The 2015 State of the Unions in Hennepin County

This is a look at the State of Public Employee labor unions in 2015 representing Corrections Officers/Detention Deputies' in Hennepin County Minnesota. 

AFSCME Local 1719 represents the Hennepin County Adult Corrections Facility (the workhouse). They are the anchor responsible for holding down the prevailing wage of corrections officers in the Seven County metro area. How? 

Rather than having the essential employees, corrections officers, negotiate separate from the non-essentials, they lump CO's in with clerks and negotiate one raise.

Because AFSCME is the largest union Hennepin County has to negotiate with, they settle quick, and then declare a pattern, holding the rest of Hennepin County's essentials to.  In reality AFSCME is the only union Hennepin County negotiates with.

The result is that even though Hennepin County is the most populous county in the state, and the downtown Hennepin County jail is the largest in the State, they are the lowest paid in the Twin Cities Metropolitan area along with all of Hennepin County's corrections groups.

Conclusion: AFSCME, rather than bettering the wages of essential members is actually holding them down. This is opposite of what a union should do for organized employees.


Teamsters Local 320. Represents the CO's at the Hennepin County Juvenile Center. Typically settles early with AFSCME also anchoring metro CO wages down.

Teamsters Local 320 was decertified by the Detention Deputy's in the Hennepin County jail in 2011.

When we were with Teamsters Local 320, they actually worked against the dues paying members! Go to, Why we left Teamsters and joined MNPEA for more info. This is why we decertified Teamsters for MNPEA. For a full history read, Teamsters to MNPEA, Lest Ye Forget

Teamsters have also worked against their other members robbing union members of pension benefits. This is the result of Jim Hoffa's poor management along with his cronies from 320, Sue Mauren, and current Hoffa supporter Brian Aldes.

Teamsters Local 320 has a history of meeting with management behind member backs.


Minnesota Public Employees Association (MNPEA). Represents the Hennepin County Detention Deputies and Techs in the Hennepin County Jail and the Hennepin County Dispatch (911). This is by far the largest Correctional Group in Hennepin County, well over 200 members, almost 300 when you add in the techs and Dispatch.

MNPEA has been unsuccessful in overcoming AFSCME and Teamsters race to the bottom for wages. Typically MNPEA gets whatever AFSCME gets. 

The Hennepin County Detention Deputies overwhelmingly left Teamsters Local 320 a few years ago. MNPEA promised early negotiations, arbitrations for grievances within four months, low dues and a good legal plan. 

In reality the contract negotiations are whatever AFSCME gets, in Hennepin County.

MNPEA is also following the old Teamsters pattern of letting arbitrations die on the vine and the Teamsters Local 320 history of appeasing management. To be fair, there are plenty of step 2 grievance meetings, but if a grievance is unresolved, the promise of arbitration in four months doesn't happen, The result being the employer knows most grievances will just go away.

The dues are low, $39 a month and the legal plan is top notch for anyone in our field. 

In summary, organized labor for corrections in Hennepin County is holding down the prevailing wage for all corrections groups in the Twin Cities Metropolitan area. All of the Unions tend to try to please management rather than member concerns.

The two largest unions, AFSCME and Teamsters settle contracts quick and MNPEA doesn't have the clout to overcome it. Typically getting locked into the pattern.

What can be done? If AFSCME workhouse members joined MNPEA , AFSCME's pattern would be broken for essential employees. This would force Hennepin County to negotiate with all of the essential groups.

Also MNPEA should aggressively arbitrate contract violations in Hennepin County and get their attention and respect. As always, the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office is met with compromise and ignored grievances when they violate the contract. 

Until any of these happen, expect the largest county corrections groups in the State to have the lowest compensation. Wages will continue to favor management,  regardless of being essential, and the contracts will be unenforced, unless it applies to members.

In solidarity,
Wade

Vote for Fred Gegare this week!

You should receive a ballot from the International Brotherhood of Teamsters this week for the general election. I encourage you to vote, and to vote for the Fred Gegare slate. I was a delegate to the 2011 Teamsters Convention and fully support him and his entire slate.


My, our beef, is with Teamsters Local 320 not the International. Yes, we are in the process of decertifying 320, they won't have a local election for two years and we can't take another two years of their abuse. Give a gift to our brothers and sisters in the labor movement, vote in someone who wants to return the power of the Teamsters to the members. Hoffa needs to go!


By the way, thank you Teamsters local 320, because you "protested" the list of names provided to the Bureau of Mediation Services we will all still be able to vote in the Teamsters General election!

Hoffa's Corrupt Campaign

This is page 32 of the April/May Teamster Magazine. Click on the image and at least read the highlighted parts. Hoffa offered jobs as bribes for support. This behavior is rampant among Hoffa Supporters. Including our own pro-Hoffa Sue Mauren who was found guilty of taking an illegal contribution:

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.

As many of you know the Anyone But Hoffa Slate (ABH) won the election over the pro-Hoffa Sue Mauren Slate in the Teamsters Local 320 Delegate Election. Rather then accept that we are the elected delegates to the Teamsters Convention and being good sports, these sore losers continue to attack the elected delegates. Check out this website they created to attack me: http://www.youtube.com/user/WadeLaszlo1satanist

Rather then debate the issues of stacked salaries, bribes, wasted member money and cronyism they can only create websites like this!

As a delegate, I will be at the Teamsters Convention in support of Fred Gergare for Teamster General President. I believe the Union should represent the members, not the other way around. Fred Gergare thinks likewise.

You can also watch the video, I Am A Teamster I made in response to one of their many childish attacks.

To keep up on the facts go to AnyoneButHoffa.com

In solidarity,
Wade