Denis who?
Recently, a local news station provided coverage of the most recent new car exhibits displayed at the Detroit Auto Show. The coverage included a look at the new (cheap) Chinese cars whose manufactures are hoping to sell [dump] their product into the North American market within the next two years.

Self-proclaimed analyst Denis DesRosiers appears on camera to lay comment and at once quickly attacks unionized workers as the root of all evil and the cause of the Big 3 financial problems.

Mr. DesRosiers states Chinese vehicles will undoubtedly do well in the North American market and that GM & Ford have little chance due to rich union wages & benefits. It's unfortunate Denis DesRosiers is allowed to comment on a subject that he apparently has no direct knowledge of as I believe, Mr. DesRosiers is nothing more than a self-proclaimed expert with a fecal intelligence of the auto industry.

Union negotiated wages, for the most part are a minor piece of the cost in relation to the Big 3 vehicles sold in our market as well as a major economic driver of our economy, a fact Mr. DesRosiers seems oblivious to. Continually attacking Union membership as the harm and foul of the domestic auto industry is nothing more then blatant exhibitionist slander that needs to be put in check.

Not surprising is the fact that analysts and journalists of Mr. Desrosiers ilk haven’t had too much to say concerning the recent extreme quality issues that Toyota is experiencing of late. In one case, Toyota tried to ignore a steering system failure that resulted in six deaths and now affects over 1 million Toyota produced vehicles. Also recently, a class action law suit involving 3.5 million Toyota owners was instrumental in resolving a premature engine failure problem due to the oil turning to sludge destroying the engine. This issue has been extended to include over 7.5 million Toyota products, which Toyota incidentally, tried to claim the failures were due to the owner’s ignorance.

It goes without saying that our membership works hard and produces top quality products on a daily basis and is deserving of “new” core products as well as proper recognition within the greater media. Domestic vehicles should be promoted by the media in Canada as a source of bread and butter to the economy rather than continual point and shoot negativity from those such as Mr. DesRosiers. His opinion is like a one-sided coin tossed in the air…

Mr. Desrosiers comments should not go unchallenged. Please write or call Mr. Desroriers to express your opinion. E-mail: info@desrosiers.ca or call 905- 881-0400.

A few weeks back during a Shop committee meeting with assistant Plant Manager Steve Jenkins the question was asked, “When does the Warren 6-speed come on line”. If all goes according to GM’s plan the Warren 6-speed would be running at full capacity some time during the 2nd quarter of 2007. Approximately half the vehicles that currently use the Warren (4t60/65) 4-speed that we supply final drives for, would be equipped with the 6-speed as a standard item. The remaining half of vehicles that use the Warren 4-speed will continue to use that transmission but also have the 6-speed as an option. Common reasoning says that 50% of those would be ordered with the optional 6-speed instead of the regular 4-speed transmission. When you take into account both situations there will be an inevitable decrease in the Warren final drives that are produced here of, or close to 75%. The daily build rate at this time for Warren’s is 3240/day and the build rate for the Windsor’s (4t40/45) is 3840/day for a total of 7080/day. Removing 75% of the Warren volume will be a de-rate to 850/day or assuming the Windsor volume remains consistent total volume would be 4690/day. Direct impact to the transmission division is staggering; the 4t60/65 is more labour intensive than the 4t40/45 where at this time 85 people are required to produce the Internal Gear as well as the Parking Gear for the 4t60/65 application. Total transmission population at this time is 385 people, if infact GM can achieve their goal for the 6-speed transmission by April/May next year the transmission population would fall approximately around the 190 area. Sobering as that is, that number doesn’t include the impact to any of the service or support divisions that will be affected as well. This situation however negative will certainly not be the last as the life cycle for this product is nearing its demise with the 4t40/45 having no sign of life in late /09 early 2010.

The company at this time is currently looking at almost every single manufacturing job with the purpose of having all employees at or close to 90% utilization. What this represents to us is that if you have any visible idle time within your 8 hour work span today, the company will be trying to find more for you to do tomorrow. The clear issue here is to make their budget on your back. In some areas where this is occurring now the people that work there are doing a good job of doing only their job, the problem is the people that continually jump in to work extension of shift overtime in those areas to make up the difference.

