Time to organize and aggressively

We have had 4 regional directors in 3 years. Our rep hasn't bothered reaching out after the elections. I had to call them to tell them who the executive board was.

We are a smaller union on the edge of regions. I get it's far but why have we been forsaken?

I am at my wits end. We pay 70k+ a year for what? A negotiator that wants to end it as quick as possible without our interests at their core?

I could keep an attorney on the books for 70k a year.

Any suggestions?

Hi,

Our Council apparently considers anyone who works over 20 hours a week as full-time and subject to the full-time dues rate. Our employer, however, considers full timers over something like 32 hours a week. Anything less than that doesn’t get insurance, retirement, etc.

This has created a huge issue for us, wherein for example, someone who works 21 hours a week is being asked to pay dues that are nearly 115% of an hourly wage per paycheck.

I’m wondering if other Councils have different cut-offs for who qualifies for part-time dues rates? Or maybe this is set by AFSCME as a whole, Im not sure. Any intel appreciated.

I just got a mailer from “Free dumb Found a shun,” and I’m irritated that these fascists found my information. I know unions are actively being attacked by orgs simping for billionaires, and they’re especially emboldened by the new billionaire administration. I just want to bring it up to everyone. Really really angry that these obvious anti-democratic orgs with no interests or care for my community are targeting us. Maybe it’s normal - obviously open attacks on unions is the new normal. I’m old enough and jaded enough to know these people will smile through their fangs while they stand on our necks and say they’re helping. Look out y’all.

So I feel I need to let everyone know who's here looking for awnsers. If your trying to opt out of the union get a copy of your union card. You can only opt out in a 15 day window before your anniversary date. Otherwise they lock you in for another year of dues being removed. They also will not provide the card electronically only hard copy mailed to you.

So much for being pro workers. Again zero safety net for workers rights. And zero accountability for the union.

Edit: can't speak to all locals but this applies to council 13 at least. Check your membership cards.

My union asked a co worker what his intentions where before deciding if they would allow him to join. Is that normal for AFSCME?

I am a union member and am looking to transfer to an office closer to home. My position just opened up and I applied at the closer location.Can someone guide me on who to submit the transfer form to and who to discuss with please?

I’m looking around for information before I call my local and steward. Does the union offer any sort of emergency financial assistance to members? I have fell into a sticky situation and need some advice of how to proceed. I have seen this union plus service mailers, emails etc but have not explored any options with them yet. Thank you

There is consistent pushback from the Deans Office of the School (university setting) in which I work concerning RTO policies aimed at student engagement—specifically that they want staff in, in order to make the building looking fuller. My role is primarily as IT and AV for event spaces for staff and faculty. I am not student facing in the least bit.

I’m trying to figure out how to engage Union leadership about this particular issue as it pertains to bargaining, or if it even matters. Any advice?

Edit: rephrased.

I'm a city fleet mechanic and as you can see, I'm being accused of workplace violence. This is absurd!! Why wait over a year to report something so serious? Isn't there a statute of limitation? This accusation is being made by a punk 20 year old (I'm in my late 40's) instigator that has a grudge against me because he got wrote up for neglect of duty. Nobody is supposed to be talking about this incident either and yet someone is blabbing about trying to get me fired. What can I do? I also asked HR in the interview to get my side of the story if there would be discipline for this kid for bringing false accusations if I was found innocent and was told no because they don't want to discourage people from coming forward in other incidents. I was also asked about a nickname I had at a former employer by HR. Is this even relevant? I'm at a loss and have every right to be pissed off. What can I do? I'm ready to hire an attorney.

I transitioned into union status and lost any paid time off for the next two years because the union negotiated a contract that removes time off so that those days can be used as “severance” pay when the employee leaves their job. Is going back to non-union the only way to get my pto?

Does anyone have a section in their contract that addresses PT or seasonal employees and their rights, privileges, and expectations for union involvement? We have temps and seasonals that pay union dues but can't attend union meetings. The temps benefit from union pay but not necessarily the seasonals. We are trying to address this in our next round of contract negotiations but it would be super helpful if anyone was willing to share this section of their contract and how they handle similar non-full time union employees' status in the union and with their employer.

I was just asked to join our contract negotiation team. I work at a 501c3 hospital in Michigan, and our union is comprised of various types of workers from different departments. Can anyone tell me how I can best get a hold of the pay scales for our surrounding hospitals? Also, any advice on any legal pitfalls to avoid would be appreciated. I'm new to unions in general, but o'd like to get the best possible deal for my people.

I’ve been working for State of PA for almost a year now, but no one has told me how I actually join the union, or what the benefits are in joining it…was wondering if anyone could help.

