International President
Secretary Treasurer
GVP Western
GVP Midwest
GVP Headquarters
GVP Eastern
GVP Transportation
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Tuesday,
September 10, 2002 Machinists in Wichita and Portland will vote Thursday, September 12th. Machinists in the Puget Sound region will vote on Friday, September 13th. In a message to Boeing Machinists released over the weekend, IP Tom Buffenbarger called on members to reject the proposed agreement. “We will vote on Boeing’s 'last, best and final' offer,” said Buffenbarger. "And we ask you to reject it, absolutely certain in the knowledge that a better one was -- and is -- available to you. We will ask you to give your negotiating team a resounding two-thirds strike authorization vote to strengthen their hand when Boeing is ready to resume talks, serious talks. It’s the hard way. It’s the old way. And obviously, it’s the only way Boeing understands.” IAM members in Washington State can find voting times, locations and additional information at http://www.iam751.org. Voters in Wichita can find voting information at http://www.d70iam.org. Portland members can find their information at http://www.iamdl24.org
Welch Rakes in GE Retirement Riches Like many retirees, Welch had to find a part-time job. Once again, GE showed its compassion to ex-employees. The firm handed Welch a part-time consulting job that will pay him $86,535 for 30 days labor each year. That's more than twice the annual wage for the average industrial worker. Welch will earn $17,307 for each day over 30-day allotment. Welch’s retirement bonanza at GE’s expense doesn’t stop there. The New York Times reports that in court documents filed by Mrs. Welch in divorce proceedings, GE is picking up most of the expenses at Welch’s “palatial” apartment in New York, including “condominium fees, property taxes, furnishings, food, wine, flowers, cook and wait staff, housekeeper, laundry and dry cleaning, utilities, newspaper and magazine subscriptions.” Welch also gets access to “Boeing 737 business jets, helicopter, limousine service, rental cars and security personnel when traveling abroad.” Court documents say GE is picking up “V.I.P. seating at Wimbledon, a box at the Metropolitan Opera, a box at Red Sox games, a box at Yankee games, four country club fees … and discounts on diamonds and jewelry settings.” "This information will make it very difficult for GE to plead poverty when we open contract talks next year," said GVP Bob Thayer, who coordinates GE bargaining for the IAM.
Bush Threatens Veto Over Union Rights A recent poll finds the White House is out-of-step on this issue. The poll found that 74 percent of Americans believe employees of the new federal department should have "the same job protections and rights to union representation that other federal employees have." Only 14 percent support the GOP stance, which Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-CT, called "a pure red herring."Lieberman authored the bill now before the Senate. In addition to the attack on workers’ rights’, Senate Republicans are expected to try and strip the bill of its Davis-Bacon prevailing wage provisions for workers involved in construction projects that are part of Homeland Security efforts. Tell your Senators to protect Federal Workers, call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 or send an email message clicking on “Politics and Legislation” at www.goiam.org and then select the ‘Action Alert’ to Protect Federal Workers in Homeland Security Bill (http://capwiz.com/iamaw/issues/alert/?alertid=472566.)
US Airways Mechanics to Decide US Airways acknowledged company officials may have misled employees in statements and during informational meetings prior to the initial vote on August 28, 2002. The airline, which declared bankruptcy last month, proposed amendments to the Mechanic and Related agreement in an effort to reduce costs and deflect more drastic measures before a bankruptcy court judge. By a 57 percent margin, employees rejected the airline’s proposal. Based on statements by the company, many members indicated they expected a better offer to follow or leniency before the judge. By contrast, members are now being advised that the bankruptcy judge can only rule on whether or not to abrogate the Mechanic and Related contract in its entirety in the absence of voluntary modifications. “The IAM is prepared to defend your agreement,” said District 141-M President Scotty Ford in a bulletin to members. “However, you must understand that the judge only has the authority to rule on the motion before him, and that motion will not be for modification, but for rejection of the total agreement. The bankruptcy court cannot craft a ‘compromise deal.’”
Deregulation’s Alarming Legacy
A 20-page report,
‘The Republican Agenda and The New Corporate Abuse’ (http://www.iamaw.org/publications/pdfs/obeycorpreport.pdf)
from the office of Congressman David Obey, looks at the tragedies of
Enron, Arthur Andersen and WorldCom and concludes more are likely to
follow. (You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the Obey report; download Acrobat Reader for free. http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html) |
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