A sustainable working future for all our members and the ability to return our members from Oshawa is the focus of your Shop Committee. This will be no easy task considering the long list of negatives beyond our control, for example: high CDN dollar, 30,000 jobs lost & plant closures (12 over the next few years) in the US, UAW/GM bargaining in the near future as well. With a very limited amount of new work out there and a multitude of other locations trying to obtain it this will be difficult to say the least. However the Shop Committee is focused and will continue to work toward a working future for our members.

Issued by:
John Hockey Terry White

During the last several months there have been significant memorandums of understandings put in place by members of the Shop Committee. These MOU’s represent an evolution in thinking and have resulted in several members’ lay-off notices being rescinded and others being extended for through the summer thereby not being forced to lose all their vacation pay.

A small number of members have openly criticized these measures as walking backwards when in fact the result has been purely positive as to sustained employment for a number of Skilled Trades members. As leadership we could have done nothing and remained archaic allowing members to be permanently laid off justifying it to the members losing their job or their holiday pay by stating “we’ve always done it this way.”

The need for these MOU’s is absolute due to project & construction work drying up, transmission volumes on the verge of their spiral downward, absence of real commitment to the Components plant all suggest no long term employment which does mean adjusting when needed to the times we find ourselves in.

With Master Bargaining opening July 19th our primary focus of this committee will be to grow the St. Catharines plant population and have our members working at other locations or still on lay-off status returned. This will be no easy task considering all the negatives that currently plague us but with a solid plan, a united committee and a strong chairperson GM is going to have a fight on their hands. As a testament to this the Chairperson has informed the company that the Shop Committee is not willing to open local bargaining until a number of outstanding issues are resolved to the Union’s satisfaction.

As was the case in 2002 and will be the case in 2005 St. Catharines will gain investment through the negotiation process as we believe we have all the necessary tools to achieve our membership needs. Complete membership support of our bargaining agenda will only strengthen our resolve!

Issued by:
John Hockey Terry White

It almost never seems to fail that during a bargaining year we are embroiled in nothing but bad news. The difference between years past and this one, is that just about everything that can turn negative, is turning negative.
GM continues to lose more market share to the imports. GM’s shares are virtually dropping to junk status, 1.4 million vehicles sitting on the lots, plants taking time out or being closed, their declining US market share is currently 25%, and GM predicts significant losses in 2005. Combine all that with a limited life span left for our current 4-speed with unstable and reducing volumes as well as a half empty Ontario St. facility, it would suggest this will be the most difficult set of bargaining that the St. Catharines operations has experienced.

Ironically as we prepare locally to head into bargaining in a relatively short time from now, GM is attempting to coax the UAW into reopening its current contract covering wages and benefits. With US health care costs expected to exceed 5.6 billion this year no doubt they will be looking for concessions in that area as well as pensions. More than likely GM will give the UAW a choice, either give up some benefits and wages or more plants and jobs will be eliminated.

Currently GM has enough North American plants to support 30% of the yearly car and truck sales in the North American market, but with the actual share of 25% that would suggest that GM is 5 assembly plants too heavy. This does not include all the other facilities that supply their assembly plants. Unless market share starts to climb there will undoubtedly be more plant closings announced in North America.

It’s a harsh reality to face but we certainly can’t bury our heads in the sand and hope it will just go away. Other locations have tried that and they are no longer with us. The only right way to deal with this issue is to put realistic goals in place and meet GM head on, which in all likelihood could mean a strike.

Without new products for Ontario Street, and the phase out in large part of the existing transmission, our workforce in effect would be cut in half. We believe that if GM can find 2.5 billion for other locations in Canada (Beacon Project) it can surely find some products and cash for our location. For GM it may not be a case of wanting to, but one of having too.

Issued by: Ontario & I.P.C. Shop Committee
Terry White John Hockey

At the time of writing there are several vehicle assembly plants scheduled to take time out during the first and second quarter of this year. This will ultimately have an effect on the transmission volume we currently produce at this location. This means that there may be some weeks out; or the transmission might run at a reduced volume until summer shutdown. Traditionally the first quarter is a slow period for sales; but it is somewhat unusual that assembly plants are predicted to be slow during the second quarter. Although with 1.4 million vehicles currently sitting on the lots awaiting buyers it isn’t that surprising. The bottom line is, people in the North American market need to buy GM cars & trucks to support our economy and sustain our long-term employment. Not buy non-GM and imports, which do absolutely nothing for us.

During the second quarter GM will discontinue the 3.1 and 3.4 V-6 connecting rods which will create a surplus in this division. The GMT 900 has begun production in limited volume at this time for the model year 2006. This control arm is scheduled to replace the existing GMT 800 maintaining the expected manpower in this area. The Union continues to have ongoing dialogue concerning the repair of #6 press with the company.

