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YOUR CART

OPEIU Local 2 Activists - Support AFGE!  

Local 2 staff is currently in hostile and disrespectful bargaining with AFGE management. We are asking fellow Local 2 members and AFGE rank and filers to stand with the Local 2/AFGE shop for an informational leaflet  to tell AFGE management we won't stand for their anti-union activity.

TODAY, Tuesday, February 7, 2o17 from 11:30 to 1:00 p.m.
At the Hyatt - 400 New Jersey Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001!
SEE YOU THERE! 

They are imposing anti-union language that would:
  • permit management to change employee schedules with the effect of removing our contractual right to a weekend and avoid compensating employees; 
  •  force us to work for free by restrictions on compensatory time;
  •  And, unilaterally extend new employee probationary periods. 
 
They have declined to meaningfully bargain over: 
  • rising healthcare costs, 
  • paid parental leave, 
  • outsourcing of union work. 
 
#treatyourstafflikeyoutreatyourmembers 


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2017 OPEIU Scholarships

The deadlines for the John Kelly Labor Studies Scholarship, the Howard Coughlin Memorial Scholarship, and the Romeo Corbeil/Gilles Beauregard Summer Camp are have been up dated! 

Click here for more details! 

The deadlines for the John Kelly and Howard Coughlin Scholarships are March 31, 2017, and the Romeo Corbeil/Gilles Beauregard Summer Camp is May 15, 2017.
​
The OPEIU Scholarships are a great benefit for OPEIU members and their families. Find all necessary forms and information at www.opeiu.org.

​Local 2 Shop Steward Training

ALL interested Stewards and those interested in becoming Stewards are welcome!

When: Saturday, February 25, 2017 | 9:00 am to 4:30 pm
Where: Training location will be announced soon!
Remember, to send in your refundable $10.00 deposit to hold your seat ASAP! 
​Contact: Ms. Che Harvey, Office Manager at charvey@opeiu-local2.org  The deadline to register is NOON on Friday February 17, 2017.

The course will be taught by International President Lanigan, President Dan Dyer, and Secretary-Treasurer Linda Bridges. Reservations will be accepted on a first-come-first-serve basis and require a $10.00 deposit to hold a seat. Deposit will be refunded when you arrive for training. Deposit will be forfeited if you fail to cancel prior to class. Lunch and class materials will be provided by Local 2.
​

Contact: Ms. Che Harvey, Office Manager at charvey@opeiu-local2.org -
Deadline to Register: NOON Friday February 17, 2017.
 

OPEIU Local 2 & WMATA's Contract

OPEIU Local 2 is proud to represents over 1,000 workers at WMATA. Click here to download the PDF file of most current contact. 
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​New Location - Garfield Park!

Garfield Park is located at the intersection of 3rd and G Street SE - Washington, D.C.
When: Saturday, January 21, 8:30am – 2:00pm
Optional - Please Wear OPEIU Logo Apparel

Come join OPEIU Local 2 as we march with the AFL-CIO to show Labor’s presence in numbers too great to ignore. The Women’s March on Washington will send a bold message to our new government on their first day in office, and to the world that women's rights are human rights. 

Click here to RSVP.

Facebook link click here! 


Contact: carmen@womensmarch.com to discuss how your organization can join and support! Other unions turning out members at Garfield Park include: CWA, UFCW, NEA, APWU and AUW! 

​Partners include: 1199 SEIU, The American Association of University Professors (AAUP), American Association of University Women (AAUW), National Domestic Workers Alliance, New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA), United University Professions.  


Fight for $15 in Montgomery County, MD. 

PRESS RELEASE
 
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: 
FERNANDA DURAND, Communications Manager Casa
Cel. 240.706.2624 Office 240.491.5745.

 
 Labor, Faith, and Community Organizations Congratulate Councilmembers Elrich, Hucker, Leventhal, Navarro and Riemer vote in Support of $15 Minimum Wage, Urge County Executive Leggett to Sign Bill into Law
 
Press Conference to be Held Today! 
 
ROCKVILLE, Md. (January 17, 2017)  A coalition of labor, faith, and community organizations are urging Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett to stand with working families and sign a $15 minimum-wage legislation passed by the County Council today in what could become the most important achievement of his long career with the County.
 
“If County Executive Leggett signs this bill into law it could be one of the most enduring achievements of his leadership,” said Gustavo Torres, Executive Director of CASA. “Signing into law a $15 minimum wage will cap Ike’s legacy of putting working families in Montgomery County first and will reassure county residents that the extremism of the incoming Trump administration does not belong in our County.”
 
Joined by supportive councilmembers, a diverse group of organizations will formally ask the County Executive to sign the bill into law during a press conference at 10 a.m. Thursday inside the lobby of the Executive Office Building.
 
A raise in the minimum wage is crucial to the county’s working families, who live in one of the most expensive metropolitan areas in the country.
 
A head of household of a 4-member family needs to make $22 an hour to live above the federal poverty line. Yet, in the county, 143,000 families make less than $13.59 an hour.
 
