The Haymarket Uprising and the Trial of August Spies

By Kulmeet Galhotra | Published: September 19, 2011

The Chicago History Museum is offering a bus tour on Saturday, September 24, 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m, commemorating the 125th anniversary of the Haymarket Affair.  Paul Durica leads this bus and walking tour and will take participants to sites connected to the Haymarket Tragedy, its prelude, and its aftermath. Sites include Haymarket Square, Zepf’s Hall, the former Cook County Courthouse, Union Park, Germania Club, Washington Square Park, McCormick Reaper Works, former homes of Albert Parsons and August Spies, and many more!  Participants will have the option to end their tour at Haymarket Pub & Brewery at Randolph & Halsted.  Contact the Chicago History Museum for more information.

Want to read the actual transcripts from the trial?  Just click this to go to the webpage with links to the transcripts.  Thanks to Michael Mayfield  (HTF) for the head’s up.

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Pension “Reform” Update

By Kulmeet Galhotra | Published: August 16, 2011

Thanks to sister Karen Florek (LRD) for alerting us to the article that appeared recently in the State Journal Register.  While we have taken a break from the phone calls, emails and letters to our State Representatives and State Senators regarding our pensions which led to SB 512 not even being called to a vote, House leaders are still working on this issue but are keeping a lid on what’s really going on.  Read the article here.

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Castaways Party Information

By Kulmeet Galhotra | Published: July 28, 2011
It is time to start preparing for the Union Summer Bash.  This year we will be returning to Castaways Bar and Grill on North Avenue Beach.  The party will be held on August 12th, starting at 6:00pm and going to 10:00pm.
Please reserve your spot now by sending a refundable check made out to the Jack Carey Memorial Scholarship Fund for $15.  Law clerks may attend free, but the attorney they work for, or they themselves, must reserve their spot by sending a seperate $15 refundable check.  Guests of members are also welcome for a cost of $35 (no refund for guests) which will be donated to the Jack Carey Scholarship Fund.  All checks must be received by Mark Douglass, at 26th Street on the 8th Floor, through interoffice mail or in person, no later than August 8th, 2011.  There will be NO EXCEPTIONS this year.  Asking for special consideration will disqualify you from attendance and any bounced check (NSF) will result in disqualification from attendance at the next 3 Union sponsored events.  Seating is limited so don’t delay.
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Ashley Petrey wins the 28th Jack Carey Scholarship

By Kulmeet Galhotra | Published: July 24, 2011

The winner of the 2011 fall Jack Carey Scholarship is Ashley Petrey of the John Marshall Law School.  Ashley has been clerking for many attorneys in the office including Steve Stach, Al Maldanado, Preston Jones, Lorne Gorelick, Joel Simberg, Vern Scheyler, Peter Benesh, Mark Teague, Brett Balmer, Chandra Smith and several others.  She has been consitently clerking for the office since last 18 months and enjoys every minute.  She was selected among another quality crop of applicants.  But at the end of the selection committee meeting, Ashley was the winner.

Ashley values her clerking experience, reminding us that in the days of her hero, Abraham Lincoln, lawyers learned the art of lawyering not from formal training in schools, but from watching others lawyers practice law.  And that’s exactly what clerks do at the public defender’s office with the vast amount of learning opportunities that are available to them.

Asheley says: Dear Public Defenders of Cook County: thank you so very, very much for the Jack Carey Memorial Scholarship. It means the world to me. I know how much you all loved Jack and I’m honored to receive this, which was created in his memory. I have absolutely loved working with all of you for the past year and a half and can’t wait to see what the next year will bring. We say: Congratulations, Ashley!

The deadline for the next scholaship, which will be for the Spring of 2012, is November 1, 2011.  For an application, just click the Scholarship link on this website.

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GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING SCHEDULED FOR 7/19/2011

By Kulmeet Galhotra | Published: July 12, 2011

NOTICE OF GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
AFSCME LOCAL 3315
JULY 19, 4PM, 2ND FLOOR CAFETERIA, 2650 S. CALIFORNIA, CHICAGO, IL 60608
 
GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING AGENDA

 
1.  ANNOUNCEMENTS
         GOLF OUTING 7/21
         CASTAWAYS PARTY 8/12
         SURVEY
         EMAIL ADDRESSES
          
2.  BRUCE MOSBACHER – RECOGNITION FOR SERVICE TO LOCAL
 
3.  ELECTION CHAIR CHRISTA PETTY’S REPORT
 
4.  SWEARING IN CEREMONY – HON. BERNARD SARLEY
 
5.  OLD BUSINESS
 
6.  NEW BUSINESS
 
7.  NEXT GEN’L MEMBERSHIP MEETING DATE OCTOBER 18, 2011
      LOCATION AND TIME tbd
 
8.  ADJOURNMENT
 
 

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Yelling “Dro, Dro” at a drug spot not probable cause.