The Rad line volumes will continue to keep pace with the Oshawa truck assembly plant, while the Strut is expected to remove weeks during the first and second quarter in line with the Oshawa car assembly plants.

Currently 47 people are on layoff from this site with an expected increase in manpower over the next several weeks that should populate this site back to 75-80 during the May timeframe.

The elimination of extension of shift overtime will not happen unless YOU SAY NO! The entire Union leadership needs your support to show management that as rank and file Union members we will not eliminate our own jobs. When management doesn’t cover long term S&A, spa, vacation and the inability to maintain their equipment prior to failure, the membership must say no to 12 hour shifts. This will allow your Union leadership the ability to argue for adequate manpower levels throughout the Ontario St. site. Membership in conjunction with the Union leadership have reduced the number of 12 hour shifts from an average of 200 + per week a few years ago, to an average of 60 per week throughout the entire plant. It will definitely require the input from every single worker to bring that number to zero. Or it won’t happen! Remember, it does no good to sit and complain about the 12-hour shifts while you’re working one.

Issued by: Ontario & I.P.C. Shop Committee
Terry White     John Hockey

SUN GEAR
Transmission volumes have leveled out at 7600 a day. Surplus manpower in this dept will be minimal.

HEAT TREAT
The manpower in this area has leveled out to a point where the company has declared no surplus. This area still has ongoing issues with the number of inspectors that are needed to guarantee that parts run on the furnaces meet existing standards.

20 DIVISION
The manpower in this area has been lean due to long-term illness and a slow ramp up. At the request of the union, management has reviewed the amount of work tool-setters have to do, and have concluded that additional manpower is needed. The company will add five new jobs to this area over the next few weeks.

MATERIAL HANDLING
Any retirements in this division will be filled from the transfer list, and all internal realignment will be done in the next week.

RAD AND STRUT
The rumors of two shifts in this department seem to be as far fetched to this committeeperson as they do to the members in this area. Management needs to concentrate on the people that are transferring to other areas, and back fill each person that leaves.

METFORM AND FORGE
The Metform will reduce two heads on the pm 630 and go from 3 shifts to days and afternoons. The forge area has been affected by the loss of V6 connecting rod work, which will impact 6 to 8 people on rod presses and 3 on the V6 sort job. Members that are retiring from this division will not be back filled as management tries to get the H.P.U. levels to their liking. This form of budgeting is always on the back of labor. We strongly urge all workers to follow job element sheets and safe work practices in this area. Don’t show the company how to reduce jobs!

OUTPUT SHAFT
This dept. has already been impacted by a volume reduction, resulting in 5 people being bumped to the Glendale Plant the week of Sept. 27, 2004.

In closing, the COMPONENTS PLANT is our plant of choice and Powertrain must understand that there has to be a future for this site going in to Bargaining in 2005.

Issued by:

Terry White, Shop Committeeperson
John Arntz, Committeeperson
Gary Miller, Alt. Committeeperson

During the last set of bargaining your negotiating committee asked GM if they intended to close the Components plant, their response some time later was if they intended to they haven’t figured out how to do it, yet.

Witnessing recent events it certainly looks like GM has figured it out starting with closing the West Side by the end of 2005. What’s troubling is some of our own membership seems to want to help them.

Your leadership doesn’t make decisions based upon members staying on particular jobs but rather decisions that would have kept the plant viable for a long-term working future that would have created growth. Exiting from the rad/strut would have meant just that! The reality today is that there is no future for the West Side beyond /05 and at this point no future past /08 for the East Side.

Your entire Shop Committee continues to remain focused on making informed decisions that will meet everyone’s long term needs of the membership to gain sustained employment well into the future, not short sighted, short term employment that suits a few.

It’s vitally important that we all understand the harsh reality facing us and that there is continued support as we act united on dealing with the bigger picture to find viable solutions to ensure a working future for the entire Components Plant.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Lloyd Cull for his dedication and the hard work over the past several terms serving the membership. Lloyd has shown himself to be not only a stand up hard working and honest individual, but a great friend as well. Lloyd and I have been through some very tough times together to which he always rose to the occasion.
Brother Cull’s only crime is he cares too much. Thanks again Lloyd, you’re a great and loyal friend and the one person I know I can beat on the golf course.

