Welcome to AFSCME Local 1368
Welcome to the web site for AFSCME Local 1368, Massachusetts Department of Youth Services Employees. Most of the content on this website is only visible once you are logged in, so please be sure to register here to receive our updates. Be sure to take some time and go through the entire site, as you will find a great amount of information. Be sure to send your comments and suggestions directly to me. Thank you.
In Solidarity,
Paul Faria, President
ASFCME 1368 News
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Message From the President
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
I write you today to inform you I have accepted a position as Staff Representative for AFSCME Council 93 effective July 1st, 2019. This was not an easy decision for me and my family to make as the work I have done with the help of our executive board and table officers has been nothing short of amazing. My passion for serving you never wavered and never will. My family and I felt now was the time for me to move on in my career. I will attempt to bring the same type of prosperity we have found together to as many more of our sisters and brothers as possible.
Through my time as your president we have forged ahead getting pay grade increases for Groupworker I’s, II’s, and III’s as well as for ISO II’s and III’s. We have fought tirelessly to bring down staff assaults by working with various other agencies, as well as our own, to have your voices heard and mandated the Department make systematic changes to how they hold youth accountable through the pressing of charges without releasing your personal information. We have created the four-day work week which has lower forced overtime, lowered staff assaults, decreased burnout, and made our sisters and brothers feel like they actually get time away from work. Through contract negotiations we have removed language preventing you from being promoted or granted a voluntary transfer/reassignment due to discipline, and while we still fight to see acknowledgment, we are now starting to see its true impact for everyone. I am equally proud of how visible we have made our union to the average member, keeping open lines of communication and ensuring we fought tirelessly for each and every one of you.
I will proudly finish out my term as your president and continue to push our employee first agenda while fighting for fair wages and benefits for all our sisters and brothers. However, the day to day operations of the Local will be carried out by Vice President Francisco Ojeda who I have the utmost confidence will continue on the amazing progress we have all made. I know your executive board will work tirelessly with him to continue to create a safer workplace and to continue the progress we have made in all other aspects of your jobs.
I want to thank you all for having faith in me to help guide us in the right direction. I have served this local for well over 10 years and wouldn’t trade away a day of it. It is my honor to call you all my Union brothers and sisters. Even in my new role I will forever be a tireless advocate for you all, fighting for you to be recognized for the incredibly difficult job you do and for you to receive the appreciation you truly all deserve.
In Solidarity,
Daniel Morse
AFSCME Local 1368 President
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New Resource For Workplace Harrassment and/or Violence
Investigations COE Communications
To: All <enter Secretariat/Agency name> Phase I Employees
CC: Agency Head and/or Secretary
From: Ron Arigo
Date: 2/6/19
Re: ANNOUNCEMENT: New Investigations Center of Expertise
Beginning February 11, 2019, the Human Resources Division (HRD) will have a new resource available to employees, an Investigations Center of Expertise (COE), which will investigate most HR-related complaints across Executive Department Agencies. The COE will handle investigations related to: Discrimination, Sexual Harassment, Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault/Stalking, Workplace Violence, and Retaliation.
Employees can report a complaint directly to the COE or continue to report a complaint through any existing channels, including:
- Employee’s manager
- Diversity Officer
- HR Director
- Sexual Harassment Officer, and
- General Counsel
Complaints that allege violation of one of the HR-related policies listed above will be investigated by the COE. When the COE receives a complaint it will investigate the allegations and work closely with the Agency/Secretariat throughout the process. The Investigations COE will also provide regular updates to the employees involved in the complaint throughout the process.
Employees can report a complaint directly to the COE in any one of the following ways:
- Online: <link to form>
- Phone: 1-833-778-7270
- Email: HRDInvestigations@mass.gov
For more information, please visit the Investigations COE website. <add link>
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Contract Negotiations...?!?
It's hard to believe after our raise we just received but we will be entering into contract talks with the Commonwealth soon enough. Stewards will be coming around with contract surveys and we need YOUR HELP in molding the parameters for the next contract. If we all respond then together our voices will be heard. I (President Morse) will let you know when these are available and once they are I can email them to you for you to fill out as well.
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Military Leave
As many of you know, there has been an issue for some time now with the law that governs paid time off for armed forces related leave and maintaining seniority and the accrual of paid sick, personal and vacation time during such leave.
