Any question put to any State MMB-HR staff, any inquiry on an uncertainty about whether something was wrong or not normal business practice, gets professional, prompt, accurate and confidential answers, but these are all answers from a person who was hired on a basis they must always protect the employer's points of view and interests.
When the same question, asked by a member or not, is put to a sworn union official of an AFSCME Local or Council, the exact same question, full confidentiality is just as legally required but union answers will always reflect fewer employer interests than employer answers, and the order who is asked questions first alters the second answer big time!
Local 695 contacts and trained stewards are spread across the 10,000 square mile area of MnDOT District 1A in Northeastern Minnesota. At contract (and other hectic times) only one authorized staff person from Council 5 might be available for Field Representative covering all of Northern Minnesota.
Members are advised to find, meet and personally know face-to-face who currently serves as their genuine, Local-approved and AFSCME-trained steward as well as nearest area or shop contacts. The faces may be the same but are previously reliable familiars still with AFSCME? Promotions happen that fast.
Volunteer contact persons and current elected officials are listed on Local 695’s shingle posted on worksite Union bulletin boards. Voice-call or SMS (texting) contact info (for daytime working hours) is on record (accessed via member account login) at https://members.afscmemn.org/
Council 5 call desk:
SSP-C5-MAC 651-450-4990, (1-800-652-9791)
Hermantown-C5-NE: 218-722-0577 (forwards to SSP-C5-MAC)
Local E-Board maintains a private business mailbox within 695’s paid domain:
PRESIDENT at AFSCMELOCAL695.ORG
The State Electronic Device policy 1438 makes abundantly clear anyone who does a contact with personal devices on state networks, or on any state device, must agree they understand doing so they totally forfeit of any expectation of privacy.
The Local membership has passed a motion to discontinue the following addresses:
VICEPRES at AFSCMELOCAL695.ORG
SECRETARY at AFSCMELOCAL695.ORG
TREASURER at AFSCMELOCAL695.ORG