DPE NewsLine
December 2015
Representing over four million highly skilled professional and technical workers in more than
200 occupations, union members work in such fields as health care and education; science,
engineering and technology; journalism, entertainment and the arts; public administration and
law enforcement. NewsLine is a regular publication of the DPE . Back issues of NewsLine are
available . Feedback is welcome. Please send it to Eric Geist .
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DPE Executive Committee Convenes
Part II: The Changing Work Environment for Professional and Technical
Workers
Professionals in the Healthcare Industry, 1990 – 2015
DPE hosts UWUA Leadership
DPE Hires Research Intern
DPE Attends AFL-CIO “On Demand Economy” Meeting for Affiliates
DPE Attends AFT’s Taskforce on Professionalism
DPE Contributes to AFL-CIO Comments on Proposed DOL Rules Changes
DPE Contributes to AFL-CIO Comments on DHS Proposed Rule Change
4As Elects Gabrielle Carteris as President, Paul Almeida as Executive Secretary
DPE Affiliate Convention and Election Roundup
WGAE Organizes Four More Digital Media Sites
DPE Signs On
DPE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE CONVENES – On November 10, the Executive
Committee conferred by conference call to accommodate committee members in multiple states.
Led by DPE Board Chair and American Federation of Government Employees National
President J. David Cox, DPE updated the Executive Committee on its finances, future DPE
programs, and new publications.
The meeting concluded with affiliate reports of recent activities.
PART II: THE CHANGING WORK ENVIRONMENT FOR PROFESSIONAL AND
TECHNICAL WORKERS – On November 18, DPE hosted Part II of the series that brings
together DPE affiliates and experts to look at how work is changing for professionals and how
affiliates can represent jobs that result from new work processes and changing technologies.
Attending were 28 people, including representatives from seven DPE affiliates: Actors’ Equity
Association, the American Federation of Government Employees, the American Federation of
Musicians, the American Federation of Teachers, the International Brotherhood of Electrical
Workers, SAG-AFTRA, and the United Steelworkers of America.
American Constitution Society President Caroline Fredrickson delivered the keynote speech.
Fredrickson pointed out how the sharing economy harms workers and noted it is a gender issue,
as well. The solution of portable benefits is not adequate without workers having a voice.
Fredrickson noted that people died fighting for Title VII yet the protections of the Civil Rights
Act do not apply to workers who are not employees.
University of Texas, Austin, Professor Diane E. Bailey delivered a sobering presentation on how
high-skilled work is threatened by the increase in computing power and machine learning. MIT
Professor Thomas Kochan tackled the possibility of large-scale job losses in higher education
from Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) by demonstrating a path for MOOCs to add value
to the work already being done in the classroom.
George Washington University Associate Professor Patricia Pittman described how the delivery
of health care is changing along with the skills necessary for workers. Associate Program
Director for the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions Josh Rutkoff and Executive Vice
President Denise Duncan from the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health
Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP) also spoke on the topic of how health care is changing. Since
a labor-management partnership was ratified by the coalition unions in 1997, the coalition has
been able to represent new work and train workers in new skills needed to do the work. In
addition to the UNAC/UHCP and other unions, the coalition includes DPE affiliate members’ the
American Federation of Teachers, the International Federation of Professional and Technical
Employees, the Office & Professional International Union, and the United Steelworkers.
Part III will focus on professional development, training and certification programs.
For more information, contact DPE Assistant to the President Eric Geist, (202) 638-0320
extension 119.
PROFESSIONALS IN THE HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY, 1990 – 2015 – DPE has
published a new report, “Professionals in the Healthcare Industry, 1990 – 2015.” The report
examines employment changes in the healthcare industry from 1990 to 2015. The report analyzes
three industries within the healthcare industry, including ambulatory healthcare services,
hospitals, and nursing and residential care facilities. Industry growth, geographic employment
changes, occupational employment, demographics, education attainment, sector employment,
and union membership are explored.
The report also touches on why the healthcare industry has grown in certain areas and what can
be expected in the future. Recommendations for action by unions seeking to organize
professionals in the healthcare industry concludes the report.
The report is available for distribution to DPE affiliates. Please contact DPE Research Director
Jennifer Dorning, 202-638-0320 extension 114, for more information.
NewsLine, December 2015 Department for Professional Employees
Page 2 of 5
DPE HOSTS UWUA LEADERSHIP – On October 29, DPE President Paul E. Almeida and
Assistant to the President Eric Geist met with the Utility Workers Of America (UWUA)
leadership, including President Mike Langford. To support the organizing program for new areas
of energy production, DPE provided research and offered resources for the UWUA to utilize in
its outreach to utility professionals. DPE Research Director Jennifer Dorning followed up with
information on solar energy producers for the UWUA.
DPE HIRES RESEARCH INTERN – Benjamin Woods, DPE’s new research intern, is a PhD
candidate at Howard University. He holds a Master’s degree in African & African-American
Studies from Cornell University. Ben has an undergraduate degree from the University of
Houston.
Ben also works in the Manuscript Division of the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center at
Howard University. DPE is delighted to have Ben join our team.
