Attention Golfers: Golf Outing May 13th! 

Once again, this year we will be participating in the Annual AFSCME Golf Outing to benefit the Autism program at Kreider Services. Those of you who have participated in the past know what a fun golf outing this is. Our local will be sponsoring up to 10 teams of 4. The best-ball format golf outing will be held at Silver Ridge Golf Course, with registration beginning at 9am, and a shotgun start at 10am.To sign your team up please send the names of your team members to Alice Sutherland at presidentafscmelocal448@gmail.com ASAP. Slots fill up fast and are on a first-come, first-served, basis. Last year this outing sold out so don’t wait to sign up! If you want to golf but don't have a team, sign up and we'll find you a team!

Standing Up for a Fair Contract!

Negotiations for our union contract have been moving steadily forward over the past few months — but we still have a long way to go to reach the fair settlement that AFSCME members deserve.
 

Your AFSCME Bargaining Committee has put a large number of proposals on the table aimed at addressing a wide variety of problems that AFSCME members confront on the job — especially the current crisis of understaffing. We’ve made some progress, but not enough! The employer has put forth proposals that could jeopardize current rights on promotions, job assignment, transfer, or re-call. Your Bargaining Committee is determined to ensure that our contract language will continue to uphold those rights no matter what administrative changes are made.
 

Management negotiators are also continuing to press for changes that would expand reliance on mandatory overtime — and reduce overtime pay. The Union is resisting those changes. Several sub-committees have been established to address filling of vacancies, remote work, health insurance changes and the Upward Mobility Program. We are back at the bargaining table on April 18 when we’ll begin bargaining over economic proposals — higher wages, holding the line on health care costs, and better benefits. It will take ongoing activism at workplaces all across the state in solidarity with the AFSCME bargaining committee to demonstrate our

determination to secure a contract that recognizes the sacrifices that state employees made throughout the pandemic and the extreme demands that continue to be placed on so many due to the staffing shortages.

Watch for upcoming solidarity actions supporting our bargaining team!

2023 AFSCME Local 448 Cyndi Overton Memorial Scholarship

This scholarship serves as a memorial to AFSCME Local 448 Executive Board member Cyndi Overton. She will be remembered by her always present larger-than-life smile. Cyndi was ready to assist anyone whether at church, at home or at work. She epitomized the kind of parent, friend and coworker that we should all strive to be. Cindi Overton Memorial scholarship information which will be mailed to all worksites May 1. DOWNLOAD THE SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION HERE

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Remote Work

I know everyone is curious as to what is going to happen with remote work come June 30th. While there is currently language in the contract dealing with remote work on a limited basis there have been many proposals submitted for negotiations that deal with continued remote work. Those proposals are being handled in a sub-committee at this time. While we know not all positions can work remotely we are doing our best to see that those that can will still be able to do so in some fashion.

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Staff Monitoring

I have had several questions lately related to the Employer's “right” to monitor our work. Many are not happy that some employers seem to be keeping track of what staff is doing, especially while working remotely.
 

I don’t know why this comes as a surprise to some. Every morning when logging into our state systems there is an acknowledgement that the system is being monitored and the user should expect no privacy on the network.
 

Although you may not agree with it, the employer absolutely has the right to make sure you are performing your job duties during working hours. So whether you are working in the office or from home be prepared to account for the work you are, or are not, producing. After all, that is what we are being paid for.