FEBRUARY 2009 MCO REPORT Health Care Reform Recovery Recovery Employee Free Choice Act Free Choice Health Care Reform Reform Economic Recovery Package Free Choice Act Recovery Economic Health Care Health Care Employee Free ree Choice Act Health Care Economic Recovery Employee Free Choice Reform Economic Recovery Package Health Care Reform Free Choice Act nomic Recovery Package Health e Reform Economic Recovery Employee Free Choice Act Reform I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E Page 2-3 Union Views & New Staff Page 7 Exchange Transfer List Page 4-5 Change that Works Page 8 MCO Contacts Page 6 Budget Update MCO REPORT FEBRUARY 2009 PRESIDENTIAL UNION NEWS PONDERINGS... MCO has been very of the problems are addressed in the Camp Branch (all shifts), I-Max (2nd busy this month deal- upcoming year. shift), MTU (1st shift), IBC (2nd shift), ing with ramifi cations A recent report by the Justice Forensic Center (1st shift) and Camp from the Department’s Center of the Council of State Govern- Valley (1st shift). decision to close the ments indicated that Michigan needs Deerfi eld Correctional to adopt changes to its parole system - Facility and Camp Branch. All while at specifi cally by paroling inmates who have the same time addressing the pending served 100 - 120% of their minimum IN MEMORIAM issues at the Scott and Huron Valley term. This is a tricky task. By increas- Mens Facilities. ing the parole rate, we take the risk of MCO negotiated with the Depart- releasing someone who will re-offend... RUO John Dalpra, 51, of ment and was again successful in gain- often escalating to a more serious crime. Camp Ottawa, passed away ing the rights for offi cers to voluntarily Three such incidents have happened in December 23, 2008, at his leave the bumping regions to vacancies just the last week alone. I anticipate more home in Iron River. around the state based on operational bad news on the horizon for all. Dalpra held a needs. This will hopefully lead to a We will be holding Chief Steward Master’s Degree greater number of openings within Advanced training soon. This class in social work and the bumping regions for those offi cers will likely consist of a 2-day module to hired into the MDOC who cannot/will-not leave the area. We allow for more in depth training as we at Camp Ottawa in 1993. continue to work with the Department go through the transition of moving to try to minimize the impact on the the 3rd Step Grievance procedure into membership as a whole. their hands. Many years ago 3rd Step The closure issues have been grievances were handled by the chapter further complicated (and we are seek- offi cials, however that process changed Offi cer Richard “Rick” Simi, ing advice from our outside attorneys) and since then they have been handled 54, of the Newberry Correctional as the Department has announced its at the Central Office. The MCO Facility, passed away suddenly at his plans to make it more restrictive for male Executive Board recently reviewed the home on January 7, 2009. officers to work in the female pris- decision and made the determination Simi owned and operated Simi ons. We will keep you apprised as this that moving the handling of 3rd step Distributing (a logging truck compa- situation develops further. grievances back to the facility will ny) prior to hiring into the MDOC in The Governor is scheduled to allow the grievant to be more involved Newberry in 1997. submit her budget for Fiscal Year in the process and thus more effectively Offi cer Simi also served as a 2009-2010 this month and with it will represented. volunteer fi remen for the Newberry come an estimated $1.1 billion to $1.4 I would like to welcome aboard the Fire Department and was a past coach billion defi cit. Some of this may be new staff... Jeremy, Dustin and Chad. and president of the Tahquamenon offset by federal stimulus funds, They are acclimating themselves well to Area Youth Hockey Association. however they cannot be counted upon MCO and have already gotten their feet Simi leaves behind his wife Jean, at this time. Further, even if help wet out in the joints joining us on some son Carl (offi cer at the Pine River does come, it will not fi x the structural of our recent tours. Since our last talk Correctional Facility) and son Michael. budget deficit and thus we will face I’ve toured Deerfi eld (1st shift), Florence this yet again next year unless the root Crane (all shifts), Lakeland (all shifts), 2 PROUDLY REPRESENTING MICHIGAN’S CORRECTIONS OFFICERS AND FORENSIC SECURITY OFFICERS FOR