Agenda:

Officers’ Reports, Committee updates and general business matters will follow.

UE General Secretary Treasurer Bruce Klipple will swear in all recently elected Local 506 Officers during the 3^rd Shift membership meeting on April 21, 2005.

Secretary Klipple has served as a National Officer since 2001. He was formerly the President of Local 141 representing the PA Pump and Compressor workers in Easton, Pa. Bruce then went on to become a National Field Organizer and an International Representative, a position he held for 11 years.

Local 506 Trustee Karen Coleman recently transferred to a non-exempt job in the Local 618 bargaining unit, therefore a special election will be held during the May 12, 2005 Membership Meetings to fill the vacancy.

Any Member in good standing can be nominated to run for Trustee provided they meet the provisions of Article V of the UE Local 506 Constitution. Nominations for the Office of Trustee will be taken from the floor at the April 21, 2005 Membership Meetings. The successful candidate will fill the remainder of the 2005-2009 term of office. If you need a copy of the 506 Constitution outlining all election rules, please see your Divisional Chief Steward or stop at the Hall for a copy.

Nominate Convention Delegates at April Membership Meetings

Nominations to fill (4) rank and file delegates seats to the 68th UE Convention will be accepted at the April 21, 2005 general membership meetings. We are calling for the nominations early this year to make sure we have ample time to secure reasonable transportation rates.

    Chicago, IL will be the site of the convention. It will convene on Sunday, August 21, 2005 and will conclude on Thursday, August 25, 2005. The delegate election will be conducted during the membership meetings on May 12, 2005. The four successful candidates, the officers and seven board members will participate in workshops and be assigned to specific committees where they will help develop UE policies and programs for the upcoming year

UNITY COUNCIL ON WORKPLACE VIOLENCE

Local 506 was well ahead of the curve when it established the Unity Council in 1998. The committee’s primary goal was "to challenge discriminatory behavior of any kind". Since then committee members have taken their role a step farther by intervening in numerous "member Vs member" conflicts. GE has now developed a program of their own on "Workplace Violence" they are currently showing it throughout the Plant.

During the March membership meetings, Unity Chairman Wayne Burnett talked about GE’s new program and its relation to his committee’s work. Wayne explained that the Unity Committee’s successes came about through early involvement, before matters got out of hand. In a situation where two or more workers don’t get along, Wayne initially encourages each to, "Stay the hell away from the other, if you don’t like them". He urged members to continue to contact the committee if there’s an ongoing problem. "If you see a problem brewing (on the shop floor) – bring it to us". In consideration of the Company’s new policies, Wayne told members, " If its something you think is real serious, do what you think is right, but if its something you think the Unity Committee can handle – Give us a call". Members of the Unity Council can be contacted at the following numbers:

I would like to take this chance to thank my fellow officers Pat and Frank, the Chief Stewards, Stewards and the Membership for your support during my tenure in office. It was truly an honor to have served this Union.

Through your support, we have had many successes over the years but I believe there is much more we can do to ensure that all members can comfortably look back after retirement and feel as though, given everything, overall it wasn’t that bad. I also ask that you continue to give your support to the current Officers, working together makes a world of difference.

I have grown over the years with this Union from a twenty year old kid with a small view of the world we live in to a fifty year old with a wider perspective on how we affect each other’s lives and the lives of everyone around us. You can only truly appreciate what working together can accomplish when your job relies on it. Struggle is always difficult and it can bring out the best or the worst in people. Overall I feel it brings out the best in this membership.

We work in a plant that has so much diversity. As individuals we represent many different ideas and interests, races, cultures, hobbies, you name it we have it here. The one thing that we have in common that binds us together is our membership in our Union. I would hope we understand it is in our best interest as a whole to ensure the Union stays strong - and it will if we continue to accept the responsibility of defending it. The challenges we will face can be overcome and benefits we enjoy will remain only if each one of us, when necessary, sets aside our differences and works in a united front to face those challenges.

I leave office proud of this Local and equally proud of the membership, which has been in the forefront of many difficult issues and has been a leader in the District and National Union as well as in the Community we call home. Thank You all.

FRANKLY SPEAKING by Frank Fusco

     The year was 1932; our Country was in the midst of the "Great Depression". Billions of dollars were lost as banks and businesses went belly up. Millions of people were out of work and living in poverty, many elderly people did not have enough money to support themselves.

     In March of 1933 Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected President, he had promised a "New Deal" for the American people. He pushed for a Social Security System modeled after the principals of "social insurance" that had been adopted in Germany in 1889. A system in which workers would ensure their future economic security through taxes paid while working. Congress and the Senate passed the measure overwhelming and Roosevelt signed it into law August 14, 1935.

