Non-profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PA I D
Permit No. 1296
Seattle, WA
IAM & AW District 160
9135 15th Place South
Seattle, WA 98108
The Voice of I.A.M. & A.W. District 160 in Western Washington and Alaska
Vol. No. 54
Directing Business
Representative’s Report
March 2015
Soaring Hawk Award
Right to Work for Less
By Dan Morgan, DBR
Right to work. I’m sure you have heard this
phrase recently. Right to work (RTW) legislation
has been popular with conservative groups for a
long time. It is being debated in several states and
the US Congress as you read this article.
Conservative groups pushing to pass RTW legislation tout it as only being fair, allowing employees
to decide for themselves if they
want to join a union. They say
no one should be forced to join a
union if they do not want to join.
It is important to realize most of
these groups are business fronts
attempting to sell themselves as
worker’s rights groups. They Dan Morgan
claim paying union dues is a
tribute to the union bosses for the right to work.
Workers in RTW states who work in a unionized
shop who do not join the union enjoy all the benefits
the unionized employees have fought for and won,
however they do not pay any union dues and freeload on the backs of the union members.
According to the AFL-CIO, states with right to
work laws have:
Lower Wages and Incomes
• The average worker in states with right to work
laws makes $5,971 (12.2 percent) less annually
than workers in states without right to when all other factors are removed than workers in other states.
• Median household income in states with these
laws is $6,568 (11.8 percent) less than in other
states ($49,220 vs. $55,788).
• In states with right to work laws, 25.9 percent
of jobs are in low-wage occupations, compared
with 18.0 percent of jobs in other states.
Higher Poverty and Infant
Mortality Rates
• Poverty rates are higher in states with right to
work laws (14.8 percent overall and 20.2 percent
for children), compared with poverty rates of 13.1
percent overall and 18.3 percent for children in
states without these laws.
• The infant mortality rate is 14.2 percent higher
in states with these laws.
Less Investment in Education
• States with right to work laws spend 31.3 percent less per pupil on elementary and secondary
education than other states.
Higher Workplace Fatalities
• The rate of workplace deaths is 54.4 percent
higher in states with these laws, according to data
from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The truth is unions do not have the authority to
impose themselves on workers. Unionized workers have gone through a legal process, overseen by
the National Labor Relations Board, to be union.
They have voted in a democratic process, one very
slated to the employers side. No one forces workers
to work for a unionized employer. If you examine
the facts you would find workers want to work in
a unionized work place for a number of reasons, a
voice on the job, better working conditions, better
wages, better medical and a pension plan.
Contact your congressional representatives and
tell them you do not want the RIGHT TO WORK
FOR LESS.
BR Brandon Hemming Honored by IAM
At the February 26th District Delegate meeting, IAM District 160
Business Representative Brandon Hemming received the Soaring Hawk
Award from IAM Western Territory General Vice President Gary Allen
for his outstanding work, including the establishment of a Young
Machinists Group in the District.
Silva Appointed
District 160
Organizer
Alfredo Silva has been appointed to the
District 160 staff as Organizer effective
March 2, 2015.
Alfredo
has
been a member of
Local Lodge 289
since 2005 and
was a Journeyman
Mechanic
at Penske Truck
Leasing Co., L.P.
before joining the
District 160 staff.
Brother Silva
has been very ac- Alfredo Silva
tive in the community outreach and organizing committees, a member of the District 160 Young
and Emerging Leaders, a previous Shop
Steward and has attended Leadership and
Organizing classes at the William W. Winpisinger Center in Placid Harbor, MD.
“We are so pleased to have Alfredo
join District 160 as our Organizer. Brother
Alfredo comes highly qualified and will be
a true asset to our union,” commented DBR
Dan Morgan.
Alaska Machinist Goes Above and Beyond
By Glenn Farmer, BR
David Erickson and his rocket.
Shop Steward David Erickson of Anchorage, AK doesn’t sit around on his
days off. David is a member of the NAR
(National Association of Rocketry). The
successful launch of “Blue Meanie”
on April 12, 2014 qualified Dave for
Level 3 Certification. For the technical
genius residing somewhere in you, here
is Dave’s description of his machine:
Blue Meanie is a semi-monocoque
configuration constructed of a G12 spiral-wound fiberglass airframe reinforced
with 6061-T6 stringers and 12-ply marine-grade Baltic Birch plywood bulkheads and thrust rings.
