Dale L. Threehouse with Hillary Clinton 

September 2008 President's Message - MAGE MEMBERS CARE ABOUT MORE THAN THEMSELVES

Your union dues serve a greater purpose than simply protecting your job security and your retirement and your working conditions in the state.

Your dues also serve to protect all working Americans, including your children who may not even be working yet. Take, for example, our fight to increase the minimum wage. There are those who continue to believe that the way to jump start the economy is to give more tax breaks to the business owners and the wealthy and then hope that the residue will "trickle down" to the masses. There are others, like your brothers and sisters in the labor movement who know that if you want to jump-start the economy you put money in the hands of the people who desperately need it. The people who will immediately go out and buy what they desperately need and in buying those goods and services put other Americans to work. If those millions of Americans can’t afford to buy anything, the economy falters.

As a result of our efforts, the Michigan minimum hourly wage increased from $5.15 an hour to $6.95 in October of 2006. It increased again to $7.15 in July of 2007, and then to $7.40 in July of 2008…and all of our lives are better for it.

We are also embroiled in a fight for labor’s future in this state. There are forces at work who are determined to take away the bargaining power and political clout of every day working Americans like us by changing the law to allow employees to gain all the benefits of a union without having to join. It’s known as the "Right to Work" law and you’ll be hearing a lot about it in the months to come. If we allow this to transpire, unions will lose the clout that comes with representing large numbers of employees, and we will lose ground both in the workplace and in the political arena.

We need to remain steadfast in our efforts to protect and insure our jobs and our families, and you should stand proud in knowing that you are smart enough to understand these realities.

Spread the word to those who do not know what we do. Together we are strong.

May - June 2008 President’s Message

Once again, another MAGE General Council has come and gone. It is hard to believe that our organization has now been protecting member’s rights for almost twenty-eight years. Congratulations to all of our newly elected Officers and Directors.

It was very exciting to be able to announce the actual inception of the MAGE-OPEIU Local 2002 Membership Benefits Program. Members should by now have received the information packets detailing the new benefits of belonging to MAGE-OPEIU. These Benefits included:

OPEIU PerksCard Discount Program

Pinnacle Motor Club, providing two free service calls per year at $100 per call

$5,000 Life Insurance Policy

$5,000 Accidental Death and Dismemberment Policy

$500 Disability Benefit

(NOTE: Insurance benefits are not available for retired members)

The list of benefits is quite extensive and a detailed listing is available in a booklet titled "A Reference Guide for Members" from the MAGE office. That publication will soon be available on our website at www.mage.org.

Starting this summer MAGE Labor Relations Director, John DeTizio and I will be traveling to all of the MAGE Districts to hold meetings for members and non-members to further explain the benefits of MAGE-OPEIU Local 2002 membership. When a potential new member asks the question "What do I get for my dues?" we can now show tangible benefits for ALL members.

In all the excitement of rolling out our Membership Benefits Program at General Council, don’t let us forget that the biggest membership benefit is one that we have been providing for these many years. We represent our members when they most need it, when faced with a work situation requiring PROFESSIONAL labor relations representation. We have a fine full-time staff with over 100 years of combined experience representing members in all aspects of labor relations issues.

We promise to be there when you need us. Whether it is a disciplinary action, a grievance, a workplace dispute… or even questions regarding problems with your subordinates. If you need us, we will be there.

April 2008 President's Message

There are so many pressing concerns affecting MAGE members as I write this that I don’t know where to begin.

We are currently in discussions with the Department of Corrections regarding the closures of the Huron Valley Men’s Facility and Scott Correctional Facility. The Huron Valley Men’s Facility is scheduled to close February 2009 for a two-month renovation. It is slated to re-open in May 2009 at which time the female prisoners will be moved there from Scott Correctional Facility. The Scott Correctional Facility will then be closed entirely and sold.

MAGE staff will be working closely with the DOC to place all affected MAGE members during this transition and will try to limit the negative impact those reassignments might cause. We understand that the depressed housing market will make it very difficult for MAGE members to have to relocate and we will do all in our power to ease this burden. I know that the Department has worked well with MAGE in the past to assist in placing members in close proximity to their residences. I have no reason to assume that that will not continue.

In the meantime, MAGE is currently embroiled in discussions with the DOC, the OSE, and those Commission employees who are responsible for promulgating the new regulations regarding the computation of overtime compensation.

Upon reviewing the draft proposals it is clear that NERE’s in some departments will be affected worse than their subordinates in the rank and file. One department where the disparity is striking is the Department of Corrections. If a corrections shift supervisor takes 8 hours of sick leave on Monday and is mandated to work 16 hours on Tuesday, that supervisor would not receive time and a half for the additional 8 hours worked on Tuesday. A supervisor’s subordinate in the rank and file would receive time and a half under the same circumstances.

We have already addressed these concerns to no avail with the departments. Our next step will be the Civil Service Commission where we will remind the commissioners that they made clear to NERE’s during the last round of concessions that NERE’s should not be forced to bear an unequal share of the burden.

