MAPE welcomes new Meet and Confer Committees

Over the past year or so, MAPE has launched new Meet and Confer Committees at six agencies. These agencies include Department of Children, Youth, and Families; Dept. of Commerce; Dept. of Labor and Industry; Direct Care and Treatment; Minnesota Housing Finance Agency and Minnesota Lottery. 

“It has been exciting to see all the new Meet and Confers forming, and I look forward to more agencies building power and representing their members at the Meet and Confer tables as we go into 2026,” Speaker of the Meet and Confer Chairs Maureen Dunaway said. 

The Dept. of Labor and Industry’s (DLI) Meet and Confer Team met for the first time last summer. Members began “reinvigorating” the Meet and Confer Committee at DLI just a few months ago, and they already have a “win” under their belts. In a previous state contract, MAPE had negotiated that employees who used their language skills for their jobs would receive a nominal pay differential. This was not included in the current contract, but the DLI Meet and Confer Team heard from colleagues it was important and learned other agencies had also benefitted and wanted it to continue.  

MAPE worked with Minnesota Management and Budget last month to develop a Memorandum of Understanding and the policy was extended through the end of the 2025-2027 contract.    

“It was a good opportunity to show that we can affect change. Other organizations may be larger and stronger, but our Meet and Confer is maturing and it was a good way to show we can do something and we managed to help other agencies, too,” Dept. of Labor and Industry Meet and Confer Chair Michael McCauley said.  

Telework and safety are some of the issues the Meet and Confer Team will be looking at in the future. McCauley added that one of the Team’s goals is to work with MAPE’s communications team to develop a survey tool so they will have more data to present to management to back up their stands on issues. 

MAPE is also now hosting a Meet and Confer Committee for one of the state’s newest agencies: Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF). Incoming DCYF Meet and Confer Chair Spenser Bickett was involved in Meet and Confer work at the Department of Human Services before he transferred to DCYF during the agency implementation period. He said the galvanizing issue for him back then was student loan reimbursement and became part of the initial DCYF Meet and Confer Team when he transferred to the department last year. “We’ve had some meetings with Labor Relations and HR, and as more folks have moved into the agency, we’ve been able to add folks who are invested and ready to get fired up with Meet and Confer,” he said. 

Bickett said people are very interested in organizing around telework. He said the agency will be moving to a new building next summer and wants to make sure “members are involved in moving their physical workplace since it is a big issue for employees.” 

“Management has not responded well to these discussions – I’ve been disappointed that they have not been interested in being a partner with labor. I am interested in rebuilding the relationship in the new year. At the end of the day, our goals should be aligned, and we should be able to work toward them together. I am still hopeful we can show the governor that a hybrid workforce is more effective for the people of Minnesota.” 

Bickett said he has intentionally become more active with the union. “I really feel like I hit a point in my career and personal life, where previously I had been more of a passive observer. I realized if I want to see things change in my workplace and community, I need to step up. I try to bring this up to my colleagues and emphasize for folks that anyone in our local or union can take that first step to get more involved; more viewpoints will only make the union stronger.”