September 21, 2011 CONVENTION UPDATE #2 IMPORTANT CHANGE MEMORANDUM TO: Local Union Presidents FROM: Mike Buesing, Eliot Seide, President Director SUBJECT: COUNCIL 5 CONVENTION UPDATE #2 AFSCME MN Council 5 Seventh Annual Convention is scheduled for October 6 & 7, 2011, at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center (DECC). Please Note: The Convention will be adjourned on Friday, October 7 at approximately 5:00 PM and will not re-convene on Saturday. All Convention business will be completed by adjournment on Friday. This change is being made due to the amount of business that must be conducted and in recognition of Yom Kippur, the Jewish High Holiday. The Delegate Dance will still be taking place at the Holiday Inn at 8 PM on Friday. We are not recommending that you change your hotel reservations, however if you decide to make changes in your hotel reservations, please do so as soon as possible, as this is a busy time of the year for them. The Official Convention Call containing individual local union credentials and related convention information was mailed to all local union presidents August 2. If your local did NOT receive its packet, please contact Michelle Stein at the Council 5 So. St. Paul Office immediately to receive a duplicate set of materials. This information is also contained on the Council 5 Website. IMPORTANT ITEMS DUE NEXT WEEK: September 26: September 26: Deadline for submission of credentials. Deadline for child care & special accommodation requests. Enclosed for your information is a Tentative Schedule of Events. 1
Delegate registration will commence Wednesday evening, October 5, from 6-9 PM at the Holiday Inn. Registration will re-open on Thursday morning, October 6 at 7 AM at the DECC (Duluth Entertainment Convention Center). DISPLAY YOUR LOCAL S BANNER! Locals wishing to display their banner should either drop off their banner at the Council 5 So. St. Paul Office by Friday, September 30, or bring your banner to the delegate registration area at the hotel the evening of Wednesday, October 5 (by 7 PM) so it can be placed in the Convention Hall. Banners will be displayed beginning Thursday morning thru adjournment on Friday. Locals are responsible for picking up their banner upon adjournment on Friday evening. Please ensure you have a local rep available to do that. MB/ES/mjs Enc. Cc: Executive Board Staff 2
SCHEDULE OF MEETINGS AFSCME MINNESOTA COUNCIL 5, AFL-CIO 5TH ANNUAL CONVENTION October 6-7, 2011 Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center MEETING TIME ROOM Wednesday, October 5: Council 5 Finance Committee 2 PM Holiday Inn Lake Erie Room Council 5 Executive Board 3 PM Holiday Inn Lake Michigan/Huron Room Credentials Committee 5 PM Holiday Inn Lake Ontario Room Sgt-At-Committee 5:30 PM Holiday Inn Lake Ontario Room Delegate/Guest Registration 6-9 PM Holiday Inn Lake Ontario Room #1A - New Delegate Workshop 6:30 8 PM Holiday Inn Lake Michigan/Huron Room HEPC Executive Board Meeting 7 PM Holiday Inn Lake Superior Room DHS Executive Board Meeting 8 PM 10 PM Holiday Inn Lyric II Thursday, October 6: Credentials Committee 6:30 AM DECC Board Room Skywalk Level Sgt-At-Arms Committee 6:30 AM DECC Board Room Skywalk Level Delegate/Guest Registration 7 AM 2 PM DECC Board Room Skywalk Level Resolutions Committee 8:30 AM DECC Edmund Fitzgerald Hall Rules Committee 8:30 AM DECC Edmund Fitzgerald Hall Workshops Session A Session B DECC 9:00-10:30 AM 10:45-12:15 #1B New Delegate (no session A) SAME French River 2 #2 Right to Liberties SAME SAME Gooseberry 1 & 2 #3 Right to Marry Gooseberry 3 #4 Right to a Future (Next Wave) Split Rock 1 #5 Right to Share the Wealth Lake Superior Ballroom L #6 Right to Immigrate French River 1 #7 Right to Bargain Collectively (Public Employees) Lake Superior Ballroom M & N #8 The Right to Work (for less) St. Louis #9 Right to Organize Split Rock 2 #10 Right to Retire with Dignity Lake Superior Ballroom O (Attacks on pension, nationwide and in Minnesota) Lunch 12:15 1:45 PM Delegates on their own for lunch Sgt-At-Arms Committee 1:15 PM DECC Outside Lake Superior Ballroom Convention Convenes 1:45 3:45 PM DECC Lake Superior Ballroom JKPQ Sector/Policy Committees 4 6 PM DECC City SAME French River 2 County SAME Lake Superior Ballroom O Private/Spec Dist. SAME French River 1 School SAME Portion of Edmund Fitzgerald Hall U of M SAME Split Rock 1 SEPC Admin SAME Portion of Edmund Fitzgerald Hall SEPC Corrections SAME Lake Superior Ballroom L SEPC DEED SAME Portion of Edmund Fitzgerald Hall SEPC Education SAME Portion of Edmund Fitzgerald Hall SEPC General SAME Split Rock 2 SEPC Health SAME Portion of Edmund Fitzgerald Hall 1
