The Iowa Unionist - AFSCME Iowa Council 61

The Iowa Unionist
The Official Newsletter of
AFSCME Iowa Council 61
Summer 2015 Issue
@afscmeiowa_c61
facebook.com/afscme.iowa
www.afscmeiowa.org
Convention 2015:
AFSCME Iowa Council 61 is AFSCME STRONG!
The Union anthem “Solidarity Forever” says that “the Union
makes us strong.” And that’s true - if we all do our part to make
our Union Strong too!
AFSCME Iowa Council 61’s 19th Biennial Convention was
focused on AFSCME’s program to strengthen our entire Union:
AFSCME Strong. AFSCME Strong seeks to build our Union
through one on one conversations with co-workers. Our council
has set a goal of training 680 members as Activist Coaches and
All-Stars who will engage 11,100 non-members in conversations
at work about joining our Union before the end of March 2016.
The goal of these conversations is not just to ask someone to join
but to find out about the issues the person is facing and how our
Union can build a relationship with them.
AFSCME Members take part in AFSCME Strong All-Star
training at the AFSCME Iowa Council 61 convention.
Two AFSCME Strong All-Star Trainings were held at the
Convention. Between those two trainings and six others
around the state in the six weeks before convention, over 150 AFSCME Strong All-Stars have been trained. These All-Stars
have already started to have conversations with their co-workers. AFSCME members who became All-Stars at or before the
convention expressed enthusiasm for the AFSCME Strong program and how it could make a difference for their locals.
Julie Brandt (Local 3289) said she is looking forward to “getting more people involved in AFSCME.” She wants to get more
people active at higher level of commitment in order to move our Union forward.
Keirsten Anderson (Local 887) enjoyed taking part in the training and remarked that it “gives us the tools that we need to talk
to people that are on the fence [...] to show them why joining AFSCME is really important to them.”
(Continued on page 2)
Convention Attendees Hear From Three Presidential Candidates
Convention attendees heard from Senator
Bernie Sanders (pictured left with Jessie
Vroegh of Local 451), Governor Martin
O’Malley (pictured center with Deb
Shepherd of Local 3450), and Secretary
Hillary Clinton (pictured right with Linda
Lilly of Local 3013) about their records
and visions for America.
More pictures of presidential candidates
with members can be found in the photo
gallery on pages 4 and 5.
The Iowa Unionist, Issue No. 23, Summer 2015
The Iowa Unionist is published irregularly 4-5
times per year by AFSCME Iowa Council 61,
4320 NW 2nd Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50313
Table of Contents:
AFSCME Strong (p. 1,2)
Convention Attendees Hear from Three
Presidential Candidates (p. 1)
President Saunders Fires Up Convention
Attendees (p. 2)
AFSCME Women’s Conference (p. 2)
Coming in 2016 (p.2)
Friends of AFSCME Award Winners (p. 3)
Senator Gronstal Receives Honorary Lifetime
Membership (p. 3)
An Exciting Women’s Committee Breakfast
(p. 3)
19th Biennial Convention in Pictures (p. 4-5)
New Executive Board and Trustees (p. 6)
New PEOPLE Officers (p. 6)
Branstad’s Correctional Policies Failing Iowans
(p.7)
Lawsuit Filed over MHI Closures (p. 7)
Ask Our Attorney Mark Hedberg (p.7)
Calendar (p. 8)
AFSCME Member is a Life Saver (p. 8)
2015 AFSCME Women’s
Conference
The AFSCME Women’s
Conference will be held
October 9-11, 2015 in
Indianapolis, IN. The
Women’s Conference focuses on how
to develop activism amongst women
in AFSCME and encourage women to
become Union leaders. The Women’s
Conference is open to all AFSCME
members, both women and men.
AFSCME Iowa Council 61 is organizing
a bus to the Women’s Conference. For
more details visit our website
www.afscmeiowa.org or call
800-372-6054.
COMING IN 2016:
At the convention, President Danny Homan
announced plans to hold three new events
here in Iowa for members next year:
AFSCME Iowa Council 61 Veterans’ Event
AFSCME Iowa Council 61 Women’s
Conference
AFSCME Iowa Council 61 Health Care
Conference
Watch for details on our website and in future
newsletters!
Page 2
President Saunders Fires Up Convention Attendees
President Saunders fired up the delegates, alternates,
and guests with a powerful speech during the
opening session of our 19th Biennial Convention.
