Gatineau Wal-Mart goes union as UFCW Canada wins first contract

Gatineau Wal-Mart goes union as UFCW Canada wins first contract

15/08/2008Download this Media Release (PDF 1881k)
GATINEAU, QC - August 15,2008 - UFCW Canada members at a Wal-Mart location in Gatineau, Quebec have made history by becoming the only Wal-Mart workers in North America to have a union contract, after a Quebec arbitrator imposed a collective agreement on Friday.

The contract raises average wages of the Gatineau Wal-Mart members by more than 30%. Improved vacation provisions are also part of the three-year agreement. The terms of the collective agreement are effective immediately.

"Wal-Mart should now act as a good Canadian corporate citizen," said UFCW Canada National President Wayne Hanley," and live up to the terms of the contract."

The UFCW Canada Local 486 bargaining unit at the Wal-Mart Tire and Lube Express was certified in 2005. The collective agreement was the result of binding arbitration, following almost three years of legal delays and stalled negotiations with the company.

"We believe the arbitrator did a good job and that it is a fair contract, in line with similar workplaces in Quebec," said Hanley.

"It shows that even after three years, workers at Wal-Mart, like all Canadian workers, can exercise their Freedom of Association rights and get a decent collective agreement."

Two more Wal-Mart collective agreements are expected in Quebec before the end of the year, when binding arbitration is complete for bargaining units at a Wal-Mart in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec.

Source: UFCW Canada

Bustin' a move on a Mounty

Who is the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace made up of?

By now you've all seen the ads featuring "Sopranos' Vincent Curatola Warning Minnesotans: Al Franken Supports Employee Free Choice Act" The ads warn that you would be losing your privacy rights and the "secret ballot" would no longer exist. Currently to organize a workplace to be union one must get 51% of the employees to sign a card authorizing an election. The Labor Relations Board then sets an election date usually a few months out that then gives the employer time to fire the trouble makers, intimidate employees and usually conduct a campaign of disinformation about how bad the union would be. The Employee Free Choice Act would make it so that if 51% of workers authorized a union to represent them they would then be represented by the union of their choice. But it would not prevent a Union from holding an election with secret ballot either. Simply put it gives workers a better chance of organizing in a hostile environment before employers can fire them. Who wouldn't want this? In todays economy of rising costs and static wages the wealthy are getting richer from rising oil costs and cheap third world NAFTA labor. They are only looking out for their welfare. So who is the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace made up of? Read below and see. It's not workers or unions, it's big industry!

The Coalition for a Democratic Workplace is:

A 60 Plus Association
Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield (MA)Alabama Chapter of ABCAlabama Restaurant AssociationAlaska Cabaret, Hotel, Restaurant and Retailers AssociationAlaska Chapter of ABCAlliance for Worker FreedomAluminum AssociationAmerican Apparel & Footwear AssociationAmerican Bakers AssociationAmerican Beverage AssociationAmerican Conservative UnionAmerican Fire Sprinkler AssociationAmerican Foundry SocietyAmerican Frozen Food InstituteAmerican Hospital AssociationAmerican Hotel & Lodging AssociationAmerican Meat InstituteAmerican Seniors Housing AssociationAmerican Shareholders AssociationAmerican Society for Healthcare Human Resources AdministrationAmerican Society of EmployersAmerican Supply AssociationAmerican Trucking AssociationsAmerican Wholesale Marketers AssociationAmericans for a Limited GovernmentAmericans for ProsperityAmericans for Tax ReformAMT-The Association for Manufacturing TechnologyAntelope Valley (CA) Chamber of CommerceAPIArcadia (CA) Chamber of CommerceArizona Builders Alliance of ABCArizona Chamber of Commerce & IndustryArizona Hotel & Lodging AssociationArizona IECArizona Restaurant & Hospitality AssociationArkansas Chapter of ABCArkansas Hospitality AssociationArkansas Hotel & Lodging AssociationArkansas IECArkansas State Chamber of CommerceAsheboro/Randolph (NC) Chamber of CommerceAshland & Tri State Area Chapter IEC
Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA)Assisted Living Federation of AmericaAssociated Builders & ContractorsAssociated Builders & Contractors Heart of America ChapterAssociated Builders & Contractors of AlabamaAssociated Industries of MassachusettsAssociation of Equipment ManufacturersAssociation of Millwork DistributorsAssociation of Washington BusinessAssociation of Woodworking & Furnishings SuppliersAtlanta Hotel CouncilAutomotive Aftermarket Industry AssociationBaltimore Metro Chapter of ABCBearing Specialists AssociationBurnsville (MN) Chamber of CommerceBusiness & Industry Association of New HampshireCalifornia Chamber of CommerceCalifornia Hotel & Lodging AssociationCalifornia Manufacturers & Technology AssociationCalifornia Restaurant AssociationCamarillo (CA) Chamber of CommerceCapital Associated Industries IncCarolinas Chapter of ABCCenter for Freedom & ProsperityCenter for Individual FreedomCenter for the Defense of Free EnterpriseCenTex Chapter IECCentral Alabama Chapter IECCentral California Chapter of ABCCentral Florida Chapter of ABCCentral Indiana IECCentral Michigan Chapter of ABCCentral Missouri IECCentral Ohio AEC/EICCentral Ohio Chapter of ABCCentral Pennsylvania Chapter of ABCCentral Pennsylvania Chapter of IECCentral Texas Chapter of ABCCentral Washington IECCentre County (PA) IECChamber of Commerce of St. Joseph CountyChamber of Medford/Jackson County (OR)Charleston (SC) Metro Chamber of CommerceChattanooga Area (TN) Chamber of CommerceChesapeake Chapter of ABCChesapeake IECChicagoland Chamber of CommerceCincinnati USA Regional ChamberCitizen Outreach ProjectCollege & University Professional Association for Human ResourcesColorado Association of Commerce & IndustryColorado Association of Commerce and IndustryColorado Hospital AssociationColorado Hotel & Lodging AssociationColorado Restaurant AssociationConnecticut Business & Industry AssociationConnecticut Chapter of ABCConnecticut Restaurant AssociationCopper & Brass ServicenterCornhusker Chapter of ABCCosta Mesa (CA) Chamber of CommerceCouncil for Citizens Against Government WasteCumberland Valley Chapter of ABCDakotas Inc IEC/Dallas Chapter IECDaytona Beach/Halifax (FL) Chamber of CommerceDelaware Chapter of ABCDelaware Restaurant AssociationDetroit Regional Chamber of CommerceDuluth (MN) Area Chamber of CommerceEast Tennessee Chapter of ABCEast Tennessee IECEast Texas IECEastern Pennsylvania Chapter of ABCEastern Sandoval County (NM) Chamber of CommerceEastern Shore Chapter of ABCEastern Washington Chapter IECEl Paso Chapter IECEmpire State Chapter of ABCEnvironmental Industry AssociationsFairfax County (VA) Chamber of CommerceFederation of American HospitalsFEWA-Marketing & Distribution AssociationFlagstaff (AZ) Chamber of CommerceFlorida Chamber of CommerceFlorida East Coast Chapter of ABCFlorida First Coast Chapter of ABCFlorida Gulf Coast Chapter of ABCFlorida Restaurant & Lodging AssociationFlorida West Coast Chapter IECFood Marketing InstituteForging Industry AssociationFort Worth/Tarrant County IECFreedom WorksGeorgia Chamber of CommerceGeorgia Chapter of ABCGeorgia Hotel & Lodging AssociationGeorgia IECGeorgia Restaurant AssociationGlendale (AZ) Chamber of CommerceGolden Gate Chapter of ABCGoleta Valley (CA) Chamber of CommerceGrand Junction Area (CO) Chamber of CommerceGraphic Arts AssociationGreater Albuquerque (NM) Chamber of CommerceGreater Bakersfield (CA) Chamber of CommerceGreater Cincinnati IECGreater Columbia (SC) Chamber of CommerceGreater Columbus (GA) Chamber of CommerceGreater Decatur Chamber of CommerceGreater Delray Beach Chamber of CommerceGreater Elkhart (IN) Chamber of CommerceGreater Findlay (OH) Chamber of Commerce, Inc.Greater Hamilton Chamber of CommerceGreater Houston Chapter of ABCGreater Louisville Inc.Greater Medina Chamber of CommerceGreater Pittsburgh Chamber of CommerceGreater Pittsburgh Hotel AssociationGreater Raleigh (NC) Chamber of CommerceGreater Spokane IncorporatedGreater St. Louis IECGreater Syracuse (NY) Chamber of CommerceGreen Bay Area (WI) Chamber of CommerceGuam Contractors Association of ABCHampton Area (NH) Chamber of CommerceHampton Roads Chapter IECHardin County Chamber of CommerceHartford (CT) Chamber of CommerceHawaii Chapter of ABCHawaii Hotel & Lodging AssociationHawaii Restaurant AssociationHeart of America Chapter of ABCHeating, Airconditioning & Refrigeration Distributors InternationalHenderson (NV) Chamber of CommerceHilliard Chamber of CommerceHispanic Alliance for Progress InstituteHobbs (NM) Chamber of CommerceHospitality Association of South CarolinaHotel Association of New York CityHotel Association of Washington DCHouma-Terrebonne Chamber of CommerceHR Policy AssociationIdaho IECIdaho Lodging and Restaurant AssociationIllinois Chamber of CommerceIllinois Chapter of ABCIllinois Hotel & Lodging AssociationIllinois IECIllinois Restaurant AssociationIndependent Electrical Contractors IncIndian River County (FL) Chamber of CommerceIndiana Chamber of CommerceIndiana Chapter of ABCIndustrial Fasteners InstituteIndustrial Supply AssociationInland Pacific Chapter of ABCInterlocking Concrete Pavement InstituteInternational Council of Shopping CentersInternational Foodservice Distributors AssociationInternational Franchise AssociationInternational Truck Parts AssociationInternational Warehouse Logistics AssociationIowa Association of Business & IndustryIowa Chapter of ABCIowa Restaurant AssociationIowans for Right to WorkKansas City IECKansas Restaurant and Hospitality AssociationKentuckiana Chapter of ABCKentucky & Southern Indiana Chapter IECKentucky Chamber of CommerceKentucky Electrical Contractors AssociationKeystone Chapter of ABCKentucky Restaurant AssociationLake Havasu Area (AZ) Chamber of CommerceLarue County Chamber of CommerceLas Vegas (NV) Chamber of CommerceLas Vegas Chapter of ABCLicking County Chamber of CommerceLittle Rock Chamber of CommerceLong Beach (CA) Chamber of CommerceLos Angeles-Ventura Chapter of ABCLouisiana Association of Business & IndustryLouisiana Restaurant AssociationLower Bucks County Chamber of CommerceLubbock Chapter IECMaine Chapter of ABCMaine Innkeepers AssociationMaine Restaurant AssociationManagement Association of Illinois (The)Manufacturers’ Association of NW PennsylvaniaMarion Area Chamber of Commerce

