E-mail pins tail on AFSCME

Has union talking head Tom Jochum gone off the deep end? An AFSCME member told us he indeed has after Jochum sent out the e-mail printed in this column, regarding AFSCME's decision to "back off" Jochum's pursuit of a public labor agreement (PLA) for the new Polk County Jail. Jochum, when told of the decision, "went ballistic," our source said. Why? "Our members are politically savvy, and it doesn't make sense to beat up on your friends for not supporting something like the PLA that doesn't have a chance of happening. Which is what Jochum has been doing. We told him that it was a loser, that it probably wouldn't come up, and if it did, Johnny (Mauro) wouldn't vote for it. So it was time to go in a new direction." Jochum, however, did not accept this decision and, in turn, attacked new AFSCME head Dan Homan in the following e-mail, whom Jochum has been accused of working against when he ran for the top spot against Jan Coredeman. This correspondence is printed in its entirety.

Dan,
It's been over a week since we've talked and as you are probably aware, a lot has transpired since then. You still haven't given me the courtesy of letting me know who the (you choose)

a. gullible putz
b. fucking liar
c. backstabbing prick

is who is trying to make you think I helped Coredeman. All I have to say about it is if that person doesn't have the courage to confront me personally and you still are willing to believe him, he's your problem. I would ask you to give him a message for me though - tell him that Jochum thinks you're a lying coward who doesn't have the guts to personally confront him, and his phone number is (withheld) and e-mail address is (withheld).

As you know, I've resigned from the Trades. Don't flatter yourself into thinking that you helped chase me out, although I do admit that it is nice to know that you personally are one less shlub that I have to deal with. The fact is your problem is now with the Trades, not with me. I do have to ask you this: when an elected official goes back on his word and fucks over AFSCME, how will you be able to justify asking for help from other unions? If the labor movement has reached the point where we will only stand up and be counted if we have nothing at stake personally then we're in trouble.

Not that it should matter to you, but for my own edification, I'm going to give you a condensed history lesson on my more-than-30-year relationship with AFSCME. In the mid-'70s I advised people against bolting from AFSCME and joining the Teamsters and I also spoke against social workers forming a separate union because I believed it would dilute their effectiveness and weaken your union. I was one of the first legislators to visit Anamosa and Fort Madison to meet with guards to talk about their concerns. A good friend of mine (Gene Larsen) took a job at the Fort - he told me about the low morale, lack of training, low pay and ratty uniforms. I made that my cause. That was when I first met Don McKee. When Gene was severely injured by an inmate, I tried to get the state to retroactively give him benefits that weren't required by law or contract. I also want you to know that I went from 1978 to 1990 without an opponent, so while I appreciate the fact that you said you came to Dubuque to campaign for me, you're time probably would've been better spent helping others. I wasn't with AFSCME because of what you did for me, I actually believed in your cause.

I was the main sponsor in efforts to expand Chapter 20 and to remove statutory exemptions from Chapter 20 for Commission for the Blind employees and others. When I was named Appropriations chair in 1983, one of the first groups I met with was the capitol complex janitorial staff and maintenance workers. I told Bob Straker and the others that I wanted them to be my recourses, rather than depending on the General Services Administration.

In 1991, when Ted Anderson tried to set up a meeting with legislative leaders and McKee to discuss the progress of bargaining talks, I stopped him. I told him that it was inappropriate for any discussion of issues, because the role of the Legislature was to ratify any agreement that resulted from state employee/executive branch lobbying. That's one of the reasons that after Branstad tried to veto parts of the salary bill and you took him to court, your lawyer determined that I was the only legislator he was going to call on your behalf, because I actually understood the issues involved and I had the foresight to keep your union and other legislative leaders from holding a meeting that could have been construed as inappropriate union/legislative collusion in the bargaining process. You know the result of that lawsuit, and public employees are still benefiting from that lawsuit. Just as the building trades had hoped their defeat of the Master Builders lawsuit against the events center PLA would benefit them in the future.

But instead of standing with the Trades in solidarity, you chose to try to protect a supervisor who was trying to subvert those gains and protect another supervisor who wanted us to surrender without a fight. Because of our efforts in the early '90s future generations of public employees will never be faced with executives ignoring binding arbitration and trying to subvert it. Because you chose to side with policy makers who determined they could go back on an agreement with the Trades, you've ensured that the likelihood of a public project PLA being signed anywhere in the state will be met with threats of frivolous lawsuits which will provide cover to spineless or duplicitous elected officials.

Dan, just as since my resignation, nobody can come forward with evidence of threats made by me, I would like an AFSCME member or official who can document any action I've taken, either publicly or privately that was detrimental to your union. If you asked Marcia, Todd Taylor, Steve Siegel, Frank Grim or anybody associated with AFSCME I believe they will tell you that I've always valued my relationship and have gone out of my way to work with them. As a representative of the Trades, I believe you'll find that I've even agreed to modify Building Trades priorities in order to allay even the potential of concern that it might impact your members to any degree. I've noticed that among your early accomplishments as president, you mention getting endorsed candidates elected to school boards. Are you aware of the fact that I was personally the single biggest contributor to Jeanette Woods and that the Trades raised 40% of her total campaign funds?

All of this is in the past now. I've taken a personal and financial hit, but that's life. I have no more business with anybody who is associated with Polk County government, so like I told Angela Connolly, unless Mary Maloney decides to lose my license plate stickers, there isn't a thing anybody in Polk County government can do to me and there isn't anything I want them to do for me, so I have no personal stake in the outcome of county elections, so I'm going to sit them out, just as I (unfortunately) believe a lot of Building Trades affiliates will.

I hold no ill will against your union or any individual member and for the sake of solidarity I hope you can restore the relationship I've built between the trades and your union. As for me and you, unless you choose to interfere in my private business and affect my ability to support my family, we don't have a problem. You can believe whatever you want, and while I really wish you success in fighting for your members, on a personal note, I'd be remiss if I didn't tell you to go fuck yourself. You have my phone number, too. -Tom Jochum

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