November Lobby Day Information

OSHA FUNDING: We have worker safety and health legislation on the books but not enough funding to enforce the law that is supposed to protect us from injury and death on the job. This is very important primarily to workers in DOH, Parkways, Labor and State Hospitals and to other state workers in general. We need several of you from these agencies to tell the legislators why we need proper funding for health and safety enforcement on the job. Have any of you been injured on the job? Do you know anybody who was killed on the job? WORKERS HAVE BEEN KILLED ON THE JOB IN THE PAST!!! Has anybody been exposed to hazardous chemicals? How many workers do you know who have been on Workers Comp. due to unsafe working conditions? Is your supervisor dismissive of your concerns over workplace safety? Do you feel you could get a safety inspector if you needed one? How many of you will be driving snow plows for 12 hour shifts in vehicles not properly maintained? How many of you DHHR workers have to work in unhealthy buildings? These are some of the concerns WE need to bring up as a group.

CONTRACTING OUT: Public workers offer flexibility, quality work and accountability. Contractors work under the conditions of a specific job contract and are not as flexible, they are not accountable to the public and quality of work is often less than what our experience and talents can offer our citizens. Yet contracting out of state jobs is a constant danger. We hear some politicians talking of wanting to cut state payroll and reduce spending only of offer very lucrative contracts to private firms. Most of the time the owners of these private firms are related to certain politicians or they share business interests. Some ambitious politicians like to show many jobs they slashed to save taxpayer money. This is nothing more than smoke and mirrors. The state Information Technology workers were able to beat back an "outsourcing" attempt last year. But we have seen jobs lost to contracting out in Highways and Social Services over the years and it is something that will confront us in one way or another. This state and our jobs should never be for sale!

INCREMENT PAY ADJUSTMENT: It is time to raise the amount of our increment check and lift the cap on the number of years covered.

SENIORITY RIGHTS: For protection against layoffs and unnecessary transfers and for those with seniority to have the right to any pay raise, chance to bid on a job and for an opportunity for voluntary overtime rather than the boss's golf buddy who just got hired.

PAY RAISE: Are you have trouble making ends meet? We have every right to ask for an across the board pay raise of at least one thousand dollars. It's past time for a meaningful raise and state government has a SURPLUS!!! That is money that we will put back into the local economy buying the things we need survive: food, medicine, clothing, rent, fuel and utilities. Unlike some privileged people, we pay taxes on our income. Just think of the money spent on the recent governor's race for a fourteen month term in office. That's because the Coal and Natural Gas producers know there is immense wealth in this state. Most of it will leave the state. State workers and public school teachers maintain the economic and social infrastructure of this state that attracts legitimate business as well as the corporate exploiters who steal us blind. If the Democratic and Republican candidates for public office don't have to worry about feeding their families then why should we? Let's DEMAND what we are worth!!!

CASELOAD STANDARDS: This is a concern mostly for DHHR and DDS workers. We need to pick up on where things dropped off last year. All DHHR workers who can join us on Tuesday, November 15, should be talking with those delegates and senators who oversee DHHR. The plan is to see where we go from here with the goal of having our members in place to fill slots on program area committees to negotiate reasonable caseload standards using recommendations from professional groups and the experiences from other states with collective bargaining. For instance, social workers would utilize NASW recommendations on manageable caseloads as well a look at what works well for states with collective bargaining for a start. Income maintenance workers could do likewise. Keep in mind the health effects and consequences of high workloads due to under staffing. Everything from stress by bad management, facing hostile clients/patients and the inconvenience to the public we serve. How many of you are on medication for ulcers, bad nerves or to help you sleep? High caseloads in CPS for instance, increases stress related health problems for workers, places children in increased risk and creates additional legal liability issues.

DHHR INTERPRETATION OF THE GRIEVANCE LAW: This issue has arisen out of DHHR is a concern for all union members and UE Local 170 will be resolute in confronting it by whatever means necessary. There has been an ongoing problem with workers in DHHR not being allowed to have union representation during disciplinary, investigatory and grievance hearings despite the 2007 Grievance Law giving us that right. DHHR has written a "policy interpretation" of that law that restricts the rights of stewards and the rights of members to representation. This is a carefully thought out union busting plan by bureaucrats who think nothing of using our tax money to fight us. If this policy is allowed to take hold with DHHR, it will set the pattern for other state agencies to follow.

STATE HOSPITAL ISSUES: Hospital workers may want to follow up on the progress we have made so far. The fight is not over even with the promise to build an additional wing at Sharpe Hospital. There is still mandatory overtime and under staffing.

WRAP UP: Plan now to take an annual leave day for Tuesday, November 15, 2011 and meet at the UE 170 union hall at 9:00 a.m. to discuss our plan of action and then head out to the Capitol from there. If this is to be a success, we need to show up in numbers and let our elected officials see and hear from rank-and-file members.