Fall 2012 Edition

Volume XV - Issue #2

IN THIS ISSUE: 2) Secretary-Treasurers Report, Brian Aldes. Sue Maurens Retirement Letter 3) Presidents Report, Joanne Derby. 4) Vice Presidents and D.R.I.V.E. Report, Sami Gabriel 5) Recording-Secretarys Report, Curt Swenson. U of M Community Fund 6-7) Teamster Scholarships & Steward Seminar Information

LOCAL 320 SECRETARY-TREASURERS REPORT

Farewell to a Friend and Welcome to New Beginnings

By Brian Aldes While we are sad to see Sue retire from Local 320 as its Secretary-Treasurer, we wish Sue all the best in her retirement. I believe we all deserve an opportunity to enjoy the fruits of our labor and all of our hard work. Over the past 13 years as an employee of Local 320 as a Business Agent, Recording-Secretary and Vice President, her example of leadership is how I will represent our membership. Public employees work hard and are dedicated to their communities. Whether they are providing public safety, good schools, clean parks or customer service, public employees are the faces of our communities. Our Local needs to continue to fight hard for the rights of public employees and fight off the attacks of the new anti-government, antiworker and anti-community politicians. Over the last 12 months we have seen the Freedom of Employment Scam (right-to-work) legislation, and countless bills that strip public employees of their rights. In fact, we have received a public letter written to Governor Dayton by Senator Parry and Representative Drazkowski encouraging Gov. Dayton to violate the rights of state employees and unilaterally freeze their wages. These are vicious attacks without cause and we will not sit still. As we have lead this Union in the past under Sue Maurens leadership we will continue to work aggressively this Fall to ensure only our friends go to the State Capitol and represent the interests of the working men and women of Minnesota. We all work hard and deserve the respect we have earned.

Thirty four years ago I became a Teamster when I was hired by the University of Minnesota. From my first day of work, my co-workers instilled in me the importance of the Union in our workplace. Through their guidance, I quickly became an active and loyal Teamster member, and was elected to the position of union steward on the day I passed probation. While I was a dedicated Teamster member, I couldnt have anticipated the role that this Union would play in my life. Twelve years after being hired by the U, I went to work for Local 320 as an organizer and later a business agent. In 1996 the members elected me to the principal officer position of Secretary-Treasurer, and I am honored to have been re-elected to every term. I have now come to the point in my life that many of us aspire to, and that is retirement. Effective June 28th 2012, I resigned as Secretary-Treasurer of Local 320 and President of Joint Council 32. I will remain Director of the Teamsters Womens Conference until December and I will continue to be available to the members and officers of Local 320 any time I am needed. I couldnt retire without the assurance that I am leaving Local 320 in good hands. I have the utmost confidence in the new Executive Board and I have already been impressed with their new ideas. I wish each of you well in the future. I thank you for the support that you have given me as your leader and I hope you will do the same for your new Executive Board. Even though I am retired, once a Teamster, always a Teamster. In solidarity, Sue Mauren

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LOCAL 320 PRESIDENTS REPORT

Teamster Scholarships are Fundamental to Our Union

By Joanne Derby One of the great benefits of being a Teamster is our wide array of educational scholarships. In 2012 Local 320 provided 41 Lowell D. Lynch Scholarships of $2,000 for our members/dependents who are attending an accredited college, university or vocational technical school. Teamsters Joint Council 32 offers Local 320 members/dependents the opportunity to apply for the Harold J. Yates Scholarship of $2,000 for use at an accredited college, university or vocational technical school. Joint Council 32 also offers the Martin Duffy Adult Learner Scholarship Award $500 tuition scholarship for use at any accredited university college or vocational school. Two scholarships are awarded each year. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters provides the opportunity for Local 320 members/dependents to apply for the James R. Hoffa Memorial Scholarship. The essay contest awards $1,000 scholarships annually to 50 students. Find all Local 320 scholarship information on our website: www.teamsterslocal320. org/scholarships We published Jacob Delings gracious thank you letter for the Lowell D. Lynch Scholarship. To all Local 320 beneficiaries, please know it is our pleasure to serve you! On pages 6-7 we have all 2012 scholarship beneficiaries listed.
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Kraig Deling, Teamster from U of M, is the father of Jacob Deling

LOCAL 320 VICE PRESIDENTS/ D.R.I.V.E. REPORT

Its DO or DIE this Election!

