Day on the Hill ask: Pass our contract!

Above, MAPE's Day on the Hill crowd assembles for a brief noontime program featuring Senate Minority Leader Tom Bakk and MAPE leadership Wednesday in the Capitol Rotunda.

MAPE members fanned out across the Capitol to have conversations with their legislative representatives about important issues facing MAPE members Wednesday during our 2018 Day on the Hill.

One topic that likely came up at every legislative meeting was asking legislators to pass MAPE's 2017-19 contract. MAPE's and AFSCME's contracts failed to pass in the final days of last year's legislative session.

In the photo on the right, Senate Minority Leader Tom Bakk (DFL-Cook) speaks to members attending MAPE's 2018 Day on the Hill.

State Senate Minority Leader Tom Bakk (DFL-Cook) said he expected that the bill containing MAPE's contract will be headed to the Senate floor for a vote the last week of March. That vote came closer to reality Thursday morning when the Senate Finance Committee sent a bipartisan contract bill to the Senate floor.

Bakk also said he has been "pushing hard" to get approval for a pension bill aimed at ensuring the continued solvency of public employee pensions. He pointed out that he has been a supporter of defined benefit plans for a long time.

In the photo on the right, House Rep. JoAnn Ward (second from the left, DFL-Woodbury) meets with eight of her constituents, including seven MAPE members and one MAPE staff person, Wednesday during MAPE's 2018 Day on the Hill.

Bakk also pointed to some good news. He congratulated DFL Gov. Mark Dayton, who is serving his final term, for leaving the state with a balanced budget. That contrasts to former Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who turned over a deficit-plagued budget to Dayton.

Bakk asked MAPE members to help the DFL to retake control of the Senate when there is an opportunity through a special election. He also asked members to help flip the House back to DFL control this fall when that entire body is up for election.

 

In the photo on the right, House Rep. Erin Murphy (center, right and DFL-St. Paul) talks to MAPE members from her district Wednesday during MAPE's 2018 Day on the Hill.

MAPE Statewide President Chet Jorgenson briefly revisited MAPE's successful contract rally from February that attracted more than 1,000 members. He encouraged attendees to chant, "Pass our contract!" Jorgenson added, "There is no excuse for them not to pass a clean contract."

In the photo on the right, MAPE Statewide President Chet Jorgenson talks to MAPE members about their important conversations with legislators.

Jorgenson emphasized the passage of MAPE's "clean" contract. A bill approving eight union contracts including MAPE's passed a Senate committee Tuesday, but not until two other anti-labor bills supported by Republican-majority committee members were already approved by the group.

The first anti-labor bill aims to split health-care approval out from state employee negotiations to single it out for additional scrutiny and delays. The second measure mandates the governor's signature for final passage of state employee contracts. The result of this measure could be "poison pill" bills where the legislative majority tries to get the governor to sign unfavorable legislation.

In the photo on the right, members check in for this year's Day on the Hill at the Capitol.

In addition to approval of MAPE's contracts, members were asked to encourage lawmakers to approve changes to pension plans that would ensure long-term solvency. This was another issue that didn't get approved by the Republican legislative majorities during the 2017 session.

Members were also asked to talk to their legislators about governor-supported recommendations to address sexual harassment in state agencies and to ask Minnesota to support Congressional removal of the deadline for state-by-state ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment.