Local 1899 News

    

Contract Action Team 1899 Readies for ‘08

 

Contract Surveys Mailed Out

Members should receive questionnaire week of Jan. 6th

Members should watch their mail for 2008 contract negotiation surveys which should begin to arrive at their home address no later than the week of January 6th. The surveys are being mailed to member's address on record at Local 1899. Anyone who does not receive a survey should contact the Local 1899 main office at 618-452-1899.

The 2-page survey, with a postage-paid envelope for return, asks members questions regarding issues facing Steelworkers in preparation for 2008 contract talks. The current labor agreement expires September 1st. Your participation is vital in making sure your Union knows which issues are important to you, and the degree to which you are prepared to fight to see those issues successfully negotiated. All surveys must be returned by January 31st.

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      BASIC STEEL INDUSTRY CONFERENCE

          SETS ’08 USS CONTRACT AGENDA

A meeting of all Local Union Presidents and Grievance Chairmen from basic steel industry local unions in the U.S. and Canada took place with USW International President Leo Gerard and Vice President Tom Conway in Pittsburgh December 17th and 18th. The purpose of the Basic Steel Industry Conference (BSIC) meeting was to develop a bargaining strategy for 2008 contract negotiations with the major steel producers Mittal and U. S. Steel.

Consensus among the conference delegates was reached regarding the major bargaining issues. Those issues are:

1) SENIORITY PREFERENCING

2) INDUSTRY CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS

3) RETIREE HEALTH CARE FUNDING

4) IN-DEPTH WORKFORCE TRAINING

The issue of seniority preferencing must be resolved, as it is a fundamental right to all Steelworkers. Capital investment in our mills is essential to keep Steelworker jobs in the

U.S., while training of today and tomorrow's workforce is vital so that workers in the steel industry stay productive, skilled and competitive. The issue of retiree health care funding is one that is crucial to all current Steelworkers in that the company must remain responsible for providing affordable heath care to its retirees without shifting this burden to active employees.

Representatives of the International and conference delegates agreed to reconvene in April 2008 on local contract issues.

           SALTSGAVER AT BSIC SPEAKS FOR GCW

President Russ Saltsgaver, the only Local Union President representing members at Granite City Works to address participants at the BSIC, raised the major issues affecting members at our plant. Issues presented to the floor by Russ were annual seniority preferencing, pension equalization for PBGC illegible retirees, Union participation in, and better develoment of, the Learner Program and an end to the Company's abuse of drug and alcohol testing of members.

CONWAY: “This is an economic contract”

Vice President says it’s our turn!

Having made record profits for U.S. Steel after saving the steel industry through consolidation, Vice President Tom Conway said at the BSIC it's now Steelworkers' turn to share in those rewards.

Conway described the bargaining agreement that is hoped to be hammered out next year as an "economic contract". Conway said that without the USW working to reorganize and consolidate the steel industry, USS would not be in the strong position that it currently is.

PRESIDENTS RAISE MAJOR ISSUES

IN PITTSBURGH MEETING

Local Union Presidents representing USS plants and representatives of the International Union met with USS corporate management October 23^rd in preparation for 2008 contract talks.

International Vice President Tom Conway called the meeting to discuss upcoming bargaining and to “define any significant obstacles the Company is creating at the plants or problems they haven’t resolved that will impede our ability to be able to negotiate an agreement next year.”

 

President Russ Saltsgaver raised 6 major issues confronting the parties at Granite City Works; they are:

 

o       Seniority Preferencing

o       Applicability of Past Local Agreements & Practices

o       Abuse of Drug and Alcohol Testing

o       Reclaiming Work Subject to Transfer (WST)

o       Learner Program/Training Program

o       Lack of Training Center at Granite City Works

At the conclusion of the talks, the local presidents were instructed to arrange meetings with their respective plant general managers concerning the issues raised.  It seemed that both sides felt it was obvious that if progress in resolving these matters could not be achieved before the parties sit down to negotiate a new bargaining agreement, reaching a new contract would be difficult.

 

“DON’T DELAY; PREPARE FOR ’08 TODAY!”

