news letter

April 2004 Bedford, IN 47421 Phone #279-1113 Home Page http://dmrtc.net/~iue907 LOCAL INTERNATIONAL NEWS UNION MEETING Our next regularly scheduled Union meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 7, at the U.A.W. Hall in Bedford. Meeting Times: Night Shift: 1:00 am (TUESDAY, after work) Day Shift: 4:00 pm Voting for the position of Trustee will be held during the following hours: Night shift: 10:00 pm to 2:00 am. (Tuesday after work.) Day shift: 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Candidates are: Connie Bolton John Boshears Judy Harrison Darrell Holt Steve Ingle Kathy Rodman Scott Stevens WHAT IS A TRUSTEE? The actual duties of a trustee can be varied. However, our by-laws set out certain responsibilities, which are as follows: To audit all books and records of the Local, quarterly—January, April, July and October. To witness the official report by the President and Financial Secretary-Treasurer of the Local Union to the International Secretary-Treasurer, informing him that the Local’s books and records have been audited. This notice shall be mailed to the International Secretary-Treasurer no later than forty-five (45) days after the close of the period for which the audit is made, and shall state what the condition of the books and records is. Safeguard all properties of the Local Union. Make written report of findings and recommendations at the next regular meeting following such audit. Take an inventory at least once a year. Trustees may monitor or audit lost time. Trustees are also members of our Executive “E” Board, which makes many major decisions for the workforce. **GET OUT AND VOTE!** WOW!!! RETIREES ARE ON THE MOVE! As of the end of March and the first of April, we have had ELEVEN folks retire. We know there are more to come, but will report on those next month. We all want to wish these retirees the VERY best wishes and a wonderful, happy retirement! The lucky folks, who will be GREATLY missed, are: Mary Baker Carol Waskom Tom Rayle Carolyn Sproles Carolyn Hammond Cora Elkins Geraldine Slone Helene McKee Norma Farrell Delores Jean Howard One retiree remains annonymous Carol Waskom Hire-in: 10/11/83 Tom Rayle Hire-in: 08/24/92 Geraldine Slone Hire-in: 02/03/86 Cora Elkins Hire-in: 10/03/88 Carolyn Hammond Hire-in: 10/05/87 Carolyn Sproles Hire-in: 08/18/83 Mary Baker Hire-in: 09/17/84 Helene McKee Hire-in: 07/15/85 Norma Farrell Hire-in: 11/18/86 Unfortunately, we do not have any photos of Delores Jean Howard to share with you. Retirees—HAVE A GREAT LIFE!! UPDATE!! IMPORTANT NEWS!! Negotiations update On Friday, April 2, 2004, Earl received a call from Jim Clark, head of the Automotive Conference Board regarding our contract negotiations. The company is ready to resume talks on April 13, 2004. The negotiating committee asks for Solidarity among the membership during this time. Remember…..UNITED WE BARGAIN DIVIDED WE BEG!! What happens if we strike? First of all, let me say that no one wants to go on strike. The negotiating committee will do their very best to negotiate an agreement that is both fair to the membership and profitable for the company. But if an agreement cannot be reached and a strike does occur, many things will begin to happen. One of those is the formation of a Local Community Service Committee. The committee’s duties are as follows: Keeping financial records and files. Maintaining Daily Picket Duty Rosters (sign-in and sign-out records). To assist members who need to work with local utility companies, banks, hospitals etc., to defer payment of bills during a strike, when needed. Also, should the company cut off the health care benefits, to determine and collect necessary information for strikers and their dependants who have immediate and/or ongoing health care needs and who have no other source of health care insurance. After being satisfied that the strikers’ health care needs meet the criteria outlined by the Defense Fund Director, and with prior approval, the Local may pay for the health care premiums from the defense fund account. Develop and maintain method to process strike fund payments. DFR-1 (Striker Certification Form), DFR-2 (Members’ Relief Fund Reimbursement and reporting form), DFR-# (CWA Defense Fund Reimbursement and reporting form), picket duty schedules, etc… Determine who is to be assigned as strike duty captains. Strike duty Captains should be present on the picket line 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. Picket Captains are responsible for the verification of the picket duty roster (sign-in and sign-out sheet) and should verify that each member performs picket duty. Under no circumstances can members be paid without performing strike duty. No other person can perform strike duty for any other member and no member can sign-in or out for any other member. Strike Captains will hand deliver the members’ individual Members Relief (STRIKE) check to said member at the end of the scheduled week. Compile weekly report at end of week, identifying the number of strikers, and then forward to the District Fund Director / Field agent in order for the CWA to prepare the following weeks Relief Fund deposit amount. Appoint and train a Chief Media Spokesperson as well as prepare weekly/daily news releases for off shift Picket Captains, should the media show up at the strike line. Appoint by shifts, committee people to provide strike line with refreshments such as bottled water, coffee, tea and soda and provide detailed receipts to the financial officer or designee in order to be reimbursed through the Defense Fund. The Defense Fund will not reimburse Locals for meals, food or alcoholic beverages, nor will there be any reimbursement without a detailed receipt. The committee should prepare a budget to determine the amount of Defense Funds needed each week. AND MORE NEWS…. IUE/CWA Health Care Benefits During Strikes If we fail to reach agreement with the Company in securing a reasonable contract and end up on strike, health care will be addressed as follows: The IUE/CWA has made a commitment to assist striking workers in paying for your health care needs out of the Defense Fund during your participation in a strike. A law called COBRA requires group health care plans to allow striking workers and their covered dependents the opportunity to continue health coverage for up to 18 months when