Federal judge rules class action lawsuit on racial discrimination in special risk retirement has enough evidence to proceed
The Janet Reno Campaign Needs Your Help The Capital Regional Reno Campaign is planning a precinct walk for Sunday August 25 2002, in the Indianhead Acres neighborhood at 4 p.m. We want to reach each registered Democratic voter, so we need lots of walkers. Please call George Luke for more details at 656-8284 or e-mail
Tally4Reno@netscape.net
and we will get back to you Master ContractThis is to bring you up-to-date on two important
issues for our Union: (1)the State Master Contract, and (2)Worker's
Comp. injuries at the DJJ. Tallahassee town hall meeting for state workers - Monday July 22 with Janet RenoBrothers and Sisters: Why does AFSCME want Jeb for four more years
Reno is a nice person but poll after poll has shown she can not beat
Jeb. I would have thought the leadership of AFSCME would be looking
for a winner to beat Jeb. But they picked Reno. Pete Peterson did not
want to fight the Reno name. McBride is trying but in the end I think
he will lose.
It is people like the leadership of AFSCME that keeps telling Reno
that she can win.
IMHO, when Jeb beat Reno, the state workers got what they really
wanted, Four more years of Jeb.
...blackbird71, 5/31/02 AFSCME WINS
RAISES/$600 MIN., BUT BUDGET HIKES INSURANCE
|
Help
support  | AFSCME claims a win over across the board raises of 2.5% with a
$600 minimum. My rent went up more than that this year.
Not only that the deal includes a 13% increase on my insurance
premiums, and my job is back on the chopping block. What is
there to claim victory about - like JEB they are more interested in
looking good than doing a decent job. Like the workers, they
are job scared and only interested in saving their own asses.
They're useless. ... RobertCR, 5/12/02 |
DCF
PROBLEMS: AFSCME SAYS GO AFTER SYSTEM, NOT JUST WORKERS
DCF PROBLEMS FRY BUSH IN HIS OWN
FAT;
AFSCME SAYS GO AFTER SYSTEM, NOT JUST WORKERS;
RENO AND MCBRIDE WEIGH IN
We need information about DCF privatization in Tampa and
Orlando
A House committee investigating DCF will take testimony June 3 in
Orlando and June 4 in Tampa. If you are a current or former DCF worker
who has horror stories about privatization or agency management, please
contact Alma Gonzalez-Neimeiser of AFSCME Council 79 at 1-800-541-0584
or at afscmefl@aol.com.
AFSCME fights against worker scapegoating and for real answers
In the case of Rilya, the 5-year-old girl in state custody who has been
missing for 16 months, Department of Children & Families leaders
knew of her disappearance for six days before contacting police. The
caseworker responsible for Rilya allegedly falsified records in another
case.
Gov. Jeb Bush appointed a "blue ribbon" panel, including his
former general counsel and a top contributor, to study the problem,
affix blame and propose solutions before June 3. The Orlando Sentinel
rightly called it a fool's errand.
Gov. Jeb Bush also expanded the call of the special session to expand
penalties for DCF workers who falsify documents. AFSCME Council 79
testified that those penalties should apply to wrongdoing by bosses too.
Mark Neimeiser, political/legislative director of AFSCME Florida, told
the committee that a top official's decision not to report Rilya's
disappearance to police right away is ``just as bad as falsifying
records."
The state should put as much money and effort into reducing DCF
caseloads as it is in increasing the criminal penalty for altering
records, Neimeiser said.
"The message has to get out that this isn't about scapegoating
workers," Neimeiser said. "If we're really about taking care
of children, we ought to make sure the money and the training is at a
level where the work can get done."
On Thursday, a House select committee investigating privatization of
child protection in the Orlando and Tampa regions met in Tallahassee.
DCF officials testified that caseload levels are at 13-1, a ridiculous
figure that must count every employee as a caseworker.
AFSCME told the committee that 30 to 40 cases is the norm, and that
agency managers are eager to fire anyone who complains about the
workload.
"Part of it is, they can't keep track, and part of it is that they
don't know what they are doing, and part of it is let's just sweep it
under the rug," Neimeiser testified.
Here is what Janet Reno said:
In her sharpest attack on Bush's handling of the disappearance of Rilya
Wilson yet, Reno said the governor's appointment of a blue-ribbon panel
to study the child protection system in Miami-Dade County falls short of
what is needed.
The former U.S. attorney general said the problems within the Department
of Children & Families are statewide issues that need to be
addressed with a new, more experienced head of the agency and someone
who can monitor the agency without being beholden to the governor or
lawmakers.
"This is a problem not just in Miami-Dade County," said Reno.
"This is a problem across the state." DCF Secretary Kathleen
Kearney "should step aside," Reno said.
