On Friday, December 9, DDS Chapter President Stu Dickson testified on behalf of the need to restore (not cut) Service Coordinator positions at BU’s Agganis Arena. Over 300 people were present to give testimony. It was no small feat to also distinguish the need for public services in a room dominated by the interest of the Purchase Of Service (POS) system.
Below is a summary of written/spoken testimony:
I will keep my remarks very brief. I’m here to talk about the public service side of this story. We are requesting $5 million to restore Service Coordinator positions lost since 2007. After federal reimbursement this cost is reduced to $2.5 million. Slashing the DDS Service Coordination and Administration account (line item 5911-1003) would reduce important services for some of our most vulnerable citizens. We understand that these are tough economic times and hard decisions may need to be made, but we need to protect and maintain services for disabled individuals. Service Coordinators provide case management, safety, monitoring, teaching plans and oversight for the DDS population. A reduction would result in a further layoff of DDS staff.
Since 2007, 82 Service Coordinator positions have been lost, a 20% reduction, despite increases in the population of vulnerable citizens that need these services. Caseloads have increased to an already dangerous ratio of 1:60. This places Massachusetts in the lowest 5% in the country. Service Coordination needs restoration of staffing levels, not cuts. In order to value this population, you must value their staffing needs. Service Coordinators not only provide this crucial care, but also bring in over $500 million in federal revenue through the Omnibus Waivers to the Commonwealth. $500 million provides much of the salaries and benefits to many people in this room. This has more then paid for staffing needs. The time is long overdue to restore funding for these important positions. Do something FOR Service Coordination instead of TO Service Coordination.
The Stewards Book outlines stewards’ various duties and responsibilities in the workplace. Chapters range from “Dealing with Management” to “The Steward as Political Activist.” The book also provides a handy checklist of things stewards need to know, have, and do.
Your Role As Steward: The Basics
Get the basics about what you need as a steward, what your protections and duties are, and how to welcome new workers to the job.
Talking to Your Co-Workers
The how-to of explaining SEIU and how we work as a union, explaining our dues system, and what a difference the union makes.
Problem-Solving 101
What do you do when confronted with a problem. This section teaches how to identify problems, what you have a right-to-know as steward, how to analyze the problem, and working with management to resolve issues quickly.
Your Role As Steward: In-Depth
So, you’ve got a dispute in your workplace that’s not going away easily. Stewards wear many hats, and have lots of tools at their disposal to resolve issues short of filing formal grievances.
Disputes and Grievances: Rights, Procedures and Best Practices
For the occasions when meetings between management and a member can lead to discipline or a grievance, read the step-by-step of the members’ (and your) rights, and how to formally craft grievances to reach the right resolution for workers.
Glossary and Bibliography
Read about SEIU’s terminology and supporting information to find out more.
Brothers and Sisters,
Lately, there has been a lot of confusion about the STS units and the status of ICPM negotiations. Some have been told that the Union has agreed to all aspects of the STS units; some have been told that the selection of staff for the units will be handled a certain way; some have been told this, that or the other thing. You get the idea. There has been a lot of confusion, and in some cases, contradictory information out there about the status of ICPM/STS negotiations. Much of it has been inaccurate.
I want to use this newsletter to explain directly to you where negotiations stand at this point.
The only “firm” agreement between DCF and SEIU Local 509 regarding the STS units is contained in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by the parties in August 2011. This agreement contained “broad strokes” of what the STS units would be and what they would do, but had no final decisions on the actual functions to be completed by staff in these units (this would include the frequency and type of client and collateral contact, what would encompass the “focused assessment” and “focused service plan,” etc.). These “nuts and bolts” issues remain topics being addressed at the bargaining table.
I sent a letter to Commissioner McClain reminding him of these facts. A week or so ago, I sent to all DCF stewards a memo concerning the details of what has been agreed to and what has not, as well as copies of the signed MOU and letter I sent to the Commissioner. Please see one of your stewards if you would like to view these documents yourselves.
The Commissioner has since forwarded the draft job descriptions for these new STS functions – both supervisor and social worker descriptions – as well as the Department’s proposal for what will be done in the STS units. These have been presented as part of bargaining, and the Union and DCF will bargain these issues in formal negotiations. No agreements have been reached to these detailed documents as I write this newsletter, but negotiations remain ongoing.
The issue of selection of staff for these units has been a source of much anxiety for the field, and understandably so. To that end, the Vice Presidents and I have met with the Union office to ensure that all staff selection will be done in accordance with the contract. We submitted to DCF our expectations in this regard, so that the contract is followed, and DCF has agreed with our interpretation of the contract. You should speak with your Vice Presidents or me for more detailed information, but briefly, the process will be as follows:
DCF and the Union remain in talks to minimize, or hopefully avoid, any involuntary moves. Negotiation sessions are scheduled over the coming weeks and we will keep you posted as the process moves along.
In a topic related to ICPM negotiations, DCF has submitted a caseload proposal, which would change the weighting of cases in light of the work we now do at DCF. This, as you will recall, was something I had demanded be in the MOU signed in August; that DCF and the Union bargain new caseload weightings and that DCF seek the money for the staff needed. The fact that DCF submitted this caseload proposal not only complies with the MOU, but provides hope that we are moving towards long-needed changes to our caseload weighting system. There is still much work to be done, but this is a very positive first sign.
