INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF TEAMSTERS PUBLIC AND LAW ENFORCEMENT EMPLOYEES UNION

LOCAL 320
Spring 2015 Edition

Volume XVIII - Issue #1

TEAMSTERS AT THE CAPITOL

IN THIS ISSUE...

2. Secretary-Treasurers Report, Brian Aldes

3.
Farewell to long-time Teamster Joanne Derby and

welcome Craig Johnson to Local 320s Executive Board

4.
Vice Presidents Report, Sami Gabriel

4.
Recording Secretarys Report, Curt Swenson

5.
Know Your Rights, Paula Johnston

5.
Dennis Wagner, Teamster Steward and Inductee to

Minnesota Softball Hall of Fame

6.
Support Governor Daytons Budget, Gus Froemke

6.
Growing our Membership and Activism, Josh Intemann

7.
Sign up for Local 320s Website and Action Alerts

7.
Save the Date: May Membership Appreciation Meeting

Special Edition
Collectors Item!
Teamsters Local
320s last newsletter
in print

OFFICERS AND STAFF

Brian Aldes

Secretary-Treasurer and
Principal Officer
Joanne Derby
President/Business Agent
Sami Gabriel
Vice President/Business Agent
Curt Swenson
Recording-Secretary/
Business Agent
Marcia (Marty) Lamb
Trustee, St. Paul ISD 625
Richard Wheeler
Trustee, MSUAASF
Alston Dutchin
Trustee, U of M
Paula Johnston
General Counsel

Local 320 Business Agents

Amy Hill
Craig Johnson
Bob Kolstad
Michael Kopp
Roger Meunier
Terry Neuberger
Vance Rolfzen
Kari Seime
Erik Skoog

Communications | Lobbyist
Gus Froemke

Lead Organizer
Josh Intemann

Support Staff

Susan Bastian
Ron Phillips
Suzanne Slawson
Joni Spaulding
Kristi Ziegler
Katie Ziembo

Minneapolis, MN
Local Union Office
8:00am - 4:00pm
P: 612-378-8700
F: 612- 331-8948
1-800-637-5430

Online
www.teamsterslocal320.org
Email
local320@teamsterslocal320.org

Published by
Teamsters Local 320
3001 University Ave SE #500
Minneapolis, MN 55414

LOCAL 320 SECRETARY-TREASURERS REPORT

TEAMSTERS GAINING STEAM

By Brian Aldes

Teamsters Local

320 is gaining steam

as a powerful Local
Union in both Joint
Council 32 and the
International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
We have come a long way since our first
Lobby Day in 2013 when only 30 Teamsters participated. I had an overwhelming
feeling of pride for Local 320 when I saw
all of the black Teamster vests walking the
halls of the State Capitol. Were spreading the messages of workers issues and
coming together with the Minnesota labor
movement.
Being involved in the legislative process is
important to secure strong contracts and to
protect our jobs. We see what is happening around the country where hard working
men and women are losing their collective
bargaining rights and their position in the
middle class.
In Wisconsin, after Governor Scott Walker
ended collective bargaining for public employees, he then went after all union workers (public and private) with a so-called
right to work law. So-called right to work
simply means that a union worker can quit
paying union dues but still gets the benefits
and representation of union membership.
To have a union where no workers have to
pay dues will plainly lead to the underfunding of the very services union workers depend on. The surest way to weaken a union
is to take away its ability to collect dues.
So-called right to work laws have been
proposed in Missouri, New Hampshire and
New Mexico. Laws to end or restrict collective bargaining for public employees have
been proposed in both Iowa and Kansas.
The war on workers rages on and on with
no end in sight.
Page 2

At our Lobby Day we met with Minn. Representative Ryan Winkler (DFL - Golden
Valley) to discuss Teamster issues. Rep.
Winkler spoke to us about our issues and
gave us advice on how to strike back
against hostile, anti-union legislation and
bad actors at the State Capitol.
Rep. Winkler also discussed the broader
issues affecting working people in todays
political economy. He said that we must
join together with other unions, community
groups, student groups, social advocates,
and even non-union workers who are
distressed over the direction of the country.
We must join together in a coalition to fight
against anti-union and anti-worker policies,
and to fight for the rights of all workers.
After Wisconsin became the 25th right to
work state, Minnesota is now surrounded
by other right to work states. North Dakota is a right to work state with no public
sector collective bargaining; South Dakota
is a right to work state with limited public
sector collective bargaining and no binding arbitration; and Iowa is a right to work
state with narrow public sector collective
bargaining rules compared to Minnesota.
The rich billionaires, the anti-government
crowd and the corporate plutocracy are
keeping a fixed eye on Minnesota and its
politics, and they will rear their heads again
when they think the time is right. Rest assured that Teamsters are looking right back
at them!