President Saunders praised AFSCME Iowa Council
61 members for our determination and willingness
to fight for what is right. He noted that our members
“stand up for our Union’s values and what we believe
in.” He spoke of how we are “achieving victories
across the state” such as the arbitration victory on
health insurance for state and judicial employees
and victories in blocking outsourcing proposals in several school districts.
President Saunders said that Governor Branstad “ignored everything and
everybody, including the Iowa Code” when closing Clarinda and Mt. Pleasant
Mental Health Institutes. He spoke in support of the lawsuit against the
governor (see story on page 7) and said “no one, not even your imperial
governor, is above the law.”
President Saunders laid out how AFSCME is fighting for working families and
fighting back against those who seek to strip workers of their rights. “What all
of us do as AFSCME members can determine whether our nation rises to the
top or whether our nation races to the bottom,” he said. “We’ve got a bullseye
on our backs sisters and brothers,” said Saunders as he explained what’s at stake
at the US Supreme Court and in other struggles against anti-worker forces.
AFSCME has developed a strategy to fight back against these challenges:
AFSCME Strong. The central feature of AFSCME
Strong was described by President Saunders as
“nothing takes the place of someone [...] talking
to you one on one about what their concerns are
and why they must be a part of the greatest Union
on the face of the Earth.”
President Saunders closed his speech by asking
attendees “are you ready to fight with the 1.6
million members of your sisters and brothers all across this country?” AFSCME
members jumped to their feet as President Saunders recited the traditional
saying that is still true today: “when AFSCME fights, AFSCME wins!”
AFSCME Strong
(Continued from page 1)
Some local activists have already begun the process of applying what they
learned at an All-Star training to their local’s organizing efforts. Chris De
Harty (Local 212) said that “to form a strong union, you need to give a lift
to everybody who potentially can be a union member.” “Get a list from the
human resource department of all AFSCME-covered workers and talk to the
non-members. Don’t threaten people, just tell them what the benefits of the
union are. Everybody’s got their differences but you need to put aside your
differences for the benefit of everyone in the workplace. If they say no, give them
some information, and then a couple of weeks later, follow up.”
More opportunities for members to become AFSCME Strong All-Stars are
planned. To attend one or have one set up in your area, contact Andrew
Williams at 800-372-6054 ext. 625.
Friends of AFSCME Award Winners
Four Friends of AFSCME Awards were given in
recognition of recipients’ activism and support for
AFSCME members: President of the South Central Iowa
Federation of Labor Mark Cooper (upper left), retired
AFSCME member and activist Lynn Bedford (upper
right, looking very surprised!), AFSCME Local 3450
member Deb Babb (lower left), and recently retired
AFSCME Council 24 Executive Director Marty Beil
(lower right).
Senator Gronstal Receives
Honorary Lifetime Membership
International President Lee Saunders and AFSCME
Iowa Council 61 President Danny Homan (on right)
presented Senator Mike Gronstal (on left) with an
AFSCME Honorary Lifetime Membership Card (pictured
in President Saunders’ hand) in recognition of Senator
Gronstal’s rock solid defense of collective bargaining. He
is only the fifth Iowan honored by AFSCME Iowa Council
61 with an honorary membership; he joins Secretary of
Agriculture Tom Vilsack, former Regent Michael Gartner,
former Regent Ruth Harkin, and former US Senator Tom
Harkin as honorary lifetime members. Senator Gronstal
spoke from personal experience about what it is like to
work without the protection of a union contract: when he
first ran for state representative, his supervisor saw in the
newspaper that he was running for office and terminated
then candidate Gronstal’s employment. Senator Gronstal
said he was honored to be a member of a labor union for
the first time in his life.
An Exciting Women’s Committee Breakfast!
This convention’s Women’s Committee Breakfast was one of the most memorable in recent years.
First, AFSCME members heard from Representative Timi Brown-Powers of Waterloo (pictured
left). Representative Brown-Powers spoke of her union and public employee family; she is the
daughter of a father who was a union rubber worker and a mother who worked for Des Moines
Public Schools.
Representative Brown-Powers spoke forcefully about the importance of equality for women.
She also expressed her outrage at the Branstad-Reynolds Administration’s
decision to close Mt. Pleasant and Clarinda Mental Health Institutes.
