December 2002 UE 506 News
DECEMBER MEMBERSHIP MEETING NOTICE
The officers will report on discussions with the company involving the status of FMI jobs and bringing work into the Plant.
Chief Plant Steward Dave Kitchen will report on he extensive Step II meeting held on November 22nd.
Delegates to the December 13th UE-GE Conference Board meeting will report on 2003 Contract preparations.
MEMBERSHIP MEETING DATE AND TIMES ARE:
Thursday, December 19, 2002 (All meetings)
7:20 a.m. (3rd Shift)
1:00 p.m. (2nd Shift)
3:20 p.m. (1st Shift)
Kitchen’s Kabinet December 2002
What a way to end the year. On November 6th Union Stewards and the Officers gathered at the Union Hall, across all three shifts, to discuss the pending strike against the Company over the issue of job security. Not since the mid nineties have the Stewards been gathered to discuss this most serious of actions. Why now? The union felt that more meetings with the company to exchange dialogue over an issue discussed exhaustively for over a year were no longer having desired results.
Stewards listened to Chief Plant Steward Dave Kitchen give a history of the negotiations since the first of the year announcement on the job cuts. As was explained, from the very first meeting the Officers held with the company, the Union’s position was "saving one job was just as important as saving all the jobs" Additionally the Union told GE in no uncertain terms "we may understand and to some degree accept volume layoffs but the lost work to outside suppliers is not acceptable".
Kitchen further explained the outcome of the job preservation groups who were challenged to meet at the divisional level with management to go over the details of the company’s information concerning the transfer of work. The information dealt with labor costs, material costs, transportation and projected savings. The groups found many areas of discrepancies, which lead to Union proposals and ultimately success in saving a majority of the planned reductions. However, the losses were still considerable and in the Union’s opinion unacceptable given the profitability of the company.
Stewards then were informed of the company’s latest announcement in October of additional layoffs. These layoffs were as the company described not volume driven but essential to deliver the profits to corporate GE, which had been promised by GETS management. Further cuts in indirects (stockeepers, jitney drivers, maintenance) were targeted according to company negotiators in an effort to save around $25 million dollars.
These latest cuts were the proverbial "straw that broke the camels back". No longer could the Union sit back and hope that more meeting could bridge the gap between management desires and our expectations regarding job security. We cannot sit idly by and watch the company strip us of our security for the sake of more profits.
Secretary of the UE-GE conference board Steve Tormey also addressed the Stewards. Tormey brought the Stewards up to date on the similar actions going on around the country in other UE shops and other major Unions representing GE workers. It is the same no matter where you go. "GE is on the move and it started with the unprecedented move earlier this year when the company attacked our insurance plan (HCP) before the end of our current contract." Our efforts now may mean a different attitude in May of next year when we negotiate our contract. We do not look for a fight with the company but we will not walk away from one if the only choice is giving up or giving in.
The meeting concluded with the Stewards endorsing the Officers plan to take multiple jobs actions over exhausted grievances over a period of time which may extend onto the new year. To avoid a strike GE must reverse it’s course and provide job security in a measurable way.
As GE described in their company newspaper in April of 1973, "a good job isn’t just one with good pay, a good job isn’t just one with good benefit plans, a good job isn’t just one with good working conditions, and a good job isn’t just one with good job security. A good job isn’t any of these unless it is all of these.
On that company thought, we can all agree.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
RANDY’S REMARKS
After years of record locomotive production we all knew that someday it was coming to an end. Well in 2002 it finally happened, and although what the company's original forecast was better than first announced, it was a large hit all the same.
The final production numbers for 2002 will be in the 450 area, better than the 335 first announced, but far from the 911 of a few years ago. Along with the volume reduction notice in January came the added-on outsourced statement. However, thanks to the efforts of the membership and the Job Preservation Committee we saved 167 of the 221 jobs that were originally targeted. We are still not happy with the shortfall of those 50 or so jobs that were lost but we are still looking for positions to replace them.
