Brothers and Sisters,
I hope this correspondence finds you well and you are enjoying summer. In a few short weeks campus will once again be bustling with student’s faculty and the general public. September 12th will be our first membership meeting of the fall semester.
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for your commitment to our jobs, our union and most importantly each other. As we have discussed and know to be true, the membership of Local 528 is the glue which holds the University of Rhode Island together. While our efforts often go unnoticed, I want you to know on behalf of the Local 528 Executive Board, Vice President Rose and I, we are appreciative for all your contributions to our union and the protection of our jobs.
A few quick updates:
- 2.5% wage increase effective June 18th 2023
- Master Contract expires June 30th 2024
- New contract books are available for all members in good standing
- Expect to begin successor contract negotiations with the McKee administration shortly
- 2023 legislative session summary
- Budget was largely held harmless
- Article 12 provides for fractional COLA & sets up a pension study Commission
- Juneteenth added as a state holiday effective January 1st 2024
- Data breach legislation passed and has become law
- Provides timelines for notification/ credit protections
- Some progress in hiring Dining Services and L&G
- Local 528 Scholarship applications will be available in September 23’
I also wanted to make you aware that our adversaries, hell bent on reducing our power, breaking union’s nationwide and eliminating job protections, have continued to fill our mailboxes with confusing, misleading and inaccurate literature. These groups have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars trying to weaken our ability to protect our jobs. Please be aware it is expected these mailers will continue and please don’t hesitate to reach out to the union office with any questions.
Moving forward through the tail end of 2023 and into 2024 I expect we will be heavily engaged in State Master Contract negotiations, working on legislative priorities, and working here on campus to continue the growth of Local 528.
HRL move-in weekend OT sign ups https://forms.gle/31yaiy9f842YoUBk8
AFSCME is coming to RI Council 94 on 8/30 as part of the Staff the Front Lines campaign. More info can be found here: https://www.ricouncil94.org/ri-council-94-afscme/news/afscme-staff-front-lines-bus-tour-seeks-solve-staffing-crisis-public
On Aug 9th Senator Whitehouse vistied RI Council 94 to discuss legislation aimed at protecting Social Security and Medicare:
In Solidarity,
Mike McDonald
President Local 528
Rhode Island Council 94
AFSCME, AFL- CIO