Hello Everyone,

This is the monthly communication for December 2019. The next general meeting is scheduled for Wednesday December 4th, 2019. The meeting will be held at the Local Lodge Union Hall inside Building 4313 on Aberdeen Proving Grounds. Start time will be 5:15 PM.

I do not expect any motions to exceed one hundred ($100.00) dollars. If you did not receive the mid-month email, the motion in November to spend ten thousand dollars for sweatshirts passed. If you want to order one, send an email to sweatshirt@ LL2424.com. Please order sizes medium through 3X, no small sizes. It appears will did well with our budget this year.

So, it’s time to take stock in what we accomplished this year. We started the year going into CBA negotiations on three major contracts for this local lodge (All CBAs are considered major). Each group stuck together. Our Business Rep, Billy McIntosh set the path. Our stewards and negotiation committees showed discipline, poise, and followed the lead. We were successful in achieving gains for our members. I have heard people say the stewards and officers are “the union”. Not true! Our members are “the union”! One individual can be broken – Our union is stronger when we all act together. Thank you for standing together this year.

As we go into next year keep your eyes on politics and elections. I ask that you look closer at the topics that impact you directly as a worker more than focusing on the circus that our two-party system is caught in. Your vote counts for more if you use it get benefits for you and your family, instead of pitching your vote in with a crowd that is already opted for circus drama issues that do not add value to our Country. Here are some issues that impact you and your families as middle-class workers, and ask if the people you are voting for are making changes that benefit you or hurt you:

1. President Trump signed Executive Order 13897 on October 31st, 2019. This removed protections for federal contractors, ie Us, when a new company inherits an existing contract with an existing work force. The Secretary of Labor was authorized to re-write the rules on the federal contractors, so we have not seen the full extent of this yet. But based on recent Executive Orders on Federal Government Civilian workers when can expect that they are removing rights and protections for a reason, and that reason does not benefit the workforce. And to make this even more dangerous, this EO allows for these changes to not be posted or published in the workplace. They could literally be in effect and no one will know until the Government or Company decides to take actions using them. If these changes are so great, why are they secret?
2. Medical Costs. Medical insurance premiums have been somewhat stabilized, but the rate of increase is still exceeding what workers can afford, and annual deductibles are becoming the new “pre-existing condition” that makes you unable to cover the costs, even if you have insurance. There are hidden moves to lock-in the monopoly of drug manufacturers. A key component of the replacement for NAFTA, the new United States, Mexico, Canada Agreement (USMCA) is that US citizens and companies still cannot buy bulk shipments of medicine from Canada or Mexico where it is cheaper. And the USMCA also gives pharmaceutical companies longer patents and price protections for the future. Why is a trade deal so stuffed with language about pharmaceuticals?
3. That USMCA also does not change the rules that allow Mexico to have a minimum wage near $4 an hour. Companies will continue to move jobs to Mexico if they can be manufacture products for $4 an hour and ship them across our border without tariffs. Even with low unemployment in the US, many plants are still closing, and the jobs are moving offshore. Our service industries – restaurants, hotels, and package delivery are creating jobs, but they are not high paying jobs that will support the worker, much less a family.
4. The minimum wage. We can cry foul on Company executives making millions – they don’t care, and nothing will change. But the real reason the gap is so wide is because we have allowed our politicians to ignore the minimum wage for a over a decade, and they also allowed it to slip backwards for a full generation. Adjusted for inflation the US minimum wage in 1968 was worth the equivalent of $9.90 an hour. If the US minimum wage had kept pace with American productivity the minimum wage would be at least $19.30 an hour, more likely over $20 an hour in 2020. That is based off US Government Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers, not a policy think tank’s fantasy. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew from just below 10 Trillion dollars a year in 1968 to over 20 Trillion dollars a year today. Workers lost ground during that time period. By comparison, Canada’s minimum wage varies by type of labor and region of their Country but is equivalent to $14.60 US dollars currently and moving to $15.20 in 2021. If politicians in the US continue to ignore the minimum wage, you, the worker, fall further behind, your children fall behind, and what you can do to help your children falls short. Even though our wages are the best they have been – they are based on the value of our skills over the minimum wage. If the minimum wage had kept pace with the economic wealth that was being created, our middle class could and should be much stronger now. You may feel financially stable, but most of that stability is based on shell games the middle class plays with debt. Many of us are accumulating debt at an alarming rate, using shell games we can refinance debt into mortgages, consolidation loans, or worse – payday loans. If you made more money, student loan debt would be more manageable, medical costs would not outrun your ability to pay, and you would buy more stuff – which grows the economy even more.

