Publications

August 3, 2004

AFSCME at the DNC

With 160 members serving as delegates and alternates and on platform committees, the union's "delegation" to the Democratic National Convention in Boston last week was the largest among AFL-CIO unions and larger than those of all but seven states. Its power proved magnetic: Governors, members of Congress and celebrities addressed the delegates at their daily caucuses. And Michael Moore showed up to join the AFSCME group at a private screening of his hit documentary, Fahrenheit 9/11.

Fox, CNN and MSNBC all televised portions of the caucuses.

The AFSCME attendees satirized the Bush administration with life-sized cardboard figures of President Bush, Vice President Cheney, Attorney General Ashcroft and Defense Sec. Rumsfeld. Members whose names were drawn won the privilege of hurling a bag of rice at their chosen targets. Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, who addressed the caucus on the need for a stronger labor movement, also wielded a rice bag. So did Kate Edwards, oldest daughter of the V.P. candidate. Her target was — who else? — Cheney.

'Guiding' light

In Gallia County, Ohio, 22 workers at the Guiding Hand School voted 18 to 3 to form a union with OAPSE/AFSCME Local 4. The state's Department of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities manages the facility.

A first at Morgan State

Workers at Morgan State University, the historically African-American college located in Baltimore, have ratified their first contract. It covers about 175 service, maintenance and office-support staff, ending a two-year struggle between Local 1885 (Council 92) and university administrators. For the first time, the contract secures employee benefits by means of a legally binding agreement. Workers obtained a 2.5-percent salary hike and a state-funded $752 COLA. The local will meet with management later this summer to negotiate pay raises for the next fiscal year.

Strike?

Sixty-one public utility workers in Virginia, Minn., may go out on strike in August unless agreement on a new contract is reached quickly. Members of Local 729 (Council 65), the workers have unanimously voted to walk out and have filed an intent-to-strike notice. An official cooling-off period ends Aug. 5. Unresolved issues include wages (the union wants a 3-percent wage increase in each year of a three-year contract). Other issues are health care premiums the utility pays for retirees and the duration of disability payments. The previous contract expired March 31.

Tax 'em!

In just 10 days, Council 31's local unions and community activists have collected more than 11,000 signatures calling for taxation of Resurrection Health Care, Chicago's largest Catholic hospital system. That's where Council 31 is working with employees who want a voice at their workplace. RHC has failed to live up to its commitment to provide charitable services to the community in exchange for approximately $50 million in property-tax exemptions it receives each year. Instead, RHC provided half the amount of charity care, compared to the national hospital average last year. On July 15, a delegation of 50 Council 31 members and community activists presented the Cook County tax assessor with the petition. They arrived unannounced and occupied the assessor's office until the deputy agreed to meet with them.

Round two to AFSMCE

A New York state supreme-court justice has upheld an arbitrator's April ruling that the city of Buffalo last year improperly laid off about 20 blue-collar employees - members of Local 264 (Council 35). The decision, which is likely to be appealed by the city, would force Buffalo to rehire the workers and award them retroactive pay. The arbitrator concluded that the 1995 no-layoff clause secured by the union remains in effect. Management said the ruling could "tie the city's hands" in coping with personnel costs. Local 264 Pres. William C. Travis replied that if officials feel that way, they should negotiate with the union, whose members have been working under the terms of a contract that expired two years ago.

No 'appearance'

Following the disclosures of ethical lapses, Council 79 is calling for the ouster and criminal investigation of the state child-welfare agency's top official. The probe found unethical "social relationships" with employees of a computer-software contractor called InterSystems. After its release, two top aides of the chief welfare official resigned, and the official himself apologized for allowing "the appearance" of impropriety. We need more than that, declares IVP Jeanette Wynn, Council 79 president. The council has also called for the federal government to deny the state's request to privatize about 7,000 DCF jobs.


 

 

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