What Bill McBride said:
"This is a governor who wants to do things on the cheap," said
Tampa lawyer Bill McBride, a Democratic candidate for governor.
"This is a governor who bounces from one crisis to the next without
any vision and without a willingness to take an across-the-board look at
the plight of children."
SPECIAL SESSION: CALL YOUR LEGISLATORS
STATE AND UNIVERSITY WORKERS
WANT A RAISE? FREE TUITION RESTORED?
CALL YOUR LEGISLATORS TODAY!
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE, April 24
Gov. Jeb Bush has called a
legislative special session for April 29 to May 13 to cover budget
appropriations; the chief financial officer(cfo)/cabinet reorganization,
and an education code rewrite. The governor has asked that legislators
also consider bills dealing with deliberate or accidental misuse of
prescription drugs (Oxycontin) as covered in SB 636 and SB 638;
legislation adopting the 2002 Internal Revenue Code to give businesses a
$238 million tax break; legislation concerning the Miami-Dade County
Charter as embodied in HB 1069; and the naming Florida Excellent Teacher
program after the late Dale Hickam, the Senate aide who created the
program.
HERE IS WHAT WE WANT!
• The state budget needs adequate across-the-board pay raises for
state, universities and School for Death and Blind units with a minimum
to give a meaningful increase to the lowest paid workers.
• The House should support the Senate raise position 2.5 percent,
$ 600 minimum effective Oct. 1, 2002.
• The Education Code Rewrite should restablish (after a one-year
"Service Worst" hiatus) the "tuition waiver" program
so state and university employees may take up to six hours of classes
free on a space available basis at state universities, including an
expansion to community colleges and vo-tech schools.
• The Cabinet reorganization to create a new CFO should contain a
"Type 2" transfer of existing employees into the new positions
created by the legislation.
• Any further privatization should be opposed.
Look up your legislator on the Internet at
http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Legislators/index.cfm?Members=By+County
Don't know your legislator? Call your union AFSCME Council 79 at (800)
541-0584 or e-mail at afscmefl@aol.com.
In Solidarity,
Jeanette D. Wynn
President
AFSCME Florida Council 79
PRIVATIZATION
WHEREAS: Governments exist at all levels to accomplish the public will impartially by serving the needs of all the people without regard to income, race, ethnicity, gender or creed; and
WHEREAS: Public employees are considered "honest brokers" because they do not have a financial incentive to favor one group of people over another in the provision of services by "creaming" those easiest to help and ignoring more difficult cases; and
WHEREAS: For-profit businesses and many unscrupulous not-for-profit organizations covet the contents of the public purse and endeavor to profit by pushing for privatization of public services; and
WHEREAS: The easiest way to profit from limited government budgets is to cut staffing levels, slash the wages of workers, cut or eliminate health and retirement benefits, and hire inexperienced workers; and
WHEREAS: The term "privatization" is little more than a fig leaf hiding corruption by reducing accountability for tax dollars by removing spending from the sunshine; and
WHEREAS: The experience of governments nationwide — in case after case, at all levels, and all service types — has shown that any savings achieved through privatization are illusory and temporary, resulting in service reductions and increased costs as governments lose their ability to serve the public themselves; and
WHEREAS: The AFSCME members who serve the public in government jobs that are privatized bear the brunt of any "savings" and suffer from overwork, less pay and loss of benefits, which treatment of working people offends the core values of our union and of any progressive individual; and
WHEREAS: Privatization exhibits no good to the public generally and our members specifically, but, moreover, evinces nothing more than a selfish money grab to profit private interests; and
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that AFSCME Florida Council 79 renounces privatization in all of its forms, disguises and manifestations and declares itself the defender of the public interest in holding elected and appointed officials accountable for the prudent expenditure of tax receipts and the maintenance of proper public services; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that AFSCME Florida Council 79 shall take the lead in educating the public on the perils of privatization and in stamping out such profiteering whenever and wherever it shall arise.
Submitted by President Jeanette D. Wynn, AFSCME Florida Council 79 http://www.afscme.org/private/index.html
(Top)
Call the house appropriations committee about state workers' pay raise
Congratulations! The state budget hasn't passed and House members are
complaining about the deluge of calls from state workers about their
raises. Keep up the good work with even more calls and e-mails. They
will be there over the weekend.
Tell legislators -- especially members of the House Appropriations
Committee -- that you support the Senate's budget position on raises.
A 2.5 percent raise so state and university workers can at least keep
up with inflation.
An effective date of Oct. so workers won't have to wait until next year
to get their raises.
At least a $600 minimum so the lowest paid workers don't get the short
end of the stick.
Click here for the link
to the Appropriations Committee web page. It has links to the phone
numbers and e-mail addresses of all the committee members. Click on the
link to get the committee page. If clicking doesn't work, copy the link
into your web browser.
Let's fight together for decent raises this year for our state and
university workers.
