Congratulations to Myranda Morris, daughter
of Chet & Cynthia Morris, who was selected as one of the Jerry
Beckendorf Community Service Scholarship recipients for 2009.
Chet is a Local 120 member, and works for
the Tacoma Pierce County Health Department.
Myranda is going to the University of Puget
Sound to study biology, preparing to become a surgeon.
The Jerry Beckendorf Community Service Scholarship encourages
future generations of union activists and volunteers by recognizing
outstanding student volunteerism
Officers Elected for 2009 -
2010
At the December 1, 2008 General membership
meeting the following officers were elected to serve for the
2009 - 2010 term:
John Ohlson - President Angelo DeFazio - Vice President Dian Seider - Secretary Treasurer Celeste Suliin Burris - Recording Secretary Wayne Withrow - Sergeant at Arms Kathy Gregoire - Trustee
The Local 120 Executive Board would like to
thank outgoing officers Loralee Armstrong and Joyce Seeger for
their long years of dedicated service to our Union.
AFSCME
38th International Convention - San Francisco
Local 120 Delegates included,
left to right: Front row: George Hermosillo, Karen R. (TPCHD).
Second Row: Celeste Suliin Burris (City of Tacoma), Dian Seider (Library),
Joyce S. (TPCHD). Back Row: John Ohlson, Dave Shaughnessy (City of
Tacoma); Wayne Withrow (TPCHD), and Angelo DeFazio (Library).
Barak Obama addresses AFSCME members at the
International Convention in July, 2008.
Nine delegates and
alternates from Local 120 recently attended the AFSCME International
Convention in San Francisco's Moscone Center. Joining 5000 other
AFSCME members, the delegates set the agenda for the coming election year
and heard from Presidential nominee Barack Obama via satellite feed.
Hearing rousing speeches from Hillary Clinton, Al Gore and
Barack Obama, the delegates are ready to help elect a Labor-friendly
President, and take back America for working families.
The delegates attended workshops about organizing, political
action and pension plans, and joined with Union members from similar
professions across America to discuss the most critical issues facing their
members today. Al Gore encouraged the nation to set a goal to reduce global
warming within ten years.
Highlights from Obama’s speech: 'We can't afford to let John
McCain serve out Bush's third term'.
'The current administration is not just anti-union; they are
trying to keep us from fighting for ourselves'.
'We are less than 100 days away from the change we seek'.
President Gerald McEntee closed the satellite broadcast by
proclaiming; 'AFSCME will pull out all the stops to ensure Barack Obama
will be the next President of the United States'.
AFSCME To Mobilize 40,000
Activists for November Election,
Endorses Barack Obama for President The
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
(AFSCME), AFL-CIO, kicked off their 38th Biennial International
Convention with plans to build a powerful army of 40,000
activists to win victories for pro-worker candidates at every
level of government.
Nearly 6,000 activists gathered in late July in San Francisco to
develop the union’s plans on priority issues, including:
securing public support for the vital services our communities
depend on; providing states and localities with needed fiscal
relief; and guaranteeing quality, affordable health care for
all.
“The stakes are too high – too high – for our nation to elect
another President who doesn’t respect our work, doesn’t respect
our families, and doesn’t respect the public services that
America depends on and that our members provide,” AFSCME
International President Gerald W. McEntee (pictured above) told the delegates at
the AFSCME Convention in San Francisco.
Building Support for Public Services McEntee outlined two key goals for delegates: to elect
pro-worker candidates across the country, and build public
support for the vital public services that make our communities
a better place to live, work and raise a family. “We have to
tell our story,” McEntee said. “It’s a story about the
tremendous value of the services we provide across this great
country. We keep families safe and make communities strong. You
know it and I know it: America works because we do.”
Hillary Clinton asked the nation's largest public employees
union — and one of her strongest backers — to work hard for the
man who beat her for the Democratic nomination for president,
Sen. Barack Obama. Clinton was greeted with a standing ovation,
raucous applause and cries of "We love you, Hillary."
“Barack Obama has mobilized a historic movement to reclaim the
greatness of America. With his leadership, our nation will rise
up to rebuild the middle class at home and restore America’s
reputation in the world,” said AFSCME President Gerald W.
McEntee.
An army of 40,000 AFSCME Activists “AFSCME will mobilize more members and invest more resources
than ever before to help Senator Obama win the White House. We
will turn out an army of 40,000 AFSCME activists to knock on
doors, make phone calls and talk with their co-workers and
neighbors to produce an unprecedented turnout in the 2008
election.”
“Barack Obama is a proven fighter on the issues our members care
about most, such as ending privatization, providing state and
local fiscal relief, fully funding and supporting public
services and the workers who provide them, and guaranteeing that
everyone in our country has access to quality, affordable health
care they can count on,” McEntee said.
“We can elect a champion for working families or we can elect
John McCain and have four more years of George W. Bush’s
disastrous policies,” McEntee said. “When you look at McCain’s
record on the issues instead of his rhetoric on the stump, it’s
obvious that he’s just another Bush. McCain and the high-priced
lobbyists who run his campaign promise us four more years of
destructive economic policies at home and 100 more years of
occupation in Iraq. We need a change now.”
“Barack Obama will change the direction of our country, and end
the Bush era of corruption and incompetence that has led to
increased unemployment and home foreclosures, higher gas prices
and grocery bills, in addition to putting health care and
college out of reach for millions of America’s working
families,” said McEntee.
Contract Negotiations Update
Council approves Local 120
COT Unit Agreement
The City of Tacoma bargaining unit has
approved it's 2008 - 2010 contract, by an overwhelming margin.
click here for details.
City Loses
"Citywide Bumping" Arbitration, Celeste Returns To
Work!
Local
120 Recording Secretary Celeste Suliin Burris has won her
grievance arbitration, challenging the City's assertion that
there are no city-wide bumping rights when employees are laid
off.
Celeste was laid off in July 2006, as part of a massive staff
cut requested by City management. She filed a grievance
against the city because past practice has been to allow
employees to bump across departmental lines in the event of a
layoff, yet she was not allowed to bump when her position was
eliminated. The Union presented various pieces of evidence
supporting our claims, including written policies, memorandums,
and city web pages that all acknowledged city-wide bumping
rights for employees.
As a result of the win, Celeste will have her employment
status at the city restored, will receive back pay, and will
retain the right to bump the least senior employee in her
classification.
UPDATE 5/27/07: Due to an unacceptable offer by the
City, Celeste has elected to return to city employment.
Update: 9/24/07: The Tacoma Fire
Department has created a new position for Celeste to work in, at
her original pay & classification.
How
did YOUR Rep Vote
on the important issues facing our Union today? Enter your zip code
below, and find out!
Quote of the
day: "For a worker to refuse to belong to a union is not to
exercise a democratic freedom. It is to accept benefits that others have
worked for without contributing to the costs. Democracy flourishes only
when freedom is accompanied by responsibility." (Australian Bank
Employees Union)......
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Copyright 2007 Local 120 AFSCME
Local 120 Home
Jerry Beckendorf Scholarship Recipient
The
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
(AFSCME), AFL-CIO, kicked off their 38th Biennial International
Convention with plans to build a powerful army of 40,000
activists to win victories for pro-worker candidates at every
level of government.
Local
120 Recording Secretary Celeste Suliin Burris has won her
grievance arbitration, challenging the City's assertion that
there are no city-wide bumping rights when employees are laid
off.