Maryland Hotel, Motel & Resort AssociationMassachusetts Chapter of ABCMassachusetts Restaurant AssociationMaterial Handling Equipment Distributors AssociationMEC-IEC of Dayton, OHMetals Service Center InstituteMetro Washington Chapter of ABCMetro West (MA) Chamber of CommerceMichigan Chamber of CommerceMichigan Manufacturers AssociationMichigan Restaurant AssociationMid Gulf Coast Chapter of ABCMid Tennessee Chapter of ABCMid-Oregon Chapter IECMid-South Chapter IECMidwest IECMinnesota Chapter of ABCMinnesota Restaurant AssociationMississippi Chapter of ABCMississippi Economic Development CouncilMississippi Hospitality and Restaurant AssociationMississippi Manufacturers AssociationMissouri Restaurant AssociationMonroe (LA) Chamber of CommerceMontana Chamber of CommerceMontana IECMontana Innkeepers AssociationMontana Restaurant AssociationMontgomery Area (AL) Chamber of CommerceMotor & Equipment Manufacturers AssociationMountain States Empoyers CouncilNashville IECNatchitoches Area (LA) Chamber of CommerceNational Alliance for Worker & Employer RightsNational Armored Car AssociationNational Association of Chemical Distributors
National Association of Home BuildersNational Association of ManufacturersNational Association of Sign Supply DistributorsNational Association of Wholesaler-DistributorsNational Council of Chain RestaurantsNational Federation of Independent BusinessNational Franchisee AssociationNational Grocers AssociationNational Lumber & Building Material Dealers AssociationNational Mining AssociationNational Paper Trade AssociationNational Petrochemical & Refiners AssociationNational Ready Mixed Concrete AssociationNational Restaurant AssociationNational Retail FederationNational Roofing Contractors AssociationNational School Transportation AssociationNational Solid Wastes Management AssociationNational Stone, Sand & Gravel AssociationNational Tank Truck Carriers, Inc.National Taxpayers UnionNational Tooling & Machining AssociationNebraska Chamber of Commerce & IndustryNebraska Hotel & Motel AssociationNebraska Restaurant AssociationNevada Hotel & Lodging AssociationNevada Manufactures AssociationNevada Restaurant AssociationNew England IECNew Hampshire Lodging & Restaurant AssociationNew Hampshire/Vermont Chapter of ABCNew Jersey Business & Industry AssociationNew Jersey Chapter of ABCNew Jersey Hotel & Lodging AssociationNew Jersey IECNew Jersey Restaurant AssociationNew Mexico Chapter of ABCNew Mexico Lodging AssociationNew Mexico Restaurant AssociationNew Orleans/Bayou Chapter of ABCNew York State Hospitality & Tourism AssociationNew York State Restaurant AssociationNorth Alabama Chapter of ABCNorth Carolina Chamber of CommerceNorth Carolina Restaurant & Lodging AssociationNorth Dakota Chamber of CommerceNorth Dakota Hospitality AssociationNorth Florida Chapter of ABCNorth Las Vegas (NV) Chamber of CommerceNorth Palm Beach Chamber of CommerceNorth Texas Chapter of ABCNorthern Allegheny County Chamber of CommerceNorthern Kentucky Chamber of CommerceNorthern Michigan Chapter of ABCNorthern New Mexico IECNorthern Ohio Chapter of ABCNorthern Ohio Electrical Contractors AssociationNorthwest Pennsylvania IECNorthwest Washington IECOffice Products Wholesalers AssociationOffshore Marine Service AssociationOhio Chamber of CommerceOhio Hotel & Lodging AssociationOhio Restaurant AssociationOhio Valley Chapter of ABCOKC Inc IECOklahoma Chapter of ABCOklahoma Hotel & Lodging AssociationOklahoma Restaurant AssociationOklahoma State Chamber Optical Laboratories AssociationOregon IECOregon Lodging AssociationOregon Restaurant AssociationOwatonna Area (MN) Chamber of Commerce & TourismOxnard (CA) Chamber of CommerceOxnard Chamber of CommercePacific Northwest Chapter of ABCPacific Printing & Imaging AssociationPelican Chapter of ABCPennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry.Pennsylvania Restaurant AssociationPennsylvania Tourism & Lodging AssociationPetroleum Equipment InstitutePlumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors AssociationPrecision Metalforming AssociationPrinting & Graphics Association MidAtlanticPrinting & Imaging Association Mountain StatesPrinting & Imaging Association of Georgia, Inc.Printing & Imaging Association of MidAmericaPrinting & Imaging Association of New York StatePrinting Association of Florida, Inc.Printing Industries Association Inc. “Serving Northern Kentucky and Ohio”Printing Industries Association of San DiegoPrinting Industries Association of Southern California, Inc.Printing Industries Association, Inc. of ArizonaPrinting Industries of AmericaPrinting Industries of Michigan, Inc.Printing Industries of New EnglandPrinting Industries of Northern CaliforniaPrinting Industries of St. LouisPrinting Industries of the Gulf CoastPrinting Industries of the Midlands, Inc.Printing Industries of UtahPrinting Industries of VirginiaPrinting Industries of WisconsinPrinting Industry Association of the South, Inc.Printing Industry of Illinois/Indiana Assn.Printing Industry of Minnesota, IncPrinting Industry of the Carolinas, Inc.Property Rights AlliancePublic Service Research CouncilPuget Sound Washington Chapter IECRedwood Empire Chapter IECRegional Legislative Alliance of Santa Barbara County (CA)Restaurant and Hospitality Association of IndianaRestaurant Association of MarylandRestaurant Association of Metropolitan WashingtonRetail Industry Leaders AssociationRhode Island Chapter of ABCRhode Island Hospitality and Tourism AssociationRio Grande Valley Chapter of IEC IncRocky Mountain Chapter of ABCRocky Mountain IECRogers-Lowell Chamber of CommerceRuston-Lincoln (LA) Chamber of CommerceSacramento (CA) Metro Chamber of CommerceSaginaw Valley Chapter of ABCSan Antonio Chapter IECSan Diego Chapter of ABCSan Diego North (CA) Chamber of CommerceSan Diego North Chamber of CommerceSebago Lake Region (ME) Chamber of CommerceSierra Nevada Chapter of ABCSociety of Human Resource ManagementSociety of the Plastics Industry (The)South Carolina Chamber of CommerceSouth Florida Chapter Inc IECSouth Dakota Retailers AssociationSouth Texas Chapter of ABCSoutheast Missouri IECSoutheast Pennsylvania Chapter of ABCSoutheast Texas Chapter of ABCSoutheastern Michigan Chapter of ABCSouthern Arizona IECSouthern California Chapter of ABCSouthern California IECSouthern Colorado Chapter IECSouthern Indiana Chapter-Evansville IECSouthern New Mexico IECSt. Mary’s County (MD) Chamber of CommerceStaten Island (NY) Chamber of CommerceStuart-Martin County (FL) Chamber of CommerceTaxpayers League of MinnesotaTennessee Hospital AssociationTennessee Hotel & Lodging AssociationTennessee Restaurant AssociationTexas Coastal Bend Chapter of ABCTexas Gulf Coast Chapter IECTexas Gulf Coast Chapter of ABCTexas Hotel & Lodging AssociationTexas Mid-Coast Chapter of ABCTexas Panhandle IECTexas Restaurant AssociationTexas State IECTexas Warehouse AssociationTexoma IECTextile Care Allied Trades AssociationThe Chamber of Commerce of Southwest IndianaThe Real Estate RoundtableTooling & Manufacturing AssociationTreasure State IECTri-State IECTucson Metropolitan Chamber of CommerceU.S. Chamber of CommerceU.S. Hispanic Chamber of CommerceU.S. Human Recourses and Ethics ServicesUniform and Textile Service AssociationUnited Chambers of Commerce-SFV & RegionUnited Motorcoach AssociationUtah Chapter of ABCUtah Hotel & Lodging AssociationUtah IECUtah Restaurant AssociationVentura Chapter IECVermont Hospitality CouncilVirginia Chamber of CommerceVirginia Chapter of ABCVirginia Hospital and Travel AssociationVisalia (CA) Chamber of CommerceWashington IECWashington Restaurant AssociationWashington State Hotel & Lodging AssociationWECA IECWest Chamber Serving Jefferson County (CO)West Suburban (IL) Chamber of Commerce & IndustryWest Tennessee Chapter of ABCWest Texas IECWest Virginia Chapter of ABCWest Virginia Hospitality & Travel AssociationWestern Carolina IndustriesWestern Colorado Chapter of ABCWestern Colorado IECWestern Michigan Chapter of ABCWestern Pennsylvania Chapter of ABCWestern Reserve Chapter IECWestern Washington Chapter of ABCWholesale Florist & Florist Supplier AssociationWichita Chapter IECWisconsin Chapter of ABCWisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce AssociationWisconsin Restaurant AssociationWyoming Lodging & Restaurant Association