By Sami Gabriel Public employees and unions are at the crossroads of economic destiny. We have all seen the end of free collective bargaining for public employees in Wisconsin. We cannot allow this to happen in Minnesota! According to the Wall Street Journal: Public employee unions in Wisconsin have experienced a dramatic drop in membershipby more than half for the second-biggest unionsince a law championed by Republican Gov. Scott Walker sharply curtailed their ability to bargain over wages and working conditions [...] Membership declines could be self-perpetuating, said Mr. Chaison of Clark University. With diminished dues, unions deliver fewer services, making membership less appealing and hampering recruiting. By the numbers we can see the clear failure of the Walker Regime in regards to pay and benefits for Wisconsin public employees. The portion of health premiums paid by employees more than doubled, from 2.5 percent to 5.6 percent in 2011. Walkers law requires public employees to pay at least 12.6 percent of the average cost of annual premiums. The law also requires that employees under the Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) contribute 50 percent of the annual pension payment. Thats just in Wisconsin... In Detroit, Michigan the city administration imposed a 10% pay cut on all of its employees including cops and firefighters; in Scranton, Pennsylvania the mayor unilaterally placed a ceiling on wages to reflect the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour for its entire workforce; in Illinois Gov. Quinn canceled pay raises required under union contracts with state employees and further plans to cut thousands of jobs by closing state prisons and mental-health facilities, and reducing retirement benefits for state employees, teachers and university staff. These are just some of the more recent examples. In Minnesota the fight continues as the antiunion Tea Party tightens its grip on the state GOP. A major wake-up call took place on the August 14 primary - our good friend, GOP Rep. Steve Smith, who was chief author of the bill allowing court reporters to organize, was defeated by an anti-public employee, anti-union extremist Cindy Pugh. She said she will push for right-towork (for less) if she is elected to the House. Pugh is not the only Tea Party candidate to put union-busting on top of the political agenda. Tea Party candidate David Osmek narrowly defeated incumbent Rep. Connie Doepke (R-Orono) in the primary for the District 33 senate seat and he said to MPR, right to work will be the first thing on my list. The GOP currently holds an 11-vote magin in the House, with one empty seat, and a seven-vote margin in the Senate. If Teamsters, unions, and public employees can elect enough D.R.I.V.E endorsed candidates this November, and give at least one chamber to the DFL, we can balance out the Tea Party and save our Union!

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LOCAL 320 RECORDING-SECRETARY REPORT

Introductions are in Order

By Curt Swenson I became a Teamster in 1986 when I took a position at the University of Minnesota in food service. I worked my way up the ranks to a general mechanic position. In 1988 I became a Teamster Steward at my workplace as well as a negotiator. I was always active in our Union; I attended all the meetings and was a founding member of the Labor-Management Committee for residential life. I worked hard on behalf of the members at the U and the Local 320 Executive Board. Today I still work hard on behalf of the Teamsters at the U and the Local 320 Executive Board. In 2006 I took a position with the Local as a Business Agent and have served in that capacity until July 2012 when I was appointed Recording-Secretary. I remain the Business Agent for the U of M, the Minneapolis Convention Center and the City of Andover. Going forward, I view it as my mission to get more of our members active in the Union. Seasoned members must educate new members on the importance of being a Teamster. Only as a united group can the labor movement and public employees fight back against the antiunion forces within the Tea party. I have been around for a while and I can honestly tell you that it has never been this bad for public employees and Teamsters. Everyday I look on the news and see some politician or corporate-funded stooge spouting off about how our state, counties and municipalities are going broke and the only way to fix it is to cut workers pay and benefits. Im not buying it, and neither should YOU! If we stay united we can overcome anything.
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Support U of M Community Fund!