Finally, I am pleased and proud to remind you that we will be rolling out our new MAGE benefits package at this year’s General Council meeting in May. Stay tuned for the NEW MAGE providing services and benefits far beyond what you would ever imagine.

February 2008 President's Report

We are about to face an assault in this state, an assault on us, the working people of the state of Michigan. As I write this article negative forces are at work striving to silence the voice of the unions…which, as you know, is YOUR voice.

Their goal is to change the Right to Work laws in our state to allow Union members who refuse to pay union dues to enjoy the same advantages as those who don’t. Their hope is that those selfish members who do not see the bigger picture will freeload thus undermining the power and voice of the union. Less members means less power.

Politically this is a great strategy for anti-worker forces. It takes power away from the people and places it firmly in the hands of the wealthy. The question you need to ask yourself is…. will you allow it to happen? Understanding exactly what it is and what it means to you will allow you to discuss it intelligently.

These laws, predominantly in the southern states, are known as right to work laws. I refer to them as "Right to Work for Less" laws since workers in those states earn lower pay and benefits. In fact, we earn about $7,000 more per year than workers in states with right to work laws. Nearly ninety percent (90%) of union workers in private industry have health care while only sixty-seven percent (67%) of non-union workers have health care.

This struggle, however, goes beyond mere economics. I’m talking about the struggle of the middle class. The people who make this country great.

We are now working harder than ever…for less…and if you want to work even harder for substantially less…allow this law that the anti-union forces are trying to foist on us to take effect. You will begin seeing the ads soon. You will begin hearing the rhetoric. Be prepared to talk to your peers and neighbors. Your standard of living is on the line.

 December - January 2008

We recently had the pleasure of attending the OPEIU endorsement of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in Iowa. Your Labor Relations Director, John DeTizio, MAGE Labor Rep and International Vice President, Aaron Sanders and I had the opportunity to spend some time talking and asking some pointed questions about issues facing labor today. There has never been a more important time to install an administration into our executive branch who can and will make some necessary changes to help the middle class. That’s us, my friends. We are the middle class and without us, this county would falter as sure as the sun will rise tomorrow.

Many of us don’t realize that although the economy is larger than it was 30 years ago, the great majority of gains have gone to the top 1 percent. Since the 1970s the nation’s richest 1 percent have more than doubled their share of total national wealth. These are the families who own the companies who own the politicians who create the laws and rules and regulations that make it impossible for unions to organize and demand better wages and benefits and working conditions for the middle class.

We are talking about more than just money here. The fact that 50 million Americans in this country continue to live without health insurance today is a travesty. It’s not fair for them and it’s not fair for the middle class who ends up footing the bill for them. It is also clear that the current administration has done and will do nothing about the problem.

Our national labor laws have been emasculated so brutally over the last decade that employee’s rights to organize are nearly non-existent. Employers may use almost any means necessary to force the unions out and intimidate employees into voting the union down. For those state employees who think this does not affect them… think again. Our international unions need members and money to fight to simply preserve the basics for you and your children. Social Security, Worker’s compensation, Unemployment compensation, Unemployment insurance, health care, minimum wage, education… these all affect you and your children.

I guess that’s enough doom and gloom for the holiday season. I am proud of the fact that we have negotiated an agreement that provides us with some base wage increases in the coming years. I was worried that the cards were stacked against us. After all, we had the enormous budget deficit to worry about, along with the national economy, along with the recent proclivity for businesses sending their manufacturing work out of the country, along with the housing market crash, along with the auto companies downsizing… Put it all together and we faired pretty well.

I expect that we will continue to fair well throughout the coming years. We have a governor who is solidly in labor’s corner, who has appointed commissioners to the Civil Service Commission who appear open to labor’s concerns and we now have a director of the Office of the State Employer who is wise and open-minded.

I see a good few years ahead and I pledge that I will work to make them productive ones for all of us.

I wish everyone a happy new year.

 OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2007 PRESIDENT'S REPORT 

I said all along that the bickering politicians would take the state shut down issue to the brink and then agree to raise taxes. They all knew this was a necessary evil many months ago. "We" all knew that the state could not afford to solve the shortage by only budget cuts, It is unfortunate that some of these term-limited and/or inexperienced legislators did not appreciate the dire predicament the state is already in and were totally unwilling to find a compromise solution until forced to the brink of disaster.

A lot of this consternation was the result of blatant political posturing. The Republicans wallowed in the glory of standing firm against a democratic tax increase. They enjoyed pandering to your neighbors who are not public employees, arguing that we need more and more and more cuts. The Democrats could not bring enough of their members together to force the issue. Both parties must shoulder the blame. This entire fiasco should have been resolved before September.

Our congratulations and thanks goes out to Governor Granholm for standing firm and refusing to agree to unrealistic state government cuts. Of course, we did not come out of this unscathed. Senate Bill 622 allows for the privatization of mental health services in the Department of Corrections, and the Office of the State Employer has already warned us that they will be demanding substantial health care cost concessions when this round of bargaining for FY 08-09 begins. We will continue to fight for our members and for the residents of this great state.

