Questions put to any State MMB-HR staff, about any workplace related inquiry, are always professionally, accurately and confidentially answered. Amazingly accurate when just talking, but when there has to be any real actual doing, HR is there to protect the employer's interests first and foremost above all.
When the same questions, asked by either members or non-members, are put to sworn Local union or Council officers, this union-after-HR order of asking always reduces options possible to uphold an employee's interests.
The State's AFSCME contract states if disciplinary wrongs, matters of issue or dispute put on an employee, stay in undocumented limbo, remain a secret and so remain unfiled formally for more than 21 days by AFSCME on day 22 employees forfeit their right for proper union representation to make wrongs right. At three weeks employee contract rights regarding investigative grievance representation evaporate. Poof.
Local 695 contacts and trained stewards are spread thinly across the 10,000 square mile area of MnDOT District 1A in Northeastern Minnesota. At contract and other hectic times, only one authorized staff person from Council 5 Field Representative covers all of Northern Minnesota. Covering this large a geographic reality poses just as much challenge to the Local as it does HR in hiring, orientating, training and placing qualified workers in positions.
As most applicants will not commute a great distance from home, long distances to attend member meetings also daunts and vexes members, becomes an excuse to sever membership. The Local fully understands this and those members who do show at meetings are eligible for very generous attendance awards and travel reimbursement rates that Local policy constantly adjusts.
Members are advised to seek, find, meet and personally know face-to-face who currently can serve as their genuine, Local-approved and AFSCME-trained steward, as well as area or shop contacts. Faces may be the same does that previously tested and reliable steward still serve with AFSCME? Volunteer contact persons and current elected officials are listed on Local 695’s shingle posted on worksite Union bulletin boards. Voice-call or SMS (texting) contact info (for daytime working hours) is on record (accessed via member account login) at https://members.afscmemn.org/
Council 5 call desk:
SSP-C5-MAC 651-450-4990, (1-800-652-9791)
Hermantown-C5-NE: 218-722-0577 (forwards to SSP-C5-MAC)
The State Electronic Device policy 1438 makes abundantly clear anyone who does a contact with personal devices on state networks, or on any state device, must agree they understand doing so they totally forfeit of any expectation of privacy.