Negotiations Committee 2027-2029

Welcome to the Negotiations Committee page! Your Local President moved forward and created a Negotiations Committee so that the membership would be informed and aware of all ongoings pertaining to Negotiations. Committee members for this Local will consist of ALL elected Negotiation Delegates, Local President, Vice President (acting as alternate for President in case of absence), and Presidentially selected Chair of Negotiations Committee.

The Local members that were nominated during the August meeting were then carefully selected by your E-Board and approved through the motion process. These members were then informed in writing or by electronic notification by the Local President. Those that have expressed interest into being on the Masters/Supplemental teams or both will be placed on a secret ballot and voted into Delegate positions during our November meeting. Please review the Meeting Minutes for all motions pertaining to Negotiations. Your E-Board has also proposed Negotiations training for your elected Delegates to ensure a full transfer of knowledge on what to expect during Negotiations. See your meeting minutes for all motions pertaining to this training event.

This page was created as a way to keep our Membership informed and up to date on Negotiations. Keeping the membership informed with transparency of the good, the bad, and sometimes the ugly is a high priority for your E-Board. Now with all that being said let's get into the basics of Negotiations.

Negotiations Delegate

Duties and Responsibilities

Local Union members are encouraged to support those candidates who express a willingness to participate in contract campaign activities. Campaign activities are a demonstration of our strength and will provide ground for the Master Negotiations Team. Contract campaign activities may include (but not limited to) flyer distribution, campaign buttons, informational pickets, rallies, picnics, communication within the community groups, member (including one on one communications) and PEOPLE recruitment, talking to legislators and asking others to get involved.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities of Negotiations Delegates

Attend Negotiations Assembly meetings; discussion about next steps and action items will be provided
Deliberate and decide within the unit caucus which proposals will move forward to the unit Master Team
Elect the Master Team out of the bargaining unit caucus
Attend other assembly meetings as required by the Master Team, including those where the assembly authorizes acceptance or rejection of agreements
Delegates are the communication link in the workplace. Distribute informational flyers in person to union members and workplace contacts and participate in any and all contract campaign activities
Attend Local Union meetings to report on activities/conversations with co-workers regarding contract campaign activities

DUE TO COST/BUDGET concerns Local 1092 has opted to utilize the Local's webpage as a way to reach ALL OF OUR MEMBERS!! So stay tuned for the "Negotiations 2027-2029 Updates" tab located under the "Up and Coming" Menu tab.

Negotiations Assembly

The assembly shall be composed of delegates from Local Unions to be elected by the Locals on the following basis:

From each bargaining unit under the jurisdiction of local, the local is entitled to one (1) Delegate for each fifty (50) members or major fraction thereof (i.e. 1-74 = 1 Delegate, 75 - 124 = 2 Delegates ect.) Delegates must be members of the bargaining unit they are to represent and are to be elected by Local members from the same bargaining unit. Delegates shall be elected by December 6th, 2026. This is why there will be a vote held during our November meeting and all forms will be completed at that meeting.

Representation for the Negotiations Assembly will be determined by the total number of members in the C5 (Council 5) database as of April 2026. The database includes all employees for whom a payroll deduction was taken, plus all employees on leave of absence, a layoff or a contested disciplinary action. What this means is that paying members have the right to vote and will be able to be Delegates. Non-paying members strongly effect the strength of the Negotiations due to not having the right to vote and will not be counted towards the number of members for their designated bargaining unit.

Those total number of members per C5 database are:

Unit 2 member totals = 14 members = 1 delegate

Unit 3 member totals = 16 members = 1 delegate

Unit 4 member totals = 270 members = 5 delegates

Unit 6 member totals = 27 members = 1 delegate

Unit 7 member totals = 7 members = 1 delegate

You might be wondering... What this database means? This means that your Local has 9 slots for members to be delegates to the Negotiations Assembly 2027-2029.

You might have heard about Unit 8 from other members. Unit 8 is comprised of DOC and your Local does not fall under DOC because we are not Corrections. Might be similar be we are not the same. Unit 8 also negotiates seperately and after your negotiations has completed.

The assembly shall convene on 1/22/27 (January Assembly). The assembly will meet again on 3/19/27 (March Assembly).

A registration fee shall be charged for all Assemblies to sufficiently cover the costs of any mechanism to successfully host the assembly.