Issued by:
John Hockey
I. P.C. & Components Shop Committee

On April 8, 2004 T.D.S. upper management informed the Shop Committee that there would only be enough work to support approximately 40 people during the weeks of July 5 and July 12, 2004. The Union has made it cleat that our expectation is no one will be denied their vacation requests submitted by March 31, 2004. This issue will affect about 35 people who did not request vacation during this time frame. Each seniority group will be canvassed to determine who wishes to work the two weeks specified.

Recently a few members here at I.P.C. have asked for a meeting to discuss some issues pertaining to this location. I would encourage all members here at this location to attend so that a clear picture can be drawn as to the direction that needs to be taken. The meeting will take place at the Union Hall on Saturday, April 24, 2004 at 10:00 am, in Hall “B”.

A request has been made several times to the GM Labour Relations department for an audit of the overtime hours at this location. The consistent response from Labour Relations has been that they don’t have the staff to facilitate a project of this size at this time. However, if there are specific instances brought forward they will be addressed. A new computer program has been put into place to better track and compile the overtime hours going forward, although this is still subject to proper administration by the manager assigned to this function.

Issued by: John Hockey, Shop Committeeperson

On Friday January 23, 2004 Aramark posted a notice on the East Side cafeteria stating the cafeteria would be closed for the next 8 weeks on the afternoon shift. No notice was given to the Union regarding this issue from Components Plant management or Aramark. To resolve the issue, your leadership had dialogue starting late Friday and concluding Monday, Jan. 26, 2004 where a mutual resolve was agreed to.

Our membership should know the following facts that pertain to Aramark: They are provided with free floor space, free electricity, free heat, and free water yet they claim that they are not making a profit and demand GM subsidize them further in the form of money.

Aramark also claims that because of the large number of people on temporary layoff they are now losing money. When you break down the temporary layoff, as they did not, there are only 25 less people on afternoons any given week. All Aramark has to do is provide staff and supplies, everything else is free!

Somewhere along the line Aramark has contracted GM’s budget disease! We reminded Aramark that they are here to provide a service to our membership and their profits are their concern not ours. Please note that any business that receives the amount of subsidy that Aramark does and can’t make a profit, in our opinion, should not be in business. A meeting will take place with GM in the near future to review our membership’s needs and who will best meet them should Aramark not find a cure.

Contractually GM also has an obligation to provide the negotiated service to our membership. Their original response to the Union when questioned was that vending machines around the plant were available and met their contractual obligation to our members. If you believe a growing trend is forming at this location that puts those who are responsible for making all the profits at the wrong end of the ladder you are right!

Cafeteria service is a long standing working condition that GM must provide to our membership that includes quality consumable products at a reasonable cost not just vending machines. After a number of phone calls to upper management at this location as well as meetings between Aramark’s district manager, the Plant Chairperson and Components Shop committee we were able to have the cafeteria reopened with a reduced level of service, beginning Tuesday January 27, 2004 and going forward on the afternoon shifts for the balance of the temporary layoff. Another meeting is scheduled this Wednesday between all parties to find a permanent solution.

Currently here at GM in St. Catharines everyone in the plants need about 10 years or less to get to Oz. The Land of Oz in the sense referred to here, is the 30 years of service plateau. It's common knowledge that each and every one of us at this point are working towards a pension and the security 30 years of service holds. So we are all walking down the yellow brick road together towards the Land of Oz. Along the way we’ve encountered some potholes and maybe a detour or two, but at this point in time the road's really going to get rough.

It really is a crying shame that with every one here being 2/3 of the way or more down the road that the walk can’t be a smooth one with little adversity. Instead, GM has decided to reward its employees for all their years of service and hard work by planting some landmines on the road, as well as trying to use snipers in an attempt to pick us off one by one. The job cuts the Company are currently trying to implement are absolutely a kick in the groin to every single one of its employees and nothing short of abhorrently disgusting.

Sometime ago the Chairperson made the observation that at this location upper management did a lot of walking around the plant, thus the term “management by wandering” was coined, and an accurate one at that. Although these upper managers are nothing more than predators seeking out the easiest prey, they are walking around, they're lurking in the shadows, and hanging from the roof just waiting to pounce and rip your heart out. These predators are watching everything you're doing in an effort to use the very way you do your job against you. We all must be conscious of the fact that this is a big part of their plan of attack and react accordingly. We must all form a tight pack and act as one because predators have extreme difficulty attacking a pack and as a result usually only get the stragglers.

