November 2018 General Membership

General Membership Meeting-AFSCME 404

November 15, 2018

430pm Hobber’s 99

Present:

Ryan Cates, Matt Stenger, Steve Wilking, Kurt Crosby, Marvin Sullivan, Emilio Florez, Antonio Guerrero, Jamie Sheppard, Molly Kennedy, Jake Schoenecker, Eric Hesse, Lake Dougherty, Ashley, Amber, Tammy Rausch

1. Secretary Report:

Motion to approve meeting minutes

2. Treasurer-Antonino Guerrero:

STATEMENT OF INCOME AND EXPENSES FOR MONTH ENDING: October 2018

CASH BALANCE BEGINNING OF MONTH: $ 76815.75

INCOME FOR THE MONTH: $ 14992.40

EXPENSES FOR THE MONTH: $ 33578.69

CASH BALANCE ENDING OF MONTH: $ 58229.46

SAVINGS: $ 79893.67

SUBMITTED BY: Antonino Guerrero

Motion to approve Treasurer Report subject to audit by Marvin Sullivan, 2nd by Molly Kennedy. Motion Passes

MSOP Meeting Minutes: https://www.union404.com/news/november-2018-msop-minutes

MSH Meeting Minutes: https://www.union404.com/news/november-2018-msh-minutes

3. Correspondence:  Ryan state assembly for negations.  Election for delegates taking place at this meeting. Matt, Ashley, and amber counting ballots.

 

4. New Business:  Motion by Kurt for mileage and per diem for negotiations. 2nd by Emilio. Motion Passes.

Calendar is being prepared for meetings for 2019

Starting in January there we will alternate between The Redman in St. Peter and Midtown Tavern in Mankato. January will be midtown.  Point person will be Adam Castle to schedule meetings. 

5. Old Business: Nothing

6. Items from the membership: Tammy Rausch – Over the last few months, comments have been made of what a person gets when a person retires.  Would like to make a motion or proposal about it being a consistent dollar amount.  Ryan – it is tiered by years of service. Antonino- yes they are tiered. Molly- confirmed that management will not let us know who is retiring.  Jamie Sheppard and Kurt Crosby are point people to contact for retirement. 

** put the tiers in this months minutes.

Last months minutes didn’t reflect the tiers. 

What has changed is who needs to contact the union that a retirement is happening. 

Tammy- wants to make a proposal to increase those numbers.  Will wait till the next meeting until we get the tiers. Dec, 20th will be the next meeting.

Marvin making a motion to pay out Ann Brooks for retirement

Second by Jake D.

Motion passed

Molly- Discussion on how far back do you look back for someone who is retired.  Mark Heilman has been retired for 2 years.   At this point we should honor it if there are any other cases that should get brought to the Eboard to vote. 

Marvin- I will get names of recent retirees to Antonino. 

7. Good and Welfare: Electing the Delegates for assembly

Eric- 22 people running for 15 delegate spots.  Will pass sheet around for people to look at.  Vote for 15 

Marvin Sullivan, Margaret Colleran, Jamie sheppard, Stacey mueller, molly kennedy, thom wilkins, steve wilking, tucker luskey, rani zoungrana, anna randall, ryan scherer, ron herda, eric Manriquez, Emilio florez, hans Paulson, kurt Crosby, eric hesse, ryan cates, Antonino guerrero, jake schoenecker.

The final 15 are……… Eric Hesse, ryan cates, Antonino guerrero, molly kennedy, Jamie sheppard, marvin Sullivan, steve wilking, Emilio florez, kurt Crosby, Stacey mueller, Jacob Dougherty, jake schoenecker, eric Manriquez, ryan scherer, ron herda

 

Eric- there was an informational picket schedule for MSOP.  It was for a reduction of staff.  Staff were alone for up to 4 hours.  We were going to picket…. Got contacted by commissioner.  Postponed the picket and met with assistant commissioner.  They are going to reach out to labor about requests.  Going to meeting with actual commissioner December 5th.  MSOP labor management – going to be a big push from council 5 for direct dues.  You will go thought the council for dues.  It will be taken out of your banking account and not out of your paychecks.  The purpose is to not follow suit (Iowa case) of a law that makes dues out of paychecks illegal.  You need to set up a payment date.  It will be an automatic payment. 

Molly – do we need to have a consent to have it taken out of our pay check. 

Eric- there are 36 cases about dues. With anti-labor union it’s coming down the pipeline

Clay Hagland – Talking about the trails for Mankato area Mountain biking.  Have a meeting to acquire more land for trail systems.  Updating the high school mountain hiking.   Asking for AFSCME to support the biking club. 

Motion for $300 –Second – Emilio Florez

Motion passes

Ryan – donations for echo food shelf, toys for tots, the kitchen, sharing tree ($200 each)

Kurt- asking if we could do a toy drive for toys for tots. 

Molly- takes a lot of man hours but it could be done. 

Motion by Jake. Second by Hesse

Motion passes

 

8. Officer Reports:

President: Ryan Cates- Went to a meeting with Assistant Commissioner Charles 
Johnson, MSOP leadership, MAPE representatives and other representatives from Local 404. We presented the problems with unsafe staffing levels in MSOP. We asked for increased staffing that would guarantee that no staff ever has to work by themselves. We have a meeting with Commissioner Piper about the same issue on December 5th.

