Spring 2011 ACU Newsletter The Assault on Our Basic ... - AFSCME

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Photo: Joe Weidner<strong>The</strong> <strong>Assault</strong> on Our Basic Rightscontinued from Page 1Mexico, Pennsylvania, Tennessee,Washington and West Virginia. <strong>The</strong>semeasures, now in effect in 22 states,undermine wages for all workers anddestroy the best job security protectionthat exists: the union contract. Underthese laws, workers in unionized settingswould benefit from the union’svictories without sharing in the cost ofrunning the union.Now is the time to fight back likenever before. We have already started acampaign to recall eight GOP senatorsin Wisconsin and hold them accountableat the ballot box.But Wisconsin is only the beginning.We’re in this fight for the long haul.<strong>The</strong> attack against public service workers— wherever our sisters and brothersare threatened — is an attack againstAFSCME members everywhere. Visitafscme.org, to find out how you canjoin the fight.We’ve got to mobilize the powerthat comes from speaking with oneclear voice. Each of us must be fullyengaged in a unified effort for the goodof every AFSCME member, for thegood of working families and thegood of our nation.Verneta Clark, a member of AFSCMEOhio Retiree Chapter 1184, and the firstfemale employee at the Southern OhioCorrectional Facility in Lucasville, joinedher sisters and brothers at the Statehouserally on Feb. 22.tor collective bargaining a priority. Hehas threatened to fire striking publicservice workers and do away with bindingarbitration. In March, Kasich signedS.B. 5, which would eliminate collectivebargaining for state workers.Right-to-work laws – designed toweaken unions – are currently beingconsidered in Alaska, Connecticut,Hawaii, Indiana, Maine, Maryland,Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri,Montana, New Hampshire, NewPhoto: Greg DixonMarching in front of the state Capitol in Madison, AFSCME corrections officerswave to cheering supporters.Kentucky COs Gain RightsApproximately 5,000 Kentuckycorrections officers and employeeswho work in prisons and relatedfacilities (AFSCME Council 62) havefinally won their first union agreementwith the state. During a time whengovernors across the country work toeliminate collective bargaining rights,the victory is particularly important.<strong>The</strong> agreement, signed recently byGov. Steve Beshear (D), is even moresignificant because Kentucky stateworkers do not currently have the collectivebargaining rights, which allowworkers to negotiate wages, benefits andworking conditions. Now, at least, thoseworkers covered by the agreement willbe represented by a union steward ingrievance procedures, and in meetingswith management that could lead todisciplinary actions.<strong>The</strong> agreement also establishes a newlabor-management process allowingworkers to bring up issues and concernsoutside the grievance procedures.Meetings between COs and the wardenof the Kentucky State Penitentiary havealready resulted in concrete solutions tosafety problems, such as the purchaseof radios and other equipment, andimprovements to the telephone system.David Warrick, executive directorof Council 62 and an International vicepresident, commended the governorfor his strong support of collectivebargaining: “This is a tremendous stepSee Kentucky COs Gain Rights Page 32 <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2011</strong>
Corrections Officers Speak OutPhoto: Charlie WishmanState Workers are Taxpayers, Too! by Thomas BradfieldI’ve neverhad my headbashed with amailbox or trashcan. I’ve neverbeen stabbed orpunched so hardthat it requiredseveral surgeries to repair the damage.But many of my co-workers have.Every morning, men and women inIowa walk into a workplace and wonderif they’ll be going home that night.Danger stalks them even after theyleave. Many have ended up divorcedor consumed by addictions becauseof stress. Faced with constant threats,they always walk with a guarded eye.<strong>The</strong>ir stories seldom make front-pageheadlines because “What happens onthe mile, stays on the mile.” It comeswith the territory.<strong>The</strong>se are the officers of the IowaDepartment of Corrections. <strong>The</strong>yperform a public service many cannot.<strong>The</strong>y place their lives on the line toensure that the citizens of Iowa are safe.<strong>The</strong> people’s interests are always onour minds when we negotiate a contract.This past year alone, we votedto open up contracts to accept a weekof mandatory unpaid days and thetemporary elimination of deferred compensationallotments due to the budgetcrisis. This is unheard of.Yet, state employees continue to beused as scapegoats by politicians whoblame us for problems we have no controlover. <strong>The</strong>y begrudge us a 2 percentraise in salary and affordable healthcare. You’d think that’s the least theycan do for the men and women whorisk their lives every day.<strong>The</strong>se are the workers of Iowa whoproudly serve the public on the frontlines. Do not punish them for they aretaxpayers, too.Bradfield is a corrections officer at the Mt.Pleasant Correctional Facility in Iowa, and amember of Local 2985 (Iowa Council 61).Reprinted from www.press-citizen.com,Jan. 29, <strong>2011</strong>Photo: OCSEA Comm. Dept.Unions Care About Ohio by Gary ShepherdFor 13 years,I’ve been ahard-workingstate employeein the Dept. ofRehabilitationand Corrections.I know that oneof the biggest sacrifices of working inthe public sector is the compromiseand give-and-take involved.State employees’ ability to compromisein hard times hasn’t wavered. In24 years of collective bargaining, we’venegotiated for better wages and benefitsand other issues like health and safety.We’ve never taken a strike vote. We’veonly used binding arbitration or “conciliation”once and, when we did, thearbitrator did not go our way.My union has stood side-by-sidewith the state of Ohio for decadesworking to find solutions to the state’seconomic problems. Our latest contractsaved the state $250 million. We’veachieved hundreds of millions in savingsdue to joint quality initiatives, ashared approach to administrative servicesand a collaborative approach tokeeping health care costs in line.My union cares about Ohio and sodo I. That’s why I’m proud to come towork every day.Shepherd is a corrections officer in Portsmouth,Ohio, and a member of Local 7330, Ohio CivilService Employees Association (OCSEA).Reprinted from Portsmouth Daily Times,Jan. 15, <strong>2011</strong>Kentucky COs Gain Rightscontinued from Page 2in building a strong union,” Warricksaid. “As state employees, we now havewritten rules and rights that cannotbe changed unilaterally on any givenday at the whim of management. Thisagreement lays a solid foundation forexpanding those rights for years tocome.”Adds Derrick Lloyd, a CO at theKentucky State Penitentiary and a memberof Local 752, Council 62, “Thisagreement is very important to us,”he explains. “It’s not just the representationthat matters. But with avoice at work, we now have a measureof power to improve the livesof our members who make greatsacrifices every day on the job.”<strong>The</strong> agreement also covers some4,000 social service employees, includingfamily case workers and managersand social workers.Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear (D) signs twonegotiated union agreements coveringapproximately 9,000 corrections andsocial service workers.Photo: Jon MelegritoNews From AFSCME Corrections United 3
Page 4 and 5: Pushing Back the PrivateersPhoto: J
Page 6 and 7: A Great Day for Maryland COsIn the
Page 8: PRESORTEDFIRST CLASS MAILUS POSTAGE

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