FROM YOUR EDITOR

By this time all of you know the results of the “Strike Authorization” vote. The numbers speak for themselves.

Where do we go from here?!

This is the question all of us are now asking. In an effort to address this question, I asked two of our Statewide Executive Board members to write articles on this matter. The Statewide Executive Board (consisting of elected members of our union) sets policy and direction for our organization, ASEA- AFSCME Local 52.

From Barbara Karl/ Executive Board Member Representing Anchorage:

NOW WHAT?

As a member of the Statewide Executive Board’s subcommittee for overseeing the strike authorization vote, I observed the recent ballot count. Before the count started, I already knew that an unprecedented 82.3% of our membership had cast ballots. As the count unfolded, I realized that something beyond my wildest dreams was occurring. We Local 52 members, in a state that is noted for elections that are won by razor-thin margins, had voted “yes” on three questions by percentages ranging from 83.62 to 85.88. Now that is a landslide! We deserve to congratulate ourselves, each other, and our dedicated staff, all of whom are instrumental in this incredible demonstration of unity and support for a fair and decent contract.

But now that the shouting is over and the media has reported the results to the public, what next? I imagine there will be some public backlash although I haven’t seen any negative comments from the press. Remember, we are the group that Alaskans love to hate almost as much as legislators.

We have much to do. The unity that this strike authorization vote achieved among us must not be allowed to dissipate. We need to reinforce the message of the strike authorization vote to the Governor and our legislators. When asked by a fellow member “How can I complain to the state that they are neglecting their responsibilities to come to the table?”….Pat Morrow, our very capable Anchorage coordinator for the get-out-the-vote effort wrote: “I think the most effective response would be to send a real letter….Keep it short & to the point so it will get read. You might suggest that if they want more info they can contact you. If you have any personal contact with other legislators, then send them a copy and say who you sent the letter to and ask them…how to get the message across in the most effective way.”  Good advice, Pat.

If you find that your legislators are not supportive of us and our need for a decent contract, we need to elect ones who are. Next year is an election year. That means supporting candidates for election who will support us. You can start right now by authorizing a dues check-off for the PEOPLE campaign or increasing your check-off amount. Money donated to the PEOPLE campaign can be used to help elect candidates who support us. You can obtain an authorization form from headquarters at 626 “F” Street.

I think we need to go further. We need to write letters to the editors of any and all print media explaining our position. Let them know 1) how, in light of all the COLA’s we have not received (while others have)…our take home pay has diminished through the years; 2) how the state unilaterally cut our pay $54 a month to pay for projected-but-unsubstantiated increases in health costs; 3) how the administration has not been bargaining in good faith; 4) that there are dedicated sing-parent state workers who are below the poverty level and qualify for welfare benefits; and 5) how your are tired of being a person dedicated to public service who is treated shabbily by the administration and the legislature. You know your own circumstances better than I do. Just draw on your own experience and let the public and your elected officials know how you feel.

By our strike authorization vote, we have told the world that we are “Willing to Walk.” But we are still a long way from having to. Contract negotiations continue and, from what I have heard, the state seems to be bargaining more seriously and has shown our team a friendlier, more receptive attitude. We must continue to support our collective bargaining team in their good efforts. If we do… and negotiations move forward in a positive direction, we may not have to walk. It’s up to you. PUT ON THE PRESSURE!! Take the time to the things I have mentioned. It’s our future. Let’s make it a good one!  In Solidarity….Barbara Karl.
 

From John Roxburgh/ Secretary, ASEA/AFSCME Local 52 Executive Board:

WHAT DOES THE STRIKE AUTHORIZATION VOTE REALLY MEAN?

The Strike Authorization vote which have just concluded is a milestone in the evolution of our union. This historic effort has gotten more people actively involved, has resulted in more contacts between Union representatives and the members, and has produced a higher voter turnout that we have ever before seen. The vote demonstrates our unity, in that members from every part of this state have shown that they feel the same way about the way we’ve all been treated, and are equally determined to do something about it at long last.

For the Executive Board this vote has added significance, for it represents both an endorsement and a responsibility. You, the members have confirmed that we are going in the right direction; and you have agreed with us that it is time to provide the Negotiating Team with this powerful tool which they have asked for. You have also said that you trust the Executive Board  to “lead us all out of Egypt”, to support the bargaining team in their efforts to negotiate a fair contract, and to decide whether and when a strike action becomes a necessary part of that process. It’s a huge responsibility.

Fortunately, I can attest that the Executive Board is up to the challenge. I joined the Board last June, and it was immediately obvious that I could not have hoped for a finer group of people to serve with. We work long and hard and we get the job done. Oh, we may have our little disagreements – and we do – but at the end of the day we make the best decisions we can, with the interests of the membership firmly in mind. As a Board, and as individuals, we are consistently mindful of our responsibilities to the members… including those who voted, those who didn’t, those who couldn’t, and members of other weaker bargaining units as well. Our only interest is in winning a good contract, and I assure you: If we decide to take you out on strike, that action will be but one component of a careful, thoughtful winning strategy.

With a strike authorization in play, the stakes are now higher for our Negotiating Team – and for the State’s team also. Both sides will have to choose their strategies very carefully, as this is a sharper and more dangerous tool than anything they have been working with up until now. The strength of the vote also gives our Union’s bargaining team a mandate of sorts. “The membership has given us a very clear expression of their feelings about the State’s current offers,” says Negotiating Team member Thom Wylie. “The members have spoken: They are not longer willing to accept cuts to their wages and benefits.”

Probably the greatest significance of this vote is its legacy of optimism and organization. Those who said the Union could never do anything right, or that the members were too apathetic to take a stand…those people were proven wrong. We now have an internal organization of newly recruited worksite coordinators, flush with victory and ready for the next challenge. We have brought our membership database to an unprecedented level of accuracy, signing up several new members in the process. We have built new lines of communication between the leadership, the membership and staff, while strengthening and enhancing the existing ones. In short, we are on the move.

An organization the size of this one has a tremendous amount of inertia. It takes a lot of effort to get it moving, but once it starts to move…it quickly becomes an unstoppable force. That is what is happening here. If we keep up the momentum, and remain focused on our goal, then those majority solons will be dismayed, when they arrive in Juneau next January, to discover that it is no longer business as usual. We are awake, we’re mad as hell, and we’re not going to take any more abuse. In the last analysis, that’s what this vote really means…..John Roxburgh.