ANCHORAGE CHAPTER’S PRESIDENT’S LETTER

Hello Anchorage!

It sure was nice to have a Fall season this year.  It is time to figure out what winter activities to do outdoors.  Remember to get outside to soak up those winter rays of sunlight.  We all need it.

This Fall (as in not winter) we had an Alaska Day dance.  The Phil Sheridan Band was a great success at the dance.  The appetizers were tasty.  All the people that came had a great time.  Thanks to Art Goldberg for doing most the work to make it happen.

I could use some help in figuring out what future activities members would like to participate in that will provide an opportunity to get together and have fun.  If someone would like to practice survey techniques, this is a great opportunity.  Have you got ideas on how to solicit input?

It is sure nice to be thinking about this kind of activity instead of contract negotiations and funding.

In Solidarity
Patrick W. Morrow
Anchorage Chapter President
ASEA/AFSCME Local 52
 

Health Plan Board Trustees

Way to go.  We now have six high caliber people to work on the formation of our new health trust.  We elected three great people, one from each of three regions:  Anchorage –Dave Campana, Fairbanks/Rural –Stan Kaneshiro, and Juneau -Jeff Anderson.  The GGU members that comprise your State Executive Board appointed the other three members:  Harriet Lawlor, Bob Powers, and Fred Brown.  These “Trustees” will be replaced through staggered elections to insure continuity.

The newly formed board met on November 8th and 9th for training and to begin their work.  Tthey will be making decisions that will determine the future of our health care benefits.  Watch for opportunities that may arise to provide help to our Trustees.

Dues Increase Vote

Ballots went in the mail November 15th for members to cast their vote on a dues increase.  The increase was proposed by your friends and co-workers,  the delegates to the Y2K Biennial Convention.  At the convention the delegates studied where we are financially and debated the options.  In the end they recommended a modest increase that is structured so that the members who make the most will pay the most.  Check it out on the web site that is maintained by the ASEA office staff <asealocal52.org>.  This small increase is necessary to avoid further cut backs in our ASEA offices.

Please give serious consideration to the result of this vote.  If you have already cast your ballot, think back about which way you voted.  How will that affect our future?  If you would like to change your vote or you aren’t sure if you sent it in, then contact the ASEA office.  Your mailed in ballot with the latest postmark is the one that will be counted.  Ballots are due to be received at the post office no later than 12 noon on December 20th.

Report from the AFSCME Northwest Regional Conference

By Barbara Karl, State Executive Board, Central (Anchorage) Representative:

Our union, ASEA/AFSCME Local 52, is one of many local unions chartered withAFSCME International.  As such, we are part of the Northwest Region, which includes locals in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana, along with Alaska. In late September, a conference was held for the Northwest Region in Hood River, Oregon.  Along with eight others from Alaska, I attended this one-day conference.  At a reception the evening before the conference, we met people from other states, county, and municipal employees’ unions in the other states. We shared our successes and failures and built on them the next day at the workshops.

After a welcome from Chris Dugovich, our International Vice-President and themorganizer of the conference, presenter Steve Fantauzzo spoke about AFSCME’s organizing efforts.  Their goal is to organize 75,000 new members each year. Good organizing takes strategy, dedication, coordination, and thinking outside the box.  He mentioned that a strategy to counter privatization is for AFSCME to become the union for private sector workers who do the same work we do.  AFSCME General Counsel, Jack Dempsey, talked about the national trends in labor law and gave us specifics on pertinent Supreme Court decisions.  Following lunch, Don Craig gave a presentation on union communication and visibility in the workplace.

The best part of the conference was meeting people from other locals and being reminded that we in ASEA are part of a well structured, assertive organization that last year was the second largest union in America.
 

Special Committees

There are times when something needs to be done for the Chapter that is best done by more than one person.  On  those occasions volunteers may be requested to form a special committee.  A draft Policy and Procedure (P&P) related to special committees was reviewed and adopted in spirit by the Anchorage Chapter Executive Board at the November Anchorage Chapter Executive Board meeting.  The final P&P will be discussed at the Executive Board meeting in December and again at the Quarterly Anchorage Chapter meeting.  Let’s talk about it.

Special committees will be formed the same way committees are currently formed, by people volunteering.  The Committee Chair will report to the Chapter Executive Board each month until completion of the task.  The committee will continue until the task is completed or until the Board dissolves the committee.

The main focus of the policy is to establish a process to help assure that the work of the committee will be successful.  One of the first things the special committee will do is write a brief statement of what needs to be done and how the work will be accomplished.
 
Special committees will be expected to do the following:

• Recruit sufficient committee members to accomplish the task
• Provide the Executive Board with a list members names and how to contact them
• Write the committee’s PURPOSE and “Plan Of Action”
• Submit the PURPOSE and “Plan Of Action” to the Anchorage Chapter Executive Board for approval
• List proposed expenditures and expected source of funds
• Upon approval , the committee will take action to accomplish the task
• Write results of the committee that includes a comment on the purpose, plan of action, and the expenses
• Provide the written report to the Chapter President and the members of the Chapter Executive Board

It is not news that work requirements and problems exist at some work sites that can not be fully addressed through contract negotiations.  In an attempt to identify those problems and determine the options the Anchorage Chapter of ASEA is requesting volunteers to participate in two Special Committees.  One is for issues at  for API and another for DFYS issues.  Volunteers will be needed that both do and do not work at those sites.  These committees will be discussed at the December Quarterly meeting on 12/13/00 at 5:30 PM.  If we are going to examine these issues, it will take volunteers that are willing to do some excellent work.  The meeting will be at the Carpenters Union Hall December 13, 2000 at 5:30pm.  All GGU members are invited to participate.

From Judy Morris- Chief Steward Anchorage Chapter- A Reminder

I want to remind all stewards that election for all steward positions is coming up shortly. Stewards and Anhcorage Chapter members interested in running as stewards should submit their applications to me by no later than the end of December.