public employee advocate - aft

AdvocateVOL. 32, NO. 2 | OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2012

PUBLIC EMPLOYEE

ThE NaTiONaL puBLiCaTiON Of afT puBLiC EMpLOyEEs

Contrasting agendassee how the candidates compare on the critical issues PAGE 5

AFT Voting Recorda look at how members of Congress voted on key legislation PAGE 6

Hands-on trainingRenovation of union’s new headquarters is a joint effort PAGE 3

Union Yes! salary survey shows benefits of collective bargaining PAGE 12

Ground GameAFT members are staffing phone banks and going door to door in an effort to help re-elect President Obama PAGE 4

2 aDVOCaTE | OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2012 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2012 | aDVOCaTE 3

where we stand

raise your voicesRaNDi WEiNGaRTEN, afT president

RANDI WEINGARTENpresidentLORRETTA JOHNSONsecretary-TreasurerFRANCINE LAWRENCEExecutive Vice president

KRIS HAVENSCommunications Director

© 2012 aMERiCaN fEDERaTiON Of TEaChERs, afL-CiO

Cover photo: jaNET CENTuRy

ROGER S. GLASSEditor

ADRIENNE COLESDANIEL GURSKYANNETTE LICITRAbARbARA mcKENNAVIRGINIA mYERSPRISCILLA NEmETHmIKE ROSEContributing Editors

LAURA bAKERJANE FELLERCopy Editors

JENNIFER CHANGproduction Manager

mICHELLE FURmANPAmELA WOLFEGraphic Designers

SHARON WRIGHTproduction specialist

SHARON FRANCOURproduction Coordinator

SHAWNITRA HAWKINSALICIA NICKproduction staff

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YOU CAN’T BLAME public employees for be-lieving that some politicians think we should be seen but not heard. That’s the objective of legislative efforts to strip workers in city, coun-ty, state and federal government of a voice in their work. It’s what happens when top-down policies are foisted upon frontline workers without their input. It was the message con-veyed last year to Ohio’s public employees before the communities they serve spoke up and rebuffed efforts to strip them of their voices and their rights. We know the voices of workers need to be heard—at the bargaining table and at the ballot box.

Electing leaders who support strong pub-lic institutions, democratic rights and broadly shared economic opportunity is essential to achieving a better America. Many factors affect the direction of the country, but the

upcoming elections will greatly influence whether workers will have a voice at work and whether communities can unite to promote the common good, as Ohio did last year.

This presidential election presents a choice between starkly different visions for the future of our country. The candidates are poles apart when it comes to economic fairness, restoring the middle class, and the importance of public institutions. Americans will choose between a candidate who tries to divide communities and who disparages 47 percent of the country by saying they expect a handout, and a presi-

dent who believes not only in personal respon-sibility but also that we are all in it together. The choice we make on Nov. 6 will affect the country for years to come.

Mitt Romney has repeatedly assailed public employees and our unions, even say-ing he would take actions that would deprive us of our constitutionally protected rights of free speech and association. While he talks about the need to create jobs, Romney has said there are too many public workers who make too much money and that it is time to cut back. And if Romney gets his way, he would bar teachers unions from making political contributions.

You can see the choices the Romney-Ryan ticket favors when it comes to the federal bud-get. Romney opposes federal stimulus pro-grams that help maintain vital services and

help rebuild our roads and bridges. He sup-ports his running mate’s budget, which would slash the federal workforce by 10 percent over three years, eliminating 200,000 jobs. He ig-nores the role of government as the not-for-profit equalizer that promotes the common good through programs, services, regulation and government-supported research ranging from technological advances to prescription drugs.

Romney would extend the Bush-era tax cuts for the very wealthy, yet he supports Paul Ryan’s plan that would turn Medicare into a

voucher system and would double out-of-pocket costs for seniors. Romney supported attempts to end collective bargaining in New Hampshire, Ohio and Wisconsin, and he tried to end it in his own state of Massachusetts. This is a candidate who wants to wipe us off the map.

President Obama has fought for economic opportunity for all Americans. He supports making corporations and the very wealthiest Americans pay their fair share of taxes, and he would extend tax cuts for middle-class fami-lies. His stimulus efforts in 2009 were a life-line for public education and public services, preserving 400,000 jobs. He has expanded funding for early learning programs, and he is working to make college more affordable. President Obama, against unrelenting op-position, passed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which Romney says he would repeal.

Although we have not agreed with every-thing the Obama administration has done, particularly its emphasis in education policy on measurement and competition, the door is open—and we have been heard.

Romney may not want to hear what Amer-ica’s public employees have to say, but we will make our voices heard on Nov. 6 and beyond. We will continue to stand up and speak up about what it takes to provide all children with an excellent public education that prepares them for fulfilling lives.

Our members and our union are a power-ful force for fairness, opportunity and high-quality public institutions—for our members and those we serve. I urge you to vote for can-didates who share this vision.

The upcoming elections will greatly influence whether workers will have a voice at work and whether communities can unite to promote the common good.

2 aDVOCaTE | OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2012 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2012 | aDVOCaTE 3

UNION MEMBERS and students are working side by side to reno-vate a historic home in Wallingford, Conn., this fall. The building, a major rehabilita-tion of a home built in 1841, will eventually house the offices of the AFT-affiliated State Vo-cational Federation of Teachers. Meanwhile, it will be a learning site for students from the Connecticut Technical High School System.

As many as six different schools and dozens of vocational education students are involved in the renovation, doing carpentry and installing electrical, plumbing and HVAC

systems. Architectural design students have already helped take measurements for the re-design, under the direction of an architecture instructor.

