I think you are missing Timo's point, that when you are hired at MSU you are told that you need to sign an APA union membership card and it will cost you $54 (now $60) or not become a member BUT you still pay the exact same amount of $54 dollars (now $60). Could you imagine the kind of ruckus it would cause if they pulled the same thing with parking. As in you are told that you either get a parking permit for X dollars or you don't get a parking permit but still pay X dollars for parking anyway. Now most people need and do purchase parking permits, but most would also be offended that they were being forced into paying for something with no choice whatsoever.
Add to this that most of the APA dues go to the MEA, which is a teacher's union. That million dollars means a lot to us, but it's probably a pittance to the MEA. So the fact that the MEA is a big union means very little, especially when their main goal is to support/defend teachers and the amount of money we send them is such a small part of their budget.
Also the "And get involved..." mantra is a little annoying, because many people already have been forced into being a member of the APA when they don't want to and you're telling them that they need to now give up more of their personal, non-work time to keep tabs on that union.
PS: Wasn't the APA just in trouble for trying to use union dues to defend itself against it's own union members? sounds like a great benefit to me.
Stephen Bogdanski
Network Services
College of Veterinary Medicine
Michigan State University
>>> Linda Losik <[log in to unmask]> 10/7/2008 1:08 PM >>>
Yes, especially what has happened with some units on campus...the union
will come in to resolve issues which include improper terminations,
managers violating the AUP, etc. Please don't think that without a
union that we would have the same benefits we now enjoy or job security
or pay grades.
And get involved; this is the best way to keep informed.
Linda
From: MSU Network Administrators Group [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of Vasquez, Timo
Sent: Tuesday, October 07, 2008 9:06 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [MSUNAG] APA raise
Representation via voting, attending meetings, reading minutes, and
gathering for informational would be ideal to keep all of the APA
members abreast of changes and upcoming requests. It is hard to just
accept whatever changes occur when they occur and more dues to cover
more.... What... expenses?
Somebody in the upper echelon of our union knows exactly what the raise
breaks down into down to the penny; I was told when hired that filling
out the union card meant I am an active due paying member that can vote,
if I didn't fill out the card - dues were still coming out because the
APA is where my job belongs.
I shouldn't have to feel forced to be grateful we have union
representation, and I shouldn't have to be reminded all the MEA does for
me as a member. Does anyone else feel that this is the message around
here. "just be glad you even have a union looking out for your well
being..."
Timoteo "Timo" Vasquez - AIS
Departmental Systems and Services
[log in to unmask] - 353.4420 Ext.249
Michigan State University
2 Administration Building
East Lansing, MI 48824-1046
From: MSU Network Administrators Group [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of Troy D Murray
Sent: Monday, October 06, 2008 4:58 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [MSUNAG] APA raise
George,
Your probably right, I just don't care for it when I don't have the
option to decide if I want those things. Perhaps if the option was
available, those things we don't normally see would be clearly seen.
-t
On Oct 5, 2008, at 1:24 PM, George Haddad wrote:
I would bet that there IS a lot that the MEA does for us that we do not
normally see. And in unions, having an affiliation with a LARGE one is
USUALLY to one's advantage.
Bosman, Don wrote:
We currently pay $54.00 per month. "Commencing with the October 31
paycheck, dues will need to be accessed at a flat rate fee of
$60.00 per
month for each FTE"... page 1
There is a lot of MEA provides this and that and several other
things in
the newsletter which conveniently overlooks the fact that MEA
actually
gives us nothing. APA members will now be paying the MEA over a
million
dollars a year.
Don
-----Original Message-----
From: MSU Network Administrators Group
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of David McFarlane
Sent: Friday, October 03, 2008 5:09 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [MSUNAG] APA raise
Matt,
I know that this is a IT list but most of you are APA
members and I just got my special edition of the APA newsletter and
could not believe what I was reading. They want to increase our dues $72
per
year.
Sorry, I don't know where I put my APA newsletter, so I can't
look this up myself: So, we will have to pay $6/month more than we do
now? What are the current monthly dues, and what will the monthly dues
be after the increase?
Thanks,
-- dkm
--
Troy Murray
Systems/Database Administrator
Michigan State University
Biomedical Research Informatics Core (BRIC)
100 Conrad Hall
East Lansing, MI 48824
Phone: 517-432-4248
Fax: 517-353-9420
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
AOL IM: troymurray72
MSN IM: [log in to unmask]
Yahoo! IM: [log in to unmask]
GTalk\Jabber: [log in to unmask]
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