Dave "Hutch" wins as Hennepin County Sheriff

Congratulations Dave Hutchinson on your victory in Hennepin County as Sheriff.

As a retiree with over 25 years in that Department I wish you luck. There is a lot of rebuilding to do after 12 years of Richard Stanek.

My advice, surround yourself with good people!



https://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2018/11/07/by-the-numbers-dave-hutchinson-tops-stanek-in-race-for-hennepin-co-sheriff/?fbclid=IwAR3ow1Tr-geMrX5TrTw1IGSjO5QZG4FFic7GpO-88xT1gMphHMAEMCBgnXM

MNPEA files for Mediation with Hennepin County

Hennepin County Government Center

Today, November 12, 2015 Hennepin County and MNPEA met for the THIRD time to "negotiate" the contract for the Detention Deputies, Telecommunicatiors, and Techs.

For the THIRD TIME THE COUNTY WOULDN'T DISCUSS WAGES!

WTF! How can you bargain in good faith and not be prepared to discuss wages after three meetings?

The County with the highest paid Sheriff in the State, at $158,000 a year, and the highest paid County Board at $104,000 a year keeps the essential employees in the largest jail in the state, and their 911 operators as the LOWEST PAID in the seven county metro area.

Apparently public safety doesn't rank high on the list of the Hennepin County Board!

Hennepin County Board-Lucrative (Star Tribune)

As the fucks keep our wages the lowest in the metro-area, look what the Star Tribune is saying about them in their article:

Minnesota legislators swap Capitol careers for lucrative county paychecks

Rank-and-file Minnesota legislators earn $31,141 a year, plus an expense per diem, for a job that’s officially considered part time. But for up to half the year, the legislative calendar demands long hours, late nights, weekend meetings and frequent round trips between St. Paul and home. Political tensions can run high, media scrutiny can be intense and the fundraising for the next election endless.

Meanwhile, commissioners in 15 of Minnesota’s 87 counties earn more than their legislative counterparts — a few up to double and in Hennepin County near triple. With the higher pay comes regularly scheduled meetings, smaller budgets, more clear-cut issues and less partisan rhetoric....

Hennepin County has the highest-paid commissioners in the state, with a base salary of about $100,000. Tellingly, four of its seven commissioners are former legislators; political insiders jokingly refer to the Hennepin County Board as the Legislature’s retirement plan.

Linda Higgins

“That part of it is very agreeable to me,” said Hennepin County Commissioner Linda Higgins, a former DFL senator from Minneapolis. Higgins said her Senate pay was so low she had to take a part-time job to make ends meet.

and let's not forget Julianne Ortman...who both "serves" in the legislature and works for Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek.

Hennepin County Sheriff Challenge

There are 3 candidates for the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office.

Eddie Frizell                           Rich Stanek

Kitten for Sheriff

The following questionnaire was sent to all three campaigns. The responses will be published unedited on this blog.

Hennepin Sheriff Challenge

This questionnaire is being sent to all of the candidates running for Hennepin County Sheriff in 2014.

Answers will be posted on the Detention Home blog http://detentionhome.blogspot.com.

Answers can be written or in video format and will be posted unedited.

1.       Why do you want to be Hennepin County Sheriff?

2.       What are your qualifications?

3.       Jail staffing currently has decreased professional Detention Officer ranks and greatly increased more expensive Licensed Deputy staff in the jail, one thousand dollars a month more per Licensed Deputy. Would you continue that trend?

4.       The jail schedule was changed from a 6/3 schedule in 2009 (after 32 years), to a 28/8 schedule which has led to low morale. It can take up to 5 years to get a weekend off. If elected are you open to a different schedule? A return to 6/3?

5.       The Hennepin County Jail is the largest jail in Minnesota and the only ACA accredited jail in Minnesota, yet the Detention Deputies are the lowest paid in the seven county metro area. What would you do to correct that?

6.       The Hennepin County Dispatchers are understaffed and underpaid. The result is massive turnover at time when the new $33 million Dispatch Center is set to open. What will you do to turn that around?

7.       Would your administration continue gathering of citizens’ cell phone metadata using the Kingfish tracker without warrants?

8.       The current Sheriff spends considerable time in Washington D.C. away from Hennepin County, 4 to 6 times a month. Would your administration continue that practice?

