October UE 506 News
A UNITED LOCAL 506 SAVES JOBS
"Sticking together has helped save Jobs!" Building 6 Chief Steward Patte Dillen told members attending the third-shift meeting in September. Patte explained that at least 10 workers had been saved in her division through the solidarity of the membership.
Building 12 Chief Steward Dennis Crawford cited continuing layoffs in the wheel area as the compelling reason to continue the struggle to save jobs. Dennis also told the crowd to, "Go out and commend your folks," (for their support thus far).
Sergeant at Arms Dave Grutkowski echoed Crawford’s remarks when he told members that he was "Proud of everyone."
These comments reflect the healthy discussion members engaged in over the Union’s collective actions to preserve jobs. The overwhelming consensus of the membership was to stay the course because not only are our efforts working but also because they believe GE will cut deeper if we let down our guard.
On behalf of the members whose jobs have been saved through your support and on behalf of our sisters and brothers who are laid off but can hold hope of being recalled because of your support, The Officers wish to THANK YOU.
Kitchen's Kabinet
What is struggle?
Many of us do not realize just how difficult working for a really bad employer can be.Recently we took a collection for our fellow Union sisters and brothers out at the TEMCO facility in North East. Very few of us here at GE can identify with the struggle these good people have endured with no end in sight. At a bargaining session with the Lawyer representing TEMCO, two armed city police officers were present in a move which could only be construed as an intimidation tactic by the employer.
Having recently returned from a convention in North Carolina, struggle is alive and well in this country. In North Carolina it against the law to have a contract with your employer if that employer is public sector such as the state Universities. Imagine no right to a contract in this country in the 21st century. Workers there have n basic rights to bargain collectively. The state wouldn’t allow unionizing if it were not for federal law. Employers use this contract prohibition to really put the screws to their workers. Low wages, forced overtime, favoritism, poor working conditions unjust firings are the norm rather than the exception. In South Carolina the state called in 600 armed law enforcement personnel to intimidate and bust a peaceful picket line of dock workers. It wasn’t 6 or 60, it was 600. Picture yourself arriving at our plant gate for a rally, being confronted by armed thugs, armored personel carriers, snipers on the roofs and an atmosphere of pending violence, just to exercise your rights.
Currently we are in a struggle with our employer over job security. This struggle is with an employer who will make hundreds of millions of dollars in profits this year. Even with this kind of money pouring in they are not yet satisfied. At the end of September the company announced they intend to focus on eliminating more indirect workers. GE isn’t saying there is no work or the company is losing money they simply say we want more. Further they say they have been given a directive to target indirects specifically because they add no value to the product. I think management should be bold enough to walk up to the move person or the stockeeper after a long hot day in July or August and tell them thanks for not adding value to our product today. Our intentions should be very clear to the company. We will not tolerate having hundreds of our members on the street running out of unemployment and GE trying to do business as usual. We will not accept the premise we all have to work overtime to make up for the shortage of workers. We do not understand management working most weekends and then no work for us on Monday.
Our laid off sisters and brothers who call the Union hall in the hopes of good news about possible recalls are as proud as we are of those who stand up to their employers and say enough is enough. Progress is not possible without struggle and struggle does not happen without sacrifice. If those workers in the south realize, even against tremendous odds, that struggle and sacrifice are necessary if things are going to change, then so should we.
ELECTION COMMITTEE PROPOSES AMENDMENTS TO CONSTITUTION
Volunteering for the committee were: Chet Eaton, Bldg. 4 (now retired), Dave Fiorelli, 18T, Jim Houghton, Bldg. 7, Denny Martin, M&C, Denny Mclaughlin, Bldg. 6, Nancy Morrison, 18C, John Ponsford, Bldg. 2, Dave Perry, Bldg. 18C, Dale Rosenthal, Bldg. 5, Kevin Slivinki, Bldg. 12 and Leo Wiertel, Bldg. 10-26. Denny Martin and Kevin Slivinski have served as co-chairs while Denny Mclaughlin has handled the recording secretary duties. President Randy Majewski and Business Agent Pat Rafferty have worked with the committee as liaisons to the Executive Board and as advisors
Most of the committee members have served as tellers over the years and they put that experience to good work by suggesting improvements to our election process. Some of these improvements require changes to our constitution while other will be incorporated in our election rules and procedures. To meet the deadlines under Article XIV of the Constitution, the Committee has submitted the following proposed amendments. The amendments will be read during the October membership meetings. They’ll be read again during the November meetings and then voted on.
NOMINATE DISTRICT SIX DELEGATE AT OCTOBER MEETINGS
The nominations of delegates to all 2003 District Council Six meetings will be taken from the floor during membership meetings on Thursday, October 17, 2002 at the UE Local 506 Hall.
The District Six constitution provides seven delegates for Locals our size. The 506 officers, by virtue of our constitution, hold three of these positions. The names of nominees for the four remaining delegates and for three alternate-delegates will be placed on a ballot and a vote will be conducted at the Saturday, November 16, 2002 membership meetings. The four candidates receiving the highest vote totals will assume District delegate status. The other three candidates will serve as alternates. In case of a tie vote, a run-off election will be held at the December 2002 meetings.