So, I ask you to strip the politics off the issues, and just look at the topics that impact you and your families. If a politician wants your vote, what have they done for the issues that are going to help you? If their focus is on matters other than the topics that help you as a worker, would you be better off voting for someone else? But by all means – vote!

So, with that I thank each and every one of you for a successful year. As you go about the holiday season with your families and loved ones, please take time to reflect on this past year. You earned a lot for the work that you contributed. If you consider this past a year a success at work, then please consider helping others in whatever way you can. If that is volunteering with an organization to help others or just taking a little time to check on people around you that may need help. This is a season of giving because giving to others is a blessing that multiples and provides more blessings. A Union is not just a thing at work. A union in your community can tackle many issues and provide blessings for more people than you will ever know. Blessings to all of you. We’ll talk again next month.

Respectfully and Fraternally,

Bill Harkum
President, IAM&AW Local Lodge 2424

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Hello Everyone,

This is the monthly communication for November 2019. The next general meeting is scheduled for Wednesday November 6th, 2019. The meeting will be held at the Local Lodge Union Hall inside Building 4313 on Aberdeen Proving Grounds. Start time will be 5:15 PM.

I expect two motions to be submitted to expend funds above one hundred ($100) dollars for this month. The first motion will be to spend up to ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00) to purchase sweatshirts for our members. Now how will this work?
Sweatshirts are almost four times more per unit than the Tee Shirts. So, we will not buy enough for every member in one purchase. We are going to order sweatshirts based on member response. We will spend up to ten thousand for the first order and get exact sizes for each member that wants one, with a limit of one. If demand exceeds this first motion, we will come back and ask the membership to purchase more. This way we do not buy a lot of excess sweatshirts. And if I have not made it clear, the Sweatshirts will also be free to those that order one. More information on how to order sweatshirts will follow if the motion passes.

The second motion will be to spend an amount, not to exceed two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500.00) travel and hotel expenses for three delegates and one alternate to attend the Maryland State and DC Council of AFL-CIO convention in November. The executive board already approved the delegates because the notice came in during the middle of October that the delegates needed to be selected, registered, and hotel registration made before November 1st, so the board acted within the IAM Constitution to make the necessary decisions when an issue happens between a general meeting.

This is a lot of money to spend in one month, but we are actually well within our budget for the year, thanks to a robust round of hiring by a few of our major contracts. Our finances are stable, and I feel that the money is best used to benefit our members. Finances and budgets can always change in the future, but right now we are happy that things are progressing as expected and we can afford this purchase.

This is also a reminder that we will soon deal with the annual open enrollment period when many members can change health, dental, and financial benefits with their employers. Some contracts will have enhanced benefits from our current Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA). Do your research now. Understand you and your family’s needs before you are presented with the open enrollment materials and next year’s costs. The more preparation, the more you can understand your options. No situation is perfect, but preparation can be useful to make sure you get the best deal available to you.

We are also approaching Thanksgiving. So in the spirit of that holiday I want to extend the gratitude and best wishes of myself, the district 1 representatives that help us, the officers, stewards, and employees of this local lodge. We wish you and your families a blessed holiday season. We are grateful for the health and success of our members. I often joke with many of you that I meet that I am called “the union” when I show up on a job site when I do not deserve that honor. The union is YOU! Each and every hard-working member is responsible for the success we had this year. Together – WE are the union. We achieve growth, prosperity, and protection of our jobs by having each other’s back. I appreciate the efforts of our staff and members. We will talk again next month!