It has a main 98mm central-axis motor tube capable of fitting the largest
certified motors currently available, and
also has three 38mm motor tubes fitted
so that clustered and air start flights can
be made with four motors.
Blue Meanie has two Perfect-Flight
Stratologger barometric deployment
computers for recovery system deployment and data logging. Two redundant
Local Lodge 79’s 125th Anniversary!
Plans are in the works for a celebration of Local Lodge 79’s (Hope
Lodge) 125 years since the lodge organized April 20, 1890 in Seattle,
Washington.
Watch for future announcements and information as it unfolds!
systems are employed to decrease odds
of recovery system failure. Avionics also
carried include a TLS GPS telemetry
system, audio beacon, and Spotracker
GPS tracking system. As well, a GoPro
HD video camera is carried in a payload
bay in the nose cone.
Two parachutes are used for recovery; one four foot drogue which is deployed at apogee, and one twenty foot
main which is deployed at 1000 ft. AGL
to bring the ship to earth at a gentle velocity of approximately 15 ft/sec. Both
chutes are made by Ky Michaelson.
The maximum altitude designed for
Blue Meanie flown with all four motors
(one N3300W-P and three J570W-P) is
20,000 feet. Maximum speed attained is
mach 1.1 or 837 MPH.
Blue Meanie’s future flights will in
multi-stage configuration attain higher
altitudes and faster airspeeds than in
single-stage configuration.
David works as a Simulator Technician at Elmendorf AFB Alaska, maintaining the flight simulator for the C-17
Training System.
Inside
Local Lodge Meeting Notices.............. Page 2
Retirees.............................................Page 2
In Memorium.................................... Page 2
Business Reps’ Reports............... Pages 3 & 4
Evergreen Leader
Page 2
Local Lodge Meeting Notices
Lodge 79 - Seattle
Lodge 289 - Seattle
Regular Lodge Meeting – 5 p.m., 3rd
Wednesday, 751 Meeting Hall, 9135 15th
Place South, Seattle.
Executive Board Meeting – 5:30 p.m., the
Monday preceding the regular lodge meeting
(3rd Wednesday). District 160 Conference
Room, 9135 – 15th Place South, Seattle.
Regular Lodge Meeting – 6:30 p.m., 1st
Wednesday, 751 Meeting Hall, 9135 15th
Place South, Seattle.
Lodge 130 - Everett
Regular Lodge Meeting – 7 p.m., 2nd
Thursday, Labor Temple, Everett.
Lodge 282 - Bremerton
Regular Lodge Meeting – 5:00 p.m., 3rd
Wednesday, 822 Park Avenue, Bremerton.
Executive Board Meeting – 5:30 p.m.,
3rd Tuesday, 822 Park Avenue, Bremerton
Local 282 Whidbey Island – 4:45 p.m.,
2nd Wednesday, NAS Whidbey Island.
District 160
Officers & Staff
President
Robert James
Vice President
Tom Burke
Secretary-Treasurer
John Decker
Sgt. at Arms
Jeff Eberle
Trustees
Bruce Baillie
Agustin Galindo
John Morse
Directing Business Representative
Dan Morgan
Assistant Directing
Business Representative
Greg Heidal
Shop Stewards’ Meeting – 6:00 p.m., 3rd
Thursday, District 160 Conference Room,
9135 15th Place South, Seattle.
Executive Board Meeting – 5:30 p.m.,
1st Wednesday, District 160 Conference
Room, 9135 15th Place South, Seattle.
March 2015
Notices
All Local Lodge 130 Members!
LIfe Insurance Reminder
The first reading of the revised bylaws
will be Thursday, March 12th at 7:00 p.m.
during the Regular Lodge meeting held at
the Labor Temple, 2810 Lombard, Everett,
WA 98201.
The second reading and a vote on the
revised bylaws will be held Thursday, April
9th at the same location at 7:00 p.m.
Please come out to these very important
meetings and make your voice heard.
To all members of Local Lodges
who have life insurance! If you
haven’t paid your life insurance as
yet, it’s not too late.
The life insurance premium for 2015
remains $36.00 and can be mailed to:
Attn: Dues Office
IAM District Lodge 160
9135 15th Pl. S.
