Welcome East Bethel and White Bear Lake PD

Welcome City of East Bethel Public Employees and White Bear Lake PD to the MNPEA family. 

As an aside I find it interesting that over one year after we left Teamsters Local 320 they continue weird online attacks against me on their websites. 

If they spent more time servicing their members and less time attacking former members maybe they wouldn't keep losing groups like East Bethel. 

Perspective/Priorities

$2,000 a year in additional compensation for the Hennepin County Board, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman and Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek-No problem!


$417,000 for ONE vehicle for the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office-No problem!

$25,000,000 CASH for downtown office building-No problem!

Modest raise for Hennepin County Detention Deputies who have had no raise since 2008 and now are dead last in the area for starting wages in their field? DENIED! 

*The MNPEA asked for a 1.5% Market Adjustment, a 1.5% Cost of Living Raise and Steps for 2012..The total increase for the Detention Deputy bargaining unit would have come to only $143,298.

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.

MNPEA Bargaining Units

This is a list of all of the bargaining units who have joined MNPEA. Check back as this list is growing!

Ada Police

Albert Lea Police

Arrowhead Regional Corrections, Essentials

Arrowhead Regional Corrections, Non-Essential

Blue Earth County Corrections & Sgts

Carver County Deputies

City of East Bethel

City of Jordan Clerical

Dakota County Corrections Supervisors

Faribault County Corrections & Dispatch

Freeborn County Deputies

Freeborn County Sgts

Glencoe Police

Hennepin County Corrections & Dispatch

Hutchinson Police

Lakeville Police

McCleod County Corrections & Dispatch

McCleod County Deputies

Mendota Heights Police Sgts

Mille Lacs County Sheriff, Supervisors

Norman County Sheriff, Essentials

Owatonna Police Corporals

Owatonna Police Sgts

Rice County Deputies

Rice County Sgts

Sibley County Sheriff, Essentials

University of Minnesota Police

Washington County Corrections & Dispatch

White Bear Lake Police

Wilkin County Deputies

Wilkin County Corrections & Dispatch

Winthrop Police

Welcome newest MNPEA members!

I'd like to welcome aboard the two latest groups to join MNPEA:

The Arrowhead Regional Corrections Board, Essential Employees and the Hutchinson Police Officers.

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

Overtime? Really Mr. Duschere?

Star Tribune reporter Kevin Duchschere had some recent articles in the Star Tribune about overtime amounts paid out by Hennepin County. In one article he reports that,

The Sheriff's Department paid out the most, $2.7 million, an increase of 13.6 percent. Transportation was second, paying out $1.1 million in overtime, a 9.4 percent increase.

In another  Tribune article entitled,

See who received overtime from Hennepin County in 2011

they list all of our salaries and overtime worked for 2010 and 2011. I'm not sure of the motive. I suspect it's the usual idea of making Public Employees look like thieves. But your own numbers show I made about $5,000 less in 2011 then 2010!

Sheriff Stanek responded with, "We're the third-largest department within Hennepin County, but we are one of only two 24/7 operations, 365 days a year," he said. "Our jail population is up 4 percent over last year, and we're on track to have more bookings than we've had the last couple years."

and went on to cite the fact that overtime was used on the Occupy protests, Safe Streets and the May tornado.  Mark your calendars kids, I agree with Sheriff Stanek.

I'll further elaborate in an effort to educate Kevin Duchschere. The jail population fluctuates. The more inmates, the more staff needed to process them, care for them and get them either to court, released, the Workhouse or prison. Let me spell it out, if we have 800 inmates we need more staff to care for them then when there are 600. As Sheriff Stanek has pointed out our jail population is up. 

Furthermore we are not a Soviet gulag. We are an ACA accredited jail that also has MANDATORY standards set by the Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC). Mr. Duchshere there are mandatory staff to inmate ratios. These are not designed to line our pockets but to keep inmates safe.

So you see, more inmates means more overtime. The overtime factor was further exasperated by the County Board's decision to cut Detention Deputy staff in the jail by 10 positions. That means those shortages had to be filled by overtime.

Let me continue your education Mr. Duchschere. Overtime in the jail is mandatory. Any empty spot on a shift must be filled according to DOC regulations. If no one volunteers, jail staff is forced to stay over or come in early. Often plans to go home, go to a kid's sporting event, attend family gatherings are thwarted by a "draft" (forced overtime). Again as Sheriff Stanek pointed out we are a 24/7 operation. We work weekends, nights and holidays. So you see, it doesn't matter if some individuals worked more overtime then others, every single hour of overtime would have been worked no matter how you slice it.

So rather then painting a picture about what fat cats we are, maybe you could thank us for the long hours we work watching the people the police take out of your neighborhood. The people you are afraid of. Some of us have even made the ultimate sacrifice this year. When your paper reports that violent crime is up by 66% and the police arrest more people; who do you think supervises those violent offenders?