Next up was the election of a new AFSCME Women’s Committee Co-Chair. At many prior
conventions, there had only been one candidate for the position. This time there were four! After
two rounds of voting, AFSCME Local 451 member and Next Waver Carly Reetz (pictured right) was
elected. “I am ecstatic about working with our members to make the workplace a better place for
women and to encourage more AFSCME Women to become leaders,” said Reetz. As Co-Chair, she
will help with the planning of next year’s AFSCME Iowa Council 61 Women’s Conference.
Page 3
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Page 4
20
19th Biennial
Convention in
Pictures:
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4
9
8
13
21
14
15
1- President Homan, Scott Knudtson
(Local 3568), Sean Passick (Local 2997),
& Marty Hathaway (Local 2985) share a
laugh at the registration table.
2- Local 12 members at the banquet.
3- Congressman Dave Loebsack
addresses the PEOPLE picnic.
4- Local 2985 members with Diana
Fitzsimmons (Local 2985). She was
honored for her heroic actions in
fighting off two inmates until help could
arrive. The two inmates were attempting
to kill another inmate.
5- The Iowa Department of
Transportation Motor Vehicle
Enforcement Color Guard presented the
colors at the convention.
6- Dan Benshoof (Local 1868) waits to
speak from the floor.
7- Rosa Garduno (Local 3450) is
interviewed about her convention
experiences.
8- Secretary Clinton shares a laugh with
Todd Copley (Local 1868, right) and
Lori Copley (left).
9- Senator Tony Bisignano welcomes
convention attendees to Des Moines.
10- Janet Hansen (Local 2993) is moved
by the kind words of delegates from her
district.
11- Senator Sanders and Leo Gansen
(Local 2994).
12- Secretary-Treasurer Jerry Jones
(Local 451) and Secretary Clinton.
13- President Homan took a cake to
the face to raise money for PEOPLE.
President Lee Saunders, after winning
the auction for the cake, smashed the
cake in President Homan’s face with
assistance from Gino Carbenia.
14- Senator Rob Hogg speaks to the
PEOPLE Picnic.
15 - Governor O’Malley and Chris
Weinard (Local 183).
16- Vickie Stephens (Local 2991) waits
and listens with International President
Lee Saunders.
17- Governor O’Malley and Susan Vogel
(Local 2987).
18- Scott Thompson (Local 870) listens
at a workshop.
19- All veterans present came on stage
to lead the Pledge of Allegiance.
20- Executive Vice President Susie
Baker (Local 2659) getting ready to kick
off the banquet program.
21- The Sergeants-at-arms helped make
everything run smoothly.
A special thanks to: Todd Copley (Local
1868) and Michelle Jacobs (Local 451)
who took most of the photos in this issue.
Page 5
New Executive Board and Trustees
PRESIDENT:
Danny Homan (Locals 3289 & 2840)
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT:
Susie Baker (Local 2659)
SECRETARY-TREASURER:
Jerry Jones (Local 451)
DISTRICT 1 VICE PRESIDENTS:
Stan McElderry (Local 3450)
Dan Riley (Local 1868)
Deb Shepherd (Local 3450)
Scott Knudtson (Local 3568)
DISTRICT 2 VICE PRESIDENTS:
Susan Rowe (Local 2990)
Tim Parker (Local 3642)
Deanna Roberts (Local 2991)
DISTRICT 5 VICE PRESIDENTS:
Nathan Osbon (Local 2989)
Lori Gillis (Local 3671)
Neil LeMaster (Local 2989)
DISTRICT 3 VICE PRESIDENTS:
Deb Duncan (Local 870)
Dianne McTeer (Local 3462)
Daryl Erickson (Local 2998)
Chris De Harty (Local 212)
DISTRICT 6 VICE PRESIDENTS:
Richard Frauenholz (Local 12)
Wayne Clymer (Local 620)
Candace Acord (Local 3289)
Marty Hathaway (Local 2985)
DISTRICT 4 VICE PRESIDENTS:
Curt Salow (Local 2987)
Sheryl Simatovich (Local 2840)
Connie Schlesky (Local 2984)
Leo Gansen (Local 2994)
TRUSTEES:
Michelle Jacobs (Local 451)
Maureen Kimmerle (Local 2987)
Heather Wolf (Local 2051)
New PEOPLE Officers
Chair: Danny Homan (Locals 3289 & 2840)
Executive Vice Chair: Maggie Martin
Treasurer: Jerry Jones (Local 451)
Secretary: Shelly Hill (Local 2659)
Ex-Officio: Marcia Nichols
1ST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT:
Chair: Jennifer Leavy-Westphal (Local 2984)
Vice Chair: Susan Ellenberger (Local 3012)
Recorder: Julie Schultz (Local 3289)
After the conclusion of the convention, a PEOPLE meeting
was held and new congressional district PEOPLE officers
were elected by PEOPLE members. Each district elected a
chair, a vice chair, and a recorder. After the elections, the
group assembled for a picture. At that moment, everyone
realized that women were elected to all twelve spots!