 Attended MSOP Meet and Confer.

 Attended the Forensic Safety Committee. 

Met with management at Forensic Meet and Confer. Management gave us updates on Expense reimbursement- still working on it, Kitchen SNV process- Getting new schedule in Jan. and Security Services on channel 1- Carol is supporting supervisors decision to use channel 1.  Local 404 again asked for LPN's to be allowed to ask for vacation 1 year out- will get back to us. Asked why some staff are not allowed to rescind vacation inside of 14 days- will discuss with scheduling. Asked for a meeting with nursing supervisors, HR and Local 404- will set it up. Discussed staff frustrations with the security services merger. Argued about member's hospital bills not being paid after exposure. 

Attended Weekly check-ins

Attended Interest Based Problem Solving group where we pushed for staff to be allowed to use cameras to monitor patients on Willow unit.

 Filed multiple grievances and sat investigations.

 Met with DHS Policy Committee.

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.

 

 

VP: Matt Stenger- I have been attending the weekly check in meetings with Carol and Scott. Also attended a meeting about changing the days off for kitchen staff and met with the assistant commissioner of DHS about MSOP staffing. We will be meeting with the commissioner of DHS on December 5. Also sat 3 investigations this month.

 

 

VP: Eric Hesse- We had planned for an informational picket in MSOP due to the inadequate and dangerous staffing levels they have instituted due to their tight budget. I had really looked forward to doing the picket, but alas, the DHS Commissioner reached out to us to meet. Due to her schedule, we met with the Deputy Commissioner on November 9th in St. Paul. We could tell from the get-go that MSOP Administration got in his ear since we heard a lot of the talking points that they gave us when we initially met with them. We pushed back on these points and told him that it is becoming the norm to have one staff on a unit for an extended period of time, if not the whole shift. We told him that this is totally unacceptable. We were told he would get back to us in a week, in which he did. We feel that his responses to our concerns are inadequate and address none of our concerns. We meet with the Commissioner on December 4th in hopes that we can get more solved than what we did in our meeting with the Deputy Commissioner. If we feel that our needs and concerns are not addressed, we will then go ahead with the informational picket. We will not accept the status quo and will not be complacent in mediocrity.

 

As always, please contact me with any questions or concerns. We don’t know what’s going on unless people reach out to us.

 

In solidarity,

Eric Hesse

 

 

Executive Board: Jake Schoenecker- Sitting investigations, meetings, supporting members with personal union issues and researching questions from members. 

 

Executive Board: Chief Steward Emilio Florez-I attended the following meetings this month, Forensics Labor and Management, Labor Management committee meeting, forensic safety meeting, meeting with Physical plant department.

I have worked on a couple grievances and worked with stewards on filing them.  I attended the E-Board meeting and General Membership meeting as well.

We are looking at more dates for the next CBHH/CARE Labor and management meeting because the schedule date will not work for some of us.

We have been looking into livestreaming our general membership meetings again as soon as we can get a solid platform that will last a while.

 

Thanks,

 

Emilio Florez

Chief Steward

 

Executive Board: Chief Steward Steve Wilking

 

Executive Board: Chief Steward Molly Kennedy- This month I attended meet and confer for MSOP please see the meeting minutes at www.union 404.com for the topics that were discussed.  I also attended a meeting AFSCME and MAPE had with the Chuck Johnson the Deputy Commissioner to speak about staffing levels in MSOP.  We tried to explain that with our population that we should not be alone on the units for long periods of time.  Sometimes counselors are alone on a unit during the day from 2 to 4 hours sometimes more and now on the overnights it is always 1 staff.  MAPE attended the meeting as well to speak on behalf of the Rec Therapists in MSOP with the removal of the Security Staff in Recreation.  We asked that Security Counselors not be left alone on the units EVER and that the current unfunded positons be funded, also that Security staff be present with Rec Therapists when supervising client activities.  This is the response we got from the Deputy Commissioner…

 

The primary request made to me at the meeting is that all unfunded positions be filled.  As I said at the meeting, we cannot meet that request due to the budget shortfall at MSOP.  I hope that we can work together on a legislative solution to the MSOP shortfall, as that is the only way to address the staffing needs across the MSOP continuum – inside the secure perimeter, in Community Preparation Services and in oversight of provisionally discharged clients.

 

We do have four proposals that we believe will address many of the concerns raised at the meeting.  I believe #3 is already underway and we can begin the others immediately (with appropriate time for staff communication, etc.).  The proposals are listed below.

 

1)    REC POST

Currently if we have the staff to do so, a security counselor does cover rec activities. However, many times the post gets pulled to another need area (i.e., transport) and the recreation therapist continues with monitoring the activity.  Going forward, a recreation therapist will have a security counselor with them for rec coverage for all activities.  If the security counselor is pulled from that post due to a need elsewhere, the activity will be cancelled.  If too many recreational activities are being cancelled we will ensure security counselor coverage using overtime.