9.       What is your position on conceal and carry?

As stated above answers will be posted unedited.

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.

Corrections News & Views, January 2014 Edition

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

Sick time arbitration, Contract/ Stanek gets a raise, Pension Attack

Sick Time Arbitration

Tomorrow, Dec. 17th at 9AM we will be holding an arbitration over the 96 hour sick time rule. Former Hennepin County Judge Crump will be presiding.

Contract

We are going to Mediation over Hennepin County's offer. While we are the lowest paid public safety employees in the metro-area and Sheriff Stanek is the HIGHEST paid public safety officer in the state , the County Board has approved yet another raise for our boss!

Hennepin County Board Action Request

13-0450

Item Description:

Changes to the Compensation Plan for Non-organized Employees

Resolution:...

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that effective December 29, 2013 the salary for Sheriff and County

Attorney of $153,221 be adjusted by 2.5% to $157,052; and that the Sheriff and County Attorney are

required to file a request for the new salary with County Administration no later than 5:00 PM on Friday,

December 27, 2013. If the request is not filed, the salary remains at $153,221.

Seriously, the Sheriff's salary was $145,000 in 2007! That's a $12,000 increase in 6 years!!

We have Detention Deputies who after seven years are only making what Ramsey County Detention Deputies start at, $22 an hour! 

This is why we are bargaining for a $3 an hour market adjustment. 

Hennepin County Detention Deputies are the lowest paid in the metro-area....but our Sheriff is the highest paid public employee in the state.

CORRECTIONAL PENSION UNDER ATTACK

There is a Bill going through the Minnesota House and Senate that will weaken the Correctional Pension. HF 884 and SF 998. If passed this would add non-essential Probation Officers and Non-essential County Security Guards to our pension. 

The end result could be us having to pay an additional 2% into our pensions (read pay cut) for the same payout.

Write your State legislators. Find them here. Who Represents me?

Here's a sample letter I wrote to mine:

Rep. Abler,

I have been a detention deputy at the Hennepin County jail since 1990. We
are essential employees. We worked very hard to get the correctional
pension. We have the highest rate of assault and injury of any public
safety job class.  Ours is the healthiest PERA pension.

Bill HF 884 would add non-essential security guards and probation officers
to our pension. This is a slap in the face to our profession, would cheapen
the reason it was established and could lead to higher employee
contributions for no increase in our benefit.

Please vote against this bill.

Thank you,

See more here at 

Teamsters and Senator Hayden working to weaken correctional pension

In solidarity,

Wade Laszlo

County Budget and Raises

Yesterday, Sheriff Stanek made a presentation to the County Board. There's an article in today's Star Tribune that covers that.

I'll lift a couple of paragraphs and comment:

Opat noted that county employees didn’t have a complete pay freeze over the last few years because many received lump-sum bonuses and increases at higher pay scales. The pay-scale step system also provided some annual bumps, he said.

You are right commissioner Opat, while other county's gave their employees raises, Hennepin gave out couple hundred dollar lump sums. Hardly a help with monthly bills.

Freeman, who asked for a 2.5 percent increase, said his office has the lowest starting salary for a first-year assistant county attorney out of the seven metro-area counties. That salary is $52,000, compared to $71,000 for a first-year assistant city attorney in Minneapolis, he said. Anoka and Ramsey counties pay first-year attorneys $52,000 and $58,436 respectively.

A Detention Deputy in Dakota County starts at $19 an hour, in Ramsey County $22 an hour. Hennepin County starting Detention Deputy pay is $17 an hour. The five years of pay freezes Hennpin County inflicted on their employees has caused the pay for the largest, busiest jail in the State to be dead last in pay for the seven county metro-area. Hardly the job of first choice. Ramsey Conty Detention Deputy pay is $31 at five years. Hennepin tops out at $27 in eight years, IF there are no freezes. Currently we have Detention Deputies making $22 an hour after seven years. They could start at Ramsey at that salary.

County Sheriff Richard Stanek echoed Freeman’s issues, saying a large percentage of the more than three dozen dispatchers, deputies and jail clerks who left his office did so because of low wages. He hoped to receive the board’s approval to use an unexpected $500,000 windfall on applications for permits to carry guns to put toward compensation.

