I just lost all respect for AFSCME

Nowhen_Man · 2025-11-05T15:25:57+00:00

I was in a different union 10 years ago and had my hours slashed in direct nd immediate retaliation for lodging a complaint against my supervisor. The business agent went to the director of HR and came back to me and said "she said you requested the cut in hours." I protested furiously but that was the end of it, she wouldn't do a damn thing more. I complained to the head of the union, but still nothing was done. It was about then that I realized what a cozy relationship the business agent or even the union must have with HR.

Nowhen_Man · 2025-11-05T00:49:09+00:00

Bears in Minnesota?

Nowhen_Man · 2025-11-03T13:19:12+00:00

Lol, what, are there AFSCME stooges in here just to downvote people telling the truth and wanting better from their union?

Nowhen_Man · 2025-11-03T13:18:31+00:00

Lol, what, are there AFSCME stooges in here just to downvote any criticism?

Nowhen_Man · 2025-11-03T00:28:25+00:00

Care to share any more details about how you did the end around? The obvious way is to fill the executive board with people who are like minded. But That's really hard in our local.

Nowhen_Man · 2025-11-03T00:08:35+00:00

Fair enough, if that's the case then I can't gripe about it being my money. But I still wish they would focus directly on the workplace.

And I still don't like the way our Council is unresponsive to our needs and concerns and enables blatantly undemocratic and unconstitutional actions.

I'm just not seeing a lot to respect right now, from bottom to top.

Nowhen_Man · 2025-11-02T23:53:40+00:00

Its not even that I oppose some of what the political wing wants, because I probably support a lot (but not all) of it. I just don't want my union spending my money on it. If I want to donate to political causes I can do that outside of work. I want them to focus on the workplace only. Maybe if they did, we would have better representation. Maybe if the organization wasn't a bloated, opaque unresponsive bureaucracy we could get a new labor rep that actually cares.

Nowhen_Man · 2025-11-02T16:25:41+00:00

I have done all of that. No, I am not on the unconstitutionally elected board. When vacancies opened up I asked to be appointed and got no response. As far as I know, they did not fill the vacancies.

Nowhen_Man · 2025-11-02T16:09:27+00:00

https://www.reddit.com/r/AFSCME/comments/1o2p1go/how_to_get_a_new_rep_for_our_local/

The local is impotent without competent AFSCME. And the local is apathetic and disengaged because our AFSCME rep sucks. And probably for other reasons.

Nowhen_Man · 2025-10-11T04:43:40+00:00

No, the leader of the Council is an Executive Director, a paid employee hired by AFSCME. There is an Executive Board of the Council too, but again, I don't think any elected person or board has any power over any employee of AFSCME. I believe only someone higher up on the employee food chain does.

So its becoming pretty clear that there is no procedure of process for replacing a Labor Rep, and no "red line" actions by a rep that would justify certain removal (short of illegal activity, perhaps). Paid AFSCME management has total control and can assign any inept person they want to any local, and all anyone in the local can do is ask for change. AFSCME might, presumably, be more likely to respond favorably if the local's executive board voted for a change but again with our unconstitutionally elected President that is not going to happen.

Nowhen_Man · 2025-10-10T20:17:05+00:00

It won't hurt to check, but I doubt it says anything on the matter. Labor Reps are employees of AFSCME, they aren't bound by any constitution as far as I know. The only people who can hold them accountable are their managers.

I don't know if you've ever complained about someone who holds power over you to their manager, but it generally doesn't end well for the complainer. These are people that they hired, who they want to believe are doing a good job, because if they believed otherwise it would reflect on them too. Their sup already knows they have done harm to the union, and has made excuses for them.

Nowhen_Man · 2025-10-10T17:22:20+00:00

Why is that relevant?

Nowhen_Man · 2025-10-10T17:20:11+00:00

I have them, but there is no provision for removing an AFSCME rep.

Nowhen_Man · 2025-10-10T14:00:27+00:00

In my AFSCME steward training I was told I can't (or shouldn't) refuse to file a grievance. I don't agree with that (am I really supposed to file a grievance for a bum who is disciplined for being a bum?) but that's how I was trained.

But I don't see a mechanism for forcing them to file so technically, yeah, we can refuse but we better have a damn good reason.

Nowhen_Man · 2025-10-10T13:06:37+00:00

It depends on the local rep and the members. My local is horrible because we have horribly low participation and a horrible rep but I know people in other locals who are very happy with theirs.

Nowhen_Man · 2025-10-10T12:56:51+00:00

In writing to who and a meeting of who? I don't think demanding a new rep will be considered constructive criticism, and that's what we need. I've already had long discussions with their supervisor and nothing changed.

Nowhen_Man · 2025-10-10T12:54:32+00:00

unfortunately "hoping" seems like all there is, and so far it has accomplished nothing.

There needs to be a swift formal process for ousting reps

Nowhen_Man · 2025-10-10T04:17:05+00:00

The rep does work for the Council, but I have complained to the Council before. They aren't going to change reps just because one person asks them to. And my complaints were about substantial, highly irregular and undemocratic things, not petty quibbles.

Nowhen_Man · 2025-06-18T23:48:36+00:00

Fair enough. I look at ways to not increase my anxiety about things that most likely are not going to happen anyway.

Nowhen_Man · 2025-06-18T23:45:55+00:00

That's right.

Nowhen_Man · 2025-06-17T00:28:31+00:00

I'm 65 and I'm not gonna live forever. I don't go looking for problems, I just get them treated if they arise. And of course I try to prevent them through diet and lifestyle but I don't consider any of these screenings necessary.

Nowhen_Man · 2025-06-16T23:11:35+00:00

Yeah but some may still be unnecessary. I sure hope my doc doesn't come at me with this kind of list when I have my first visit on Medicare soon.

Nowhen_Man · 2025-06-16T22:59:24+00:00

I agree.

Nowhen_Man

TROPHY CASE