Cook County Public Defenders Association

To our Brothers and Sisters in Local 3315:

As a public defender we voluntarily take on the burden of representing indigent individuals whom, it can
be said have not had the best of days. These individuals, in their “outside” lives have often been ignored,
exploited, and victimized by society, and now have been thrust into a criminal system where, yet again
they expect to be ignored, exploited and victimized. It is a public defender’s job to stand at the precipice
and scream “STOP”! We must confront the court, the state, the police, the witnesses, the probation
department, and any other entity that is opposed to our client’s fair representation. Many times we do so
for a client that does not trust us as we are perceived as part of the very system that stands to punish
them.

Due to the prevalence of secondhand trauma and compassion fatigue, being a public defender is among
the most stressful occupations that exist, with some of the highest incidents of substance abuse and
mental health problems. Narrowing down the general occupation of lawyer to trial attorney, criminal
defense attorney and to public defender, the stress increases exponentially.
It is the line public defender that directly communicates with their client in court, at the jail, on the phone and through correspondence. It is the line public defender who is responsible for working up the case. It is the line public defender who researches the law, who prepares the motions, who works with their investigator, who preps their witnesses, who negotiates with the prosecution and who tries the case. It is the line public defender who is ultimately subject to the professional rules of responsibility and it is the line public defender who pays for their license. It is also the line public defender that explains to the client’s family that they are going away to prison as the family breaks down in tears. It is the line public defender that listens to and absorbs the frustration of the client as the client tries to process what
happened in court. It is the line public defender that wakes up in the middle of the night after a loss,
wondering was there something else that I could have done differently. It is the line public defender that
remembers, for the rest of their lives, the names and the faces of the clients that they were not able to
help.

This is why we MUST have a Head Public Defender who cares about the line public defender, and who has their back. As we have all experienced, our clients want to know that we will fight for them. Regardless of the outcome at trial or motion, when our clients see us stand against the entities arrayed against them they realize, possibly for the first time, that while the result they seek may not happen the public defender that stood there and screamed “STOP!” was on their side. That public defender had their client’s back.

AMY CAMPANELLI, when given the chance to “have our backs,” has consistently declined.

AMY CAMPANELLI declined to have our back when after just four months in the office, a probationary
public defender assigned to Child Protection, was “perp walked” out of the building and terminated. This
was a brand-new public defender who was put into a heavy courtroom with no training. Rather than train and support that brand-new public defender, AMY CAMPANELLI and her leadership team made the decision to terminate the new public defender. AMY CAMPANELLI made that decision with no regard to the effect it would have on that new lawyer’s colleagues at Child Protection, or the morale of line public defenders throughout the office.

AMY CAMPANELLI declined to have our back when the “Pop Tax” was repealed and 63 public defenders
received layoff notices. AMY CAMPANELLI wrote a memo. The Union fought against those layoffs by
gathering our sisters and brothers together in solidarity, meeting with commissioners, calling
commissioners, meeting with other concerned parties in the criminal justice community and speaking at
public hearings to convey the importance of our work to all who would listen. It was the Union’s efforts
that resulted in NO LAYOFFS. AMY CAMPANELLI did, however, find the means to hire a new six figured salary deputy director in this office, three days after 63 of our Brothers and Sisters in local 3315 received layoff notices.

AMY CAMPANELLI declined to have our back after the change in Holiday Bond Court. It was AMY
CAMPANELLI that instituted changes that resulted in public defenders being forced to participate in what had previously been a voluntary process. The Union interceded, and it wound up costing the office more to compensate members who eventually did the work. This could have been avoided.

