Eddie Frizell Speech to MNPEA 7/29/14

Thanks to Dave Bentzen for providing audio wav.

Rich Stanek Speech to MNPEA 7/29/14

Thanks to Dave Bentzen for providing audio wav.

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.

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.

Press Release: No Confidence in Sheriff Stanek

PRESS RELEASE

The Teamsters Local 320 Union member Detention Deputy and Technicians employed at the Hennepin County Jail have taken a VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE against Hennepin County Sheriff Richard Stanek and his ability to run the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office Jail Division.

The text of the vote signed by the Teamsters Local 320 union members reads:

LETTER OF NO CONFIDENCE IN SHERIFF RICHARD STANEK
We the undersigned represent the majority of the Teamsters Local 320 Detention Deputies and Detention Technicians employed at the Hennepin County Public Safety Facility. The administration of Hennepin County Sheriff Richard Stanek is anti-union and anti-employee. The Sheriff’s Administration under Richard Stanek has imposed a schedule that has created hardship amongst the Union employees and has repeatedly not abided by promises made during Meet and Confer meetings with Teamsters Local 320 including not abiding by the agreement as to the number of employees allowed off for vacation time, has repeatedly changed posted schedules after employees have made plans without regard for their personal lives or those of their families and has engaged in excessive discipline of Union members. We the undersigned have NO CONFIDENCE IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF HENNEPIN COUNTY SHERIFF RICHARD STANEK and sign of our own free will.


CONTACT: WADE LASZLO
Chief Steward Teamsters Local 320
Hennepin County Jail Bargaining Unit 763/807-6668
Email: steward320@msn.com

CONTACT: TOM PERKINS

Business Agent Teamsters Local 320

612/378-8716