Council 6 Wards Off Rush to Privatization

AFSCME Council 6, the Minnesota State Employees Union, extinguished another privatization fire by successfully lobbying to keep a newly constructed prison under state management.

Operation of the new Rush City prison, located 70 miles north of Minneapolis-St. Paul, became a political football in 1997. John Westmoreland, a staff representative for Council 6, says the first battle involved construction: Would the state or the Corrections Corporation of America build the prison?

Then, during Minnesota’s 1999 legislative session, battle lines were drawn over the management of the facility. Some legislators wanted the state to manage it, while others sought an RFP (requests for proposals) for private management. Westmoreland says that the University of Minnesota was commissioned to conduct a study on the effectiveness of privatization. The report concluded that there would be no cost savings if the prison were operated by a private entity.

“We’ve had some very big campaigns trying to lobby legislators,” Westmoreland explains. “And as with most state services, corrections is not the only agency in Minnesota [privatization proponents are] trying to either privatize on the margins or as a group. A lot of different factions are under fire. It’s the trend of the 90s.

“Our argument has always been that there isn’t any room for privatization of state services. It’s a service, not a business so it shouldn’t be for-profit.

Rush City prison opened in December. All AFSCME members working there — about 225 — are in Local 2728. A charter has been established and a local constitution written. The new unit is taking nominations for officers, and when membership approves the constitution, it will operate as an autonomous unit.

Judy Carlson, Council 6 training coordinator, will collaborate with a human resources representative from the Minnesota Department of Corrections in joint training of supervisors and stewards. That project will start in the Rush City facility in March or April. The eventual aim is to conduct training for most stewards and supervisors in Minnesota correctional facilities.

Carlson explains the objectives: to develop more effective labor relations and grievance processes; create a better understanding of investigator meetings and respect for roles, and build trust in the process and each other. “It really is a big labor relations piece, but with a focus on the grievance process and how to conduct proper, disciplined investigations,” she says.