In vocational education, “the goal is to get

the kids out in the field as often as possible,” says Greg Beyer, SVFT vice president. Beyer joined other union officers and volunteers for several days this summer to demolish the interior of the building. “For a librarian, it was quite a learning experience,” says Beyer, referring to his professional training as an educator.

The do-it-yourself approach to renovat-ing the new offices of the Connecticut state employee local is designed to save members’ money as well as bring the community to-gether on a project that will ultimately serve students in more ways than one.

While SVFT president Jan Hochadel, exec-utive union representative Ed Leavy and oth-ers continue renovation of the future union headquarters, you can follow the progress on the Wallingford house on Facebook: http://go.aft.org/SVFT.

On-the-job experience for voc-ed studentsRenovation of local union’s new headquarters is a collaborative effort

WHEN YOU PLANT A GARdEN, it means you believe in tomorrow. For some inmates at Mohawk Correctional Facility in Rome, N.Y., that notion is especially true.

Twice a day, 20 men gather in the prison’s greenhouse, where a colorful riot of flowers grows. The men, sent to the medium-security facility on charges such as arson, rape and criminal possession of an illegal substance, are hoping the time they spend here will help them find jobs as floral designers, horticul-ture specialists or landscape gardeners when their tomorrows come.

PEF member and vocational instructor Steven drake has taught horticulture to state inmates for 18 years. “It’s a diverse program,” he says. “The inmates learn every aspect of horticulture, including all work related to nursery and garden centers, greenhouses, landscaping, floral design and ground main-tenance. They can become proficient in 17 different job titles.”

Meanwhile, they grow nearly 80,000 an-nuals a year, which find their way to gardens all over the state, including the Utica State Office Building, the Utica County state troop-

ers’ barracks and SUNY’s In-stitute of Technology. They make evergreen wreaths for the holidays, and in sum-mer, donate homegrown vegetables to Rome’s rescue mission.

“We spend a great deal of energy assisting commu-nity-service projects,” says drake. And state officials use the flowers, too. There was even a request from the governor’s mansion.

But the program is about more than floral décor. It’s about planting new ideas so inmates can build better lives for themselves.

“These men are here for many different reasons,” says PEF member Andrew Criscolo, who supervises Mohawk’s vocational pro-grams. “The horticultural program and our other programs not only teach them to have skills working with their hands, but foster a sense of pride.”

“You watch things start from the very beginning, a seedling growing into a small plant,” says inmate John Smith. “When you transfer it to the outside, you can watch it grow larger and larger, and that gives you a feeling of satisfaction.”

Even reluctant participants can benefit, say drake and Criscolo, who rely on persistence and pa-tience to grow the program. “With the right motivation from instructors and peers, they come to realize if they step for-ward and move forward, they can actually succeed at something,” says drake. “It may take six months to more than a year, but we don’t give up. We want each of them to have a chance to enjoy tomorrow.”

Thanks to The Communicator (PEF’s official publication) and writer Deborah A. Miles for this article.

Planting a futureGreenhouse skills rehabilitate prison inmates

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Once renovated, this house will serve as the union’s new headquarters.

Members are training inmates in horticulture and gardening.

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4 aDVOCaTE | OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2012

WHAT WILL BE THE FATE of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the millions of Americans who now have healthcare coverage under this legislation? Will young people and families continue to have access to Pell Grants and other college tuition assistance? And will even more right-wing governors and other elected officials go after the bargaining rights of public employees and teachers in a naked attempt to silence their voices?

These are questions that AFT members and others are pondering as they prepare to go to the polls on Nov. 6. Put simply, it’s a choice between President Obama and an America that cares for all of its people—the young, the old, the middle class and the most vulnerable—and a country whose guiding principle is survival of the fittest.

It’s a clear and stark choice for state em-ployees like Cynthia Wynn, president of the Wisconsin State Public defender Association. She wants to preserve the social safety net, and is concerned about Medicaid, the Afford-able Care Act and services for the mentally ill. “I’m also very concerned about the horrible positions the Republican Party has taken on women’s issues,” says Wynn, who has volun-teered at the Obama for America phone bank in her Milwaukee neighborhood.

In Colorado (a swing state that has been a regular stop for both the Obama and Romney campaigns), members of Colorado WINS, an AFT-affiliated public employee local, have knocked on thousands of doors in support of President Obama, as well as pro-worker state and congressional candidates.

In Connecticut, members of the Admin-istrative and Residual Employees Union have been phone banking, leafleting and knocking on doors of the homes of fellow union members to educate them about the upcoming election. Members just want the basics, says A&R member Karen Prendergast: healthcare, sick leave and protection for col-lective bargaining rights. “We want to make sure that nothing happens to the healthcare bill that got passed,” she says. “We’re hoping that everybody can enjoy healthcare benefits so we’re not having lots of uncovered people bringing up the cost of healthcare for every-body else.”

Cleveland special education teacher L’Taundra Everhart is motivated to help get out the vote by her vivid memories of last year’s fight to overturn legislation that would have stripped Ohio’s educators, firefighters, police officers and other public employees of their bargaining rights. It’s critical that anti-union, anti-worker laws like the one eventually overturned in Ohio don’t become widespread, she asserts. “You have to have informed voters” and elect candidates who will stop these laws from proliferating, says Everhart, who has regularly participated in the door-to-door canvassing and phone banking organized by the Cleveland Teachers Union and the city’s other unions.