Sad Day For Captain Wresh's Family

Captain Wresh lost his son Nicholas in a car accident on Wednesday. I can think of no loss worse then that of losing a child. My heart goes out to the Wresh family.

Mass of Christian Burial 10 AM Saturday at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, 9100 93rd Ave. No. Interment Morningside Memorial Gardens. Visitation 4-8 PM Friday at the Evans-Nordby Funeral Home, 34 Second St. NE, Osseo, MN. Prayer Service 7:30 PM Friday. Reviewal at church after 9 AM Saturday. In lieu of flowers, memorials preferred. Evans-Nordby 763-424-4000

Isanti County Sheriff to Honor Detention Deputy Cooper!

The Isanti County News is reporting that our own Detention Deputy Cooper will be honored for saving a mans life at the Pine Brook Inn by opening his airway after he stopped breathing. The article also states Cooper, by profession, is a corrections deputy for Hennepin County. He is also a world champion dog trainer, specializing in areas from companion dogs, search and rescue dogs, drug dogs, hunting dogs, guard dogs, seeing eye dogs and the list goes on.

Add to that list hero!

Pictured: Cooper and Pine Brook Inn owner Teresa (Photo by Jon Tatting) taken from the Isanti County News.

United Steel Workers Win Against China!

Unions are more then just someone to "take your dues." They fight for your livelihood. The United Steelworkers just won an unfair dumping suit against China which will result in tariffs ranging from 99 percent to 701 percent will be imposed on Chinese imports of circular welded pipe. (Star Tribune)

Leo W. Gerard, USW International President, declared, “We lost 500 good middle class jobs in this industry at a time of strong economic expansion and demand for these products. Our union has lost tens of thousands of jobs from other unfairly traded China imports, and we have pledged to work with unionized companies for strong enforcement of U.S. trade laws to stop illegal Chinese trade practices. We need to regain lost manufacturing jobs, and to reduce our massive trade deficit with China.”

Read the Press Release

Solidarity!

Correctional Medal of Honor

You've probably seen this poster hanging up in the jail and in the email from our training sergeant (hats off to him!). You can read more about the Correctional Medal of Honor by clicking here: http://www.cointel.net/valor.htm

Besides the recognition our profession deserves there are some other facts often overlooked by our fellow law enforcement professionals on this poster:

-A Correctional Officer's 58th birthday, on average, is his or her last

-Correctional Officers have the second highest mortality rate of any occupation

-33,000 inmate assaults per year, 90 assaults per day, 3.7 per hour

-Average 9 deaths per year

-Gangs: There are over 1600 identified security groups in our prisons and jails

-AIDS/HIV: There are over 6027 confirmed AIDS cases; 23,046 inmates are HIV positive

-300,000 inmates, 20% of the population, are reported to be "seriously" mentally ill

The poster also ends with a phrase you've seen on our blog and website:

CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS

"WALK THE NATION'S TOUGHEST BEATS"

My Last RNC Post-Really

This will be my last post regarding the No RNC/Anarchists folks. My point has been that they are very well organized and I want our members to be aware of some of their plans. One final thought, as you read in my previous post, A Precursor to the RNC? they have lawyers waiting to protect their rights (and they do have rights)also, it's a good day to be a full Teamsters member because you too are protected by Team Legal lawyers as part of your dues.

Here's a last few excerpts from Info Shop News:

HOTELS

The RNC Welcoming Committee has identified and publicized the hotels for the 56 Republican delegations that will participate in the theatrics of the McCain coronation as well as the host hotel for the Republican National Committee: the Hyatt Regency in Minneapolis. "By announcing the hotels, we hope people will enjoy interacting and meeting the delegates as they arrive to the party," exclaimed Ray Gunsded of partner group Unconventional Action-Midwest as he announced the Adopt-A-Delegate program to greet delegates that begins on Sunday, August 31.

TRANSPORTATION

Transportation Management Services (TMS) is developing the "GOP Express," a system of more than 300 buses that will transport credentialed guests and media to and from official hotels and the Xcel Energy Center. The Welcoming Committee is committed to keeping up to date on this plan, releasing information as it becomes available.

"Visitors can expect hundreds of bicycles to be available for use over the week that they may stay in the Twin Cities", said Carl Esss, of Dumpstered Bikes LLC, the Official Transportation Provider of the RNC Welcoming Committee, "but should bring their own bikes if they can, so we can have as many available as possible."

SWARM OFF

Created to facilitate the the thousands of people needed to Crash The Convention, the 2008 SwarmOff! has 3 simple components: Swarm, Seize, Stay:
• Move into/around Downtown St. Paul via *Swarms* of varying sizes, from multiple directions, and with diverse tactical intentions.
• *Seize* space through both hard (e.g., lockboxes) and soft (e.g.,congestion), as well as both fixed and mobile, blockading methods.
• *Stay* engaged with the situation in downtown St. Paul as long as possible - move from location to location, but don't jump ship and bear in mind the ultimate goal of denying access to as many people entering the Xcel Energy Center as possible.

Some planned SwarmOff! events include a Dance Contest, Group Bike Riding, and Foot Races.

Enjoy, and as always read the full article for the big picture!

A Precursor to the RNC?

St. Paul police said Thursday that they will apologize to an antiwar organizer who was detained Tuesday outside the Obama campaign rally at the Xcel Energy Center for handing out leaflets promoting a Sept. 1 march on the Republican National Convention.

The executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota said the arrest of Mick Kelly, 50, of Minneapolis, does not augur well for the way authorities will treat protesters during the convention.

"We're concerned the police so quickly violated Mick Kelly's First Amendment rights," Charles Samuelson said.

Full Story: Star Tribune

What are the anarchist saying about our tactics?

The following exerpts are taken from Info Shop News. I'd recommend reading the whole article and related comments:

"While anarchists are organizing for the conventions, what’s going on in boardrooms and at police trainings? What strategies can we expect the authorities to apply at the conventions, and what factors may tie their hands?

Both Minneapolis and St. Paul have liberal governments that need to come across as supportive of law-abiding protesters; in this regard, healthy relations between anarchists and other antiwar organizers constitute a real challenge for them. Officials have emphasized that the police will be civil—not starting in riot gear; that there will be no “free speech zones”—demonstrators will be allowed “within sight and sound” of the Excel Center hosting the RNC; and that the police strategy will not resemble the brutal “Miami model” applied at the 2003 FTAA protests, but rather will establish a new “St. Paul model.” It’s also worth pointing out that St. Paul will be fielding about 3000 police, compared to the tens of thousands on duty in New York City during the 2004 RNC.

All this could change overnight if the powers that be saw a significant threat to their ascendancy; but it suggests that compelling the police to use force at the conventions this summer would be a coup, in that it would frame them as aggressors in a time when they are trying to dispel that image. Rumor has it that the St. Paul police are consulting European police forces for tips on how to control crowds via containment rather than brute force. We should strategize accordingly. "

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

What is their main strategy? Blockading!

RNC Preparation May 24 - 25

Saturday, May 24th
10AM - breakfast
11AM - Security Culture Overview
11:30 - Know Your Rights
1PM - Legal Observer Training by Massachusetts National Lawyers Guild
2PM - Lunch
3PM - Police Tactics and Chemical Weapons [and how to prepare!]
4:30 - Street Tactics, specialized for blockade strategy/RNC
6PM - What We Mean by 'Revolutionary Discipline' or RevDisc
Stick around afterwards for an electronic security workshop!

Sunday, May 25th is a day of medical training, preparing attendees to be affinity group medics. Highly trained street medics are great to have around, but they might not always be in proximity to your affinity group...

Additionally, because Boston ABC is concerned about the large numberof comrades that will surely be swept up by the police in the Twin Cities [5,000 arrests have been threatened against 'anarchists and knuckleheads'], we ask nicely that people bring a sliding scale donation of $5-10+ to go toward the Anarchist Black Cross Network's RNC Legal Defense Fund [to defend the comrades, not the Republicans].

Brought to you by the Boston Anarchist Black Cross, part of the NorthEast Anarchist Network and the Anarchist Black Cross Network.Up the Network!

Oh, did you think this was our prep? No this is THEIRS!!

Source: Info Shop News

Minneapolis wants new deal for prisoner jail fees

The Star Tribune is reporting that, Minneapolis wants new deal for prisoner jail fees.

How exorbitant are these fees? The county now charges a $75 processing fee for prisoners booked at the jail, plus an hourly fee for time in jail that amounts to $103.44 per day.

Well, before the City cries too much in it's beer lets look at how the MPD does business. Years ago the jail had a "city side" run by the MPD and a "county side" run by us. The city thought it too costly to run a lock-up so we took over their "side" for a fee. Over the years MPD has bitched about the booking fees and has even from time to time opened a booking unit of their own to book and release low level offenders. They always close it. Apparently it is still more cost effective for us to book their misdemeanors then them.

I have a couple of suggestions on how the city can reduce it's jail fees.

1. Rather then keeping all PC's for 36 hours, RPC non-violent ones. This will save them the $103.44 per day housing fee. (How many of these get released 36 hours expired anyways?)

2. Write more citations for misdemeanors rather then booking them.

3. We go back to releasing all non-violent misdemeanors NBR.

I suspect this will not sit well with them though. Part of their overall plan is neighborhood livability. They pick up a neighborhood nuisance, drop him off at the jail on Friday and he sits all weekend unable to raise his $50 bail. The neighborhood gets rid of a nuisance and the MPD is happy as well. So apparently the city wants these guys off of the street, they just don't want to pay for it.

Hey Minneapolis, there are no free rides.

Monroe County Corrections Officers Fight for Safety in the Workplace

PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Mike Scott(305) 642-6255

Workers File for Impasse with PERC Following Six Months of Negotiations
May 6, 2008

(Miami, FL) – Representatives of Teamsters Local 769 in Miami, Florida filed for impasse today with the Florida Public Employee Relations Commission (PERC) on behalf of nearly 100 Monroe County corrections officers after six months of unsuccessful negotiations.

The union and sheriff’s department began negotiations in November 2007 after PERC certified Local 769 as the unit’s bargaining representative in September of that year. The two sides have been unable to reach an agreement because of unreasonable staffing changes and cuts proposed by the sheriff’s appointed bargaining committee.

“These corrections officers work in an environment that is inherently dangerous,” said Mike Scott, President of Teamsters Local 769. “But instead of taking steps to improve safety in the facility, the sheriff’s department is making ill-advised demands that could compromise the precautions already in place.”

These demands include cutting staffing in the most dangerous block of the Monroe County Jail called the ‘Alpha Unit’, an area that houses violent offenders including murderers and rapists. The sheriff’s committee has also demanded that a key position in the control center of the jail be manned by cheaper, less experienced civilian personnel rather than a certified corrections officer.

“We have made multiple proposals designed to offset any costs associated with keeping these positions as they stand, but the committee refuses to even consider them,” Scott said. “Ensuring the safety of these workers is our primary concern. Frankly, it’s disconcerting that the sheriff’s department doesn’t share our concern.”

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.

Critical Incidents

In our profession things can happen in a split second.
What is a critical incident? Some examples are:

-An assault on staff or an inmate
-Use of Force
-Suicide
-Homicide
-Hostage situation

What should you do after a critical incident?

1) Tend to any medical injuries. Even if your injury seems minor at the time fill out an I.O.D. (Injury On Duty) report and have it looked at. What seems OK now might not be tomorrow when the adrenaline is off.

2) Call a steward.

3) BEFORE making any statements to detectives or investigators call the MNPEA Legal Defense Line at 651 287-8883

IMPORTANT NUMBERS:

Steward Wade Laszlo- 763 807-6668

MNPEA Legal Defense 651 287-8883

Business Agent Mike Golen 612 817-6042

Steward Election Results

Here's the results of your votes:

Detention Deputy Stewards:

Wade Laszlo-Chief Steward (763) 323-4610
Phil Miles
Ted Westerdahl
Mike Nielsen
Jodie Hannig
Chris Douglas

Detention Tech Steward:Tony Bennett

Teamsters 320 Business Agent:
Tom Perkins

Stewards are on the front line every day, working directly with members to make sure contracts are enforced, workers' rights are not being violated, and the workplace is a safe place to be. You are the face of the union, and your role as communicator is critical to solidarity and membership participation. (Teamsters IBT)

Correctional Officer’s / Detention Deputies Week Resolution

On April 8th, I had the honor of attending the Hennepin County Board Meeting along with Inspector Cooper, Captain Wresh and Captain D. Johnson as the Board passed the Correctional Officer’s / Detention Deputies Week resolution. The board members had many good things to say about us during the discussion period like, "You don't appreciate what we have until you see other jails around the country. It's because of the quality of our employees, the professionalism of the staff."

Most all of our work takes place out of sight of the public. Our work is as vital to public safety as that of the police and fire departments, the main difference being that we are out of sight and often out of mind.

On behalf of our Detention Deputies, Thank You County Board for your recognition.

The following Resolution was offered by Chairman Randy Johnson:

BE IT RESOLVED, that one week each May is officially designated as Correctional Officer’s / Detention Deputies Week by the American Jail Association. This year, Correctional Officer’s / Detention Deputies Week is May 4-10, 2008; and

WHEREAS, Community Corrections and the Sheriff’s Office supports the proposition that the men and women who perform the difficult task of supervising the County’s inmates deserve this recognition; and

WHEREAS, the Community Corrections and Sheriff’s Office recognizes that corrections and detention staff are professionals equal in status and importance to other professionals in the effective administration of justice;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that we, the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners, do hereby acknowledge the week of May 4-10, 2008 as “Correctional Officer’s / Detention Deputies Week” in Hennepin County in honor of the dedicated professionals who supervise the County’s inmate population.