Respectfully and Fraternally,

Bill Harkum
President, IAM&AW Local Lodge 2424

The officers of Local Lodge 2424 have postponed the Monthly business meeting originally scheduled for May 1st. The new meeting date, time, and location will be communicated to membership via email and this website.

Day 2 has wrapped up. The team is working hard to negotiate a solid deal for the membership. Keep an eye on this page and the new twitter account for updates.

Negotiations are divided into two parts, contract language and economics. This evening the team is still working through contract language issues. pic.twitter.com/a4KNl0sBzO

— LL2424Strong (@Ll2424S) January 23, 2019

ATSS Negotiation has begun. Please follow this twitter page for updates:

Day 1. Union team met with Company reps. Contract language proposals were exchanged. Each side reviewing language. pic.twitter.com/hygTGVO2B8

— LL2424Strong (@Ll2424S) January 22, 2019

Get the official Twitter app at:

https://twitter.com/download?s=13

ATSS Negotiations Update

Your Union was contacted today by an employee of Huffmaster staffing services of Clawson, Michigan.  This company specializes in strike support for companies during labor disputes.  They were probing our staff to see what information we would release about our members.  None was released – don’t worry!  But it was pretty dumb to tell us they were seeking information on behalf of Jacobs and more so to leave a digital trail leading right back to their front door.  In effect this was a spear-fishing attempt over the phone to try to gather information to communicate with our members directly.  If you are contacted by them, or anyone in the 248 (Michigan) area code contact a steward immediately and report it!

What does this tell us other than there are companies out there that make a profit by fighting against the working class and their right to bargain for a fair contract ?

It tells us that the company is scared. They’re scared that we are ready, willing, and able to strike if we don’t get a favorable contract. It tells us that you, the workforce, are sending a message through your conversations at work and through your meeting attendance, and the proud display of union blue every Tuesday. That message is that we all stand together and we will not accept a contract that is less than fair. We deserve reasonable cost of living increases, we deserve the ability to pay for healthcare for our families, and that we deserve fairness and respect at our jobs. Anything less than that is unacceptable.

What members need to know is, number one, your information the union holds is secure.  Number two, should anyone contact you about the plans of the union, or your feelings about specific negotiations issues – it is probably part of this anti-labor campaign by Huffmaster. So just be prepared for what is coming. The company is surely planning on efforts to divide and conquer our members.  Don’t fall for it!

The union will let you know when we are trying to communicate with membership.  And now that we know the companies are trying this stuff, we will continue to ensure that any communications sent out will be clearly designated as being official.  Number Four, you are represented at the negotiation table by a team, and that needs to be who speaks for you during this time.  A random unannounced telephone survey or email asking you how you feel or support different issues is not coming from that team!  Again please contact a shop steward immediately to verify any communications you receive that may be from an outside source.

And it was interesting to me looking at this company’s website that the Company President, Greg Johnson, offers himself in his biography as a former US Army Special Forces “A” team member.  Most of us veterans know that true “A” team members do not have to write anything like that in their bio on the internet.  So is this a case of “stolen valor”?  I do not know.   But what I do know is that his team just had a critical mission failure and exposed his company – not what I would expect of a true Special Forces professional. See the photos below of the Huffmaster executive team who make their money by keeping down the working man and women and slowing the progress of collective bargaining,

So what can you do ? Keep wearing that union blue every Tuesday. Keep an eye out for official communications from the negotiating teams and be ready to take action when you are called on. We are stronger when we stand together, be ready to take a stand for what you deserve.

Bill Harkum

President, Local Lodge 2424

IAM&AW

&

The ATSS Negotiating Team

Representatives from Scabs r Us i.e. Huffmaster LLC

Hello Everyone,

This is the monthly communication for January 2019. The next general meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, January 2nd, 2019. The meeting will be held at the Local Lodge Union Hall inside Building 4313 on Aberdeen Proving Grounds. New time, 4:45 PM. This is a temporary change to accommodate members that leave work around that time. A permanent time change would take a change to our Local Lodge By-Laws, and we may take that step if this change is helpful.

The newly elected local lodge officers will be sworn in and assume their duties as of this meeting.