By Kulmeet Galhotra | Published: June 29, 2011

This slip opinion just came out and finds that standing at a drug spot and yelling “dro, dro” is not enough as a matter of law to establish probable cause that the underlying city ordinance banning the solicitation of unlawful business is being violated.  Read the opinion, here,  The case is People v. Ronnie Grant and the opinion is authored by Justice Rudolfo Garcia.  With Justice Gordon dissenting, a petition for leave to appeal seems likely.

 

UPDATE:  PLA was granted by the Illinois Supreme Court so stay tuned.

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YOUR Retirement Benefits are Safe

By Kulmeet Galhotra | Published: June 8, 2011

Pension Cuts Blocked:

As a result of the most potent lobbying campaign ever waged at the Illinois Statehouse, AFSCME and our allies in the We Are One Illinois coalition succeeded in blocking legislation to cut public employee pensions that was backed by leaders of both political parties and our state’s biggest corporations.
SB 512 would have forced almost every public employee in the state of Illinois—including all Cook County employees and all City of Chicago employees, except police and fire–to pay a lot more for their pensions, take a reduced benefit, or exit the pension plan altogether.
But the hundreds of thousands of phone calls and emails generated by union members, as well as the union coalition’s potent TV and radio ad campaign, completely turned the tide.
The General Assembly adjourned its spring session without ever even voting on SB 512 because its backers knew they didn’t have the votes to pass it.
There is still much work to be done to put our pension systems on a sound footing, but this is a gigantic victory for every public employee in the state of Illinois that sends a powerful message about our determination to protect our retirement security.
PEOPLE Program Makes the Difference:

Unfortunately, this fight is far from over. The powers-that-be who want to cut our pensions have already announced their intent to try again in the legislature’s fall veto session. We’ve got to be armed for that fight—and the PEOPLE program is our big gun! That’s why it’s so important that every AFSCME member is a PEOPLE MVP member.
AFSCME’s PEOPLE program provides the resources to combine grassroots mobilization, lobbying and public education with the political might to make the difference under the Capitol Dome. If you want to make sure we continue to prevail in the battle to protect your retirement security, then sign up as a PEOPLE MVP member today!

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Golf Outing

By amy.thompson | Published: June 2, 2011

The tee times for the golf outing should be posted shortly. we now have a full slate of golfers.  If you wish to golf, but haven’t Rsvp’d, please contact me immediately. I cannot guarantee that you will get a tee time, but I will make every effort.  If you would like to join us for the banquet, after golf, we would love to see you there.  Thank you.

We have an official date for the golf outing: JULY 21st.  Tee times start at 9:00 am.  Please contact Amy Thompson at athompsonyep@gmail.com to reserve your tee time.  Please let me know if you have a foursome or if you need to be matched. Julie and Jim fell in love at a golf outing, you know. ( Results not typical).Space is limited.  Spots will be given first come, first served. Although I will try to accomodate tee time requests, foursomes will be sent as they get to the course.  Golf will wait for no one.

Any non-local 3315 members, including retirees, who wish to golf must pay $50, make checks payable to AFSCME LOCAL 3315.  The outing will be at Eaglewood Golf Course, Itasca Illinois.  If you don’t golf but you would like to join the party, please come out to the banquet immediately following  the golf. Please RSVP to the same email address to make sure we have enough food.  We look forward to seeing you there.

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Save these dates

By amy.thompson | Published: June 1, 2011

Just some dates to keep in mind for the summer. On July 19th, we will have a membership meeting and the swearing in of the new executive board, time and place to be announced. The golf outing is tentatively scheduled for July 21st, we’re waiting to hear back from the course, and the summer party will be Aug. 12 at North Ave. Details to follow for each of these events.

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AFSCME PENSION PROTECTION “TOOL KIT” AVAILABLE HERE

By Kulmeet Galhotra | Published: May 23, 2011

CLICK HERE FOR YOUR PENSION PROTECTION TOOL KIT.

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