Veteran's GI Bill OJT Meeting Date Set

Click on the picture to enlarge.

A meeting has been set for March 27th, 2008 with the Department of Labor and Industry, the VA's Field Representative for the State Approving Agency for the OJT Program and the Sheriff's Administration.

Hopefully the issue can be resolved and the OJT benefits restored to our vets.

Brown Leather Maintenance

Here's a how to, for those of you who need to know how to properly maintain your brown leather.

You'll need:


Fiebings brown leather dye (Available for about $8.95 at any shoe repair shop)

Nail Polish remover (Must contain acetate)

Brown Shoe Polish

I recommend doing all of your brown leather at once so the shade is consistent, unless of course you're talking about a new item.

Step 1: Strip off old polish with the nail polish remover. Use a damp a paper towel or cloth. (Remove belt buckle first if dying belt, it unsnaps)

Step 2: Using supplied applicator apply Fiebings brown dye over leather.

Step 3: Drink beer and/or smoke a cigar while dye dries.

Step 4: Apply a couple coats of brown polish and you're in business.

**This is a great time to use Brasso on your belt buckle and snaps.

Time lapse for steps 1 and 2 is about 30 minutes.
Keeping a good coat of polish on your leather gear will look good and extend the amount of time needed between dye jobs.

This also works for black leather using Fiebings black leather dye.

Veterans Still Cut From GI Bill's OJT Program By HCSO!

Last week I pulled down the post entitled: HCSO Not So Veteran Friendly after a call last Monday from someone I respect in the Teamsters saying the administration wanted to work to resolve the issue.

A week has gone by. The issue is not resolved. The administration has not even talked to our lawyers, the vets, our business agent, or myself so HCSO Not So Veteran Friendly is back up.

I find it regrettable that at the same time:

U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today announced its Minnesota Leadership Team. Congressman Jim Ramstad (R-03) and Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek will serve as Co-Chairs of John McCain's campaign in Minnesota,

the Sheriff's Office, under Campaign Co-Chair Sheriff Rich Stanek, would choose to drop out of participation in the GI Bill's OJT program for his detention deputy employees.

Senator McCain's positions on veterans are clear:

PROVIDING VETERANS WITH THE BENEFITS THEY HAVE EARNED

John McCain strongly believes that it is our duty as a nation to provide our veterans, who dedicated their careers, risked their personal safety, and sometimes sacrificed their lives in order to protect us, with the benefits that we have promised them and that they have earned.

John McCain has voted consistently to increase funding for veterans' benefits, recognizing that the people who serve our country should get priority over the disgraceful amounts of spending on corporate subsidies and wasteful pork barrel spending. He also pushed for various initiatives to ensure that veterans who are eligible for benefits know what they are entitled to and have the resources to obtain their benefits.

Maybe we'll see some trickle down values.

You can contact the McCain Campaign at http://www.johnmccain.com/Contact/

Blood Borne Pathogens Bill Utilized For First Time!

This week an inmate was forced to give a blood draw after spitting in the eyes and mouth of one of our detention deputies. The inmate refused to give a blood test after a doctor determined that a "significant exposure" had occurred and the jail administration utilized the Blood Borne Pathogens Bill's expedited method to force a blood draw.

Hats off to the Hennepin County jail administration for utilizing this and saving our member and his family months of worry and possible unnecessary treatment.

This was possible due to the Blood Borne Pathogens Bill written and lobbied by Teamsters Local 320!

The history is that a few years ago a member of ours in the last half hour of a 12 hour shift ended up in a bloody confrontation with an inmate. Our member spent several hours at the hospital and two things happened, first the Sheriff's Office refused to pay overtime for the time at the hospital, and second the inmate refused to volunteer a blood sample. A grievance was filed and won, now if you get hurt at work and end up needing medical care you get paid for your time.

Then we wrote the Blood Borne Pathogens Bill. In a nutshell, if an inmate gives a corrections officer a significant exposure to their blood or body fluids and refuses to volunteer for a blood test then the facility commander can order a blood draw. This was authored and lobbied for by Teamsters Local 320. Our business agent Tom Perkin's worked with our lobbyist Bob Johnson and got the job done. The cost to our local was $65,000, the benefit to our members is priceless.

The bill took effect in July of 2006. To my knowledge this is the first time the law has been used in Hennepin County. Thank you Teamsters Local 320 for passing this bill that makes our dangerous job safer for all corrections officers. Thank you Hennepin County Sheriff's Office for your support.

What Happened to the Veterans Issue Post?

There is a behind the scenes effort to resolve the issue going on. The Veterans Issue Post is TEMPORARILY down while these efforts take place. Should the issue resolve itself in a positive way the post will disappear forever.

Hitchin' the Wagon

The McCain campaign has announced: U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today announced its Minnesota Leadership Team. Congressman Jim Ramstad (R-03) and Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek will serve as Co-Chairs of John McCain's campaign in Minnesota.

Hopefully Senator McCain's leadership on veterans issues will rub of!

I must have accidently posted this picture from when he endorsed Giuliani for President!

From Corrections USA-Assaults on Correctional Officers

There are no accurate statistics on the number of correctional officers assaulted by inmates. Some Department of Corrections do not keep records and others under-report. Correctional officers are routinely gassed, assaulted, injured, and sometimes killed in the line of duty.
To see a glimpse of the dangerous environment we work in behind the walls, please read the following news accounts:

Assaults, August 2007

Source: Corrections USA

HCSO Not So Veteran Friendly

Up until now I have kept this off of the blog and out of the public eye. As many of you know from our egroup the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office unilaterally dropped out of the GI Bill's OJT (On the Job Training)program for veterans. This is a program that costs the Sheriff's Office nothing because the veterans have paid into this as part of their military service. It's a way to attract and retain good employees at no cost to the Sheriff's Office.

In a nutshell, it pays a veteran a certain amount of money each month after returning to civilian life while they are gaining experience/training on the job. Kind of like a deferred compensation program for vets, it's their money. The Sheriff's Office had two year agreements with some of our veterans and the Veterans Administration to participate in this program. Many detention deputies have participated in this program over the years. Suddenly the Sheriff's Office has opted not to participate. While this is voluntary on their part it makes no sense. How often can you attract and compensate good employees at no cost to your bottom line?

The nastier part is that two of our veterans received letters from the VA over Veterans Day weekend informing them they were dropped, despite signed two year contracts. The Sheriff's Office didn't have the decency to tell them themselves.

The Department of Labor even went to the HCSO and met with them in an attempt to get them to continue with the GI Bill program. The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office re-affirmed their request to cancel, claiming that detention deputies are fully trained/qualified after 3 months!

Team Legal attorney's have been assisting our veterans with this struggle. I can think of few things lower then screwing over veterans, especially during a time of war.

Nominations For Union Steward

A nomination sheet will be posted for anyone interested in being a Teamsters Local 320 Union Steward.

You must be a full dues paying member to be eligible- no fair share.

The sheet will be posted through 3/14 at 1430. All interested members must put their own name on the sheet.

What does a steward do?

Stewards are on the front line every day, working directly with members to make sure contracts are enforced, workers' rights are not being violated, and the workplace is a safe place to be. You are the face of the union, and your role as communicator is critical to solidarity and membership participation. (Teamsters IBT)

Member in Hospital

I received a call around 3 AM this morning informing me that Trent J. was involved in a rollover accident and was airlifted to North Memorial Hospital. He's in intensive care, I managed to get connected to his room and spoke to him and his wife. He said he has some broken ribs and a laceration on his face, but should recover.

Please send your thoughts and prayers to him and his family.

Inspector Cooper's Response Re: Brown Leather

Today I emailed Inspector Cooper and explained to him the situation outlined in the previous post. He responded:

I will make sure that the jail supervisors understand that those detention deputies who have not switched over to black leather would have the option to stay in their brown leather.

Included in his response to me were Captain Wresh and Captain Roberts.

You Can Stay Brown!

Middle shift supervisors are telling detention deputies to be changed to black by 2/28 or be "dealt with accordingly."

On December 10th 2007 in response to a detention deputy wanting to be reimbursed for buying black leather Inspector Cooper wrote:

"Sheriff's Administration, however, decided that those Detention Deputies who have been issued brown leather could stay in their brown leather."

Furthermore at a meeting on January 31, 2007 with Teamsters Business Agent Tom Perkins, Hennepin County Labor Relations attorney Greg Failor and myself, I told Inspector Cooper that his memo was still posted in the jail ordering us to switch to black. He said that it was still posted because the licensed deputies still had to switch, but that he would be sending out an email shortly.

