Held in the upstairs Grand Oak Marsh Room on September 26th, the MGEC Annual Meeting recapped the previous year and mapped the year ahead. The audience of over 50 heard reports from Vice President Corey Mathisen, Treasurer Wes Leksell, and Executive Director Dana Wheeler. We also heard reports on the state of MGEC labor relations from Tony Kelly, membership updates from Donna Blackwell, and health insurance negotiation updates from Blake Nelson. Lastly, Mike Rude presented this year’s MGEC awards and scholarships. Although the awardees could not be with us this year, we recognized ... Read More >>
Activity/Organization updates
Insurance Bargaining Introduction
Like the MGEC labor agreement, your healthcare as a State employee is negotiated at the bargaining table. But there are some key differences between contract negotiations and healthcare negotiations. The first is timing. The worlds of healthcare and the state’s budget biennium do not line up; it isn’t feasible to have one contract operate with two sets of timelines. As a result, while what happens in healthcare negotiations influences and is referenced in the regular contract, they operate separately in practice. Secondly, like almost all public employers, there is only one healthcare ... Read More >>
We Want to Hear Your Membership Success Stories!
We’ve heard a number of folks who have expressed the difference that working under the MGEC contracts have made in their lives. People who have come from other states where they didn’t have the right to collective bargain, people who appreciate the stability and benefits of state employment, or folks who feel like their employer didn’t give them a fair shot tell us that coming to work for the State of Minnesota with MGEC representation has been a positive experience in their lives. Do you have a similar story to tell? We’d love to hear it! While we always strive to improve our contract, ... Read More >>
Workplace Investigations: What you should know!
A workplace investigation can happen at work at any point with very little warning. Even if you’re not the subject of an investigation, you might be called as a witness. Either way, it can be very unnerving to find yourself in a room with an investigator – even if you’ve done nothing inappropriate. What should you expect? First, know that you have the right to have a union representative with you. This is known as your Weingarten Right, and while the employer will sometimes inform you of your right to union representation, they do not have a legal obligation to inform you. Let MGEC ... Read More >>
Notice of Election: Why run? What Current Board Members Say
Do you have ideas and energy regarding how MGEC functions and want to be part of the team that “steers the ship”? Now is the time to consider running for our Executive Board! MGEC is powered by its membership – we need your contributions to maintain our power at the bargaining table. We asked current Board members why they ran; maybe their thoughts will resonate with you. (We asked only those who are not up for reelection this year to avoid any appearance of favoritism.) By far, the largest factor that motivates our board is “wanting to have an impact and input on decisions being ... Read More >>
Camp Ripley: MGEC Lunch Meeting
On Monday, July 8th, Tony Kelly travelled to Camp Ripley to meet with our Military Affairs group to discuss current MGEC issues over amazing pizza from The Main Gate. While this is an off year for bargaining, the subject of bargaining for a better contract is always on the minds of members, and this lunch discussion wasn’t the exception. Even if state of Minnesota bargaining units don’t sit at the negotiation table until next year, there is still work to do to prepare for bargaining and discussion included what it takes to get a public employer to make a move. Other similar bargaining units ... Read More >>