AFSCME Local 82 represents 750 clerical and maintainence workers at UWM. Most of the members are women and the majority are people of color. The local’s president, Stan Yasaitis, is a member of our Advisory Committee and someone who has always been there when we’ve needed him. Now Stan and other officials of the local are under attack by the UWM administration.
It all started last fall with the arrival of a new supervisor, Raquel Lauritzen. Local 82 Treasurer Beatriz McPherson called her steward to complain about the supervisor’s anti-union comments and contract violations and the next thing she knew she was being reprimanded for taking an assigned document out of her office for photocopying.
When Yasaitis tried to schedule a grievance session with Lauritzen over the incident, she walked out on him. Stan followed, pointing out that supervisors are also bound to follow the contract. So Lauritzen called the UWM police and had him arrested for "harassment". For trying to represent the local’s treasurer, the local’s president got a three day suspension.
These incidents follow a pattern of the administration attacking the local’s leadership just as contract negotiations are beginning.
McPherson later went on medical leave for carpal tunnel syndrome and repetitive stress disorder. After hearing the supervisor was going to throw out everything Beatriz had left on her desk, Stan and the local’s vice president, John Edwards, went into Beatriz’s office to retrieve a crystal clock. This time both Stan and John were suspended --- five days for Stan for "unauthorized presence" and one day for John for witnessing Stan pick up the clock. Stan also received a $140 fine.
Meanwhile (of course), negotiations on the new contract are bogged down, as the university negotiators can’t get "responses" from management or simply stonewall.
In response, supporters both inside and outside the local picketed UWM’s administrative offices this spring. In April, Stan asked the delegates at the Milwaukee County Labor Council to protest to UWM Chancellor John Schroeder regarding the university’s treatment of its union officers and employees.
AJRC has joined the picketline at UWM and is writing the Chancellor. We also invited Stan to address our Fundraising Dinner April 27. We stand ready to do whatever we can to support this progressive local and its officers.