Delegates pass 2010 MAPE Legislative Priorities

At the MAPE Delegate Assembly, held Friday and Saturday, Sept. 25 and 26, the delegates ratified the the 2010 MAPE Legislative Priorities and Positions. The priorities and positions are prepared by the Team MAPE Government Relations committee and submitted for approval by the delegate Assembly. The 2010 Priorities and Positions are as as follows:

MAPE Government Relations Committee
2010 Legislative Core Priorities and Positions

2010 MAPE GRC Legislative Core Priorities:

• MAPE supports efforts to pass our 2009-2011 collective bargaining agreement early in the 2010 legislative session.
• MAPE supports equitable compensation, improved benefits, and fair treatment of all state employees.
• MAPE opposes any efforts to eliminate or reduce our current retirement and pension benefits.  
• MAPE supports the right of all workers to earn adequate wages and benefits, organize labor unions and bargain collectively.
• MAPE supports significant efforts to fix our health care system, including, but not limited to, the creation of a single-payer, universal health care system.
• MAPE opposes privatization, outsourcing or contracting of state services.
• MAPE supports efforts to create a more efficient state government.

2010 MAPE GRC Legislative Positions:

  MAPE supports efforts to pass our 2009-2011 collective bargaining agreement early in the 2010 legislative session.

o   MAPE supports legislation that would automatically approve state labor contracts if the legislature fails to act on them by the adjournment date.

MAPE supports equitable compensation, improved benefits and fair treatment of all state employees.

o   We support legislation that would adjust pay rates based on current research and available data. Currently many compensation levels are not based the state’s own pay equity system (also known as Hay system).

o   We support domestic partnership benefits for all workers.

o   We support the preservation and strengthening of the Public Employees Labor Relations Act (PELRA).

o   We oppose the use of professional employees in unclassified service. We support efforts to eliminate the use of permanent unclassified positions in the general professional bargaining unit.

o   We support legislation designed to protect state employees as they are going about their official duties.

o   We support legislation that would bring equity and fairness to the state employees designated as unclassified.

o   We support a more balanced affirmative action program that would emphasize increased recruitment efforts, greater attention to retaining minority employees and the elimination of barriers to diversifying our workforce. 

o   We support the right of state employees to run for partisan political office.

MAPE opposes any efforts to eliminate or reduce our current retirement and pension benefits.   

o   We support matching, proportional pension plan contribution rate increases.

o   We support the continuation of our “defined benefit” pension plan. We oppose any attempt to switch to a “defined contribution” plan.

o   We believe employees should be allowed to continue working for the state part-time without a reduction in retirement benefits.

o   We oppose the use of state pension funds for any purpose beyond pensions, under-funding of retirement plans, and any change in retirement law that reduces retirement benefits.   

MAPE supports the right of all workers to earn adequate wages and benefits, organize labor unions and bargain collectively.

o   We support the right of all public employees, including those who work in the Minnesota Legislature, constitutional offices and the judicial system, to organize and bargain collectively.

o   We oppose any efforts to limit or reduce worker’s right to organize unions, bargain collectively, attain adequate compensation and access dislocated worker or workers compensation benefits. 

o   We oppose proposals to decrease workers’ compensation benefits to injured workers. 

o   We oppose legislation that removes funds from dislocated worker programs.

o   We believe labor unions should have the same right as other political contributors to participate in the political process through the use of payroll deductions.

o   We support other public employees and labor unions. We will assist and/or support other public employees and labor unions on legislative issues when those issues are not in conflict with the issues and priorities of MAPE members.

o   We support an increase in the minimum wage.  We support the enactment of legislation at both the state and federal levels to increase the minimum wage.

o   We support legislation that would automatically ratify our collective bargaining agreement if the legislature fails to act prior to adjournment.

MAPE supports significant efforts to fix our health care system, including, but not limited to, the creation of a single-payer universal health care system.

o   We believe the state should keep health insurance costs down for employees and their dependents without decreasing benefits.

o   We support long term care insurance premiums being paid with pre-tax dollars.

o   We support the use of a secure electronic health records system to increase care quality, reduce costs and increase efficiency.

o   We oppose the creation of health savings accounts within SEGIP that will pass increases in insurance costs on to other employees in the program.

MAPE opposes privatization, outsourcing or contracting of state services.

o   MAPE supports succession planning which includes staff and leadership development.

 

MAPE supports efforts to create an efficient state government.

o   We support measures requiring the utilization of fair and transparent accounting principles. 

o   MAPE supports efforts to protect “whistleblowers.”