Stupid Groundhog...

That stupid groundhog saw his shadow, so six more weeks of winter. Not that winter matters much to the jobs our members do.

So what is your local doing this winter? AFSCME Local 2456 has nominations coming up in at our February meeting and elections at our March meeting. Most of you should have received a green postcard in the mail.
The positions that are open are;
President, Treasurer, Vice-President A-4, Vice-President B-4, Recording Secretary, 3 Executive Board Members, 1 Three year Trustee, Council 13 Delegates, District Council 89 Educational Conference Delegates, AFSCME International Convention Delegates.
I look forward to seeing you at both meetings.

We had 35 people at our last meeting. It was great to see such a terrific turn out. So great to see new faces. If you are planning on coming to a meeting, and have dietary restrictions, please contact our Master Sergeant at Arms Cliff Ackman to make sure that we get something that you can eat. We usually order Pizza, Stromboli and Salads.

Some of the on going issues we have are;

1. Employees in the Department of Corrections will be represented by the AFSCME Locals in the Department of Corrections. AFSCME feels that our members will be better served by the Locals in the Prisons and in the work areas because of the unique nature of the Department of Corrections.

2. Agency IT Departments continue to merge with OA-OIT. Currently we are working with the JCJC to merge their IT Staff. If you have questions about an IT merger please don't hesitate to call.

3. PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THE COMPUTER ON YOUR DESK AT WORK IS NOT YOUR PERSONAL PROPERTY. It is property of the Commonwealth of PA, and they have the right to restrict your use of it. This includes, disconnecting your internet account and reading your email. AFSCME Local 2456 advises all it members to not write ANYTHING in email that you wouldn't want your mom or your children to read in the newspaper. One little information request and every email you write is public.

4. Contract Negotiations and Furloughs. Several rumors about Contract negotiations and more furlough have been brought to my attention. To date, AFSCME has no knowledge of either furloughs or Contract Negotiations.

That's all for now, stay safe, stay warm and have a great Valentines day. Our next local meeting is on February 23 at 6:00 pm. I look forward to seeing you there!