All News

Aug 08

Obamacare Opens For Business, Shuts Out Labor

Unions pushed hard for health care reform, finally settling for a half-measure in the Affordable Care Act. Employers are responding to the law by lowering benefits to match its floor.

Aug 08

Death by 1,000 health care cuts

Minnesota Daily Editorial Board:

The University should bring all options to the table before scaling back employee benefits.

AFSCME 3800 President Cherrene Horazuk said, “If you don’t respect working-class workers, how do you respect working-class students?”

Jul 25

Contract Negotiations Update #3

On Monday, July 22, our clerical negotiating committee met with the University of Minnesota’s management committee.

The University stuck to their proposed general increase that averages 14 cents an hour per person. A 14 cent an hour (.75%) raise works out to $24.27 a month before taxes, and would not even cover the cost of one copay at the proposed higher rates.

We said no to all of the University's proposals that would shift additional costs onto our members.

We also modified our proposed restructuring of the step system, from a maximum of 15 steps to reach the top of the wage scale, to a maximum of 17 steps.

Jul 25

U of M wants to scale back employee health care coverage

The University of Minnesota is considering changes for 2014 that would increase copays for primary and specialty care, require employees to pay deductibles, and establish a cheaper, but more limited plan for Twin Cities area employees, among other things.

Jul 11

Contract Negotiations Update #2

CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS CONTINUE

A. Update on Day Two of Negotiations

B. Health Insurance Cost Shifting

C. Why didn’t clerical workers receive raises on our last paycheck?

D. Step increases continue automatically

Jun 20

Negotiations 2013 Updates - part 1

Contract Negotiations Opened Tuesday, June 18

Read more about the opening day of negotiations...

Jun 13

Cherrene Horazuk

University of Minnesota clerical workers protest 25 job cuts (Star Tribune)

The union representing clerical workers at the University of Minnesota will protest recent layoffs Friday before the Board of Regents votes on the 2014 operating budget.

Jun 13

Melanie Steinman

Unions appeal OIT employee layoffs (MN Daily)

Union leaders are fighting the layoffs of 25 University of Minnesota Office of Information Technology employees, citing problems with understaffing and the way the layoffs occurred.

Representatives from the University’s clerical union have filed grievances on the layoffs and requested the University re-evaluate them. They also addressed the Board of Regents at its public forum on the University budget last week about the layoffs, which occurred late last month.

Jun 10

AFSCME 3800 Testifies at the Board of Regents Public Budget Hearing - June 5

3800 members testified about the impacts of health care increases, the deflation of our wages, layoffs, and the the horrendous actions of OIT at the Regents Public Budget Hearing June 5.

May 31

Walmart Workers Launch First-Ever 'Prolonged Strikes'

Walmart employees are on strike in Miami, Massachusetts and the California Bay Area this morning, kicking off what organizers promise will be the first “prolonged strikes” in the retail giant’s history. The union-backed labor group OUR Walmart says that at least a hundred workers have pledged to join the strikes, and that some workers walking off the job today will stay out at least through June 7, when Walmart holds its annual shareholder meeting near Bentonville, Arkansas.

Read the full article here.