OVER 30 YEARS UNION VIEWS THE NEW FACES AT MCO... Field Organizer FieldFi ld Organizer O i AssistantttfG for Government t& & Community Affairs Hello, my name is Dustin Drabek, As one of the two new Field and I am a new Field Organizer for Organizers hired by MCO in January I come to MCO as a local resident MCO/SEIU in Lansing. I am a gradu- I bring a background that includes of Lansing, MI. In 2004, I served as a ate of Eastern Michigan University experience organizing against legislative intern for State Representa- where I majored in Criminal Justice. Wal-Mart, serving as a Labor Rep. tive Fulton Sheen, later receiving my I have been married close to 2 years for the United Food and Commercial Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political and am expecting my fi rst child at the Workers union and involvement in Science from Michigan State Univer- end of February. Currently, I live in politics. I am a graduate of Michi- sity. Following graduation I assumed Livonia, MI. gan State University with a bachelor’s a managerial role in a family run Prior to joining MCO/SEIU I worked degree from the College of Social organization where I gained valuable for the Wayne County Sheriff ’s Sciences. business experience and knowledge. Department, stationed in Jail Division My passion for providing members In 2007, I was accepted to Cooley 2 in Detroit. I was released from the of MCO with exceptional service is Law School where I studied for department due to budgetary cuts. driven by my experiences working and 3 semesters before deciding to I have a passion for work, and will earning a living for my family. We can re-enter the workforce and focus on enjoy building a relationship with all never take for granted the wages and my passion...politics. I have always the members in MCO/SEIU. I under- benefi ts that were won by workers who believed in politics and what can be stand that these are tough times, but came before us. Their sacrifi ces have accomplished when the voice of the we will be working tirelessly to protect paved the way for the lifestyle we live people is heard. I hope that my unique the membership and the jobs that today. set of skills and enthusi- protect our state. Thank you asm make me a welcome for your time, and I look edition to the MCO forward to working staff! with you. 3 MCO REPORT FEBRUARY 2009 TAKING ON 2009... THE ISSUES THAT EMPLOYEE FREE CHOICE ACT (EFCA)CA) With the election of President months if not longer for the election the employer to force an election. It Obama the news has been fi lled with talk to occur and the corporations use that also contains language that would send surrounding the Employee Free Choice time to try to change opinions. Thus, the issue to Mediation if the newly Act - commonly referred to as “EFCA” there is a lower percentage of success- formed union and employer did not or “card-check” by the media. ful union elections through this process secure a fi rst contract within one year. The background: prior to 1974, if than occurs when the employees can Why, as a current union member, a majority (more than 50%) of employ- form a union with interest cards. Sec- should I care? And, given the tough ees showed interest in joining a union ondly, even in those instances where a economic times, wars in Iraq by signing a card, they had the ability union is formed through the election and Afghanistan, and more, why to do so. Then, with a Supreme Court process, statistics show that even after 2 should we be urging Congress to decision, the process was changed result- years, only 20% are able to secure their pass this legislation now? Some ing in the current process which allows fi rst contract. of the largest corporations in the U.S. companies to force an election once What the passage of the Em- today actively fi ght off unions while a majority of employees have signed ployee Free Choice Act would do: paying their workers minimum wages, cards. This signifi cantly lengthens the With the passage of the Employee Free offering limited, if any, health care, and time it takes to form a union which gives Choice Act, if a majority of employees pay their CEO’s an average of 344 times the company the opportunity to bring signed cards, then they would have the their average employee’s wage. This in union busters to scare, threaten, and ability to form a union at that point. If inequality hurts everyone. Employees intimidate employees hoping to change they so choose, they can proceed with a who earn less put less back into the their opinion before they vote.