SEPC Highway SAME St. Louis SEPC Human Services SAME Lake Superior Ballroom KJ SEPC Judicial SAME Portion of Edmund Fitzgerald Hall SEPC MnSCU SAME Lake Superior Ballroom M &N SEPC Natural Res. SAME Gooseberry 2 SEPC Pub Safety SAME Gooseberry 1 SEPC Revenue SAME Portion of Edmund Fitzgerald Hall SEPC Vets SAME Gooseberry 3 Hennepin County Policy Committee 6 PM DECC Lake Superior Ballroom O Ramsey County Policy Committee 6 PM DECC Split Rock 2 Hospitality Room 6 PM 10 PM Holiday Inn Bridge Rm #414 & Harbor Rm # 415 FRIDAY, October 7: Credentials Committee 6:30 AM DECC Board Room Skywalk Level Sgt-At-Arms Committee 6:30 AM DECC Board Room Skywalk Level Delegate Registration 7 AM 9 AM DECC Board Room Skywalk Level Guest Registration 7 AM 1:30 PM DECC Board Room Skywalk Level Re-Convene Convention Assembly 9 AM 12 NOON Lake Superior Ballroom JKPQ Special Ex Bd/Resolutions Meeting 12 NOON 12:30 PM French River 1 & 2 Lunch 12 NOON 1:30 PM Delegates on their own for lunch Re-Convene Convention Assembly 1:45 PM 5 PM Lake Superior Ballroom JKPQ Adjourn 5 PM Delegate Dance 8 PM Holiday Inn Great Lakes Ballroom NON-CONVENTION MEETINGS: SATURDAY, October 8: Local 4001 Executive Board Meeting 10 AM Holiday Inn Lyric II 2
HOUSING INFORMATION AFSCME MN Council 5 - Seventh Annual Convention Duluth, Minnesota HOLIDAY INN HOTEL & SUITES DOWNTOWN WATERFRONT 200 West First Street Duluth, MN 55802 218-722-1202; 1-800-477-7089; fax: 218-722-0233 www.holidayinn.com/duluthmn $115-single/double + tax $125-triple + tax $135-quad + tax Cut-off date for block: September 5, 2011 RADISSON HOTEL DULUTH-HARBORVIEW 505 West Superior Street Duluth, MN 55802 218-727-8981; 800-395-7046; fax: 218-727-0162 www.radisson.com/duluthmn $129-single/double + tax Cut-off date for block: September 5, 2011 (Be sure to ask for AFSCME block when making reservations at above two hotels by 9/5/11) NOTE: When using your debit card for reservations or incidentals, the money leaves your bank account right away. HOTELS/MOTELS IN THE DULUTH AREA THAT ARE NOT BEING BOYCOTTED BY WORKERS UNITED LOCAL 99 FIRST CHOICE (Downtown Duluth) Holiday Inn: 1 800 477-7089 (a union hotel) Radisson: 1 800-395-7046 (a union hotel) Best Western Downtown: 218 727-6851 Fitgers Inn: 1 888 Fitgers (348-4377) Sheraton 1 218 733 5660 SECOND CHOICE (Superior, WI, which is only a 10 minute drive from the DECC and Duluth on top of the hill) Americinn Motel & Suites: 218 624-1026 (Proctor) Androy Hotel: 715 394-7731 (Superior) Barker s Island Inn: 1 800 344-7515 (Superior) Best Western Bridgeview: 715 392-8174 (Superior) Country Inn & Suites: 218 740-4500 (Duluth) EconoLodge: 218 722-5522 (Duluth) Holiday Inn Express: 715 392 3444 (Superior) Munger Inn: 218 624-4814 (West Duluth) Prime Rate Inn Bayfront: 715 392-4783 (Superior) Super 8 Motel: 715 398-7686 (Superior) THIRD CHOICE (East & West Duluth) Edgewater Resort & Waterpark: 218 728-3601 (East Duluth) Super 8 Motel: 218 628-2241 (West Duluth) IMPORTANT NOTE: WE STRONGLY DISCOURAGE AFSCME COUNCIL 5 MEMBERS FROM UTILIZING ANY OF THE CANAL PARK AREA HOTELS IN DULUTH THESE HOTELS REMAIN VERY STRONG ANTI- UNION FACILITIES AND WE ASK THAT YOU DO NOT PATRONIZE THESE ESTABLISHMENTS. (7/22/11)
2011 Convention Workshops We Are One: Human Rights, Civil Rights, Workers Rights October 6, 2011: 9:00 AM 10:30 (Session A) and 10:45 12:15 (Session B) 1. New Delegate Workshop: This workshop is being presented Wednesday evening 6:30 8: October 5 and Thursday morning at 10:45 (1B). This is for first time convention delegates. Learn why we have conventions and what your role is as a delegate. You will learn about plenary sessions, policy committees and why you have to listen to all those political speeches. Judy Carlson, AFSCME Council 5 Education Director 2. Right to Liberties Civil rights and civil liberties. What are civil liberties? Learn about the right to free speech, your right to privacy and workers rights. Learn how we got those rights, how precious they are and how they are under attack. Discover how the American Civil Liberty Union protects our rights. Presented by the Chuck