September 2007 - President’s Report

Are all of you getting as angry as I am? The continuing theme in this column seems to be the Michigan Budget situation. Unfortunately it also seems to be due to the same continuation of inaction and ineffectiveness on the part of the Michigan Legislature. How many of you have contacted your State Senator and Representative and expressed your concerns over their lack of action on the State 2007-2008 budget? I have several times! Let’s get ANGRY! Let’s get ACTIVE and ASSERTIVE! The current Fiscal Year ends next month and still no action.

It was back in March when I first wrote about our continuing budget crises and the need to contact your legislators and urge them to get busy and come up with a budget for the new fiscal year. It was in May at our MAGE General Council when I stated,

It is now August and we still do not have a budget for the new fiscal year beginning October 1^st. Are we looking toward a state shut-down like happened in Pennsylvania? We are if our "leaders" don’t get busy soon.

What are our legislative leaders doing? (Although maybe the term "legislative leaders" may be out of place when speaking of the Michigan Senate.) How can they continue to take extended vacations, and collect their paychecks without fulfilling their obligations to Michigan citizens? They continue to delay and delay. It is time to quit posturing and do the jobs to which they were elected.

By using the web sites listed below you can find and contact your Senator and Representative. PLEASE do so ASAP and urge them to achieve a budget solution that is not based entirely on cuts to State Employees and the services offered to Michigan Residents. It is necessary to increase state revenue to maintain quality services. State Employees have done their part over the several years, we can not continue to cut taxes AND provide the same services.

http://www.senate.michigan.gov/SenatorInfo/find-your-senator.htm

http://house.michigan.gov/find_a_rep.asp

Hopefully, with your help I can report in the next issue of IMAGE, a successful resolution to the Michigan budget problem.

SEE NEWS PAGE FOR MAY/JUNE 2007 PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE (INCLUDED IN THE GENERAL COUNCIL REPORT)

April 2007 President's Message - New Benefits for Mage Members

We are making real progress in developing new and exciting benefits for our MAGE-OPEIU members. Some of the new benefits are a slam dunk… a life insurance policy and an accidental death policy, disability pay and the like. Those are easy to assess and our members understand exactly what they will be getting when they join MAGE-OPEIU. Others are not quite so concrete. Take, for example, MyMedicalRecords.com. We are now in the process of trying to determine if MAGE members would appreciate a service like this.

How would it benefit our members? MyMedicalRecords.com will electronically store any important information that you deem to be irretrievable or un-replaceable or just plain important. It provides a physically and confidentially safe haven for all important documents.

Copies of birth certificates, social security numbers, insurance policies, wills, deeds, or anything else you may now be keeping in a fire safe box at home may simply be forwarded to MyMedicalRecords.com for safe keeping.

That’s not the only service that MyMedicalRecords.com provides. As the name suggests you may also store any medical information that you feel an emergency medical professional would need if you or a loved one were in an accident or suffered some disabling injury. Our members who are medical professionals are all intrigued with this benefit. They know how important it is to have the ability to instantly ascertain what medications an emergency patient is taking and what their pre-existing medical condition is… allergies, diabetes or heart condition… important stuff that could save the life of a loved one.

Remember that this could be used for anyone in your family, even your parents, or grandparents, brother or sister... even your pets. You may also store photos of family pets and property.

This is only one of the new benefits MAGE members will be seeing in the near future. Stay tuned for some more new and exciting benefits.

March 2007 President's Message 

My eight year old grandson’s school recently held a Grandparents Day. As part of the program the children made cards for the grandparents and answered questions about them. Alexander responded to the question "My Grandfather likes to…" by writing "golf". His response to the next question of "My Grandfather is very good at…." was by writing "helping people get fair wages". It inspires me that at eight he already realizes what the union movement is all about. It is about ‘fairness’.

We as a union are not out to get exorbitant pay or benefits, we only want what is fair. Is it fair that as State Employees we are held up to ridicule about our costly retirement system or medical benefits? I don’t think so. Many private employers have granted better pensions and benefits to their employees than we have. We certainly don’t have the golden parachutes enjoyed by corporate executives that run their companies into the ground and walk away as millionaires. Newer state employees don’t even have a defined benefit retirement plan anymore.

We are now enmeshed in a new budget crisis. All we hear from the Republicans in the Legislature is to cut more. They have already cut the Single Business Tax and refuse to replace those funds. They are very quick to cut taxes on business and to cut the budget. They even want to cut the scheduled raises for state employees. The only thing they don’t seem to able to cut is their own salaries.

I call upon all MAGE members to contact their legislators to insist they come up with a plan that combines a replacement of the Single Business Tax with realistic budget cuts that will not cripple our ability to deliver needed services to the citizens of Michigan.

FEBRUARY 2007 PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

We’re starting this year off on the right foot. We were successful in keeping a labor friendly Governor in office and we were also successful in the House and the Senate where some labor friendly lawmakers were elected.

It has been a long time since we have had a democratic majority in the State House of Representatives. We will need all the help we can get in light of the projected budget deficit. I know you all remember that there was only a $2 billion dollar budget deficit that resulted in the banked leave time hours and furlough days. This budget is not looking much better.