Computers
The Commissioner has been advocating for the field to get new computers. The Union has made this a priority issue for our members, given the loss in productivity that our members incur by the slow computers. Based in part on information the Union was able to provide, the Commissioner and his staff have been able to secure the resources for 2,000 new computers for the field (Social Workers and Supervisors). We have been told that these new computers will be on people’s desks by June 2012, barring any unforeseen budget setbacks. This is long overdue and good news to all of us who lose as much as two hours a day (or more!) in lost productivity simply because we’re waiting for a computer to start up.
Safety Committee
There is a lot of exciting work going on in this committee. DCF has been working collaboratively with the Union on this issue, and the goal is to establish a protocol that DCF will use to support workers and supervisors in the field. We all know the work is hard. We all know the affects of secondary trauma. DCF has the chance to become one of the first, if not the first, child protection agencies in the country to have a formal process to address workers’ well being in the field.
To this end, a Resiliency Planning Survey was sent out this month from Local 509 via email (Click here to participate Survey Monkey). We hope that everyone will take just a few minutes of your time to answer the following survey questions. Results from this survey will be used to help develop an appropriate and standardized response to the trauma we experience as a part of the work.
GROUP 2 UPDATE
The Group 2 Bill is currently in the House Ways and Means Committee and coming in January the Union will aggressively start lobbying your State Reps. to move the bill onto the Floor! Please stay tuned for updates after the New Year.
I have been tremendously honored to have served as your Chapter President over this past year, and while there are many challenges that lie ahead, we have had some successes, and I look forward to celebrating the successes when we can and taking on the challenges head on when we must.
In the meantime, I hope everyone has a safe, happy, and joyous holiday season.
In unity,
Peter MacKinnon
DCF Chapter President
SEIU Local 509 is seeking a political intern.
Position will report primarily to the Deputy Political Director.
Local 509 has intern positions available for spring and summer of 2012. Interested candidates may submit resume and cover letter to Deputy Political Director:
Melody Hugo
SEIU Local 509
100 Talcott Avenue
Watertown, MA 02472
mhugo@seiu509.org
FAX: 617-924-8248.
Last night’s open house was a great time for Local 509 members, staff, families, and many other guests to come together and celebrate the last year that we’ve had as a union.
Enjoy a slideshow of photos from the night:
Since October 2010’s Annual Meeting, the Local 509 Organizing Department, working in conjunction with the Organizing Committee, has been on a roll. On December 14, 2010, workers from Sullivan & Associates (now renamed Guidewire) had their ballots counted. They won their union election in a landslide victory and are getting close to completing their first contract. When bargaining is done and their contract is ratified, we will be welcoming over 450 sisters and brothers who work in Mental Health and Developmentally Disabled programs in the Worcester, Springfield and Pittsfield areas. Local 509 NOC-trained members were key in talking to workers throughout the organizing campaign as bosses tried to dissuade them from forming a union and 509 members were invaluable in the “Get Out The Vote” or “GOTV” efforts. Thanks to all of you who worked on this campaign.
In addition to Guidewire, Local 509 also had a huge success in winning the Bridgewell campaign, with nearly 700 workers voting Union YES! See the separate article in the Private Sector Human Chapter report on page 15.
In addition to the ten NOC (National Organizing Corps) trainings held in 2010, we also had two in 2011 that were tied to specific campaigns. Newly trained NOC members, as well as 2010 “NOC veterans,” have helped immeasurably with campaigns that, at press time, are not yet complete: the NLRB (National Labor Relation Board) found 34 violations in last year’s MHA (Mental Health Association) election so we are currently in the midst of trying to win a new election, by using a fairer system of voting, the mail ballot. A campaign at Alternatives Unlimited, an agency that cuts a wide swath through Central Massachusetts, from the Rhode Island to New Hampshire, is in full swing; their GOTV is supposed to be timed with the Annual Meeting.
We invite anyone who is interested in helping the union grow to attend a meeting, and see what we do. We meet every month, and the time/location of the meeting is on an alternating schedule. Contact Dennis MacDonald for more information. This is an opportunity to help others achieve what we may take for granted, e.g. “Just Cause” and rights to the grievance and arbitration procedures. Officers of Local 509 take a pledge, “to organize the unorganized workers.”
Jen Rosenlund (Walnut Street) and Elaine Matthews (Eliot CHS) at the Verizon Store on Route 16
The company’s campaign of intimidation has continued relentlessly since the strike ended. Recently, the company retaliated against workplace leaders by firing 10 Massachusetts workers for “strike related activity.”
This greed and intimidation cannot stand.
On Saturday, December 10, International Human Rights Day, community delegations delivered letters (Letter of Support) to Verizon stores asking them to bargain fairly and respect their workers. Local 509 members Jen Rosenlund (Walnut Street Center) and Elaine Mathews (Eliot CHS), along with Field Rep Jon Grossman, went to the Verizon store on Route 16 in Everett to voice their concern to the company.
To keep up with the fight for a fair contract at Verizon and find out what you can do to support our union sisters and brothers there, visit Jobs With Justice’s page for the campaign.
Bargaining for the first contract is currently underway at Bridgewell. Please contact your field rep or worksite leader for more information.
CONTRACTS: TBD
STEWARDS:
