AFSCME has created a web page to help answer questions about health-care reform. 

Throughout these past 44 years, Brother Robinson has served the membership of AFSCME Local 34 and AFSCME Councils 3, 14 and 5 in a number of significant roles – President of the Local, Chief Steward, negotiator, Chair of the Council 5 Social Services Committee…But much as Bill Lucy represented the heart and soul of AFSCME International, Cliff Robinson has represented the heart and soul of Local 34.  Cliff has brought a passion to his work representing members of the Local, working with Management on behalf of the rights of Hennepin employees and negotiating for the best contracts possible at the time, fighting for responsible legislation to help our clients and to help public employees, and working to elect pro-public employee public servants. Our current Chief Steward and member of the Council 5 Executive Board will be greatly missed. 

Cliff's "Farewell Message"

Brothers and sisters - I recently announced that I will be retiring from Hennepin County on August thirteenth. I was asked to write an article in which I would contrast and compare the state of the union when I first joined the union with where we find ourselves today.

When I joined Local 34 in 1969, the world was much different from today. The county was still flush with money from President Johnson’s War on Poverty (the other war that he lost). Incumbents in both the governor’s office and the state legislature were friendly towards organized labor. As a result of that political support, the legislature passed and the governor signed, the Public Employee Labor Relations Act. It is this law that gives us the right to a labor contract through collective bargaining. I was on the local’s first bargaining team, which created our first contract. This was a period of intense learning for both the union and the county as both sides had to learn how to negotiate wages and benefits for the first time. Much of my work for the union, during the time I was president of the local from 1973 through 1978, was directed towards developing a vigorous effort to protect members from abuse, and extend their rights and benefits. It was during this period that we adopted our rattlesnake banner which graces the masthead of our newsletter, and continues to symbolize the character of our local.

Local unions by themselves have little negotiating and political power. That is why we have always joined together into associations of locals for mutual protection and advancement. When I joined the union, the local was part of District Council 3, which was composed of several City of Minneapolis and Hennepin County local unions. This council was later merged into a larger District Council 14, which represented many local unions in the Twin Cities area. In 2004, three district councils were combined into the present District Council 5, which represents most of the local unions in the state with about forty three thousand members. With each of these changes, our negotiating and political power has increased enormously. 

The increase in political power has been both beneficial and necessary for the survival of public unionism in Minnesota. The political landscape has changed drastically since the 1970s. Organized labor has only uncertain support in the legislature and a hostile governor who would destroy public unions if he could. We have been fortunate to have had talented, hardworking leaders in the local and the council who have put service to the union above personal gain. However, what has remained constant throughout my career is that the real power of the union lies not in its leadership, but in an aroused and committed membership. Political action is the life blood of organized labor. What the Congress, the President, the State Legislature and the Governor give, they can also take away.

Two areas in particular, need your continued attention. The first is the protection of the Public Employees Labor Relations Act (PELRA). Your right to continue negotiating wages and benefits depends upon this law. Every year bills have been introduced in the legislature to weaken or eliminate this Act, and every year we have been able to beat them back. But next year, if we end up with a legislature which learns further to the right and a Governor Emmer, your right to collective bargaining may become a thing of the past. The second is the continuation of your Defined Benefit retirement program through PERA.  At one time in America, organized workers in both the private and public sectors could depend on a comfortable retirement with their defined benefit retirement programs. Over the past forty years, defined benefit programs in the private sector have virtually disappeared as bosses have enriched themselves and their stockholders at the expense of the workers. Politicians in many states have cast covetous eyes on the funds in defined benefit programs, or have failed to fund them appropriately. This has not yet happened in Minnesota because your union has been vigilant in protecting our pension program. In the last legislative session, efforts were made to replace our defined benefit program with a defined contribution program where the amount of your future retirement would be defined by the health of the stock market. That effort failed, but it will return. 

My parting thought for you is this: your dignity and rights in the workplace were not given to you by a benevolent employer or government. They were earned by the work and sacrifices of those who preceded you.  They will be maintained only by the efforts you make to maintain them. You are the union. Keep the faith. ~ Cliff Robinson

Other Stories

Emmer Math Redux 

A couple of weeks ago, Hindsight made its first foray into the strange world of Emmer Math when we examined Rep. Tom Emmer’s claim that state government spending has doubled over the last ten years.  In fact, state spending has come nowhere near doubling.  After adjusting for inflation and population growth, real per capita spending has grown by a total of 5.1% over the last decade (an annual average rate of 0.5%).  If we add local spending into the equation, total real per capita government spending has declined since 2000.

Rep. Emmer was quick to provide us with more examples of his statistical prowess.  In an attempt to justify a reduction in the minimum wage for workers who receive tips, Rep. Emmer recently told us about waiters and waitresses who are making a $100,000 a year.  Let’s do some Emmer Math.

According to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) as reported in MinnPost, the average hourly wage—including tips—for waiters and waitresses in Minnesota is $9.36 an hour.  In order to make $100,000, the average waiter would have to work 10,684 hours in a year.  That’s a problem, given that there are only 8,760 hours in a year.  Perhaps uber-waiter can work faster than the speed of light, allowing him to go backward in time so that he can squeeze the extra 1,900 hours into his year.  And if he works even faster yet, he might be able to make $100,000 and still sneak in a mid-year bathroom break.

Of course, uber-waiter must be making considerably more than the average Minnesota waiter or waitress.  Let’s assume that uber-waiter works 40 hours a week for 52 weeks a year.  (Uber-waiter needs no vacation.)  To make a $100,000 a year, uber-waiter would have to make $48.08 an hour—just more than five times the statewide average.

According to the Emily Post Institute as cited in CNN Money.com, the appropriate tip for mediocre service is 15% of the bill, excluding tax; tips for superior service should be 20%.  Uber-waiter of course gives superior service, so he consistently gets 20% tips.  After receiving his minimum wage of $6.15 an hour (the average for high gross establishments), uber-waiter must still clear $41.93 an hour in tips for 40 hours a week for 52 weeks a year.  Assuming tips of 20%, uber-waiter must schlep $210 worth of food and drink every hour (pre-tax).  If uber-waiter’s customers are cheapskates who tip the more standard 15% despite superior service, our intrepid server must deliver $280 dollars of food every hour.

In fairness, there are probably some high-end restaurants where sales of this magnitude are achievable.  However, the number of establishments where waiters and waitresses can consistently average $200 to $300 of pre-tax sales every hour over the course of an entire year are indeed few and far between.  According to MinnPost, “those $100,000 servers are the rarest of people.”

In reality, the average annual wage of Minnesota waiters and waitresses is just more than $19,000 a year, according to DEED numbers as cited in MinnPost.  And keep in mind that most of these workers do not receive benefits, such as health care coverage.  If Rep. Emmer has his way, this meager wage will drop even further.  Where are those right wing pundits who fret about “class warfare” when you really need them?

Among Minnesota’s 45,000 waiters and waitresses, the $100,000 uber-waiters are extremely rare.  As with the claim that “Minnesota spending has nearly doubled,” the $100,000 uber-waiter is an absurdity used to justify policy arguments that cannot be supported by a more legitimate analysis.  Don’t be fooled by Emmer Math. ~ Minneaot 2020, July 8th, 2010 at 7:32 am By Jeff Van Wychen

Horner Proposes Ending Aide to Counties

On a visit to Wadena, Hubbard, Otter Tail and Cass counties, Tom Horner was asked why he switched from the Republican party to the Independence party, and responded that “he did not think he had changed, but that the Republican party had changed.”  That really says something about how extreme the Republican party has become, because Horner’s ideas are already very conservative. For example, on that same trip, he proposed ending County Local Aid:

Horner also advocates eliminating County Local Aid. According to Horner, the State currently gives counties about $500 million a year in Local County Aid, then puts all kinds of strings and mandates on the County. He advocates eliminating that aid, and instead giving counties the option of increasing the sales tax by 1/2-cent and keeping the additional revenue. Each County would then decide how to spend the revenue to provide its residents with basic services. Where there are counties too poor to raise enough revenue from the additional sales tax to provide basic services, then the State would step in on a targeted basis and give only as much as needed.

I can’t stress what a terrible idea this is. The whole reason we have programs like County Local Aid is because the tax base in some small or poor counties would force them to choose between exorbitant taxes or insufficient services — either of which would lead to an exodus from that county. Horner’s plan would leave a handful of dead counties in its wake.

I guess this is what Horner means, though, when he says the Republican party has changed. Horner’s plan is very conservative. The Republican version, though was to slash local aid and then forbid the local governments from increasing taxes to make up the difference. Horner is ever so slightly more moderate, but that’s not saying much., ~ by Jeff Rosenberg

Quote of the Month

"Eight years of Governor Tim Pawlenty's conservative policy leadership has created a declining, retreating Minnesota. Emmer's vision won't simply extend Pawlenty's direction; it accelerates it. In this century's first decade, we've drifted to the middle among a pack of states that we used to lead. Emmer's policy priorities will lead Minnesota in a sprint to the bottom.

Minnesotans want a progressive policy direction, repeatedly expressing support for strong public schools, affordable health care, a robust transportation infrastructure, and real economic development policy. We are adrift when we should be pressing forward. Only effective, progressive public policy leadership can move Minnesota forward. Conservative policy won't be any better for Minnesota than it will be for Minnesota's waiters and waitresses." ~ John Van Hecke, Minnesota 2020 Fellow