ACTION UPDATE

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Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Dayton Wins, AFSCME Wins
Mark Dayton won the DFL primary for governor, proving that more voters agree with AFSCME: Dayton is the best choice to lead the state beyond Tim Pawlenty’s “no new taxes” era.

Numbers prove that AFSCME members made the difference. One example: Council 5 volunteers made more than 155,000 phone calls to mobilize voters in support of Dayton before the primary.

Council 5 was the first union to endorse Dayton. The Teamsters and Steelworkers joined us before the primary. Since Dayton’s victory, the state AFL-CIO, MAPE and Education Minnesota all have added momentum by endorsing Dayton.

Dayton won the primary by 6,971 votes. He now faces Republican Tom Emmer and former Republican Tom Horner in the Nov. 2 election.

Want a ‘Tax the Rich’ Button?
Then stop by AFSCME’s kiosk at the Minnesota State Fair. More than 80 members from Council 5 locals are handing out buttons and information about who is not paying their share in helping the state, communities and school districts provide the services people need.

AFSCME volunteers will be at the Minnesota AFL-CIO’s House of Labor. Find us at Dan Patch Ave. and Cooper St. every day between 9 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Go Union for Labor Day
Celebrate Labor Day with other union members at an event in your community:

  • Iron Range Day Before Labor Day Picnic – Sunday, Sept. 5, Noon-5 p.m., Olcott Park, Virginia
  • Brainerd Trades and Labor Picnic – Monday, Sept. 6, Noon to 4 p.m., Baxter City Park, Baxter
  • St. Cloud Trades and Labor Assembly Picnic – Monday, Sept. 6, Noon to 4 p.m., Riverside Park, St. Cloud. Admission: $3, or $5 per family
  • Duluth Labor Day Picnic – Monday, Sept. 6, Noon to 4 p.m., Bayfront Park, Duluth
  • St. Paul Regional Labor Federation Parade – Monday, Sept. 6, 1:30 p.m. Gather at the parking lot on Como Ave., west of Snelling and south of the State Fairgrounds, to march through the Fair. Marchers get free admission, but must RSVP to guarantee themselves a ticket. Contact Lynne Larkin-Wright.

Welcome Moorhead Sodexo Workers
Sodexo dining service workers at Minnesota State University Moorhead have voted to join AFSCME Local 602. The three dozen workers are the last Sodexo workers in the MnSCU system to successfully organize.

They join dining service workers at St. Cloud State University and Minnesota State University Mankato as part of AFSCME.

Movie Features Man Behind the March
August’s Labor Movie Night in Duluth features “Brother Outsider,” the story of Bayard Rustin.
To say that Rustin is an underappreciated labor and civil rights leader merely scratches the surface.
Yes, Rustin was the chief organizer of 1963’s March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. There, on Aug. 28, Martin Luther King Jr. gave his legendary “I Have a Dream” speech.

Yes, Rustin helped co-found the A. Phillip Randolph Institute, which strengthened ties between the labor and civil rights movements. But Rustin accomplished far more than that. The 2003 film fills in the details.

The free movie begins at 6 p.m. in Wellstone Hall at the Duluth Labor Temple, 2002 London Road.

Council 5 Training
Secretary Training
• Sept. 14, South St. Paul
This class discusses leadership duties, teaches exactly what to include in minutes, and helps recording secretaries network with each other. The class runs 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Cost is $20, which includes lunch and materials.

Financial Responsibility Training
• Sept. 16, Duluth
This class teaches how to keep the books properly in your local. It is mandatory for treasurers and recommended for anyone who signs checks or conducts audits. The class runs 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at the Radisson Duluth Harborview hotel. Cost is $20, which includes lunch and materials.

Basic Steward Training
• Oct. 12-13, South St. Paul
The class runs 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. each day. The cost is $50, which includes lunches and a manual.
Registration: All participants in all classes must be registered by an officer in their local. Officers should contact Christina Domeier.

Convention Deadlines are Sneaking Up
Council 5’s annual convention takes place Sept. 30-Oct. 2 in Bloomington. This year’s convention includes election of all Council 5 officers and of all representatives on the executive board.

Locals and delegates need to be aware of these deadlines:

  • Aug. 28: Reservation deadline for rooms at the Sheraton-Bloomington, which is the convention hotel
  • Sept. 8: Reservation deadline for rooms at the Crowne Plaza Bloomington
  • Sept. 10: Last day to submit resolutions
  • Sept. 17: Deadline for submitting credentials (Mailed credentials must be postmarked by this date.)
  • Sept. 17: Last day to submit requests for child care and special accommodations

Speaking of Deadlines…
Here’s the timetable for state contract negotiations:

  • Oct. 8: Deadline for submitting contract proposals to Council 5
  • Oct. 30: Deadline for locals to elect their delegates to the Negotiations Assembly
  • Nov. 5: Deadline for locals to submit the names of their elected delegates to Council 5
  • Nov. 19-20: Negotiations Assembly, Bloomington

AFSCME Helps Women Connect
AFSCME has created a Women's Online Network, where members can keep in touch, keep leadership and activist skills sharp, and keep up to date on news that is especially relevant to women.

Members can also sign up to get the network’s monthly electronic newsletter emailed to them.
The network is administered by the Women's Leadership Program of the AFSCME Education Department.

Scholarship Info Available Online
Applications are now available for the 2011 AFSCME Family Scholarship Program for college-age children of AFSCME members. Ten scholarships worth $2,000 each will be awarded. The scholarships are renewable for up to four years for full-time students.

The application deadline is Dec. 31, 2010.

Get Discounts on College Test Help
High school students preparing for college entrance exams can get a 60 percent discount on online preparation courses for the ACT or SAT.

The self-paced course provides 20-30 hours of online lessons. Students who register before Sept. 13 pay only $199.

  • Discounts are also available on in-person classes, personalized tutoring, graduate school prep classes such as the GRE and LSAT, and college readiness classes.
     
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