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Our Bargaining Committee is beginning negotiations with the Company for our next Contract. Everyone knows we have big differences in our Local Union, with two organized caucuses. Much of the membership is in neither caucus, yearning for a united union leadership that could fight for our needs more effectively.
I urge all readers of The Barking Dog to GET INVOLVED in the contract fight. Come to union meetings. Speak your mind. Talk to your Bargaining Committee Members. Talk to your coworkers and urge them to speak out.
You and I may have big differences with some leaders of our union, but this is the time to work together if at all possible. Whatever we think of our union leaders, they are the leaders right now and they are what we've got to negotiate for us.
In a month or two the union will conduct a strike vote, to give our leadership authorization to call a strike if Management won't consider a decent contract. VOTE YES! If we get a big turnout and a huge percentage "Yes" votes, this will help win a better contract.
Management only listens to brute strength. Like when you pull the cord and stop the line. Or when we threaten to stop working. We produce all their wealth! We may not have to strike, but let's let the company know we are ready to use our power if we have to!
And to the Bargaining Committee: Keep the membership informed!
Caroline Lund
On March 2, on my lunch break, I was experiencing a lot of pain in my stomach. Though I had been having this pain for almost 2 months, this one had to be the worst feeling ever!
I went to Medical and Gaye Frisbee gave me something for my pain. She told me to come back if the pain got worse. I did return, and when she noticed my condition didn't get any better she insisted on calling 911.
As we waited for the paramedics, Gaye kept track of my vital signs. When I arrived at Washington Hospital, I was rushed into emergency surgery. As my family waited, Dr. Karipineni told my family that if I would have waited a little longer I would not have made it.
So my family and I would like to take this moment to thank Gaye Frisbee for her concern and for her actions. She was sent from heaven. Now I can be here for my wife, 5 daughters, 11 grandchildren, and one great grandson and my twin brother Manuel and his family.
Amador Urrabazo
At the February membership meeting Recording Secretary Doreen Boren read out to everybody that charges had been filed against me by Paul King for supposedly violating the UAW Constitution, the Local 2244 Bylaws, the Contract with NUMMI, and the NUMMI Standards of Conduct and Good Attendance. An issue of The Barking Dog was attached as "evidence."
This was improper, and prejudicial against me. Any charges are supposed to go first to the Executive Board to decide whether the charges are proper according to the Constitution, before they are broadcast to the entire membership.
At its meeting on March 21, the Executive Board considered the charges. Doreen sent me and Paul King letters confirming that, "After carefully reviewing the charges the Executive Board has found the charges to be improper according to Article 31 Section 1(a) of the UAW Constitution." (This section says that charges have to be specific and "state the exact nature of the alleged offense.") I want to thank the Executive Board for "doing the right thing."
Paul can appeal this ruling to the International Executive Board of the UAW if he wishes.
I hope he does not continue wasting all of our time with this harassment. The Company would love for our Local Union to be polarized over charges and trials during this time of contract negotiations.
My sincere thanks to the 300-some people who signed the petitions to Management in support of the free-speech rights of The Barking Dog. I have had no more threats from Management.
Caroline Lund
I read a flyer the other day left around the team rooms and noticed an article signed "Mark" which stated that most people wanted and needed company overtime.
I had to laugh at this article because as I was reading it, the Group Leader had just announced that we were going to work 8 hours that day and the yells of happiness were so loud they could be heard throughout the plant and the smiles as people left were great to see.
I have two words for "Mark". . . . . Financial Counseling.
Tommy
When I went back to work (after an industrial injury) on Feb. 28 to bring in my doctor's note, I had to sign in at Badgeing and had to wait for 1hr and 5 minutes to be picked up and escorted to Medical as a Visitor. I asked why the wait. They told me they had no one to come over to get me because they had a medical emergency.
While I was waiting and getting mad, they had 3 visitors sign in from other companies and sent them on in without any escort. I felt like a criminal, like I could not be trusted as an employee.