WE SAY GOODBYE TO JOANNE DERBY, PRESIDENT AND BUSINESS AGENT

By Brian Aldes

Joanne Derby has served Teamsters Local 320

with exceptional distinction and wherewithal for as

long as I have known her. She has been a staunch
advocate for collective bargaining and the Teamsters she served. As a negotiator, she was fierce in
her convictions and always promoted basic fairness
and equity. Joanne is retiring and will be missed.
Joanne first became a Teamster in 1977 when she
was hired as the Wadena County Assistant Zoning
Administrator. She became a Local 320 Steward for
the Wadena County General and Essential Unit in
September of 1991.
In 1995 Joanne was hired as a Business Agent for
the Local Union and has served in that role since.
In 1996 she was appointed Recording Secretary
and in 2002 was elected Vice President of Local
320. Joanne was elected President in January of
2008 and will have served for over seven years.

Joanne Derby with Teamsters Local 320 Steward

Berhane Gebre

PLEASE WELCOME CRAIG JOHNSON

TO THE EXECUTIVE BOARD

Due to Joannes retirement, Sami Gabriel will be

President, Curt Swenson Vice President, and Craig
Johnson will become Recording Secretary of Teamsters Local 320 effective May 1st, 2015.

Craig Johnson has been a Teamster since 1992

when he was hired at the Hennepin County Home
School in juvenile corrections. He became a Business Agent with Local 320 in 2011. Prior to 2011,
Craig was a Teamster Steward in Hennepin County.
I enjoyed my time at Hennepin County where I
worked with some very strong Teamster brothers
and sisters. I was elected steward and enjoyed a
long run in that position. Being a shop steward is a
calling that I am proud of, says Craig. I was happy
to serve on the front line and help coworkers maintain strong Teamster contracts.
Craig is a two term school board member in Princeton, Minn. where he lives with his teenage daughter Hannah. Craig is originally from Newbury Park,
Calif. where he was a ranch manager overseeing a
horse breeding and training facility.

Business Agent Craig Johnson

Incoming Recording Secretary
Page 3

VICE PRESIDENTS REPORT

LAST PRINT EDITION FOR OUR NEWSLETTER

By Sami Gabriel

Teamsters Local 320 has

decided to move its newsletter from print to a completely electronic form. We

made this decision based on
turnaround, accuracy, less
waste and affordability.

Moving from Print

Advantages of Digital Media
1. Shorter turnaround.
2. Every print is the same.
More accurate counts and
less waste.
3. Digital offers accurate
proofs since you see an
actual sample of the printed
piece.
4. Without question, digital
media offers the most affordable way to customize
documents and files.

Documents or letters pertaining to contract negotiations, grievances and membership meetings

will continue to be sent by U.S. Postal Service.
Business Agents will have the discretion to make
changes to this policy based on a particular
situation or accommodation.
Make sure to sign up for the website and action
alerts to get news and information about our Local
Union. More on page 7.

RECORDING SECRETARYS REPORT

COALITION BUILDING AT UNIVERSITY OF MINN.

By Curt Swenson

Local 320 teamed with Labor Education Services to

put together a video to illustrate the economic disparities U of M Teamsters face on a daily basis. The
video also described the benefits of a five percent
COLA and how it pays for itself in general economic
output.

At the University of Minne-

sota, Teamsters have been

involved in lots of activity. We
are gearing up for our upcoming contract negotiations and
have high expectations.

In February, Local 320 joined with AFSCME and

community groups to hold a forum for University
workers to educate both State Legislators and the
broader community. In March, Local 320 joined
again with AFSCME and community groups in
addition to U of M Academics United (SEIU) and
student associations to protest the election of
the Board of Regents. This coalition is becoming
powerful and the University administration is taking
notice. We need to stand together on a united front
or the administration will divide and conquer.

Teamsters Local 320 commissioned an economic

impact study from St. Cloud State University to
gauge the impact of Teamsters wages and benefits on the broader state and local economies. For
every dollar spent on wages and benefits, $2.90 in
economic activity is generated. In addition to the
direct benefits of a five percent increase in wages
for Teamsters, it is estimated that a COLA of this
size would contribute an additional 22 new, permanent jobs statewide and increase economic output
by nearly $3,000,000.
Page 4

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS: WHAT IS A LOUDERMILL HEARING?

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS: GENERAL COUNSEL

By Paula Johnston

The employer must also provide an explanation

of the evidence it has gathered. The hearing does
not need to be a formal adversarial hearing. The
employee does not have the right to call or crossexamine witnesses. The purpose of the meeting is
to inform the employee of what he or she is being
accused of, and for the employee to refute those
allegations by telling his or her side of the story.

Public employees have

important legal rights that

are meant to provide due
process in the event of serious discipline. The Loudermill hearing is one of those
rights.
In Cleveland Board of
Education v. Loudermill,
470 U.S. 532 (1985), the U.S. Supreme Court held
that before a public employee can be terminated,
a pretermination meeting must be held. The Court
reasoned that the need for such a meeting was ...
evident from a balancing of the competing interests
at stake. These are the private interest in retaining employment, the governmental interest in the
expeditious removal of unsatisfactory employees
and the avoidance of administrative burdens, and
the risk of erroneous termination.
Id. at 542-43.

