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January 2008 Newsletter
January 2008 Comments from Lynn Stather Local President: Greetings from your President:
I'd like to welcome the new officers for 2008. Thank you for showing support toward AFSCME.
Michael Zorn, a Union representative, for American Income Life was in Rapid City area and will return this spring. I want to make you all aware of his presence if you should receive a call from Michael or any one of the company reps. His phone number is 701-721-0654 if any of you wish to call him. He has a free $2,000 accidental and dismemberment policy for union members.
I recently sat in on a committee that reviewed a set of by-laws for our Rapid City Healthcare Committee. The purpose of our healthcare committee is to provide oversight and administration to the employees of the City. We now will be receiving an advance notice of the meeting's agenda. The committee meets quarterly. Hopefully at some point this will also be published on the City Intranet. I will keep our local informed.
Worker Comp Bills Most Worker Comp bills going to the Legislature are extremely bad for workers and their families. We may need you to send a letter or email to your State Legislator to urge them to vote against some of these bad bills and support the good one. If you need help, please email ritch@rushmore.com for a letter that you can send to your legislators. Watch this website http://www.sdaflcio.org/id14.html for updates on issues important to Labor. These are bills on the Worker Comp watch list; HB1031, HB1032, HB 1035, HB1036, & HB1037. HB1033 and HB 1034 were killed.
South Dakota Injured Workers Coalition presents its campaign with the first of 12 meetings relating to worker-compensation law reform titled, "Worker Compensation: Know Your Rights." The first meeting will address issues of current concern by attorney Dennis Finch. He will discuss the 2008 worker-compensation legislation introduced by the Department of Labor and the effects that the proposed measures would have on workers. The monthly meetings will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. every fourth Tuesday, starting Jan. 22, at the Rapid City Public Library, Helen Hoyt Room. The coalition encourages workers, injured or uninjured, to attend these informational meetings. Contact information can be submitted to Fern Johnson, president, at SDIWC2006@ aol.com or call her at 343-2112.
Let me introduce Council 59 Office Manager Janice VanDeWalle who is the one that really runs the Huron Council 59 Office. Janice does so much behind the scenes work, not only in the office, but she is the annual convention director who gets major kudos from Local # 1031.
Janice VanDeWalle was raised in DeSmet, South Dakota along with two older brothers. Both of her parents were public employees; her mother was a 35-year federal employee and her father was Kingsbury County Clerk of Courts. Prior to that position, he worked for the City of DeSmet. Janice’s husband Dave is also a public employee and a 20-year AFSCME member. Dave was recently promoted to general foreman for the Beadle County Highway Department so he is no longer eligible for union membership.
Janice has worked for AFSCME Council 59 for nearly 23 years. She started out as a part-time secretary for Executive Director Paul Aylward, but her duties have increased through the years and is now the Office Manager for Council 59.
She and Dave live north of Huron on a small acreage along with their golden retriever Teddy and two cats, Boo and Kit. They have two grown children and twin 7-year-old granddaughters. Their daughter Melinda, the reference and interlibrary loan librarian at the Huron Public Library, is also an AFSCME member. Janice is very involved in church, family and friend activities, and especially enjoys working on various home-improvement and wood-working projects along with her husband.
Worker Comp & Labor Issues United Citizens Igniting Change (U.C.I.C) will be meeting at the Rapid City Public Library every Monday Morning from 9-11 am (Except Holidays) UCIC is a united group of citizens working together to promote changes with Labor issues and laws, as well as labor safety that has or will have a significant or detrimental impact on the working people of South Dakota. This is an open and informal social group and everyone is welcome. Contact Cheryl Chamberlain, (605) 342-6417, Rapid City, SD email cchamberlain@rap.midco.net
Consider your next vehicle purchase from a unionized auto industry. Companies within the United States and Canada are Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, NUMMI and Mitsubishi.
New Year Resolution Have you thought about that new Years Resolution to “Exercise More” beginning this year. The Parks and Recreation Dept may have a deal for you. A resolution was passed by the City Council to give employees a reduced recreation rate structure. Employees have to do a little red tape to get this benefit. Pick up and fill out a form from the Human Resources Dept and return it with payment to the Rapid City Swim Center. Employees can choose from 4 different yearly passes ranging from adult to family passes. The adult Silver pass starts at $202.00/yr to a Platinum family pass for $952.50/yr. The choices include using the city pools and ice to using the golf courses.
There is a gold pass that includes the swim center with amenities and the outdoor pools. Members and their families can also get an annual ice pass or membership to the Meadowbrook and the Executive Golf Courses.
Contact the Park & Recreation Dept at 605-394-5225 or Human Resources 605-394-4136 for more information. Local # 1031 has information as well.
Union Member Advantage Check the advantages of being an AFSCME union member at http://afscme.org/members/71.cfm Check out the benefits that members are entitled too. Auto, education, health services, home services, legal, money and credit, travel and shopping are areas to take a look at. For the union members that are outdoor enthusiasts look at http://www.unionsportsmen.org/ Also, don’t forget your FREE $2,000 accidental and dismemberment from American Income Life.
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