My understanding from the Detention Deputy steward who was at the board meeting is that there was no mention of the 18 Detention Deputies who left in 2012-13 for better paying jobs. The number for our Dispatchers who left is 10. Dispatch is running with 37 dispatchers when there are supposed to be 52. 

Opat countered that deputy jobs at the sheriff’s office are often entry-level and become a steppingstone for positions at other law enforcement agencies.

Mr. Opat, Detention Deputies sign on to work in the jail. Corrections is not the same thing as police work. Yes, a certain percentage use that job as a stepping stone, but for many of us it is our job. 

The current practice of staffing the jail with more Licensed Deputies is a boondoggle. First off it costs the County taxpayer $1,000 a month more to have a Licensed Deputy do a Detention Deputy's job. 

Second the over staffing of the jail with Licensed staff has factored into the turnover rate. In 2006 there were 181 Detention Deputies in the jail and 39 Licensed Deputies.. Now there are 142 Detention Deputies and 93 Licensed, remember at $1,000 a month more! 

Detention Deputies want to work in the jail. Most of the Licensed staff want out. When there were 39 Licensed Deputies assigned to the jail they could transfer out in 1 to 2 years. Now, with the over staffing it takes 5 to 6 years for them to leave a job they don't want. So many of the Licensed spend their first years looking for a cop job that doesn't make them work in a jail.

The pattern has been to staff the jail with very expensive licensed help that doesn't want to be there, then freeze the pay of Detention staff and Dispatch (who want those jobs) and wonder why people are leaving for better paying jobs in their chosen field.

Maybe the County Board and the Sheriff needs a lesson in economics.

The Importance of Negotiation and the Contract

The Sheriff's Office wants to do something contrary to the contract. They want to move the shift bid from February 15 to January 15. Sounds innocuous enough until you consider a couple of things.

 First of all our contract states in Article 7, sec 4:

On or about February 15 and August 15 of each year, each Detention Deputy and Detention Technician shall be permitted to bid for the shift such employee prefers within the work unit of the Sheriff's Office to which such Detention Deputy and Detention Technician is assigned.  

Last year the Sheriff's Office  delayed the shift bid by 2 weeks and wouldn't respond to emails or calls as to why until we filed a grievance and the County sided with us.

Secondly, during negotiations we tried to add seniority to that clause for bidding our days off on the 28 day schedule. They would have none of it. (They don't want any contract language relating to the 28 day schedule). That was also the time they could have negotiated to move the shift bid date. But as we know they don't negotiate, they just tell us what they want.

Third, they just won their arbitration and they got 100% of everything they wanted and we got nothing...now they want our permission to violate the contact!

The Facts: YOU own the contract. This is the language in it. The only way for MNPEA to agree to a change is for 100% of you to approve it...that couldn't happen in 48 hours.

Finally, the email from the Administration wasn't even addressed to us, it was addressed to the Licensed Deputy Association with MNPEA as a CC.

Hey Hennepin County, the time for changes is at the bargaining table. This summer when we sit at the bargaining table feel free to negotiate that clause in the contract, but we will want something too. There's a novel idea, actually negotiating rather than the usual B.S. of settling with AFSCME then shoving the deal down our throat.

*1/18/13 Update
Hennepin County Labor Relations informed me the Shift Bid will take place on or about February 15 as the Contract states.

Hennepin County Artbitration Award

Congratulations Hennepin County on winning your Arbitration with the Detention Deputies, Techs, Dispatch and Crime Lab Techs. You have the honor of running the LARGEST, BUSIEST AND MOST DANGEROUS JAIL IN MINNESOTA AND HAVE THE DISTINCTION OF THE LOWEST STARTING PAY AND THE THIRD LOWEST TOP PAY!

This is the award from Arbitrator Mary Jo Schiavoni:   Arbitration Award 

There hasn't been a cost of living raise since 2008 and no step increases for new hires since 2010. This has caused us, the largest jail in Minnesota, to fall to dead last in starting pay and our people remain there for years! The MNPEA asked for a 1.5% Market Adjustment, a 1.5% Cost of Living Raise and Steps for 2012.