In Solidarity,
Jeanette D. Wynn
President
AFSCME asks for "no" vote on HB 641 (Resolution of Impasse)
Feb. 4, 2002
Dear Honorable Members of the Florida House of Representatives:
You will be asked tomorrow, Tuesday, Feb. 5, during session to consider
HB 641 (Legislative Resolution of Impasse) by Rep. Fred Brummer. On
behalf of AFSCME Council 79 - the official representative of 70,000
state employees - I respectfully ask you to vote against the bill.
HB 641 would change the law governing how the Legislature considers and
resolves disputes between state agencies and employee organizations
during contract negotiations. The bill would make legislative impasse
hearings and resolutions optional. Employee organizations could submit
written statements to the House Speaker and Senate President, but it
would up to the legislative officers whether to hold a hearing on the
contract impasse or whether even to resolve the issue at all.
There are numerous legal and policy reasons for opposition.
Here are a few:
The Legislative impasse resolution process was changed just last year in
the Service First legislation and has not been on the books long enough
to show whether a change is needed.
The bill would all but eliminate the role of legislators and their
committees in helping to solve problems between the state and its
employees.
Public employees in Florida do not have the right to strike. A strong
impasse process is their only hope of fairness.
Sincerely,
President Jeanette D. Wynn
AFSCME Council 79
(850) 222-0842
www.afscmefl.org
Drivers at Atlantic Express school bus in Jacksonville
DCF agrees to negotiate ESS bonuses
The Department of Children and Families has agreed to continue
negotiations with AFSCME Council 79 over bonuses that were promised to
Economic Self-Sufficiency workers if they passed a competency test. Now
that a large number of those workers have voluntarily taken the
test and the great majority have passed, AFSCME wants to ensure that DCF
continues to negotiate its promised bonuses. The next negotiating
session is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 18.
"We are pleased that DCF is negotiating bonuses with the intent of
rewarding ESS workers who demonstrated their excellence by passing the
competency test," said Council 79 President Jeanette D. Wynn.
AFSCME legislative update:
3/23/02
SESSION ENDS WITH NO BUDGET -- KEEP THE
CALLS COMING
AFSCMEcouncil 79 Brothers and
Sisters:
The traditional hanky drop signaling Sine Die of the regular Session of
the Florida Legislature took place about 10:45 pm, but as the Governor
acknowledged at the ceremony, " while the Legislature completed
much of the agenda, there's still more work that they'll have to come
back and do."
Specifically, not completed: Education Code Rewrite, both sides claim
bad faith and looks like Guv will Call them back for Special Session
4/2. This includes final strokes on State Universities' governance,
.Collective Bargaining to be done by each University Trustee Board and
benefit package if a Public Corporation rather than State Agency;
Cabinet Restructuring and new Constitutional Chief Financial Officer.
Current State Treasurer/Insurance Commissioner Gallagher is squared off
against Comptroller Milligan for new position, each with his own plan of
how to do Depts of Insurance, and Banking and Finance.
Appropriations, as presented in previous email still some $600 million
apart ($350 million Education K-12, $40 million universities, $28
million Medically Needy and over $50 million on across the board
raises).There is some speculation that Appropriations Special Session
will happen end of April or early May to get another bounce from Revenue
Estimating Conference( Sales Tax receipts/ tourism is up).
Issues which could have hurt, but didn't (we'll have to watch future
Calls) were privatization -School Accountability; Legislative Impasse,
PERC Regulation and Livable Wage Restriction. There also was no help or
action on workers comp and UC.
The contentious issue of Tax Reform did have a compromise for the Senate
President - Sales Tax Exemption Review Commission(6 House, 6 Senate) to
make recommendations over 3yr. period would be binding unless full
Legislature voted to keep will be on Ballot as a Constitutional
Amendment.
THE BUDGET HASN'T PASSED SO KEEP CALLING YOUR LEGISLATORS!!!
Tell legislators -- especially members of the House Appropriations
Committee -- that you support the Senate's budget position on raises:
A 2.5 percent raise so state and university workers can at least
keep up with inflation.
An effective date of Oct. so workers won't have to wait until next year
to get their raises.
At least a $600 minimum so the lowest paid workers don't get the short
end of the stick.
LINK
TO THE HOUSE FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY COUNCIL
LINK
FOR CONTACTING ALL HOUSE MEMBERS BY COUNTY
LINK
FOR CONTACTING ALL SENATE MEMBERS
LET'S KEEP THOSE CALLS AND E-MAILS GOING SO THAT LEGISLATORS KNOW
THEY MUST DO JUSTICE TO STATE AND UNIVERSITY WORKERS IN THE BUDGET!
In Solidarity,
Jeanette D. Wynn
President
AFSCME Florida Council 79
3/14/02
Much like the weather, Senate Appropriations picture has changed again.
