MAPE's reaction to economic forecast

Press Release 

Minnesota Association of Professional Employees
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                          

Statement of:
Jim Monroe
Executive Director, Minnesota Association of Professional Employees (MAPE)
On economic forecast
Dec. 2, 2009

 

“Once again, the dire economic news released today paints a very bleak picture for the people of Minnesota.

 “Last May, MAPE outlined millions of dollars in waste that included out-of-state travel, uncollected revenue and the Pawlenty Administration’s bloated management. The result of MAPE shining the light on certain administration practices was $10 million trimmed from out-of-state travel and the Department of Revenue stepping up collection efforts on money owed to our state. These are positive steps, but more action is needed to cut waste to preserve vital services for Minnesotans.

 “Governor Pawlenty, with Minnesota facing a $1.2 billion state budget deficit for the remainder of this biennium, we ask that you put your presidential aspirations on hold, focus on the job you were elected to perform, sit down with us and work together to resolve the state’s ongoing economic crisis.”

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Below are weblinks to postings from MAPE's statement on the economic forecast:

• Minn. budget deficit $1.2 billion through mid-2011 (Pioneer Press online by the Associated Press)
• MAPE tells Pawlenty to put presidential postings on hold (MPR)
• MAPE's reaction to economic forecast (MN Progressive Project)

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.”

Senator Tarryl Clark - MAPE Legislator of the Year

Senator Tarryl Clark, Representative Tony Sertich and Representative Debra Hilstom were award winners at the 2009 MAPE Delegate Assembly awards dinner. Below is the press release announcing Senator Clark as the MAPE 2009 Senate Legislator of the year. Links to the press releases for the other two awards are also below.

Link: Hilstrom Award Press Release PDF

Link: Sertich Award Press Release PDF

For Immediate Release                                          
Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009                                                      

MAPE presents Senator Tarryl Clark with Legislator of the Year Award

Shoreview, MN – The Minnesota Association of Professional Employees (MAPE) awarded State Senator Tarryl Clark with its Senate Legislator of the Year Award at MAPE’s 2009 Delegate Assembly Friday and Saturday, Sept. 25 and 26.

“As the Senate’s Assistant Majority Leader, Tarryl Clark has proven she is a tireless advocate for creating jobs and for making government more efficient. She is a great supporter of the work we as state employees do for Minnesota,” said MAPE Legislative Affairs Director Richard Kolodziejski.

“Ever since she was first elected, Senator Clark has challenged us as state employees to find ways we can help the state save money,” Kolodziejski said. “In times like this, we need to roll up our sleeves and help the state solve the budget deficit. At Tarryl’s urging, we found many ways the state could save millions of dollars.”

During the 2009 legislative session, MAPE announced it had found numerous cost-savings in state government. The state budget deficit could be lowered by $357 million if the governor would implement MAPE’s money-saving budget suggestions today, including approximately $240 million per biennium the state writes off, bloated management that costs approximately $110 million per biennium and $6.8 million the state spends on outside electrical contractors.

Senator Clark also championed legislation requiring the Department of Employment and Economic Development to work together with entities like MnSCU and the University of Minnesota to create jobs. The coordination outlined in her bill will improve job placement, career planning and employer training.

MAPE has more than 12,600 members in Minnesota. MAPE members keep our lakes and rivers clean, protect us from food-borne illnesses and manage the state’s IT infrastructure.

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Team MAPE Day on the Hill 3/31/2010

Save the date! The 2010 Team MAPE Day on the Hill event will be held on March 31st at the Capitol.

What is Day on the Hill? Each year, MAPE members converge at the Capitol to lobby their legislators on key MAPE issues, like preventing layoffs, protecting retirement benefits and stopping the privatization of state services.

In 2009, Team MAPE Day on the Hill was an extraordinary success. Nearly 200 MAPE members attended the event. Facing a nearly $5 billion state budget deficit, which may result in layoffs and cuts, both MAPE members and legislators are looking for solutions to the budget crisis. Attendees also heard from speakers like Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, Speaker of the House Margaret Anderson Kelliher and Assistant Senate Majority Leader Tarryl Clark. Members spread out around the Capitol for meetings with their state senators and representatives, resulting in nearly 400 member-to-legislator contacts.

Join us for Day on the Hill on March 31st, 2010.

Thank you to everyone who submitted feedback to the GRC!

The Team MAPE Government Relations Committee received over 35 communications regarding the 2010 Team MAPE legislative priorities. Topics included issues such as universal health care and retirement benefits. This process will help to make the MAPE Legislative Priorities a more representative document with input from MAPE members from all across the state.

The Team MAPE GRC will meet this week to draft the Legislative priorities, which will be proposed and ratified at the September Delegate Assembly meeting.

MAPE’s contract receives unanimous approval

MAPE’s contract received unanimous approval Monday by the legislative Subcommittee on Employee Relations. Bargaining agreements for AFSCME Council 5, Minnesota Management Association and several others also were approved.

