New members get involved

The IUE-CWA Local 201 Membership had a lengthy discussion concerning next year’s GE Contract Negotiations, at the June 20^th Membership Meeting.

Triggering the discussion was a shop floor petition requesting an improvement in the 60¢ per hour Night Shift Bonus for new hires. The petition was delivered to the Local 201 Executive Policy Board months ago and the Board decided to put it on the agenda for Membership discussion. The petition was generated by rank and file members with less than 5 years GE service, wishing to understand how there is any equity and fairness in members working side by side on the same job getting different pay. Many such members, encouraged by President Jeff Crosby and Vice-President Alex Brown, attended the meeting.

Business Agent Ric Casilli detailed the history of the contract clause creating disparate Night Shift Bonuses, explaining that it first came into the National Contract Agreement in 1988 and then was made worse in the 1991 and 1994 contracts. It denies payment of the contractual 10% Night Shift Bonus that most members get, to new hires (with no prior GE service) for a period of 5 years. Casilli stated "The Unions hated the clause but GE shoved it in the contract between 1988 and 1994 when all of the membership’s attention was on stopping the ‘bleeding’ from massive job losses while securing some job loss protections and benefits". One veteran member stated "Yeah, and that (the 60¢ NSB) was one of the reasons we here at Local 201 voted the 1988 Contract down."

Members brought up the issue of fairness and equity and discussed ideas on what could be done to change it.

BA Casilli (also a member of the IUE-CWA National Negotiating Committee) used this opportunity to explain to the Membership, the National Negotiations structure.....the Coordinated Bargaining Committee (CBC-13 National unions inside GE), the IUE-CWA Conference Board, and the "big" and "small" negotiating tables that will attempt to hammer out a new National Agreement in New York City during May and June of 2007.

Discussions ensued as to the many critical items that would be on that table—pensions, medical, early retirement, job security, retirees, and wages among them.

Following that discussion, a motion was passed that "IUE-CWA Local 201 goes on record as endorsing the rank and file petition concerning improving the Night Shift Bonus, encourages more members to sign it, and requests the 201 Business Agent present it to the IUE-CWA National Negotiating Committee".

That motion passed unanimously.

GE Contract 2007...
LOCAL 201 RECEIVES MEMBERSHIP PETITION
ON NIGHT SHIFT BONUS (NSB)

On March 27, 2006 Local 201 received the following petition signed by many 201 members. The petition is self-explanatory and it is not surprising that the petition surfaces at this time, after a few years of new hires replacing retirements. .

PETITION

"We, the undersigned employees of the Lynn, MA River Works Plant feel that the time has come to re-examine the off-shift differential at this plant. As you know, employees who were hired after 8/1/94 receive $ .60 added to their rate for work performed on either 2nd or 3rd shift until they have accumulated 5 years of continuous service, at which time they receive 10% added to their rates. This $ .60 figures out to roughly 2% - 3% for Lynn River Works employees. As you are also aware, the majority of new hires in Lynn are for either 2nd or 3rd shift. We feel that our 2% - 3% differential should be brought more in line with what other manufacturing plants, both union and non-union, offer in this region. We look forward to an open and honest discussion on this and many other topics as the time for contract negotiations draws near."

Thank you,

IUE-CWA Local 201 members
(many signatures)

Editor's Note: For clarification the 60¢ (NSB) for new hires, came into the National Contract in 1988 whereas new hires (no prior GE service) had to wait 2 ½ years to get the 10% NSB. In the 1991 Contract, the waiting time was increased to 3 years; and then again increased to 5 years in the 1994 Contract.

The GE National CBC (Coordinated Bargaining Committee) Unions opposed this 2 tier system but with most locals having massive job losses (and no hiring) in the late 1980's early 1990's, the night shift bonus issue was not a priority item as compared to job security, early retirement, job loss and plant closing benefits.

The unions then demanded at Contract Negotiations in 1997, 2000, and 2003 to eliminate the whole 60¢ NSB 2 tier system and return all members to the 10%, and have also resisted all Company attempts to make it even worse.

However, it is interesting to note that the 60¢ 2 tier system is structured to keep making it worse even without any changes being made. When the 60¢ NSB was first introduced in 1988, an R19 (example) was making $12.375 per hour and 60¢ per hour was 4.8% of the members' hourly pay. In 2006, an R19 makes $24.51 per hour and the 60¢ amounts to only approximately 2.4% of hourly pay. Its value has dropped in half.......and it will worsen by Contract time.

The signers of the petition have an absolutely legitimate opinion and request.The time is long overdue to re-examine the Night Shift Bonus. The only so called "aberration" (Company term) is really that the penalty and gap increases every year for new hires. You can be sure that Local 201 will bring this issue to the table and press for changes. We thank the promoters and signers of the petition for taking the time to show their legitimate complaint.

For further information contact Local 201 IUE-CWA at (781) 598-2760

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IUE-CWA Local 201