MAPE finalizes contracts with unionized staff

For the first time, MAPE has signed contracts with its two staff unions. 

Most staff are members of the Office & Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 12. MAPE’s four managers are now covered under a new Teamsters Local 120 contract. OPEIU staff working in the Communications, Field, Legislative and Political, and Operations departments had been without a contract for more than 18 months. 

“MAPE should be proud to have staff and middle managers represented by a union. All workers deserve to have a say in their workplace, and we all know the best way to accomplish that is by being represented by a union,” MAPE President Angela Halseth said. “We are happy to finalize these contracts and honor our staff unions and celebrate our solidarity. I was proud to sign these contracts as one of my early presidential duties.” 

MAPE staff union president Britton Mikkelsen said OPEIU members were especially pleased to have a Respectful Workplace Policy (RWP) adopted in the contract. “OPEIU has been fighting for a RWP for several years and though MAPE had adopted the policy, it was not being followed. The RWP is important because it sets expectations about how staff should be treated. Having language in the contract allows staff a mechanism to push back if it is not being followed.” Mikkelsen said. “Staff helps our MAPE members fight for better working conditions, so it seems only right that OPEIU can do the same.” 

She said staff members were also proud they were able to successfully negotiate contract language around artificial intelligence (AI), “We were looking at issues surrounding job security and hiring practices and were pleased we were able to negotiate robust AI language. We worked to protect the profession of union work.”  

The department managers began negotiating a first-ever contract in October after being recognized as a union in July. 

The managers also negotiated respectful workplace contract language. "Respectful workplace contract language was a high priority for us. All workers deserve respect and a process to resolve respectful workplace complaints," said Field Director Kristin Kirchoff-Franklin, who was the lead negotiator for the managers. “Another priority for us was negotiating the actual reporting structure for our positions. 

“I came from MAPE and my fellow managers were all in OPEIU,” Kirchoff-Franklin continued. “We took management positions in MAPE, knowing they were not union positions, but hoping that even without union representation, we would be granted the same protections given to our staff and the members we work for. We are proud to be represented by the Teamsters to memorialize that in our contract.”