MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS AND TIMES ARE:

A Lean Rate proposal will be explained and voted on at the January 18^TH membership meetings. The proposal combines the Class 3 and 4 pieceworkers into a single R16 ($23.595) dayrate code and it make the Class 2 pieceworkers an R19 ($25.325). When an area goes lean, workers earning more than their respective Lean rate will be grandfathered at that higher rate. The membership voted in September of 2005 to accept the Lean-manufacturing concept, the vote on the 18^th will be on the proposed R16 and R19 rates.

Health America - On January 3^rd we began receiving phone calls about payment issues with the new insurance administrator, all of the payment issues had to do with members having to make co-pays to a doctor. Each case was found to be a mistake and the co-payments will be refunded. The problem seems to be that the doctors remember when Health America was an HMO and co-pays were required. The fact is Health America is the administrator of the insurance plan, the plan has not changed at all, if you were not required to make a co-payment last year, you’re not going to be required to make one this year. Also, Health America is not the administrator for the prescription plan, you will still use your "medco-health" prescription card at network pharmacies.

Farmouts - 2007 is projected to be another record year. In some areas of the plant we already have COE leaders saying, "No problem, we’ll just farm work out ". I guess there may be some legitimate reasons for farmout - if a machine breaks down for an extended period of time, that may be a valid reason, but if 10 machines are down in a building, that should indicate the need for more maintenance workers, not more farmouts. Likewise, we have COE leaders who have found that scheduling workloads becomes much easier if they farmout. It seems to have become acceptable to send work out and pay 15-20 people ticket time because there’s nothing for them to do. And why not continue that practice? That kind of thinking (incompetent) got the CEO of Home Depot (and former GE Erie Transportation CEO) a $220 million payout.

UE Local 506 will conduct nominations for all general offices during membership meetings on Thursday, February 15, 2007 at the UE Local 506 Union Hall. Times for the meetings are 7:20 a.m. (third shift), 1 p.m. (2nd shift), and 3:20 p.m. (1st shift). Also, during the February meetings, the membership will select alternate-tellers for the General Election.

The election will take place on Thursday, March 22, 2007 at the UE Local 506 Union Hall. The polls will be open from 6:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. Voting machines will be used for all offices except Executive Board Member at Large, which will be by paper ballot.

Absentee ballots for those members scheduled for temporary military leave will be available on Wednesday, March 7, 2007 at the Union Hall and must be returned to the Hall no later than 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 21, 2007.

Nominations for the following offices will be taken from the floor at each meeting. They are: Business Agent, President, Chief Plant Steward, Vice President/ Recording Secretary, Treasurer, Executive Board Member at Large (three to be elected), Sergeant at Arms, (one) Trustee and (one) Alternate-Trustee

By virtue of this election, the Business Agent, President and Chief Plant Steward will be delegates to the Eastern Regional meetings and to the UE National Convention.

Local and national leaders of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) met in Chicago, IL in December to prepare for the 2007 negotiations with General Electric. The leaders also agreed to re-affiliate with the Coordinated Bargaining Committee (CBC). Our own UE belongs to the CBC, a coalition of 14 unions representing workers in GE Plants across the United States. When asked about the IAM coming back into the CBC, Business Agent Pat Rafferty said, "It will be great to have our IAM brothers and sisters back at the Tale with us. The IAM’s presence will only serve to strengthen our (the CBC’s) resolve going into negotiations." Rafferty has served on four UE-GE National Negotiating Committees and he co-chaired the contract language table in the 1997 and 2000 Negotiations.

CONTRACT LANGUAGE AND WAGE PROPOSALS

Local 506 Members are asked to be prepared to raise contract language and wage proposals during the January 18, 2007 Membership Meetings. The suggestions raised during the meetings will be reviewed by delegates attending a UE-GE Conference Board meeting in March as they adopt bargaining goals for the 2007 negotiations.

Happy 70^th Anniversary! Well we're almost there - On May 3^, 1937 about 50 union-eligible employees of GE’s Erie Works met at Nagorski Hall to form a union. UE Local 506 received its charter a week later.

Annual Enrollment Report – At the end of the enrollment period 1,310 employees were enrolled in the UPMC Insurance Plan. That was an increase of 786 participants. About 29 employees switched from Health Care Preferred (HCP) to the Company Medical Benefit Plan (CMB). All others employees apparently remained with CMB or with HCP, which as of January 1^st is administered by Health America.

Job Posting Procedure changes were passed by membership vote on December 14^th. We’ll try to get all parties to sign on the dotted line by the January meetings. With all of the hiring activity and because of the agreement, we should see bidders move to their new jobs a lot quicker than ever before.

I hope most of you saw the Hall decorated for Christmas. Each year the Hall maintenance workers and the Building Committee chairman outdo themselves. Thanks go out to Charlie Fry, Jim Dewolf and Mark Pierson for brightening our Holiday. -P.R.

Election Committee Elections for the 2007/2008 term of office will be held in the shop on Thursday, January 25, 2007 in contested areas. Where elections are warranted, a list of Candidates will be published in a special bulletin, along with information on each Candidate’s attendance at Local Union Meetings, there Union Offices held, and a brief statement of qualifications.

At the Step II meeting on December 15^th, 2006, there were 36 cases heard; 19 cases were closed, 11 were put on hold, and 6 resulted in letters being requested. There will be a Step III meeting scheduled for some time in the near future. There were 158 cases sent to Step II in 2006. We always encourage issues to be solved at the 1st Step of the procedure, but if that cannot be achieved, hopefully a resolution will occur at Step II. Thanks to all the Stewards and Chief Stewards in 2006.

2007

As we look forward to 2007, it promises to be a busy and interesting year. Of course, this is a contract year and our attention will be focused on getting a good agreement. As far as the Erie works is concerned, a 900+ locomotive year will keep the membership busy in the work area. We also have issues in the plant with concerns to our work. Again we need to remain organized and united to send this company a message that we need to be treated fairly at both our workstations and in relation to our contract goals in June. Lastly, I would like to wish everyone a Happy Martin Luther King Holiday. Enjoy and be safe.

Sport Shorts
   First let me thank all of you that either bought or sold our “basket of cheer” tickets. I know seven people who were extremely happy over the holidays! (*Winners listed below). 

   Here we are in a new year and our calendar is filling up quickly. We have the VA 5^th Annual   “Hometown Heroes” bowling tournament being held on Sunday, February 25^th. Please get your application in early for this worthwhile event benefiting the Veterans.

   The Committee will once again be involved with the Children’s Charity Bowling Tournament this year to help out tournament chairman and 506 Member Rick Makowski. The tournament will be held on Sunday March 25, 2007.

For details regarding other events including- a trap shoot, canoeing, paintball, and golfing, to just name a few, read your future 506 news.

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