I will be contacting Hennepin County Labor Relations and Inspector Cooper tomorrow.

Furthermore, the December 10th email informing detention deputies they could stay in brown was also sent to Captain Wresh, Captain Roberts, and Lt. June Johnson, who should be aware!

THIS IS BULLSHIT!

Teamsters Endorse Obama

According to a press release issued by the Teamsters on February 20, 2008, Teamsters has endorsed Barack Obama.

Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa says, “Senator Obama understands the challenges working people face every day,” Hoffa said. “He is the candidate in the best position to lead our movement to restore the American dream for working people in this country. Senator Obama will fight for better wages, real health care reform, stronger retirement security, fair trade and an end to the outsourcing of good jobs. He understands the importance of giving workers a voice at work and will fight for strong unions to help rebuild America’s middle class.”

Labor News/Headlines

Twin Cities security officers vote overwhelmingly to authorize strike

HealthPartners, SEIU reach tentative contract agreement

Improved Stimulus Package Fails in Senate By Single Vote; Chamber Passes GOP Alternative Instead

Sure, We Might Fire You Suddenly to Cut Costs. But We Gave You a Pair of Black Jeans!

Writers Reach Tentative Deal With Producers

Internal Affairs Primer

Most of you at one time or another will be called into Internal Affairs at some point in your career. It can be a nerve racking experience so I've put together a little primer to make your trip to I.A. a little easier.

How does an Internal Affairs investigation begin?

There can be several reasons.
-A complaint from an inmate.
-A complaint from the public.
-A complaint from a co-worker or other employee.
-An investigation fueled by the Administration.

Rule #1 always bring a Union Steward!

This is your right under Weingarten. The Steward will make sure your rights are protected as well as add moral support by being with you.

You will be asked to sign a Garrity/Tenneson form.

What is Garrity?

Because the 5th Amendment applies to Public Employees:Public employees have certain constitutional rights that apply in their employment that may not apply to private employees. For example, in Garrity v. New Jersey, the Supreme Court held that statements obtained in the course of an investigatory interview under threat of termination from public employment couldn’t be used as evidence against the employee in subsequent criminal proceedings.

In short if they don't allow you to sign a Garrity then DON'T TALK! It is a criminal matter, call Team Legal !

What is the Tenneson Warning?

The Tenneson warning lets you know what information may become public.

Once you have signed the Garrity/Tenneson form you must cooperate with the investigation and you must be truthful. Lying in I.A. can get you fired.

That being said here's some advice.

If you wrote a report read it and refresh your memory. Many I.A. investigations happen months after the event.

Keep your answers short like in a deposition. One word answers are best. Yes, no or if you don't remember say, "I don't recall." While they don't like the "I don't recall" response remember this, you are most likely on video and audio and if you say something was said or done that conflicts with their video you have a whole new can of worms. Again, many investigations take place months after the event.

The longer your answers are the more fishing line you give them. You have to be truthful, but if they don't ask for something you do not have to volunteer it. Almost every I.A. ends with them asking, "Is there anything you'd like to add?" Unless you have something critical you think should be on the record your answer should be "no." Otherwise you'll open up a whole new line of questioning.

The interview will be recorded and you will be allowed to read over the transcript when it is done.

What will be the outcome?

The investigator determines whether the accusation is "sustained" or "unsustained" and passes their findings on to the Chief Deputy. If it is sustained the Chief Deputy and usually the jail Inspector will determine what discipline may be administered.

Things to keep in mind.

They can lie and will lie to you! That's right, they can legally say things like:
"Other people have said they saw you."
"That's not what the video shows."
"The last three people in here said something else. Why is that?"

You can only testify about things you know. Questions like, "What do you think he was thinking when he did that?" Can't be honestly answered. You can't know what someone else is thinking. Only testify about things you yourself have seen or heard. Simply say, "I can't know what he was thinking." Or they may ask, "Why do you think he did that?" Again, you can't know why someone did or didn't do something, only whether you saw them do it or not.


More I.A. Tricks.

Lately they've been trying to start the interview without having people sign the Garrity/Tenneson form. Why? This leaves them the option of also using your statement in a criminal case against you!

They may say things like, "You're not the focus" or "We only need to ask you one or two questions." Don't buy it. The focus can switch to you at anytime. Protect yourself.

They may play good cop and try to appear as your friend, "Yeah I worked in the jail. I know what it's like." Giving the impression you're sharing information with a friendly sympathetic co-worker. First off, none of them have any idea what the jail is like now. Secondly, they are not "friendly co-workers," they are investigating you, and often with an agenda from the Administration.

They may play bad cop and seem angry with you, "C'mon, I know what happened. Just come clean!" Do not be intimidated. Answer honestly even if they don't like the answer.

Finally:

Never, never talk without a Union Steward and without signing a Garrity/Tenneson form. An Internal Affairs investigation will always take place while you are on the clock in the I.A. office. Remember, under the Stanek Administration I.A. is staffed by Detectives. My fear is the temptation for them to blend an internal and criminal investigation. That's why now more then ever you need to bring a Union Steward with you.

We Are Not Alone! DNC Protest!

As we gear up for this summer's RNC protests in Saint Paul, see nornc.org. Denver can now prepare for their own protests! See DNC Disruption 08.

Black or Brown??

In an email response from Inspector Cooper on December 10th, 2007 he wrote:

"Sheriff's Administration, however, decided that those Detention Deputies who have been issued brown leather could stay in their brown leather."

Today after an unrelated meeting I asked why his memo ordering the switch to black leather by February 28th was still posted. He said that's because the licensed deputies will still be required to change by then, but that he will be sending out an email to everyone shortly.

He also told me the return of uniform inspections will be coming very soon.

Excerpts from the Strib

A jury failed to reach a verdict Wednesday in the case of a Hennepin County jail deputy accused of criminal sexual conduct with a former inmate...

Defense lawyer Trevor Oliver said he hoped the prosecutor would reconsider pursuing another trial, but he didn't expect to agree to a plea bargain. He also didn't expect a second trial to be better for either side. "Both sides laid everything out as far as they could," Oliver said.

Source: Star Tribune click for full story

Thinking Out Loud

Thinking over the Dave R ordeal makes several thoughts go through my mind.

Why was such a serious allegation handled by the HCSO rather then the BCA or another county as is usually the case?

The conflicts of interest are numerous:

-The employee was investigated by the employer's detectives.
-Evidence gathered by the employer's crime lab.
-The accused and accuser were both incarcerated by the employer.
-The employer used the same county attorney's office they have a regular working relationship with.
-The case tried in the same courts they have a regular working relationship with.

I could go on and on but in my mind there is no way in hell this could be impartial.


How did the HCSO handle this? After Dave was out for four months cooperating 100% with a very embarrassing investigation including seizing things from his apartment, his truck and taking his DNA they decide to arrest him, bring him in to be booked on his own shift and by his own squad. They could have just given him his charge papers and told him to appear in court the next day, but no, they wanted a dog and pony show. For the record none of his DNA matched anything or was found on anything and none of the things taken in their search warrant were used in the trial. Nothing.

Ask yourself: Would this have happened in any other law enforcement agency? Would this have happened to a cop?

Now this case appears headed for a retrial. Why? The prosecution couldn't even prove their case the first time. How much more tax payer money must be spent on a 4th degree CSC investigation? An accusation of mutual sexual contact made by a felon 8 or 9 months after the alleged incident with no witnesses or physical proof whatsoever! Just the word of a felon who told 4 different versions of the story. So far they've paid Dave for 14 months not to be at work, spent more taxpayer money on a losing trial and are willing to spend more to do it all again.

How would I like to have seen this done? Let's look across the river. When a Ramsey County jailer was caught red handed in a child solicitation sting Sheriff Fletcher had him booked at the Dakota County jail and the investigation was handled by others. He didn't want one of their own booked into the jail that employed him. Even Sheriff McGowan had the good sense to have the BCA handle Jenkins accusations.

I don't believe for one minute Dave did the things they have accused him of and I'm fucking mad at the way the entire matter was and is being handled. I think things would have been handled totally different if he were licensed and if they didn't think he was gay.

One last thing to keep in mind. Dave has not been found guilty of anything. Dave has the full backing of Teamsters Local 320, the full backing of Team Legal and my full backing until they can prove, prove in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt that he is guilty.

