About

Welcome to AFSCME local 3516

     AFSCME stands for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. AFSCME was founded in the 1930's by a group of employees not much different then yourself. They were looking to put an end to the practice of political appointees or the spoil system. In this system people would lose their job to an appointee that had little to no experience. It was a practice that could put into jeopardy the civil systems that are most basic to our civilization. These employees banded together and formed a union that could collectively bargain and make their voices heard. By doing this they made management take notice of their discord and the spoil system was abandoned.

     AFSCME local 3516 was founded much in the same way. A group of Metro employees were looking for a way to have their voices heard and to have more say in their work place. So they had to weigh the pros and cons of unionizing, and they had to pick a union group that would best represent Metro. There was over a year of research and finally AFSCME was chosen as the best fit. With the blessing of the County Commission by way of them recognizing AFSCME as the collective bargaining unit Metro Communications was unionized. At the time, we were not ready to stand on our own. We had to get organized and find our way. When we started, we were placed under the County Highway Group. This was not ideal since our jobs were at the opposite ends of the spectrums. We had to find a way to be our own union while still working under the County Highway group. We had to separate from them as well as Sheriff and the Police department unions. Metro had to be a union of dispatchers.
 
     At the same time Metro Communications was undergoing a change. It was decided by the City of Sioux Falls and Minnehaha County that Metro needed to be its own stand alone agency. This proved to be the perfect time for the union to start negotiating. We started with some basic issues and were able to come to a Temporary Agreement that was effective January sixteenth of 2007. With the Temporary Agreement successfully negotiated Robin Pappas and Lenora Giles with the help of our AFSCME representative Maynard Magnuson began negotiating for our first contract with the city and county for the fiscal year of 2008. It was a long process with some bumps along the way, but at the end we were able to come to an agreement and our first contract went into effect January 2008. With our first contract in place the union could start organizing and stamping out an identity for itself.
 
     Now with the history lesson over let's move onto the real questions. For starters: What is a union? A union is defined as a group that collectively bargains with its employer, but that is not what a union is. A union is a group of people working towards a better tomorrow. It takes dedicated people that want to make their working environment better. They believe in their job and know its importance. Members know that we have to stand united with a single voice in order to be heard. A single message with the input of more then 30 employees letting management know what is most important to us. By speaking in this one voice, this one message, we can work towards our goals.

Why join the Union? 

     Union members for the first and most important thing get to attend union meetings. Meetings are scheduled once a month and at varying times to try and accommodate everyone. Union meetings are the key to getting your thoughts and ideas out to the group. They allow for members to give input into negotiations that are going on now and in the future. The most important part of the meeting is to give everyone a chance to speak out about what is happening in the work place. Meetings are safe havens were employees can come to vent their frustrations, and tout their victories. The meetings also give the Union President a chance to speak to the members about the cooperation meetings that she has with the Director. Cooperation meetings allow Robin to voice problems that are going on as well as give management vital feed back on how things are being perceived on the floor.
 
     There are several other good points to joining the union. In a union you have the protection of AFSCME standing behind you. As an emergency service employee we all strive to be our best but mistakes do happen. The union gives you peace of mind, letting you know that when you are called to account for your actions there is always someone there that has been through it and will stand with you. As a union member you have the right to vote on up coming negotiations. You can also vote on our two year contract. Non members do not have this right. They will be affected by the negotiations but they do not have a say in what goes into the negotiations or if it is approved. As a union member you also have the opportunity to be elected to office. You could be our next president!
 
     Work is not the only side of AFSCME. There is also our presence in the community. In past years as part of the Habitat for Humanity program more than 20 of our members showed up over two days to help a family become a vested part of our city. AFSCME members met at the house on the first day and were informed that they would be laying sod. Needless to say that is not what we were expecting! But being the problems solvers that we are, the members quickly split into groups and got to work. As a team working together we laid sod faster then any other group had. On the second day we were assigned to the same house and were responsible for hanging drywall in the living room of the house. In a little over 2 hours we were able to move this house a little closer to the finish line.

     Members come from all three shifts and all positions. Members are Operators, Advance Communication Operators, Tactical Dispatchers and Supervisors. They are all working to make Metro Communications the best it can be. By becoming a member you are investing in our continued growth and diversification. As a union we are only as strong as our members. We are always looking for members to help us define who we are and what we want. What issues are most important and what issues need to be discussed. We need you to help AFSCME local 3516 be our best, to be part of the family of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.