Build the War Chest We Need to Win:
VOTE YES ON THE DUES INCREASE!
SPECIAL AFSCME LOCAL 207 MEMBERSHIP MEETING
Wednesday January 18th – 4:30 PM – Conference Room C
AFSCME Building, 600 W. Lafayette @ Third (Free Parking Behind Building)
This Wednesday we will vote on a proposal for a significant dues increase. A YES vote will send a signal to management and right-wing Federal Judge Cox that we are far from broken, and that we are determined to fight for our jobs, wages, benefits, and working conditions. It will say that we are prepared to do whatever is necessary to win.
Who is asking for a dues increase?
This proposed increase is not being imposed. The elected Local 207 Executive Board voted to ask the members to approve a dues increase to fund the battle to protect our jobs, wages, benefits and working conditions. The Executive Board has delayed this for too long in an effort to keep all our dues to a minimum. Now that we’re taking the lead in the fight against Federal Judge Cox, and facing contract negotiations separate from the rest of the city workers, we need tens of thousands of dollars now.
Where do the dues go?
Right now the Local gets about 15% of the dues collected (after our obligation to the state and national levels of AFSCME is paid). But we haven't been collecting enough dues to even cover those obligations, so we owe about $2,000 each month. IF APPROVED BY THE MEMBERS NEARLY ALL OF THIS DUES INCREASE WILL GO TO LOCAL 207, not to Council 25 or the International.
Why do we need a dues increase?
In an attempt to break our unions and force us to accept concessions, the courts allowed Mayor Bing to stop dues deduction from our paychecks for nearly two years. We had $30,000 in the bank two years ago – we are now over $40,000 in debt. We need to pay our debts and BUILD OUR WAR CHEST TO DEFEAT JUDGE COX'S AND MANAGEMENT'S UNION BUSTING.
Are we currently getting enough dues to pay the bills?
No. AFSCME's dues structure requires a 1,000 member union local to give the state and national branches of our union $36,800 each month. The Locals get what's left. We have been about $2,000 short every month, which means each month we end up with a bill, not a check. That's before we pay the Local's bills, which average $5,000 month. Expenses will increase as we gear up for the contract struggle.
What does the Local spend the dues for?
Dues cover rent, copier lease, paper, phone/internet service, two cell phones and miscellaneous expenses. We pay accounting services to assure the members that our finances are on the up and up. We hire lawyers to represent us in court, and we win most of our cases.
Can we cut expenses more? Can we do fund-raising?
Long ago the Executive Board voted to eliminate $1,600 per month in officer and steward stipends, pizza and pop at meetings, funeral flowers and mileage reimbursements for officers. We run on a shoe string budget. Judge Cox ordered our officers back to their regular jobs. No one has time to organize cabarets or raffles, and we need more money than fund-raising can generate, and we need it now.
Is this dues increase permanent?
We need a lot of money in a hurry to save our jobs and our union, and to help lead the fight to save our city. If money is just piling up in the bank, or being spent unwisely, that will become obvious in the monthly financial reports presented at each membership meeting, and we can vote to reduce dues. But when the employers and politicians across the nation greatly increased the level of attack on public workers, they presented us with a challenge to make some short term sacrifices for long term gains. Now is that time. AND REMEMBER MANAGEMENT MAY CUT OFF DUES DEDUCTION WHEN THE CONTRACT EXPIRES IN JULY – SO LET'S BUILD UP OUR TREASURY NOW.
What will happen if we don't vote for a dues increase?
Immediately we will lose our ability to print fliers and communicate by phone, fax and email. If a Local does not pay the minimum dues required by the AFSCME Constitution (and we are currently not doing so), then the Local could be put in receivership by AFSCME International in Washington, D.C. That would mean that the elected officers could be replaced by appointed officials. Dues could then be increased without a vote, and spent without the oversight of Local elected officers or members. Our contract could be negotiated by someone not elected by the members.
How will Local 207 spend the dues increase?
The legal case against Judge Cox must go forward, but our lawyers have not been paid in over a year and owe them $16,000. No serious fight can be won like that. Cox has already given management free rein to privatize and sell the department's assets, redefine job titles, make promotions and assign out-of-class without regard to seniority, assign overtime without regard to equalization rights, and increase the length of time that discipline can be used against us from 14 months to 36 months. Cox, along with the Detroit-hating politicians of Macomb and Oakland counties want the Water Department, they want it without Local 207, and they have nearly unlimited legal resources. We must increase our resources as well. We also owe Michigan AFSCME Council 25 around $20,000. We will need money too for publicity and rented space for town-hall meetings to unite the fight for Detroit's future and the defense of our union rights. Unexpected expenses will pop up as we take our fight to a level that can match the assaults launched against us and against Detroit.
What do we stand to win?
With the resources to fight, and with members leading other members and organizing in our communities, we can turn the tide back toward better contracts, win federal money to rebuild Detroit, revitalize public education under pubic control, and end the racist second-class treatment of our communities. In the upcoming contract negotiations, we need to win back what Bing stole from us in November 2010 when he imposed concessions. That includes our longevity pay, and the cuts in vacation, sick time and pensions that fell most heavily on new hires.
Regardless of whether or not we are part of the city workers' contract, our fate is tied to the future of Detroit. The current horrible concessions being negotiated for the rest of city workers will not leave Water Department workers unscathed. Cox and management planned their attack on our union because they wanted to weaken us before negotiations begin. Tell them that all they've done is wake us up and make us mad, that their attack has only steeled us to battle for our rights. Vote YES on the dues increase and let them rue the day they attacked Local 207 members! COME TO THE MEETING, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18th, 4:30 PM.