MASTER COMMITTEE (MC):

There shall be a SINGLE Master Committee for ALL FIVE (5) NON-ESSENTIAL BARGAINING UNITS. It shall be composed of members elected from the delegates from each bargaining unit on the following basis:

One (1) Master Committee member for each 1000 members, or majority fraction thereof. (i.e. 1 - 1499 = 1 member, 1500 - 2499 = 2 members ect.) However, no Unit shall have less than three (3) Master Committee members.

The President of the State Employee Policy Committee (SEPC) shall be a member of the Master Committee, the Vice President of the State Employee Policy Committee (SEPC) shall be designated as the alternate in the absence of the President.

Elections to the Master Committee shall be by a majority vote of the delegates from that bargaining unit. Each delegate may cast one vote. Each Unit shall also elect a chair for their committee. The chair position may be filled by direct election by the unit caucus prior to the election of the other committee members, by election by the unit caucus from among those elected to be committee members, or by vote of the committee members only. Elections will take place on 1/22/27.

Bargaining Structure for Unit 2, 3, 4, 6 & 7

MC shall be composed as follows (TBD with the May 2026 numbers):

Unit 2 - Craft: Minimum Three (3) Master Committee members, no more than one (1) of whom can be from the same department, unless the unit is unable to fill its delegation.

Unit 3 - Service: Minimum Three (3) Master Committee members, no more than one (1) of whom can be the same department, unless the unit is unable to fill its delegation.

Unit 4 - Health Care: Minimum Three (3) Master Committee members, no more than two (2) of whom can be from the same department, unless the unit is unable to fill its delegation.

Unit 6: Office and Clerical: Minimum Three (3) Master Committee members, no more than two (2) of whom can be from the same department, unless the unit is unable to fill its delegation.

Unit 7 Technical: Minimum Three (3) Master Committee members, no more than two (2) of whom can be from the same department, unless the unit is unable to fill its delegation.

The Council shall pay lost-time and expenses for ALL members of the Master Committee. Payment begins at the first meeting of the MC. The MC members from the 2027-2029 negotiations team are NOT on Council lost-time and expenses for the January Negotiations Assembly meetings. What this means is if you are just a delegate to the event, you are not considered for the Council's lost-time and expenses. Council will only cover lost-time and expenses for those that were elected to the MC.

Contract Proposals

Proposals MUST BE submitted to the Council by September 1st, 2026. Proposals submitted after this date MAY NOT be accepted. Proposals shall be submitted through the respective Locals and must be adopted by a majority vote at a Local Union meeting! Your Local holds the meeting in August. Put it in your calendar to attend the August meeting and help vote on proposals that WILL EFFECT YOUR CONTRACT. Each proposal shall have an explanation or rationale for the proposal. Proposals which are submitted without such explanation, or without local approval, WILL NOT be submitted to the Negotiations Assembly. Additionally, proposals that are NOT LEGAL will be routed back to the respective Local(s).

Proposals that are intended to resolve the specific problem of one department or agency should be submitted as supplemental proposals (for example, most hours of work or overtime distribution problems). Proposals that are intended to resolve problems specific to a single bargaining unit should be flagged as a unit specific issue (for example, the proposal comes from only one bargaining unit in your Local to solve problems specific to that bargaining unit).

Delegates shall receive proposals at least one (1) week in advance of the first Negotiations Assembly. Delegates shall receive a copy of the recommended consensus proposal at least one (1) week prior to the March Assembly meeting.

What does each part of Negotiations do during Assembly?

Negotiations Assembly (NA): The NA approves the contract proposals as developed by the MC and the Bargaining Unit Caucus. It will approve a Statement of Bargaining Priorities at its March meeting. The Assembly also approves final contract language for membership ratification or recommends rejection of the tentative agreement or final employer offer. At the NA held to review a tentative agreement or request a strike vote, ALL delegates shall receive a copy of ALL changed language, copies of all Negotiator's Reports, a detailed summary of all changes, and if a tentative agreement has NOT BEEN REACHED, a detailed summary of all items in dispute.

Bargaining Unit Caucus (BUC): The Unit Caucuses elect MC members, develop unit proposals and reconvene, when necessary, and as determined by the Unit MC members, for adviceand counsel. The January Unit Caucus shall also adopt a list of bargaining proprieties for their unit.