“We are at a crossroads,” says retiree Tom Luvison, who spends most afternoons helping manage the CTU phone bank. “do we want a progressive agenda that cares for the majority of people and tries to include them in social programs that promote the general welfare?” Or, Luvison asks, do we want a Romney ad-ministration that would steer the country toward privatization and an attitude he de-scribes as “you have to survive on your own”?

In states across the country, AFT members understand what’s at stake in the upcoming elections. They are actively working in local and state campaigns and, of course, in the presidential election, to get out the vote for candidates who support working Americans and the middle class.

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Karen Prendergast wants to protect collective bargaining.

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Fired up and ready to go.

AFT members are staffing phone banks and going door to door in an effort to help re-elect President Obama

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2012 | aDVOCaTE 5

This Election day, Nov. 6, AFT members face a critical choice about the future of our country. Important issues define this election—economic fairness, restoring the middle class, the future of our public schools, and the right of employees to have a voice in the workplace.

President Obama and Joe Biden have a track record of fighting for the middle class, standing up for workers’ rights and protecting Medicare and Social Security; their priorities stand in sharp contrast to the agenda of Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan.

Jobs and the EconomyMitt Romney and Paul Ryan opposed the Obama administration’s emergency loans to the U.S. auto industry that ultimately saved 1.4 million jobs. And Romney and Ryan have repeated their intention to cut funding for police officers, firefighters and teachers.

By contrast, President Obama entered office determined to pull our economy out of the worst recession since the Great depres-sion. He not only helped save 1.4 million jobs in the auto industry, but also championed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act protecting critical public services, and saving or creating approximately 400,000 education and public service jobs.

Workers’ VoiceMitt Romney has a demonstrated record of trying to break unions, both as governor of Massachusetts and as CEO of Bain Capital. He supported efforts in New Hampshire, Ohio and Wisconsin to end collective bar-gaining for public employees, and he prom-ises to use the U.S. department of Education to “push back” against teachers unions.

President Obama opposed the attacks on workers in New Hampshire, Ohio and Wisconsin, and he supports public employee collective bargaining.

TaxesMitt Romney would increase taxes on the middle class by $1,300 per family but provide millionaires with an average tax break of more than $200,000.

President Obama is working to end tax breaks for companies that send jobs overseas, supports making large corporations and the richest 2 percent of Americans pay their fair

share of taxes, and would extend tax cuts for middle-class families.

Healthcare and MedicareMitt Romney has vowed to repeal the Obama administration’s landmark Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which would leave more than 30 million Americans without in-surance and permit insurance companies to deny healthcare coverage to people who have pre-existing conditions.

Romney supports a plan that would voucherize Medicare, doubling out-of-pocket costs for seniors.

President Obama opposes efforts to turn Medicare into a voucher, and has expanded coverage for seniors by closing the Medicare “doughnut hole,” thereby making prescrip-tion drugs more affordable.

On issue after issue, the choice is clear. That is why the AFT has endorsed the re-election of President Barack Obama.

Suppressing votersVOTER suppREssiON LaWs are surfacing in state capitols nationwide in an attempt to limit access to the polls. These attacks are coordinated to silence voters who support workers’ issues—voters who disproportion-ately do not have a driver’s license or photo iD, including the elderly and students, or those who hold down more than one job to make ends meet and therefore have difficulty getting to the polls. Voter suppression laws intimidate eligible voters and weaken our democracy.

This is an incredibly important election, and we want to make sure everyone has the chance to cast a ballot. if you have any ques-tions about specific voting laws in your state, visit www.aft.org/election2012/#vote.

To see an interactive map of the voting law changes, visit www.mapofshame.com.

States with Proof ofCitizenship Laws

States with RepressiveElection Legislation

Photo Voter ID Law Passed;Needs Governor’s Signature

Governor Vetoed Voter ID Law

Require Photo Voter IDOnly

Photo Voter ID Requested Photo Voter IDLegislation Proposed

No Existing PhotoVoter ID Law, NoCurrent Legislation

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1. Repealing Healthcare Reform: House Republicans made repealing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) their first priority after winning the majority in the 2010 elections. The ACA, as signed by President Obama, improves access to affordable healthcare coverage and provides consumer protections. If the ACA were repealed, 1.2 million young adults would lose healthcare coverage, and 2.7 million senior citizens would have to pay more for prescription drugs and would lose free preventive services. In addition, a repeal would end measures to control healthcare costs and to prevent private insurance companies from denying coverage or limiting care. A bill to repeal the ACA, H.R. 2, was passed by the House on Jan. 19, 2011, by a vote of 245-189. A no vote is a right vote.

2. Spending Cuts: The vote on this resolution required that the fiscal year 2011 budget reduce federal spending to 2008 levels. This action translated into massive cuts to education, healthcare, environmental programs, workplace safety measures, enforcement of wage protections and other AFT priority programs. The resolution was passed by the House on Jan. 25, 2011, by a vote of 256-165. A no vote is a right vote.

3. National Labor Relations Board: Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) offered an amend-ment to H.R. 1, a continuing resolution to fund the federal government, which would defund the National Labor

House Votes Relations Board for the remainder of 2011. This would further the Republican attack on workers’ rights and protec-tions. The amendment failed on Feb. 17, 2011, by a vote of 176-250. A no vote is a right vote.

4. Davis-Bacon Wage Protections: The federal prevailing wage law, Davis-Bacon, ensures that workers on federally funded construction projects are paid comparably to local “prevailing wage” rates. It prevents contractors from low-balling bids and undercutting local workers. Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) offered an amendment to H.R. 1, a continuing resolution to fund the federal government, that would have repealed the Davis-Bacon prevailing wage law. The amendment failed on Feb. 19, 2011, by a vote of 189-233. A no vote is a right vote.