Hung Jury

Dave's jury hung! The burden of proof in our system is that the prosecutor must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. They failed to convince even 12 people a crime had been committed. I'll keep you posted about future developments.

Media Pressure

As you know Dave. R's jury is still out. Anyone on our egroup knows his side of the story. Unfortunately anyone accused of a crime knows the first thing advised by your attorney is to be quiet. So right now his side can't be published here or in the newspapers. Unfortunately this doesn't prevent the press from smearing your name or the KQ morning show from making a mockery of you, or even the Star Tribune from kicking you one more time when the jury is out.

One thing to remember is this, under our system a person is innocent until proven guilty. The standard of conviction is beyond reasonable doubt. There are three possible outcomes at this point:

1. Conviction
2. Acquittal
3. Hung Jury

Only in a conviction will the prosecution have proven it's case. Acquittal or even a hung jury means the prosecution couldn't even convince 12 people that a crime was committed.

So far Team Legal has spent over $20,000 on his defense. This is a real benefit to being a dues paying union member.

Watch this blog for an update when the verdict is in.

Steward Nominations

A nomination sheet will be posted for anyone interested in being a Teamsters Local 320 Union Steward. You must be a full dues paying member to be eligible- no fair share.

The sheet will be posted February 15th through the 29th at 1430. All interested members must put their own name on the sheet.

Ballots will be mailed to members on March 7th and counted on March 24th.

What does a steward do?

Stewards are on the front line every day, working directly with members to make sure contracts are enforced, workers' rights are not being violated, and the workplace is a safe place to be. You are the face of the union, and your role as communicator is critical to solidarity and membership participation. (Teamsters IBT)

A Dangerous Job

The news is always filled with stories of police officers who are injured or killed. Yet statistically a corrections officer has a higher rate of assault and injury.

Here's an excerpt from a story in the Dallas News covering the increase in assaults on Texas CO's:

A snapshot of a typical month in Texas prisons – last March, for example – provides a look at the dangers inherent in the job:

•The Telford Unit in New Boston, Texas, went on lockdown in March after 62 inmates – some using broken brooms, socks filled with dominoes and commissary hair gel and dented trash cans as weapons – were found fighting in a dayroom at the facility. Corrections officers used blast dispersion and rubber ball grenades to quell the fight. Four inmates were injured.

•Two weeks later, at the Beto Unit in Tennessee Colony, Texas, 17 inmates fought near their cells, resulting in two guard injuries. Nearly six ounces of Top Cop, a type of pepper spray foam, was used.

•And in March at the Beto facility, a 19-year-old female guard was punched in the face by an inmate who had a nail hidden in his fist.
The guard suffered a gash on the left side of her face. The inmate – 49-year-old T.J. Jones, who is serving a five-year sentence for burglary – was transferred to another unit.
The all-male prison, which houses more than 3,300 inmates, has nearly 500 security guards, only a fraction of what the unit says it needs.

*Thanks to AFSCME's Dean Enge for bringing this article to my attention.

New Agreement Passed

The New Agreement has passed overwhelmingly. Thank you!

Tentative Agreement

A tentative agreement has been reached with Hennepin County for our 2008-2009 Agreement.

The negotiating committee strongly recommends the membership accepting this when the ballots come out. Here's the highlights:

-Shift differential to increase $.05 in 2008 & 2009.
-Weekend differential to increase $.05 in 2008 & 2009.
-FTO pay to increase from $1.00/hour to $2.00/hour.
-Vacations: You will be able to cash out up to 40 hours of vacation a year.
-Sick Leave: Add to definition of immediate family the following language, "a person residing in the employees immediate household."

SALARY RATES:

Detention Tech: 2.25% steps in range, 3.4% at max rate in 2008 & 2009.

Radio: 2.25% steps in range, 3.9% max 2008
2.25% steps in range, 3.4% max 2009

Detention Deputies: 2.25% steps in range, 4.4% max 2008
2.25% steps in range, 3.4% max 2008 **
**This would be the largest increase we've ever received and puts our top pay at about $27.24 in January 2009! It also places us back in our historical #2 place behind Ramsey County.

HEALTH INSURANCE RATES:

Employee Only Single: $15 a month - raising to $25 in December 2009
Employee Plus Spouse: $337.18/mo
Employee Plus Child(ren): $258.27
Family: $375.39/mo

HOLIDAYS: The letter of understanding dictating us being able to bank 24 hours of Deferred Holiday will now be added to the Agreement so we don't have to renegotiate this every time.

The negotiating committee strongly recommends the membership accepting this when the ballots come out.

Sword Stolen

A good friend of mine's house was burglarized in Minneapolis and this sword was stolen. It is handmade and one of a kind. The blade is black steel with silver Rune symbols on it, the handle is wood. Should you run across anyone with this sword. Contact the Minneapolis Police Department (612 673-5714) and notify me. MPD case #07-391781.

Funeral for Helen Ann Omodt

Helen Ann Omodt, wife of former Sheriff Don Omodt and mother of Lt. Chris Omodt has passed away.

There will be a Mass of Christian Burial on Monday, November 26, at 11 a.m.
The funeral will be held at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church in Edina with visitation one hour prior to the service at the church and also 4 to 8 p.m. on Sunday, November 25, at Washburn-McReavy Funeral Home, Edina Chapel, West 50th Street and Highway 100. The phone number to the funeral home is 952-920-3996. There will be a private internment at Fort Snelling National Cemetery.

Our thoughts are with the Omodt family during this time.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Also don't forget our Local 320 Holiday Party and Membership Meeting

Teamster Building - 3001 University Avenue Minneapolis, MN

Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Door Prizes Awarded! - A Gift for Everyone!Food and refreshments: 6:00 - 7:00 pm
Membership meeting: 7:00 pm

Workhouse inmate dies of drug overdose

The Star Tribune is reporting that inmate Jefferey Berg died in solitary confinement at the workhouse.

John Berg said initial toxicology reports showed Valium, cocaine and Oxycontin in his son's system. Berg said he received that information Wednesday evening from an investigator with the Hennepin County medical examiner's office.

"Is it possible that he could have gotten contraband?" Fine (Corrections Administrator) said. "It's possible. We're not hermetically sealed. ... We try to do everything we can to make sure that contraband doesn't get in, but occasionally it does."

Wisconsin prison hostage freed safely

AP- WAUPUN, Wisconsin: A prison dental technician was taken hostage by an inmate early Wednesday but was released unharmed, shortly before the inmate surrendered, authorities said.

Full Story

Thank You Veterans!

Thank you to all of you who have served and are serving. Happy Veterans Day!

Mike Opat Carjacked

Hennepin County Commissioner Mike Opat got robbed of his Jeep, wallet and Blackberry last Tuesday. I first saw this on Fox 9 News last night and the Star Tribune has the story this morning. The Fox 9 video is available here.

Orange County Sheriff Pleads Not Guilty to Corruptions Charge

Orange County Sheriff Michael S. Carona, his wife and a former mistress pleaded not guilty this morning in a federal corruption case that accuses them of misusing his public office to enrich themselves.-LA Times

Weingarten Rights - Request for a Shop Steward

Weingarten Rights - Request for a Shop Steward

If you are called into a meeting with a management representative and you have reason to believe that disciplinary action against you may result, you have the right to have a steward present during this meeting. Read the statement below to the management representative, and contact your steward immediately.

READ THIS STATEMENT TO MANAGEMENT:
“If this discussion could in any way lead to my being disciplined or terminated, or affect my personal working conditions, I request that my union representative, officer, or steward be present at the meeting. Without representation, I choose not to answer any question.
“This is my right under a U.S. Supreme Court decision called Weingarten.”

This right is especially important should you get called into Internal Affairs (I.A.).
Always take a steward with you even if you are not the focus of the investigation, that focus can change!

You also have Garrity Rights:Protection Against Self Incrimination

Because the 5th Amendment applies to Public Employees:Public employees have certain constitutional rights that apply in their employment that may not apply to private employees. For example, in Garrity v. New Jersey, the Supreme Court held that statements obtained in the course of an investigatory interview under threat of termination from public employment couldn’t be used as evidence against the employee in subsequent criminal proceedings. If, however, you refuse to answer questions after you have been assured that your statements cannot be used against you in a subsequent criminal proceeding, the refusal to answer questions thereafter may lead to the imposition of discipline for insubordination. Further, while the statements you make may not be used against you in a subsequent criminal proceeding, they can still form the basis for discipline on the underlying work-related charge.
There are two prongs under the Garrity rights. First, if an officer is compelled to answer questions as a condition of employment, the officer's answers and the fruits of those answers may not be used against the officer in a subsequent criminal prosecution. Second, the department becomes limited as to what they may ask. Such questions must be specifically, narrowly, and directly tailored to the officer's job.