AMY CAMPANELLI declined to have our back when Chief Judge Evans signed an order allowing public
defenders to represent those in custody at police stations. AMY CAMPANELLI enacted a policy for
coverage that impacted every public defender in the office without regard for the impact on the clients
already being represented. AMY CAMPANELLI then tried to implement a unit based on the State’s
Attorney’s Felony Review Unit without negotiating with the Executive Board as required under the
collective bargaining agreement. AMY CAMPANELLI made no effort to secure assurance from the county that the public defenders who went out into the stations and represented our clients would be
indemnified. It was the Executive Board that met with Cook County Commissioners to secure, in writing,
assurance that anyone working in the Police Station Unit would be covered! That unit is currently the only fully staffed unit in the office with 9 assistants who average less than two station visits in every 24-hour day.

AMY CAMPANELLI declined to have our back after Dr. Marcos, of Forensic Clinical Services, contacted AMY CAMPANELLI to complain about one of the public defenders at 111th & Ellis. A public defender,
attempting to enforce a judge’s order regarding a fitness evaluation for one of the public defender’s
clients, used a “bad word” that hurt the feelings of one of Dr. Marcos’ staff members. AMY CAMPANELLI gave that public defender a written reprimand. That grievance was successful at the third stage and the Union was able to get it removed from that public defender’s file.

AMY CAMPANELLI declined to have our back after implementing an out of date, non-user friendly, nontrial support ready case management system. AMY CAMPANELLI created additional, repetitive,
unnecessary and time-consuming mandatory clerical work for lawyers who already carry caseloads above and beyond ABA recommendations.

AMY CAMPANELLI declined to have our back after implementing a mandatory policy of “brain-storming” cases set for jury for all public defenders in the office, including grade 3s and 4s. AMY CAMPANELLI then “changed” her mind, made “brain-storming” voluntary, but let it be known that lack of “brain-storming” would impact public defenders’ promotional prospects.

AMY CAMPANELLI declined to have our back after refusing appointment to a murder client resulted in a contempt of court proceeding against her that, if successful would not allow this office to represent clients in conflict cases (and therefore MDD). AMY CAMPANELLI pushed a policy that would ultimately hurt our clients and cost more money to represent those affected. The Illinois Supreme Court in the Cole decision summarily rejected her position and the U. S. Supreme Court reject her request for to be heard.

AMY CAMPANELLI declined to have our back after being made aware of the hostile work environment
negatively affecting many of the female public defenders. AMY CAMPANELLI did not have their backs and is currently a defendant in a class action federal lawsuit that survived her motion to dismiss last June and on August 12 of this year, was certified to proceed as a class action. (The opinions and order of the federal district judge are available online). Also available on the county’s website are the legal fees that are being charged to the taxpayers of Cook County (June 2019 Board Meeting 18-4228 Firm: McGuireWoods, LLP. Special State’s Attorney(s): Christina M. Egan Case Name: Brown, et al. v. Cook County, et al., Howard, et al. v. Cook County, et al., Wilson, et al. v. Cook County, et al., Caloca, et al. v. Cook County, et al., EEOC Charges – Assistant Public Defenders, Class Action Case No.(s): 17 C 8085, 17 C 8146, 17 C 8248, 17 C 9056 Time period: 11/01/2017 – 03/31/2018 This Court Ordered Amount for fees and expenses: $470,635.89 Paid to Date: $0.00 Litigation Subcommittee Approval: 05/15/2018).

These are just some of the examples where AMY CAMPANELLI has failed to have our backs, and as we all know this is by no means an exhaustive list.

Article XIV, Section 14.6 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement is entitled “Union and County Meetings” and reads as follows:

For the purpose of conferring on matters of mutual interest which are not appropriate for
consideration under the grievance procedure, the Union and the County agree to meet quarterly,
or as mutually agreed otherwise, through designated representatives at the request of either
party and at mutually agreed upon times and locations.

This provision providing for Labor/Management meetings has traditionally been a mechanism whereby
this office can become a better place to work, which in turn directly benefits the clients that we all
represent.