Revenue Estimating Conference(Friday 3/8) projected $644 million more
for Appropriations. With pressure from Guv and House, State Senate has
backed off its proposed Repeal of 14 Sales Tax Exemptions(estimated
$800+ million) earmarked for Education. While Senate is scheduled to
take up Appropriations Bill(SB 2502)Thursday, it is unclear when it will
be ready for Conference. Even with new economic projections, including
better employment #s, we are still short $241 million from pre 9/11
figures. Plus the Fed stimulus package will cost another $200 million in
business tax piggybacks. The Senate and House Appropriations are
currently widely different in several reas like Medicaid allotment.
3/10/02
Below are legislative updates on the important issues of the budget,
universities, an anti-union bill by Rep. Annie Betancourt, D-Miami, and
prescription drug benefits.
Senate Majority Leader Jim King(SD
8-Jax, R.) and next year's Senate President if the Rs keep control of
Senate as expected; felt the heat(one wag told us JEBush was yelling at
King in the Senator's suite) and jumped off the McKay Sales Tax
Exemption Repeal gambit. King told media he was still close to McKay,
but that his "folks back home weren't ready for any kind of tax
increase." Senate President McKay reacted by claiming he still had
the votes to pass the Repeal of the 15 Sales Tax Exemptions tied to $
800+ million in Education Appropriations, but postponed taking up the
Senate Appropriations package(SB 2502)on the Floor today. What's next?
We have been struggling with a good
friend, Representative Annie Betancourt (HD 116-Miami,D.), over her
filing and pushing CS/HB 1129 - PERC Registration Requirements, which
would raise Registration fees, filing requirements and fines for public
sector unions. Bettancourt has had our enthusiastic endorsement since
her first run for the House 8 yrs. ago; she is Term limited, but would
be a great candidate to oppose Mario Diaz-Balart should a new
Congressional District be drawn, anchored in Miami or possibly in a
redrawn SD 40(Daryl Jones - Term Limited). But No, she has teacher
friends who worked her up about Dade Teacher Union Prez Pat Tornillo;
hence the nasty Bill. HB1129 had only one stop, State Administration
Committee and was scheduled for 2nd Reading today(not gotten to). No
matter what we've said she has continued; another "strike all"
Amendment was prepared for today, but still unacceptable. Senator Al
Lawson has the companion Bill and has committed to bury it should our
friend Annie succeed.
Attorney General Bob Butterworth
sent an Opinion to the Florida Supreme Court, that the State
University Governance Constitutional Amendment(pushed by U.S. Senator
Bob Graham) currently before them for Review; "was confusing and
possibly in violation of the one subject criteria." AFSCME and the
Florida project have supportive of the Graham effort; collecting
Petitions and giving $.
House Council on Lifelong Learning has
completed 3000 page Session long Rewrite of the Florida School Code. The
Rewrite PCB(Proposed Committee Bill) would structure a new Governance in
accordance with changes created in Law over the past 2 years regarding a
new structure and governance for K-20. Most significant for Council 79
is that the Code Rewrite includes: a shift in the employer for
Collective Bargaining purposes with the State Universities from the
State Board of Education (fmrly Board of Regents) to the Board of
Trustees at each of the 10 State Universities; changes description of
State University from that of a "state agency" status to that
of "Public Corporation," and; gives the Florida School for the
Deaf and Blind status to handle its own Collective Bargaining(currently
under Master Contract for Career Service). The Code Rewrite PCB will go
to House Floor the last week of Session, however the Senate is not
similarly situated, so it may not go this Session.
Like alot of things in Florida HB 1353 - Presciption
Drug Fair Pricing Act by Gelber; Rubio; Barreiro and Seiler(Co-Sponsors)
and similar Senate version SB 2348 by Silver had promise, but the
reality is 4 Committee/Council stops in the House and 3 Committee
Assignments in Senate makes it difficult to succeed. I've spoken with
both House and Senate Leadership, as well as Gelber; since neither Bill
has gotten a first Hearing yet, they are probably not going to move this
year.
3/05/02
The House had its Appropriations Bill on Second Reading 3/1 and Rs clearly used process to not only prevail, but to turn Democrat attempts to create negative record into plusses.
To wit: Ds put up Amendment to put $12 million into Election education, only to see Rs vote favorably as well( 105-0), then later; Rs put up a Substitute Amendment which had the effect of reducing the amount to $ 2.5 million for help with Election issues in small Counties (Many Ds ending up voting NO).
Ds also got caught trying to bring attention to low teacher salaries, class room size and inadequate health services to the poor, by proposing massive fund shifts from the Transportation 5 year plan. Needless to say Rs had a field day pointing out problems.
Ds failed to adequately rap (Rep. Richardson did not use talking points drawn for him and sounded almost apologetic)$ 30 million for privatization of State Human Resources, which had been KO'd by Senate and Governor had said he did not need several wks ago.