I am still an employee of NUMMI and should be treated that way no matter what.
Ute
I attended the March Executive Board meeting. Among other things, they passed a resolution to spend $500 on Easter gifts for disadvantaged children. I thought this sounded like an excellent opportunity to do something for the community and at the same time build solidarity within our Union.
Then came the details. Two members of the Community Service Committee will be taking a day off work to shop for the presents. And the entire Community Service Committee (10 people) will take a day off to prepare the gifts and Easter baskets for the children. That's approximately $2,300 in lost time reimbursements!
Why wasn't this organized with volunteers? When NUMMI sponsors this type of event, they give out T-shirts and maybe buy the volunteers lunch. They always get more than enough people.
Had we used volunteers, we could have bought gifts for 5 times as many children and still saved the Union money. It also could have been a solidarity-building activity - a chance for members who have never met to work together to support the community, to get a Local 2244 T-shirt, and to build Union pride.
Tom Burton
I'm curious after reading your recent article about why you don't want your product promoted, if I understand the article correctly [she refers to the article in issue #33, where I objected to the union paying to send people to staff a booth promoting NUMMI vehicles in Las Vegas -- C.L.]. I think it's important that we address our brothers and sisters about purchasing items that are made in America and by union-represented employees.
I enjoy being a member of the auto industry and would appreciate your views on NUMMI. I know a number of employees who have had the opportunity to visit your plant, and I want to myself. I work in Pontiac Metal, UAW Local 653. Looking forward to more Barking Dogs.
Patty Woodside
It's not that I don't want our product promoted. The Company will do that, we don't have to worry. My point was, what is the purpose of a union? To unite and promote us workers' interests, right? The companies have plenty of money to advertise their products. Why use our dues money to do that?
I and my coworkers are proud of our work on the vehicles we produce. But so are workers at GM, Ford, etc. So are workers at non-union plants, for that matter. NUMMI workers come from all over the world. I'm sure all our relatives in other countries feel pride in their work as well.
Why should our union locals spend our resources urging people to buy our product rather than another company's product? To me, that pits worker against worker and puts us each in the camp of our company instead of in solidarity with each other. Wouldn't that money be better spent on organizing the unorganized and aiding unions in hardfought strikes?
Caroline Lund
Through The Barking Dog's web site, I have received a number of messages from dissatisfied members in many unions around the country. Here is an example:
I am saddened but not surprised that you are coming under attack from both your employer and your union. We in the rail industry are also victims of the standard technique of pitting one group of us against the other while our COMMON interests are ignored.
As a working stiff, albeit in another arena (the rail industry), who hopes to encourage our people to get involved with grass roots communication as you have done, I am particularly interested in developing ways to deal with these kinds of attacks. The following link to the Association for Union Democracy deals with the current legislative protections for free speech in the union setting:
http://www.uniondemocracy.com/legal/lmrda.htm
Our own United Transportation Union recently lost a court case where an article in our constitution prohibiting the "circularizing of untrue statements" was ruled null and void because, in order to foster discussion and debate in the union setting, even slanderous and libelous statements had to be protected.
For what it is worth, I wish to state that I have read your newsletter and found nothing in it to be offensive. Keep up the good work.
Jeff Ruha
"The plantation and ghetto were created by those who had power, both to confine those who had no power and to perpetuate their powerlessness. The problem of transforming the ghetto, therefore, is a problem of power -- confrontation between the forces of power demanding change and the forces of power dedicated to the preserving of the status quo.
"Now, power properly understood is nothing but the ability to achieve purpose. It is the strength required to bring about social, political and economic change.
"Walter Reuther [longtime President of the UAW] defined power one day. He said, 'Power is the ability of a labor union like the UAW to make the most powerful corporation in the world, General Motors, say, "Yes," when it wants to say "No." That's power.'
". . . . What is needed is a realization that power without love is reckless and abusive, and love without power is sentimental and anemic. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at its best is power correcting everything that stands against love."
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Presidential Address to the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, 1967
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