The Executive Board has been present at each and every Labor/Management Meeting ready, willing and
able to work together with this administration to better this office and in turn, help the people we defend. For over two years, AMY CAMPANELLI, the Public Defender of Cook County, has refused to show up for these meetings. For over two years, her absence coupled with the lack of authority given to her designated representatives to agree on anything of substance, has effectively made these meetings
worthless.

The essence of working in this office, doing the work that we all chose to do, is based on us working
together and having each other’s back. For the most part, the public despises our clients and despise us
along with them. We need each other and we need an environment that supports us. We need the
support of AMY CAMPANELLI and we need her to have our backs.

Unfortunately, AMY CAMPANELLI has not chosen to support us. By not meeting with the Executive Board and “conferring on matters of mutual interest” she has time and time again demonstrated that she does not care about the public defenders that represent “her clients.” It is hypocritical to maintain that she cares about “her clients” when she will not work with the public defenders in her office who actually represent them. It is hypocritical to implement policies and directives without getting the input of the public defenders who do the job or from the Union elected by those public defenders to represent them.

There was a time not long ago, where the Head Public Defender went to bat for their public defenders.
Policies and procedures were implemented that helped the public defenders better represent their
clients. Policies and procedures that made the seemingly impossible task of “defending the damned” a
little bit easier.

There was a time not long ago, when the Head Public Defender had the assistants’ backs in
interdepartmental disputes and stood up to Judges’ unreasonable demands. One Head Public Defender
even went so far as to sue the county on our behalf.

With AMY CAMPANELLI it seems like every day there is a new email, memorandum, or “emergency
meeting” about a new policy that will be implemented. Sign in, sign out, log your jail visits, brain storm
with two attorneys, a supervisor, support staff and submit a rundown of the case. Public defenders being
written up for having the audacity of litigating to a guilty verdict. Pre-disciplinary hearings for mixing up
a special court assignment one time. Putting new grade 1 attorneys at sites where grade 2 attorneys had
already properly bid for openings. Micromanaging the use of sick time. Just because she can.

AMY CAMPANELLI has forgotten what it is like to be a public defender in this office. She has forgotten
what it is like juggling 50, 100 or even 200 cases. She has forgotten what it is like juggling 50 to 100 cases or more consisting of trials, motions, hearings and visits with the obligations of everyday life and need to maintain one’s own health and well being. She has no idea what it is like having a client MASTURBATE on you while another client watches as he too is masturbating. She has become a revisionist historian.

Every issue that has arisen could have and should have been discussed and worked out at the
Labor/Management meetings. That is the purpose of Labor/Management: to work out issues that make
our workplace and our jobs better. Our clients are the beneficiaries of that work. Management Rule 1 is
that if you encourage, support and trust your employees to do their jobs and not micromanage them,
they will exceed your expectations.

So, what can you do? Every member of this local has a stake in the working conditions and environment
in this office. Together lets all tell AMY CAMPANELLI that she should be at the next scheduled
Labor/Management meeting on Friday, September 6, 2019, at 69 West Washington at 1:30pm. We expect her to be there!
CALL AMY CAMPANELLI AT HER OFFICE : (312) 603-0600
SEND AMY CAMPANELLI AN EMAIL: amy.campanelli@cookcountyil.gov
REMIND AMY CAMPANELLI WHEN YOU SEE HER, PERHAPS AT NUTSHELL
SEND AMY CAMPANELLI AN INTEROFFICE MEMO
SHOW UP AT THE LABOR/MANAGEMENT MEETING ON SEPTEMBER 6!

If AMY CAMPANELLI is not already planning on being there, she should adjust her schedule because the work of our office and the well-being of the attorneys, support staff and investigators who do that work matter. They should matter to her!