Finally there was only a mention that most of 4.2% increase in State University Budgets would be paid for by a 6% tuition increase. Bill will be on Third Reading for floor vote this week, while Senate is scheduled for short Amendment Session this Thursday. As reported previously, the difference of $1 Billion (funded by Sales Tax Exemption Repeals) in Education alone threatens to make Conference Committee a non starter.
The House Council for Lifelong Learning passed CS/HB 1825 which would eliminate the OAOC, private vendor dominated Commission, which has overseen Vocational Rehabilitation Services since the transfer from the Dept. of Labor and Employment Security (DLES) 2 yrs ago and place the Division of Voc. Rehab. directly under the State Dept. of Education (DOE). Privatization of Voc. Rehab. has proved to be costly , less services and the U.S. DOE has placed the program on the "Watch List" jeopardizing.
Senate Governmental Oversight and Productivity Chair Rudy Garcia discovered he didn't have the votes to move his Impasse Resolution(sic) SB 1910 out of Committee and took it off the Agenda. This is particularly significant, since HB 641 by Brummer passed by a 68 - 49 on House Floor today(2/12). We were able to get 6 Rs to Vote against the Bill and 3 Not Voting despite House Leadership push, while holding all the Ds.
HB 641 will go over to Senate in Messages and given what occurred in Senate Committee, Senate President McKay will probably Refer the Bill to Committee. We will have to remain vigilant for the remainder of Session and keep pressure on Committee members to resist any attempt to Withdraw these Bills from Committee.
Union uses smear tactics against Bush administration - Cynthia Henderson replies...
AFSCME union representative Jeanette Wynn criticized our Service First initiative in her Nov. 20 column, suggesting an employee was terminated after a car accident without cause. In fact, her supervisors had documented extensive grounds for her dismissal, but delayed it out of sensitivity to her unfortunate accident.Ms. Wynn then sought to take away from Gov. Jeb Bush any credit for preserving state employees' pay raises. In fact, after championing a 2-percent across-the-board raise plus an additional 1 percent in bonuses, he signed into law the Legislature's 2.5-percent raise with no bonuses. He then worked hard to keep that raise - even after Sept. 11 - for those earning less than $90,000. All this was done with no help from AFSCME, which has yet to fulfill its statutory duty to ratify a contract submitted in June.
If the state of Florida was truly "rushing to lay off thousands of workers," the Leon County unemployment rate would not be just 2.7 percent, third lowest in the state and well ahead of the state average of 4.9 percent. These are smear and fear tactics, and are not responsible.
Service First has given thousands of state employees free health care; increased benefits; an optional cash payout for annual leave; performance bonuses; and expanded educational vouchers to community colleges and technical centers. Despite the union's delays and finger-pointing, Gov. Bush has demonstrated commitment to protect pay raises for state employees and reward them for good service to our people. The union should focus on serving its members, not playing politics with their pay raises.
CYNTHIA A. HENDERSON
Secretary, Department of Management Services
Top
The Truth About Gov. Jeb Bush, State Pay Raises and the Master Contract
A Message From
AFSCME Florida Council 79 President Jeanette D. Wynn
Kimberly
Westmoreland never had a bad mark against her in three years as a state
employee.
This week, the 30-year-old administrative assistant came in
on Monday after being injured in a car accident and was told that she was
fired. No reason needed; no appeal possible. Service First made her an
"at will" Select Exempt employee.
Now, the mother of Ashley, 8, and Michael, 6, must find a
way to keep health insurance for her husband Mark, 32, who battles a brain
tumor.
Kim could be any state employee who faces layoffs,
privatization or just a "Type A" boss.
This governor entered office with a multi-billion-dollar
surplus. In three years, he squandered that into a $1.3 billion deficit, more
than half of which existed before Sept. 11.
Private industry is in the ditch, but the state of Florida
is rushing to lay off thousands of workers -- but not touching his cherished
country club set.
Like an adolescent spendthrift, Governor Bush thinks he can
get on TV and spin his way out of this mess.
One of his biggest whoppers is that he approved state
employee pay raises out of the goodness of his own heart.
Here are the facts. Governor Bush only offered a 2-percent
raise. It was the Legislature that bumped it to 2.5 percent --- barely above
inflation and even less than last year's raises. Health insurance premiums
rose by 15 percent. Bonuses have been canceled. And the state cut college
tuition waivers by 98 percent.
Gov. Jeb Bush sold Service First as better pay and training
for state workers in exchange for efficiency.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Just ask Kim Westmoreland.
The truth is that babies like 17-month-old Latiana Nakia
Hamilton of Jacksonville are beaten to death in foster care because the state
is too cheap to care.
The governor talks about efficiency, but hides the fact that
Florida is the lowest-cost state government in the country.