5. Ryan Budget: The AFT opposed the budget authored by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) for fiscal year 2012. The budget, H.Con.Res. 34, would cut $6.2 trillion in government spending over the next 10 years, with two-thirds of the proposed cuts made in education and programs serving low-income Americans. The plan also would destroy the traditional Medicare program, replacing it with a federal voucher plan, and convert Medicaid into a block grant that would threaten healthcare coverage for 14 million seniors and people with disabilities, and 30 million children. The Ryan budget passed 236-193 on April 15, 2011. A no vote is a right vote.

6. Fair Union Elections: Despite its name,

the Workforce Democracy and Fairness Act (H.R. 3094) would give companies more power to erode union support. H.R. 3094 would open the door to a host of obstacles to forming a union, such as longer delays in elections, rampant employer intimidation against employ-ees interested in forming a union, and retaliatory job losses for workers interested in organizing. H.R. 3094 passed in the House by a vote of 235-188 on Nov. 30, 2011. A no vote is a right vote.

7. Ryan Budget II: The AFT opposed the budget authored by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) for fiscal year 2013. The budget, H.Con.Res. 112, prioritized tax breaks for upper-income Americans and corpora-tions, while dramatically cutting discretionary funds that support education, training and health initiatives that are essential to educating our children and helping our economy grow. The budget included specific proposals in the area of financial aid that would make obtaining a higher education more difficult and expensive. In particular, the budget allowed for the federal student loan interest rate to double from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent. The budget moved to destroy the traditional Medicare program by privatizing and “voucherizing” it, and by raising the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 67. The Ryan budget passed 228-191 on March 29, 2012. A no vote is a right vote.

8. Student Loan Interest: The AFT opposed H.R. 4628, the Interest Rate Reduction Act, introduced to extend low

The 2010 midTerm elecTions produced a newly divided congress, as republicans regained control of the house of representatives while democrats maintained a slim majority in the senate. From the outset of the 112th congress, it was clear that both parties’ agendas were drawn up with an eye toward the 2012 presidential election and hopes of gaining control of congress or at least maintaining control of their houses. These dynamics set the stage for one of the most polarized and least productive sessions in U.s. history.

despite historic cuts to state budgets and a stubbornly high unemployment rate, house and senate republicans blocked efforts to bring up the american jobs act, which represents the president’s plan to grow the economy by upgrading our crumbling infrastructure and creating as many as 2 million new jobs. The aja also would have provided funding to keep hundreds of thousands of firefighters, police officers and educators on the job.

This Voting record, spanning 2010-12, contains votes especially important for aFT members and the people we serve. Votes are listed as right (R) or wrong (W) according to the aFT position on each issue. Party affiliation (D=Democrat, R=Republican or I=Independent) follows each member’s name. The Voting record was prepared by the aFT department of legislation. it is available online at www.aft.org/votes.

The Voting Record is also available

online at www.aft.org/votes.

ADVOCATE | OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2012 7

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AlAskAYoung, D. (R) W W W R W R W WARizonAFlake (R) W W W W W W W RFranks, T. (R) W W W W W W W RGiffords (D) X X X X X X i iGosar (R) W W W W W W W RGrijalva (D) R R R R R R R RPastor (D) R R R R R R R RQuayle (R) W W W X W W W Rschweikert (R) W W X W W W W RCAliFoRniABaca (D) R R R R R R R RBass, k. (D) R R R R R R R RBecerra (D) R R R R R R R RBerman (D) R R R R R R R RBilbray (R) W W W W W W W WBono Mack (R) W W W W W W W WCalvert (R) W W W W W W W WCampbell (R) W W W W W W W WCapps (D) R R R R R R R RCardoza (D) R R R R R R R XChu (D) R R R R R R R RCosta (D) R W R R R R R XDavis, s. (D) R R R R R R R RDenham (R) W W W W W W W WDreier (R) W W W W W X W WEshoo (D) R R R R R R R RFarr (D) R R R R R R R XFilner (D) R R R R R R X XGallegly (R) W W W W W W W WGaramendi (D) R R R R R R R RHahn (D) i i i i i R R RHarman (D) R R X X i i i iHerger (R) W W W W W W W WHonda (D) R X R R R R R RHunter (R) W W W W W W W Wissa (R) W W W W W W W W

student loan interest rates for another year, because the bill would pay for it by eliminating a fund included in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that helps ensure women receive affordable and critical preventive healthcare like breast cancer and cervical cancer screenings, and helps community health centers provide child immunizations. Democrats proposed freezing the rate at 3.4 percent for a year and offsetting the nearly $6 billion cost by ending tax loopholes that benefit wealthy shareholders and corporations. H.R. 4628 passed in the House by a 215-195 vote on April 27, 2012. A no vote is a right vote.