DPE ATTENDS AFL-CIO “ON DEMAND ECONOMY” MEETING FOR AFFILIATES –
On September 25th, the AFL-CIO held a meeting with the affiliates on the increasingly
contingent workforce. The focus of the “On Demand Economy” meeting was on ride sharing
apps like Uber and Lyft. AFL-CIO affiliates, including ATU, AFSCME, USW, IAM, and the
Taxi Workers Alliance represent taxi and black car drivers. Uber is freely spending money on
lobbying and is challenging political relationships and traditional coalition partnerships in places
like California, Chicago, and New York.
Other AFL-CIO affiliates, including UAW, the Letter Carriers, NNU, and AFT talked about the
broader implications of the contingent workforce. UAW sees more contract employees being
used in manufacturing, while AFT sees a rise in adjunct faculty.
The meeting ended with the proposal for another meeting and potentially creating two working
groups, one to develop a union response and strategy toward ride sharing apps and another to
address other contingent employment arrangements.
DPE President Paul E. Almeida and Research Director Jennifer Dorning attended the meeting.
DPE has long tracked the issues around the gig economy which has its roots in the
misclassification of workers, contingent employment, and independent contractors. DPE held a
follow up meeting with the AFL-CIO to discuss DPE work in this area and the work of DPE’s
entertainment union affiliates.
Please contact DPE Research Director Jennifer Dorning, 202-638-0320 extension 114, for more
information.
NewsLine, December 2015 Department for Professional Employees
Page 3 of 5
DPE ATTENDS AFT’S TASKFORCE ON PROFESSIONALISM – On October 1 and 2,
DPE Assistant to the President Eric Geist participated in the American Federation of Teachers
(AFT) Task Force on Professionalism held in New Orleans, LA. The task force is being led by
AFT Executive Vice President and DPE Treasurer Mary Cathryn Ricker. The task force is
drafting a resolution for the AFT executive council that will address what it means to be a
professional in any workplace; what barriers exist today to being treated as such; and
recommendations for overcoming those barriers.
DPE CONTRIBUTES TO AFL-CIO COMMENTS ON PROPOSED DOL RULES
CHANGES – The DPE contributed to the AFL-CIO comments to the Department of Labor
(DOL) proposed rulemaking on overtime pay. The DOL was seeking input on the use of exempt
and non-exempt computer-related occupations for their proposed overtime rules.
For more information, contact DPE Assistant to the President Eric Geist, (202) 638-0320
extension 119.
DPE CONTRIBUTES TO AFL-CIO COMMENTS ON DHS PROPOSED RULE
CHANGE – The DPE contributed to the AFL-CIO comments to the Department of Homeland
Security’s proposed rule change to the Optional Practical Training (OPT) for students in the
STEM fields.
The rule change would amend the F-1 non-immigrant student visa for STEM fields by allowing
students who have elected to pursue 12 months of OPT to extend that by an additional 24
months.
Please contact DPE President Paul E. Almeida, 202-638-0320, for more information.
4As ELECTS GABRIELLE CARTERIS AS PRESIDENT, PAUL ALMEIDA AS
EXECUTIVE SECRETARY – At its convention on December 2, the Associated Actors and
Artistes of America (4As) elected Gabrielle Carteris as President. DPE President Paul Almeida
was elected Executive Secretary.
Please contact DPE President Paul E. Almeida, 202-638-0320, for more information.
DPE AFFILIATE CONVENTION AND ELECTION ROUNDUP – Many DPE affiliates
completed their conventions and officer elections this year. The American Federation of
Government Employees (AFGE), the American Federation of School Administrators (AFSA),
the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), and the Utility
Workers of America (UWUA) had officer elections at their conventions. Actors’ Equity
Association (AEA) held elections after its annual meeting. SAG-AFTRA held elections prior to
its convention.
NewsLine, December 2015 Department for Professional Employees
Page 4 of 5
AFGE National President J. David Cox was re-elected. Cox is the chair of the DPE. Diann
Woodard was re-elected as AFSA President. Woodard is a vice president of the DPE. IFPTE
President Greg Junemann was re-elected. Junemann is a general vice president of the DPE
Executive Committee. Michael Langford was re-elected UWUA National President. Langford is
a general vice president of the DPE Executive Committee. Kate Shindler was elected AEA
President. SAG-AFTRA President Ken Howard was re-elected. Howard is a vice president of the
DPE.
DPE extends its congratulations. Click on the links to read more about the conventions for the
AFGE, AFSA, the IFPTE, SAG-AFTRA, and the UWUA.
WGAE ORGANIZES FOUR MORE DIGITAL MEDIA SITES – The Writers Guild of
America, East has organized more digital media workers at Salon, Vice, ThinkProgress and
Huffington Post.
DPE SIGNS ON – On September 30, DPE signed onto a joint letter urging Congress to greatly
reduce projected increases to Medicare Part B premiums and the Part B deductible for 2016. The
letter was sent to the Senate Committee Chair for Finance and the Chairs of the House
Committees on Ways & Means and Energy & Commerce. The letter also went to the ranking
members of the committees. Other signers included AFGE, IAFF, IAM, USW and the AFL-CIO.
NewsLine, December 2015 Department for Professional Employees
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