Governor Bush's big idea is to declare war on his employees.
He snatched away seniority so that people who have dedicated
their lives to state service get no more consideration in a layoff than a new
hire.
He wants to force state employees into a Master Contract
wherein disciplinary actions no longer could be mitigated and hearing officers
no longer could use precedents or disparate treatment in considering cases.
Promotions and bonuses would no longer have standards.
In short, bosses could do anything they want and workers
could do nothing about it.
What person in their right mind would sign such an
agreement?
Governor Bush's real estate firm would have laughed him out
if he entered into a contract giving away all of his rights.
Yes, Mr. Governor, state employees will vote on a contract,
but only one that reflects the actual work of the Legislature --- not some
power trip by Cynthia Henderson.
As public servants, we hope that our governor learns from
the wartime situation that he is so fond of citing.
You shoot at the enemy, not your own people.
AFSCME Florida Council 79
111 N. Gadsden St., Suite 100
Tallahassee, FL 32301
(850) 222-0842
www.afscmefl.org
WORKING CLASS HEROES by TOM ROBBINS
for the VILLAGE VOICE
Questions that linger: Were the hijackers peering through the cockpit window as they swept toward their Lower Manhattan targets? In the final instant before collision, was it possible for them to discern human faces in the building ahead? Unlikely. Nor is it likely that they knew that the representatives of the Great Satan they were about to crush were mostly working stiffs, many of them union members.
New York still awaits a final census of the dead and missing from the World Trade Center, but tallies so far indicate that most victims were people whose only offense was getting to work on time.
Even at the large investment firms that registered the most staggering losses, the casualties were members of a largely white-collar regiment: computer technicians, data analysts, secretaries, systems engineers, and commodities clerks, as well as brokers and traders.
At least 1000 of the victims belonged to labor unions. Among them were the firefighters, city and Port Authority police, and emergency medical technicians lost in the rescue efforts. Others were the kidnapped pilots and flight attendants. Union members also worked throughout the towers. At Windows on the World, the swank restaurant atop One World Trade Center, as many as 79 members of Local 100 of the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International Union perished. Twenty floors below them, at least 39 members of Public Employees Federation, most of them workers at the Department of Taxation and Finance on the 86th and 87th floors of the south tower, are missing.
Some 27 maintenance workers, members of Local 32B-J of the Service Employees International Union, are missing, according to union spokesman Bill Meyerson. "They were window cleaners, security officers, elevator starters," said Meyerson.
In addition, at least 50 members of the building trades were killed, union officials estimate. About 17 of them were carpenters assembling office partitions, another 15 were electricians, five were painters, and four were laborers.
"The World Trade Center has always been a major employer," said Steve McInnis of the New York District Council of Carpenters.
In a harbinger of the rescue efforts their fellow members would make later that day, union officials believe some tradesmen died trying to help after the attack.
"We know of one person who was working in the complex on elevator construction, who went in to help when he heard the elevators were plunging," said Paul Fernandes of the New York City Building Trades Council. "He hasn't been heard from since."
Questions also linger about the final moments in the life of Billy Cashman, a union member who died in the crash of United Airlines Flight 93 in western Pennsylvania after passengers fought hijackers for control of the plane.
"We have to believe Bill was very much involved in that fight," said Bob Ledwith, business manager of Metal Lathers Local 46 of the ironworkers union.
There were plenty of reasons to think so. Cashman was a teacher in the local's welding school, a soft-spoken man who refrained from cursing and "never said a bad word about anyone," according to Ledwith. Cashman was also a veteran of the 101st Airborne Division and held a red belt in karate. "He kept himself in great shape," said Ledwith. "He was 60 years old with the physique of a man half his age. He was raised on the West Side of Manhattan, Hell's Kitchen, and he still had the streets in him."
Cashman was aboard the flight because he was on his way to an annual hiking trip in Yosemite National Park. "It's certain that plane was headed for a target, the Capitol or somewheres," said Ledwith. "And we just know that Bill would've done something. I told the members, people sometimes wonder why in the union movement we call each other 'brother' a lot. It's because we have this bond. And Bill exemplified it."
If Bill Cashman made his union proud in the desperate but anonymous battle aboard Flight 93, his fellow building trades members did the same in the wake of the attack.
Moments after the first dark smoke began rising from the north tower, construction workers all over the city began heading for the Trade Center. At 76th Street and Third Avenue, several dozen hard hats boarded a city bus and made the driver take them downtown. Others commandeered contractors' vans.
In downtown Brooklyn, where three new high-rises are going up, workers, their toolbelts flapping, ran across the Brooklyn Bridge.
The new AOL Time Warner tower on Columbus Circle was stripped of workers within minutes of the first attack. "Every job in Manhattan and most in Brooklyn were pretty much shut down by 10 a.m.," said Fernandes, who rode to the site in one of two truckloads of steamfitters.