they go on strike by paying for it out of your own pocket. This applies to medical, dental and vision benefits. Strikers do not have to continue any coverage. You can elect to pay for only core benefits, or you can elect coverage for only yourself or only your dependents. Employers are allowed to charge striking workers up to 102% of the current health care plan monthly premium. Should the Company discontinue health care benefits after the strike commences, IUE/CWA will pay for necessary medical /hospital expenses. In those cases where there is an immediate, ongoing and serious health condition, the Fund Director may authorize payment of the COBRA health plan premiums on behalf of strikers and/or your dependents. In other cases, we may ask strikers to delay the COBRA election and will assist in defraying any unforeseen or minor health care expenses as they arise. The goal is to always assure strikers’ access to needed health care during the strike. Strikers have 60 days to elect COBRA coverage. However, coverage does not begin until the premium is paid. If necessary, the premium can be paid retroactively. Contact the Local’s Community Services Committee to help you determine whether you should apply for continuation of coverage immediately, or if you can delay electing coverage in order to postpone making a premium payment and also to determine in what ways the CWA Defense Fund can assist you in paying for your health care needs. If you decide to apply for assistance from the Defense Fund, the Local Union’s Community Services Committee will ask you to complete a “Request for Defense Fund Reimbursement” form. That form will be forwarded on to the District Defense Fund Coordinator who will determine whether to reimburse you for a premium payment or to reimburse you for your health care expenses on an “as needed” basis. If necessary, you can pay your premium retroactively and the Defense Fund will reimburse the expense. You are always free to make your own decision about whether to continue coverage or not. Should you disagree with the Defense Fund Coordinator on whether to continue coverage, you may do so at your own cost. Strikers who can obtain health care coverage through other sources, such as a spouse’s health plan, should rely on those resources during the strike. Strikers and/or your dependents who have immediate and/or ongoing health care needs and have no other source of health insurance should notify Local 907’s Community Services Committee who will be designated shortly. After being satisfied that the strikers’ health care needs meet the criteria outlined by the Defense Fund Director, and with prior approval, the Local can pay for the health care premiums from the designated Local Defense Fund account. Some examples of immediate and/or ongoing health care needs include dialysis, chemotherapy and scheduled non-elective surgeries with follow-up care. In all other cases the Defense Fund will provide for necessary core medical and dental treatment. The term “necessary” does not include any treatment not normally covered under our current Company health care plan, nor does it include any care such as elective procedures or dental visits that can be postponed until the end of the strike. Any charges paid by the IUE/CWA Defense Fund must be documented and the Local must retain Defense Fund Form (DFR-3) “Reimbursement and Reporting”. Documentation is considered as medical receipts, Doctor’s prognosis etc. for any medical assistance given to strikers. If you or one of your covered dependents should have a serious emergency and you have not elected continued coverage, you should contact your Local Community Services Committee as soon as possible. If the hospital demands proof of payment or some sort of payment immediately, offer them a credit card. Then contact the Local Community Services Committee and we will contact the necessary people to assure that your health care needs are met. The Defense Fund Coordinator will then authorize a check to assure coverage of any necessary medical expenses or reimbursements. All strikers must still pay health care premium contributions if applicable as well as any co-payments that existed before the strike. The concept being that no one should have a better benefit during the strike than that which was in effect prior to the strike. McGreevey Proposes Paid Leave Governor Jim McGreevey proposed that New Jersey become the first state in the nation to guarantee full-time working parents at least two days paid leave each year to deal with their children’s medical emergencies or education. Under the proposed law, employees would be allowed to use their paid time at a moment’s notice for medical emergencies. Starting in July, California will become the first state to provide paid family leave for the birth or adoption of a child or to care for a sick family member. Workers will be able to take leave up to six weeks at 55 percent pay, not to exceed $728 per week. Clearly, a national law is needed that combines the New Jersey and California initiatives. No worker should have to choose between caring for a child or keeping their job. Overtime petitions The following was taken from a newspaper article written by Molly Ivins. The House will take up getting rid of the 40-hour work week on June 5. Repealing the Fair Labor Standards Act-in place since the 1930’s- is one of their priorities. The new bill would be called the Family Time Flexibility Act. Under this charmer, if you work overtime, your employer can pay you with straight comp time. One hour for one hour, instead of time-and-a-half wages. If your employer doesn’t have to pay you any extra for working overtime, why shouldn’t he/she work you ‘til you drop? Lots of families depend on overtime pay just to make it through the month. If an employer can overwork the people he now has without paying extra, why would he hire additional employees? We’ve lost 2.7 million jobs, health insurance is going up like a rocket, salaries are shrinking and wait’ll you see what they’re fixing to do to your pension. CHEERS to all of you who signed the ovetime petitions that were circulated. It if you have not yet signed one, or if you want to circulate one, it isn’t too late. Contact your Shop Steward. Happy Easter from the Newsletter Staff Billie Hedrick hired in 11/28/83 and last worked in Fuel Pressure Regulator.