AFSCME Local 2960» Rights

Stop Wisconsin-Style Attacks on Arizona Workers

Frank Piccioli — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:30:11 +0000

http://act.aflcio.org/

Taking a page out of the playbooks of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Ohio Gov. John Kasich’s, Gov. Brewer and extreme right-wing Arizona lawmakers are pushing a series of bills attacking firefighters, teachers, nurses and other public service workers who work hard to keep our communities safe and strong.

These bills would take away all collective bargaining rights for public service workers, leading to larger class sizes in our schools, more dangerous working conditions for firefighters and police officers and making our communities less safe.

As in Wisconsin and Ohio, these measures are not about balancing Arizona’s budget and are not about jobs. They are about the destructive political agenda right-wing politicians and their corporate funders are pushing across the country to consolidate their power.

Please take a moment to visit the site and sign the petition. It only takes 2 minutes.

Stand up for YOUR Rights! We all need to be 1 VOICE!

Dennis Martinez — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 21:33:37 +0000

Date: Thursday, Feb. 9, 2012
Where: State Senate Lawn
Arizona State Capitol Building
17th Ave. between Washington/Jefferson
Time: 12:00 p.m.

Jan Brewer’s Latest Outrage – Please Sign Petition

Dennis Martinez — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 20:20:35 +0000

http://signon.org/sign/attacks-on-az-workers

By Rebekah Friend, Arizona AFL-CIO

To be delivered to: The Arizona State House, The Arizona State Senate, and Governor Jan Brewer

We urge all Arizona lawmakers to stop the attacks on firefighters, teachers, police officers and other hard-working public service workers. Vote NO on SB 1484, 1485, 1486 and 1487.

Taking a page out of the playbooks of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, Gov. Jan Brewer and extreme right-wing Arizona lawmakers are pushing a series of bills attacking firefighters, teachers, nurses and other public service workers who work hard to keep our communities safe and strong.

As in Wisconsin and Ohio, these measures are not about balancing Arizona’s budget and are not about jobs. They are about the destructive political agenda right-wing politicians and their corporate funders are pushing across the country to consolidate their power.

Sign This Petition To FIGHT Back Against The Muzzling Of Our Voices

Dennis Martinez — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:38:45 +0000

Petition: http://davidschapira.nationbuilder.com/stand_up_for_the_middle_class

The right of workers to organize and collectively bargain for better wages and working conditions is a fundamental American right that ought to be protected, not vilified. Arizona’s Tea Party Republicans should stop attacking workers and join us in focusing on real solutions to our economy.

We should be working to strengthen our dwindling middle class, not engaging in transparent attempts to tear it down.

Please add your voice to the petition, and I (David Schapira) will personally deliver our message to the Tea Party Republican leadership.

If you are in a union, please indicate which in the comment box of the petition.

AZ Lawmakers Eye Ban On Public Union Bargaining

Dennis Martinez — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:20:33 +0000

From: http://www.azfamily.com/

By AP

Video report by Frank Camacho

Posted on February 1, 2012 at 5:42 PM

PHOENIX — An Arizona Senate committee on Wednesday voted along party lines for a Republican bill to ban collective bargaining with public employee unions and to impose other restrictions on labor groups for government employees.

Arizona’s state government does not engage in collective bargaining with its employees, so the impact of the proposed ban would fall on political subdivisions such as school districts and municipalities that use the negotiating methods. They include both formal contracts and informal advisory negotiations.

The legislation was proposed in the wake of similar efforts by Republican lawmakers and governors in states including Wisconsin, where political tumult arising from a near-elimination of collective bargaining for public employees prompted a recall drive against Republican Gov. Scott Walker.

The collective bargaining ban proposed for Arizona was among four union-related bills approved by the Government Reform Committee.

Other bills approved by the committee would bar withholding money from a public employee’s pay for union dues, prohibit a public employer from paying an employee for union activities and prohibit deductions from public employees’ paychecks for outside groups without annual authorizations.

During the committee hearing, Republican legislators and representatives of the Goldwater Institute, a conservative advocacy group, said the bills would save taxpayer dollars while protecting the rights of individual public workers.