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LOCALS MEET WITH PLANT MANAGER RINTOUL

FOLLOWING PITTSBURGH CONTRACT TALKS

As a result of the meeting in Pittsburgh concerning contract matters on October 23^rd, President Saltsgaver was contacted by the Company to discuss, at the local level, those issues raised during the talks.

A follow-up meeting took place November 13^th between Plant General manager Dave Rintoul, Employee Relations Manager Mark Tade , the Local Union Presidents of Locals 1899, 50 and 68, along with the Local Vice Presidents and Contract Coordinators. 

Discussions focused on the number one issue with all three locals – seniority preferencing.  The three Local Union Presidents were unified in their position that this issue must be resolved before bargaining begins for an ’08 agreement.  Rintoul said he understood the importance the issue held with the locals and agreed that the parties needed to resolve the issue.  Members will be kept informed of developments as talks continue.

 

 

 

                    Team 1899

18 New Members Join Local 1899

 Local 1899 welcomed the largest group of newly hired members to date when eighteen new Steelworkers attended the New Member Union Orientation November 27^th. 

 The 4 hour session, held at the Tri-Cities Labor Temple, covered the histories of the United Steelworkers Union and Local 1899, as well as that of Granite City and Granite City Steel. New members were also informed of contract language on an array of matters including their probationary period, safety rights, bidding rights, access to the grievance procedure and continuous service.  They were made aware of the benefits negotiated on their behalf by the International Union including Profit Sharing, the Steelworkers Pension Trust Retirement Plan, the 401-(k) Investment Plan, Employment Security, Premium Pay for overtime and holidays, Sickness and Accident Benefits and more. In addition, members learned about the Union Rapid Response concept, the local’s Political Action Committee and had a chance to tour the Institute for Career Development (ICD).  The new members joining Local 1899 are: Jamie Brooks, Rachel Broussard, James Cole, Eric Embrey, Robert Ford, John Holman, Jeff Hunter, Tim Killian, Steven Miller, Tim Parker, Mike Pudlowski, Lawrence Quagliata, Ken River, Dennis Rives, Keith Rowlett, Deanna Seger, Andrew Smith and Steve Suddeth.

Representing the local and taking part in the orientation were President Russ Saltsgaver, Zone Safety Chair Don Ogle, filling in for Safety Coordinator Dennis Barker who was on assignment, Contract Coordinator Randy Virgin, Grievance Chairman Danny Simmons, Training Coordinator Leo Mushill and ICD Coordinator Linda Bardelmeier. 

 Please welcome our new brothers and sisters if you see them in the work place and be sure to do everything you can to make them feel a part of Local 1899.

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COMPANY CEASES PRINTING OF

INJURED MEMBERS' NAMES

Plant Manager David Rintoul lived up to his word by ending the practice, started under a predecessor, of publishing injured members' names in the Granite City Works newsletter – “The Weekly Update”.

The practice, which has been a major issue of contention for several years, was ended with the newsletter edition that came out the week of October 8^th.  This followed numerous efforts by representatives of the Union to convince the Company to stop this practice.  The Union insisted the printing of employee names in a publication that was available to the public was an unnecessary intrusion, did nothing to further workplace safety – as some in the Company had claimed – and promoted a “bloody glove campaign” where members refused to report injuries for fear of discipline and embarrassment increasing the likelihood that they would not seek treatment.

 The Union maintained that the publicizing of accidents could serve as a beneficial means to reduce injuries, but only job titles were necessary in doing so. In addition, the Company’s insistence on continuing the practice only strained relations between employees and supervisors as well as the Local Union and management. 

 The Union is pleased the Company has ended this policy and hopes that it is indicative of  a willingness to work together.   

 

USW Hails U.S. Steel’s $1 Billion Investment in the Mon Valley

gcw community Blood Drive

a major success

109 UNITS COLLECTED!

On October 25, 2007 Granite City Works sponsored its second blood drive of the year.  Thanks to the generous donations of blood by our members and other employees at GCW, Central Illinois Community Blood Center reported 109 good units of blood collected, which translates to assisting in saving 327 lives!  There were 47 new donors this time with over 130 individuals attempting to donate. 