Master Committee (MC): The MC shall develop a consensus recommendation and a proposed Statement of Bargaining Priorities for presentation to the March Assembly, and then negotiate on ALL issues to obtain the best possible Contract Agreement, and reach a tentative agreement or declare that the Team has reached an impasse. The MC shall have the power to refer to specific issues to Department Supplemental Committee (DSC) or to Unit Committee (UC). The full MC will convene to review Unit actions on ALL issues. The MC shall also adopt a Statement of Bargaining Priorities.

Voting on MC shall be one (1) vote for each bargaining unit master committee member present. The SEPC Chair Officers have a voice but NO vote on the MC.

Executive Board (E-Board): The E-Board of SEPC shall establish ground rules for bargaining and ratification. The E-Board has the specific power to call a strike, following a strike authorization vote, and to order a return to work from a strike. Now keep this in the back of your mind... a ratification vote or strike vote shall not begin sooner than seven (7) days AFTER the final Assembly. The E-Board shall approve the specifics of the ratification procedure, including mail ballot voting. This procedure shall ensure that ratification times and specific polling locations take into consideration the hours of work of all members in the geographical areas. There shall be a single ratification vote and single ballot for Units 2, 3, 4, 6, & 7.

*** THE "WAGE PACKAGE" IS TO BE DETERMINED BY THE MC!!***

Inequity Proposals: Inequity proposals is as defined an instance of injustice or unfairness. For our purposes, this means a different wage scale for the same classification within and/or outside the public employer. Inequity proposals MUST be accompanied by their justification and/or rationale, or the WILL NOT move forward in negotiations. Locals submitting inequity proposals shall also identify member/s that can speak to the issue/s presented in the inequity proposal. The MC may request a member to come to the negotiations when the inequity proposal is presented to the employer.

Local 1092 DID NOT submit ANY inequity proposals for the 2027-2029 Contract.

You might be wondering about Supplemental Committee...

Departmental Supplemental Committee (SC)

The Council will pay lost-time for the following number of members of SC. Policy Committees and Local Unions may establish larger committees but are responsible for lost-time for extra members. Policy Committee/Local Unions shall be responsible for expenses for SP.

5 MEMBERS: Department of Transportation (DOT), Department of Human Services (DHS), Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Department of Corrections (DOC), Department of MN State (MnState), and Vets
3 MEMBERS: ALL other agencies
1 MEMBER: Individual Local Unions in multi-local policy committees (ie a committee consisting of DHS, Corrections, MnState Local)

The MC may appoint a MC member to each SC. All SCs serve at the discretion of the MC and all tentative agreements must be approved by the MC.

Multi-local (DOT, DHS, DOC, DNR, MnState, Vets) SC shall be elected at the January Assembly by the delegates from the appropriate Local/Policy Committee.

All other SC shall be elected at a regular or special local meeting by December 6th, 2026, due date.

Single local supplemental proposals shall be adopted by Local Unions by October 1st, 2026. DOT, DHS, DOC, DNR, Vets, MnState supplemental proposals shall be adopted on (TBD) at the conclusion of the Master Assembly.

You might be wondering what about using a contract lawyer? While that seems like a great idea when placed in action it actually causes more problems than it solves. Contract Lawyers argue contract, which means they only understand contract language as pertaining to state law. This means they focus on the language too much and spend too much time arguing the language when we are in fact also effected by policies within our perspective Facilities. This causes Local Unions to go without a contract or are stuck in limbo for potentially years without an Agreement. AFSCME Council 5 has published an account in 2021 State Employee Negotiations describes a bargaining team that negotiated a tentative agreement covering more than 18,000 state employees. While this confirms a formal union bargaining team, this account alone does not establish that an outside attorney participated. That's because there are Union Locals comprised of attorneys that can be used during negotiations for counsel/advice.

Hiring an attorney also gives the employer the right to do the same. This is where the pitfall happens. Imagine both sides of the table with attorneys just arguing over the language/wording in the proposal. Nothing would move forward and an agreement/tentative agreement would be left in the wind. We prefer OUR members to remain central to the negotiations while an attorney supplies specialized legal and strategic support behind the scenes.

Hopefully, this run through has explained or answered some questions you might have concerning negotiations. If you still have questions, please feel free to contact the C5 Field Rep Eric Jacobson and Local 1092 Negotiations Committee Chair Jessica Langhorst.