Some highlights:

While, the County acknowledges that it has the ability to pay, it argues that it 
should not have to pay given the state of its finances and the economy. The MNPEA 
argues that  the County cannot use the excuse of a weak economy to justify its zero 
percent offer when it weathered the recession with a budget surplus and growing cash 
reserves.  The previous history of wage freezes has moved Hennepin County to the 
lowest starting wage of any metro area county and it now ranks dead last compared to the 4
Met Council 7 County Metro counties in starting detention wages.


Some interesting findings of the Arbitrator are that,


There is no question that the County has the money to meet the MNPEA’s 
requested increases inasmuch as it would constitute a minor percentage of the County’s 
overall budget.

and,

Even recognizing that  four of the non-essential units have not settled for the 
County’s offer, four other essential units represented by AFSCME and Teamsters and 
independent units of Sheriff’s and Social Service Supervisors have accepted the wage 
freeze and $500 lump sum.  There are correctional employees in those bargaining units 
whose job positions are very similar, if not identical, to those of the Detention Deputy 
position in this unit.  It is difficult to conclude that the employees in this particular 
bargaining unit are entitled to more than those similarly situated from an equity 
standpoint.  This has established, as the County argues, a strong internal pattern favoring 
the County’s position.  

So the AFSCME Workhouse CO's and the TEAMSTER Juvenile Center CO's hurt everyone by rolling over, yet again! No wonder we left the Teamsters!


With respect to market  considerations in  recruiting and  turnover for this 
bargaining unit, the MNPEA has not been able to establish that the County is having any 
serious difficulty in the recruiting or retention of bargaining unit employees under the 
current wage schedule.

As of today 25% of the Detention Deputies hired a few short weeks ago have quit to work for better paying jobs in other departments!

So again, congratulations Hennepin County. I'm sure the results of this victory will be less staff, lower morale  and more overtime.

The estimated cost to Hennepin County for the MNPEA proposal was $143,298.  At a cost of about $25,000 to hire and train a new employee I'm sure that savings will be gone in a couple of months.

Let me put this in perspective. The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office spent over $400,000 on one vehicle last year.

The Problem With No Rules

We've been on the 28/8 day schedule for about 3 years now, and the confusion and problems continue. As a Union Steward I’d have to say more of our problems with management stem directly NOT from the actual schedule we were forced onto, but from the Sheriff’s Office REFUSAL to commit any rules to writing.

Currently there are two active grievances as a direct result of this.

Grievance one is because one of our members’ used a Vacation Day on his weekend to work, and he submitted it at the same time he submitted his 28 day schedule bid. The employer then took away a weekend off. Why? One of the jail Captains has an email out that states you can’t submit vacation for your weekend to work before the schedule is “locked.” However, there’s an email from an Inspector encouraging us to submit vacation when we submit our schedule! What does the contract say? Not a goddamned thing, because the Employer REFUSES to put any rules pertaining to our schedule in the contract! The contract is clear on Vacation though, it is not a Regular Day Off, but an earned benefit compensated as a workday, it should count as a workday.

Grievance two relates to Seniority and the 28 day bid. One of our members’ put in for December 26 and 27^th as days off. Those were denied him but given to 18 people with less seniority.  I, however, have an email from the Chief Deputy stating they would be going by seniority. But an email means nothing in absence of contract language.  At our last contract Arbitration under the Teamsters, we tried to get seniority language pertaining to the shift bid in the contract. The employer argued that they were already going by seniority and there was no need for the language. The arbitrator ruled in the employers favor because we were "so new" on the schedule at that time it needed time to shake out. 

The result of all of this is that the employer can, and does change the rules at will.

The 28 day schedule is also used by the Minneapolis Police Department. Their contract has LANGUAGE that spells out the rules. This makes it clear to both employer and employee what can and cannot be done. This is the schedule Sheriff Stanek and the Chief Deputy were familiar with. However when they forced it on us they were bound by none of the rules.

Each contract negotiation since then, we have sought to get contract language pertaining to the schedule and neither the Sheriff’s Office, nor our  Employer, Hennepin County has been willing. So we are left with a schedule whose rules change at the whim of the next email from a supervisor.

Is it any wonder employees are frustrated and leaving for other Departments? Is it any wonder morale is so low? Don’t blame the Union, several times the Sheriff’s Office has come to agreement on this schedule’s implementation and every time has changed the game citing Employers Right.  And that without ever consulting the Union that they were changing the rules, they just send an email or write a memo.

