Proud Union Members
for over 25 years.

Local 8918 will hold the next General Membership meeting at 4:30PM on Wendesday, June 30th at 359 Lawrence Street in Cambridge (Preston).

We have Watches for Retirees, John Dillon & Norm Doyon.

There will be a presentation by Jenny Hearns of American Income Life.  They are an insurance company that operates exclusively through Trade Unions.  They brought some food baskets to our picket line last year and want to offer their product to our members.

See you there. 

Last Thursday, the grieveance/ negotiating committee met with the Cambridge management committee.  The Company Put a few items on the table to begin;

• They want the Union to allow members to opt out of receiveing a paper pay stub and get only only an electronic one.  As long as it is the worker's choice, the Union does not object.
• They want to move the Canada Day stat to Friday, July 2nd.  The Union will poll it's members and advise the company of the resulting decision.
• They want to remove the one day limit on the call board.  The Union refused.
• They want to issue discipline to call board members.  The Union suggested extending recall & benefit rights to allow this.  The company declined.
• They explained that the "COLA" will increase the base pay between 7 & 10 cents.  The old C.O.L.A. would have increased pay by 35 cents.  (8 cents paid from January and 13 cents from July '09).
• They intend to combine the Baghouse, Forklift & BY Mat'l Handler jobs beginning in June
• They want the "I support anti-scab legislation" sign taken out of the Union office window.  It's still there.

The Union tabled some items too;

• We want to uphold the CBA regarding recall.  31 days or more is a recall or posting, 30 days or less is a temporary transfer, call baord opportunity or overtime.  The company intends to call one week transfers a "recall".
• We want melt shop utility & rolling mill utility to remain seperate classifications.  The company agreed.
• We want to know the plan to heat the facility this coming winter.  The company intends to install radiant heaters by November.
• We want to establish a seniority based training system.  The company put it off until autumn (or beyond).
• We wanted to discuss a number of grievances and the issues surrounding them.  The company waffled and wouldn't deal with them.

STAY SOLID BROTHERS.  UNITED WE STAND. 

Local 6571 in Whitby has reached a settlement with unanimous recommendation to accept. Details will follow after the yet to be scheduled ratification meeting.

The General Membership Meeting will be held this Wednesday, May 26th at 4:30PM at the Union building at 359 Lawrence Street, in Preston, Cambridge.

BARGAINING IN 2010:

LOCAL 6571, WHITBY, ON:  Negotiations began January 26^th.  The contract expired February 27.  A conciliator has been appointed but there has not been an application for conciliation by the Company or the Union.  The Company threatened to call the conciliator in but when the Union called their bluff, they backed off.  Talks are difficult but continue.

LOCAL 8586, BEAUMONT, TX:  The contract expired March 31^st.  Major issues include health benefits for retirees, wage improvement & red circle rates.  The Company demanded a vote but the Union refused and talks continue.

LOCAL 7263, ST. PAUL, MN:  The contract expires July 31^st.  The Company wants to open bargaining on July 12.

LOCAL 8581, WILTON, IA:  The contract expires on September 30^th.  No talks are scheduled yet.

NEWS FROM OTHER LOCALS:

LOCAL 5442, SELKIRK, MA:  Running full production.  Everyone recalled, lots of overtime and hiring 15 hourly positions.  106 grievances filed in 2009.  35 named to arbitration.  Union backed out of PIP (Bonus) because of safety component.  The company has finally come back to the table with a formula based on tons in the melt shop and utilization in the rolling mill.

LOCAL 9777-29, JOLIET, IL:  Working 2 Crews six days a week, 8 hour shifts.  Company wants twelve’s.  The Company is trying to divide the membership by implementing a discriminatory wage increase for only some departments.  95 grievances filed, 6 or 7 named to arbitration.

LOCAL 9447-5, CALVERT CITY, KY:  Working two twelve hour shifts alternating 48 hours on days and 36 on nights.  No recalls, 54 still on lay off.  Three members terminated for alleged lock out violations.

LOCAL 2741, SAND SPRINGS, OK:  Still idled.  Three hourly workers maintaining equipment.  The Company told the Union they needed $107M for a new melt shop.  The Union convinced the state of Oklahoma to grant the money.  The Company then declined the offer.

LOCAL 9473, PERTH AMBOY, NJ:  Still idled.  The equipment was lubed and moth balled.  The computers were stored in plastic.  The workers have been told their plant is closed.

The other locals did not attend the Unity Council Meeting or the Company's Shareholder's Meeting.

On Monday, May 10th, four of our members were recalled to full employment.  Harper Cagoglu, Stephen Lloyd-Mitchell, Chris Picco & Darcy Sage are the returned workers.  Congratulations and welcome back.