Issues

2012 Team MAPE GRC Legislative Core Priorities:

• MAPE opposes legislation and constitutional amendments that would harm working people and their families.
• MAPE supports the rights of all workers to organize labor unions, bargain collectively and earn fair wages and benefits. 
• MAPE supportsequitable compensation and respectful treatment of all state employees.
• MAPE opposes any efforts to eliminate or reduce state employee retirement and pension benefits.
• MAPE supports efforts to provide sustainable resources for state government operations.

2012 Team MAPE GRC Legislative Positions:

MAPE opposes legislation and constitutional amendments that would harm working people and their families.

• We oppose legislation and constitutional amendments making it more difficult to organize and maintain labor unions.
• We oppose legislation and constitutional amendments limiting the ability to raise public revenue.
• We oppose legislation and constitutional amendments banning marriage equality.
• We oppose legislation and constitutional amendments which would disenfranchise voters.

MAPE supports the rights of all workers to organize labor unions, bargain collectively and earn fair wages and benefits. 

• We support the right of all workers to organize and bargain collectively.
• We believe all workers have a right to earn a living wage. 
• We support the creation of a single-payer, universal health care system.
• We oppose proposals to decrease workers’ compensation benefits. 
• We oppose legislation that removes funds from dislocated worker programs.
• We believe labor unions should have the same right as other political contributors to participate in the political process through the use of payroll deductions.

MAPE supports equitable compensation and respectful treatment of all state employees.

• We support the preservation and strengthening of the Public Employees Labor Relations Act (PELRA) and oppose the use of professional employees in unclassified service.
• We support legislation that would automatically approve state labor contracts if the legislature fails to act on them by the adjournment date.
• We support legislation that would adjust pay rates based on current research and data.
• We support affirmative action emphasizing increased recruitment, greater attention to retaining minority employees and the elimination of barriers to diversifying our workforce. 
• We oppose the creation of health savings accounts within State Employee Group Insurance Program.
• We support whistleblower legislation designed to protect state employees as they are going about their official duties.
• We support the right of state employees to run for public office.

MAPE opposes any efforts to eliminate or reduce state employee retirement and pension benefits.

• We support the continuation of our defined benefit pension plan. We oppose any attempt to switch to a defined contribution plan.
• We support matching proportional pension plan contribution rate increases.
• We support early retirement incentives including financial incentives, health insurance incentives and the use of funds to purchase years of service toward retirement.
• We support efforts to fully fund retirement plans.
• We oppose the use of state pension funds for any purpose beyond pensions.

MAPE supports efforts to provide sustainable resources for state government operations.

• We support progressive taxation policies that include asking the wealthy to pay their fair share. 
• We support staffing levels that ensure high quality state services.
• We oppose privatization, outsourcing and contracting of state services.
• We support strategic succession planning including staff and leadership development.
• We support utilizing all available resources to minimize health care costs and expand coverage.
• We support energy conservation measures and other green initiatives.  
• We support the retention of public data for institutional history purposes.
• We support fair and transparent accounting principles.