Samuelson, American Civil Liberties Union, Minnesota 3. Right to Marry The Council 5 Executive Board has voted to oppose the anti-marriage amendment that will be on the ballot in 2012 as well as other amendments that will take away rights. Join the discussion on the Minnesota Constitutional Amendment to ban same sex marriage. Presented by Christopher Stinson, OutFront Minnesota and Richard Carlbom, Minnesotans United for All Families 4. Right to a Future (Next Wave) Are you under 35? If so, you are the future of our Union. Learn about the Council Next Wave Movement. We are a group of young activists who are teaching others about the value of being union. Participate in small group presentations on AFSCME history, organizing and union policies. Presented by Council 5 Next Wave Activists 5. Right to Share the Wealth Never before have so few taken so much from so many. Learn why this is happening and the middle class is disappearing. Learn why we were not able to increase revenue in Minnesota or at the federal level. Find out the best way to create jobs. Presented by Kris Jacobs and Kevin Ristau, Jobs Now Coalition (over)
6. Right to Immigrate What's at stake for workers in the immigration debate? Learn about the history of immigration in this country and the economic forces behind this issue that affect all of us. Find out about immigrants as workers and their significance to the labor movement. Mary Bellman, University of Minnesota Labor Education Service 7. Right to Bargain Collectively (Public Employees) Learn how public employees fought to get collective bargaining in Minnesota and the country and how Minnesota AFSCME was an early trail blazer in the struggle. It is a rich and colorful history and we won rights that should not be taken for granted. You will also learn more about the attacks by politicians on these rights. Dan Fitzsimmons, former Education Rep for AFSCME International 8. Right to Work Laws and the Historic Assault on Wages Right to Work laws were created by southern politicians persuading northern industry to move to the south. This workshop will focus on the origins of the law and its impact as well as look at what passage of these laws means to us. This could happen in Minnesota if there is a proposed constitutional amendment on this. Prepare to fight this attack on unions. Boyd McCamish, Education Department from AFSCME International 9. Right to Organize In this workshop we will discuss the history of organized labor and organizing, focusing specifically on the makeup and history around the passage and implementation of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). Additionally, this session will provide the context of why organizing is important, why our labor laws are broken, and what we can and need to do about it. AFSCME Council 5 Organizing Staff 10. Right to Retire with Dignity: Attacks on Our Pensions A guaranteed pension is an endangered species in America. Learn to protect your retirement security by getting the facts about public pensions. Learn how AFSCME members have taken action to ensure that there are sufficient funds to pay benefits for retirees, active employees and future hires. Learn who manages our pension funds and who the new decision-makers are on the Pension Commission. Julie Bleyhl, Council 5 Brian W. Klopp, Labor Economist for AFSCME International
Child Care Registration Council 5 Convention October 6-8, 2011 Child care will be available on October 6, 7 and 8 (during convention business hours only). Please complete the following information so we may make appropriate arrangements for child care services. DEADLINE FOR REGISTRATION IS SEPTEMBER 26 th. (Upon registration, you will be provided with the required forms which must be completed and given to the child care provider at the convention.) Delegate/Alternate Name: Address: Member of Local: Delegate/Alternate Telephone Number: Daytime: Evening: Time: Time: Please list the names and ages of the children requiring child care services and the dates that such care is needed between October 6 th and 8 th, 2011. Child s Name Child s Age Dates Care Needed 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Comments: Please forward or fax completed form no later than Monday, September 26th to: AFSCME MN Council 5 Attn: Jackie O Shea 300 Hardman Avenue South South St. Paul, MN 55075 fax 651-455-1311 phone: 651-287-0524