What can you do about it? You have already done a lot. Re-electing Governor Granholm provides some basic protection as she has demonstrated an inherent empathy for the plight of state employees. I was pleased to hear her thank state employees in her victory speech. It’s important that she knows that we know that she is on our side. The fact that you are reading this column suggests that you’re a MAGE member and that means that you already have the best lobbyists in the State moving and shaking on your behalf. But there is one thing you can do, call or write your own legislators. They need to be reminded that state employees have already given up a lot to cure our state’s budget woes.

Many people forget that during the Engler years when the economy was good, when cars and trucks were selling well and unemployment figures were the lowest they have been since the 70’s…when tax dollars were pouring into the government…we, the state workers received next to nothing. While Engler received over a 50% increase in salary and our legislators received over 40% …we received $600 lump sum raises that did not roll into our base pay, or, we received a 1 or 2 percent raise while our neighbors in the private sector were receiving 5 to 10 percent raises per year.

We are also continuing to pay for the state’s economic woes by working harder, with less. The size of state government is the smallest it has been since 1974. In the last two early retirements we lost 13% of our work force and refilled only a fraction of these positions. Payroll as a percentage of state spending has declined by one-third since 1982.

Yes, we’re working harder, with less but if we know that Governor Granholm is on our side, we can take the heat. It’s a good feeling to know that when the Michigan economy takes a turn for the better, so will the economic situations of state employees.

JANUARY 2007 PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

Based upon my discussions with MAGE members throughout Michigan, it has become clear that many of you don’t realize everything that MAGE does for state employees.

Most of you know that we negotiate through the Coordinated Compensation Proceedings year-in and year-out in an effort to improve and protect your wages and working conditions…and most of you realize that we represent members in investigatory meetings and disciplinary conferences and grievances and technical complaints and office of recipient rights investigations. In fact, we are involved in over 100 individual issues as I write this column…but we do so much more.

This past month alone the MAGE office has responded to hundreds of calls from MAGE members with questions and concerns. Our managers and supervisors call with questions regarding employment preference or reassignment or transfer rights. They seek advice concerning how to handle employee problems, or how to handle an over-bearing boss. They call to clarify contract language or for assistance deciphering Civil Service Rules and Regulations and Policies. They call when a subordinate claims discrimination and they call when they feel they are being discriminated against. Members also call when they get injured on the job and need advice regarding long term disability or worker’s compensation or social security.

Members also call with questions regarding specific protections for employees who are assaulted on the job.

Don’t forget that our MAGE lobbyists, the best in Michigan, are at the Capitol continuously monitoring legislation that affects funding in each of your departments, which translates to positions which translates to job security. They are also actively lobbying to protect and improve our retirement benefits. And speaking of retirement benefits, remember that a portion of your dues also goes to the Retirement Coordinating Council, a group whose main goal is to monitor and improve and protect your retirement benefits.

Finally, you should know that we are now affiliated with Office & Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU), which gives us the backing of the 100,000 member international union and the powerful AFL-CIO which, in light of Governor Granholm’s recent victory, will continue carrying substantial clout in Michigan for another four years.

We’re bigger and better and more powerful than ever and we are constantly looking for additional ways we can provide more benefits to our members.

Share this information with a non-MAGE member. Tell them what we do. Remind them that if we stand together we can achieve great things.

 NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2006 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

September/October 2006  President's Report:  WE FACE SOME TRYING TIMES

There are so many issues on the horizon of concern to MAGE members that I don’t know where to begin.

First of all, there is the upcoming election where we face the chance of losing Governor Granholm who has already proven herself to be dedicated to the welfare of state employees in numerous ways. Are we prepared to face another Engler clone?

Then there is the elimination of the Single Business Tax which Governor Granholm has already indicated would leave a $2 billion black hole in the state budget, and which the Republicans have not yet proposed filling in any viable fashion. We, as state employees, must remember that it was a $2 billion dollar deficit which recently resulted in our furlough days and banked leave time hours.

Then, there is the Stop Over Spending (S.O.S.) petition drive which our Labor Relations Director, John DeTizio, has referred to as "a juggernaut, the likes of which no state employee has endured before".

The word on the street is that there are problems with the signatures obtained in the petition drive. Hopefully, by the time you read this, the S.O.S. petition will be S.O.L.

Another proposal to fear is the K-16 2006-05 Proposal, which would earmark dollars from the general fund to increase school funding at the rate of inflation. These funds would have to come, once again, from the backs of state employees.

Another worry for active state employees is the promises from the DeVos camp on an early out. He apparently does not realize that the size of state government is already the smallest since 1974. We’ve already had two early retirements in the past decade. In 2002 we lost 8,000 workers, 13% of the workforce. Payroll as a percentage of state spending has declined by one-third since 1982.

I anticipate that "if" (and that’s a big "if") he gets elected, he will quickly realize that another early out is not a viable option and if an early out comes to fruition it will be a very watered down version. What is really needed is a permanent 80 and out with an increase in the multiplier to 1.75%. This would allow employees to retire with a higher benefit while avoiding the mass exodus of our most experienced employees as evidenced during the last two early outs.

You are already doing your share to address these concerns simply by being a MAGE member.

