General Membership Meeting-AFSCME 404
June 16, 2022
4:30pm
Present:
Erin Wiederich, Ryan Cates, Eric Hesse, Matt Stenger, Cory Moon, Eric Manriquez, Mike Hohenstein, Annie Jakacki, Nick Weerts, Steaed Doehring, Jamie Schwartz, Ben Zarn, Jenny Korte, Tom Keck
1.Secretary Report:
Couldn’t approve minutes from last month since secretary doesn’t have them yet.
2. Treasurer-Antonino Guerrero:
STATEMENT OF INCOME AND EXPENSES FOR MONTH ENDING: March 2022
CASH BALANCE BEGINNING OF MONTH: $ 140230.79
INCOME FOR THE MONTH: $ 7640.85
EXPENSES FOR THE MONTH: $ 4664.37
CASH BALANCE ENDING OF MONTH: $ 143207.27
SAVINGS: $ 150988.92
SUBMITTED BY: Antonino Guerrero inversed to the late shift so will approve next month.
3. Correspondence:
4. New Business: Erin Wiederich and Steaed Doehring welcomed to the e-board.
Contract proposals are coming up! If you have ideas get them ready because that’s how things get changed.
Council 5 convention coming up! If you’re interested, let Eric Hesse know or anyone else on E-board. Eric gave a brief description on what happens at convention. Examples of things that happen at convention are voting on policy and the direction of the council. Eric put forth a motion for rooms, parking, mileage, per diems and any other expenses caused by the convention to be paid. Matt seconded it. Motion passed.
5. Old Business: Forensics survey schedule will be coming out soon. People like the schedule the way it was a year and half ago. We’re going to keep pushing for them to go that way. RNs on NOC’s are going to 4/10 schedule in forensics. Member asked about which way they are leaning, and management just went over the results and didn’t go over which way they are leaning. The most popular, with labor, was the way they were, and we want that back too.
6. Items from the membership: Motion to order up to 400 more t-shirts. Seconded by Cory. Generally, the t-shirts are $9-10 apiece, we are running low on multiple sizes. Another member would rather go with the sweatshirts/zip up hoodies. Motion passes to buy the t-shirts.
Motion to pay for one meal for the 4 people that are going to the international convention. Eric seconded it. Motion passes.
Motion to pay Cory Moon 1.5 per diem for meet and confer that he attended. Erin seconded it. Motion passes.
Motion to buy sweatshirts/zip up hoodies. Motion to table the discussion on the sweatshirts until next month. Motion passes.
7. Good and Welfare: Sent out three cards to members that had family members pass away. Jeff George is retiring after 36 years of service!! Congratulate him!!
8. Officer Reports:
President: Ryan Cates- June Report
This past month I have…
Attended Forensic Meet and Confer- Notes are attached to the meeting minutes.
Attended MSOP Meet and Confer- Notes are attached to the meeting minutes.
Attended Forensic Safety Committee.
Attended Interest Based Problem Solving.
Chaired the Executive Board meeting.
Chaired the General Membership meeting at Jakes in Mankato.
Filed multiple grievances and sat investigations.
Talked with members in multiple work areas and listened to their concerns.
Presented and argued grievances.
Communicated information to E-Board members about issues facing the Local.
Worked with new officers to get them familiar with their responsibilities.
We continue to push for changes to the vacation process that will allow more members to take vacation when they want to.
If any member of Local 404 feels they are not being represented by our Union, please let me know. We cannot fix problems if we do not know there is a problem.
We ask that all members who are interviewed as non-subjects in an investigation, request Union representation. If management refuses, then members should refuse to answer questions. Participation in investigations is completely voluntary and they cannot coerce you to answer their questions. We need to do this to compel management to discontinue their practice of refusing to allow Union representatives into investigations.
VP: Matt Stenger-Over the course of the last month I have filed 5 grievances, been working with our E-board and management to develop an MOU to allow Security Services to pick up residential overtime. Have been in meetings to discuss the status of the scheduling survey and how to improve scheduled here on campus.
VP: Eric Hesse- In the past month, I have filed a few grievances regarding overtime distribution, clarified with HR regarding the unfilled shift bonus and when it applies to get our members the bonus, and attended the General Membership meeting. I did not attend the MSOP Labor Management due to being on vacation.
