MAPE presents annual awards at Delegate Assembly

Every year during Delegate Assembly, MAPE's Executive Team announces special awards to honor the accomplishments of outstanding MAPE locals and members. 

Outstanding Member Outreach Award

The Outstanding Member Outreach Award celebrates members who have displayed exemplary efforts in recruitment, engagement and fostering unity within our ranks.  

Engagement is the heartbeat of a union. The more engaged our members are, the stronger and more effective we become. Region 19 Negotiator Jovae Priebe hit the ground running when she joined the bargaining team. She held more listening sessions and communicated with her members more than anyone else - and even offered to join other negotiators' sessions. She is constantly engaging with members, whether they are in her region or not. Now that negotiations has slowed down, she has taken on a Civic Engagement Officer position.

Jovae is a therapist at St. Peter Regional Treatment Center and is always putting her social worker skills to use facilitating conversations. She brings extra energy into any space she is. It has been phenomenal to see her grow as a leader this year. She didn't know much about negotiations when she started but became one of the heart leaders of the group.

Outstanding Union Steward Award

The Outstanding Union Steward Award goes to a MAPE steward who goes the extra mile to help other members.

Region 8 Steward Director Jerry Schmitt not only always shows up, he shows up prepared. He consistently has the MAPE contract in close proximity and the group can count on him to find relevant language on the topic at hand. He was the first one to discover that MMB had changed the sick leave policy. He brought it to the Employee Rights Committee and developed a training on the topic.

Jerry has taken the goal we had from Steward Retreat 2.0, to establish consistent training spaces for their regions, to heart and consistently holds quarterly meetings like clockwork for his stewards.

While some people might shy away from difficult cases, he embraces them with enthusiasm and a strong commitment to service. Instead of running from it or passing it off, he is excited to help members when they need it most.

Outstanding Union Achievement Award

The Outstanding Union Achievement Award recognizes those who have dedicated themselves to our union's cause, shaping our course with their unwavering resolve. This award honors individuals who go beyond their roles and titles to make a real difference.  

Former 2101 President Liz Pearson continues to make a difference in the lives of MAPE members - even after she retired a few months ago. Liz is a force of nature. Even in retirement, she coordinated MAPE's labor contingency at the Great Minnesota Get-Together this summer.

Liz said when she was at the Labor Day Parade at the State Fair in 2019, she wondered where her union was and decided to change that. She said, "It's important to have that solidarity, pride and sense of purpose. It's important for us to be represented with other unions."

Liz was a MAPE president, steward and dedicated MAPE leader. She leans into hard conversations, defends people fearlessly and wants to make MAPE the union we deserve to be.

Outstanding Union Service Award

The Outstanding Union Service Award is an annual recognition celebrating a professional, or professionals, for his/her/their distinguished outstanding service to MAPE. This award goes to a deserving group of individuals where organizing has been a very big step for them. Their employer told them there was no need for a union.

It is an important step for MAPE because we believe in helping workers find their voices and power in the workplace. We are proud to help Macalester College employees achieve these goals and welcome them to MAPE as our first non-government union cohort.

The Macalester Organizing Committee proved their employer wrong. It was indeed the right time to unionize a new bargaining unit of non-faculty, non-supervisory employees. When the college refused to voluntarily recognize the union, these workers didn't back down.

It made them more determined, and angry because Macalester College is known for its commitment to justice and equity. Employees stood firm and sent a clear message that they want a seat at the table and a say in their workplace.

About 20 Macalester College staff were part of the initial Macalester Organizing Committee. They worked tirelessly for months doing the work it takes to organize a union: list work, communications, outreach to fellow co-workers and many one-on-one conversations about the benefits of joining MAPE. They held strong together even when the Labor Relations Board delayed their vote count by a technicality.

This was an incredible effort by the successful Organizing Committee, and the work continues as they get closer to begin bargaining their first contract in October.

Organizing Council Achievement Awards

Organizing Council Vice Chair Rob Hobson presented three membership awards:

Most New Members

Locals with the highest number of new members:

• 201 with 71 new members

• 301 with 80 new members

• 2101 with 99 new members

Highest Percentage of New Members

Locals with the highest percentage of new members since last DA in October 2024:

• 1301 up 4.9%

• 901 up 5.4%

• 902 up 8.7%

75% or Higher Membership

Locals with the highest membership percentage

• 1002 with 75.2%

• 902 with 80.3%

• 1303 with 85.3%

Political Council Awards: Lobby Day Turnout Recognition Awards

Political Council Chair Nicole Juan presented appreciation awards to recognize all the MAPE locals that met their recruitment goals, recruited at least 20 members to come to the Capitol or went above and beyond to recruit members to come to the Capitol to talk with their legislators about issues important to MAPE.

Special thanks to the Contract Action Team Leaders (LCATs) who took recruitment on as a negotiation action this year and helped turn out record numbers.

Silver Recognition

Number of members who attended from each local

• 201 - 23

• 901 - 26

• 601 - 35

• 2101 - 37

Silver Recognition

Locals: percentage of total MAPE-represented employees in attendance:

• 301 - 3.97%

• 1002 - 4.12%

• 902 - 4.61%

• 1901 - 4.68%

Gold Star Recognition

Top local attendance by count and percentage: 44 members, 4.24% of MAPE-represented employees in their local attended:

• Local 401