Our MAGE lobbyists, the best in Michigan, are there to protect our interests, day-in and day-out. Our staff also remains vigilant and you can rest well in knowing that part of your dues also go to the AFL-CIO who are at the capitol protecting our interests on a wider scale.

MAGE member or not, you should still be compelled to give your representatives at the capitol a call to tell them how you feel about these issues and the fact that every state employee is already working short staffed and harder than ever.

President’s Report – July/August 2006

Since MAGE was founded in 1980, we have strived to grow and become a stronger and stronger voice to represent the interests of the managers, supervisors and excluded employees in Michigan state government. We have accomplished many things over the years, but perhaps our biggest achievement is the credibility and respect we have earned as an organization.

The dedicated members that have served the organization as officers, directors, and committee members have helped to achieve that respect, but most important is our staff that has offered quality representation to our members. The MAGE professional staff has a combined total service of over 75 years in MAGE.

Two years ago we became an even bigger force by welcoming two new staff from OPEIU Local 512 and their state employee members to MAGE. WE are now the only full service labor organization representing the interests of Michigan NERE’s.

Your Labor Relations Director, John DeTizio, and I recently attended the signing of the Governor’s new Safety & Health Policy Initiative. The signing represents a renewed commitment to protecting our members in every facet of their work. The Office of the State Employer has pledged to work together with us to address safety concerns throughout the state.

Things have drastically changed in Michigan. The current administration actually believes in the value and dedication of state employees. MAGE is now even invited to participate in several departmental committees and to provide input from members in state study groups.

In order to protect these gains and even the basic benefits for state employees and retirees we must continue to grow and sign new members. Please help MAGE and yourself by signing a new member this month.

Finally, I’d like to remind all of you that we are nearing the final lap of the Governor’s run to be re-elected. Keep our jobs in MICHIGAN. Get out there and fight for those you believe in… and vote!

May/June 2006 -President’s Report 

Well, another General Council has come and gone. I would like to thank the delegates for electing me to another term as President, and I pledge to continue to do my best for our members.

General Council is our yearly meeting convened for the purpose of electing new officers and framing new resolutions and, of course, to review what we have accomplished throughout the previous year… and what a year it has been.

Our Labor Relations Director John DeTizio impressed the delegates with a summary of our accomplishments. So many individuals helped – so many problems resolved. And then there are the monetary accomplishments. The special raises for our corrections shift supervisors and the nurses and resident unit managers and assistant resident unit supervisors. We even secured $6,000 bonuses for our dentist supervisors, which by the way, does not even begin to fill the divide between what our dentists are making and what they should be making.

John also reminded us of all the positions MAGE had saved throughout the year. Positions that were slated for abolishment, many of them filled with non-degreed personnel who would have ended up on the streets if not for our services.

We also had Governor Granholm’s Legislative Director Tim Hughes share some of his insight with the crowd. He reminded us of the Governor’s dedication to state employees and her intent to keep our concerns at the forefront when she is re-elected.

Our lobbyist, Capitol Services, Inc., also reported on their accomplishments and reminded us how important it will be to MAGE members and all state workers to secure Governor Granholm’s position for another 4 years. They reminded us about the Nurse-Patient Ratio Bills which are fashioned to give some relief to our registered nurses who are being mandated to work overtime far too often. They also indicated that work on the state budgets was continuing and that we must remain vigilant in protecting funding for adequate staffing in all departments.

Our legal counsel reported on an important Supreme Court decision, which leaves state supervisors vulnerable to being sued by their subordinates. Our Labor Relations Director has already made some progress on this issue, which he has reported on in a recent edition of IMAGE.

I’m looking forward to doing more good things for state employees this year and I’m looking forward to meeting all of you in my travels.

Did you know that a lot of families with children who work for the State of Florida also qualify for welfare? So much for the joys of working in one of the sunny "Right to Work" states. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, a "Right to Work" state refers to the state’s laws governing union membership.

In Michigan, unions have the right to negotiate contracts which require all of the members in a particular unit to join the union or, at minimum, pay a fee for their services. In many of the southern states that is not the case, which results in less unionized workers and the meager wages southern workers must endure.

It is our capitalist system at work. Pay the worker as little as you can and keep as much of the profits as you possibly can for yourself.

If not for unions I expect we would now be residing in a two class society, the haves and the have-nots. A great example is the battle our unions have been engaged in in our own state.

We’ve finally convinced our representatives to boost the minimum wage from a paltry $5.15 per hour to $7.40 per hour in July of 2008. Our Senate has already voted and as I write this article, the House is still deliberating.

Just think about that for a moment…$5.15 per hour. Think about the cost of gas to get to work and the cost of insurance and picture a single mother working at your local McDonalds.

It’s funny, when you think about it. Our unions went through the exact same battle in the 1960s to create the state’s first minimum wage law at $1.00 per hour! Back then the republicans opposed it arguing that it would only result in older workers being fired to pay more to the younger folk. That didn’t happen then and it won’t happen now. I know I usually talk about our own situation. I talk about the trials and tribulations of our own state supervisors and confidential employees, but this issue is our issue. We are workers, all of us, trying to do the best we can. Trying to provide for our children. It’s been 8 years since we last increased the minimum wage and since then, 15 other states have already raised theirs. I am proud of all of our members who saw the light and contacted their representatives to assist in raising the minimum wage… and I’m proud to be a union worker.

