DMH Previous Update

June Update
Congratulations and welcome to Local 509 a group of new DMH members from the Massachusetts Mental Health Center. As of April 24, the former Vinfen workers employed there have been converted to DMH employees and have joined our chapter.

Contract negotiations and bargaining continue slowly. Anti-bullying, holidays, shift differential, GPS, travel reimbursement, recruitment issues, and FMLA were some of the business items raised by Local 509’s chief negotiator during the last meeting in May. Please visit www.seiu509.org for more information. The subcommittees have made sufficient progress re-establishing the momentum of the negotiations. The findings, the issues identified, and the outcome will be displayed and presented at the main table on June 12.

The Massachusetts House of Representatives voted out a budget that did not adversely change our state employees’ health insurance. It is a major victory.

The Chapter Conference Committee suggested postponing the upcoming conference until September. The Chapter board approved the request unanimously. I will keep you informed.

Local 509 is scheduling a Special Membership meeting to decide on a proposal that will increase dues and modify the dues structure. The meeting will be at the Doubletree Hotel in Westboro, MA, at 10:00 am on Saturday, June 21. All members are encouraged to attend. A reminder: The monthly Chapter Board meeting will be held at the above location right after the Special Membership Meeting. There will be NO CHAPTER BOARD MEETING in Milford on Tuesday, June 17.

FYI: The Union has scheduled the Annual Meeting for Saturday, October 18, at the Doubletree Hotel in Westboro.

I invite you to visit your new DMH Chapter webpage where you can find more information and updates about union and chapter business. Please forward your suggestions and comments to me at dmh@509seiu.com.

I conclude by extending my deepest appreciation to everyone who is helping this Chapter move forward. Special thanks to my colleagues and counterparts in Local 509 for their friendship and support.

April Update
Over the last few months, the DMH chapter has been very busy with contract negotiations, statewide labor-management sessions, meeting with the Commissioner and the new DMH administration, grievances/reclassification hearings, supplemental language N, and more. These efforts are bringing about positive changes.

As you know, SEIU 509 is currently engaged in full-scale negotiations with the Commonwealth for a new three year contract. No economic offers have been made or discussed yet.

DMH and the chapter have reached a tentative agreement on supplemental language N for case managers. The next step is to work on a similar agreement for social workers.

More good news: an ad hoc working group was formed by DMH few months ago to “address and act on one topic at a time“ to improve current practices. Chapter Team members are being included in those discussions at my request.

Concerning the $2 million reclassification pool, unfortunately, the outcome was inadequate and unfavorable to the chapter. Only a handful of us have received an upgrade. We demand a fair share this time around.

On a positive note, the Union and the Commonwealth have negotiated under the statewide and career ladder fund a pool of more than $250,000 for Local 509 members, to be utilized by June 30, 2009.

Another favorable development concerns a DMH chapter conference. A planning committee has been formed. A full endorsement from President Grunko has already been granted. Commissioner Leadholm has approved the concept but requested a written proposal before a final decision. More details to come soon.

Before I finish, I would like to take the opportunity to encourage each and every one of you to become active and as involved as possible in the chapter’s work, business, and decisions. Your input, suggestions, and recommendations are always welcome. For your information, the chapter meets on the third Tuesday of every month. Contact me or call the union office for more details. Please come and join us.
Lastly, my grateful thanks to all members of the chapter board team, stewards, members, our chapter advisor and field reps., union staff, and officers, and to all who have helped this chapter to move forward.

January Update 
I am privileged to be able to build on the solid foundation of those who have gone before me in this office. With your help, I want to forge a plan and work hard to achieve it in ways that will make us proud of our labors. Our lives, and our families' futures, depend on our willingness to be advocates for the vital nature of our work and the need for fair returns. Our mutual concerns and issues will require extra work, and we will need to support each other and value our efforts. I call upon your strengths and skills, and your willingness to be patient and proactive.

We all have something vital to offer in our work. Your ideas can be expressed through committee work and/or directly to me. Your participation remains the lifeblood of our organization. My challenges are to represent the ideas that are presented by the committed sisters and brothers who are doing their work no matter where they fit in their employment environment. I pledge to have a wide open door for ideas, to continue to endeavor to make myself available to you and hear your issues and wishes, to share duties among the chapter leadership, and to create forums among members and myself that foster meaningful dialogue.

I believe that a Chapter Leadership that informs and involves members is a strong Chapter. It is strong, and will remain that way, as long as we work together. Thank you for your support as we move the Department of Mental Health Chapter forward in its mission.