Our sister Local in
Arkansas, AFGE Local 3291 is discussing the possibility
of merging with us. (Read
message from President, Anna Hawkins, here) I want
to share my ENTHUSIASM for a merger of our Locals! I
think it would be a GREAT idea and would be GREAT for
both of our Locals!! (Read my reply to Anna here)
WE would become a new, stronger, more dynamic and more
effective Local: the Arkansas-Oklahoma Local with DOUBLE
the number of members each of us had before. Truly, the
sum will be GREATER than the parts!
Right now, we are the two smallest Locals in the Region.
Frankly, the issues that concern us and our members get
short shrift from the larger locals. Our combined size
would give us almost the same number of members as the
larger locals (and both of our locals have membership
growth potential). The larger local would also give us a
depth of leadership and activists that neither of us
current have, despite our best efforts to nurture
activists who are ready to take up the gauntlet of
employee representation.
Just as an example of what our locals have pending:
arbitrations, grievances and EEO complaints on
part-time, awards, refusal to bargain Track 2 temporary
promotions, hostile work environments, sex
discrimination, discrimination against disabled
employees, non-selection, disciplinary suspensions and a
removal, appraisal, awards, refusal to bargain
renovation and relocation, refusal to even discuss work
assignments (as in some employees who are liked get what
they request and everyone else has to pick up the slack
and difficult workloads), unfairness and inequity in
training assignments, everyday stress which has resulted
in management counselling employees for parking TOO
CLOSE to their co-workers, managers telling employees
that they can't get along with anyone and their
co-workers don't like them, etc.
In short, we face the same problems but each local,
individually, is really stretched to the breaking point
to attempt to deal with all these issues. As a combined
local, our ability to respond to our members issues and
needs would be strengthened and formidable!
As always, this is not a decision of the leadership of
our two locals: it is a decision of the membership!
Please take the poll below and tell us what YOU think
and what YOU want!
WE CAN'T
KNOW WHAT YOU THINK IF YOU DON'T TELL US!
Form Object
The AFGE/SSA
Contract will be renegotiated in 2009. Let the Union know
where its focus should be!
A
forum for reform-minded AFGE members, including but not
limited to SSA employees. This is not an AFGE site and the
views expressed should not be construed as the position of
AFGE, any Council or Local in AFGE, or the moderator.
Local President gets vocal
about SSA's unjust tactics and addresses flaws of current Union
leadership.
Go to the blog and weigh in!
Even Retired
Managers check out our site!
"Our
labor unions are not narrow, self-seeking groups. They have
raised wages, shortened hours and provided supplemental
benefits. Through collective bargaining and grievance
procedures, they have brought justice and democracy to the shop
floor." - John F. Kennedy