“This is about power and control of the public purse,” Goldwater Institute attorney Nick Dranias said of the collective bargaining ban. “This is not about attacking workers. This is not even about attacking unions.”

But Democratic legislators and union representatives said the bills were politically motivated attacks on public employee unions.

“At the end of the day,” said Sen. Steve Gallardo, D-Phoenix, “this bill is about union-busting.”

The opponents also said the bills would stifle the collective voice of firefighters, teachers and other workers.

“You and I know this is a political agenda. This is politics. You’re not trying to save taxpayer money,” said Frank Piccioli, head of a union representing 911 operators and other Phoenix city employees. “You don’t like who unions support.”

The sponsor of the proposed collective bargaining ban, Sen. Rick Murphy, said taxpayers’ costs from public employee contracts negotiated by unions for pay and benefits are a burden on taxpayers.

Government workers who band together to extract more money from the public aren’t entitled to have the public support that process through payroll deductions, Murphy said. “You have the right to freedom of speech. You do not have a right to free speech.”

The panel’s approval of the bills on 4-2 votes sends them to the full Senate for consideration next week under a normal timetable, but Murphy said he was willing to first speak with opponents to hear more of their concerns. The legislation would move to the House if passed by the Senate.

Goldwater Institute economists say that 2010 statistics indicate that about 93,400 state or local government workers in Arizona, or about one of every four such workers, were represented in collective bargaining.

Rebecca Friend, Arizona AFL-CIO president, said at least 30,000 public employees belong to unions. She said that number may be low.

The legislation is being proposed in what appears to be a favorable political climate for Republicans, with Democrats who traditionally support unions lacking the votes to stop GOP-backed measures. Republicans hold two-thirds majorities in both legislative chambers, and Republican Gov. Jan Brewer in the past shut down a fledgling meet-and-confer process authorized by her predecessor, Democrat Janet Napolitano.

Separately, Brewer wants lawmakers to loosen the state government’s civil service system to make it easier to fire workers. She has proposed a 5 percent pay raise but said current workers should generally get it if they’re not covered by civil-service protections or if they voluntarily surrender that status.

The Wisconsin law that aimed a national spotlight on union powers does not allow negotiating with public employees’ unions over anything except pay increases no greater than the rate of inflation.

Arizona is among at least a dozen states with pending 2012 legislation to ban or restrict collective bargaining by public employees, according to a legislative database of the National Conference of State Legislatures.

In New Hampshire lawmakers are considering similar anti-union measures, including a ban on collective bargaining and on deducting dues from public employees’ paychecks.

In Ohio, voters last November overturned a law backed by Republican Gov. John Kasich to strip most public employee unions of collective bargaining rights.

President Frank Piccioli Debating AZ Senator On Channel 12 Tonight (1/31/12)

Dennis Martinez — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 23:35:21 +0000

Tune in to Channel 12 News at 6:00PM tonight to see President Frank Piccioli in a live debate with AZ District 9 Senator Rick Murphy about Union Rights and Collective Bargaining! We stand behind you President Piccioli!

Video: http://www.azcentral.com

Membership Dues

Dennis Martinez — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 16:39:10 +0000

Membership Dues for AFSCME Local 2960 are as follows:

Full Time Employees – $32/Month ($16.00/Paycheck)

Part Time Employees – $25/Month ($12.50/Paycheck)

Please contact the Union Office at (602) 254-3966 or see any Steward with questions about your membership or to sign up.

“Taking Aim” on outsourcing city services

Steve Ryan — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 18:16:35 +0000

On Wednesday, the Local 2960 along with other labor unions met in protest of recent legislative activity threatening our ability to provide city services to the citizens of Phoenix.

There are at least twenty bills in various stages within the state House and state Senate buildings that compromise our abilities to perform our jobs effectively. These bills will require Phoenix to pay significant sums of tax dollars in order to advertise and administer the project outsourcing that would be created. It would put Phoenix at a severe disadvantage when seeking experienced and talented administrators and staff members to perform these functions.

There is no credible evidence that it would benefit the citizens or the small business community. Phoenix currently provides quality service to its citizens, and there are no guarantees that a contractor, who makes a low bid, would be able to deliver that same type of service.