There are some hopeful signs out there but make no mistake nothing will be achieved unless there is some fighting involved. Now, unless you have been in a cave somewhere or on another planet, the contract expires in June of this year. This promises to be a tough year for a peaceful settlement, not that one can't be reached as long as both parties want to see it happen. I'm not going to get into the ranting and raving on why we should not have to pay more for our health care costs when we already know that this company can afford it. The company had better not take our members resolve lightly. It is now the time to also think about what you may want to see in the 2003 contract. There will be many areas that improvement can be made and we will need your input on where.
Finally, I want to thank the membership for your continued support and the actions you have displayed for the past 11 months. You should be applauded. Have a safe and happy Christmas and I hope you have a better 2003. rj majewski, president
2003 HOLIDAY SCHEDULE APPROVED
The following Holiday schedule was approved during the November 16, 2002 Membership Meeting.
New Years Day Wednesday, January 1
Martin Luther King’s Birthday Monday, January 20
Good Friday Friday, April 18
Memorial Day Monday, May 26
Independence Day Friday, July 4
Labor Day Monday, September 1
Thanksgiving Day Thursday, November 27
Day after Thanksgiving Day Friday, November 28
Day before Christmas Wednesday, December 24
Christmas Day Thursday, December 25
Floating Holiday
ODDS AND ENDS
COLA INCREASE - Effective December 30, 2002, GE Workers covered under the UE-GE National Contract will receive an eight cents (.08) per hour cost of living adjustment. This reflects an increase of 1.89% in the Consumer Price Index (CPI-W) from October 2001 through October 2002. Under our formula of one cent for each full 0.1% rise in the CPI-W, this comes to 18 cents. Ten cents was paid last June.
Legislative Action Committee Chairperson Donna Cramer wishes to thank her committee for working so hard in this last General Election. Donna also thanks everyone who voted for and supported our candidates. "Local 506 endorsed candidate for Congress AnnDrea Benson made a good showing thanks to our Local, " Donna stated.
LOCAL AMENDMENTS ADOPTED
A vote, held at the well attended Saturday November 16th membership meeting, resulted in the adoption of several amendments to the Local 506 Constitution. Most of the amendments were submitted by a special committee set up to study our election procedures and to recommend improvements. The executive board reviewed the committee’s report, made some revisions and drafted a few more relevant amendments.
The most significant change establishes an Election Committee comprised of one representative elected from each chief steward’s division. Per the new language, "The committee will oversee and resolve disputes in all elections conducted by the Local."
Commencing February 2003, the term of office for Election Committee persons will be (2) years. The nominations and elections will be conducted, as follows, by the same rules that govern divisional chief steward elections.
ELECTION NOTICE: NOMINATE AND VOTE FOR ELECTION
COMMITTEE REPRESENTATIVES IN JANUARY
Elections for Representatives to the recently established Election Committee will be held in the shop between January 15 and 23, 2002. Any UE 506 Member in good standing can run provided they have paid Union dues for 12 months prior to the election.
Nominations for Election Committee representatives must be made at the UE Local 506 Office, during regular business hours, during the first full week in January (January 6 to 10, 2003). Nominations will be closed at 5:00 P.M. on Friday, January 10, 2003. Any member in good standing can nominate a candidate for these offices or the candidates can nominate themselves. The member making the nomination will pick up an acceptance form and a questionnaire. These must be filled out by the candidate and returned to the Union Hall office no later than 5:00 P.M. on Tuesday, January 14, 2003. The individual making the nomination is responsible for delivering these forms to the candidate.
The names of all Candidates will be published in a special UE Local 506 bulletin, along with information on each Candidates attendance at Local Union Meetings, Union Offices held, and a brief statement of qualifications.
Two tellers per shift will be chosen, by mutual agreement of the candidates, to conduct the election in the division. Notice of the election will be posted in prominent locations in the division at least three days before the election. The posting will list the candidates, date, hours of voting, and where and how the voting will be conducted. Newly elected Election Committee representatives will be sworn in at the first- shift membership meeting in February.