The current law states that paid leave would be provided “not exceeding 34 days in any state fiscal year and not exceeding 17 days in any federal fiscal year.”
The good news is you don’t have to spend any time trying to figure out what the above language means because we were able to fix it and expand the benefit.
As you may recall, attempts to correct this problem at the bargaining table and in the 2015-2016 legislative session were unsuccessful. So at the start of the current 2017-2018 session, Council 93 turned to a legislator who would understand the problem and appreciate the need to fix it. We approached State Rep. Hank Naughton, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and currently serves as a Major in the U.S. Army Reserves.
Rep. Naughton filed legislation at our request and we are happy to report our bill was recently passed as part of a broader bill entitled: An Act Relative to Veterans’ Benefits, Rights, Appreciation, Validation and Enforcement.
The new law will be effective on November 8th, 2018. It removes the confusing state/federal fiscal year language and expands the paid leave to 40 days annually. It also maintains the requirement that such employees shall “not lose any seniority or any accrued vacation leave, sick leave, personal leave, compensation time or earned overtime.”
We thank our members who brought this issue to our attention and we thank Rep. Naughton for working with us to clarify and expand this important benefit.
In Solidarity,
Mark Bernard
Special Assistant to the Executive Director
AFSCME Council 93
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Vote!!! Choose Your Boss!!!
Vote!Make your voice heard!! Choose your Boss!!! This election decides who we negotiate with next time!! Is the Charlie Baker minimum enough for you? If not vote Jay Gonzalez for Governor!!!!
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Nominations/Elections UPDATE
Nominations for all postions within the Local were held on October 1st, 2018 as was laid out in the mailer you received. All positions had individuals nominated and none of the positions had more than one nomination. Therefore no elections are necessary and as in accordance with AFSCME Elections code the following nominees are considered elected:
- President - Daniel Morse (Hadley Assessment)
- Vice President - Francisco Ojeda (Leahy Control)
- Secretary Treasurer - Eric Pimentel (Suffolk County Detention)
- Recording Secretary - Julie Berube Eaton (Central Transportation)
- Sergeant-at-Arms - Christopher Duquette (Sharpe Transition)
- Southeast Executive Board - Clinton Silva (Goss Treatment)
- Northeast Executive Board - Angel Heredia (Northeast Transportation)
- Western Executive Board - James Collins (Westfield Detention)
- Metro Executive Board - Brian Carroll (Metro Transportation)
- Central Executive Board - Susan Smith (Pellitier Assessment)
- Trustee (2 Year Term) - Sonya Tarver
- Trustee (1 Year Term) - Cecelia Crawford
Congratulations to those who have been elected and let's keep this Union moving forward over the next 2 years as we have over the last 2.
In Solidarity,
Daniel Morse
President
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NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS
***NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS***
Nominations will be held on October 1st, 2018 at the Union Hall (84 Broadway, 3rd Floor Taunton, MA) from 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM for the following positions:
PRESIDENT - 2 YEAR TERM VICE PRESIDENT - 2 YEAR TERM
SECRETARY TREASURER - 2 YEAR TERM RECORDING SECRETARY - 2 YEAR TERM
SERGEANT-AT-ARMS - 2 YEAR TERM
CENTRAL REGION EXECUTIVE BOARD - 2 YEAR TERM WESTERN REGION EXECUTIVE BOARD - 2 YEAR TERM
NORTHEAST REGION EXECUTIVE BOARD - 2 YEAR TERM SOUTHEAST REGION EXECUTIVE BOARD - 2 YEAR TERM
METRO REGION EXECUTIVE BOARD - 2 YEAR TERM
TRUSTEE - 2 YEAR TERM TRUSTEE - 1 YEAR TERM
To be nominated and elected you must be a member in good standing. You do not have to be present for your nomination and are only required to opt out of nomination.
Should elections be needed, they will be done by mail. Ballots will be mailed out on on or about October 5th, 2018 and must be received on or before October 29th, 2018 in order to be counted.
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Benchmark hit!! Another Retro 1%!
Good news!!
State revenues for the fiscal year that ended June 30th have exceeded the benchmark agreed to in our state contract. That means all workers covered under our state alliance contract will receive an additional 1% pay increase retroactive to July 1, 2017! This additional 1% increase will be provided on top of the other pay increases negotiated in our contract. The pay raise It also applies to our members working in Suffolk County Corrections. Congratulations to our members on this well-deserved increase!