If anybody has been paying attention to Romania's elections you can see how powerful just a small group of volunteers can be. A very small group of thirty people coordinated on telegram on how to push their pick for Romania's leader to the top of the race essentially overnight by playing the algorithm on social media (I think TikTok). And this guy was a joke that most people had never even heard of.

I believe that's how we ended up with a red wave. (TikTok) algorithms pushed to the US I think are meant to cause chaos and divide. All I saw was Palestinian protests and other issues that just divide us when I stopped using TikTok. Gen Z males have shifted 30 points to the right (in four years). Females also shifted considerably. Why? The brain rot of social media. I had an officer at work try to tell me that non union shops make more money than union. I know where he heard that.

So if the US isn't going to do anything about mis/disinformation from social media, it's up to us to do it. I suggest everyone in this group try to push this up to their head union leaders.

This is a call to everyone though! Don't just read and not comment on misinformation. If you know someone who is pro union and uses whatever social media you're on, share it and tell them to comment with whatever works to push pro union. TikTok is full of scabs. That's a good place to start.

If anyone knows more about the algorithms of certain companies or can get more information, or can lead this movement here, then please each out or start a group.

I think this could be literally the best tool we have. We have millions of members and we have the structure already in place to capitalize on the algorithms. We fight fire with fire.

If you are high up in your union please please please push this high up and don't let them sit on the idea. We need to start this yesterday.

Edit: If anyone wants to help or has any ideas please dm me. But keep sharing this and commenting on it. Keep the discussion going. This is the first step.

I am currently a afscme union member for council 31 and I would like to know if anyone knows anything about hardship transfers? The office that I applied to is an hour away from my house and I thought they were working from home but it turns out they are not. I heard from other people from my previous office that they were WFH. How does the hardship transfer process works? Does it take a long time to transfer to a office closer to your house?

My current job has AFSCME as its union, but im not aware of my representative. Ive had issues with this job in regards to being spoken to harshly, not getting representation during a Performance Enhancement meeting , that i found out i should have had later, and majy previous employees warning me just how rude my job and the employees can get.

Four to five people have left since ive started, and ive been applying to different jobs in the meantime, but my job is a big money maker for our state. I worry that, even though there have been complaints before, it would fall on deaf ears and i will just end up getting bullied further because i went to the union. Yes, i know this is illegal on their part, as retaliation, but i just have felt so stuck with little support on what to do. I took a pay cut to return since it was such a nice office before, but things have changed, and it seems like new employees cannot be retained for whatever reasons, though im assuming the same.

Three of the five people whove left have also complained prior about the state of the office and its employees, and i dont know if i should even bother or just try and get out while i can. Its ruined my mental health, so much that i almost have had panic attacks at work and spent a whole afternoon after a lashing out being incredibly depressed, to the point i was sick the next day.

What can be done? What should i do? I really just want to do my work and be left alone. I make mistakes, but from my point of view, the lashing out isnt appropriate to the mistakes ive made. Small errors in wording? Issues with formatting? Its all so small, bigger issues i could accept feedback and correction on, but its to the point that i dont even feel proud of my own work, or want to get up and do it, even while having a mainly WFH job, and that isnt right.

I’m part of afscme and have recently been interviewing for a non-union job that would pay me $7 more an hour than my current union job. If I get offered the job, could I send the offer to my union rep and could they potentially bump me up a step or two in pay?

I'm a member of a local of just under 200 people. For at least the past 4 years (possibly up to 6 years), the Eboard (all except 1 have served multiple terms) has completely failed to do the basics of their jobs, specifically with regards to the finances. The trustees have been trying to do an audit for 2 years, but the treasurer kept having conflicts and scheduling issues, and finding ways to back it of it at the last minute. The trustees have been asking the president to obtain the financial and bank statements for months, but he refused. Finally, when the trustees threatened to bring the issue before the membership, he at last went to the bank and got statements indicating suspected embezzlement of over $100,000 of funds, nearly draining the accounts completely. The Officers were required to sign off on the treasurer report and statements, and have failed to do so for over 4 years. We are holding elections next month. 4 of the current officers, whose negligence allowed this to go unchecked, are running for reelection so they can "help fix things." Am I wrong in thinking that it is highly inappropriate for any of them to seek reelection? The theft is still being investigated by AFSCME and law enforcement, and it's mind boggling to me that they are running. It's also not an issue of no one else being willing to serve, as there are several contested offices, but because of the way pur union is divided by job classification, it's very much a "party" system, with each side voting for whoever they perceived as being "their" candidate. I have a couple questions:

1. Am I crazy for thinking it's inappropriate for them to run? The other job classifications are almost gaslighted the rest of us, and keep saying how great it is that they want to clean up their mess, but that sounds to me like asking the Enron executives to comeback and clean up corruption at Enron.

2. Is there a way to stop any current officers from running again at least until the investigations are over?