News

Release: AFSCME Local 454 Announces Intent to Strike

City workers with AFSCME Local 454 have notified the city leadership of their intent to strike.

Release: AFSCME Local 454 Negotiations Update

AFSCME Council 65
Contact: Amanda Metsa
Labor Representative
Email: [email protected]
Cell Phone: 218-290-0822

February 18, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

City Workers United Despite Job Cuts and Threats to Reduce Benefits.

Virginia - City workers remain united in opposing City Council threats to cut benefits to cover budget mismanagement. The Council created a budget shortfall last fall by refusing to pass a levy that would fund city operations. As a result, six positions represented by AFSCME Local 454 have been cut, despite existing staffing shortages. Now, the City Council is threatening to cut overtime pay and other benefits.

The Council has notified AFSCME leaders that it will stop paying overtime to workers when they’ve had a sick day, vacation day, or a statutory holiday during the work week. If the city moves forward with this change, workers will not receive any recognition for extra time away from their families when asked to put in extra hours.

“They are asking us to bear responsibility for their own mismanagement.” said Jesse McIntyre, Vice-President of AFSCME Local 454. “We will always need to put in extra hours to plow our roads, respond to emergencies, and staff big events. This is what residents rightfully expect of our city. Yet, they’re demanding we work the same hours for less pay instead of making sure we have enough staff to reduce overtime costs. All this just to fix a budget problem they created.”

AFSCME members have already borne the brunt of the budget shortfall. Job cuts to departments represented by AFSCME saved the city an estimated $400,000. In 2020 and 2021, members saved the city $127,474.69/year* by agreeing to a new health insurance plan. Still, the Council is now proposing more reductions in healthcare contributions. This would cost employees with family coverage $3,652.29/year*.

The negotiating team hopes to resolve these issues when they meet with their employer on Wednesday, February 21. However, without meaningful progress leaders may notify the city of the union’s intent to strike. A strike could start ten days after such notice. The City’s release incorrectly stated the union had already filed an intent to strike.

AFSCME Local 454 represents City of Virginia workers in the following departments: Library, City Hall (Police Admin. Staff, Finance, and Engineering), Public Works, and Parks and Recreation (including Iron Trail Motors Event Center).

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Release: Local 454 Negotiations Update

AFSCME members honored during Community Change event

Photo portrait of Mr. Alpha Bufford

Alpha Bufford.

MLPNA and AFSCME 65 Urge Lawmakers to Recognize the Contribution of All Frontline Workers.

Minnesota LPNs Urge Lawmakers to Include All Frontline Workers in Hero Pay Proposal.

Republican members of the committee propose excluding roughly half a million essential frontline workers from consideration for Hero Pay.

AFSCME supports lowering drug prices to help millions of Americans

When Fran Krugen’s late husband was first diagnosed with diabetes, his insulin cost about $35 a bottle.

But Krugen, an AFSCME retiree from Arizona, will never forget the day when she and her husband went to the drug store to pick up his insulin and the pharmacist told them it now cost $900 a bottle.

“This was medication he needed to live, and we had insurance,” she said at a press briefing earlier this month. “We looked at each other and had to ask ourselves: Do we make the house payment? Do we buy food? Or do we pay for his medication?”

A New Jersey member’s career grows thanks to the AFSCME Free College Benefit

The pandemic has led many of us to take stock of our lives and our goals. For AFSCME New Jersey member LaTrenda Ross, the pandemic ignited a long-held dream—starting her own life coaching business.

“I was thinking about revamping my whole entire life,” recalls Ross, a member of Local 2306. “I was looking out for things I want to do, things I haven’t been going after.”

See All of Our Great Training Opportunities for Members

Investing in You & Your Union

AFSCME Council 65 is committed to providing members like you opportunities to learn how to build a stronger, more successful union in their workplace.

Your Union is only as strong as your members. Sign up for some of the upcoming trainings below to learn how you and your union family can build more power in your workplace.

Approval of labor unions continues to rise; is highest since 1965

More Americans approve of labor unions today than at any time since 1965, according to annual Gallup poll results released around each Labor Day.

More than two-thirds of poll respondents – 68% – approved of labor unions. That means a clear majority of voters views labor unions favorably. Among adults 18-34 years of age, 77% approve of unions. Support is also high among those with annual household incomes under $40,000.

2020-2021 Al Church Scholarship Award Winners Announced

We received 86 scholarship applications for the Al Church Scholarship 2020-2021 Program. We also received additional contributions to the scholarship fund, which allowed the Scholarship Committee to expand the number of awards given. Congratulations to our winners:

Retirement of Council 65 Finance Director

Congratulations Linda Kresal!

We are at once happy and sad to announce the retirement of AFSCME Council 65’s long time Finance Director, Linda Kresal. We are excited for her new journey but saddened to see a member of our AFSCME 65 family go.  She has been an integral part of our AFSCME 65 family for over a decade and you have probably heard her friendly voice on the other end of the phone when calling with your local union’s financial questions!  She will truly be missed.