I’m not arguing they can’t have any schedule they want. I’m just asking for guidelines in writing. Like a Letter of Understanding between the Employer and the Union.  The Minneapolis Police Department had no problems doing this.

Rumor has it the Sheriff’s Office is surprised that the last four people who left cited the schedule as a major reason for leaving.  We told them it would be, but they didn't care until the job market opened up.My understanding is that twelve other people are being backgrounded for hire by other departments.Now they, according to rumor, are discussing among themselves what to do. Here’s an idea: Put the rules in a Letter of Understanding.

Or just keep humming along the way you are, frustrating both employees and scheduling Sergeants as they try to navigate the ever changing game.

Hell, even the inmates we supervise have the rules in writing.

The scheduling ball is in your court, as it always has been. If you don't want to commit the rules to writing, so be it, but quit blaming us for YOUR scheduling problems. But you've never really wanted our input anyways, I can still see the Chief Deputy pounding his fist on the table and telling us, "This is a not a negotiation, it is a notification. You are going to a 28/8 schedule and we will consider no other options." Well I guess they have kept one promise.

Contract Update

Today, October 4, 2012 an arbitration hearing was held between the Hennepin County Detention Deputy, Telecommunicator, Detention Tech and Evidence Specialists bargaining unit represented by the Minnesota Public Employees Association (MNPEA) and Hennepin County.

Representing MNPEA were MNPEA attorneys Rob Fowler and Jonathan Kesselman.

Representing the County was Attorney Greg Failor.

I will make this very brief. The Employers position is that the majority of the labor groups, Teamsters Local 320 and AFSCME settled for the Employer offer of nothing but a $500 check for 2012 (making three consecutive years of nothing). Keep in mind most of these are non-essential groups.

The MNPEA position is that we’ve done our part accepting years of wage freezes, but now we are out of line with the market. Hennepin County Detention Deputies work the biggest, busiest and most dangerous jail in the state yet we are DEAD LAST in starting pay in the seven county metro-area and Ramsey County, our closest counter part, tops out at $5.62 an hour more then us!

We are asking for Steps, a 1.5% market adjustment, a 1.5% Cost of Living raise and Retroactivity for 2012.

Both sides must have their briefs in by October 25^th and the Arbitrator has 30 days after that to make her decision.

I’ve been a union steward for years and I must say Rob Fowler made the best presentation for the members I have ever seen. While there are no guarantees what the Arbitrator will decide, I believe we have a very good chance.

In solidarity,

Wade Laszlo

Uniform Issue and News

On May 23rd I notified the Sheriff's Administration of a contract violation. I learned that they made the 4 new Detention Deputies purchase khaki pants and black polo shirts as a training uniform. 


This violated two sections of our contract. First Article 32 which states:




ARTICLE 32 - CLOTHING ALLOWANCE

Section 1.	Newly hired employees in the Detention Deputy class shall during the first  year of employment, be provided basic uniform clothing items of the  quantity, type and style prescribed by the EMPLOYER.

Then:


ARTICLE 2 - RECOGNITION

Section 3.

The EMPLOYER, in accordance with the provisions of Minnesota Statutes 179A.06 agrees not to enter into any agreements covering terms and conditions of employment with members of the bargaining unit under jurisdiction of this AGREEMENT either individually or collectively which in any way conflict with the terms and conditions set forth in this AGREEMENT, except through the certified representative.

Our MNPEA representative was never notified of this action by the Sheriff's Office

to charge new Detention Deputies for uniform items. We have demanded they be 
reimbursed the cost.

News: The Occupy MN folks redecorated the Sheriff's Office today as part of a foreclosure protest:

History Repeats Itself

The year was 1934. Minneapolis Union activists were on strike for the right to organize and closed Union shops. They were opposed by the Citizens Alliance a group of Minneapolis businessman that opposed Unions and especially closed shops. The line they fed everyone was that individuals would do better negotiating their own wages rather then being in a Union. During this period the average American worked 10 hours a day six days a week with no benefits.