 February 2006 President's Report

Our phones have been ringing off the hooks lately with members who are just overworked. They are doing twice and three times the work they were doing 2 or 3 years ago. At the same time we’ve got members imploring us to secure another early retirement.

It’s a common refrain …"I just can’t take it any more…get me out of here." Well, as far as the early out goes, it only saves money if you do not have to hire new employees behind the ones who are retiring. With the way that our members are overworked right now, neglecting to backfill behind departing state employees would be disastrous.

The other problem, for the administration, is losing more of our already depleted "brain trust". Some departments lost nearly 50% of their executive level employees. We have recovered during the last few years, and its apparent that many of our members have stepped up to the plate to fill the shoes of the departed throngs of experienced employees, but another early out right now would still be devastating.

I, and your MAGE Board of Directors have always been more interested in a permanent 80 and out retirement with an increased factor. That way you avoid that mass exodus that has plagued the state during the last two early retirements and you keep a constant and fresh turnover in the higher ranks. So far, the current Administration has steadfastly opposed another early retirement for many of the same reasons I just mentioned.

On a brighter note, our Labor Relations Representatives have settled over 60 grievances and workplace concerns over the last two months alone. Settling grievances always impress me. It may be because I spent so many years as a manager in the now Department of Human Services. I just feel that if you can settle a grievance to the satisfaction of both parties you have accomplished more than one party winning and one party losing. After all, the great majority of the time, after a grievance is resolved, the grievant and the supervisor are back in the workplace, day in and day out, having to work together…having to spend almost one-half of their lives together. Doesn’t it make sense to try to resolve their differences to the satisfaction of both of them?

Of course, you can’t always settle every disagreement in the workplace, and that’s when our real strength comes through. We have a crew of labor representatives whose experience, reputation and professionalism is simply unparalleled throughout the State of Michigan. We’ve got a team of four representatives with a combined years of experience in labor relations of well over 75 years. Together they have handled thousands of grievances and hundreds of arbitrations and technical complaints. We also have the best lobbyists in the State who are out there as I write this, moving and shaking and protecting our retirement benefits now and into the future.

We are in good hands, my friends, and I intend to make those hands even bigger and stronger by convincing more of our peers to join us in our fight for economic security.

January 2006 President's Message

As the New Year begins I’m inclined to pause to reflect on our accomplishment of the previous year and consider what we might do differently in the coming year to make us a more viable, credible, powerful organization.

With regard to the past year, our accomplishments were many. We secured special raises for our corrections supervisors, which we had been working on for many years. We resolved hundreds of grievances and work place complaints from simple counseling memos to discharges and from simple reassignments to position abolishments. We also worked with many of the departments to facilitate placing displaced and soon to be displaced employees.

Another area we excel in is assisting our supervisors who may be having problems supervising their subordinates. We educate them on the nuances of progressive discipline, assist in deciphering ambiguous language in bargaining unit contracts and assist them in responding to complaints against them from subordinates ranging from discrimination to sexual harassment.

With regards to the future I must admit to be disappointed with the apathy of our fellow state employees who simply refuse to join us in our struggle to better the working lives of our peers.

I can appreciate that there are those who just don’t understand how important it is to have an organization that represents them when they are dealing with an employer the size of the State of Michigan. I can appreciate that many don’t understand that, as state employees, they need a unified voice to speak for them to our legislators and commissioners and Governor: That we need someone to protect the pay and benefits we have already fought for, now, and into the future. What I cannot appreciate is those free-loaders who watch us work hard to secure a special $1.50 per hour wage increase for all RNs and still they refuse to join MAGE-OPEIU, and those who witness us secure a special wage increase for our corrections supervisors and still refuse to join MAGE-OPEIU.

These are the people that YOU as members need to talk to and keep talking to. Let them know how much stronger we could be if we all stood together.

Let’s make this our New Year Resolution. We all know that, when it comes to politics, there is power in numbers…What your friends don’t realize is that when we are talking about large numbers of managers and supervisors who are running this state, we have immense power potential. I’m talking about the power to control your economic future, your work life and your retirement. Talk to one of your peers today. Tell them it’s time to wake up and smell the coffee.

As it stands, we continue to share more in common with our peers than not. I anticipate that we will continue to form alliances when necessary and work together for the common good of all state of Michigan employees.

A good example is the initiative to amend our constitution to allow for binding arbitration and full collective bargaining rights to all state employees, including our managers and supervisors and confidential employees. This will be a titanic task; one only achieved through the combined efforts of all of the internationals and the dedicated efforts of our own staff and members. The internationals are already combining their efforts, some affiliated with the AFL-CIO and some not.

You will soon be seeing articles in this IMAGE asking for your support and assistance in spreading the word. We came very close in our last attempt. We will need your assistance in convincing your neighbors who do not work for the state that our initiative is good for state workers, but also good for our state.

