AFSCME 3700 - UIUC Clericals

A BRIEF HISTORY OF LOCAL 3700

By way of introduction, Local 3700 is one of the newest bargaining units on the Urbana Champaign campus but is the largest representing over 1500. Local 3700 was certified in 1991 and is made up of UIUC clericals working both on and off the UIUC campus. Local 3700 is a part of Council 31, which represents the Illinois bargaining units of AFSCME (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees).  As the name suggests, our parent union AFSCME is particularly devoted to representing the needs of employees who work for governmental units. 

AFSCME is in turn a part of the AFL-CIO (American Federation of Labor – Congress of Industrial Organizations), a pillar of the labor movement.  To find out more about AFSCME, Council 31 or the story of the AFL-CIO check out their web sites:   http://www.afscme.org , http://www.afscme31.org,  http://www.aflcio.org/ .

THE EXECUTIVE BOARD

Much of the work of the local is conducted at monthly meetings of the executive board. The executive board is made up of the elected officers and elected trustees.  The local has four officers, the President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer as well as three trustees, who serve both as additional points of member input and as the auditors for the local’s books.  Your officers are Dorinda Miller, president; Diane Davis, vice-president and chief steward; Charlesetta Smith, secretary and Cheryl Westlund, treasurer. 

Executive Board meetings are held the first Tuesday of the month at the union office at 1403 E. Washington Street, Urbana, IL.  Quarterly membership meetings are held the third Tuesday of the month and are usually at the Urbana office.

WHAT HAS CHANGED

In the five years preceding the certification of AFSCME 3700, clericals received no salary increases in 4 of those years.  At the same time costs of health care and parking continued to rise as did the basic cost of living.  At that time a comparison was done with clerical salaries at the state level.  It was learned that UIUC clericals were making a great deal less than their state counterparts and in the very first contract negotiations AFSCME Local 3700 clericals saw a salary increases that averaged over 17%! 

During the life of Local 3700 we have seen a great many changes come out of our contract negotiations.  A few of those are:

·       Entry level wages raised to reflect parity with state employees

·       Classifications regarded

·       Step plan reactivated

·       Workweek changed to 37 ½ hours

·       Grievance procedure with union representation

·       Two-week paid maternity/paternity leave established

·       Sick leave bank expanded to include sick and vacation leave totals to participate

·       AFSCME initiated and promoted positive changes in our pension plan that was put into law, changing our formula from a three-tier plan to a flat rate of 2.2% from day one

•  Reduction in parking fees from   over $400 annually to 7/10 of 1% of annual salary

CHANGE IN GOVERNOR AND NEW WAYS - NOT ALL POSITIVE

Illinos now has a new leader - Governor Quinn.  While he has been supportive of labor in some areas he is planning drastic changes which will indeed hit hard with UIUC workers. 

Proposed changes include, but are not limited to:

• Pension - two tier system and increasing current employees contibution by 2%
• Health Care - QCHP participants will see drastic increase in costs
• Retiree - change in health care; change in formula from 2.2% of salary to 2%; increase retirement age to 67 from 60; changes in COLA formula; change in base for final average salary

Plan to attend one of the many Legislative Formus being held throughout Illinois.  A list of dates and locations can be found at www.afscme31.org.  The Champaign County forum will be May 4, 6 pm at Parkland College Rm D244.

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD!