a very sad time in America when big union Executive Boards are corrupt as or worse than many corporate Executives Boards. Good luck to working Americans with that scenario.

You can chose to allow the same old same old or you can stand up and demand change. We are prepared to debate any big union officers, agents, employees etc anytime. Let them try to slander us and lie about us in a public forum. We’ll tell you what really goes on in these organizations and what they really do with your dues money and a whole lot more. Check us out at www.Mnpea.com.

Thank you for your time,
Mike Golen
MNPEA Director

Welcome East Bethel and White Bear Lake PD

Welcome City of East Bethel Public Employees and White Bear Lake PD to the MNPEA family. 

As an aside I find it interesting that over one year after we left Teamsters Local 320 they continue weird online attacks against me on their websites. 

If they spent more time servicing their members and less time attacking former members maybe they wouldn't keep losing groups like East Bethel. 

MNPEA Bargaining Units

This is a list of all of the bargaining units who have joined MNPEA. Check back as this list is growing!

Ada Police

Albert Lea Police

Arrowhead Regional Corrections, Essentials

Arrowhead Regional Corrections, Non-Essential

Blue Earth County Corrections & Sgts

Carver County Deputies

City of East Bethel

City of Jordan Clerical

Dakota County Corrections Supervisors

Faribault County Corrections & Dispatch

Freeborn County Deputies

Freeborn County Sgts

Glencoe Police

Hennepin County Corrections & Dispatch

Hutchinson Police

Lakeville Police

McCleod County Corrections & Dispatch

McCleod County Deputies

Mendota Heights Police Sgts

Mille Lacs County Sheriff, Supervisors

Norman County Sheriff, Essentials

Owatonna Police Corporals

Owatonna Police Sgts

Rice County Deputies

Rice County Sgts

Sibley County Sheriff, Essentials

University of Minnesota Police

Washington County Corrections & Dispatch

White Bear Lake Police

Wilkin County Deputies

Wilkin County Corrections & Dispatch

Winthrop Police