Seattle, WA 98108
Lodge 297 - Tacoma
Regular Lodge Meeting – 6:00 p.m., 1st
Thursday, Firefighters Hall, 1109 South
50th Street, Tacoma
Executive Board Meeting – 6:00 p.m.,
Tuesday preceding the Regular Lodge
Meeting (1st Thursday), 2121 70th Ave.
W., Suite A, University Place, WA.
Retirees’ Club Meeting – All Local 297
retirees are invited to attend meetings the
3rd Tuesday of month, 9 a.m. at Tower Inn
& Lanes Bowling Center, 6323 – 6th Ave.,
Tacoma. Breakfast followed by meeting.
Occasional bus trips and potlucks. Join us!
Lodge 695 - Olympia
Regular Lodge Meeting – 7 p.m., 2nd
Wednesday, Labor Temple, 1191/2 North
Capitol Way, Olympia.
Lodge 1690 - Anchorage
Regular Lodge Meeting – 5:30 p.m., 2nd
Wednesday at the Union Hall, 701 W. 41st,
Suite 202, Anchorage.
Lodge 2379
Regular Lodge Meeting – 7:00 p.m., 1st
Thursday, Lodge office, 2064 Vista Dr.,
Ferndale.
Executive Board Meeting – 6:00 p.m.,
first Thursday, Lodge office, 2064 Vista
Dr., Ferndale.
Business Representatives
Melody Coffman
Glenn Farmer
Greg Heidal
Brandon Hemming
Paul Miller
Bobby Joe Murray
Bob Westbrook
Evergreen Leader
Published by IAM&AW District 160
9135 15th Place S., Seattle, WA 98108
206-762-7990
Directed by D.B.R. Dan Morgan
Tea Party Conservatives Again Targeting
Ex-Im Bank, U.S. Jobs
February 26, 2015 by IAM International
Communications Department
Far-right Republicans in Congress are
again circling the U.S. Export-Import (ExIm) Bank, hoping to kill the independent
credit agency that helps U.S. companies sell
products to foreign buyers and supported
more than 200,000 American jobs in 2013
alone.
IAM International President Tom
Buffenbarger wrote a letter to Congress
backing a bill that would fully authorize the
Ex-Im Bank through 2022 and maintain the
bank’s historically strong domestic content
requirements.
“The Ex-Im Bank is the only federal
institution that makes it possible for U.S.
manufacturers and workers to compete
fairly with our global competitors in Europe
and Asia, particularly in the aerospace industry, one of the last sectors in which the
U.S. enjoys a positive balance of trade with
the rest of the world,” wrote Buffenbarger.
The bank’s charter has to be authorized
by Congress, something that has traditionally happened every five years. But the
Ex-Im Bank is under the jurisdiction of the
House Financial Service Committee, which
is chaired by Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX),
an outspoken critic of the credit agency.
Hensarling begrudgingly accepted a shortterm extension of the bank’s charter last
September.
The bank, which doesn’t rely on taxpayer funds and returned over $1 billion to the
U.S. Treasury in 2013, will shut its doors on
June 30 if Congress doesn’t act.
“America’s global competitors know
that exports, and particularly aerospace
exports, are vital to a strong economy and
have repeatedly demonstrated a resolve to
provide all necessary means of support to
enhance export growth,” wrote Buffenbarger. “America must not unilaterally disarm as
some critics of the Ex-Im Bank would have
us do.”
The “Promoting U.S. Jobs Through Exports Act” (H.R. 1031), introduced by Rep.
Maxine Waters (D-CA), has 150 co-sponsors.
Go to http://bit.ly/1BikfNl to read Buffenbarger’s entire letter to Congress.
In Memoriam
Local Lodge 79
Maddux Jr., Fredis
Voss, Lonnie
12/19/2014
11/25/2014
Local Lodge 297
Alexander, Ralph
Stojack, Edward
12/06/2014
02/02/2015
Local Lodge 289
Jones, Jerry
Mustain, D
12/29/2014
11/23/2014
Local Lodge 695
Brewer, Clyde
01/27/2015
Retirees
Local Lodge 79
Harris, Michael
Leith, John
Luce, Michael
Vigor Shipyard
Lake Union Drydock
Vigor Shipyard
11/30/2014
12/31/2014
11/30/2014
Local Lodge 130
Warner, John
Community Transit
11/30/2014
Local Lodge 282
Estribor, Alma
Johnson, Elliott
CNRNW (Naval)
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard
12/31/2014
01/31/2015
Local Lodge 289
Douflass, June
Hodges, Johnny
Stearns, Kenneth
Theoharis, Tommy
City of Seattle
Penske Truck Leasing
American President Lines
American President Lines
12/31/2014
01/31/2015
01/31/2015
11/30/2014
Alcoa Intalco Works
Alcoa Intalco Works
Alcoa Intalco Works
11/30/2014
01/31/2015
01/31/2015
Local Lodge 2379
Goenen, James
Maas, Alvin
McDonald, Douglas
Evergreen Leader
March 2015
Page 3
Local Lodge 289 News
Local Lodge 289 Represented at Washington State Labor
Council’s Legislative Conference in Olympia
OLYMPIA – For Local Lodge 289
members, representing the Washington State Labor Council was a great
experience to learn about Senators and
State Representatives in different Districts and also how to lobby for union
rights.
