April 25, 2013 Quarterly Meeting Minutes

AFGE Local 2718 Quarterly Meeting of the Membership

Minutes April 25, 2013 12:30 p.m., 101 W. Congress Pkwy., Chicago, IL

MEETING CALLED BY: President Andre Jones

TYPE OF MEETING: Quarterly Membership Meeting

NOTE TAKER: Brenda Treml

ATTENDEES: President Andre Jones via teleconference, Secretary Brenda Treml, Treasurer Bruce Allen, Amy Stern, Michelle Gilewicz, Carlos Torres, Maura Fennelley, Anne Jamison, Maribel Martinez, and the following members via teleconference: Ann Marie Awori, Suzanne Canady, Kari Marker, Joe Barczyk.

Opening

Call to Order at 12:34 p.m.

Reading of the Previous Minutes

Waived.

Treasurer's Report

• As of today, we have $53,750.17 in the money market account, and $20,039.04 in the checking account.
• Since the last meeting, we have purchased a laptop computer along with Quickbooks Pro, and income tax software for a total of $754.00, well under budget.
• President Andre Jones attended the Legislative Conference. The costs were: $1161.00 for hotel, $299.80 for airfare, $74.00 for airport shuttle, for a total of $1535.00. There will also be a reimbursement for per diem which has not yet cleared.
• Deposits made to the accounts totaled $982.55. This includes a $500 reimbursement from the CIS Council for Andre attending the national elections. The remaining amount was from people paying into dues.
• There were no comments or questions on the budget.

ICE Report

Vice President Michael Ortiz was unable to attend the meeting. President Andre Jones outlined the sequestration effects on ICE:

• Shift Changes. ICE added 2 shift and has not given the union the requested information.
• The union has received a 9a notice about the travel wheel.

Agenda Items

USCIS Mileage Reimbursement

• Some employees are receiving more mileage reimbursement that others for travel. Some employees receive 23 cents per mile, while others receive 57 cents. Willie Mae Kelsey explained that the higher reimbursements were a mistake, but that no one would be required to pay back the difference. This issue will be on the next Labor/Management Forum agenda.

D14 Local Supplemental Agreement

• The agreement is final and went into effect on April 8, 2013. Management is proposing that training be conducted during the last 3 weeks of May. The union has suggested that all training occur during the week of May 13, rather than drawing it out for 3 weeks. This way, all employees could begin MaxiFlex at the beginning of June. We are awaiting management's response.

Asylum Office Local Supplemental Agreement

• Negotiations continue with the next meeting on May 2, 2013. The main subject of contention is flex time.

USCIS's Hiring Military Members

• D14 Management has stated that USCIS has made hiring veterans a priority. AFGE's position is that being a military member should not be the only hiring criteria used.

New Women's and Fair Practice Coordinator

• Maura Fennelley has been appointed and will be going to training. She will deal with EEO issues so anyone with those issues or questions should see Maura.

Questions from Attendees:

• Does telework (agreed upon in the new LSA) include ISO-2s?
  • Yes. Management has identified job functions available for telework, and many of these are job functions that ISO-2s can do.

• Will the union and management re-visit the scheduling of interviews in the afternoon?
  • We do not know, because across the nation offices interview cases in the afternoon. Many offices schedule 3 interviews after 1:00, and HQ management was wondering why Chicago wasn't doing the same. Milwaukee officers interview 4 N-400s in the afternoon.

LSA Celebration

• The union will sponsor a get-together to celebrate the D14 LSA taking effect. This was a long hard battle, and we emerged victorious!

The meeting was adjourned at 1:33 p.m.