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lee (D) R R R R R R R Rlewis, Jerry (R) W W W W W W W Wlofgren (D) R R R R R R R Rlungren (R) W W W W W W W WMatsui (D) R R R R R R R RMcCarthy, k. (R) W W W W W W W WMcClintock (R) W W W W W W W RMckeon (R) W W W W W W W WMcnerney (D) R R R R R R R RMiller, George (D) R R R R R R R RMiller, Gary (R) W W W W W W W Wnapolitano (D) R R R R R R R Rnunes (R) W W W W W W W XPelosi (D) R R R R R R X RRichardson (D) R R R R R R R RRohrabacher (R) W W W W W W W WRoybal-Allard (D) R R R R R R R RRoyce (R) W W W W W W W Wsánchez, linda (D) R R R R R R R Rsanchez, loretta (D) R R R R R R R Rschiff (D) R R R R R R R Rsherman (D) R R R R R R R Rspeier (D) R R R R R R R Rstark (D) R R R X R R R RThompson, M. (D) R R R R R R R RWaters (D) R X R R R R R RWaxman (D) R R R R R R R RWoolsey (D) R R R R R R R RColoRADoCoffman (R) W W W W W W W WDeGette (D) R R R R R R R RGardner (R) W W W W W W W Wlamborn (R) W W W W W W W RPerlmutter (D) R R R R R R R RPolis (D) R R R R R R R RTipton (R) W W W W W W W WConnECTiCuTCourtney (D) R R R R R R R RDelauro (D) R R R R R R R RHimes (D) R R R R R R R Rlarson, J. (D) R R R R R R R RMurphy, C. (D) R R R R R R R RGuAMBordallo (D) i i i i i i i iillinoisBiggert (R) W W R R W W W WCostello (D) R W R X R R R RDavis, D. (D) R R R R R R R RDold (R) W W R R W W W WGutierrez (D) R R R R R X R RHultgren (R) W W R R W W W WJackson, J. (D) R R R R R R X RJohnson, Timothy (R) W W R R W R W Wkinzinger (R) W W R R W W W Wlipinski (D) R W R R R R R WManzullo (R) W W W W W W W WQuigley (D) R W R R R R R RRoskam (R) W W R R W W W W

VOTE KEY:R Member’s position agrees with AFT positionW Member’s position disagrees with AFT positionX Member did not cast a yea or nay voteI Member was ineligible to voteP Member voted present

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Turner (R) W W R R W W W WoklAHoMABoren (D) W W R R R W R WCole (R) W W W W W W W Wlankford (R) W W W W W W W Wlucas (R) W W W W W W W Wsullivan (R) W W X W W W W WoREGonBlumenauer (D) R R R R R R R XBonamici (D) i i i i i i R RDeFazio (D) R R R R R R R Rschrader (D) R W R R R R R RWalden (R) W W R R W W W WWu (D) R R R R R i i iPEnnsYlVAniAAltmire (D) R W R R R R R RBarletta (R) W W R W W W W WBrady, R. (D) R R R R R R R RCritz (D) R R R R R R R RDent (R) W W R W W W W WDoyle (D) R R R R R R R RFattah (D) R R R R R R R RFitzpatrick (R) W W R R W W W WGerlach (R) W W R R W W W WHolden (D) R W R R R R R Xkelly (R) W W R R W W W WMarino (R) W W W W W W W XMeehan (R) W W R R W W W WMurphy, T. (R) W W R R W W W RPitts (R) W W W W W W W WPlatts (R) W W W W W W R Wschwartz (D) R R R R R R R Rshuster (R) W W X W W W W WThompson, G. (R) W W W W W W W WRHoDE islAnDCicilline (D) R R R R R R R Rlangevin (D) R R R R R R R RsouTH DAkoTAnoem (R) W W W W W W W WWAsHinGTonDicks (D) R R R R R R X RHastings, D. (R) W W W W W W W WHerrera Beutler (R) W W R W W W W Winslee (D) R R R R R R i ilarsen, R. (D) R R R R R R R RMcDermott (D) R R R R R R R RRodgers (R) W W W W W W W W

Reichert (R) W W R R X W W Wsmith, Adam (D) R R R R R R R RWisConsinBaldwin (D) R R R R R X R RDuffy (R) W W R W W W W Wkind (D) R R R R R R R RMoore (D) R R R R R R R RPetri (R) W W R R W W W WRibble (R) W W W W W W W WRyan, P. (R) W W R R W W W Wsensenbrenner (R) W W R W W W W W

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sires (D) R R R R R R R Xsmith, C. (R) W W R R W R W WnEW MEXiCoHeinrich (D) R R R R R R R Rluján (D) R R R R R R R RPearce (R) W W W W W W W WnEW YoRkAckerman (D) R R R R R R R RBishop, T. (D) R R R R R R R WBuerkle (R) W W W W W W W WClarke (D) R R R R R R R RCrowley (D) R R X R R R R REngel (D) R R R R R R R RGibson, C. (R) W W R R W W R WGrimm (R) W W R R W R W WHanna (R) W W R R W W W WHayworth (R) W W W W W W W WHiggins (D) R R R R R R R WHinchey (D) R X R R R R X RHochul (D) i i i i i R R Wisrael (D) R R R R R R R Rking, P. (R) W W R R W R W Wlee, C. (R) W W i i i i i ilowey (D) R R R R R R R RMaloney (D) R R R R R R R RMcCarthy, C. (D) R R R R R R R RMeeks, G. (D) R R R R X R X Rnadler (D) R R R R R R R Rowens (D) R R R R R R R WRangel (D) R R R R R R X XReed, T. (R) W W R W W W W Wserrano (D) R R R R R R R Rslaughter (D) R R R R R R R XTonko (D) R R R R R R R RTowns (D) R R R R R R R XTurner, B. (R) i i i i i W W WVelázquez (D) R R R R R R R RWeiner (D) R R R R R i i inoRTH DAkoTABerg (R) W W W W W W W WoHioAustria (R) W W W W W W W WBoehner (R) W X X X X X X WChabot (R) W W W W W W W WFudge (D) R R R R R R R RGibbs, B. (R) W W W W W W W WJohnson, B. (R) W W R W W W W WJordan (R) W W W W W W W Wkaptur (D) R X R R R R R Rkucinich (D) R R R R R R R RlaTourette (R) W W R R W R W Wlatta (R) W W W W W W W WRenacci (R) W W W W W W W WRyan, T. (D) R R R R R R R Rschmidt (R) W W W R W W W Wstivers (R) W W R R W W W Wsutton (D) R R R R R R R RTiberi (R) W W R R W W W W

