"Nobody is more frustrated with bureaucratic inefficiencies than the front-line worker we represent, and nobody is in a better position to improve the quality of public services than those who perform the work." Gerald W. McEntee - AFSCME International President
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2008-2009 Membership Secretary - Katie Farber
CONTACT THE MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY AT THEIR E-MAIL ADDRESS TO JOIN THE UNION, REQUEST A MEMBERSHIP PACKET OR RECEIVE INFORMATION REGARDING BENEFITS INCLUDING DELTA DENTAL COVERAGE.
NEW TO THE COUNTY AND WANT TO SIGN A UNION MEMBERSHIP CARD RIGHT AWAY TO GAIN FULL VOTING RIGHTS, CONTACT OUR MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY OR YOUR Nearest Steward
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Why Join a Union?
People who
work for a living know about the inequality of power between
employers and employees. Workers want to form unions so they
can have a voice on the job to improve their lives, their
families, and their communities.
With
a union, working people win basic rights, like a say in
their jobs, safety and security. Unions help remedy
discrimination because union contracts ensure that all
workers are treated fairly and equally. When there’s a
problem on the job, workers and management can work together
as equals to solve it.
Higher
union wages translate into stronger tax bases for our
communities, better schools and infrastructures and
healthier local economies. And when workers have a real say
in their hours and working conditions that means they can
spend more quality time with their families.
Unions
help make sure our nation prioritizes working people’s
issues: unions hold corporations accountable, make
workplaces safe, protect Social Security and retirement,
fight for quality health care and ensure that working people
have time to spend with their families.
All workers deserve to make a free and fair decision on whether to form a union.
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Local
34 Membership
Dear
Local 34 Bargaining Unit Employee:
The
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
(AFSCME) Council 14, Local 34, would like to welcome you to
employment within our bargaining unit. Local 34 is the
Social Services unit of Hennepin County. As your Union we
invite you to become a Union member by filling out an
Authorization for Payroll Deduction of Dues form and
returning it in to the membership secretary.
We
hope you will choose to become a dues paying member of the
Union; should you decide not to join, however, a fair share
fee is assessed. Attached is a dues schedule for both
members and fair share members.
This
fair share assessment is authorized by Minnesota Statute
179A.06, Subd. 3, which provides that the amount of this fee
be "equal to the regular membership dues of the
exclusive representative, less the cost of benefits financed
through the dues and available only to members of the
exclusive representative, but in no event shall the fee
exceed 85% of the regular membership dues."
Local 34 Dues Calculations
Dues for Members - whether they are full-time or part-time employees - will be calculated at 1% of the Member’s monthly gross income. Fair Share Fee Payer dues - whether they are full-time or part-time employees - will be calculated at * an annually determined % of the Fair Share Fee Payer’s monthly gross income (% determined by AFSCME International). Dues will be deducted out of 26 pay periods per year. Membership dues support chargeable expenses at AFSCME International, AFSCME Council 5, and AFSCME Local 34.
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What
Does our Union do for Us? Glad You Asked!
I
had a member approach me the other day about the
"value" of what she received from
"the Union" in exchange for "all
the money you guys take out". I was able to explain to
her what the "value" is, and then I thought
that this might be a good time to let the rest
of my union brothers and sisters in on all the things our
union does for us.
1)
Dental
Insurance:
Whether you are full-member or
fair-share, everyone in Local 34 who signs up for it gets
'free' dental insurance. The fees for this do not come out
of your paycheck, nor do they come out of your union dues.
Our union, in partnership with our employer Hennepin County,
recognized many years ago the rising costs of dental care.
Together they took a proactive role in helping our members,
and put together our dental plan. The plan is administered
by the council office for our members. Click
here for more information.
2)
Newsletter:
The
Banner, the Local’s
newsletter that you are reading right now. Our newsletter
has grown in size and scope to become a terrific source of
current event information that affects our members and their
families. The newsletter not only provides updates on the
Local’s business, but on current events, political trends,
and ways to be more active in your community and advocating
for our clients.
3)Website:
www.afscmelocal34.org Have
you seen our website? Our Local’s website holds a ton of
information for members or anyone regarding labor issues,
political decisions that affect us and our families,
opportunities for activism, and happenings within our local
and worksites.
4)
Negotiations:
Did you enjoy the raise you
received in January? Our union’s negotiation team was able
to secure a good premium for family health coverage, and a
cost of living raise (two years in a row). These benefits
went to fair-share as well as to full-members. You can be
sure that our negotiating team in the future will do
everything they can to keep our standard of living from
going backwards, as well as holding the line on healthcare.
5) Meet and Confer: Our union has established a good working relationship with most of the departments where our members work. Our officers and stewards regularly meet with management to discuss issues that affect our members. Many topics at meet and confer meetings that have achieved results for our members have been things like safety/ security issues, parking reimbursement and training.
6)
Good
/ Welfare:
Good
and Welfare Requests.
Have you or one of your
co-workers had a dark time in your life made easier by the
well wishes of your union? Or found that your celebration of
a milestone event was recognized and appreciated? Our union
has a good and welfare committee that recognizes events in
the lives of our members and lets them know that their union
cares by sending a card, or a bouquet of flowers, a cheerful
plant, or balloons.
7)
Seniority
Lists:
The union requests (and pays
for) the seniority lists that determine what places we all
hold by seniority. Your officers and steward each have a
copy that they will be happy to go over with you to make
sure that your seniority date is correct.
8)
Officers
and Stewards:
Officers
and
Stewards
And what about those officers
and stewards? These folks work very hard on all of our
behalves, in some cases making themselves a target for
vindictive management in their efforts to protect our
rights. Our Officers and stewards have all the latest
information regarding negotiations, county budget issues,
and staff re-organization, and make sure to get that
information out to their union brothers and sisters ASAP.
Stewards are there to advocate for their brothers and
sisters when discrimination rears it’s ugly head, or when
employees have been disciplined in a manner other then what
is allowed in our contract. They handle grievances, do
investigative work, and meet with management to ensure that
our members get a fair hearing. Officers and stewards hold
periodic brownbag lunches to meet with members, welcome new
members in training orientations, and spend hours addressing
member concerns and issues.
9)
Political
Action / Lobbying: AFSCME
P.E.O.P.L.E. Fund.
AFSCME supports
candidates who support labor, whether those are “traditional”
allies or new friends. There is a special fund for political
action that is paid for by additional member contributions
of up to $4.00 per paycheck (have you filled out your AFSCME
People check-off form, yet?) called the PEOPLE fund. You can
ask to have a contribution taken directly out of your check,
it’s easy. Our political action group has brought lobbyist
Elliot Seide here from the international union to deal with
a legislature that is bent on making public employees pay
for the affects of a national recession. AFSCME’s
“Day on the Hill” is just one of the efforts made
on behalf of our members, along with the “Take Back
Minnesota” campaign, and the volunteer efforts of many of
our brothers and sisters who are contacting legislators and
saying “Share the Pain!!!”
You will be amazed at the amount of “value” that you get for your dues once you see it put down in black and white. While it is important to recognize that there are some things that our union can’t affect (especially items that are listed in the contract such as work re-assignment being at the direction of the employer) there are so many areas of our lives that our union affects. People who have never found the time to become active in the union are volunteering to meet with legislators, and help with negotiations.
Our union is made up of old sisters, young brothers, African Americans, native Americans, Christians, Muslims, atheists, GLBT members, Democrats, Republicans and Independents. Make your voice heard! Now more then ever it is important for us to stand together with pride not only recognizing all the things that “the union” does for us, but that we are all “the Union”!
