On June 29, AFSCME Local 2822, representing clerical and support staff in Hennepin County, presented our supplemental contract proposals to the County (a full copy of our initial proposals is available below). Another 2822 supplemental bargaining meeting will be scheduled soon. The Master Contract Bargaining on Wages continues in August.

August 2– Bargaining Day #4                                                    2822 Supplemental Date TBD second week of August

August 6– Bargaining Day #5                                                    August 20– Bargaining Day #6

 On the face of it, the County’s response to our proposals was “NO!” This is what we expected: we came to the table with significant contract changes, adding or changing language based on serious workplace issues we have seen over and over again. Despite the County’s response, the meeting was a win. We got the County on record, saying that they aren’t doing what they need to be doing. We have them on record that certain issues are not being properly addressed, lack transparency, or need clearer processes. We also forced the County to look into the way it handles volunteers, uniform allowances, in charge pay, the Position Description Questionnaire process, staffing levels at the Juvenile Detention Center, and allegations of discrimination and disrespect. We got them to acknowledge the issues we brought forward. They can no longer claim ignorance.

 The County also told us that we are right to be concerned about the misuse of management discretion. They agreed that we share the goal of alleviating racism and discrimination. But they also said that those goals are not worth pursuing through the contract. We will continue with 2822 demands in another separate bargaining session in August.

 They may want to deal with us as individuals, but we forced them to listen to us collectively. The contract is important, but contract grievances are only one tool that we have at our disposal. We aren’t going to take NO! as an answer to the concerns of 2822 workers. We will keep pushing back at the bargaining table, at meet and confers, in grievances, and together, in our worksites.  

United We Bargain, Divided We Beg!

 2822 Selected Language Proposal Summary:                                                           County Response :        

★    Sick Leave- Doctor’s notes only after 3 days absence……………………………………  No

★    Insurance- No discrimination or retaliation from use of benefits…………………………  No

★    Ability for part-time limited duration employees working at least 14 hours per week

to participate in benefits………………………………………………………….. No

★    Consideration of seniority for transfers/promotions, easier across departments………….  No

★    Allow employees to grieve performance evaluations and denials of step increases……… No

★    Stronger sexual harassment, union rights, nepotism language in contract………………... No

★    Stronger language and clearer process for job classifications, reclassifications,

and position description questionnaires…………………………………………... No

★    Problem-solving process for workplace issues……………………………………………. No

★    Increase schedule flexibility for workers pursuing educational opportunities……………. No

★    Limit volunteers from doing bargaining unit work or having access to private data……… No, look at data concern

★    Flexibility to combine paid breaks with unpaid lunch…………………………………….. No

★    Cost of living increase to overnight/weekend/in-charge/training differentials……………. No

★    Sheriff’s department scheduling guidelines……………………………………………….. Meet and Confer

★    Approved vacations can’t be canceled by employer………………………………………. No

★    New shift exchange language for Sheriff’s Office and Juvenile Corrections……………… Meet and Confer           

★    Forced overtime language…………………………………………………………………. No                                          

The County’s Proposals                                                           

Sheriff’s Office changes to overnight differential                       

Our Response: Consider clarifying language, but no reductions in pay

Remove in charge pay for Library Specialists in charge of library support functions          

Our Response: No, waiting for revised proposal from County  

Sheriff’s Office Uniform MOU                                                

Our Response: Suggest increase in $ amount or per item vouchers for all departments with required uniforms.

 2822 President Ali Fuhrman’s opening statement to Hennepin County:

During her state of the County address this year, Commissioner Jan Callison identified disparity reduction in the community as one of the County’s top priorities. As you well know reducing disparities in the workplace has been a topic of central importance to our union as well. In the past year we have raised concerns over discriminatory firing practices, sexual harassment in the workplace, and supervisory harassment. And I’m not just talking about workers of color, although the harassment has been the most severe and pervasive with our POC workers, but I’m also talking about long term workers nearing retirement, workers with health issues, workers with children, young women, and temp workers.

We’ve raised these issues in every department: Health and Human Services, Resident and Real Estate Services, the Jail, the Library and what has happened? Workers who come forward with concerns are offered transfers, occasionally a problem supervisor is moved to new location to wreak havoc on a new set of workers.  At higher levels, committees are formed, directors issue statements, and money that could be going to fund positions that provide direct service to residents goes to the creation of more middle managers who spend their days in meetings with other managers. And of course many, many trainings. We are in support of education but no training can ever achieve the level of change that is required to rectify the level of discrimination and harassment we have seen at the hands of the County. Words are not enough; what we need is action. What we need are concrete changes to hold bad supervisors and managers accountable for their actions. What we need are wages that will provide us with the stability we need to provide the highest quality services to the residents of Hennepin County.  And that can only come through significant changes to our contract. 

Every language proposal we’ve put forward addresses a direct need of your workers and offers the County ways to directly address harassment and discrimination in the workplace as well as limit it’s liability.

Discrimination comes through everyday behaviors in the form of disrespect and intimidation. We’ve learned, through the low success rate in the non-discrimination respectful workplace process, that we need to expand our anti-discrimination language. But we know that discrimination comes through in more insidious ways: through economic deprivation. By economic deprivation, I don’t just mean firings. I mean denying workers opportunities to advance their careers through promotions, and pursuing educational opportunities at the County; issuing bad reviews and step denials; discouraging the use of defined benefits; and refusing to respond to a workers legitimate requests to reclassify their positions. 

To ensure all workers, regardless of their supervisor’s whims or prejudices, are treated fairly, are treated with dignity and respect, we are proposing increases to seniority rights, appeal processes for performance evaluations and position description questionnaires and protections so people can use their earned vacation and sick time.

Reducing disparities also means paying us what were worth, paying us a wage that allows us to live with dignity and respect. You may not know this but your low-paid clerical workers are in a state of crisis. Most of us are working multiple jobs, many while also going to school. We are sleeping in cars and on couches. We are forgoing necessary medical procedures to put food on the table. And that’s not right. We should be able to work one job and be able to take care of our families.