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Tierney (D) R R R R R R R RTsongas (D) R R R R R R R RMiCHiGAnAmash (R) W W W W W W R RBenishek (R) W W W W W W W WCamp (R) W W R W W W W XClarke (D) R R R R R R R RConyers (D) R R R R R R R RDingell (D) R R R R R R R RHuizenga (R) W W W W W W W Rkildee (D) R R R R R R R Rlevin, s. (D) R R R R R R R RMcCotter (R) W W R R W W W WMiller, C. (R) W W R R W W W WPeters (D) R R R X R R R RRogers, Mike (R) W W R W W W W Wupton (R) W W W R W W W WWalberg (R) W W R W W W W RMinnEsoTABachmann (R) W W W W W X W WCravaack (R) W W R R W W W WEllison (D) R R R R R R R Rkline, J. (R) W W R W W W W WMcCollum (D) R R R X R R R RPaulsen (R) W W W W W W W WPeterson (D) R W R R R R R WWalz (D) R R R R R R R WMissouRiAkin (R) W W W W W W W WCarnahan (D) R R R R R R R RClay (D) R R R R R R R RCleaver (D) R R R R R R R REmerson (R) W X R R W W W WGraves, s. (R) W W R W W W W WHartzler (R) W W W W W W W Wlong (R) W W W W W W W Wluetkemeyer (R) W W W W W W W WMonTAnA

Rehberg (R) W W R R R W R WnEVADAAmodei (R) i i i i i W W WBerkley (D) R R R R R R R RHeck (R) W W R R W W W WnEW HAMPsHiREBass, C. (R) W W R W W W W WGuinta (R) W W W W W W W WnEW JERsEYAndrews (D) R R R R R R R RFrelinghuysen (R) W W W W W W W WGarrett (R) W W W W W W W RHolt (D) R R R R R R R Rlance (R) W W R R W W W WloBiondo (R) W W R R W R W WPallone (D) R R R R R R R RPascrell (D) R R R R R R R RPayne (D) R X R R R R i iRothman (D) R R R R R R R RRunyan (R) W W R R W R W W

ADVOCATE | OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2012 9

Senate Votes1. Repealing Healthcare Reform: Sen-

ate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) offered an amendment to S. 223, the FAA Air Transportation Mod-ernization and Safety Improvement Act, which would have repealed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). The ACA is an important law that expands access to affordable health insurance coverage to 32 million previously uninsured Americans (includ-ing young adults and children), lowers drug costs and provides consumer pro-tections. The amendment also would have repealed aid for community colleges and investments in Pell Grants. The amendment was rejected 47-51 on Feb. 2, 2011. A no vote is a right vote.

2. Davis-Bacon Wage Protections: Dur-ing consideration of the FAA reauthori-zation bill, S. 223, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) offered an amendment to ban the use of funds for the Davis-Bacon wage pro-tections. The Davis-Bacon Act provides that workers on public construction projects are paid a wage comparable to the local “prevailing wage” rate. Repealing Davis-Bacon would make it easier for contractors to low-ball bids and would undercut opportunities for skilled and trained workers. Sen. John Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) offered an amendment to table Sen. Paul’s amend-ment on Feb. 3, 2011, and the Rock-efeller amendment passed by a vote of 55-42. A yes vote is a right vote.

3. Funding for Medicare/Medicaid/Higher Education: This budget pro-posal for fiscal year 2012, which reflects the policies of Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), gave more to those who needed it the least and froze domestic spending at unrealistically low levels. This budget proposal would have slashed funding for Medicaid, privatized Medicare, and cut funding for critical education and social programs by $250 billion over the next 10 years. The Senate rejected the budget 40-57 on May 25, 2011. A no vote is a right vote.

4. American Jobs Act: To counter state budget cuts, President Obama pro-posed the American Jobs Act (AJA) to create as many as 2 million new jobs, prevent 280,000 teachers from being laid off and rehire other educators who had lost their jobs. It also extended unemployment insurance benefits

to 5 million jobless Americans and provided investments in infrastruc-ture repair. Republicans succeeded in blocking passage of the bill when a motion to end debate failed to get the necessary 60 votes on Oct. 11, 2011. The final vote on the AJA was 50-49. A yes vote is a right vote.

5. Teacher/First Responder Jobs: The Teachers and First Responders Back to Work Act provided $5 billion to keep thousands of police officers and fire-fighters on the job. It also included $30 billion to help school districts prevent 280,000 additional teacher layoffs next year, hire additional school staff, and/or rehire the tens of thousands of teachers and other school employees who lost their jobs during the past three years. Like the previous vote on the American Jobs Act, Republicans successfully blocked consideration of the bill when a Democratic effort to gain the 60 votes necessary to pro-ceed to the bill failed 50-50 on Oct. 20, 2011. A yes vote is a right vote.

6. Infrastructure/Jobs: On Nov. 3, 2011, the Senate considered a bill that would provide $50 billion for transporta-tion and infrastructure systems, plus $10 billion for a national infrastruc-ture bank to further support invest-ments. It was rejected by a vote of 51-40. A yes vote is a right vote.