Public employees have the right to union representation at the hearing. They also have the right
to have that representative speak on their behalf.
Members should work closely with their business
agent prior to the hearing to determine the strategic
advantage of having the union representative or the
employee act as the speaker.
The Loudermill case provides an important safeguard against improper terminations, particularly
when the employer has failed to conduct an adequate investigation. Because it provides constitutional protection, it applies regardless of whether
any language regarding a pretermination hearing is
contained in a collective bargaining agreement.

The essential requirements of due process provided by the Loudermill hearing are notice to the
employee of what he or she is being accused of
and an opportunity to respond to those allegations
before being discharged.

Dennis Wagner, Teamster Steward and

Inductee to Minnesota Softball Hall of Fame
Dennis Wagner has been a Teamster Steward with Local
320 at the Osseo School District for over 15 years.
Being a steward is very educational and my fellow ISD
279 workers have become my best friends, says Wagner.
On January 3rd, 2015, Wagner was inducted into the Minn.
Softball Hall of Fame for USSSA softball. He was nominated by his peers and accepted by previous inductees
who voted him in.
Dennis Wagner was recognized for his time with the Grey
Beards softball team in Minneapolis. This is the single
highest award for an athlete in USSSA softball.
Page 5

Teamster Steward Dennis Wagner being

inducted into Minn. Softball Hall of Fame

SUPPORT GOVERNOR DAYTONS BUDGET

By Gus Froemke

Teamsters must get behind

Governor Daytons budget.

The GOPs budget does not
take into account the rising
inflation workers are facing.
Its budget doesnt even backfill what workers lost during
the Great Recession!
Public sector workers bore the brunt of the Great
Recession with cost shifts, pay freezes, budget cuts
and staffing shortages. Revenues dried up as the
need for public services only grew. Local governments and public institutions squeezed their
workers as they searched for cost containment.
Now that Minnesota has a $2 billion surplus, public sector workers are looking for investments that
protect the middle class and the services and institutions we all depend on.

Governor Dayton taxed Minnesotas wealthiest

incomes at a higher tax bracket to provide for critical investments in E-12 education, higher ed, state
courts and public defense. He restored state aid to
local governments (LGA and CPA) after all of Governor Pawlentys harmful cuts from the last decade.
The surplus was created because Minnesota made
the choice to protect the middle class. Before Governor Dayton taxed the wealthy, local property taxes were increasing exponentially. The choice was
between making the executives at General Mills
pay a little more or to continue increasing property
taxes. Tuition to public colleges and universities
had become egregious. The choice was between
making the executives at 3M pay a little more or to
continue increasing student debt.
Minnesota made the choice to protect, preserve,
and restore the middle class and Governor
Daytons budget continues that agenda!

ORGANIZING FOR OUR FUTURE

By Josh Intemann

Last year when Local 320

adopted its strategic plan the

purpose was to grow the union
in members and power and
make our contracts stronger.
Local 320 is internally organizing in its units so that we
can get strong contracts with
good economic settlements. Business Agents are
working with members to increase membership in
every unit by converting fair share workers to full
members. This is important because the Local gets
strength from its members and fair share sends the
message to the employer that we are not united.
At Saint Paul Public Schools we have been increasing membership and working with stewards to
build a regional communication network so that it is
easier for the over 80 worksites to communicate.

At the University of Minnesota we have grown

membership by over 10% as we prepare to go into
contract negotiations this spring. Members at the
University are stepping up and becoming Volunteer
Member Organizers to make the unit stronger and
grow the membership. We have five trained VMOs
and many others interested in organizing. VMOs
have gone to the different food service locations
and muster rooms to update members on the start
of negotiations and sign up new members. Members also participated in a forum to bring our issues
to the community and legislators. VMOs are now
out organizing more new members and getting
prepared for negotiations.
Local 320 is growing its membership. We are working with units on building communication networks
and giving members the opportunity to talk to
community stakeholders about the issues that are
important to their jobs and families. Members are
taking action and becoming involved!
Page
Page66

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Page 7

MINNESOTA TEAMSTERS PUBLIC & LAW

ENFORCEMENT EMPLOYEES UNION
LOCAL # 320
3001 UNIVERSITY AVE SE STE 500
MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55414-9946

The Teamsters Service Bureau provides FREE

CONFIDENTIAL services for you and your family.

Our professional counselors

can help you with:

We can assist you with balancing and managing many

of lifes challenges.

Remember... Problems and stress can and do happen!
Call the Service Bureau today. Were here to help!
612-676-3700 (or 24-hour toll free 1-800-979-9725)

Emotional Concerns
Financial Problems
Family/Marriage Issues
Chemical Dependency
Stress/Anxiety and
Depression
Legal Concerns