& other issues in front of co-workers.

None of these practices represent State policy. But until CPCP workers united, and refused to give in, they were enforced with strictness, making staff endure what many state employees would consider unthinkable.

In the beginning, in fact, only five CPCP employees would stand up to such acts. But slowly, and steadily, the majority of employees in the division started to see and understand that management was punishing, being excessive and plain wrong.

Today, all that has changed, and it is due to MATs taking action.

"Management acquiesced to every demand brought forth by our brothers and sisters," said Sand. "The momentum has changed. The power moved from their hands to the hands of our brothers and sisters because they dared to take a stand, and to stand together. We celebrate the power of solidarity today!"

Together, we are stronger!

Why HHS employees in the Omaha office were expected to remain in their building while the mold in the basement grew exponentially across the walls is a serious question. But when efforts were finally made to clean the mold, even more curious was the fact that employees were left to breathe heavy bleach and chemical fumes until the level of complaints reached the high decibels.

Facing no response, the MAT team took action. They met personally with supervisors to discuss the problem. Then, on April 30th, two- thirds of the employees at the 1821

N. 73rd Street office signed a letter to administrators calling for a policy that protects employee health during the cleaning process.

Staff demanded air quality checks, a ventilation review, and timely notice when chemical agents are being used in the building. And they asked for clear directions about what employees are expected to do.

"People had complained a lot about being ill. And nothing happened," says Julie Dake-Abel, a Developmental Disabilities Coordinator and a member of the NAPE/AFSCME Member Action Team at the work site. "It wasn't until one person became very sick that they told us to leave the building if we could work elsewhere. But not all supervisors knew what to do or say. People were told different things."

Many staff in her office are able to work away from the building since they often spend nearly half of their time in the field, says Dake Abel. But most simply didn't know what to do: come in, stay away, or take leave?

Finally, the office was closed for a day for cleaning. "Still, we had nothing in writing. We were told only that the office was closed," says Dake Able.

The nearby Dolllar Store had no problem figuring out what to do; it shut down for a day as soon as its managers learned about the weekend cleaning. The store was concerned about the effect of fumes on employees and customers.

During a June 23rd steward meeting, managers announced that a policy would be forthcoming: it prohibits all spraying, cleaning and other potentially hazardous work during office hours. Air quality has been checked and found to be superior. And employees were given leave for time they had to stay away due to the cleaning.

Clearly, the action succeeded. "We will continue to work at this to protect employees," says Dake Abel.

"There are between 50 and 55 staff at the office. When 37 people demand change, they're saying there is something seriously wrong at work and they mean it." Now, says Dake Abel, more HHS staff are joining their MAT Action Team. "We’re getting results. We’re acting together to make change happen.

"The response is good. Management says it is ready to follow an entirely new health policy." -- Julie Dake Abel, DD Coordinator, below.

Calling your Senator. Writing the newspaper. Participating in Lobby Day. Attending in-district legislative meetings. Testifying before Unicameral committees.

NAPE/AFSCME members took action against budget proposals that would have slashed spending, cut services and eliminated jobs. Action that forced the Unicameral to balance the budget by raising revenues rather than by just reducing spending. Action that united the Unicameral in defeating Governor Johanns' 10% across the board cuts. Action that resulted in the override of his budget veto.

NAPE/AFSCME members forged a 2003 Legislative Agenda calling for a budget that cared for Nebraska. It stressed the need for a balanced approach to the budget shortfall that didn't rely solely on service cuts. It outlined a plan to raise revenues and make taxes fairer. It recognized that the State, having already slashed $403 million in spending since October 2001, could not continue cutting without eliminating the critical services that Nebraskans expect and that NAPE/AFSCME members provide. "We knew the economy was bad," said Direct Care Specialist Tammy Welch of the Grand Island Veterans Home, "but we didn't want to see our patients pay the price. They deserve better."

Balance is what NAPE/AFSCME members wanted. Balance is what the Unicameral delivered. For every dollar of spending cuts included in the new budget, there is nearly a dollar of additional revenue. As a result, the number of anticipated layoffs was reduced by 76%. Not too bad for a state with the tenth largest budget deficit in the United States.

Perhaps most importantly, NAPE/AFSCME's Master Contract was fully funded for the next two years. Salary increases will cost the State over $10 million while health insurance improvements will cost over $17 million. This is despite $400 million being cut from the budget for the next biennium.

NAPE/AFSCME's legislative success is impressive considering what's happening across the country. In Maryland, the legislature has refused to fund pay

raises for 2003 agreed to by the former governor. Ohio won’t pay salary increases until December 2004. Layoffs have become the easy fix for budget deficits in many states, with over 60,000 public sector layoffs last April alone.

Many state employee challenges remain ahead, including: the potential closing of Lincoln Correctional Center, consolidation of the regional care centers and elimination of our collective bargaining rights. Governor Johanns and the Unicameral want to undue 30 years of progress contained in the Master Contract. These are hard-fought victories, won by generations of NAPE/AFSCME members.

Members drive NAPE/AFSCME’s legislative agenda. Members must remain active for success to continue. Members must also involve co-workers and recruit new members if NAPE/AFSCME is to stay strong in our fight for state employees rights. "Our strength is in our numbers," says Corporal Geoff Davis of the Lincoln Correctional Center, "More members means more respect and better contracts. We have to keep signing people up and never stop."