“It was a lot of fun to see many different union members and recognize
what is important to their areas. We
thank the union for giving us this opportunity to represent Local 289 at
the Washington State Labor Council,”
stated Kevin Garrison.
(L-R) Kevin Garrison, Mike Waldrop, James Flynn.
Attendees rallying on the capitol steps.
Mike Waldrop and Kevin Garrison.
Business Representatives’ Reports
By Greg Heidal, ADBR
Here is an interesting piece of news for
those employed in the can manufacturing
industry. Ball Corporation will pay $6.8
billion to buy British rival Rexam
in a cash and stock deal that will
create the world’s largest manufacturer of food and beverage
cans. The merger must still be
approved by U.S. and European
Union regulators. Shareholders
of Broomfield-based Ball and
Rexam also must vote on the deal,
which has the backing of the boards of both
companies. The combined company would
employ about 22,500 employees on five
continents and have $15 billion in revenue.
Of those numbers, Ball accounts for 14,500
employees and $8.6 billion in revenue.
Having worked in the industry for 23
years and representing our brother and sisters at both Crown Cork and Seal as well
By Bobby Joe Murray
As I sit and write this article I find myself
quite angry. This is usually a place I make a
conscious effort to avoid but at times I just
need to feel it, realize it and let it go. You’re
wondering what this is about?
It started with the last election cycle. I
had such high hopes that America had seen
enough of the war on the middle
class, particularly working people,
that they would recognize who was
responsible and vote accordingly.
That didn’t happen! New enemies
were elected and some of the worst
incumbents were retained. I know
that many of them espoused that
they were interested in turning this country around and that they wanted to help the
middle class. Unfortunately, once they were
in power, they shed their sheep’s clothing
and revealed they were indeed wolves.
What have we seen from them since?
Attacks on pensions, attacks on voting
rights, attacks on workers through rightto-work laws, attacks on women’s rights,
attacks on immigration reform are spreading across the land. I’m not sure that’s what
those that fell for their sheep’s clothing actually wanted. I’m not advocating for either
political party here but we do see which one
is pushing these attacks on the American
people. We also see who’s behind it. The
Koch brothers are financing these actions to
the tune of billions of dollars thanks to the
Supreme Court ruling on Citizen’s United.
Based on the actions being seen across
as Rexam, I am not surprised at the merger.
The 12 ounce aluminum can has seen a decline over the past several years and companies are always looking to pick up volume
wherever they can and acquisitions are one
way to do it. The repercussions are
unknown at this time and it will be
next year before we have any information on how this will affect the
Rexam Kent facility.
We have upcoming negotiations with Streich Brothers in Tacoma, American President Lines
and Fishing Vessel Owners this
spring. After having just taken over the
contract at American President Lines, a
waterfront shop that maintains equipment
on the docks in Seattle, this will be interesting. I have watched the Longshoremen’s
negotiations and have seen the impact it
can have on the country when that union
flexes its muscle. This was a west coast negotiation but due to their slowdown at the
the country one can surmise that their goal
is to take us, the citizens, back in time to
when money ruled everything, unfettered
by any rules or laws such as environmental, labor, human rights, and anything else
which might deter them from capitalizing
on the backs of working men and women.
Our very way of life is at stake!
The middle class as we know it was built
by those Brothers and Sisters that
went before us. They fought hard
and long, many of them gave their
lives, to raise the working class out
of their miserable state so that they
could enjoy the fruits of their labor.
We find ourselves being pushed
back towards that dark place that
they struggled so hard to rise above. The
media tells us that unions are no longer relevant, they serve no purpose in today’s society, and they’ve outlived their usefulness.
