Category Archives: President’s Message

Sisters and Brothers: After meeting with management  today, here is the latest information on the budget crisis: For those of you who read the budget proposal and did not notice any job cuts, you are not alone.  However, if you look closely at page M-11, you will see an entry for Turnover Adjustment that amounts [...]

Last week, on January 12, 2011, contract talks with the County resumed as promised by the new County Board President.  While talks resumed, it seems unlikely that a contract will be settled by the bargaining committee and ratified prior to the County Board balancing the budget as required by law (by 2/28/2011). President Toni Preckwinkle [...]

Sisters and Brothers: NEGOTIATIONS The County is under new leadership.  Toni Preckwinkle was sworn in as Cook County Board President on December 6th, 2011,  along with a few new County Commissioners.  Toni Preckwinkle has indicated to AFSCME that she is very interested in ending our two year long attempt at negotiating a new collective bargaining [...]

Summer’s over and we are now gearing up for an exciting and challenging Fall.   Here is an update on some things we have been talking about in the past and a look at some topics that are important to you. Survey   I know that many of the members thought that the office made a poor and insulting [...]

Sisters and Brothers: My apologies for not addressing you in a message for a few months.  As you may have imagined, trial schedules and union activity have been a sponge on my time.  Alas, a few days respite from a scheduled trial has provided me with enough time to tell you the following few tidbits [...]

Newbies Everywhere I am excited to welcome the 26 “newbies” to the ranks of our office and Local 3315.   Nineteen started in mid February and seven started in March.  In addition to each one becoming a full member of the Local, the 26 assistants also joined our political action committee at the MVP level.  Please [...]

Well, there’s nothing like a controvsial topic to begin the new year, but according to the Gregorian calendar, the decade is not over until 12/31/10.  Nevertheless, I wish you all a very safe, happy and healthy new year.  We are crossing our fingers and hoping to have completed bargaining on a new contract by then and submitting [...]