Rally to Save the Regent's Scholarship

Thursday, May 7

MacNamara Plaza

12:00 - 1:00 pm

Click here for PDF flyer

Click here to sign a petition online to the Regents!

Or you can click here to print out a copy of the petition sheet to sign and to use in your work area

On March 11, over 1,000 AFSCME members from around the state went to the legislature to say that the budget should not be balanced on the backs of public workers and at the expense of public services. This is a photo of members of Local 3800 that participated in Day on the Hill 2009.

Click the image below or here for PDF version of the March 2009 AFSCME Local 3800 Newsletter.

Also, Click here to sign a petition online to the Regents!

Or you can click here to print out a copy of the petition sheet to sign and to use in your work area

Rally Thursday, March 12
12:15-1:00
McNamara Plaza

(click above image for printable PDF of flyer)

On Thursday, March 12, 2009 the Faculty, Staff and Student Affairs Committee of the Board of Regents will consider an Administration proposal that will require employees who wish to take a class at the University through the Regents Scholarship to pay 25% of the tuition for that class. The committee will meet from 2:45-4:15, and it’s important that they hear from employees before they take action to cut this program. AFSCME 3800, AFSCME 3937 and other concerned employees and students are organizing a rally and speak-out to demand that the Board of Regents not cut the scholarship program.

Given the alarming tuitions rates here at the U, and the decreasing buying power of our wages, this is yet another slash in our ever-shrinking benefits package. Unionized staff at the University, whether AFSCME or Teamster, are among the lowest paid employees of this institution, and this proposal will fall heavily on us. 71% of the staff who use Regents Scholarships is unionized and civil service employees. We cannot afford to have the University budget balanced on the backs of hard-working employees.

SEND A MESSAGE TO THE REGENTS! If you think this is an unacceptable proposal, let the Regents know. Come to the rally on Thursday! Bring your coworkers! Listen to what students, faculty, P&A, civil service and union employees have to say about the wonderful benefits of the Regents Scholarship, how it has changed lives, and how devastating the proposed cut will be.

We are also collecting signatures on a petition that we will deliver to the Regents following the Rally. Click here to print out a copy of the petition sheet to sign and to use in your work area. Bring copies of the petition to the rally on Thursday.

How do we solve our current economic problems? Is it by cutting public services, laying off public employees or reducing state spending? Our governor would have us believe it is by doing all of the above. He would
have us believe the only way to solve our $4.8 billion budget deficit is by tightening our belt.

At first glance this sounds logical. After all, if we are experiencing a deficit in our personal finances, we attempt to spend less. That may work for individual's finances but it will never work for state government.

If state government cuts public services, lays off public employees or reduces state spending it will only make the economic crisis worse. A reduction in public services and fewer jobs means more hardship for working people. This economic crisis will not be solved by cutting government spending.

To repair Minnesota's economy we need to balance the budget, put middle class families first and focus on the right priorities. Priorities such as reducing government waste, eliminating programs that don't work,
fixing our broken health care system and restoring fairness to our tax system. In short, investing in state and local communities.

Instead, Governor Pawlenty is proposing drastic, unnecessary cuts that harm victims of the poor economy. He, like George W. Bush is putting politics before people, failing middle class families and trying to outsource jobs. He is proposing cutting corporate taxes in half. This will add $1 billion to the deficit. In addition, he has hired 131 highly paid state administrators since the wage freeze was announced.

How did a progressive, prosperous state like Minnesota end up with a $4.8 billion deficit? In the late 90's the highest paid people received a tax cut from George W. Bush and from Governor Pawlenty. This has resulted in a working mother whose salary is $38,000 paying 12.6% in taxes while, a billionaire CEO pays only 9.3%.

If people earning $250,000 paid their fair share in taxes it would result in $1 billion worth of revenue. A 1% tax hike on 1% of the wealthiest people would result in $600 million in revenue. The wealthiest Minnesotans should pay the same percent taxes as the middle class. If the wealthiest citizens paid their fair share, we could afford the public services that Minnesotans want and need.

Cutting public services means layoffs of public employees. Now is not the time for layoffs. Good jobs create an economy that works. Governor Pawlenty needs to follow President Obama's lead by protecting and
creating living wage jobs. Instead he is looking for more ways to help wealthy CEO's while working families are losing their jobs, their homes and their health care. His priorities are simply wrong.