There’s a word that I would respond with
to that. I’ll leave that out but I’m sure you
can guess. If we’re so useless then why is so
much money being spent against us? If we as
a nation want to maintain a middle class and
we as workers want to have a voice, then this
is the best time to stand up with your Brothers and Sisters and become active. We, as
Fighting Machinists, and all the other workers whether Union or not, need to rise and let
the ruling class know that we’re not going to
take it any longer. History is made by those
who show up. It’s time to show up!
Thanks for allowing me my rant. I now
return you to your regularly scheduled programming.
Pictured L to R: Dave Bakken, District 751 BR Steve Warren, ADBR Greg Heidal, Ernie Soderman,
Dan Carter and Leo Machado.
ports, it affected producers and retailers
across the country as they tried to get the
products into and out of the ports.
Negotiations were completed with
By Melody Coffman
It seems that time is passing at warp
speed, I just get an article done, and it is
time to do another. I had an experience
yesterday that really made me stop and
wonder, “What is the future of organized
labor?” It is a question that is asked by
many I am sure; however, what
drove my question was talking
with our members. The individuals were young … 25ish. I was
voting a proposal after going
through several months of negotiations. As I was going through
the document so everyone understood where we were at and
what was being proposed. The questions started coming, and they were not
the usual questions. They all concerned
the pension. And yes, the pension is a
concern and a hot topic with most members right now. This conversation was
even different than that; It was about
how the union screwed up the pension,
how it was unfair of the union to charge
the employer, and the employees, and
to give nothing back for it. These individuals are convinced that the pension,
just like social security (as they see it)
will not be there in the end, and worse,
that the UNION did this to them. They
stated if they could they would dump
the pension and the union… here is the
kicker, “because they can do better on
their own”.
I was somewhat taken back by the com-
More Business Representatives’ Reports on page 4
United Parcel Service and a new contract
was put in place until the end of July, 2019.
These were joint negotiations with IAM
District 751.
ments and wasn’t sure where to go with
the accusations. I made every attempt to
explain that, other than trustees, we really
have nothing to do with the pension and
its investments. That is done by money
management groups, attorneys and others who are much smarter than me in understanding the stock market and investments. That if they remembered
what happened with the investments in the market were neither
my fault nor anyone elses that
is part of the Machinist Union.
That the change in the Pension
Guarantee Act in 2006 along with
the market crash in 2008, is why
we are here, and that everyone is
doing all that they can to rehabilitate the
pension to guarantee that it is there long
into the future.
Needless to say, I did nothing to convince these folks that it was not done
specifically by the union, and that being
organized labor and having the right to a
voice in the work place, the right to do
just what we were doing at that time, vote
on what we believe is a fair, and collectively go to the table and bargain over
what we see as fair… is what unions are
about, and that you will never be able to
do on your own what you can do through
that collective process.
They did not agree, and therefore I am
wondering, “What is our future?”
Ponder that thought. Let’s do what we
can do to insure that those who do not see
the writing on the wall, may some day…
Page 4
Evergreen Leader
March 2015
Business Representatives’ Reports
By Glenn Farmer
of skill and are very experienced. The Union,
in addition to the protection of a Union contract, can usually get a newly organized Unit
compensation above the minimums set by the
government for the particular job involved.
The additional cost is generally passed on to
the government and becomes the new “standard” for the area. We usually don’t run into
a lot of pushback from the employer because
they don’t directly shoulder the cost.
In addition to servicing our current members, the IAM is focusing on two areas:
• Emerging leaders and;
• Organizing.
Strength in numbers – growth is power. We
are the last line of defense. There is a large
and powerful movement intent on keeping
your wages low, limiting your benefits,
and taking your pensions. Organizing betters the lives of workers everywhere, even in non-Union work places.
Unions have always set the bar. The
mystery lies in why the cultural tendency is to pull us down to the level of
the disgruntled victims. It sure makes
more sense to let the Union pull them
up to a new level. That’s one we have to work
on.
The IAM also recognizes the necessity of
bringing along new leaders. The Young Machinists and the GPS II programs focus on
this… Ask your Business Rep for more information on how to get involved.
There is no neutral as a Union member.
