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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

Mediation "Employers Best and Final Proposal"

Today we had mediation with Hennepin County. The following is the "Employers Best and Final Proposal."

It will be sent out for a vote.

The negotiating committee said we would not recommend a yes or no vote but leave it to the members to vote. So here it is, essentially it's the same offer they gave to AFSCME workhouse when they bargained with the non-essentials (as AFSCME always does). I will strip it down to the basics, the entire proposal will be mailed to you to vote on. 

WAGES: 2.5% cost of living raise 2014
                  2.5% cost of living raise 2015

Cash lump 2014 and 2015 of $300 to employees making under $18.01 an hour

SHIFT Differential to go up 5 cents to 90 cents an hour

Weekend Differential to go up 5 cents to 70 cents an hour

MARKET ADJUSTMENT

2014 1% market adjustment top pay Detention Deputy only
2015 1% market adjustment top pay Detention Deputy only

FOR DISPATCH
2014 only 2% Market Adjustment to each step in the pay range 

Additionally they agreed to allow Oral Reprimands to be removed from our files as a "me too" with the Licensed Deputy contract.

That being said, remember this is my personal blog, the following is my opinion.

If the members vote yes. They will receive a cost of living raise and steps. But only top paid Detention Deputies will receive a market adjustment. 

If the members vote yes, dispatch, who number about 1/4 of our bargaining unit, will receive a bigger raise than anyone else and our Detention Techs and Evidence Specialist will receive a lower raise than anyone in this bargaining unit. Essentially the pattern of everyone getting the same raise will be destroyed. 

AND, we will still be the lowest paid of our job-class in the 7 county metro-area. The County will still have the same attraction and retention problem they have now.

As an aside, the County and Bureau of Mediation Services forced the Dispatchers into our group in the late 90's when they became "essential," because they considered us the same. and we have ALWAYS received the same raise.

If the members vote no, the county will pull everything off of the table and we will go back to mediation. If we are unable to get an agreement we will file for arbitration. 

During the interim we will picket the County Board in an effort to get a better market adjustment.

While there are no guarantees in arbitration, traditionally the County argues the AFSCME pattern, and we would probably not do worse than this offer for the Detention Deputies. 

However, we could end up with the better offer made to the dispatchers in our unit or they could end up with ours.

Another thing to consider is that the Licensed Deputies have not settled. In years past when we have settled first they have on occasion been given more. Why settle first? I strongly suspect the county will offer them more, like the dispatchers.

I am at top pay. As such I will receive a bigger raise than the majority of our people not at top pay. I will vote no on this contract for two reasons. 

One, it is not enough,  the market adjustment offered still keeps us at the lowest paid in the 7 county area.

Two, I believe the market adjustment should be across the board for all of our members at every step. 

I find it offensive that the employer offered some in our bargaining unit a larger market adjustment then others. We all suffered through the wage and step freezes. We all descended to the lowest paid in the metro-area together. We should all climb out together.

I must again ask the employer what I asked at out first bargaining meeting, "Why does Hennepin County think we should be the lowest paid in the metro-area?"

In solidarity,
Wade Laszlo

Teamsters Local 320 Attack on Corrections Officer Pension

Contract Mediation 2/18/14

On 2/18/14 Hennepin County and the MNPEA Detention Deputies, Techs and Dispatchers will be in contract mediation at the Bureau of Mediation Services.

Here's the bottom line. Dozens of employees are leaving the jail and dispatch. One of the primary reasons is because we have the lowest pay for our job classes in the metro area.

IF our employer Hennepin County (the County Board) doesn't come up with a reasonable offer they will be the cause of a Public Safety crisis in Hennepin County.

Imagine this summer if 25% of the jail staff (which is actively looking for other jobs) leaves?

Imagine the $30 million new dispatch center opens and there aren't enough dispatchers to handle the calls?

The citizens of Hennepin County will be ill served by the County Board's Public Safety decisions.

The ball is in their court...and the fallout will be too.

How wage freezes were dealt with in 1963!