“It’s time we help working families in Montgomery County make a decent living,” said Justin Vest of Progressive Maryland.
 
Montgomery County's minimum wage is $10.75 and is set to rise to $11.50 in July. Under the new legislation, it would increase to $12.50 next year, $13.75 in 2019 and $15 in 2020. The council has debated an increase in the county's minimum wage for almost a year and has incorporated the concerns of small businesses into its final proposal.
 
Studies show that raising the minimum wage has strong benefits for the overall economy of an area, it gives workers more disposable income and reduces turnover in the workplace. One study calculated that every 1% increase in the minimum wage reduces turnover by an average of 1.45%.
 
Coalition members congratulate council members George L. Leventhal, Marc Elrich, Hans Riemer, Tom Hucker and Nancy Navarro who all voted for the measure’s passage.
 
Thursday’s press conference will include representatives of the many organizations urging final passage of the bill including: 32BJ SEIU, African-American Democratic Club of Montgonery County, CASA, Jews United for Justice, Progressive Maryland, Takoma Park/Silver Spring Mobilization, UFCW Local 400, UFCW Local 1994 (MCGEO), and the Womens Democratic Club of Montgomery County.

​Kathleen McKirchy
OPEIU Local 2 Elections Committee Chair

 
13 January 2017
 
 TO:  All OPEIU Local 2 Officers, Staff Representatives,Staff, Executive Board, Nominated Candidates, Candidates Elected Without Opposition
 
I was asked to chair the OPEIU Local 2 Elections Committee by President Dan Dyer late last year.  As you know, the Local 2 election of officers will be conducted by mail ballot, with ballots to be mailed so as to ensure delivery no later than January 23, 2017. 
 
Since the campaign period has now begun, I want to take this opportunity to advise you of certain restrictions on the use of union and employer funds for campaign purposes. Specifically, Section 401(g) of the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959, as amended, prohibits the use of union and employer funds to promote the candidacy of any person in a union officer election. This prohibition applies to facilities, equipment, supplies, email, mailing lists, and cash, as well as to campaigning on time paid for by either a union or employer and to the use of the Local 2 newsletter/website/social media pages for campaign purposes.
 
You should also be aware that the prohibition against the use of union and employer funds applies to ANY union and ANY employer, not just to OPEIU Local 2, or to the employers with whom Local 2 has collective bargaining agreements.
 
I am notifying all Local 2 officials and candidates of this legal prohibition ​to make them fully aware of the extent of the campaign restrictions so that any potential problems can be avoided. If you have any questions, please call me at 202 262-0773. 
 
Your cooperation and adherence to these federal election rules is appreciated.
 
In solidarity,
Kathleen McKirchy
Elections Committee Chair

​Official Candidate List for OPEIU Local 2
​Mail Ballot Election

13 January 2017

​
​Please Note:  The following positions were not contested and, per the OPEIU Local 2 Constitution, these candidates have been automatically elected to these positions:
 
Secretary-Treasurer- Linda Bridges
1st Vice President- Sarah Levesque
2nd Vice President- Michael Spiller
3rd Vice President- Eric Starin
Recording Secretary- Caniesha Washington-Seldon
Trustees- Yvonne Ellis, Lisa Garrow, Sandy Smith
 
President: Vote for no more than 1 person
Dan Dyer
James Ward Morrow
 
Executive Board: Vote for no more than 15 persons
Ann Bartley
Teri Brady
Michelle Forrester
Rian Howard
Jocelynn Johnson
Brenda Jones
Audrey King
Hugo Lopez
Rose Meushaw
Alicia Nestor
Vonda Oliver
Erin Radford
Marcia Reid
Robert Reid
Tangela Smallwood
Ian Stublarec
Jeremiah “Jay” West
 
Delegate to the Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO:
Vote for no more than 8 persons
 

Dan Dyer
Alex Feltham
Brenda Jones
Sonia Mistry
Jason Roe
Michael Spiller
Eric Starin
Shane Stewart
Ian Stublarec

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​Greetings Brothers and Sisters of Local 2:

I would like to wish you all a very Happy New Year!  As I reflect on 2016, I’m excited about what’s ahead in 2017 and thought it would be a great idea to share my excitement with you.

OPEIU Local 2 turned a major corner last year by bringing on two young representatives with fire and vigor.  We saw growth of membership by 10% to 7,250 members.  We ended the year with a surplus budget of $250.000 in our general funds. We negotiated and ratified contracts that provided wage increases with excellent health, pension and job security benefits. 

As we move into 2017, I envision greater achievements for our local. Let’s begin with a conversation about organizing.  Organizing is one of my top priorities this year. With everything that is happening today in the work force and seeing what is coming down the pike it is more important than ever to organize the unorganized. And we sit ready to step up and do that for working people today. While at convention with our newly elected international president, Richard Lanigan, I was able to get a commitment from the international Union to pay for a full time Local 2 organizer for 18 months.