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AlAskABegich (D) R R R R R RMurkowski (R) W R R W W WARizonAkyl (R) W W W W W WMcCain (R) W W W W W WCAliFoRniABoxer (D) R R R R R RFeinstein (D) R R R R R RColoRADoBennet (D) R R R R R Rudall, Mark (D) R R R R R RConnECTiCuTBlumenthal (D) R R R R R Rlieberman (i) X R R R W WillinoisDurbin (D) R R R R R Rkirk (R) W R W W W W

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inDiAnACoats (R) W W W W W Wlugar (R) W W W W W WkAnsAsMoran, Jerry (R) W W W W W WRoberts (R) W W X W W WkEnTuCkYMcConnell (R) W W W W W WPaul, Rand (R) W W R W W WMAinECollins (R) W W R W W Wsnowe (R) W W R W W WMARYlAnDCardin (D) R R R R R RMikulski (D) R R R R R RMAssACHusETTsBrown, scott (R) W W R W W Wkerry (D) R R R R R RMiCHiGAnlevin, C. (D) R R R R R Rstabenow (D) R R R R R RMinnEsoTAFranken (D) R R R R R Rklobuchar (D) R R R R R RMissouRiBlunt (R) W W W W W WMcCaskill (D) R R R R R RMonTAnABaucus, M. (D) R R R R R RTester (D) R R R W R RnEVADAEnsign (R) W W i i i iHeller (R) i i W W W WReid, H. (D) R R R W R RnEW HAMPsHiREAyotte (R) W W W W W Wshaheen (D) R R R R R RnEW JERsEYlautenberg (D) R R R R R RMenendez (D) R R R R R R

nEW MEXiCoBingaman (D) R R R R R Rudall, T. (D) R R R R R RnEW YoRkGillibrand (D) R R R R R Rschumer (D) R R X R R RnoRTH DAkoTAConrad (D) R R R R R RHoeven (R) W W W W W W



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oHioBrown, sherrod (D) R R R R R RPortman (R) W W W W W WoklAHoMACoburn (R) W X W X W Winhofe (R) W W W W W WoREGonMerkley (D) R R R R R RWyden (D) R R R R R RPEnnsYlVAniACasey (D) R R R R R RToomey (R) W W W W W WRHoDE islAnDReed, J. (D) R R R R R RWhitehouse (D) R R R R R RsouTH DAkoTAJohnson, Tim (D) R R R R R RThune (R) W W W W W WWisConsinJohnson, R. (R) W W W W W Wkohl (D) R R R R R R

AFT + is your advocate. For information on all AFT + programs, call 800-238-1133, ext. 8643, or e-mail [email protected]. The AFT has an expense reimbursement and/or endorsement arrangement for marketing this program. For more information, please contact AFT Finan-cial Services at 800-238-1133, ext. 4493; send an e-mail to [email protected]; or visit www.aft.org/benefits/disclosure.

MetLife Auto & Home is a brand of Metropolitan Property and Casualty Insurance Company and its affiliates: Metropolitan Casualty Insurance Company, Metropolitan Direct Property and Casualty Insurance Company, Metropolitan General Insurance Company, Metropolitan Group Property and Casualty Insurance Company, and Met-ropolitan Lloyds Insurance Company of Texas, all with administrative home offices in Warwick, R.I. Coverage, rates, and discounts are available in most states to those who qualify. Met P&C®, MetCasSM, and MetGenSM are licensed in state of Minnesota.

Your car and your home are likely the two biggest purchases you will make in a lifetime. To help you protect these valuable assets, the AFT has joined with MetLife to provide discounted group auto and home insurance.

GET MORE FROM MEMBERSHIP

aft.org/membersfor more information about this and other savings:

+ Auto & Home Insurance

AFT MEMBERS

keep it together for less.

KamaliKulture fashion collection is giving AFT members a 25 percent discount on all purchases, at kamalikulture.com.

Sales code: AFT2012.

CT Longtime AFT Connecticut president and AFT vice president

Sharon Palmer has been named Connecti-cut’s new labor commissioner. Palmer has led AFT Connecticut, the state’s second-largest teachers union, since 2003 and has been an executive officer of the state union since 1989. She was a member of the AFT executive council and served on the AFT Teachers program and policy council. Palmer successfully fought for a change in the law that expanded access to affordable healthcare by allowing municipalities, small businesses and nonprofits to participate in the state employee health plan.

“Sharon’s intelligence, passion, experi-ence and ability to find effective solu-tions to difficult challenges will serve all working people in Connecticut,” AFT president Randi Weingarten says.

IL After going on strike for the first time in 25 years, the Chicago Teach-

ers Union House of Delegates voted to suspend the one-week strike on Sept. 18, following an extensive discussion of the proposed tentative agreement. The full CTU membership then voted Oct. 4 to ratify the agreement negotiated between the union and Chicago Public Schools.

CTU president Karen Lewis and her leadership team “made clear that their

concerns go beyond wages and benefits to include all the

issues affecting their students’ education,” said AFT president Randi Weingarten.

This agreement guarantees that Chicago teachers, paraprofessionals and clini-cians will return to the classroom knowing that their schools and community are strengthened because their voices and experience have been respected,” said Weingarten. “And parents can send their kids to school knowing that their teach-ers fought for the resources children need to succeed, including having textbooks on time and investments in art, music, physical education and other subjects that expand and enrich children’s minds.”

WI A judge in Dane County, Wis., has struck down the main portions of

Gov. Scott Walker’s anti-union law, which stripped Wisconsin public employees of their right to collectively bargain. Judge Juan Colas ruled on Sept. 14 that Act 10—which Walker signed into law in March 2011—violated both the state constitu-tion and the U.S. Constitution because it infringes on employees’ rights to free speech, association and equal protection.

