Use the following form to submit a question to the IAM Local 778 Negotiating Committee. Questions will be answered in the Q&A section below. NOTE: any question of a personal nature will be answered privately.
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Q&A
Below are a list of questions submitted to the IAM Local 778 Negotiating Committee. If you do not see your question answered here, please check back. NOTE: any question of a personal nature will be answered privately.
Q: How can I help during the negotiations process?
A: Participate in the discussions, rallies, surveys and other events showing solidarity. Wear the appropriate union insignia at the designated times in unity with your brothers and sisters. Talk strong about the issues on the shop floor because solidarity works. Encourage everyone you know to become a member.
Q: What should I say to support the Union’s efforts in negotiations when I’m asked by management to give them my opinion?
A: Supervisors and other managers will be out in force trying to gauge our members’ support for various issues. They in turn send this information right up to the company negotiators. The best way to win a good contract is to be strong and together on the shop floor. The Union negotiators are looking out for your best interest, the company is looking out for its own best interest. You can help support your co-workers (your Union) throughout negotiations by sending a strong unified message to company management about better pensions, lower health care costs, job security and issues important to all of us. Tell the company to do the right thing on these issues.
Q: I’ve been an F2 inspector for over 30 years and now all of a sudden the company comes up with a new classification, quality receiving inspector. I have recently gained knowledge that they have quite a few red badgers working out of their classifications such as welders, x-ray, and AASPs. If they’re allowed to make up classifications as they go, where will they go from there?
A: I have looked into your concern to confirm whether a new classification had been started. I’m not sure where you might have heard this, however, it is illegal for a Company with a labor agreement to establish wages, classifications and working conditions without sitting down with the Union and negotiate any changes to the current agreement and then and only then a Memorandum of Understanding (MOA) would have to be signed by both parties. Which at this time I can assure you has not happened in this case. As to the second part of your concern;
The Company under the current agreement can loan employees to the same classification between departments or can loan employees to other classifications to address business needs, Article 15 Seniority section G paragraph 1 and 2 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). The only thing that was agreed to by an MOU was the length of a loan and that was changed from 80 working days to one year. This MOU was signed November of 2012 and is still in effect. If you’d like to see a copy of this please see one of the shop committeeman in the Union office at the plant. Then if an extension is needed the Union must be notified every 30 days and only then an extension can be agreed upon with the Union’s approval.