So as we’re walking down the road, stay close, and follow the Union Work Smart Plan, also beware & on the lookout because that may not be Dorothy walking beside you, it could be the Wicked Witch.

Issued by: John Hockey, Shop Rep and Lloyd Cull, Alternate Rep.

Management is not only looking at what you’re doing, but more importantly what you’re not doing. Upper management is being told workers can do more by lower levels of managers who fear for their jobs. Superintendents, General supervisors and supervisors will do just about anything to show an improvement and a reduction in cost in their areas and have gone as far to state that sitting is considered waste and not to be tolerated.

Management’s new plan affects all transmission departments and includes removing any idle time you have. If the company can find one spare second they intend to devise a plan to take it from you. At some point General Motors has to realize that it actually takes people to get the job done!

The entire Union leadership has had enough of industrial engineer studies; their H.P.U.’s and continuous improvement crap and say enough is enough. Bottom line is it takes people and that’s as simple as ABC & 123, or in this case, it may be too simple for even GM to understand being so blinded by the word budget.

It’s quite clear that a severe shortage of manpower has existed through this department for several months with the superintendent fully understanding more manpower is needed. Recognition is the first step to dealing with this issue; the next would be upper management signing the request for this manpower. This is not the case for the west side of the road. The plant manager has refused to accept and understand the need and will not support requisitions to add the additional manpower. You would think that hundreds of extension of shift-scheduled overtime worked over the past five weeks would be justification enough.

To add insult to injury and show no support for the superintendent of the area, the plant manager has asked that the manpower be re-evaluated and all jobs be reviewed with the desire to reduce as many as five towmotor drivers on the west side of the road. For those who drive on this side of the road we all know how ridiculous this is seeing no spares exist in this seniority group…adding to the glut of twelve-hour shifts. If I’m to properly understand the plant manager’s mindset he would like to see the group reduced and hundreds more overtime extensions worked in the lost members place, believing this to be a way to drive their hours per unit (HPU) down.

This area is cost effective, quality driven, competitive and lean, all according to the plant manager. Every buzz word that can be found and stated is used when he describes this area yet with the UAW and GM having a new agreement that keeps the Flint plant open and producing output shafts at a higher cost, lower quality, less productive and obviously not competitive. It begs the question, what more does St. Catharines have to do to fill the existing capacity that is open in this area?

This interim work bargained by the Union in 2002 has been difficult and challenging to say the least due to the short launch time, quality issues and working condition issues that presented themselves. The members commitment to make this area successful is a testament to what your leadership stated during bargaining that the St. Catharines workforce can step up to any challenge, no matter what type of work.

The plant manager has a lot to say about this area regarding work practices and the forges inability to be competitive for any new work! Simply put this area has been pushed out of the picture for any new work other than what the Union bargained in 2002 negotiations.

How can the plant manager who’s been here just ten months make the obvious contradiction that this location is the best of the best in regards to quality and now state that almost every area in the Components plant is not running efficiently? The conclusion the Union DREW in relation to the current plant manager’s performance: he has provided no new work, favors twelve-hour shifts, wants to attack our work practices and provides only false hope.

Our Plant Chairperson has a theory on hope…stating there are two kinds of hope, Bob Hope and no hope…we all know where Bob Hope is!

Issued by,
Terry White, Shop Committeeperson

In the very near future the Transmission division will be plunged into a state of complete chaos by upper levels of Component’s management. Local management have been claiming for months that their H.P.U. (hours per unit) are in a crisis situation and are under extreme pressure from Detroit to get their H.P.U. in order, or this location will not be considered for any additional new work. To meet the H.P.U. number the Company has to reduce 67+, workers from the 07 division. When asked who, how and where, the Company’s answer is “don’t know yet, we are working on it.” To the Union it is completely incomprehensible that the management at this location will blindly wield a knife to remove 67+ workers without any consideration of the hard work and top quality the workers here put into the job they do. GM’s H.P.U. measurement counts everybody, so this Union is suggesting to the company that they cut from their side of the house not ours; our members actually perform the work. The Union believes this disease called H.P.U. will spread from the Forge to the Gilman Room in the coming weeks and months. I can say with certainty that more information will follow on this issue. The irony is GM states they have to cut jobs but as the paragraph below shows more people are actually needed to run their business more efficiently.