At the carpenters union headquarters on Hudson Street, more than 300 members assembled at the union's apprentice school early Wednesday morning. "We unloaded every pair of gloves we had, gave them goggles, hard hats, whatever we could find," said McInnis. "Then they marched straight down to the site. Their pass was their union card and their hard hat; they didn't take 'no' for an answer."
Several thousand hard hats worked at the center for the next week. Those who could operate acetylene torches—ironworkers, demolition laborers, millwrights, carpenters—did so. Others dug or operated heavy machinery. Construction workers are notorious for jealously guarding their own jurisdictions: Steamfitters aren't supposed to hit nails; carpenters don't touch wiring. Those rules were ignored during the gritty excavation work.
On Day Two, a volunteer trying to bring food and water to rescuers pointed to a small backhoe, calling out: "Whose machine is that?" A member of Carpenters Local 1456, whose jurisdiction is limited to building docks, answered, "I don't know but if you need it, I can run it." He jumped in the cab and began clearing a path through the dust and debris.
Nobody was paid that first week. Meanwhile, paying jobs at construction worksites elsewhere in the city sat abandoned as workers refused to leave the rescue effort. Finally, in an effort to get the city going again, Building Trades leader Ed Malloy sent out a written plea for his members to return to work.
Terror, by definition, recognizes no innocents; its power flows from the fear it engenders with random casualties, by proving the frightening vulnerability of everyday targets. That lesson was clearly received. But it was just as effectively refuted with every shovelful lifted from the pile.
Copyright by the Village Voice 10/1/01
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Dear Sisters and Brothers, Yesterday, our nation endured a tragedy like none we have ever experienced before — one that will have a profound and permanent impact. Of the state employees who work in the World Trade Center, 40 are missing. Some of them are believed to be members of CSEA Local 1000, AFSCME. We are still working to determine the full impact yesterday's events have had on District Council 37 and Council 1707. As they have many times in the past, public employees working for Emergency Medical Services and hospitals have stepped forward and risked their lives to rescue their fellow Americans. It is our hope that you will continue AFSCME's long and proud tradition of serving America in our country's greatest time of need by calling 1-800-GIVE-LIFE to find out where you can donate blood. We will provide more information as it becomes available, and continue to keep our AFSCME members in New York and Washington, DC, in our prayers. Gerald W. McEntee International President William Lucy International Secretary-Treasurer
The labor community has established funds in New York and Washington to aid the victims of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, which included union brothers and sisters. We will keep you informed of other labor-sponsored relief efforts as we learn about them. Union Community Fund: Labor's charity, the Union Community Fund, is putting together a relief fund for our brothers and sisters in need in New York City and the Washington, D.C., area. Please make checks payable to the Union Community Fund, and designate them for the Sept. 11 Relief Fund. Mail to Union Community Fund, 815 16th St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20006. Donations also may be made online at http://www.unioncommunityfund.org New York City Central Labor Council Disaster Fund: Mail checks to NYC Central Labor Council Disaster Fund, 386 Park Ave. South, New York, NY 10016. Call 212-685-9552 for more information. http://www.nycclc.org Washington, D.C., and Northern Virginia Disaster Fund: Mail checks to the fund at 1925 K Street, N.W., Suite 410, Washington, DC 20006. In D.C., make checks payable to the Community Services Agency and earmark for "Disaster Fund". Call 202-857-0480 for more information. Blood donations are also needed. To schedule an appointment, call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE.