President's Message August 2005

I mentioned in my last column that we were embroiled in a battle to keep Newberry Correctional Facility and Camp Manistique open. You will recall that the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Corrections had voted to recommend this closure, which would result in the elimination of nearly 400 state positions. Equally disconcerting is the fact that the same subcommittee voted to continue funding of the privately operated Youth Correctional Facility in Baldwin. This is particularly frustrating since one of the reasons given to build the privately run prison was that it would be easier to close during an economic downturn.

As I write this, we remain in a holding pattern. Our lobbyists inform us that some legislators are now recommending across the board cuts in lieu of closing the prisons. Our legislators will be working a reduced schedule during the summer months, but we will closely monitor their actions. Our lobbyists also report that we may have succeeded in postponing the closure of Newberry and Manistique but we have clearly not convinced them to follow the wiser and more economically sound idea of closing the "punk prison". Where they will seek their pound of flesh next is a toss up, but we will be there, to protect our members.

Now allow me to take one moment to discuss another issue that we, as an association need to address. It is the President’s assault on Social Security. Social Security, our most trusted and relied upon insurance policy for common American families. I have always believed that you assess the quality of a civilization by the way in which it protects the less fortunate. Since 1935 we have kept our promise to our less fortunate to be able to rely on something in their old age, just in case all else fails.

Now the President contends that Social Security is bankrupt and a mass overhaul is necessary. The fact is that nothing could be further from the truth. The fact is that if we do not change a thing, recipients would receive 100% of their benefits through 2052 and 80% from 2052 to 2100. Does that sound to you like a mass overhaul is necessary? Are you comfortable with the idea of your children’s total retirement being tied to the stock market after the crash you just witnessed a few short years ago? How has your 401k or IRA increased over the last seven years? Have you really gained such a great amount? We need to call our legislators…tell them what we think…tell them that without a well-woven security net, our less fortunate neighbors are sure to fall through the cracks.

President's Message June/July 2005

It seems the John Engler legacy lives on in Michigan. The Michigan House Republicans have pushed through a budget bill that rejects the Governor’s proposed closing of corporate tax loopholes, in favor of balancing the budget on the backs of low-income families, children and state employees.

The House budget would cut families from public assistance, eliminate health care coverage for people who take in the abandoned or orphaned children of relatives and cut childcare funding for 43,500 children.

The bill would also close two correctional facilities in the Upper Peninsula, threatening the release of more than 1,300 prisoners and the jobs of state employees. What is even more ridiculous is that it reinstates funding for an expensively run, privately operated youth correctional facility that the governor proposed closing. Sure, lets once again give away state employee jobs to the private sector for the benefit of the friends of the Republican fat cats.

It’s time for you to stand up and let your Senators and Representatives know that you do not agree with these special interest budget cuts but stand for fairness and equality. That you favor protecting employee jobs rather than expensive contracts to special interest groups and friends of the Republican Party.

Now on to another topic…

We have just concluded our Annual MAGE General Council meeting. This is the time each year when MAGE members from across the state converge as elected delegates to discuss the progress made since the last General Council and to formulate our goals for the coming year.

It is also the time to elect the Officers and Directors who will guide MAGE for the coming year.. We regret losing the services of some of our long time Board members, such as Gil Sablack and Mary McClellan, who did not seek re-election. I am pleased to welcome those new Board Members that were elected to the Board for the first time, such as Second Vice President Kari Sanders and District Officers Alan Quattrin, Craig Mestemaker , Chris Barker and Felicia Taylor. It is only through the addition of new talented people that we can continue to progress as an active vibrant organization.

I would also like to thank the delegates for the confidence they showed in re-electing me to the office of MAGE President. I pledge to you to continue to perform my duties as President to the best of my ability.

President's Message May 2005

By the time you read this IMAGE, we will have already met with David Fink, Director of the Office of the State Employer to discuss some important issues that have caused MAGE members quite a bit of consternation over the years.

Those issues deal with some very basic provisions contained in bargaining unit contracts, which are not granted to MAGE members.

The good news is that Mr. Fink has made it abundantly clear that he is intent on seeking parity between supervisors and the rank and file. He also agrees that representation policies and procedures and practices from Department to Department should be consistent, an issue MAGE has been advocating for since my last term as President.

Some departments, for example, neglect to provide for representation during investigatory conferences. Each bargaining unit contract specifically provides for representation. The Civil Service Rules for NEREs currently do not.

Also, MAGE members in some departments have the right to go on Medical Layoff lists while others do not.

Regulation 2-12.5 provides NEREs with 6 months of a MLOA. The appointing authority may extend the leave for up to 1-year, however, some contracts prescribe that the state shall grant an additional 6 months of MLOA.

And the list goes on…Union contracts contain provisions for departmental transfer lists and provisions that allow employees to apply employment preference rights if they refuse a mandatory reassignment of over 75 miles.

MAGE will be addressing these issues and many more. We will continue working hard to improve the working lives of all managerial, supervisory and confidential employees in the state. Remember this when you talk to your non-MAGE member peers at work. Tell them what we are doing, day-in and day-out. Ask them why they are not helping us help you.

