Hennepin County includes the City of Minneapolis and its suburbs. Our bargaining unit consists of over 300 Probation, Parole and Family Court officers. In addition to negotiating our labor agreements, AFSCME Local 552 also develops a legislative agenda where we seek to improve the delivery of field services and maintain the high professional standards for Probation and Parole officers in Hennepin County and Minnesota
While the main function of this web site is to facilitate communication between our members, we welcome feedback from other Probation and Parole officers around the country and the globe! If you work in probation, parole or related services, whether you are in a union or not, we would love to hear from you!
FOR THE LATEST UPDATES, VISIT LOCAL552.ORG.
Hello 552 members!
Juneteenth is a holiday to celebrate the emancipation of slaves on June 19, 1865. On this day, Union Army General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, to announce the abolishment of slavery. This was a year and a half later, as slavery was abolished on January 1, 1863, when President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. The Emancipation Proclamation had little impact on Texas due to the minimal number of Union troops to enforce the new executive order. General Granger’s forces were finally strong enough to execute, influence and overcome the resistance when Confederate General Lee surrendered in April 1865.
The news set off immediate jubilation and pure shock. Many slaves left before learning more about the new employer to employee relationship. Many slaves migrated north to experience true freedom. In contrast, many slaves had a desire to reconnect with family members they were separated from but lived in neighboring states of Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma.
The festivities on this day in 1865 served as motivation to cement and recognize this day as Juneteenth. The celebration of Juneteenth is always a time of reassurance, praying, and gathering of family. We are asking the county to observe this day as a holiday for employees to remember, reflect and enjoy the impact this day brings to the African American community.
Please reach out to your commissioners and ask them to recognize this important day as one that is as deserving as the other holidays that we observe. To determine which district you are in, click here.
Commissioner Mike Opat, District 1: 612-348-7881 hennepin.us/opat
Commissioner Irene Fernando District 2: 612-348-7882 hennepin.us/fernando
Commissioner Marion Greene District 3: 612-348-7883 hennepin.us/ greene
Commissioner Angela Conley: District 4: 612-348-7884 hennepin.us/conley
Commissioner Debbie Goettel District 5: 612-348-7885 hennepin.us/goettel
Commissioner Jan Callison District 6: 612-348-7886 hennepin/us/callison
Commissioner Jeff Johnson District 7: 612-348-7887 hennepin.us/johnson
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