November 2002 UE 506 News
Kitchen’s Kabinet
Over 300 grievances so far this year. Over ninety percent of these grievances are on the issue of job security. The past few years we have been telling the company our concern over continuing reductions and have met many, many, many times in an attempt to secure the current jobs and bring in additional work to stabilize the employment here in the plant. Although some success has been achieved the long range security and outlook for new work remains bleak. GE local management and corporate management’s cost cutting measures have kept the atmosphere on the shop floor one of "will I be next".
As a young worker you couldn’t wait until you had some service under your belt so you could comfortably purchase a home or save for your children’s education. Now days the comfort level is non existent. We all go day to day with the same insecurity felt around the country at countless work sites. "Can I hang on a few more years to retirement" is the question a lot of us ask ourselves. Should this be the norm, is this the morale companies want, you wouldn’t think so.
The Union’s attempts to save jobs are not shallow or poorly thought out, they have been attempts based on years of struggle and experiences. Our offers have not been unrealistic pie in the sky demands. We strongly feel they have developed as the result of your hard work and proven ability to meet any reasonable challenge. What we will not do is agree to do whatever they feel is necessary to save our jobs. This was the demand GE laid out in the DC motor negotiations. In essence what employers want is absolute control to do whatever they feel is necessary to make a profit.
Jobs in this country and our community will not be stable until the workers demand they are. Those demands are not just on the employers but on politicians and all leaders who make the decisions which affect us. Cheap talk about a better business climate fostering job growth is the message of the corporations, pro business politicians and local leaders. They would have you sit down shut up and do your job on their terms. Is that what we want? I hope not!
UNION MOBILIZES TO SAVE JOBS
President Randy Majewski, Business Agent Pat Rafferty, Chief Plant Steward Dave Kitchen
Simply stated, the issue: "JOBS", the remedy: To stop GE from cutting them beyond what the schedule dictates. That basic premise might seem easily achievable, but in all reality, that task is comparable to David taking on Goliath. At this point your thinking, "David won," and that’s true but David won because he found the right tactic to bring down the mighty Goliath. While the Union isn’t attempting to bring the colossal GE down, we are attempting to stem the tide of unnecessary layoffs the Company continues to meter out. To do that, we have to use all the tactics at our disposal.
As members of UE Local 506 we reacted to the January 2002 layoff announcement with our own unique style of strong protest. And that protest continues to this day. And while there is no real way to measure the success of the unified front, We’re absolutely sure that many more of our brothers and sisters have been spared through your support. Despite taking unselfish measures to save every at-risk job, layoffs notices continue to be distributed, especially to the indirect workers who provide vital services and supply support.
To confront the excessive layoffs, the membership authorized the officers "do anything up to and including a strike if necessary." As is evident by the series of events the Local 506 and 618 have engaged in over the last couple of weeks, it became necessary to "ratchet up" our efforts.
Distributing leaflets, holding Stewards’ meetings, setting up informative pickets and calling a press conference are all tactics that we have employed to keep members informed and to explain our plight to the community. A two-hour strike was conducted to show our determination to the Company.
As tough as it may be to remain optimistic, the fact is that we have been able to negotiate with local management over the last few years to successfully offset or reduce impending layoffs. That fact aside, we’re still down 400 members over the last year and 600 over the last two-year period. We recognize that many of these jobs were lost due to depressed market conditions but we also realize through past experiences that as the market rebounds our jobs are not restored to formal levels.
A MESSAGE TO THE COMPANY
Of the 35 indirect jobs you announced would be eliminated in November, we have met and you have agreed to rescind 13 of the targeted Central Maintenance jobs and, tentatively, to establish two new crane inspection positions. This is the type of constructive dialogue that must continue but 20 jobs are still at risk. Not because of low volume and not because the work isn’t required anymore. Of the 600 jobs we’ve lost over the last 2 years, many exited because of outsourcing, subcontracting and transferring work. Enough is enough. There is a core business that remains in Erie in the aftermath of your downsizing and we expect you to maintain a core number of workers for not only the security of our members and their families but also for the Erie community as a whole.
Commitment
In the past few months there has been much discussion on jobs, security, and the path this union will take to the 2003 negotiations. There have been many discussions on the plans to make these sessions successful for us. Opinions vary as in the case with any large group on what the proper path to take. As a member you have a right to your opinions and ideas on how to make this a better place to work, but keep in mind no one member is bigger than this union and no officer is bigger than the membership. Last time I checked this still a rank and file union where the members vote on policies to direct this union. Just remember this : this is not like the old days where strong armed tactics tried to lead the masses to the minority view. You still have a right to voice your concerns and viewpoints but remember just because your plan of action does not agree with the majority of the members doesn't mean that you are not "onboard" anymore. All of us should realize by now that things certainly don't go our way most of the time. but to remember that no matter what we are one because without that we cease to exist.