Collective bargaining without common interest

After the COVID pandemic, the 2023-2025 master agreement for state workers in Minnesota did pass, but some experienced, tested professionals felt precedents in state agreements negotiated by AFSCME were violated big-time, mainly the delicate professional career balance in wage progression steps between tenure (seniority) and performance (merit). 

That is exactly how division works, makes sure AFSCME is never AFSCUS. Only when differences get detected do differences matter, and in some Minnesota regions, with different or lower and less stable standards of living, pay issues are vital to survival.  Selfish thoughts come, doubts are irresistable, "I've lasted, worked hard some time and deserved that huge pay percentage raise but...  surely not unskilled, untested plebes, serfs, students, new hires and novices at minimum wage?" 

Just as non-negotiable emergency policies finished emptying state buildings of contagious personnel, just as the last persons out pass a sign: "Please turn off the lights, no fool in their right mind will be back for scut wages paid here", comes darn near the biggest raise ever being turned into negotiation incompetence poison because some 'wrong people' got raises. 

The COVID pandemic meant widespread mortal outcomes and debilitating, permanent health effects, but there were also less immediate economic effects, some severe. Many conscientious, dedicated and steadily employed earners and taxpayers, some supporting children, lost wages, jobs, savings, homes and family stability, became permanently economically precarious, with many forced to relocate. Of course this included state workers, part time or temp, on minimum wage.  Not every state worker can work remotely up there from some cloud. There always are workers who must show up, and do things AI bots cannot do.

Minimum waged state workers exist, are out there in front line, public-facing fields for healing, in facilities for veterans, or corrections, who take risks daily serving public needs, including keeping peace and order, or caring for sufferers of COVID. Lately there have been more, not less, mortal risks in jobs related to healthcare directly facing the public. Nurses, doctors, first responders, cops - sleepless, burned-out, on overtime, denied leave, ready to go on strike or on strike, some - God forbid - suicidal. OK, maybe just sleep-deprived, suffering nightmares of trying to do things they cannot do, unable to forget sights they cannot unsee.

PELRA gave public sector employees many of the workplace negotiation and employment agreement rights won earlier in the private sector with blood and loss of workers lives. There is always some self-interest in good benefits being something common to all, when a pattern of core benefits can be held reliably across multiple bargaining units, thereby not be given back or eroded by cost-shifts and inflation.  

But some insist PELRA's stability and common-interest multi-unit pattern is not the dog to hunt for them.  In the early dawn of this country, prior to the constitution's idea for a paid congress, confederated states employed government's toilers as volunteers, but allowed per diem pay on expenses. Not bad, back then per diems stood up well, went a long way in the absence of IRS taxation.

Denigrate the economic and health security that PELA sought to maintain, lose the idea "We all do better when we all do better", dogs will hunt again, with mercinary predation, piracy and taking displacing anything common.

This division is visible, but must be.... a typo?  Wage grids in the Council 5's State Agreement are headed "Salary Ranges." How many AFSCME draw a fixed salary? Sometime after 1983, an odd preamble twist emerged, a pattern out of place, not a welcome fit in a truly mutual agreement. Are both parties in the AFSCME state employee agreement enjoying an equal, mutual right to correct typo and errata things, in the master agreement, it's supplements and letters, in things like winter supplement agreements?

Only one time, once, shortly after everyone suffered through a world-changing pandemic, did a union signature appear on a winter snow and ice policy for MnDOT District One. You can wait until the cows come home, but no member will ever get to vote ACCEPT or STRIKE about a policy.

https://lowwagelifestyle.blogspot.com/2024/12/chatgpt-can-make-mistakes-...