MAPE Accomplishments

For more than 35 years, MAPE members have made Minnesota a great place to live, work and play. Together, we are building a stronger union that serves as a cornerstone for quality public services and good jobs for all state professional employees. 

Wages and benefits

MAPE has successfully fought for wage increases for its members during difficult economic times: 

  • In the last two contracts, MAPE has negotiated a 13.25% across the board wage increase in addition to available step increases (3.55%). 
  • No increases in out-of-pocket maximums, co-pays or deductibles. 
  • Increased the annual dental benefit from $2,00 to $2,200.
  • Added adult orthodontia.
  • Increased orthodontia maximum from $3,000 to $3,200.
  • MAPE-represented employees continue to pay just 5% of single premiums and 15% of family premiums, much less than the average non-unionized public sector worker and private sector employee pay. 

  • Won CERP parity with other bargaining units.

 

Member advocacy 

  • Respectful Workplace Policy Following a three-year anti-bullying campaign, state employees secured a policy guaranteeing a professional and respectful workplace. Our anti-bullying work has resulted in demotion or removal of 11 supervisors and directors. 
  • Paid Parental Leave (PPL) MAPE led the battle for six weeks of PPL for all state employees. New moms and dads now have access to paid time off after the birth or adoption of a child. 
  • Union representation of wronged employees has resulted in many success stories including several reinstatements of jobs with full back pay, $60,000 awarded to a member for wrongful termination and reinstatement of a member who had not been given the proper disability accommodations. 

 

Political accomplishments 

  • Helped unanimously pass the largest piece of pension reform in state history providing pension sustainability for the next 30 years. 
  • Successfully removed the requirement that collective bargaining agreements be approved by the legislature for ratification ensuring our contract is not a political bargaining chip.
  • Successfully fought against the decentralization of MnIT services and outsourcing of MAPE employee’s work. 
  • Prevented the passage of legislation severely limiting the ability of workers to telecommute. 
  • Helped stop several attempts to weaken public sector bargaining power including separating health-insurance bargaining from wages. 
  • Helped prevent the installation of right-to-work language into state statute. 
  • MAPE helped prevent massive cuts to state agencies including Human Rights and the Department of Revenue. 
  • Maintained current legislative contract interim approval process rather than go to a majority rule process. 

 

Successful local actions 

Restoring flexible break time
Faribault Correctional Facility treatment staff (MAPE local 1903) were told they had to fit their breaks and lunches within the schedule provided by management, with “no discussion.” Workers responded by taking all their breaks together. The meet and confer team was then able to restore the previous flexibility and work to create a schedule that was acceptable to everyone. 

Updating position descriptions 
Minneapolis Community and Technical College staff (MAPE local 1304) repeatedly brought up at meet and confer meetings the inaccurate and out-of-date position descriptions in the college. College administration promised to update the PDs, but that never happened. Taking the initiative, workers held a “do it yourself PD clinic” where 30 MAPE members at MCTC updated their PDs. The college administration reacted by updating all staff PDs within one month. 

Pathways to career advancement 
Members at the DHS Andersen building (MAPE local 2101) engaged with hundreds of workers, asking them one question, “If you had the power to, what would you change at DHS?” Overwhelmingly, members said they wanted career advancement opportunities in the agencies. MAPE members organized an action with the commissioner and 100 workers, shared their concerns and proposed working solutions for the agencies. In response, DHS will be collapsing and simplifying classifications, updating PDs and providing clear pathways for advancement in the agency. 

Demanding job protections 
When an unclassified employee was wrongfully terminated at Rochester Community and Technical College (MAPE local 2001), MAPE members organized to demand respect, dignity and meaningful job protections at work with over 80 percent of the MAPE bargaining unit signing an open letter to the college president. The college president responded by agreeing to the MAPE members’ demands. 

Remedying an abusive work environment 
MAPE members at the Revenue Ely office (MAPE local 1401) had been suffering under an abusive and toxic environment for several years. Finally, they got their commissioner’s attention at a meet and confer meeting. Thanks to the members’ action, the commissioner realized the seriousness of the situation and intervened, remedying the abusive and toxic work environment. 

Classifying an entire team at MNsure 
MAPE members who were temporary unclassified employees at MNsure (Local 601) faced down fear and uncertainty and organized together to form a meet and confer team. The team met with management and successfully pushed for management to convert all workers at MNsure into permanent classified employees. This granted all the employees job security and protections under the MAPE contract. 

Student Loan Reimbursements
After several years of organizing, MAPE leaders out of local 401 and the Dept. of Revenue secured a student loan reimbursement benefit that pays down thousands of dollars of debt that many Revenue employees hold. This effort took persistence, creativity, and many hours of work, but in the end, it built leadership capacity that the local will see for years to come. From this effort, we have seen other agencies adopt this program as well, and it also applies to our union siblings in AFSCME.