During the past several years, the City of Phoenix and its employees have worked cooperatively to resolve the budget problems caused by the national recession. The employees have agreed to significant pay concessions and have given up other benefits during this financial crisis. The city budget is balanced.

Phoenix has a Charter and Ordinances adopted by the voters of Phoenix. The voters have the right to make changes if they wish to do so. They have the ultimate authority to decide how their city should be run.

Councilman Sal DiCiccio is attacking the City of Phoenix and its Charter. He has the opportunity to make changes in the city through the office that he holds. Those efforts have failed. The voters within the City of Phoenix, speaking through the other City Council members have not indicated that any of these actions are necessary or warranted.

The citizens of Phoenix should be able to make the decisions on how the city is run and direct the administration on how the services are provided. Councilman DiCiccio should not be plotting with outsiders to undermine Phoenix, its Charter, the citizens and their legally elected government.

In response, Councilman Sal DiCiccio is begun a campaign to distorting the facts, defaming Phoenix and destroying the City’s reputation and image. Councilman DiCiccio schemed with others to create and advance Senate Bills 1322, 1345 and 1347.

Phoenix’s image has suffered because of Councilman Sal DiCiccio’s conduct. Phoenix is a “world class” city; it deserves to be represented by ethical Council members who respect the rules of the city and are not promoting their own personal agendas.

Weingarten Rights

Steve Ryan — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 23:41:30 +0000

The US Supreme Court has ruled that The National Labor Relations Act gives workers the right to request union representation during investigatory interviews by supervisors, security personnel, and other managerial staff. These are called Weingarten Rights.

An investgatory interview occurs if

management questions you to obtain information, and
you have a reasonable apprehension that your answers could be used as a basis for discipline or other adverse action.

You must ask for union representation either at the beginning of or during the interview. Management does not have to remind you of this right.

If your request is refused and management continues asking questions, you may refuse to answer. Your employer is guilty of an unfair labor practice and charges may be filed.

If you are called to a meeting with management, read the following or present a copy of the attached card when the meeting begins.

“If my responses to your questions could lead to my being disciplined or terminated, or adversely affect my personal working conditions, I respectfully request that you summon my union representative. Until my representative arrives, I choose not to answer any questions.”

Intimidation in Membership Drives

Steve Ryan — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 07:19:13 +0000

During the Union meeting of October 13th, one of the Executive Board Members, Frank Piccioli brought an article to the attention of those in attendance. Written by Mike Elk, the article pointed out that the tactics that are being used to intimidate those who support the passing of health care legislation very closely resemble those used by union-busters nationwide. He writes:

Free and fair elections don’t exist in the workplace in America because of the intimidation and lies that employers use against their workers. Studies have shown that 60 percent of workers want to join a union if they were able to but only 8 percent of private sector employees are members of unions

In making his point he cites several important factoids about the tactics that organizations will use to discourage Union membership.

Bosses and union busting consultants rely on threats to intimidate and coerce people. In 57% of all union drives they threaten to close factories, but only closes them 2% of the time. Indeed, they do fire workers in about 34% of all union drives just to intimidate the rest of the works.

As we move forward with our negotiations for the next MOU term, it is important to understand that there are still Unit III employees who are not Union members because of tactics similar to those pointed out in his article. And while the threats may not be as overt as those cited by Elk, it is important to note two things:

One, they still exist. And two, they are illegal.

The Local 2960 is ramping up its effort to enroll as many Unit III employees as we can for the upcoming MOU period. We urge you to attend of of the many Meet and Greet meetings that we will be conducting in the various workplaces. Bring your questions and concerns. If you have been the victim of these kind of imtimidation or mis-information tactics, please let us know.

From a different article, Elk points out how the simple act of joining a Union creates a stronger sense of community with your fellow employees.

“… union members refer to themselves as “brothers and sisters” during union rallies… because of the bond of solidarity that is formed during the intense harassment and firing of workers leading up to union certification elections.”

If you would like more information about becoming a Union member please contact the Local 2960 office or a steward in your department.