To celebrate this historic first for our council, the group
decided to do a “Rosie the Riveter” pose for their group
photo!
Page 6
2ND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT:
Chair: Amber Moats (Local 2985)
Vice Chair: Candace Acord (Local 3289)
Recorder: Julie Brandt (Local 3289)
3RD CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT:
Chair: Deb Shepherd (Local 3450)
Vice Chair: Kathy Butler (Local 2990)
Recorder: Rhonda Fowler (Local 3450)
4TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT:
Chair: Susan Rowe (Local 2990)
Vice Chair: Christie Dennis-Sherrard (Local 2990)
Recorder: Mary Thompson (Local 2997)
Branstad’s Correctional Policies
Failing Iowans
By Danny Homan
(This column previously appeared in the Iowa City Press-Citizen)
In Iowa’s correctional system, Community Based Corrections play an
important role in keeping the public safe and promoting successful
rehabilitation. Community Based Corrections are an intermediate step
that help offenders transition between a prison-based environment
and returning to society. Although Community Based Corrections
provide many services to accomplish this, work release is one of the
better known aspects that has been in the news lately. Unfortunately,
under Gov. Terry Branstad and his correctional policies, work release
escapes have been surging.
In 2011, Branstad’s first year in office, there were 165 work release
escapes in Iowa. In the following three years, work release escapes
climbed to 219, 233 and 305. The same trend appears when you
compensate for the increased number of offenders in work release
programs. As of July 13, there had been 192 work release escapes this
year. As this rate, the number of work release escapes in 2015 will
exceed last year’s record number.
These work release escape numbers confirm what our members have
long known, based on the facts on the ground that they see every day.
Our state’s correctional system, both in our prisons and in Community
Based Corrections, is severely understaffed.
In our prisons, this under-staffing puts the safety of the staff, inmates
and the public at risk. Rather than address under-staffing in our
prisons, the governor and former Department of Corrections Director
John Baldwin implemented a broken inmate classification system that
pushes inmates into the Community Based Corrections system before
they are ready.
While inmates are in prison, they have the opportunity to begin
the process of rehabilitation. They can work on addressing their
behavioral, substance abuse and mental health issues. They can
learn occupational skills that will hopefully help them in becoming
productive members of society.
This process takes time. Some inmates make positive changes more
quickly than others. When this process is done correctly and inmates
are evaluated appropriately, they can be ready to take the next step of
transferring to Community Based Corrections.
However, this is not what is happening. In order to attempt to address
under-staffing in our prisons, the governor’s policies have sought to
push inmates out of prisons to Community Based Corrections as
quickly as possible, whether they are truly ready or not.
When you combine this with under-staffing in the Community Based
Corrections system, the result is soaring work release escapes. You
have inmates who are not ready for Community Based Corrections
being sent there to be supervised by an inadequate number of staff.
Simple common sense tells you that this will result in greater numbers
of escapes and put public safety at risk.
Our correctional system staff works hard every day to protect the
public and promote rehabilitation; however, there simply isn’t enough
staff to properly do the job. The governor’s correctional policies are
failing Iowans by not putting proper rehabilitation and public safety
first and foremost.
Lawsuit Filed Over MHI Closures
AFSCME Iowa Council 61 President Danny Homan and
24 legislators have filed suit in Iowa District Court for Polk
County regarding the Governor Branstad’s illegal decision
to close Clarinda and Mt. Pleasant Mental Health Institutes.
The 24 legislators taking part in the suit include Senator Rich
Taylor, Representative Jerry Kearns, Representative Mark
Smith, Senator Thomas Courtney, Senator Janet Petersen,
Representative Bruce Hunter, Representative Curt Hanson,
Senator Tony Bisignano, Senator Herman Quirmbach, Senator
Dick Dearden, Representative Art Staed, Representative Ako
Abdul-Samad, Representative Jo Oldson, Representative Ruth
Ann Gaines, Representative Sharon Steckman, Representative
Todd Taylor, Representative Mary Gaskill, Representative
Kirsten Running-Marquardt, Representative Timi BrownPowers, Representative Dave Jacoby, Senator Pam Jochum,
Senator Matt McCoy, Senator Michael Gronstal, and
Representative Bruce Bearinger.