Nothing like Labor History to see how wrong wage freezes are:

Eleven members of the Carpenters’ union in Reesor Siding, Northern Ontario are shot, three fatally, by independent local farmer-settlers who were supplying wood to a Spruce Falls Power and Paper Co. plant. Some 400 union members were attempting to block an outbound shipment from the plant. The action came as the company was insisting on a pay freeze and two months of seven-day-a-week work – 1963

Source: Today in Labor History

Hennepin County Dispatch-State of the Union

Ground Breaking for new $30 Million Dispatch Center

This is a post from one of our Hennepin County Dispatchers who is also a MNPEA Union steward. As most know Hennepin County is building a brand new $30 million dispatch center. Unfortunately the dedicated people who are to staff it seem to have been left out of the budget. This is his post:

Morale at Hennepin Co Sheriff's Radio is at an all-time low.   Retention of current staff is the main challenge.  Maintaining staffing minimums has resulted and dispatchers getting forced overtime sometimes 3 of their 4 days of a rotation.  Same goes with getting forced to come in on your days off.  Time off is taken for granted.  For those that would like to take time off, the rule is only one dispatcher , no matter what shift, will be granted time off for vacation per day unless it's during prime time vacation (Memorial Day-Labor Day and The Holidays).  Hard to take vacation days that we earn.  Dispatchers at their contractual vacation cap balance of 280 hours cannot take a day off they prefer but one that works out best for management.  Staffing shortage burdens are solely on the current dispatch staff and not management.  Management could help the situation some but refuse to.  We have first line supervisors that are able to be call-takers but downtown won't let them be a part of the minimum staffing equation.  Even when doubled up, they can't help.  We even have first line supervisors that cannot ' do the dispatch job' but get paid considerably more than others.  

Years ago, during hiring times, there used to be a long list of applicants especially those with years of 911 dispatch experience.  Now, we hardly get anyone thats been a public safety dispatcher before.  Raw recruits that have a 50% chance of making it through  the coaching program. 

We are the hardest working group in the Sheriff's office and have been for quite a few years living without any wage adjustment or cost of living raise.  We are doing more with less.  We have become specialized and not compensated for the important skills acquired (CJIS, Fire Dispatch Core, training) .  We've acquired the city of Brooklyn Center that has dramatically increased our workload with no help from downtown.  

We are building a new 911 communications center in Plymouth due to open later this year.  Along with that,  we will begin dispatching for Golden Valley.  More work ahead facing the same staff shortages and still our 2014/2015 union contract has yet to be settled.

Morale is so bad, new hires come and overhear or see some of the issues we face and leave before they complete training.  There have been quite a few dispatchers that have left for other agencies that pay their dispatchers better.  Some  have left for North Memorial Ambulance, HCMC EMS, Metro Transit or other 911 centers in the metro.  Hennepin County used to be in the top 3 for pay in the metro area.  We have now fallen behind that we are the lowest, if not the lowest paid dispatchers in the 11 county metro area while being the busiest per dispatcher metro-wide.  Chances for promotion are limited.  You can only be promoted to Telecommunicator Sergeant and nothing further.  Other Comm Centers let their civilian staff be able to rise to levels not heard of in Hennepin County.    Dispatchers do not get any formal breaks and if you listen to a police radio or call 911 during normal meal times, you'll probably hear a dispatcher talking with food in their mouth because we have to eat at our workstations and work at the same time.

HCSO has made great strides department wide the last few years except in their 911 call center.  Overworked, cramped, and not appreciated dispatchers is one last area of improvement needed to make HCSO a good well rounded agency.  Training is virtually non existent.  There never is any worthy money set aside in the radio budget for training.  Resources have been taken away from dispatch staff also.   

We do a darn good job but we could be so much better had we had better working conditions.  An agency similar to ours was recently featured on a local news story about 911 call response.  It was learned that in that particular agency, 911 calls have routinely been missed or have had callers have to endure long waits for someone to answer emergency requests.  At Hennepin County Dispatch, a call for service , no matter if it's a 911 or non-emergency, is never, ever missed.  Hennepin Dispachers as well as our union brothers and sisters at the Hennepin Co Jail are the HARDEST workers in the sheriffs office.

Aaron Coates

Serving since 1990.

911 Dispatcher and Union Steward

What if Hennepin County couldn't staff the jail?

Imagine waking up to this news story: National Guard To Run Hennepin County Jail

Given the current trends this is not beyond the realm of possibility.