President's Column March/April 2005 

I am proud to report that our OPEIU International President, Michael Goodwin recently tapped our prized MAGE staff to conduct a seminar for other OPEIU Representatives from around the country. The purpose of the conference was to discuss the issues and problems peculiar to managers, supervisors and confidential employees (MSCs).

After so many years I should not be surprised at how competent and knowledgeable our Labor Relations Director, John DeTizio is, but it is always a delight to see him in action. John presented on the obstacles to representing MSCs and discussed how we could use those obstacles as opportunities for change.

John Strachan and Aaron Sanders also participated in the presentations, adeptly addressing the similarities of issues peculiar to managers and supervisors in other states throughout the country. The fact that all of these other OPEIU Labor Relations Representatives from around our great country convened solely for the purpose of discussing how to better represent managers and supervisors is just one more confirmation that our decision to affiliate with OPEIU was a wise one.

I was surprised to find how closely our situations parallel those of MSCs in other states. In some states the rules, regulations and procedures circumscribing manager’s rights mirror ours almost to the letter. Of course, we fare much better than a lot of our peers in other states. For example, in Indiana, as you read this article, Governor Mitch Daniels (R) is unilaterally rescinding the rights of state workers to bargain collectively. We’re talking about totally eliminating the union rights and contracts of approximately 25,000 state employees. In Florida, Jeb Bush recently informed 16,000 managers and supervisors that they would, from this point forward, be "at will" employees and no longer have any employment preference rights. You will recall that Governor John Engler tried to hit us with a few of those ideas, but we prevailed.

What is important is that we return from the conference with a renewed vigor and some fresh ideas for representing our members.

I look forward to sharing some of these ideas with our members during the meetings I will attend around the state in the spring.

President’s Message February 2005

The state is about to launch the long anticipated MI 360 process, a process that will give all employees an opportunity to give confidential feedback to their supervisors. It will begin with a pilot program in four state agencies in January - Information Technology, Management and Budget, Civil Rights, and Michigan State Police.

The purpose of the process is to provide a tool for managers and supervisors at all levels to see how others are perceiving their particular management style and behavior in their work environment.

The pilot project in the above four departments will be reviewed to identify any needed modifications before the program is rolled out statewide in March 2005.

The program will be administered by the Office of Great Workplace Development, endorsed by the Governor; and sponsored by the Governor’s office, the Office of the State Employer and the Michigan Department of Civil Service.

How will it work? Well, that’s a mouthful. First you will attend an orientation workshop to learn about the MI-360. Then you will complete a self-survey. Your subordinates will complete the same survey for you. Your supervisor will complete the same survey and you will choose some of your peers to complete the same survey. You will then receive a weighted average of the results from each of these four groups. In other words, if you have 25 subordinates, the results of all of their surveys will be weighted equally with the other three groups, which contain fewer surveyors. Remember that you will also be expected to complete a survey assessing your supervisor’s management style and possibly their supervisor’s, and some of your peers will undoubtedly be asking you to complete one for them.

You will receive your confidential compiled results at a Feedback Debriefing Workshop where a trained Coaching Facilitator will provide an understanding of what the weighted averages mean. Each supervisor, including your supervisor and your supervisor’s supervisor, all the way up to the Director will then be expected to create their own individual Professional Development Plan that outlines learning and growth activities for the coming year.

The OSE assures us that the results will be used for personal development only and will not be used for promotion or selection at this time. Could the ratings be used or considered in future years as a tool for assessing performance or promotional capabilities? I expect that if the Civil Service Commission reviews a year or two of results and finds the results to be credible and accurate it could happen.

We will monitor the MI - 360 very closely over the next year and hope that our many members in the departments where the pilot project is being initiated share their perceptions of the project with the MAGE staff.

January 2005 President’s Message

The New Year is a time to pause and reflect upon what you have accomplished throughout the last year. It is a time to give thanks for what you have and a time to re-assess your goals and aspirations for the coming year.

As I have mentioned in previous articles, one of my key goals as President of MAGE was to culminate the affiliation of MAGE with OPEIU and facilitate the merger of Local 512 state employees into MAGE OPEIU Local 2002. We have very successfully accomplished this and we are a larger, stronger, more credible organization as a result.

Another goal was to avoid further concessions and secure at least modest base wage increases in the face of a current $150 million budget deficit and pending $500 million deficit. Again, we have succeeded in meeting these goals. Although the Commission has not yet finalized our agreement and the legislature has not yet approved the Governor’s budget which will contain our base rate increases, I do not expect that 2/3 of both houses will have the audacity to vote them down.

As for the coming year, my primary goal will be to teach all those employees who are not yet MAGE members that "elected officials" decide your fate with regard to wages, benefits and retirement, and the best way to convince elected officials to listen is to represent large numbers of their constituents.

The only way to educate non-members is to get the word out so another goal will be to create and disseminate new educational flyers and MAGE brochures.

Other goals will be convincing Governor Granholm to attend our General Council meeting in May, along with our OPEIU International President, Michael Goodwin.

Finally, I intend to make myself available to attend any meetings that you wish to schedule at your facility/agency to hear your concerns, first-hand.