The lawsuit, which was filed against Governor Terry Branstad
and Director Charles Palmer, seeks to compel the governor and
his administration to comply with Iowa law and reopen the Mt.
Pleasant and Clarinda Mental Health Institutes.
“Iowa law clearly states that the State of Iowa shall operate
Mental Health Institutes in Mt. Pleasant and Clarinda. This was
the law when the governor announced his decision to close
these facilities. This was the law when the legislature passed,
with bipartisan support, the funding to keep these facilities
open. This was the law when he closed these two facilities. It is
still the law today,” said AFSCME Iowa Council 61 President
Danny Homan when the suit was filed.
“No one is above the law. That includes the governor. We are
filing this lawsuit to hold him accountable for breaking the
law,” added Homan.
Ask Our Attorney Mark Hedberg:
FMLA and Overtime
If an employee would normally be required
to work overtime but is unable to do so
because of FMLA-qualifying reasons, “the
hours which the employee would have
been required to work may be counted
against the employee’s FMLA entitlement”
(i.e., counted as intermittent or reduced
schedule leave, as applicable). However, an
employee’s inability to perform voluntary
overtime hours may not be counted against
an employee’s FMLA leave entitlement.
Page 7
AFSCME Iowa Council 61
4320 NW Second Avenue
515-246-1517
800-372-6054
www.afscmeiowa.org
Calendar
Local 2364 Member is a Life Saver
AFSCME Public Safety Conference
Friday, September 11- Sunday, September 13, 2015
Albuquerque, NM
All across America, there are countless public employees who work
every day to help keep us safe. Among them is Elizabeth Cleveland, an
emergency communications operator and a member of Local 2364.
Cherokee Stewards Conference
Saturday, September 26, 2015 - 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
RSVP to Denise Raymond at [email protected]
Old Depot (Upstairs Meeting Room)
119 S. 4th St. , Cherokee, IA 51012
Cleveland was only a month past completion of her extensive training
as an overnight 911 operator for Pottawattamie County, Iowa, when
she received an emergency call in the early morning hours of Oct. 16,
2014. The caller said her father was not breathing. It was her first-ever
CPR call, but Cleveland walked the victim’s daughter and wife through
the steps of administering CPR.
AFSCME Iowa Council 61 Executive Board Meeting
Saturday, September 19, 2015 - 9:00 AM
Airport Holiday Inn
6111 Fleur Drive, Des Moines, IA 50321
AFSCME Women’s Conference
Friday, October 9 - Sunday, October 11, 2015
Indianapolis, IN (See page 2 of newsletter)
Des Moines Stewards Conference
Saturday, October 10, 2015 - 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
RSVP to Denise Raymond at [email protected]
AFSCME Iowa Council 61
4320 NW 2nd Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50313
AFSCME Iowa Council 61 Executive Board Meeting &
AFSCME Iowa Council 61 Holiday Party
Saturday, December 5, 2015
Airport Holiday Inn
6111 Fleur Drive, Des Moines, IA 50321
“Emotion just went to the side,” Cleveland said. “I had to focus on the
decisions I had to make to help the person.” Emergency services arrived nine minutes into
the call and rushed the patient to the hospital. The patient lived and went home after a few
days.
Cleveland recently was recognized with a Lifesaving Award for her work that night. While
she said she was honored by the award, she noted, “it wasn’t just me; the victim’s daughter
and mother were incredible. The whole communications team did a great job that night.
Also, the deputy and fire department personnel who responded had an excellent response
time, which made a huge difference in saving the person’s life.”
The job requires an ability to stay calm and multitask. An operator might have to collect
information from a caller, give the person medical advice, and dispatch emergency medical,
police, and/or fire services all at once. It also requires a strong grasp of local geography:
“Give me a hundred block and I can tell you where that is,” remarked Cleveland.
She said the support from her sisters and brothers in AFSCME Local 2364 had been “overwhelming.” She added, “We always have each other’s back.”
Look inside for 36 photos from the AFSCME Iowa Council 61 19th Biennial Convention!