On July 20th 1934 the police, Teamsters, and Citizens Alliance supporters clashed in a Battle known as "Bloody Friday." Minneapolis police shot 67 strikers - over 40 of them in the back. Two of these men, Henry Ness and John Belor, died. It should be noted that over 100,000 people attended the funeral of Henry Ness. This strike was settled when President Roosevelt intervened and resulted in the National Labor Relations Act, the 40 hour work week and the right to organize.

The year is now 2012. "Right to Work" politicians  like Dave Thompson and Julianne Ortman regurgitate the line that there shouldn't be closed Union shops, that people would do better negotiating their own wages.Too many Americans are again working 10 to 12 hour days, six or seven days a week, with little or no benefits.  They often work either several part time jobs or one full time one, and one or more part time jobs to make ends meet.

On May 18th, 2012 Hennepin County Sheriff Richard Stanek honored C. Arthur Lyman for Law Enforcement Week as a fallen law enforcement officer 78 years after his death. He had his name inscribed on the Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington D.C. Mr. Lyman was not a policeman! He was a businessman and board member of the Citizens Alliance who was "deputized" to fight strikers. In a quote to CBS News, Sheriff Stanek said, “Our deputy gave his life while working on behalf of public safety and he deserves to be honored in Hennepin County and in our nation’s capitol.” Senator Julianne Ortman is employed by Sheriff Stanek. The anti-labor sentiment has come full circle.


This post is dedicated to the sacrifice Henry Ness and John Belor gave at the hands of the Citizens Alliance and Minneapolis police.

The Stanek Administrations' connection to "Right to Work."

It's interesting (but not surprising) to see that the Stanek Administration has a connection to the anti-labor Right to Work Legislation. Below are the Minutes from the March 12, 2012 Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety that passed SF 1705, the so called Right to Work Bill that would disallow closed union shops. I will be posting lots more on this. 


For those who don't know, Senator Ortman is the Senator hired by the Stanek Administration as the Chief Financial Officer in 2007, she still works for the Sheriff's Office making about $90,000 a year in addition to the $40,000 a year she makes as a State Senator. She also racked up 77 hours of "overtime" (though salaried), when the 35W bridge collapsed. Although she double dips from the public trough as a Sheriff's Office Administrator and a State Senator she doesn't want any other public employees, or private ones  for that matter, to have the benefits of a Union. With her help our representation is in danger.


Way to go Senator Ortman!


Here's the minutes, see her name in RED!


Senator Jungbauer moved that S.F.1705, be recommended to pass and re-referred to the Jobs Committee.
MOTION FAILED.


Senator Thompson moved that S.F.1705, be recommended to pass and re-referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration.


Senator Marty requested a roll call vote.
Ayes:
Senators Hall, Hoffman, Jungbauer, Limmer, Newman, Ortman, Thompson
Nayes:
Senators Goodwin, Harrington, Ingebrigtsen, Latz, Marty, McGuire
7Ayes, 6Nayes, MOTION PREVAILED.

Shift bid? The Contract? Just another management tool?

Today, February 27th, the shift bid finally became available. The Contract states it's to be out on or about February 15th. Typically that meant if the 15th fell on a weekend they got a couple of extra days. Big f'n deal to this administration. It took several complaints to management and a grievance being filed on the 24th for the bid to come out.

These are some points I made in an email to an administrative lieutenant:

Getting the shift bid out late creates several problems for our members and their families

1. Their families don't know what shifts they'll be working.

2. Prime Time Vacation Requests must be in by April 1st. This will leave employees little or no time to make vacation plans.

3.The 28 day schedule can't be posted until the shifts are determined, therefore people will not even know their days off until this is settled.

I don't know why it was posted so late IN VIOLATION OF THE CONTRACT. I only know that it was, and no one in the administration bothered to give either MNPEA or the HCSDA a heads up, or even an explanation or communication as to why.

By contrast, this administration uses contract language to bludgeon members.

When our members are late putting in shift bids they are forced onto middle shift.

When our members don't get their Prime Time Vacation requests in by April 1st they don't get a vacation.

When the members complain the answer always is, "read your contract."

The contract is owned by both parties, if the administration wanted to do something different, like change the dates for the bid, the time was at the negotiating table!

Unfortunately, to this administration the contract seems to be just another thing to be ignored, unless they need a tool to keep us in line.

Just more typical Stanek administration dealing with labor.