“Those ain’t busy bein’ born are busy
dyin.” – B. Dylan
I don’t know whether it’s being more aware
of what there is to do after five years as a Rep
or there are just more things to do. Regardless, this is proving to be quite a ride. Employers want more with less to the point they get
less with less, and remain mystified how that
works. Somehow media has played the Union
movement as enemy of the people. Add to that
a couple of organizing drives. In the midst
of this mayhem I have seven open contracts.
With three settled recently, I was down to four
for a couple of days and then added another
three. In some perverse sort of way I actually
like doing it.
We kicked off the Alcoa contract early with
three informational meetings held in
January and February. A Bargaining
Committee was elected and is set to
be at Winpisinger Center for Negotiations Prep March 14-20. I feel we
have a good, solid start with District
160’s biggest shop. Based on history, communication and education
will be a crucial part in facilitating
a successful agreement. The full time Union
staff at Alcoa will assist in this and provide
support to the members and Committee. The
contract expires in October 2015.
I have three cities open including Ferndale,
Lynden, and Blaine. The two largest shops in
Anchorage are in negotiations as well.
Recently I organized the AWAC Device
Instructors at Joint Base Elemendorf-Richardson. The election will be held on March 23,
2015 in Anchorage. Upon a successful election and first contract negotiation, the AWAC group will join our
other District 160, LL 1690 Aerospace bargaining units, which include the F22 Pilot Instructors, C17
Pilot Instructors, and C17 Simulator
Technicians. SCA (Service Contract
Act) units are a great organizing opportunity for District 160. One of
my favorite things as a Rep is watching the F-22 Raptors, big C-17’s, and
the AWAC’s flying over Anchorage.
Those are in the air because of training support from our members.
Service Contracts are government The Peter Pan Seafoods 2015 Bargaining Committee from L
contracts where the contractor pro- to R, BR Glenn Farmer, George Perry and Tony Smith. Not
vides a service. The IAM has many present are Arnie Wray, Scott Cole and Ryan Robles.
SCA Contracts throughout the coun- The Peter Pan Cannery Machinists are made up of full-time
try which are typically staffed by ex- and seasonal members working in Dillingham, Port Moller,
military folks that have a high level Valdez, Nornak and King Cove, AK.
By Brandon Hemming
Politics is a topic that finds most of us applying more effort towards avoidance than
activism. I know, because until recently I exemplified the position of the ‘avoider’. Fortunately I have been made acutely aware of the
importance of being politically cognizant, if
nothing else. As a member of a labor union,
we can trace every specific aspect of our cause
to some political process. Everything from local laws that dictate
what specific types of leaves will
be guaranteed in our contracts
to federal laws that allow some
groups to strike when others cannot. All is decided by those with
the means and a way.
We are fortunate through the Machinist
Union to have many avenues available to us to
become involved. Support to the MNPL could
be seen as the simplest way of becoming politically active. The Machinist Non-Partisan Political League or MNPL, is the major vehicle
in which we are able to endorse and support
“labor friendly” campaigns and legislation. A
sponsoring membership can be achieved by
making a yearly donation of as little as $25.
This amount will be combined with other do-
nations to ensure that the voice of labor is heard
at all levels, from local stages to the steps of
Congress.
For those that feel they need to be more involved in local and state issues we are given
that ability through several county and state
labor councils. Local lodges are mandated to
have delegations to their county labor councils
as well as the Washington State Labor Council. The Washington State Machinist Council
is also an option given to local lodges in
the way of staying politically involved
and up to date with the current political
landscape. By attending your local lodge
meetings you can find out the specific requirements to be seated as a delegate and
how each council functions respectively.
Not unlike any other cause for activists,
there is almost the constant need for volunteers. Manpower is needed for anything from
phone banking and door knocking to assisting
in any other aspect of a campaign. There is always a need that can be filled.
The only way we can ensure that our ideas
and issues are heard is to gather the support we
need to direct the attention where it is needed.
The few cannot continue to support the many
and we will not know success until we all take
the steps to become involved.
By Bob Westbrook
This has been a busy time of year
for me. Presently I’m dealing with several grievances across the Federal sector
and the Service Contract sector. Without divulging persons and companies I
will attempt to give an update on those.
Presently, we have a situation that I will
probably take to the Department of Labor
for a misclassification of an employee.