     In 1939 Social Security was expanded to include the spouses and minor children of retired workers and survivors were made eligible in the event of the death of a worker.

     So what’s going on? Even before the first Social Security check was cut in 1940, politicians have been saying the trust fund is going broke. The facts are that Social Security has $1.53 trillion in the trust fund. In 2003 Social Security paid out $462 billion to 50 million retirees and their surviving spouses, it took in $615 billion. That means, for 2003 alone, Social Security had a surplus of $153 billion.

     According to the Social Security trustees, the fund can pay all benefits through 2042 with no changes at all. The assessment of the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office is that Social Security can pay all benefits through 2052 with no changes whatsoever. By either measure Social Security is more financially sound today than it has been for most of its 69-year history. The forecast of a shortfall in 2034 is based on the economy limping along at less than a 1.7% annual rate of growth, about half the rate of the previous 3 decades. All at a time when Social Security income is more crucial than ever as corporations drop pension plans. Employees at Enron, World Com, and any other companies that has filed bankruptcy will tell you - If the company is able to convince a Federal Bankruptcy judge their pension plan is a financial burden, the "Federal Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp" (PBGC) will reduce the pension obligations considerably.

     According to the Employee Benefit Research Institute, in 1978 there were 128,401 guaranteed pension plans (defined benefit plans like ours) in the private sector. Today, there are only 26,000. Under a defined benefit plan, a specific monthly retirement benefit is guaranteed. Now workers, if their employer even has a retirement plan, are offered IRAs or cash balance pension plans. With cash balance plans, which begins with a lump sum deposited in a worker’s account, the monthly retirement benefit depends on how well that lump sum does in the market. 401Ks also depend on its performance and its market value when you need it. Privatizing Social Security, by setting up personal retirement accounts invested in the stock market, is very similar to cash balance plans and 401Ks. If you retire when the market is down you could lose a substantial amount of money every month. Just compare your personal share statement from 4 years ago to the one you recently received.

       How important is Social Security? 65% of retirees rely on Social Security for 50% or more of their retirement income.

     What’s needed to fix Social Security? The current Social Security program can continue to be effective with some minor changes. Currently the administrative cost are less than 1 cent of every dollar, the England and Chile plan costs 15 cents of every dollar, the Bush plan would cost 5 cents.

     Who really benefits if Social Security is privatized? Wall Street of course! The financial community will collect an average of $12.5 billion in brokerage fees every year. Our children and grandchildren will be saddled with a trillions (that’s 12 zeros) of dollars in debt if we allow this to happen. Despite the fact that none of the numbers above are a matter of dispute, proponents of a private Social Security accounts are trying to convince the public that the system is in deep trouble and in immediate need of fixing (with private accounts). All while the Social Security Administration itself believes that the system will work as designed for the next 40 years, even if no changes are made whatsoever.

     What can you do to let better heads prevail? Contact both your Senators and your member of the House of Representatives by calling them or going to http://www.senate.gov or http://www.house.gov.

Nancy Morrison and Sue Smock

Larry Kisielewski and Jeff Morealli

Chairman Leo Wiertel and Dave Allen

Jim Houghton

Guy Barrett

Don Cornelius, Ed Franz and Dennis Fisher

Mike Hess, Don Cornelius, Herb Prody, John Ponsford, Denny Martin, Dave Allen and Ed Franz

ODDS AND ENDS

SPORTS SHORTS

     The Sports Committee has been very busy, and very successful, in the past two months contributing largely to the February 20^th VA BOWLING TOURNAMENT which saw over 89 bowlers compete and raise money for the Disabled Veterans Transportation Fund. Over $9,200.00 was raised - which is almost enough to purchase a van.

     The Saint Pat’s Volleyball Tournament was held on March 13^th. Mike Seib’s (Bldg. 12) team the "O'Whoopers" won the Intermediate Hi Division while the "Irish Setters" captained by Dan Wells (Bldg. 18) won the Intermediate Lo Division.

     The Local 506 Bowling Tournament was held on March 26^th. As usual, everyone seemed to have a great time. Especially the following top winners who won cash and a specially designed Local 506 "Championship Towel".

     TEAM WINNER: Thomas Wonner, Jim Mitchell, Bernie Przybyszewski, Phil Lindsley and John Mitchell of the "Pin Spinners" - 3324

INDIVIDUAL WINNERS

High Game - Actual Men: Tied – Joe Clark and John Kolbas - 270
High Series - Actual Men: George Guthrie- 718
High Game - Actual Women: Hortense Barnes - 207
High Series - Actual Women: Sandy Lee – 567

     The Sports Committee would like to thank outgoing Chairman Matt McCracken for his untiring devotion and the unceasing hard work he performed while leading the committee the last couple of years. We wish him well in his future endeavors.

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