12-hour shifts being worked are an absolute detriment to your Union. There are success stories in populating three shift areas and bringing laid off members back to work, when people have consistently refused to work extensions. As stated in a previous Chair Report there are some unavoidable circumstances, but for the most part extensions are unnecessary if proper manpower was in place. Management recently has allowed and/or scheduled some workers at both locations to work beyond 60 hours. This is an utter violation of the law and the Ministry of Labour has been contacted. The Union has demanded in writing that the provincial government prosecute GM. Note: workers who violate the law might as well put aside the overtime money earned, as they cannot be exempt from prosecution.

The Company executed a “bump” recently in the 07A Dept. and violated the Local Agreement in doing so. The Shop Committeeperson of the area demanded the Company right this injustice and bump the appropriate people as defined in the Contract. The Company fails to admit their wrongdoing citing they have done this in the past at other locations. After a couple of fruitless meetings I requested the assistance of the Plant Chairperson who immediately submitted a Policy Grievance with the promise of expedited arbitration if not corrected.

It’s been 4 months since the I.P.C. facility began operating. The workforce in this location deserves recognition for getting this place up and running in such a short time frame. The work being performed and the great abilities of our members have been noted by Detroit and is an accolade for St. Catharines’ reputation.

To the 3 or 4 people who continue to spread lies, create rumors and continually Union bash myself although it’s never to my face; you have proven yourselves as nothing more than cowards. It’s ironic you criticize and bash me and the rest of the Union on a continual basis to other people but you can never do it to my face. You truly define the definition of a coward. You serve no other purpose than to poison your work area with your chronic Union bashing around people that just want to come to work and work in peace, without hearing all your negatives. I’m truly saddened that things aren’t going well with your personal life; however I really don’t see how it’s my fault? It’s my turn now to judge the critics that constantly bash their Union. Answer me why you never have any facts and only allegations when you call me? I know; it’s because critics can only criticize and cowards can only cower. Did it ever occur to these people that maybe supporting the Union would make the workplace better? Here’s the cold reality. Today there are 532 people working in the transmission. In 2007/2008 time frames there will only be 102 people working in this area with the X22F replacing the current 4-speed transmission. You would think and expect that we have a lot of work to do to secure additional work for our members. This will take a united effort and support from our membership. If you believe the work and investment will just magically appear think again. To the people that just want to come to work and do their job without the distraction of trash talk and cheap politics, I am truly sorry that you had to read this paragraph.
Representing the Membership isn’t easy on any given day although it is a job I absolutely enjoy and find challenging; however I will not allow the personal attacks to continue or go unchallenged. If you want to argue with me or disagree with me, that’s fine, but I strongly recommend you do it on an issue, not on a personal level.

Issued by:
John Hockey, Shop Committeeperson Components & I.P.C.

To date, surplus manpower still exists in the (07) transmission, (18) rad/strut, and (05) front axle division. Transmission surplus is a result of long term reduced volume requirements.

The other division surpluses are a result of vacations being completed. The total surplus has been reduced through ongoing meetings between the Union and the company and sits now at approximately forty five members. We expect these numbers to be completely offset by manpower requirements at Bodycote, IPC and backfills of par. 62 transfers for members who terminated their employment and retired.

The Union will continue to provide factual information to the company on where we believe manpower is needed.

Significant attention will continue to be given by the Union in the Gilman Room and Rad support areas. Management in the Gilman Room continues to show what we believe to be unrealistic surpluses.

In the Rad support the Union continues to request that the rotation be reduced to a half hour from the current one hour. Talks also continue with the superintendent of the area about not freezing job elements on either side of this line.

Over the past year the makeup of all plant locations has changed dramatically. This has not been by accident and is a direct result of many factors, the first being the bargaining process.

After bargaining, assuring the company honors their commitment is where the real work begins.

To do this many hours of dedicated commitment by a united committee has been needed and taken place. Putting members interest ahead of political ones gets the job done.

Since the past election a member of the bargaining committee continues making unfounded remarks and statements about “paybacks” to those who supported another candidate as well as recently issuing a leaflet with no advance notice to the affected shop of the area. We do not consider this responsible representation.

If any current leadership because of election results or future political ambitions no longer desires to work united on behalf of the membership that elected them there will be no other alternative but to hold that person accountable for their negligent behavior.

The entire Shop Committee has always encouraged honest, open, and up-front dialogue with the entire committee. Responsible representation includes sharing all information and at times identifying problems to members of the shop committee for their assistance but more importantly offering solutions to the particular problem identified.