We have been getting a lot of questions regarding the unfilled shift bonus and when it will go away. We’ve heard a lot of rumors on this too, and to be clear, they are just rumors. We have not heard of when they will go away, nor has Administration. In order for this to end, DCT as a whole, not Forensics, MSOP, or MHSATS, would have to decide to take it away and we have not heard of any inkling of it. They are using it as a recruitment tool as well, and recruitment in all areas of DCT remains an issue. We will continue to advocate to keep this benefit, especially during the summer when overtime generally is high to prevent inversing as much as possible by incentivizing people to work the overtime.
Contract negotiations are approaching us soon. We will be putting out a call for contract negotiations within the next month. If you are a member and have something in the contract that you would like to see changed, removed, or something added to the contract, please start compiling them and once the call comes out, please respond to the email with them. More information will be provided in the call for proposals.
I am still in the process of trying to schedule another steward training for those that would like to become a steward or for current stewards that would like a refresher. I will send out an email once I get something scheduled.
As always, if you have any issues, concerns or questions, please feel free to reach out to me or any other officer of our Union. If we don’t know that there is an issue going on, we can’t try and help you out and attempt to rectify the situation.
In solidarity,
Eric Hesse
Vice President – Steward Coordinator
AFSCME Local 404
Executive Board: Rick Pitts-
Executive Board: Chief Steward Cory Moon -
-Filed 5 Grievances for step 1.
-Sat 3 investigations
-Filled out 3 cards for members who have lost loved ones.
-Fielded questions from members.
-Attended meet & confer as well as interest-based problem solving with leadership. Also sat a meeting with leadership to discuss scheduling ideas and review results from the survey sent out.
Executive Board: Chief Steward Nick Weerts- This past month was active enough in MSOP and while the Unfilled Shift/Weekend bonuses have been going on for some time now, there are still some occasional missteps. Though we’ve been able to get issues resolved pretty quickly, so continue to reach out with issues/concerns.
This month I did attend our monthly Labor Management meeting, please see the meeting minutes for updates/information. I also facilitated the New Employee member orientation day. We had a rather small class again this month, but hopefully you’ve been able to meet some of these folks & welcome them.
I had no grievances to file this month but did address a number of issues/concerns staff had that were not contract violations. There have been a few investigations in MSOP in the last few weeks that I added some guidance for, though we’ve been pretty quiet there too.
Continue to read postings to the Announcement page, as well as any HR emails with updates, for COVID policy changes and updates. As it has been throughout the pandemic, these are ever changing and fluid! We are all also just an email/phone call away with any questions.
I continue to try and make monthly rounds across the MSOP work areas. It’s impossible to catch everyone, so if you have issues/concerns, you’re welcome [and encouraged!] to reach out anytime.
HR recently went through yet another restructuring, please see the Homepage announcement for individual contact information, otherwise the generic emails are as followings
Contract for HR is [email protected]
Leave Management requests (FMLA) should go to [email protected]
Communication continues to be key to our success & strength, so Members are encouraged to reach out with concerns/observations. Please see www.union404.com for all meeting minutes.
Onward & Forward!
Nick Weerts
MSOP Chief Steward 6.27.22
Executive Board: Chief Steward Marvin Sullivan-
Executive Board: Chief Steward Steve Wilking-
Hello Everyone,
Over the past month I have sat investigations, filed grievances and partook in CBHH and Care meet and confer. Many of you continue to reach out to me for union questions. That’s awesome and keep it up.
In Solidarity,
Steve Wilking
Chief Union Steward
Executive Board: Jamie Schwartz-
Jeff George is retiring after 36 years, Congratulations Jeff!
Reminder to please send me your grievances and responses or I will put you on hourly checks!
Jamie Schwartz, E-Board
MSOP Pexton 2 North Lead
Executive Board: Mike Hohenstein-
July 1st is the beginning of new fiscal year. An employee can receive an Achievement Award every fiscal year. Be sure to nominate your exceptional co-workers at: https://edocs.mn.gov/forms/DHS-4987-ENG
Contract proposals are coming up. Let’s come up with some ideas how the “emergency inversed” can be properly compensated.
Mike Hohenstein
CS Facility Support: Eric Manriquez-
Attended Forensic Meet & Confer, E-Board meeting and the General membership meeting.
No grievances filed.
Sat 2 licensing investigations.
1 communication sent out to membership regarding the Frontline Worker Pay application.
Nothing else to note currently.
Chief Steward: Kurt Crosby
Annie Jakacki-
Motion to adjourn by Eric, 2nd by Cory. Motion Passes
Meeting Adjourned at 4:54pm