Office and Professional Employees International Union      LOCAL 35  AFL-CIO

Local 35 is a part of the Office & Professional Employees International Union.  The International Union has a highly trained and motivated staff available to assist the Local Unions.  This Local Union has the ability to draw on the resources of the International Union, which has not only the trained staff, but also resources, including modern technology and research departments.

Local 35 is run for and by its members.  Officers and Board members are elected in each even numbered year.  Our Executive Board consists of the President, Vice President, Secretary-Treasurer, Recording Secretary, Sergeant at Arms, Trustees and Board members from each of the bargaining units.  As a member of Local 35 you will be eligible to participate in those elections.  Your collective bargaining agreement is administered by one of two business representatives employed by the Local Union.  You also have departmental stewards within your company.  Should you have any questions or problems, you should first contact your departmental Steward.

  Local 35 holds four regular membership meetings per year in the months of November, January, March and September.  As a member, you will receive advance notice of those meetings.  These meetings are important and as a member, you are encouraged to come and participate in the affairs of your Local Union.

Without a legally binding contract, the law allows an employer to fire you for most any reason, or change your wages or hours without your consent.  Without a union contract, there are few restrictions set by law regarding what the employer can do.  With your contract, there is a legally binding agreement that is enforceable.

As an employee represented by OPEIU, Local 35, you can enjoy all the benefits of your contract.  Your contract establishes your wages, hours, benefits and working conditions.  And, your contract does much more

• Your Contract protects your seniority which will become increasingly more important to you the longer you are working for this employer;  

• Your Contract prohibits discipline or discharge by your employer, except for just cause, once you have completed your probationary period;

• Your Contract provides for vacations paid for by your Employer and negotiated by the Union;

• Your Contract provides for health and pension benefits through your employer and negotiated by your Union;  

• Your Contract establishes a grievance procedure with binding arbitration to take up and resolve your complaints in a way that gets results; and,   

• Your Contract provides many more benefits, all of which are detailed in the written labor agreement and negotiated by your Local Union.

In addition to the specific benefits of your union contract, when you become a member of Local 35, you will be able to:

FULLY PARTICIPATE in the development of contract proposals, elections of Officers and Board Members, union activities; and

 BENEFIT from other programs such as discount cards; discount coupons and other services available only to Union members and their families, such as the OPEIU Scholarship Awards.

When you become a member of Local 35, we hope that you will take advantage of your membership and become an active, involved member.  Strong, active and informed members are essential to the strength of Local 35.  In the long run, your participation will benefit both you and your co-workers by helping the Union to gain improved benefits and working conditions.

Your Union contract will entitle you to the use of specific procedures and assistance should you have a complaint/grievance about promotions (or lack thereof), job description, salary, working conditions or other job-related areas.

How can a Steward help?

Local 35 members elect the Stewards.  The Steward’s role is to work with you and management to resolve your problem.  Sometimes this can be done through informal meetings without filing a grievance.  Other times, a grievance is necessary to resolve the problem. 

Your Steward may present your grievance to your supervisor.  If the problem is not resolved at that stage, the grievance can be appealed.  If there still is no resolution to the problem, the grievance can be presented to an arbitrator who is an impartial third party.  In an arbitration hearing, both the Employer and the Union have the opportunity to present their case.  The arbitrator issues his/her decision based on the facts of the case and our contract.

Whenever you are called into a meeting by your supervisor to investigate a problem that could result in disciplinary action, it’s important that you request that a steward to be present.  You have a legal right to have a steward there to protect your rights and insure that you are not disciplined unjustly.

CONTRACTS

Do we have a say in our contract?

YES!  Union members decide what goes into their contract.  Members are surveyed, contacted and encouraged to attend meetings to develop proposals for negotiating their contract.  This is your union and only you as members can decide what will be presented to management at the bargaining table.

Who negotiates our contract?

Who is Local 35?

Local 35 is made up of people just like yourself, from the Foundation of Employee Benefits, Northwestern Mutual, Miller Brewing, Milwaukee County Transit, the City of Wauwatosa and Waukesha, Ozaukee County and Ladish. Local 35 is a democratically run organization owned and operated by its members. The members elect the Officers and the Executive Board.

Through Local 35, you have the unique opportunity to:

• Democratically determine bargaining priorities such as wages, benefits & work rules.  
• Follow a predetermined grievance process, which guarantees that your contract is upheld and your rights are protected.
• Run for union office and elect OPEIU leaders from among your peers to negotiate contracts and represent your concerns with management.
• Communicate with other office, technical and professional employees about issues of common concern.             

Your participation is crucial to the future of the organization and of your profession. Your input is necessary and always welcome.

What is the Executive Board?

The Executive Board consists of members elected by the membership from the membership to serve and conduct the affairs of the Union in the intervals between general membership meetings. It is empowered to authorize and perform all acts for the conduct of the Union's business between such membership meetings.*

Who can be on the Executive Board?

Any member in good standing (for a period of at least 12 months immediately proceeding the month in which the election takes place) can run for the Executive Board. Local 35 has elections each even numbered year.

*The membership employs two (2) full-time representatives and one (1) part-time administrative assistant to support the membership in the daily business of your Union.