I should also mention that we've had years of wage freezes. We have people working at the jail for three years still making starting pay. Some who haven't had a weekend off in years. So, you see Mr.Duchschere we are not high salaried fat cats, but hard working Public Servants working a dangerous job with long hours of mandatory overtime to protect you. 

One final point Mr. Ducschere, I'd like to thank your paper for listing all of out first and last names, even though the Sheriff's Office asked you not to. Most inmates only know  Detention Deputies by their  last names. Most Detention Deputies pay to have their phone numbers unlisted so our clientele don't show up at our homes to visit our families as they are apt to threaten. Thanks for making our homes and families easier to track down as we try to protect yours.

Labor and MNPEA News, September 2012

Judge strikes down Wis. law that effectively ended collective bargaining for public workers  Star Tribune

MNPEA Welcomes the Arrowhead Regional Corrections Board, Essential Employees

MNPEA Welcomes Sibley County Sheriff's OfficeEssentials

MNPEA Welcomes Witnthrop Licensed Essentials, Our 20th Unit in Under 12 Months     MNPEA.COM

Welcome aboard!

Julianne Ortman, the hypocritical Republican

On September 2, 2012 on Labor Day weekend I listened to State Senator Julianne Ortman being interviewed on the radio on the KTALK, Late Debate Show at about 3:30 PM. 

She began bragging at one point about the Senate stopping the State Public Employee Union's from settling their contract. She was referencing the action by Sen. Mike Parry who caused the Senate to not approve the already negotiated and agreed upon contract with the State Employee unions. She said something along the lines that the "Public Employees came like they do every year expecting a raise, but this time we told them no." Of course as Public Employees we know the reality is that their wages have been frozen for years.

This came as no surprise from a Senator  who voted against guaranteed pension benefits for public employees and voted to reduce the State workforce by 15%. I will grant that this is a common position of her political party, but while she talks the talk, and votes the vote she does not WALK THE WALK. Like too many politicians she's good at telling her constituents what they want to hear then doing something else. 

Here's something every one of her constituents should know. 

While Senator Ortman is big on attacking public employees she is one herself! Not just a State Senator, she is a Senior Administrative Manager with the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office and has been drawing a salary of over $90,000 a year since 2007. She gets not one, but two Public Employee Pensions, one from the Minnesota Senate and another State PERA pension from Hennepin County. 

As I wrote in an earlier post, 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. So while she votes against hard working Public Employees she doesn't miss an opportunity to cash out at the expense of the taxpayers any chance she gets.There have been allegations in the media in the past about her claiming pay from the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office and the State Senate at overlapping times.

Like us Hennepin County Detention Deputies, our fellow State Correctional Officers have also had no raises for years. We work days and nights, weekends and Holidays locked up with the dangerous people the police have removed from neighborhoods. We have endured years of no raises, yet Senator Ortman regales the fact the State Senate has yet again prevented them from getting a raise. She plays games with our hardships for political points, all while eating up a bigger piece of the pie then any of us.

I have an idea, I know a Public Employee position Senator Ortman could eliminate immediately by resigning her job with Hennepin County. After all she does support a 15% reduction in public employees. 

I have another idea, her constituents can vote for her challenger, Jim Weygand.

This post is written by Wade Laszlo, Union Steward, Minnesota Public Employees Association.

The people the public forgets about are still dangerous.

A good friend of mine on the LAPD shared this article with me.

Convicted murderer from L.A. attacks two guards on death row

"Timothy Joseph McGhee, 39, who was convicted of killing three people, used a hand-made weapon to attack the guards Thursday morning as they returned him a a shower to his cell, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said. The guards received cuts and wounds on their heads, necks and arms and were treated at a hospital."   LA Times

It just goes to show that once the bad guys are locked up and out of the public eye they still continue to be a danger to Correctional Officers. Only we are often locked in with them at a ratio of 60 to 1 and unarmed. Odds most cops wouldn't even think about.

Union Stewards and Important Information

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR MNPEA MEMBERS

These are your MNPEA Stewards in the Hennepin County Jail Division:

B. Ebbers
J. Herlitz
W. Laszlo
P. Miles
B. Peterson
M. Smith
T. Westerdahl

MNPEA Stewards will assist you with grievances and sit with you if you are called into a situation that could result in discipline. See Weingarten Rights.

MNPEA Attorney's will accompany you to Internal Affairs and will assist you in if you are involved in a Critical Incident.

If you get a letter to appear in Internal Affairs call 651 287-8883. DO NOT GO ALONE our attorney will accompany you. You have this right under Article 34 of our Agreement and under Weingarten.

If you are involved in a Critical Incident call 651 287-8883. DO NOT GIVE A STATEMENT WITHOUT YOUR LEGAL REPRESENTATION.

Our Business Agent is Mike Golen. You can reach him at 612 817-6042.