I expect several motions to be submitted to expend funds above one hundred ($100) dollars for this month. The first will be the yearly motion we submit each January to pay our normal bills, expenses, and lost time vouchers that we pay each month. Second will be for one thousand dollars ($1000.00) for the 2018 contribution to the MNPL education fund. This was due in March of 2018, but we pushed it until December because we normally donate during the education fund drive, which did not happen until December. Third will be for five hundred ninety-nine dollars ($599.00) for an arbitration and labor law conference and training in March 2019. Next will be a motion not to exceed two thousand dollars ($2000.00) for air travel, hotel, and rental car for that conference, but unionized airlines, hotel, and car rental will be used.

CBA negotiations for each of the large contracts of this lodge were moved into January. I know people wonder what is the reason for the move. Each contract has a different set of reasons, so there is not one reason that explains each situation. Each contract has a negotiations team doing prep work. I think our preparations are outstanding for this CBA cycle. We are an outstanding workforce and we deserve an outstanding deal. So NOW is GO Time, and we need all members to be ready to support your negotiation teams. You will receive information on how the teams will put out information once negotiations begin. Do not expect a play by play narrative of what happened each day. We do not know how the different companies will approach negotiations on different contracts. If their approach and offers at the table are respectful, which we hope they are, then we will certainly respond accordingly. If not, we will communicate to members what issues are on the minds of your negotiations team and how you can help. The best way to help is to stay informed, stay engaged, and ask a steward what you can do to solidify your team and our efforts. The teams are in there negotiating for you! So, show them you have their backs! And realize that we are all in this together. There is one safe way up this mountain and one safe way back down. Follow our lead and stay on the path.

Lastly, I want to say thank you to a lot of people and to the whole membership of this lodge. As we start this new year, we all feel blessed in our own way. Some members are happy with their union wages and benefits, others are working on getting there too with new CBAs. The best way to reach that overall goal is by understanding we are all interconnected! One size does not fit all, but we all have one goal – gaining ground. We recently had a couple victories that show how a strong union helps members.

The recent funeral of former President Bush was declared a federal holiday by Executive Order of President Trump. The day before that day off we began to get calls that contractor companies were treating the day differently. Some were told they still had to work at normal pay. Others were told to use personal leave to make sure they made their forty hours for the week. And some other members had a bank of hours to use when there was a post-closing status. That’s three different ways of handling one day, proving that one size does not fit all. What happened was once those decisions were released stewards alerted the union right away. One shop even had the email documentation to show that their Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) had published instructions that the funeral day was considered a federal holiday for government and contractor staff. That email was key. When our Business Representative made calls, he had the email, so our case was lock tight. As news started to spread through the company grapevines that the union had a copy of the email, more companies got in line with what that email was saying.

One group’s fast thinking and action produced benefits for many more groups they didn’t even know they were helping, and I thank them. We are interconnected! Now the results are different – one size does not fit all. Some groups wanted the day off with pay and they got it. Other groups wanted to work and clock double time for working on the holiday. So, the groups figured out what worked best for their group. But what we proved is that when we look out for the best interests of everybody, the union has strength. Strength in numbers! When we put aside the self-interests of what’s in for me today and focus on what can help the most amount of members over a long period of time – then we win! Because the companies do not get the chance to pander to a few employees today to ensure we are divided tomorrow. In doing so THEY keep the long term benefits you lost focus on.

So, as we move into this important time to negotiate some of the key contracts, I ask you keep focused on the things that matter. And what matters is that we gain ground, gain ground together, and gain ground safely without losing some of the things we already fought for. So, follow the lead of your negotiations team – have their back, and let’s go get these deals! I thank all of you for your membership in our lodge, and I wish each and every one of you a great new year in 2019!

Respectfully and Fraternally,

Bill Harkum
President, IAM&AW Local Lodge 2424

Members of Local Lodge 2424

Due to the declared federal holiday to honor former President George H.W. Bush this Wednesday, the executive board of the local lodge has agreed to move the general lodge meeting from Wednesday, December 5th to next Wednesday, December 12th. The new time will be at 4:45PM at the local lodge hall.

Thank you for your attention.

Bill Harkum
President, Local Lodge 2424
IAM&AW