K J Ochalla, President Local 3315
Cook County Public Defender’s Association

Mark Douglass, Vice-President

Brett Gallagher, Treasurer

Kyan Keenan, Secretary

Colleen Gorman, Executive at Large

Joshua Nathan, Executive at Large

Theresa Nelson, Executive at Large

This election is more important than any election in any of our lifetimes. We need to get out and walk and phone back for candidates that are labor friendly. One of the most important races and one of the races that is the closest in the race for attorney general. Kwame Raoul has been a strong advocate for labor unions and labor rights for his entire public career. The republican candidate will most surely support efforts to reduce or eliminate our union rights, our ability to organize, to defend our members against management overreach and to have a positive a work environment. The other candidate will also oppose and actively move to destroy the social programs that benefit our clients and working families in Illinois. With the other candidate there would be no consent decree for CPD, for example.

Everyday through out the state and every Saturday and Sunday at 1515 N Harlem Ave., in Oak Park at 10:00am AFSCME mobilizes groups of people to go out and knock doors and phone bank. There are other opportunities in other locations as well. I will be at 1515 N Harlem Ave in Oak Park on Sunday.  If you live in a different area and want to volunteer we will get you signed up with someone to volunteer. WE NEED TO STEP UP FROM TODAY UNTIL ELECTION DAY!!!!!!

To volunteer Send an email to president@cookcountypublicdefenders.com

Reminder for GM meeting. Wednesday. July 11th 2018 4 pm 26 and California 2nd Floor Cafeteria. The green card stated that the meeting was Tuesday July 11th, it is Wednesday July 11th 2018

Please check your pay stubs to make sure they are correct. The county is starting new payroll software and there have been some mistakes. Most of the mistakes seem  to involve bond court pay but there have been mistakes in other areas. If you have a mistake email Amos in PD payroll at amos.tatekey@cookcountyil.gov.  Please CC me as well so we can track the issues and make sure they get resolved for everyone.

General Membership Meeting and nomination meeting will be held on July 11^th 2018 at 4pm. 2650 S California Ave, 2^nd Fl cafeteria. Nomination for 2 trustee positions can be made at that time. One 3 year full term and one 2 year term to complete the term of Amber Miller.

Elections if needed will be held on July 25^th at all work sites and runoff if needed a week later on August 1^st.

Contract news

First for some good news. Some of you have heard that the bargaining committee pulled an all nighter last week. While we did not reach a final resolution on the entire contract including overall economics, local negotiations are completed! Once we have a tentative agreement on the entire contract the provisions will be provided to the membership and we will hold a ratification vote. The county board will also need to ratify the contract so the provisions will not implemented until both parties ratify the agreement. I anticipate our vote by the end of July. I have no idea on the County Board’s timeline. Some of the local bullet points that you will be voting on are as follows:

Holiday bond court will be paid at Grade 2 step 6 pay for all employees working bond court.

One swipe time clock attendance

Limitations on what information can be made public about APDs: name, work email, main work site phone number, year of law school grad, year of admission to the bar, and year hired by CCPD.  NO PHOTOS WITHOUT WRITTEN CONSENT

Limitation on management access to personal equipment used for work purposes

Also a settlement of the holiday bond court was reached as well. Grade 2 Step 6 pay will be retroactive from December 1, 2017. Anyone who worked during that time will receive a retro check instead of the comp day. So keep track of your days owed

Janis and where we go from here.

I received a message today from David Eppenstien. He was a founding member and first President of Local 3315 in 1987. He asked me if I wanted him to come and address the membership to help remind everyone why the Union is so important. To remind everyone what the office was like before the Union and why it is imperative that the Union remains strong for the benefit of the office, the members and the clients.  I stated that I would be honored for him to come and speak to the membership and invited him to the boat cruise. While he can’t make it, he will try and be at the general membership meeting on July 11^th.

But I also advised David that the board has always made sure the membership was aware of why we formed this Union and the benefits that we enjoy now versus the conditions that were present prior to the formation of Local 3315. We no longer have wage disparity between those who “people knew” and those that “people did not know.” We no longer have random work assignments county wide. We have a pay-grid that outlines exactly how people get paid regardless of age, sex, race or connection. We have defined benefits. We have a quality pension. And most importantly we have the ability to have a say in how we are treated by management and to push back when what they do is not right. I have no doubt that this Local we remain strong and get even stronger after today.