“This is a good day for Wisconsin’s work-ing people and the union movement,” says Stephanie Bloomingdale, secretary-treasur-er of the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO. “When workers choose to join together for mutual aid and protection, their employer should honor their choice, come to the table, and discuss wages and working conditions.”

The judge’s decision covers municipal and county workers. Walker has said he will appeal the decision, and some legal experts are predicting that the case will end up being resolved by the state Supreme Court.

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2012 | aDVOCaTE 11

AFT remembers longtime public employee leader Jim mcGarvey

WhEN ThE afT’s public employee division was in its

infancy, jim McGarvey was there to be a guiding hand. and when public employees and educators in Montana decided it was time to join forces under one umbrella, McGarvey helped engineer a merger of the afT-affiliated Montana federation of Teachers and the Montana Education association. McGarvey, a former afT vice president and the former head of the MfT, died aug. 28 at age 70.

“jim McGarvey was the consummate union organizer; he brought together all of the constituen-cies—teachers, school-support employees, higher education and healthcare professionals, and public employees—into the MEa-MfT,” said afT president Randi Weingarten. “he will be remembered as an activist who worked tirelessly on behalf of the people we serve, working families and our members.”

a native of Butte and a lifelong trade unionist, McGarvey said last year, “it has been 55 years since i joined my first labor union at the age of 14 in Butte.” he began his career as a high school teacher and became president of the Butte teachers union in the early 1970s.

McGarvey served as executive secretary of the Montana afL-CiO and helped unify the 6,500 members of the Montana federation of Teachers with the 9,500-member Montana Education as-sociation in 2000 to create the largest affiliate in the state afL-CiO.

“jim McGarvey grew the labor movement in this state for 40 years. Without him, there would be no MEa-MfT. his passing

represents the passing of an era, but i know he would want everyone to continue

his great work,” said MEa-MfT president and afT vice president Eric feaver.

McGarvey was elected to the afT executive council in 1976 and served as chair of the afT public Employ-ees program and policy council. “jim was there at the beginning of efforts to establish the afT’s public employee division and served as the ppC chair for more than 20 years,” noted afT public employee division director steve porter. “he was a strong advocate for organizing in every afT constituency and gave encouragement to leaders and organizers throughout the country.”

McGarvey is survived by his wife, suzanne, three children and several grandchildren.

McGarvey on the steps of the Montana state capitol in helena.

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THE AFT PUBLIC EMPLOYEES division has issued its annual “State Employee Compensation Survey,” and the good news is that the wages of jobs covered by a col-lective bargaining agreement are 35 percent higher than those of jobs not under such agreements. But before critics of collec-tive bargaining go too far with that factoid, which remains true year after year in most occupations, here’s the bad news: Private sector workers still make more money than public sector workers in comparable jobs, and the data for 2012 show that state em-ployee wages are not keeping up with the rate of inflation.

While the survey can serve as a guide, say AFT analysts, it is not possible to draw conclusions that stretch beyond the data, which include 45 benchmark jobs selected to broadly represent professional, scien-tific and related occupations found in state governments. data from 50 states and the district of Columbia are presented, based on pay rates and compensation plans in ef-fect as of March 1, 2012.

The average salary for the 45 jobs exam-ined in 2012 was $48,263—an increase of 0.2 percent from 2011’s average ($48,179). This $83 increase reflects the continuing effects of the recession on the public sector. Since 2009, AFT data show that real wages in the titles surveyed increased only 2.3 percent.

Even though the advantage of collective bargaining remains strong, jobs with col-lective bargaining contracts posted a 0.5 percent increase in 2012, compared with a 1.4 percent increase for non-collective bargaining jobs .

The pay difference between private sec-tor and public sector jobs also remains, with the advantage going to the private sector. In general, the differences between the private and public sectors do not allow for an easy “apples to apples” comparison. For instance, the public sector requires more professionals and knowledge workers to administer government programs and em-ploys fewer manual and service workers than do private firms. As a result, a straight-up comparison showing that public workers earn more on average largely reflects these compositional differences. When compar-ing public and private sector workers in the same or similar occupations, however, the results show workers in the private sector earn more.

The 13th edition of the AFT Public Employees “State Employee Compensa-tion Survey” can assist negotiators and administrators who are involved in setting wage rates for state employees. To see the complete survey, go to http://go.aft.org/PEcompsurvey12.

It pays to say union yesPublic employee salaries being hit by recession but collective bargaining a definite plus

2012Compensation Survey

private sector jobs with public sector matches

sOuRCE: BuREau Of LaBOR sTaTisTiCs, NaTiONaL COMpENsaTiON suRVEy, upDaTED TO MaRCh 1, 2012, aND 2012 afT COMpENsaTiON suRVEy.

OCCUPATIONPrivate Sector / Public Sector

AVERAGE ANNUAL SALARYPrivate / Public

Lawyer / Attorney $123,166 / $68,894

Geoscientist / Geologist $86,427 / $51,451

Chemist / Chemist $75,850 / $47,873

Purchasing Agent / Buyer $68,603 / $43,247

Environmental Engineer /Environmental Engineer $83,546 / $57,826

Librarian / Librarian $61,098 / $48,256

Accountant & Auditor / Accountant $64,142 / $46,320

Computer Systems Analyst /Systems Analyst $86,486 / $63,815

Financial Examiner /Financial Examiner $69,134 / $52,644

Economist / Economist $80,430 / $56,548

Comparing Apples to Apples

public employee advocate - aft

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