Governor Pawlenty now opposes Workforce Planning?

With 30% of all state employees on the verge or retirement, Minnesota is about to experience a major workforce transition. Despite issuing an Executive Order outlining the urgency of this issue, Governor Pawlenty has indicated that he may not support a workforce planning solution provision this session.

Click here: Contact Governor Pawlenty and ask him to support workforce planning!

MAPE supports a provision in HF 1812 that would help the state prepare for this shift by saving money on employee turnover, retaining knowledgeable state employees beyond the date they are eligible to retire, and encourage long term employees to extend their service, aiding the training of new employees.

Despite issuing an executive order drawing attention to the seriousness of this issue, Governor Pawlenty recently included the workforce planning provision in a statement related to "concerns" he has with the current budget bill.

Click here:  Contact Governor Pawlenty and ask him to support workforce planning! 

MAPE Member wins national delegate spot

MAPE member Ann Hill, Local 1101, has been elected to attend the Democratic National Convention this August in Denver. Hill has pledged to support Senator Barack Obama for President at the convention. 

Hill, an Ombudsperson for families, lives in South Minneapolis. She was elected at the 5th Congressional District DFL Convention. 

Becoming a delegate the Democratic National Convention is very difficult. Out of more than 200,000 caucus attendees state-wide, only 72 elected delegates will be chosen to the attend the DNC.

Hill is a union steward for MAPE and a member of the DFL State Central Committee. In 2006 she spent considerable time volunteering for State Senator Patricia Torres Ray and Congressman Keith Ellison. She is a founding member of the Major Taylor Bike Club of Minnesota and a member of the Women of African Descent Giving Circle.

“The most exciting part of this was to work with all the great people from varied backgrounds that helped me accomplish my goal,” she said.

Hill campaigned vigorously in the weeks leading up the convention. After being elected a delegate to the State and Congressional District Convention at the Senate District level, she attended numerous other conventions to meet her fellow delegates. She mailed a letter to all 210 delegates to the convention. She also called them personally to earn their support.

“My hard work paid off,” she said.

She says she supports Senator Obama because he has the leadership skills needed to address issues like the economy, the environment, and health care.

“I like his grass roots approach to leading our country. He is listening to the people and not to big money Federal PACs and K Street lobbyists. He is pulling together a diverse coalition of people. He is motivating parts of the citizenry that have become apathetic.”

The Democratic National Convention will take place August 25th-28th in Denver. The Republican convention will be in St Paul September 1st-4th.  National labor unions are split in their support of Senator Obama and Senator Hillary Clinton. MAPE does not endorse in Presidential elections.

Governor signs MAPE's contract

Governor signs MAPE's contract

House File 3138, including the MAPE contract, was signed by Governor Tim Pawlenty on Thursday. This marks the final hurdle for the 2007-2009 MAPE contract – it’s now officially approved.

This process began more than a year ago with the MAPE Negotiations Team surveying members about what they would like included in the contact. During the 2007 legislative session, Team MAPE, supported by more than 5,000 member-to-legislator contacts, was successful in earning a salary supplement, providing additional money for state employee salaries. 

The contract was agreed upon last summer in the final hours of “push week.” It was then passed by the MAPE Board of Directors, supported by 89 percent of voting members and signed by members of the Pawlenty administration.

In August, MAPE’s contract was implemented following unanimous approval by the Legislative Coordinating Commission Subcommittee on Employee Relations. Last fall, MAPE members received backpay going back to July 1st, as compensation for the time when the contract was not yet in place.
 

The 2007-2009 MAPE contract includes two 3.25 percent across-the-board pay hikes, one for each year of the biennium. It also includes an innovative prescription drug plan that will save money for both employees and the state. 
 

Passage of the MAPE contract was MAPE’s No. 1 legislative priority for 2008. Contract passage will give MAPE members peace of mind knowing that our collectively bargained benefits, like health care, will not be in jeopardy.

The bill containing the MAPE contract was authored by state Rep. Karla Bigham. The state Senate companion bill was authored by Senate President Jim Metzen.

Thank you to members of Team MAPE who attended Day on the Hill and contacted your legislators regarding this important issue. 

Omnibus State Budget Bill Conferees Named

House file 1812 is an Omnibus State Budget Bill. Versions of the bill have passed both the House and Senate. Now it will be sent to a conference committee to work out the differences. Tuesday April 8th the legislators that will sit on that converence committee were named. They are Representatives Carlson, Rukavina, M.Murphy, Ozment, and Wagenius and Senators

Cohen, Tomassoni, Fredrickson, Higgins, and Betzold.

Please contact these legislators and ask them to keep our Workforce Planning provision in the bill. Use this link to contact your legislators: http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/workforceplanning.

More info:

The bill is 376 pages in length and includes appropriations for multiple state agencies as well as provisions relating to health care and higher education. The specific measure in the bill MAPE is most interested in relates to Workforce Planning and Retention.

Why is this so important?

With 30% of all state employees on the verge or retirement, Minnesota is about to experience a major workforce transition. This provision will help the state prepare for this shift by saving money on employee turnover, retaining knowledgeable state employees beyond the date they are eligible to retire, and encourage long term employees to extend their service, aiding the training of new employees.

March Political Report

Day on the Hill 2008 - A “highly successful” and “well organized” event

More than 120 Team MAPE members participated in the annual MAPE Day on the Hill event Wednesday March 12^th at the Capitol. Members heard from influential speakers including Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller, House Majority Leader Tony Sertich. MAPE members utilized Day on the Hill to lobby their legislators to support early passage of the MAPE contract (SF 2620 - HF 3138) and workforce planning and retention legislation (SF 2736 – HF 3095) which aims to ease the impending workforce transition.

In an email following the event, MAPE First Vice President Andy Bindman remarked that it was a “highly successful” and “well organized” event. Please join us next year for MAPE Day on the Hill!

Team MAPE Action Training - May 30th/31st

MAPE will once again be working Erik Peterson from Wellstone to implement an Team training May 30^th and 31^st to be held at MAPE HQ in Shoreview. This training is based on the Camp Wellstone model and is an excellent entry point into legislative and political involvement. Registration will begin later this month.   

 

New Team MAPE PAC Board Members

Three new MAPE members have been added to the MAPE PAC board. They are: Sheila Scott, Molly Macgregor and Mark Proctor. Thank you to all that applied!

• Sheila Scott is comes from Local 602. She works as a staff attorney in the Department of Human Rights. Sheila lives in District 58A in North Minneapolis where she has served as precinct chair for more years then she cares to remember.
• Molly Macgregor is a member of Local 1502 and lives in District 4B in Walker. She currently serves as treasurer of her local party unit and as a volunteer campaign manager on a campaign for State House. Molly also worked on Dave Durenberger’s first campaign for US Senate in 1978.
• Mark Proctor is a member of Local 201 and lives in Bloomington (District 40B). In 2006, Mark volunteered 10 to 15 hours a week in support of MAPE PAC endorsed candidate, and now Senator, John Doll.

 
2008 MAPE Early Endorsements

The MAPE PAC board met earlier this year to determine 2008 “early endorsements.” Over 60 labor-friendly legislators met Team MAPE’s auto-endorse criteria for the 2008 election cycle. These elected officials deserve thanks for helping us achieve our recent legislative successes, including the passage of the salary supplement last year, and for their on-going support of professional public employees. Team MAPE will work to ensure these incumbents are reelected this fall. A few may even face primary challenges. To see the list, visit TeamMAPE.org.