A question put to any State MMB-HR staff, about any workplace related inquiry, always gets a professional, accurate and confidential answer, but bear in mind in an HR office, employer's interests rarely fall second to employee's interests.
When the same question, whether asked by a member or a non-member, is put to sworn Local union or Council officers, the exact same confidentiality is required - but union answers reflect noticeably fewer employer interests, and when the asking is done and the order who gets asked determines what limits employee interests that follow.
The State AFSCME contract states when wrongs go unaddressed, stay undocumented and unfiled formally in writing for more than 21 days, because there is delay, hesitations or uncertainty, that employee forfeits a just and fairly balanced representation to make their wrong right. After three weeks of "Oh me, oh my, what to do" an employee's rights simply evaporate. Gone, like smoke. Sorry Charlie.
Local 695 contacts and trained stewards are spread 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 might be available for Field Representative covering all of Northern Minnesota. Covering this large area poses 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 to work at a position too great a distance from home, long distances to attend member meetings does more than daunt members, that challenge becomes an understandable excuse to sever membership. The Local fully understands this and those members who do show at meetings are eligible for 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 serves as the genuine, Local-approved and AFSCME-trained steward, as well as nearest area or shop contacts. Be careful, their faces may be the same but are all previously tested and reliable stewards familiars still serving with AFSCME?
Why bother, why stay a member, why travel to attend at least one real in person member meeting? To see the faces that were elected by members to do union rep dirt so you can find them and get them informed BEFORE 21 DAYS evaporate!
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.