MAPE’s new contract now goes into effect on July 1. The opportunity for the full Legislature to approve MAPE’s contract will come during the 2010 legislative session. MAPE’s new contract runs through June 30, 2011.

MAPE members overwhelmingly ratified a new two-year contract on June 22, with 92 percent of MAPE members voting approved a new two-year contract.

Next deficit: $7.3 bililon

The legislative session is over. The Governor will use his unilateral unallotment power to balance the budget. But what about the next biennium?

A report released yesterday by Politics in Minnesota estimates the next deficit, if inflation is factored in, will top $7 billion.

Click here to read the full report.

Pawlenty eliminates the Political Contribution Refund program.

The Governor’s unallotment cuts will decimate state government. He has unilaterally cut agency funding and programs that help provide basic health for poor Minnesotans.

The Governor also chose to eliminate the Political Contribution refund program. This program allows working Minnesotans to donate $50, or $100 for a married couple, to the candidate or party unit of their choice, and receive a full refund.  This cut will be put in place on July 1^st, so contributions made today will still qualify for a refund.

You are free to choose who you would like to contribute to. Since this is a very time sensitive issue, Team MAPE would like to suggest a few elected officials and party units that you could contribute to:

Minnesota DFL

Click here to contribute online

255 E Plato Blvd
St Paul, MN 55107

Republican Party of Minnesota
525 Park Street, Suite 250

St. Paul, MN 55103

Representative John Persell

Preliminary 2009 Team MAPE Vote Score: 100%

Citizens for John Persell

PO Box 322
Bemidji, MN 56619-0322

Representative Michael Obermueller

Preliminary 2009 Team MAPE Vote Score: 88%

Obermueller for Minnesotans

3874 Danbury Trl
Eagan, MN 55123

Representative Gail Kulick Jackson

Preliminary 2009 Team MAPE Vote Score: 100%

Gail Kulick Jackson Volunteer Committee

PO Box 192
Milaca, MN 56353

Representative Paul Rosenthal

Preliminary 2009 Team MAPE Vote Score: 94%

Citizens for (Paul) Rosenthal

4721 Hibiscus Ave
Edina, MN

MAPE Unallotment Statement

CLICK HERE TO READ A FULL REPORT OF WHAT THE GOVERNOR PLANS TO CUT.

Statement of Jim Monroe,
Executive Director, Minnesota Association of Professional Employees,
On Governor Pawlenty’s Unallotment Announcement
June 16, 2009 

“Governor Pawlenty’s unallotment priorities speak volumes to the fact he has turned his back on Minnesotans while turning his attention to the national spotlight.

While he cuts local government aid to communities which will delay hiring police and firefighters, or lay them off,  Governor Pawlenty would rather threaten the safety of Minnesotans than lay off members of his full-time security detail who travel all over the country with him. 

When it comes to education, Governor Pawlenty turns his back on the public school system and the University of Minnesota which educated him and helped him pull himself up by his bootstraps.  Pawlenty’s cuts to state colleges and universities coupled with payment delays to school districts will shred the bootstraps of every high school and potential college student in this state who desires a brighter future.

How can Governor Pawlenty call himself a Sam’s Club Governor when he increases the number of uninsured in this state by 30,000 people knowing full well that every Sam’s Club member and every other Minnesotan will end up paying for our uninsured citizens?

Governor Pawlenty commented at today’s press conference that unallotment will put additional pressure on state agencies. MAPE would like to offer a solution of where we would work with the Governor to find deficit reduction solutions.  MAPE believes the deficit can be reduced while maintaining vital services provided by state employees.  The first two areas to look for waste are 1.9 billion dollars in outside contracts and over 100 million dollars in bloated management levels in the Pawlenty administration.”   

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CLICK HERE TO READ A FULL REPORT OF WHAT THE GOVERNOR PLANS TO CUT.

What is "unallotment"?

We’ve all heard that the Governor plans to use the unprecedented unallotment process to balance a $2.7 billion budget deficit that remains for fiscal years 2010-2011.  But, what exactly does that mean?  Unallotment means the Governor can cut or delay spending of general fund money.  The cuts or delays may be done in part or in whole, but he may not transfer money from other accounts to the general fund, he may not raise revenues, he may not increase fees, and he may not decrease other funds that are not facing a deficit.

 

If the Commissioner of Minnesota Management and Budget determines that receipts for the general fund will be less than forecasted and the amount available for the remainder of the biennium will be less than required, unallotment may be the tool used to balance the state’s budget.  The statute specifically deals with “prior” appropriations and transfers requiring the Governor to unallot from a budget already put in place.  Therefore, the Governor will await the July 1 biennium start date to begin the FY 2010-11 unallotment process.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT HOW THIS PROCESS WILL PLAY OUT