THANKS TO ALL THOSE MEMBERS WHO DONATED AND SHOWED THE COMMUNITY THAT STEELWORKERS CARE!

 

Dates have already been announced for next year's blood drive collection:

• February 14, 2008
• May 20, 2008
• October 21, 2008

Remember…”Give Where You Live!”…

See you Next Year!

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’07 Torch Club Campaign

By Don Ogle

This is the time of year that the United Way has it’s annual campaign to garner dollars to support agencies that provide to those in need.

 

At GCW, we haven’t had our own “campaign” to speak of for a few years, in fact not since the Pay Shack was abolished. We have discussed this each year during this campaign time frame in the GCW Employee’s Torch Club Board meetings, but without a good answer.

 

However, we have decided to begin providing a version of the pledge card in the Mill Weekly Updates. And coming soon will be Raffles in categories for those who are new to sign up, current contributors and those who increase.

 

At times, the topic of payroll deduction thru the Torch Club comes up in some circles and I hear how some folks have dropped out at different times for different reasons. Most of the reasons weren’t associated with the Torch Club or the United Way, they were just mad at management. The troubling aspect to that type of reasoning is that the people that are directly and negatively affected are those in our community who use and need the services that are provided by the agencies who receive our dollars.

 

Agencies such as the Illinois Center for Autism to the Phoenix Crisis Center, our families, friends and neighbors are helped in many ways. Those agencies provide what they do in varying degrees because of donated dollars, dollars from payroll deductions such as through the Torch Club. The last couple of years our combined contributions amount have been $260,000 annually to the United Way. It is how to get the “most bang for the buck” so to speak. And it is a somewhat painless way to make a tax-deductible donatation.

 

As the Secretary of the GCW Employee’s Torch Club Board of Directors, and I know that I can speak for the other members of the Board in saying that we appreciate all those who do donate through payroll deduction. And hopefully those that currently do not will consider doing so soon.

 

USW Local 1899 members of the Torch Club Board – Don Ogle –Secretary, Ivan Williams – Trustee, Mike Holthaus – Trustee, Mike Rogers and Patti Koonce. President Russ Saltsgaver Chairman, Randy Virgin Co-chair. Jeff Rains – SOAR.

Show you care...by giving to

the Torch Club.

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INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT GERARD VISITS LOCAL 1899

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SEE "BENEFITS/CONTRACT MATTERS" >

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           Broken Promises Lead Workers to the USW

print this page West Virginia Chemical Workers Need Steelworkers Contract to Protect Their Benefits   Tired of seeing their benefits whittled away, 126 production and maintenance workers at Chemtura Corp. in Morgantown, W.Va., won a recent National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) election for Steelworkers representation.   Workers became disgruntled when Chemtura announced it froze the worker’s pensions and would no longer contribute to the plan. Fearful of deeper cuts, workers knew the only way to protect their pensions and benefits were to get them locked into a Steelworkers contract.    The group nearly organized with PACE in 2003 but company officials promised employees their benefits were secure. When management begged for one more chance workers rejected the union. Within a matter of months the company began chipping away at benefits.     Workers were able to endure changes to vacation time, health care and seniority; but when the pension was frozen they decided it was time to take action.   “This all boils down to broken promises,” said Fred Parenti, a member of the in-shop organizing committee. “We were promised that our benefits were protected -- that our pension was safe. It was not safe. Everything that has happened in the last three years here has been a loss for us.”   “We knew if we didn’t put on the brakes, that this train would just keep going and going,” Parenti said.   USW Organizer Waymon Free said it got to the point where workers decided enough was enough.   “There is always a certain level of fear in every organizing drive, fear is the only tool that companies have,” Free said. “I believe the only thing that will overcome fear is anger. The fear will go away if you are angry enough. That’s what happened here.”   “This was a perfectly coordinated effort between the in-plant organizing committee and the International union,” Free added. “Everybody worked together and did their part and the final result was a victory for the workers.”   Since winning the election, workers have met to nominate and elect representatives for a negotiating committee, which will soon go about the business of bargaining a first contract.   Chemtura employees make a line of specialty chemical products for the plastics and tire industries. They become members of USW District 8 where Billy Thompson is director.