We are looking to expand in in fields we currently represent in health care like Kaiser, where we are seeking to organize pharmacists and looking at entirely new fields that we haven’t organized in the past.  Also, in the area of public transportation, such as WMATA and MTA.  Our goal is to organize a 15% increase in membership over the next 18 months.  So, if you or anyone else you know is looking to organize please call our offices and we can set something up for those working individuals.  Until our new organizer is hired, our interim organizer is Michael Spiller, who has a 25 year history of organizing at AFT.  

Secondly, as some of you may know my passion and commitment is and has always been to provide the best services for our members and to ensure they receive fair wages, hours and working conditions.  To this end, we are in the process of hiring for at least one additional staff representative; as we saw 3 of our long-time representatives retire in 2016.  Meanwhile, we will continue developing and preparing strategies for bargaining under a new government with a weaker labor emphasis and potential cuts to the Affordable Healthcare Act. We must focus our resources on issues and concerns of the membership so we can remain connected and meet the growing needs of our members.  As a result: I have charged our Social Justice Committee and our Political Education Committee with researching and identifying the best political actions and direction to take given our countries new leadership.  I will also be charging the other committees to begin thinking outside of the box while developing some creative and innovative ways to connect and serve our members.  You should look to hear something from our committee’s in the near future.  Our committees are always looking for more volunteers and support.   So, if you interested please contact our office or email the chairs for their next meeting dates and times. 

In closing, “no man is an island in itself” which is why I am looking to expand our relationships with our central labor councils and to do so I have made sure that we put our maximum number of delegates on these boards.  To further expand our relationships; we are taking a more active role in working with the state AFL-CIO to engage in and stay on top of the political developments for Maryland, DC and Virginia. 

​As a great man once said “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success. I look forward to working together with you in 2017 and seeing you at the upcoming membership meeting on April 4th, 2017.  In the interim, get involved and join a committee! 

In solidarity, Happy New Year!

​Your President,
Dan Dyer


A New Year, New Opportunities – Did You Apply, Now’s Your Chance! 

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OPEIU International Scholarship 
​
Apply Now!


The application deadline is January 31st for the John Kelly and Howard Coughlin Scholarships.

The OPEIU International Scholarships are a great benefit for OPEIU members and their families. There are full time and part time scholarships available in details and further information and applications.

Check out The Union Plus Scholarship Too! 

The application deadline is January 31st, Apply Now!
​ 

Since 1992, the Union Plus Scholarship Program has awarded more than $4 million to students of union families. Over 2,700 union families have benefited from our commitment to higher education.

This program is offered through the Union Plus Education Foundation, which is sponsored by Union Privilege. 

Award amounts:  $500 to $4,000.  These one-time cash awards are for study beginning in the Fall of 2017.  Students may re-apply each year.




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​Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Project 1: New Bethel Baptist Church
AFL-CIO (Buses leave AFL-CIO at 11:30 a.m.)
815 16th St., NW
Washington, DC 20006
12:30 - 3 p.m.

We will join the New Bethel Baptist Church in their efforts to provide blankets, food, toiletries and resources to those experiencing homelessness in Washington, D.C. Washington has one of the highest homelessness rates in the country, and with winter temperatures well below freezing, we want to ensure that our brothers and sisters have every resource they need to survive the winter and thrive.

RSVP here.

Project 2: Sasha Bruce Youthwork
AFL-CIO (Buses leave AFL-CIO at 11 a.m.)
815 16th St., NW
Washington, DC 20006 
Noon - 5:30 p.m.

Join area union members for service projects at Sasha Bruce Youthwork (SBY), one of the largest and oldest service organizations in the area. Volunteers will perform building maintenance and beautification projects, while AFL-CIO trainers will lead workshops educating program youth on the economic and historical aspects of the criminal justice system.

Volunteers are strongly encouraged to bring items to donate. Please see the donations wish list for suggestions.
RSVP for the Day of Service.



OPEIU FAMILY, THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING CSA'S HOLIDAY BASKET PROJECT 2016!

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A Note from Kathleen McKirchy

We could not do this without Local 2's help!
This year we had 15 adopted needy families, 10 food drives providing food baskets for 30 families, another $1500 donated; which provided gift cards to 35 additional needy clients and lots of wonderful holiday cheer spread around throughout our community by the Labor Movement!!
 
Thank you ALL for your hard work and generosity in helping CSA and Holiday Basket program a huge success!  

If you or anyone who worked with you needs a tax deduction letter from CSA, please let me know names, amounts and where to send and I’ll get those out right after the holidays. 


YOUR SUPPORT IS SINCERELY APPRECIATED AND THE HAPPIEST OF HOLIDAYS! 

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$1.00 Dues Increase Waived

Local 2 is pleased to announce that the One Dollar ($1.00) dues, increase mandated by the International Convention has been waived. However, per Article IX, Initiation and Reinstatement Fees, Dues and Assessments, Section 4 of the OPEIU Local 2's Constitution and discussed at the Local 2 Quarterly Membership Meeting held on October 4, 2016, the following Per Capita increase, of $0.35 cents will take effect November 1, 2016. The NEW Monthly dues for OPEIU Local 2 shall be Forty-One Dollars and Sixty-Five Cents ($41.65) effective November 1, 2016. 

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