Minnesota's public sector workforce is one of the leanest and most productive in the nation yet Governor Pawlenty is advocating a wage freeze. Governor Pawlenty can't mandate a wage freeze for public employees. Remember, our salary is negotiated by our Union--it is not mandated by the governor.

Every time Governor Pawlenty cuts state spending he takes dollars out of Minnesota's economy. Public investment creates good jobs. Fair taxes is how we put money back in the pockets of hard working families. Fair taxes is the way we jump start the economy.

Due to sub zero temperatures, the January 15 monthly membership meeting is canceled.  The dates of the remaining membership meetings of 2009 are as follows:

          February 12
          March 12
          April 9
          May 14
          June 11
          July 9
          August 13
          September 10
          October 15
          November 12
          December 10

This photo shows three workers from Republic Windows and Doors, during the sit-in in their factory in early December. The white paper behind them is the solidarity statement sent by AFSCME Local 3800, supporting them in their efforts to seek justice. Their action was successful. See the solidarity statement that Local 3800 sent here.

AFSCME Local 3800 is collecting toys for children who would otherwise not have a gift this Christmas. Toys will be donated to the Toys for Tots program. If you are able, please contribute to this worthwhile cause.

We are also collecting financial contributions to UE Local 1110 in Chicago. These workers' factory was shut down with only three days notice and the workers are fighting for pay and have staged a peaceful sit-in in the factory since Friday. Complete information about their struggle is at the end of this e-mail.

You can drop off your Toys for Tots donations, and/or donations for the workers of UE Local 1110 on Thursday, December 11, Friday, December 12 and Tuesday, December 16 at the following locations:

• Wiley Hall skyway entrance (West Bank) from 11:00 to 1:00
• Scott Hall Foyer (East Bank) from 11:00 to 1:00
• Outside Inn Hallway (Medical Area) from 11:00 to 1:00
• WBOB (West Bank) from 12:00 to 1:00--There will be a donation box in the lobby where you can place gifts and donations anytime.

The following people will be accepting toys and donations in their offices from 8:00 to 4:30 only on the above mentioned days.

• Julia Gladhill, 266 Mc Neal Hall (St Paul Campus)
• Rick Castillo, 337 KE (Medical Area)
• Mary Lou Middleton, 295 Humphrey Center (West Bank)
• Cherrene Horazuk, 300 Humphrey Center (West Bank)
• Kelly Alghamdi Zimmerschied will be accepting toys before 8:30 am at the third floor lobby of the Transportation and Safety Building.

Support the Workers of Republic Windows and Doors

On Friday December 5th, the workers of Republic Windows and Doors, members of United Electrical Workers Local 1110, occupied their factory in Chicago, which the owners announced just three days earlier they were going to permanently shut down at 10:00 AM that day. The workers are fighting for pay for their lost vacation days and for the 75 days notice that they are guaranteed under Illinois law. This is the first time in many years workers have taken the bold strategy of occupying their place of work to demand justice. They have put the struggle of all workers at the forefront of the nation's consciousness and have made the complicated financial crisis something that is crystal clear and easy to understand. The basic lesson is that it is bad for working people, and the only way we'll get anything is if we organize, stand up and fight for it. They have won the support of workers around the country and even many politicians and public figures. But so far Bank of America, a recipient of billions of dollars of the government bailout, has not agreed to loan the money to the company so that the workers can receive the notice and earned pay they are supposed to receive in this situation. The longer their action continues the more support they'll need.

AFSCME 3800 sent a solidarity message to UE Local 1110 yesterday (check it out here). We are also collecting financial donations for the Republic Windows workers. Bring your checks, made out to UE Local 1110 Solidarity Fund, or cash to the same locations where we are collecting Toys for Tots.

To get more info and to sign a petition in support of the Republic Windows workers, go to http://www.ueunion.org/ue_republic.html.

Our contract allows us to take paid time away from work on the morning of election day in order to vote. Here is the language from our contract:

Article 18 Section 2c

Upon request an employee shall be granted a leave of absence with pay for:

Voting. Voting in any regularly scheduled state primary or general election or in an election to fill a vacancy in the office of U. S. Senator or U. S. Representative, or a presidential primary. This leave may only be taken in the morning of the election day.

Contact our chief steward if you have questions about this.