Jim Larson is a Teamster Steward at the Minneapolis U of M Campus and is also a Local 320 representative on the U of M Community Fund. The Community Fund raises money for seven prominent charities by soliciting donations from U of M employees. There are two ways U of M employees can contribute: sign-up for a payroll deduction or give a one-time contribution at an event. Jim hopes more Union members will contribute to the Fund this year.

If you care, please share, says Larson. One dollar can make a big difference! I find a dollar, or more, in change every week on the campus and turn it over to the Fund. One dollar per week equals $52 per year towards the Fund. If we all did the same thing we could really do a lot for charity.

LOWELL D. LYNCH 2012 SCHOLARSHIPS

Applicants Name
Megan Adam John Anderson Marissa Ausen Kaitlin Bruun Alexis Burlingame Delaney Churchwell Samantha Collins Jacob Deling Carlie Derouin Hannah Fischer Brian Hanson Lindsay Heyn Michelle Hoffmaster Megan Horton Joshua Hosek Michael Hubley Tyler Johnson Jessica Keenan Michael Kelsey Andrew King Cassandra Krenz Jacob Larson Clare Lawrence Neal Magnuson Samantha Markman Hannah Neigebauer Nicole Nistler Bailey Opsal Katelynn Pankratz Mark Rosno Jinah Schad Allison Schroedl Kelsey Sorem Peter Storlie Ashley Vanderveur Kami Vogt Joseph Walker Matthew Wells Benjamin Williams Brett Wills Taylor Yliniemi

Members Name
Carol Adam Joan Stanoch Anderson Shelley Ausen Kurt Bruun Janelle Burlingame Timothy Churchwell Tricia Krueger Kraig Deling Terri Lucivansky Michelle Fischer Kathryn Hanson Carolyn Heyn Norma Hoffmaster Mike Horton David Hosek Debra Hubley Darla Johnson Brenda Keenan Paul Kelsey Ping Wang Lynne Krenz Paul Larson Lesa Lawrence JoAnn Magnuson Laurie Markman Jane Hofmeister Julie Nistler Kari Opsal Kelly Pankratz James Rosno John Schad Robert Schroedl Jr Gloria Sorem Mark Storlie Brenda Vanderveur Diane Vogt Mary Zelenak Darlene Wells Belva Britton-Williams Kathleen Wills Michelle Yliniemi

Barganing Unit
State of MN CAT State of MN Court Reporter Inver Grove Hts ISD St Louis County Heritage Living Center State of MN Public Defender LeSueur County U of M Rochester ISD Hubbard County Rosemount ISD Crow Wing County SS Rice/Steele County Ramsey County North St Paul State of MN CAT Chisago County Blue Earth County U of M MSUAASF State of MN Court Reporter City of West St Paul MSUAASF Rosemount ISD Rice County State of MN Court Reporter Stearns County State of MN Court Reporter St Peter ISD Hennepin County City of Lakeville Hennepin County Sherburne County MAC State of MN Court Reporter Nobles County Sherburne County Rosemount ISD Sherburne County West St Paul ISD Heritage Living Center

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HAROLD J. YATES 2012 SCHOLARSHIPS

Applicants Name
John Anderson Jacob Deling Lindsay Heyn Tanner Kraus Lauren Makey Mark Rosno Britta Ruberto

Members Name
Joan Stanoch Anderson Kraig Deling Carolyn Heyn Clifford Kraus Jane Makey James Rosno Mario Ruberto

Barganing Unit
State of Minnesota University of Minnesota Crow Wing County City of Chaska Crow Wing County Hennepin County Metro Council Police Dept.

Martin Duffy Adult Learner Scholarship

Redenta Okeleng - University of Minnesota

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