AFSCME Local 3331 - Teaching Assistants and Paraprofessionals

 

We are proceeding with Negotiations for the Contract.  We have had 4 sessions to date, and have had some fruitful conversation & are hopeful to have something to bring back to the members for a vote in a couple of months. 

 

One of the issues the District has brought to the table is the Wellness Initiatives that are currently happening at the District, and the possibility of a Wellness Incentive.  The Wellness Incentive is a monetary Incentive (other groups have negotiated up to $250 as part of their contract negotiations!) for completing the Wellness Assessment & trying one wellness plan to improve overall health. 

 

Right now, the Wellness Assessment is available for completion.  While we are still negotiating the Incentive (the money of course), we encourage those who may be interested in participating to get started now, rather than wait until we have all negotiations finished.  While we cannot tell you exactly what the $$ will end up being for our group (it is part of the total package for negotiations) we do not want our members who may be interested to miss out on this opportunity.

 

We hope to have some more information soon.  Stay Safe and have a wonderful holiday season!

MEETING SET FOR TUESDAY< OCTOBER 16th

We will be holding our first meeting of the year on Tuesday, October 16th in the media center at Elk River High School.

At this meeting, we will be voting for officers.  Voting can be done from 2:15 P.M. until 4:30 P.M.
You must vote in person, no absentee.  The meeting will start at 4 P.M.  YOUR vote counts!  Look for a list of ballot names arriving at your school soon.

We will  also have a financial advisor from AXA Equitable on hand to answer questions from 2:15 until ?

More details will be coming!

Some of you have talked at our Local 3331 meetings about how AFSCME needs to reach out to members and share the history of this great Union.  What better time than the 75th Anniversary of AFSCME International!

75th Anniversary Exhibit
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees has fought for its members and played a leadership role in the labor movement for 75 years. In doing so, AFSCME has grown to become one of the largest labor unions in the United States. This exhibit tells the story of the men and women of AFSCME.
Click on the link below & enjoy:


http://75.afscme.org/

I will also be bringing some brochures and AFSCME Advantage (savings info on all of the great discounts you get by being a member of AFSCME) to the
Local 3331 meeting on May 22, 2012.

Hope to see you there!

Member Tip: Get Involved


The resources of any union are limited, and there is always much more that unions could do to be even more effective in defending the members’ interest. A union’s power is unleashed when individual members take it upon themselves to pitch in and each does a little something to contribute to the larger effort. No matter what kind of person you are, you have something you can contribute to make your union stronger. If you have good writing skills, you might volunteer to work on the local newsletter. If you have some expertise in health care benefits or health and safety matters, you might volunteer to serve on a committee or help out during contract negotiations. At the very least, we’ve all got at least a little time to spare once or twice a month, so why not volunteer to help hand-deliver union literature to your fellow employees?

– Adapted from The Union Members Complete Guide, by Michael Mauer

We are trying to plan a meeting for May 22, 2012 at 4:00 p.m. 
(Confirmation of date & location coming soon)

Please attend, we have a lot of union business to complete.
Election of Officers
Insurance update
Discussion of Contract Items
Grievances
and lots more.....

Stay Tuned for more AFSCME 3331 business

Hey AFSCME Local 3331 Members:

Thanks to those who attended our meeting on March 15th. We got a lot of business conducted at our meeting and have some exciting happenings coming up....


If you have not heard already here are some exciting things you should know:

• General Assistants finally got their back pay & wage adjustment to be paid appropriately for their work! Special thanks to Sue Kemmetmeuller for assisting in making this happen!

• We got a grievance resolved at Step 1 to get one of our members some back pay that was wrongfully denied

• We are having a T-Shirt/Button design contest...we will be voting on the design at our April meeting. Look for information from your building rep & share your Creative Ideas...there is an awesome prize for the winner!

• Your Local was awarded a plaque from the International for 25 years of being a Union with AFSCME! Congratulations Local 3331!

• Elections are coming up & we have open positions on the Executive Board!

• We will be starting Negotiations soon.

Keep an eye out for information from your Building Representative...we hope to see you at upcoming meetings. We are working on getting a location/date for April.

Meeting for Full Share Members

Meeting set for Thursday, March 15th
4-6 P.M. at the EREA building in Elk River

Topics include negotiations, new t-shirt ideas, Executive Board for next year, Scholarship clarification and more.

Please spread the word!

Minnesota School Employees Association,

SEIU Local 284,

and

AFSCME Council 65

present a member opportunity

Why come to this workshop?

If you are a union member with an interest in recognition for the training you have already participated in, and in pursuing future educational opportunities, come to this half day workshop to help explain what the new state credential is and how it works. The first open credentialing window is fast upon us, this is an opportunity to improve ourselves and bolster our work as an industry.

Paraprofessional Credentialing Informational Workshop
January 21, 2012
Location: Hassan Elementary
14055 Orchid Avenue
Rogers, MN 55374

8:30 Registration, Conference begins promptly at 9 am through noon.
Coffee and light refreshments served.



AGENDA

8:30-9AM: Registration, coffee and light snack

9-9:30: How did we get here? The history of para credentialing.

9:50-11:15-What do I have to do to be qualified?

11:15-11:30: What about districts?

11:30-noon: How do I move forward-next steps.


Registration Information

AFSCME Council 65: Go to http://www.afscmecouncil65.org/, click on the PARA Credentialing Workshop link, register for the event.