Be Thankful For Our Union
Written 12/04/2015
This week at our plant the Company Employees found out that they will no longer have sick time as of January 1st, 2016. Before we start gloating, it is not all bad news for them, as they will get five extra vacation days to help with anytime they need to call in sick. However, they will not get paid their new sick time of five days if they are not hospitalized for any type of surgery or treatment that they may need.
While I don’t know all the details of this new item the Company Employees have to abide by, it did get me thinking how nice it is that we have a contract that protects us from sudden last minute policy changes like this.
Our Collective Bargaining Agreement gives us certain rights with the rules and regulations the Company has to follow. If a change is going to be made, it will generally not happen until the new contract is in place and our Union has the power to negotiate these things away on our behalf. I know there are some growing pains right now with our first contract implementation, but our Union Officers are working on their own time to get these things straighten out.
Lately it has seemed like there is always some kind of battle between the Company and the Union on some of the simplest, most common sense scenarios.
It is always so easy to see the negative side of things and sometimes you have to look hard for the positive.
I would like you to think, what if you were one of those company people that just got told you no longer have sick time. Maybe you were planning an outpatient surgery after January 2016. You now would not get paid for the first five to seven days of the time off that you have to take because of the wear and tear on your body that working in this type of industry can cause.
I know our contract is not perfect, but it is nice to know we have some level of protection. This holiday season brings a lot for us to be thankful for. Another year with my family, the fact I have a good paying job in these uncertain times, a roof over my head to keep me warm, etc. are some of the things I am thankful for.
Our Union, Collective Bargaining Agreement, and Union Officers are also some of those things we should think about when we think how blessed we are. With the Union Officers and the Collective Bargaining Agreement to back them up we don’t have to worry about things like our sick time going away.
I understand it is hard to see the good when every little thing can be a battle. I recently had to sit through my first grievance discussion and I see what our Union Officers have to go through every time they have to meet with the Company. Because of that I want to say, “Thank You to our Union Officers,” and would like to encourage you to do the same.
These are the times we need to stay strong and together as we try to work out the Company/Union differences. It can be very stressful to do what they do and they are doing it free of charge, for you, for nothing more than what we get out of it.
Like the song says, “You don’t know what you’ve got, til it’s gone.”
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your families!
NOTE: If we. the union, find out more information on the Enhanced Time Off Program changes the company is implimenting on non-bargaining employees and our exempt personnel, we will share them at our Regular Monthly Meeting and discuss them with the membership to see what YOU think about it. What we know about it right now is only rumor and speculation and we warn the membership about believing anything unless we recieve the Summary Plan Description (SPD) and review it. We will not ask for the SPD unless this is something the company would want 304 to consider, and then we have the RIGHT and OBLIGATION, because WE ARE A UNION, to study it thoroughly and present it to the membership for consideration. We have a choice because WE ARE A UNION of Brothers and Sisters!
A Concerned Member
I saw something on our local’s web site that bothered me a little bit. It insinuated that somehow things are getting back to Plant Management from our meetings. Now, I am no one special and really don’t have much to say most of the time, but I couldn’t believe what I was reading.
I attend our monthly meetings when I can and I think of them as a place where I can express myself, with whatever tone or way that I want, without it leaving those four walls. I am not saying we should go to the meetings to yell, scream, and carry on like animals with impunity. I am simply saying that I treat the meetings as a sounding board or “rough draft”. A place where I can get other opinions, feedback, and direction when needed. One day I may even be able to help someone else in this way.
Having said all of that, I usually try to look for the good in everything and I have a hard time believing that someone in our midst is an actual turncoat. I am going to hope that whatever information got out and however it got out was an accident. Maybe someone else over heard something said and it slipped out that way, I am not sure.
I would just like to remind my fellow Union Members that loose lips sink ships. While whatever is said at the meetings is not something we are trying to hide, it could be used against other members when it was not intended to be. Remember some things are “rough drafts” and still need a little fine tuning before it is presented in an official capacity.
I know it is tough to get the information out from the meetings when we don’t see each other outside of work or meetings very often. Somethings that take place at work are hard not to talk about and I get that. I hate to sound like a broken record, but these are the reasons we need our members at our meetings. The members that do attend our meetings can’t give you all the information you are looking for. It is hard to remember what is said and why when we cover so many topics. Also, you never know the intent of someone listening close by or if you got all of the facts right to begin with.
I just want everyone to remember that we are all in this together. Unfortunately, lines have been drawn. While we didn’t draw these lines and hope they will disappear soon, we have to stay together. Remember that true progress takes time and it takes even longer if we don’t stay focused on the task at hand. Our task at hand is to make a better and safer work place for everyone.
I Have the Choice to Work Union or Not
I saw the story below on the WDTV the other day, and there was one part of this story that stood out to me. It was a quote from one of the people interviewed.
They said, “I work for a place where I am union, and that’s just how it is,” says Elaine Darnell of Morgantown. “But, I have the choice to work there or not to work there, so…”.
Whether you are for or against Right-To-Work, unions, etc. ; this quote holds true for both sides of the issue. It is your choice to work where you do, and if you don’t like where you work you look for another job.
You have the Right To Work already, as well as the right to NOT work, but don’t kid yourself; Right To Work is about weakening unions and impeding their ability to protect workers rights.
Click below for the entire story:
Right to Work: Solution for Our Struggling Economy?
Written by Matthew Baumgarten
36 reasons why you should thank a union
Here is something I came across that I thought would be beneficial to all of our members. It gives a brief history of 36 things unions have done for America’s Work Force and includes places for discounts only offered to union members.
36 reasons why you should thank a union
Show your support for the labor movement! If for some reason you can’t join a union, but want to support your fellow working Americans and fight for good jobs and a just economy, join Working America at www.WorkingAmerica.org.
When you join Working America – or if you’re already a union member — you are automatically eligible for Union Plus discounts and benefits at www.UnionPlus.org – including legal services, health savings, financial services and discounts on everything from AT&T wireless, car rentals and other travel, auto insurance, flowers, entertainment, movies and much more! Union members are also eligible for their union’s Union Plus benefits!
Did you know that labor unions made the following 36 things possible?
1. Weekends without work
2. All breaks at work, including your lunch breaks
3. Paid vacation
4. Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
5. Sick leave
6. Social Security
7. Minimum wage
8. Civil Rights Act/Title VII – prohibits employer discrimination
9. 8-hour work day
10. Overtime pay
11. Child labor laws
12. Occupational Safety & Health Act (OSHA)
13. 40-hour work week
14. Workers’ compensation (workers’ comp)
15. Unemployment insurance
16. Pensions
17. Workplace safety standards and regulations
18. Employer health care insurance
19. Collective bargaining rights for employees
20. Wrongful termination laws
21. Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA)
22. Whistleblower protection laws
23. Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA) – prohibits employers from using a lie detector test on an employee
24. Veteran’s Employment and Training Services (VETS)
25. Compensation increases and evaluations (i.e. raises)
26. Sexual harassment laws
27. Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)
28. Holiday pay
29. Employer dental, life, and vision insurance
30. Privacy rights
31. Pregnancy and parental leave
32. Military leave
33. The right to strike
34. Public education for children
35. Equal Pay Acts of 1963 & 2011 – requires employers pay men and women equally for the same amount of work
36. Laws ending sweatshops in the United States
Thank a union member by buying union-made in America products! UNION MEMBERS: Use your Union Plus union-made discounts here.
Copyright ©2015 Union Privilege. All rights reserved. Union Plus benefits are for participating union members, retirees and their families.
Union Privilege, 1100 1st ST NE, Suite 850, Washington, DC 20002