Now I must apologize as I am going to preach.

Today is the day that the wealthy and the greedy finally announced for all the world to hear their true intentions: to destroy the American middle class; to transfer even more wealth from the vast majority of Americans to their already overstuffed pockets; to impose a form of economic serfdom upon the American people where the workers have no value and should be thankful they even have a job. This plan has been part of the right-wing dream since the New Deal and now they think they have won. They are wrong!

Today has been a day that the labor movement will remember for a long time to come. Not as a day of despair or loss but as a day of galvanization. A day that the wealthy and the greedy think that they won but in truth a day that we know will only steal our resolve to continue the fight that we have fought for so long. A day in we which resolve to each other in the Union, and to the nation, to stand side by side with our sisters and brothers, and continue to strive toward the goal that we have always had. A goal of fair wages for quality work, for safe conditions in which to preform that work, for just benefits and a quality retirement, for fair treatment in the workplace and to strive to improve the communities that we serve.

“It was working men and women who made the 20th century the American century. It was the labor movement that helped secure so much of what we take for granted today.   The 40-hour work week, the minimum wage, family leave, health insurance, Social Security, Medicare, retirement plans.  The cornerstones of the middle-class security all bear the union label.”  President Barack Obama, 2016

It is incumbent upon us all, now more than ever before, that we take up the torch that was thrust in our direction by those Union members that died for the Union cause and hold it up with pride so that the entire nation can be reminded of what the Union has achieved for all workers. For this is no longer just a Union fight, this is a fight for the very essence of the American middle class and the Union is the greatest Champion of that cause. A strong union state on average has higher overall wages, a more robust economy, better working conditions and better benefits for all workers, Union and non-Union alike. But we must maintain strong Unions to reap this success.

The right-wing thinks this decision today is about money and about feepayers but they have mistakenly substituted their values for our values. While we value a fair wage, we value far more a fair and safe workplace. We value the diversity and the expansion of the middle class to all people, of all creeds, colors, sex and origins that a strong Union guarantees.  We value that ability to make what we do for a living not just a job, but a career; and that that career will be secure enough for us to raise a family without fear of poverty or want. We value the work and pride that we have when what we do matters to those in our communities. A Union is about so much more than money.

So what can we all do going forward? Be active in the Union.  After all a Union is just that, all of us, together, working for shared values and goals. We are always looking for stewards, we are always looking for anyone who wants to help: plan an event or assist with a project. We are sure to have something that you can do. Be active in your community. This is a multifaceted fight on many levels of government. Pick a race, flip a seat. Go to a rally. But most importantly remember that we are all in this together, and while we may not all agree on everything we all have the same goals and values in the long run.

Again President Barack Obama 2016:

“I believe this with every fiber of my being:  America cannot have a strong, growing economy without a strong, growing middle class, and the chance for everybody, no matter how humble their beginnings, to join that middle class  — a middle class built on the idea that if you work hard, if you live up to your responsibilities, then you can get ahead; that you can enjoy some basic guarantees in life.  A good job that pays a good wage. Health care that will be there when you get sick. A secure retirement even if you’re not rich.  An education that will give your children a better life than we had.  These are simple ideas.  These are American ideas. These are union ideas.  That’s what we’re fighting for.”

The application for the Jack Carey Memorial Scholarship is located at https://www.local3315.org/scholarship.php . Please Remind your interns to apply.

Always a good time so reserve your spot on  Chicago’s First Lady, which will be boarding at 7:30 pm and will leave the dock on June 29th, 2018 at 8:00 pm SHARP! The boat is docked at the south east corner of Michigan Ave. and Wacker Drive. Take the stairs down to the boat and look for the blue awning. (Parking is available: check the web at www.cruisechicago.com for directions info, etc. )