Alex Santana—Shop Chairman • Mike Haineault—1st Shift Zone • Jeff Hall—2nd & 3rd Shift Zone
Kevin Sautter • Colie Lynch • Erin Schumacher • Luther Page • David Blackwell • Billy Flynn
John Hanning • Greg Hill • Jerry Gray • Stan Bowers • George Mellinger
Doug McKeithen • Kevin McCray • Darrell Shanklin • Dwayne Hawkins • Turnage Corr • Quinten Bowens
Larry Garrison • Howard Newson • Stephen Ying • B.J. Hutto • James Hunter

Volume III, No. 14 • April 18th, 2008

Educate Yourself

UAW Constitution

ARTICLE 35—Amalgamated Local Unions

Section 1. Any two (2) or more units which are not a part of an Amalgamated Local Union may petition the International Executive Board for the formation of an Amalgamated Local Union. Such petitions must be approved by the membership of the units desiring an Amalgamated Local Union in a specially called membership meeting for that purpose. Upon receipt of such petitions the International Executive Board shall investigate the feasibility of an Amalgamated Local Union and if their decision is that an Amalgamated Local Union be set up, the Regional Director shall without delay set up an Amalgamated Local Union comprising the units as determined by the International Executive Board.

Section 4. Additional organized units may be added to Amalgamated Local Unions only upon approval of the International Executive Board and subject to the majority vote of the membership of the unit and the Joint Council or membership of the Amalgamated Local Union. Unorganized units may be added to an Amalgamated Local Union upon the approval of the Regional Director.

Shop Talk

The battle still continues...
Management will recognize the strong support of UAW Local 2166 membership. Your dedication and commitment has made us who we are today. Thank you to each and every one of you!!

ORGANIZING: In preparation for organizing non-GM employees in environmental (ie; Premier, etc.) we will be looking for approval by the membership in order to petition the International Executive Board desiring an Amalgamated Local Union.

Under an amalgamated local union you have different units with one Local Union Executive Board. Each unit will negotiate and ratify their own respective contract. Each unit will have their own bargaining committee elected by that unit. Different units will be owned by different companies not General Motors but the members will be under Local 2166.

Our in-sourcing and low level entry jobs will not be affected by this. The jobs we bring in-house will be owned by General Motors therefore having to be filled by General Motors employees.

By being an amalgamated Local union we can organize, represent and bring in members ranging from all different types of diverse companies: such as health care, food services, financial services, professional workers, legal services and the list goes on and on.

Q & A

Will becoming an Amalgamated Union have any effect on any employees working for General Motors?
No. Becoming amalgamated is being recommended to address the Environmental exiting only.

Will becoming an Amalgamated Union have any effect on “Non-Core” jobs?
No. All “Non-Core” jobs will be performed by hourly General Motors employees.

Will workers of any new “Unit” be able to vote on our contracts?
No. Any new “Unit” will have their own Bargaining Committee Members elected by its own membership. Our contracts will be negotiated and voted on separately.

Amalgamated Union: Local 2166 Amalgamation meeting will be held at the Union Hall on Sunday, April 27, 2008 at 2:00 p.m. for the purpose of membership approval. A question and answer session will be followed by a secret ballot vote. Polls will be open for 2 hours past the end of the meeting.

Downtime: No downtime scheduled as of April 11, 2008.

American Axle: UAW members and supporters will rally at 11:30 am on April 18th at Detroit’s Hart Plaza to support striking workers at American Axle.

More than 3,500 UAW members from UAW Locals 235; 262 and 2093 in Michigan and UAW Locals 424 and 826 in New York have been on strike since February 26th to protest unfair labor practices.

“The support our members have received during this strike is overwhelming,” said UAW President Ron Gettelfinger. “We’ve heard from members of the clergy, from local businesses, from community leaders - and of course from UAW members and the entire labor movement.”

“Our rally on April 18th will be a great time to show solidarity with American Axle strikers, and to demonstrate support for keeping manufacturing jobs here in the United States,” said Gettelfinger.

“Even business publications, like the Automotive News, can’t understand how American Axle can justify giving pay raises to executives while demanding pay cuts from workers,” said UAW Vice President James Settles Jr., who directs the union’s American Axle Department.

“In addition to their unjustified economic demands,” said Settles, “AAM has refused to provide us the information we need for bargaining, and has illegally cut off disability payments and health care for injured workers, as well as compensation — including health care– for laid off workers. That’s why this is an unfair labor practices strike.”

“Our members at American Axle are standing up for what’s right - and we’re inviting our entire community to stand with us on April 18th at Hart Plaza.”

Annual Drawing: Every year we have resisted Management’s attempts in changing the process on how temporary and permanent employees are selected for hire here in Shreveport. Here locally we have always had a “Lottery Drawing”, we pulled the referral cards from the hopper and numbered them in the order that they were pulled, also called and tested the people in that order. Everybody was allowed to see the drawing either by being present in the bayou room or via the in plant closed circuit television system. This has been a good process and probably the most honest way of selecting people for hire. Now, management is claiming there is a new “Corporate Policy” in order to follow Federal Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Laws that there will be NO LOTTERY DRAWINGS. Management wants us to fill out the referral cards and they will submit them to a company by the name of “Development Dimension International (DDI)” who in turn will input the information and do a random computer drawing. In order to prevent any cherry picking of future employees it is imperative that there is a controlled tracking of referrals (names submitted) in place, what better way than the Lottery Drawing we have been doing. We disagree with Management’s position. As more discussions take place more information will be forthcoming.

Veterans Day: This year Veterans Day holiday observance will be on Wednesday, November 26, 2008 together with Thanksgiving Holidays.

Negotiations: Both union and management have mutually agreed to suspend contract discussions in our formal sub-committees until further notice. The week of April 21, 2008 the Shop Committee will meet with management in order to set dates to re-enter negotiations.

Transfers: Arlington, TX; Fairfax, KS; and Lake Orion, MI have requisitions in for people. As of April 11, 2008, there have been one hundred six (106) people accept transfers to Fairfax, KS.

As a result of the SAP, we do not know how many available openings, if any, will occur in other facilities but if there is one you may want to transfer to, submit your transfer application. Replacements due to the SAP will be back filled by Appendix “A” first then followed by Appendix “K”.

Due to our current layoff status anybody may apply to transfer including those of you that recently transferred here. If the corporation owes you any monies and you leave prior to your anniversary date you will forfeit what is owed to you.

Layoff: As of Thursday, April 11, 2008 approximately one hundred nine (109) people are still on indefinite layoff in production, Division I. There have been nineteen (19) accept transfers to Fairfax, KS which would leave approximately ninety (90) on indefinite layoff at time of report. The number increased from one hundred seven (107) to one hundred nine (109) due to two (2) people returning from sick leave.

Currently in the skilled trades, Division II there is approximately forty-three (43) skilled trades’ people indefinitely laid off. Of those forty-three (43) nine (9) chose to go to Division I, leaving 34 on indefinite layoff.

Clothing Store: Due to taking inventory the clothing store will be closed Friday, April 18, 2008.

Red Shirt Day: Wear a red shirt on Friday to support our troops!!!

Meeting: Union meeting this Sunday at 2:00 p.m.

“The essence of trade unionism is social uplift. The labor movement has been the haven for the dispossessed, the despised, the neglected, the downtrodden, the poor.” (quote from A. Phillip Randolph)