Arbitration Date

A date has been set for contract arbitration on October 4, 2012 at 9:30 AM for Hennepin County Detention Deputies, Techs and Radio.

After an overwhelming rejection of the County offer we will be arbitrating the 2012 Step Increases and the 2012 Cost of Living Adjustment.

The 2013 1.5% Cost of Living Raise and Steps were agreed upon.

Message from MNPEA business agent Mike Golen

This is a repost:

Michael Sharon Berg-GolenMinnesota Public Employees Association "mnpea"

It is with a very somber heart that I make this report. Republican Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney returned the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) candidate response form on Friday. He said that he didn't believe that Police, Corrections and Essential Services should have the right to work under contracts. FOP President Gary Cayo and I spoke yesterday and there is a growing mood of discontent with the direction The Republican Party has taken both Nationally and State by State. The Conservative Values that many of us grew up with and hold dear no longer seem to be the values of The Republican Party. I urge you to get involved with your local caucus whether you're a Republican or a Democrat. This is not an Endorsement, it is a Call To Arms. To Work In Law Enforcement Umbrella Jobs Without A Contract and Due Process Would Be A Disaster. Both for the staff and the public we serve. A Government that turns against it's soldiers is a Ship Of Fools. WE are the Patriots. WE are the Front Line Army. This message is from me, Mike Golen, Director of MNPEA and is intended as my personal opinion. All MNPEA Members are encouraged to speak their own mind. Their opinions are respected regardless of my opinion, other Board Member's opinions or the opinions of other members.

Many State Legislators think public employees still get too much!

The Associated Press is reporting (full story):

"Sen. Mike Parry of Waseca said he called the hearing in St. Paul to examine new union contracts for state employees..."

"The new contracts negotiated by state officials and the unions contain a 2 percent raise for all state workers starting in January and higher out-of-pocket payments for health care. Some employees are eligible for additional pay increases of up to 3.5 percent based on their level of experience. The state would continue to pay full health insurance premiums for employees and 85 percent for dependents. AFSCME and MAPE members ratified the contracts last month.

Republicans on the panel said they wanted to delve into contract details in an effort to cut spending and restructure government. Sen. Michelle Benson, R-Ham Lake, said she had hoped state negotiators would have pushed harder to save money."

The problem is that the contracts for State public employees were voted on and accepted by both sides and now

 "the subcommittee on employee relations... has the power to temporarily approve or reject the contracts for more than 27,000 workers represented by AFSCME Council 5 and the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees. The panel's decision stands until the full Legislature can vote on the contracts next year. The two-year contracts run through June 2013."

In other words this committee is holding up signing a negotiated contract until 2013! The state workers have had more years of wage freezes then us. 

These politicians have no qualms about freezing wages, steps or even delaying signing negotiated contracts no matter how much public employees are hurt. The State workers even lost 3 weeks pay during the last shut down.

I hope they strike, their contract expired last Dec. 31st.

The importance of our Dispatchers

The following story was forwarded to me by a friend of mine on the L.A. PD. It's about the dispatcher that handled the Aurora Colorado 911 call the night of the shooting.

Aurora's Anonymous Hero

Thank you dispatchers for all you do.

Corrections News & Views, July 2012

Benefit for Brad Burrows

Former Detention Deputy Brad Burrow's has a rare form of cancer. A benefit is being held for him on July 21st at McKracken's Pub, 3120 W. Highway 13, Burnsville, MN.

Bradley Berntson Benefit

Correctional Officer Facts

Correctional Officers Facts

Who Are Correctional Officers? (This post is to lay the groundwork for my next post).

■ 77.7% male, 22.3% female ■ 69.5% white, 20.8% black, 5.7% Hispanic 

■ 80.5% are between the ages of 30 – 44 

■ 63.9% have some college experience,25% have a college degree, 19% Bachelors, 4.5% Masters, 1.5% Ph.D. 

■ Correctional Officers (CO’s) have the second highest mortality rate of any occupation.

■ 33.5% of all assaults in prisons and jails are committed by inmates against staff. 

■ A CO’s 58th birthday, on average, is their last. 

■ A CO will be seriously assaulted at least twice in a 20 year career. 

■ On average a CO will live only 18 months after retirement. 

■ CO’s have a 39% higher suicide rate than any other occupation, 

■ And have a higher divorce and substance abuse rates then the general population. 

Sources: “Stress Management for the Professional Correctional Officer”, Donald Steele, Ph.D., Steele Publishing 2001 “Corrections Yearbook 2000, 2002”, Criminal Justice Institute, Middletown, CT “Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics 2003”, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 31st edition, NCJ 208756 “Suicide Risk Among Correctional Officers”, Archives of Suicide Research, Stack, S.J., & Tsoudis, O. 1997 Metropolitan Life Actuarial Statistics, 1998 Society of Actuaries, 1994

Source: Real Police.net