March 17, 2005    

MEMO

To: President Martin

From: Tim Nesbitt, Chair ACAP

Subject: Advisory Items from March 10, 2005 ACAP Meeting

At the March 10, 2005 meeting of Advisory Council on Administrative Policy (ACAP) identified the following issues for your consideration:

1. Regarding union organization efforts (AFSCME), ACAP recommends that NMSU administration not exercise the right to waive the 30% participation level to bring the unionization issue to a vote. ACAP membership unanimously agrees that there are several issues that need to be addressed prior to the issue being brought to a vote. Those issues include:
1. Who conducts the vote and who pays for the voting process?
2. Recent communications from NMSU administration have been helpful. AFSCME’s position on many issues is unknown. Specific questions raised include:

i. What group or groups of employees benefit from AFSCME membership?

ii. What exactly are the benefits?

iii. Who pays dues and what is the dollar amount of the dues?

iv. What type of union agency will NMSU be, ie open, closed, or union shop? ACAP recommends that a detailed description of the different agency formations be described by AFSCME.

v. How do employees notify AFSCME that they do not want to be contacted? Some ACAP members reported that they had received complaints that they had continued to be contacted by AFSCME after they had notified AFSCME not to contact them.

ACAP recommends that a fact sheet be developed listing NMSU & AFSCME positions of each of the items discussed herein and any other items of interest to employees or administration which you may be aware. ACAP’s stance is to encourage the provision of information to allow NMSU employees to be well informed as they consider their decisions regarding unionization.

2. Regarding Broadbanding, ACAP membership requests clarification as to whether the Broadbanding policy has been adopted, approved, or otherwise authorized by all required approving bodies. In recent presentations the effective date of the policy is not clear. Is the effective date January 1, 2006 or July 1, 2005?
3. ACAP has received numerous written complaints regarding changes in gross pay distribution that came about with the implementation of the Banner H/R system. Attached please find copies of the written complaints. Clearly, several employees are experiencing a hardship. ACAP recommends that administration pursue changing the gross pay distribution so that non-exempt employee’s pay checks are equalized each pay period.
4. For your information ACAP will soon be releasing a new website that will include information regarding health insurance cost analysis.

Thank you for you attention to these important matters.