In 1996 the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office was found to have violated the Garrity rights of two detention deputies.

If the investigation is criminal do not talk to anyone without contacting a Team Legal Attorney!
Call 1-800-367-4321 to get an attorney. TEAM LEGAL ATTORNEYS ARE FREE FOR FULL DUES PAYING MEMBERS!

DRIVE Response to Follow the Money

After a flurry of phone calls and here it is.

1) DRIVE did not endorse Sheriff Stanek. His name did not appear in any mailings, newspaper adds or literature.


2) DRIVE is a PAC. It is separate from Teamsters Local 320. No Teamster Local 320 money was given. Only members who pay into DRIVE.

3) The check was written after the election by a lone DRIVE representative, Don Gerdesmeier. I can't imagine why.

4) Joint Council 32 claims no foreknowledge of Don Gerdesmeier's decision to write the check. Apparently as a DRIVE rep he doesn't have the power to endorse but has discretion in writing a check. It is claimed that Sheriff Stanek isn't the only unendorsed politician to receive such a check.

The basic gist I gathered is it's DRIVE's money and their business how to spend it. If we want a say we can join DRIVE. (I don't think so).

All of this appears to be fact, however, I maintain that of all people, Don Gerdesmeier knowing our poor relationship with former Sheriff McGowan (and the many times he backed doored us through Don) should have out of any respect for us, the rank and file, at least let Sheriff Stanek demonstrate a good relationship with us before just handing him their money giving the appearance of Teamster support. It is moves like this that will forever make me leery of DRIVE and it's intentions. The average politician doesn't know the difference between DRIVE and the Local, he just views money as support.

Knowing Don's relationship with the former Sheriff, I still believe, at least on his part, that while we were wanting to maintain neutrality during the election Don was nodding and winking at a politician and then giving him money. Moves like this make politicians think that they can trample on our members and our contract because the money will flow no matter what.

Follow The Money

This post has been edited from it's original form. The crux of what set me off is this:

While checking on the campaign contributions to Sheriff Stanek I noticed that Teamsters Joint Council 32 gave the maximum contribution of $500 to Sheriff' Stanek's campaign! That's not all, it was given on 12/20/2006 AFTER the election!

See the next post for their explanation.

Where do we rank in pay?

Here's Carver County's range. Here's Dakota County's range. Keep in mind we are the busiest jail in the state and Carver and Dakota County also provide free parking. They're also Teamster shops with the same pension.

Minnesota Corrections United

Tired of playing second fiddle to cops? The purpose of this group is to promote a statewide united front for those in the corrections field to pass legislation and policies that affect County Corrections Officers and Detention Deputies in the State of Minnesota. Things like equal pay and pensions with cops and others in dangerous occupations. Equal protection in internal affairs and discipline,etc. There's a new e-group in town! Join this statewide movement!

MINNESOTA CORRECTIONS UNITED



alt="Click here to join correctionsunited">
Click to join correctionsunited

October 23rd Negotiations

We met again today with Hennepin County and the Sheriff's Office. The items were discussed with no real progress. We meet again on November 20th.

Hennepin County's Proposal

Today October 16th we met again to negotiate with Hennepin County. They gave us their proposal. These are the highlights of their proposal:

Pay increase-1.5% pay increase for 2008 and 1.5% for 2009

Replace Vacation and Sick Leave with PTO (Personal Time Off)

Insurance Rates for Employees:

Single Coverage to pay $25 per month
Employee plus spouse-$340.49/mo
Employee plus children- $260.80/mo
Family-$398.45/mo

*Of special interest
They want to engage in a non-binding discussion of the black leather change
Ditto for 12 hour days

They are ending the Retiree Health Insurance provision. Employees hired after the execution of this Agreement will not receive this benefit. Those of us now employed may continue with this.

12 Hour Day Update-Meeting With Hennepin County

Today Teamsters business agent Tom Perkins and myself met with Hennepin County Labor Relations about the 12 hour day memo circulated by jail administration. This is being moved up to Bill Peters of Hennepin County. Some points brought up include:

First, Article 10, Section 4 of our Agreement. Reads “For Detention Deputies, worked hours in excess of the assigned work shift of eight (8) or more hours or an averaged eighty (80) hours per payroll period, with the exception of the twelve mandatory training hours for employees on a 6-3 schedule, shall be overtime and compensated at one and one-half (1 1/2) times the employee's base pay rate, or one and one-half (1 1/2) hours compensatory time for each hour worked, subject to the provision that no employee shall be eligible for overtime premium unless prior approval of the overtime work was granted by the Sheriff or his designee.”
* The same article in the Licensed Deputy Agreement has added language to the effect that the Employer retains the right to assign shifts of more then eight hours…That language IS NOT in our contract.

Second is the language relating to our holidays in ARTICLE 3 – DEFINITIONS section 3. It should be remembered that we took a 1.5% pay cut when we entered into the Agreement to get the holiday schedule we now have. It relates to an inconvenient work schedule (i.e. working weekends and holidays). We would expect that 1.5% to be restored. We would also expect to be paid the time and one half holiday premium on all hours worked on holidays.

Third, the shift bid Article 10, sec. 4. You cannot randomly assign people to new permanent 12 hour shifts without a bid. The dates for that bid are February 15th and August 15th.

Fourth, since we are required to dress in a uniform and pick up keys we would consider our shift as starting the minute we entered the locker room and ending when we returned our keys. So a detention deputy would enter the locker room at 6AM, dress, and look up his /her assignment, get keys and travel to their duty station. Once shift relief was there the relieved deputy would then have to travel to the key room and return their keys. This would easily require a half hour of overtime every day.

Fifth, training. Would this also happen on days off? More overtime.

Sixth, Lieutenant Johnson states in his memo that, “Both options are an 84 hour pay period. Agreements between labor and administration would need to be made on how to handle those 4 hours.” Teamsters Local 320 has recently won an arbitration to that effect. The arbitrator’s decision was that those hours are to be paid as overtime.

One of the main contentions is the method by which this is coming about. Our contract states:

Article 2-Recognition, sec 3 states: "The EMPLOYER, in accordance with the provisions of Minnesota Statutes 179A06 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."

The contract is NOT between the Sheriff's Office and the Detention Deputies, it is between Hennepin County Labor Relations and Teamsters Local 320. The proper method is for the employer to approach the county's Labor Relations office, then for Labor Relations to set up meet and confer meetings with the Business Agent of Teamsters Local 320.

Horobin Grievance Settled!

Detention Deputy Horobin grieved a 10 day supension he recieved while participating in an SRT cell extraction. The grievant and union maintained there was no just cause. An arbitration was scheduled for today October 8th. The county offered to give deputy Horobin 7 days back and he accepted the offer.

12 Hour Day Response

Regarding Lt. D. Johnson's 12 hour day memo, a meeting has been set up with Labor Relations, our business agent and myself for this Monday, October 8th. We are not for it.

As you know, Inspector Cooper issued a memo on October 3rd, 2006 regarding the RNC stating , “vacation time and regular days off will be cancelled for all HCSO employees during August 28 - September 6, 2008.” We accept the fact that this comes during Prime Time Vacation, we also accept the fact that as essential employees we are called upon to work these hours. However, we should be compensated at time and one half for all hours worked past our regular 8.5 hour shift, whether as 12 hour shifts or on days off. It is unacceptable to ask us and our families to give up vacation time and days off during the summer only to work longer shifts for straight time. This schedule seems to be designed to deprive us of just compensation.

RNC Update

Infoshop News is reporting that the strategy for the upcoming RNC is as follows:

On the first day of the convention, participants will employ a three-tiered direct action strategy to disrupt the RNC. The tiers are organized in order of priority according to the number of participants; if a small number of participants show up, only the first tier will be carried out, but if the numbers are on hand, all three tiers will be in effect.

Tier One: Establish 15-20 blockades, utilizing a diversity of tactics, creating an inner and outer ring around St. Paul’s Excel Center, where the RNC is to take place.

Tier Two: Immobilize the delegates’ transportation infrastructure, including the busses that are to convey them.

Tier Three: Block the five western bridges connecting the Twin Cities.

Read the whole story at Info Shop News

Other RNC update links:

RNC Welcoming Committee

PreRNC Report Back