Member Update: Arbitration Filed Over Article 15 Transfers

Brothers and Sisters,

On Friday, on behalf of a DPO II, our attorney Tom Yu filed an ERCOM Request for Arbitration in a disciplinary case that directly arose from the transfer provisions under Article 15, Section 2 of the 2023 MOU.

This is a major step, and it goes directly to the heart of what we have all been raising.

In February, we asked you to weigh in through the Article 15 survey, and your response was clear. A total of 342 members participated. Nearly 98% reported they were not aware of the transfer language before ratification. Even more telling, nearly nine out of ten members said they would have voted differently had they known.

Among those who actually voted, 194 out of 219 said they would have changed their vote.

If you were not aware that the tentative agreement included new transfer language in Article 15, would that information have affected your vote?

Source: Survey, Feb-March 2026

That is not a minor issue. That is a clear indication that members were not informed on a provision that is now impacting careers, assignments, and discipline.

This is exactly why we are taking action.

The arbitration filed on Friday is our first step to get justice for the fact that the 2023 Executive Board lied to the membership when it recommended the contract that, unbeknownst to us, included changes to Article 15, specifically the addition of Section 2. Our contract was misrepresented, and we are fighting to get our rights back.

Here is the new language that the 2023 Executive Board negotiated. This was not included in communications materials to the membership requesting a “YES” vote:

We will continue to push on every front to protect your rights, your assignments, and the integrity of our profession.

In solidarity,

AFSCME Local 685 Executive Board