Important Upcoming Information
April 13, 2015
Brothers and Sisters,
First, I’d like to share some great news with you. After discussions with the Company, the site-wide involuntary layoff scheduled for April 24, 2015 has been cancelled! We will keep you up to date on any further information we receive.
I’d like to clarify some points on the procedures involved with the lead position on the shop floor. In our latest contract negotiations, we bargained up the rate lead rate from $.75/hr to $1.25/hr. This rate is in effect for all of the time worked by the member, including overtime. The new lead rate went into effect April 3, 2015. It is important to remember that holding the lead position on the shop floor is a voluntary position. If asked to be a lead on the floor, you are not obligated to take the position. It is your choice. There have been no changes in the job description or duties of the lead position. Everything in the position remains the same except the increase in rate. Keep in mind that the increase in rate was negotiated only for shop leads. EI Team Leader rate will remain at $.75/hr. Remember, you can’t collect both rates if you hold both positions.
Another important change that has arrived is the implementation of the new 40 compensated hours required before earning premium overtime pay. That policy began March 27, 2015. In the past, a member could take LWOP or FMLA during the week and still receive the overtime rate for Saturday and/or Sunday, or holidays. With the new language, a member will only begin to receive the premium rate after accounting for 40 hours in a work week. Any absence from work during the week that is covered by sick leave, vacation leave, and approved paid bereavement leave counts as compensated time. FMLA/LWOP does not count toward the 40 compensated hours. If a member takes LWOP or FMLA on Monday, then works the remaining 4 days of the week, whatever is worked on the weekend will be at straight time until the 40 hours requirement is satisfied. In the case noted above, if the member is asked to work Saturday, they would work at straight time until they reached the 40 hours. The current overtime rules for during the week do not change.
The COLA calculated for the 1st quarter of 2015 is zero.
We are still stressing that you have the right to call for an Inspector to inspect your work, even if you have MSE certification. We are building some of the most involved and intricate machinery in the world. A second set of eyes on the work is always a good thing to have. Call for an Inspector!
Yours in Solidarity,
Chris Owens, President
UAW Local 1069
The Truth About Fast Track
- The UAW strongly opposes Fast Track because historically, Fast Track has led to unfair trade practices that have left millions of American workers out of work.
- Trade policies adopted under Fast Track have cost us more than 1 million jobs and contributed to the shuttering of more than 60,000 factories.
- UAW urges you to oppose Fast Track. Can we count on your support?
- UAW members are still feeling the negative impacts of NAFTA, which was fast tracked, resulting in a net loss of nearly 700,000 jobs in the United States, and in Mexico, led to a huge upheaval in which more than two million subsistence farmers were forced from their land.
- Under the constitution, Congress has primary responsibility for negotiating trade agreements.
- Fast Track keeps Congress from doing its job: shaping and debating legislation, only gives elected leaders an up or down vote, and abolishes the use of the filibuster.
- Passage of Fast Track would make it more difficult to address troubling provisions in current and future trade agreements.
- Fast Track puts US workers and companies at a competitive disadvantage internationally.
- Fast Track makes it easier for U.S. companies to move overseas where they can abuse workers and the environment.
- Fast Track authority only serves to make it easier to pass trade deals and provide certainty for negotiators, but provides no certainty to the American worker.
UAW Strongly Urges a “NO” Vote on Fast Track!!!
I am urging all of you to please call and oppose this bill as it is extremely important to all of our members here at Local 1069.