SOLIDARITY MESSAGES FROM OTHER TRADE UNIONS Sweden: To our colleges, brother and sisters, who have been stuck by this act of terrorism: "On behalf of all members of SEKO, we send our condolences to the families of the people whose lives have been lost in these workplace attacks. Political differences cannot be resolved by the use of utterly unacceptable terrorist acts and SEKO condemns completely this action of attacks on targets where there are innocent workers. We, the members and leadership of SEKO are with you in this moment of sadness and you will be in our minds for a long time to come". Sven-Olof Arbestål, President SEKO Sweden Ulla Olovsson, Vice President SEKO Sweden Peter Rundqvist International Secretary SEKO Sweden Stockholm, Sweden France: Chers camarades, La Fédération CGT des Services publics de France tient à vous exprimer sa solidarité dans l'épreuve terrible qui frappe votre peuple, en raison d'un effroyable acte de terrorisme guerrier. Comme l'écrit l'éditorialiste du journal "Le Monde": "Dans ce moment tragique où les mots paraissent si pauvres pour dire le choc que l'on ressent, la première chose qui vient à l'esprit est celle-ci: nous sommes tous américains... La folie, même au prétexte du désespoir, n'est jamais une force qui peut régénérer le monde. Voilà pourquoi, aujourd'hui, nous sommes tous américains." Bien fraternellement, Philippe Coanet International Secretary Fédération CGT des Services Publics TRANSLATION: Dear comrades, The Federation of Public Services (CGT) of France wants to express our solidarity during this terrible tragedy which has struck your people, due to this horrible act of terrorism. As the editorialist of Le Monde newspaper wrote: "At this tragic memoent when words seem so poor to express the shock we feel, the first thing that comes to mind is this: we are all Americans...Insanity, even under the pretext of despair, is never a force which can create a new world. That is why, today, we are all Americans." Fraternally,... Denmark: Dear brothers and sisters! On behalf of the 45.000 members of HK/STAT, Government and Public Employees in Denmark I hereby express our deepest condolences to the families of the victims, among them many rescue workers, in New York, Washington D.C and Pennsylvania. Since the terrorist act on September 11, we have constantly been thinking of you and we will observe very closely how we in a more direct way can support you, your members and the families. Today at noon we have held a minute of silence in solidarity with the victims. You are in our minds. In solidarity Peter Waldorff President Other expressions of solidarity from ICFTU member unions
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Aug. 29, 2001 - A Message from AFSCME Florida Council 79 President Jeanette D. Wynn |
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The Council 79 website (www.afscmefl.org) has been updated with information about
Check back regularly for updated information. |
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The AFSCME Florida Council 79 website has been relaunched on the Internet at www.afscmefl.org. The new website has been brought in house and will be maintained by our communications department. Currently, the website has information on the state master contract, the 2001 Legislative Report, and the Florida Campaign. Permanent pages contain information on the council leadership and staff, information on "Service First," links to local union web pages and, next week, will have summaries of news articles on our issues. Potential members can get involved by sending us a for with their contact information. In the near future, pages will be added for the State, State University System, City/County, School Board and Private/Nonprofit conference boards. Please send ideas for additional pages or information to Communications Director Doug Martin at afscmefl@aol.com. With participation by our members and leadership, this website can become a great resource for providing timely information to our members and the larger public about issues that affect their lives. In solidarity, President Jeanette D. Wynn 7/12/01 Top |
In a 5-2 vote, the Senate Committee on Governmental Oversight and
Productivity approved Senator Rudy Garcia's version of Career Service reform.
However, as a result of AFSCME's pressure and our successful lobby day and rally, Garcia amended the bill the restore the "reasonable" cause standard as the basis for firing employees and keeping the burden of proof on management in disciplinary cases. This victory for state workers transforms SB 466 from an awful bill to one that is merely very bad.
The bill continues to eliminate seniority rights for workers. It also
politicizes the career service system by transferring 16,000 managers to "employment-at-will" status. The bill eliminates the special master process so the Governor would never again endure embarrassment when an independent arbiter condemns his ill-conceived workforce schemes.
The bill passed along party lines with the exception of Senator Rod Smith (D-Gainesville). In his comments, Smith indicated he would oppose the bill if it is not improved on the Senate floor. Democratic Senators Lawson and Mitchell opposed the bill. Republicans Garcia, Sanderson, Posey, and Burt supported the bill.
In their comments, the Republican Senators whined about AFSCME's harsh criticism of the Bill and Governor Bush. They criticized the union's "fear mongering" and "grandstanding." It was clear that the rally and lobby day visits were very much on their minds. In addition to AFSCME's aggressive activity, press reports and editorials pointing out the flaws in the bill have clearly affected the Republicans.
In a related development, the Associated Industries of Florida (AIF) held a press conference and began airing radio ads supporting the bill. The campaign is aimed, in part, at state employees who, the AIF claims, will have the opportunity to earn more money under career service reform.
TALLAHASSEE - Circuit Court Judge L. Ralph Smith, Jr. today instructed top Republican lawmakers to "show cause" why they should not be held in contempt of court for violating the jurist's April 3 temporary restraining order. A hearing has been scheduled for 1 p.m., Thursday, April 19 at the Leon County Courthouse.
The judge appointed State Attorney Willie Meggs to conduct criminal contempt proceedings on the matter.
The TRO enjoined the lawmakers from conducting "any meeting, hearing or conference" in violation of a state statute on collective bargaining, but they openly defied Judge Smith the same day.
AFSCME Council 79, the union representing 74,000 state employees, had returned to court Monday to ask Judge Smith to enforce the TRO and require the four legislative leaders to "show cause as to why they should not be held in contempt." Named were House Speaker Tom Feeney and Representative Fred Brummer, as well as State Senate President John McKay and Senator Rudy Garcia.
"We are seeking enforcement because our efforts to engage the legislators in reasonable dialogue have been fruitless," said AFSCME Chief Negotiator Steve Kreisberg. "While it has never been our intention to put anyone in jail, our members' Constitutional right to collective bargaining must be recognized."
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