 

2)    1st WATCH

Currently we staff 1st watch at 20 (16 inside perimeter, 4 at CPS). When we recently made a change to eliminate breaks and went from 8.5 hour shifts to 8 hour shifts, we kept the same staff on 1st watch and did not deploy them to use elsewhere.  However, if someone called in sick or had vacation, we just didn’t backfill the staff by using overtime to keep the number at 20

Going forward, we will backfill when 1 or 2 staff when they call in sick or have vacation by using overtime to assure there will always be 20 staff on duty.   In addition, 1st watch will stay on the 8 hour shift.

 

3)    FUNDED VACANCIES

Currently 11 vacancies exist and we will attempt to fill ASAP.  I understand Mel is working with Crystal on MoU language and process to move this forward. We are hopeful that we can fill these funded vacancies and get the staff to the December NEO.

 

4)    WORKGROUP

MSOP site leadership, HR, and labor partners (MSOP employees) will establish a staff utilization workgroup and meet to brainstorm security counselor staff coverage ideas.  With the finite number of funded security counselor positions that are available to us, we will discuss ways to best utilize and deploy those staff.  We welcome creative ideas and conversation, however, ultimate decisions around staff posts and coverage remain with management.

 

After this meeting that was attended by Bonnie Wold, Paul Rodriguez and Nancy Johnston this email was sent to the staff at CPS. 

 

 

Hopefully this will clear up some of the questions in regards to how many staff we need at CPS and what are supposed to be covering within our minimum here at CPS. The OD will call off 5 staff for CPS and one movement coordinator (soon to be count coordinator).  We will cover CPS visits and Tomlinson 6-8pm within our CPS minimum. You will have to work with each other and receive guidance from the Security Counselor Leads to ensure that breaks are taken and all job duties are complete. With having  1 designated staff as Movement this will leave 5 residential staff float around, fill in and to cover the rest of the CPS security counselor obligations.

 

Once we have a count coordinator, the person assigned to the Count Coordinator position will remain in that position for the duration of their shift with the exception of their 30 minute break. The Count Coordinator will not be responsible for shuttles, visits, cafeteria or Tomlinson. If you have questions in regards to this please do not hesitate to speak with Mike or I.

 

They reduced numbers at CPS so that again sometimes staff are left alone on the unit for 2-6 hours by themselves there are 3 units that are supposed to be staffed with 2 security staff each.   CPS  has no unit station the staff office is just an area on the units.  They forgot to mention that 3rd watch will also be covering 3 hours’ worth of breaks as well as  shuttles, medication runs, sitting the evening meals,  annuals etc.… CPS will have 2 people leaving their co-worker alone to cover all of the things expected on the 3rd watch. 

 

I think it is time that we ask for the coverage we need to feel safe and let us do our jobs. 

 

In Solidarity!

 

MSOP Chief Steward

 

 

Executive Board: Chief Steward Marvin Sullivan-I have sat several investigations again involving ETL.  Done several grievances.   Met with Kitchen Staff about their new schedule moving forward and fielded questions that they have about vacation and shift in progress vacation.

 

In Solidarity,

Marvin Sullivan

 

Executive Board: Jamie Sheppard- I attended MSOP Meet and Confer, E-board Meeting and the General Membership Meeting. I have been answering questions about the MoU and staffing coverages for CPS.  I continue to track everything trackable, so if you have any grievances, good and welfare to pass along, i.e. retirees, death of a family member, etc. please send them my way. Thanks! Jamie Sheppard, E-board

 

CS Facility Support: Stacey Mueller-I have not sat any investigations this past month!!  Hurray!!  That means staff are getting here on time, ready to work, and following the company rules.  Happy Holiday Season to One and all of their loved ones!!

 

Chief Steward MSH / CRP / Nursing Nights: Kurt Crosby-I have been sitting several investigations this past month, so just a reminder to be sure and follow the workplace relations and expectations that we all have in our workplace, sometimes that is what members are being questioned on. Also have been in discussions with the rest of the Eboard about the possible informational picket at MSOP. Talks are ongoing with DHS, I HIGHLY encourage you all to follow along closely and be educated on what is going on. We are all affected in one way or another with the continued misappropriation of staffing dollars , and safety is our main focus.

Continued discussions about camera usage policy and solutions that we can come up with to keep everyone safe is still the topic of the information based focus group, and are progressing well.

There has been many questions surrounding the Incentive Package bonuses. Please understand that if you’re not in the classification that has been selected, you will NOT get any award. ONLY the classification selected with be eligible for any bonus. Because that is such a small number of people, and as a union we are all supposed to be treated the same…I suggest that we use the blow up language and have this MOU terminated. If management feels so strongly that we deserve a bonus, let’s try and get it for everyone and not let them pick and choose. If we can negotiate a single step increase for everyone at the top of the pay scale, that would ensure everyone gets the same and they will have no discretion to award to whom they choose. We all do the work, and we all deserve to be treated equally. If you are interested in learning more, email myself or any other eboard member and we can fill you in further.

Be safe.

Kurt

 

 

Crystal Kreklow:

 

Motion to Adjourn by Jake  

Adjourned at 645pm