Artesia employees are currently negotiating a new contract. One of the staples of having a union is the ability of employees to draw up a contract with their employer. This contract, also known as an MOU (for Memorandum of Understanding), covers all the  major aspects of being employed, like salary and benefits; along with all the perks, like education reimbursement or bonus pay for certifications. An MOU also lays out the nature of discipline, firing, performance evaluations, step increases, safety, and many other important things. Basically, it covers all the stuff that entices you to continue working for a specific employer.  Being that our professional life is so intertwined with our personal life, the MOU is extremely important. It’s also one of the reasons why union employees are paid much better and enjoy more benefits than non-union employees. So, it’s important to have a great negotiating team. The Negotiating Team The negotiating team should not be too large....

Hello everyone, to start this blog off right, I thought it would be good to give a mission statement or some sort of intent. The value that guides me is simple, and it’s taken directly from the oath I took when I assumed the office of President for my Local, which is 1520 of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (aka AFSCME).  That portion of the oath that acts as my lodestar is ‘to organize the unorganized.’ My intent for this blog is to provide real world lessons for other workers and especially other union employees in the world on a wide variety of subjects, from work-related issues to community involvement. Essentially, I’m hoping to be helpful and influential for the labor movement at large.  But in doing that, I believe this blog will also be helpful and influential for the community that this Local serves - Artesia, California. Speaking of which, on this date - Valentine’s Day 2020 - this is my 15th anniversary working for th...