AFSCME DAY ON THE HILL 2010

Wednesday, Feb. 17

Last year over 1100 AFSCME members from around the state attended the
annual Day on the Hill - a day when we turn the Capitol green!
This year - we need even more of our members to rock the Rotunda as we
work to help shape the last critically important year of the current
2-year biennium. This session will decide how much money there is to
help pay for our jobs and for the vital public services we provide.

Over 1000 AFSCME jobs in state and local government will be
lost unless the budget crisis is addressed this year. We've felt the
pinch here at the University, and we cannot bleed any more members into
the ranks of the unemployed. We need to push for raising revenue fairly
to fund these services - around the state and here at the University of
Minnesota.

The administration of the University of Minnesota recognizes
the crucial part that AFSCME plays in garnering funding for public
services, which include the University of Minnesota. U of M AFSCME
employees are allowed a paid work day to attend this event, since our
activities can have a direct impact on the funding of the University.

AFSCME Day on the Hill starts in the morning at the Crown
Plaza St. Paul Riverfront Hotel in St. Paul with two information
sessions: You can learn about the State Budget for 2010, or you can
attend the Lawmaking Process session. We have a working lunch, during
which members get together with other AFSCME members from their
Legislative districts to discuss an agenda for afternoon meetings with
their legislators. (You can also take a Capitol Building tour that
starts in the afternoon and last about 45 minutes - you'll want to sign
up early for that.)

There is a $20.00 contribution for the day - for the lunch and
other materials you will receive at the workshops and at registration.
This is an individual contribution since our Local does not pay the
expenses for Day on the Hill.

TO REGISTER FOR DOTH:

- Send an e-mail to the Local office at union@afscme3800.org

Provide
your name, your work department, and your supervisor's name (that's so
we can put you on the list to send to Central Human Resources to ensure
no problems with your day off at the Capitol.)
Also include your home address and your Legislative District number if you know it.
Also let us know which of the two information sessions you wish to attend - Minnesota Budget or Lawmaking Process
- Send a check made out to AFSCME PEOPLE to the Local office.
- IF you have already sent in a registration form and check to the
AFSCME Council 5 office, please send an e-mail to the Local office to
let us know.

Noon information meetings regarding the agreement have been scheduled for this week in areas throughout the campus. See the list below for meeting dates locations.

Voting on the agreement will take place after we have held all of our informational meetings. Only members may vote. Non-members are urged to join the Union and participate in this process. We will notify you of the voting process later this week.

All informational meetings will be held from noon to 1:00pm.

Tuesday, June 23:
West Bank
105 Blegen Hall

Wednesday, June 24:
WBOB/1100 Washington Ave.
142 WBOB

Wednesday, June 24:
St. Paul 
120 Coffey Hall

Thursday, June 25:
Med Area
Mayo A110

Friday, June 26:
East Bank
170 Tate Hall

Monday, June 29:
Como Area
Printing Services Room 111

Tuesday, June 30:
Conference call for outstate members.
Details on the call will be emailed out later this week.

Click on the links below to read the testimony given by clerical workers at the Regents' budget hearing on June 17, 2009.

Cherrene Horazuk's testimony

Kem Tae Lynch's testimony

Mary Lou Middleton's testimony

Phyllis Walker's testimony

Kelly Alghamdi Zimmerscheid's testimony

And click here for coverage from KARE 11 of the union's press conference before the Regents hearing: Higher Education Reeling from State Budget Cuts

(see summary in PDF format | See summary as a Grid )

Tentative Agreement Summary for contract 2009-2011, June 10, 2009 

On Wednesday, June 10, 2009 at 9:00 p.m., our AFSCME clerical negotiating committee and the University reached a tentative agreement in settlement of our negotiations for the contract year 2009-2011.

A summary of the terms of settlement follows. Information about voting on the tentative agreement will be distributed to members as the details are finalized. Only members may vote, but you are urged to sign a membership card to join the Union and participate in this process.

Article 19, Wages

• All Clerical Bargaining Unit employees whose pay rate falls within the pay ranges for the Unit will receive a 2% general wage adjustment on July 1, 2010. The pay ranges will all move up 2%.
• Progression steps will be temporarily suspended from July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2011. All language regarding step increases remains printed (as shaded paragraphs) in the contract. The University dropped its proposal to include an additional sentence that stated, “Step movement shall be discontinued until a new agreement is negotiated.”

Article 20, Insurance

• There are several changes to the section entitled “Basic Coverage”, but for most employees these will have a relatively minor impact.  These changes will become effective 1/1/2010.
• The Union and the University agreed that there will be no changes in the percentages to employees’ contributions to their Health Plans (90%/10% for the employee-only contribution; 85%/15% for family coverage)
• One of the most important pieces of information we received from the University is that in any situation in which the use of a higher-priced drug is a medical necessity, the Prior Approval process will apply.
• Specialty drug coverage (in which a drug is administered in a lab or a clinical setting, such as the infusion of a medication) will now be covered through the pharmacy plan rather than the medical plan. This is primarily an administrative change rather than a change that will affect how the actual drug is administered.
• Low-dose Lipitor, when not used for its secondary therapeutic value, will be moved to a non-formulary copay in order to encourage the use of low-dose generic equivalents.
• The pharmacy plan will provide only one brand of diabetic testing equipment and supplies at the generic copay. The University will arrange for informational presentations by the provider and manufacturer, and will make detailed information available regarding the use and capabilities of the meters and test strips. (The Prior Approval process will continue to apply to exceptions for these products as well.)
• Pharmacy copays will increase for the medications that are not listed as Generic Plus:
• Generic Plus drugs will remain at $8
• Brand formulary drugs will be raised from $20 to $25
• Non-formulary drugs will be raised from $35 to $50
• Emergency Room copays will be raised from $50 to $75, but the copay will continue to be waived if the patient is admitted to the hospital
• A new copay for MRI and CT scans will be instituted at $25, but there will still be no copays for lab/diagnostic testing.
• The office visit copay will be increased from $10 to $11 for the Base Plan and Health Partners.
• Obsolete language regarding a one-time 2008 open-enrollment for life insurance will be deleted

MOUs and other material appended to the contract

·         An MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) from the 2007-09 contract regarding an agreement to meet and confer on issues relating to our salary steps (compression of steps, length of pay ranges, etc.) will be modified to a letter, which will recognize what we have already accomplished and acknowledge that either party may wish to pursue the next logical steps in a more favorable economic climate.

• There will be a new MOU to address issues surrounding Respectful Workplace and anti-bullying language. Representatives from the Union and the University will meet and confer to discuss the issues and possibly arrive at some processes to address them. The speed of this negotiations process did not allow us an opportunity to fully discuss all the parties’ concerns.

“Housekeeping changes”

• All the appropriate date changes will be made, along with continuing all the Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) and the Fitness Incentive Letter.

The Unit 6 Clerical Union Negotiations Committee recommended acceptance of this Tentative Agreement. 

Phyllis Walker                                     Cherrene Horazuk

Peter Lunney                                       Sven Erik Olson

Laura Mirelez                                      Kelly Alghamdi Zimmerscheid

Andy Carhart                                      Julia Gladhill

Ginger Nohl                                        Laura Stolle Schmidt

Kem Tae Lynch

The clerical negotiating committee reached a tentative agreement with the University of Minnesota at 9:30 on Wednesday night, June 10th. Details regarding the agreement will be posted by the end of the day Thursday.

Union's Opening Proposal (5/18/09, PDF file)

Management's Opening Proposal (5/1/09, PDF file)

Negotiations Committee

The Clerical Bargaining Unit Negotiations Committee for the upcoming contract bargaining round was elected at a special membership meeting on April 21, 2009.

Your co-workers who will be representing you at the bargaining table are:

-         Phyllis Walker, President

-         Cherrene Horazuk, Chief Steward

-         Peter Lunney, Med Area

-         Sven Eric Olsen, Med Area

-         Kelly Alghamdi Zimmerscheid, East Bank

-         Laura Mirelez, East Bank

-         Andy Carhart, West Bank

-         Julia Gladhill, St. Paul

-         Ginger Nohl, Morris/Crookston

-        Laura Stolle Schmidt, UMD

-         Kem Tae Lynch, At-large

-         Kurt Errickson, AFSCME Council 5 Negotiator

Negotiation Dates

May 16 – Walter Library, East Bank, First meeting with University  
May 26 – Heller Hall, West Bank
June 4 – Appleby Hall, East Bank
June 8 – Coffey Hall, St. Paul
June 16 – Location TBD
June 19 – Location TBD
June 23– Location TBD