The Company stated they are working on
a solution so I will hold off until determining if a settlement is offered
benefiting the employee. I have
several termination grievances
of which one I have already
decided to arbitrate if the Company doesn’t come through with
a settlement in time. I am still
investigating one termination
grievance for merit. We have
one grievance over pay that is already
scheduled for arbitration in March and an
overtime grievance that looks like it may
be settled soon. The most time consuming
one I’ve been working on is a settlement for
a termination that the Company has finally
offered but I’m pressing them for a higher
offer. We shall see how that turns out.
Negotiations for the year are starting
to stack up. From March 3-5, I will be
engaging Strategic Weapons Facility in
negotiations. We have already passed
proposals so I hope this will get off the
ground quick and be completed expeditiously. Two Navy Region collective bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiations
By Paul Miller
Union activism is at the heart of all
we do in the labor movement. Being
just a Union member isn’t enough, we
all must become activists if we want to
see the change we all talk about.
Labors power has been on the
wrong trend line but that is starting to change. There are many
areas you can become more involved and contribute in a bigger way to the labor movement.
Attending Local Lodge meetings is one way to get involved.
Local Lodge 289 has been putting a lot
of effort into their 289 Machinist Outreach program which offers just about
any path for involvement you can think
of. Please contact me no matter which
local you are a member of and I can help
you identify your area of interest and put
you in contact with the right people.
The area of involvement I want to talk
about today is with the Washington State
Labor Council (WSLC). According to
the WSLC they are “Widely considered
to be the “voice of labor” in
our state, the Washington
State Labor Council, AFLCIO, represents and provides services for hundreds
of local unions and trade
councils throughout Washington State. The WSLC’s
core programs are legislative advocacy, political action, communications and media relations, and assistance with organizing campaigns. Learn
more about the services we provide our
affiliated unions and directly to workers.
The WSLC is a voluntary organization. All union locals and councils that
are affiliated with the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial
Organizations (AFL-CIO) are eligible to
affiliate. Some unions outside the AFLCIO may also affiliate via the Solidarity
More Business Representatives’ Reports on page 3
will be starting up sometime in April and
Fidelity Technologies Corporation negotiations will ensue sometime in May
I expect. The Fidelity CBA will require
travel since it is a combined CBA including other sites – Hawaii, San Diego, Norfolk, and our local Bangor. I don’t know
where it will be held at this point. I took
the easy way with Naval Surface Warfare Center’s CBA since there were no
changes desired from either party so we
are working on extending the CBA. All
parties have signed but since it is with the
Navy it is going up their chain of
command for higher approval.
I just returned from an adventurous travel to our training
center (Winpisinger). Flying
on Feb 14 from Seattle to JFK
(New York) went without a hitch
but flights from New York to
Baltimore were cancelled due to
heavy winds. This led to me taking a taxi
to Amtrak to get from New York to Baltimore and then another taxi from Amtrak
to getting picked up for the trip into Winpisinger at Hollywood, MD. It made for
a very long travel excursion from 4:30
a.m. Feb 14 to final arrival at 4:30 a.m.
the next day – Feb 15. All worked out in
the end and I appreciated the training in
Service Contracts very much. The class
has given me more tools to deal with
those CBA’s under my purview. The
flight back to Seattle went well, on time,
and without any mishaps. Until next
time, take care, keep working in solidarity and help others along the way.
Charter program or the AFL-CIO/NEA
Labor Solidarity Partnership.
Although not every AFL-CIO local or council is affiliated, the WSLC
represents the official position of the
AFL-CIO in our state. It operates by
consensus and has no legal or
constitutional authority to impose a position or policy on any
local union or trade council.
WSLC officers are elected
by affiliated members every
four years. The elected officers
are the President, the SecretaryTreasurer and the 27 Vice Presidents,
who together comprise the WSLC Executive Board. The board meets quarterly and establishes the WSLC’s policies
and programs in between conventions.
Conventions are held annually. Delegates to WSLC conventions debate and
establish the organization’s positions or
policies on issues, candidates and programs by voting on motions and resolutions. Any credentialed delegate may
introduce motions to the convention,
and any affiliate may submit resolutions
to the convention.
Currently, there more
than 600 local unions affiliated with the WSLC,
representing approximately
400,000 rank-and-file union
members working in our
state. The WSLC is the largest labor organization in our
state and is the only organization representing all AFL-CIO unions in the state.”
Many of our Local Lodges are looking for members to participate as a delegate to the WSLC. They offer training
and the events are quite fun and informative. Please contact me for more information.
Quote for today: If you always do
what you’ve always done, you’ll always
get what you’ve always got. – Anon