Publications

March 31, 2004

Web Editor's Note: This issue of AFSCME In Motion has been edited to comply with Federal Election Commission regulations.

'We're back!'

In Jacksonville, Fla., about 2,500 city employees came back to Council 79 after years of fruitless representation by a rival union. Following a heavy voter turnout, 61 percent of the ballots were certified: AFSCME Yes. The workers — represented by the other union since 2001 — went three years without a contract. In summer 2002, they started a campaign to return to the AFSCME fold.

Four-timers

A unit of 127 clerical and technical workers from Lakewood City won a card-check campaign to form a union with Ohio Council 8. The persistent group was successful after three failed attempts to gain recognition by the State Employee Relations Board.

Smile & say 'don't close VCC'

A crowd estimated at 6,000 filled downtown Vandalia, Ill., on March 20, to help save the local minimum-security prison. Council 31 and city officials organized the event, "Save Vandalia Correctional Center Photo Day," in an effort to reverse Governor Blagojevich's (D) plan to close the facility by June 30. Enlarged photos of the massive rally were delivered to the governor and legislators to drive home the point.

The big chill

Negotiations are stalled over the contract for the Alaska State Employees Association (ASEA)/AFSCME Local 52. The state's largest collective bargaining unit, which represents about 8,000 people — roughly half the state's employees — declared an impasse on March 12 after 30 days of negotiations. The state is proposing no wage increase, employer health care contributions tied to the performance of a state-administered economy plan, permission to determine who works a 40-hour week and other anti-worker initiatives. The union is proposing a one-time wage-increase payment of $1,200 this year, followed by 3 percent hikes in each of the next two years — plus realistic health care contributions by the state.

Hours restored

Building and grounds workers employed by Huron County, Ohio, recently began getting fatter paychecks. The members of Local 710 (Council 8) had been working only 72 hours every two weeks since the beginning of the year — effectively a 10 percent pay cut — because of the county's budget problems. But county commissioners recently agreed to restore their 80-hour schedule and pay. A wage freeze will remain in effect for the rest of the year.

Two-faced

The hypocrisy of Ramsey County, Minn., officials has been slapping the county's 250 low-wage nursing home employees, members of Local 9 (Council 14), right in the face: Some county officials were defending their decision to reduce the wages of the nursing home employees by $1.02 an hour. Meanwhile, other officials were lobbying to hike the pay of their newly hired top exec to $140,000 — even though state law bans local-government salaries above $114,288.

Do as I say, not as I do

In a radio address, President Bush declared, "We want the entire world to buy American, because the best products in the world carry the label, 'Made in the USA.'" Too bad his handlers didn't listen: Newsday reports that the official merchandise Web site for his re-election campaign has sold clothing made in Burma, the very country whose goods were banned — by Bush! — from the United States last year to punish its military dictatorship. Burma's textile workers earn as little as 7 cents per hour.

Setting the record straight

In running two recent AIM items regarding trustees of Baltimore's Retirement System Board, we made an error in the second. In fact, Dorothy Bryant became the first member of Local 44 (Council 67) elected citywide to serve as a board trustee. Bryant joins Doris Brightful, who was appointed when she retired from Local 558.


 

 

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