National Survey Results Being Tallied

Improved Pensions Tops

Local 201 Members Demands

                                      Significant improvements in the GE Pension Plan topped the list of demands important to Local 201 members in the upcoming 2007 GE Contract.

        Local 201 has tallied just the first question of that survey which asked Lynn River Works 201 members to prioritize 6 items – (a) job security (b) wage increase (c) maintaining health benefits (d) improved pensions (e) job loss benefits and (f) early retirements programs.   Local 201 members chose Pensions #1, Health Benefits #2, Job Security #3, Wages #4, Early Retirement #5 and Job Loss Benefits #6.     

        Health Benefits were close behind pensions, indicative of the membership’s awareness of GE (and other Corporations) recent history and statements indicating their desire to have our members  pay significantly “more for less”.

        Job Security was #3 with Wages close behind as #4.  Bringing up the rear was Early Retirement Program in 5^th place followed close behind in 6^th by Job Loss Benefits.

        All Membership Contract surveys, from all coordinated Bargaining Committee (CBC) Unions, were due in to their respective National Unions by September 22^nd.  Totals will be tallied nationally.

        Local 201 did not tally local results regarding a “secondary list” of concern areas (question 4) or specific job security demands (question #3). However, they also will be tallied nationally.

          PENSIONS #1

                                          It was not a surprise to Local 201 Officers and Board Members that significant improvement in pensions was the #1 demand of 201 members.  “With the high costs of living in the northeast and no COLA on our pensions, our future retirees are legitimately worried about living on a low fixed income.  They see all too well the plight of our current retirees and don’t like it,” concluded Local 201 Business Agent Ric Casilli. 
            The high concern over pensions also can be attributed to a high percentage of Local 201 members in their 50’s who remember the recent major battles that took place in 1997, 2000, and 2003 over the guaranteed minimum pension tables and pension update.
                                                   HEALTH BENEFITS #2
            “Maintaining health benefits/costs” coming in at #2 also was no surprise, as members fear that GE’s complaints about health care costs will lead to GE demanding excessive cost sharing for both active and retired employees.  VP Alex Brown stated: “Health care concerns cut across our entire membership, no matter what age they are.  They remember the mid-contract health cost increases in 2002 that led to a national 2 day strike and know many corporations are over-reaching in trying to get employees to pay an unfair share of the costs.”                                          JOB SECURITY #3 AND WAGES #4

                                          Job Security and Wages were close together, coming in at #3 and #4.  The history of the late 1980’s and most of the 1990’s is not lost on our members.  They remember all too well the massive job losses caused by sales, outsourcing, offset agreements, RSP’s and regular farmout.  These concerns, in fact, came in even higher in past surveys and only have dropped down a bit in all likelihood due to a feeling of more job stability the last few years at the River Works.  Job Security still came in particularly strong in Bldg. 63, Bldg. 74, and the Bldg. 40/85/77 complex—places with many shorter service members.   It is possible that job security will be an even higher priority than #3 in the National Survey with many local unions still facing major outsourcing, plant sales or shutdowns.

                                          Wages came in a strong fourth with Local 201 members, reflecting the fact that our large population of middle age workers have college costs for dependents and realize that the pension plan is wage based.  Meanwhile, younger workers are looking for a decent wage increase to deal with the rising costs of child-care, gas, housing, and other bills.

                                                 NATIONAL RESULTS

            The surveys, from all over the country, are now in the process of being tallied by the CBC and National results will be available shortly.  The IUE-CWA and other CBC unions’ survey results will be reviewed by the IUE-CWA Negotiating Committee (201 BA Ric Casilli is a member) at meetings October 18 – 19 in Saratoga Springs, NY, to develop bargaining priorities and strategy.  The IUE-CWA GE Conference Board then will meet October 20 (201 President Jeff Crosby, 201 Delegates Ted Comick and Len Redican will join Casilli at this meeting).  Following that meeting, delegates from all CBC unions will convene also in Saratoga October 20 – 21 to further develop the bargaining and contract campaign.  Local 201 President Crosby said that “There are a lot of good things we have done in the past in our contract campaigns and it is our hope we will come away from Saratoga with plans that build on these past improvements.”

GE Contract 2007...

CBC Bargaining Survey to be Rolled Out
at Steward/Canvasser Meeting

Contract Building Captains met in August to discuss recruitment of shop floor canvassers and member mobilization for the 2007 contract.

Our current contract with GE expires in June 2007.
            Local 201 is calling all GE Stewards, Building Captains and Contract Canvassers for a special contract preparation meeting Thursday, Sept 7, 1:30-4:30 pm at the Union Hall at 112 Exchange Street, Lynn, MA. Please tell your Building Captain, Board Member, or call the Hall to sign up to attend.
            The Union’s Coordinated Bargaining Committee (CBC) has asked all its 13 member unions to circulate the 2007 contract Union Bargaining Survey.  CBC Chairman Jim Clark stated, “As we prepare for 2007 national negotiations, we face the challenge of getting our fair share of the wealth we have created. Your participation is critical. All the members of the Coordinated Bargaining Committee (CBC) of GE Unions are completing the same survey so we have unified demands.
            The first job of our Stewards and Contract Canvassers will be to reach all our members and ask them to fill out the Bargaining Survey.  The survey is a way for our members to tell the union leadership and each other their priorities for Contract 2007.  Stewards and Contract    Canvassers will begin the conversation with our members on Sept 7 after the meeting.  This is the first step in uniting our membership. 
            According to BA Ric Casilli, a member of Negotiating Committee, “Our bargaining priorities flow directly from our member’s concerns.  GE made $16 billion in profits in 2005 and can afford to respond to our needs for significantly improved pensions, fairness for retirees, holding down health care cost increases, better job security, and to improve an outdated NSB differential for new hires.” 
            GE Contract 2007 will absolutely necessitate a high mobilization effort if GE workers are going to protect gains of the past and achieve a fair contract in such a difficult economic and political climate. 
            Make your voice heard. Be sure to get your completed survey back to your Steward or Contract Canvasser by Friday September 15 so we can get it to the CBC by the deadline.

GE CONTRACT 2007 PLANS

BEGIN TAKING SHAPE

With less than one year remaining until the expiration (June 17, 2007) of the IUE-CWA GE National Contract, Union preparation plans are beginning to develop to deal with the anticipated extremely tough negotiations.

The Union’s Coordinated Bargaining Committee (CBC) is convening in Washington, DC on July 21^st to further develop pre-bargaining preparation strategy. The CBC represents 13 Unions in GE plants nationwide and is the leading body guiding the GE negotiations process.

The GE negotiations directly impacts about 18,000 Union members and indirectly impacts thousands of non-union members, management people and retires. IUE-CWA represents approximately one half of the unionized GE workers and IUE-CWA President Jim Clark is the Chairman of the CBC. Bob Santamoor is the IUE-CWA GE Aerospace Conference Board Chairman and (along with Clark) shall lead the Bargaining Team for a new IUE-CWA National Contract. Negotiations will open in May 2007 in New York City and Bargaining will continue into middle June. Local 201 Business Agent Ric Casilli is a member of the IUE-CWA National Negotiating Committee and this will be his fourth National GE Contract Negotiations, participating in the 1997, 2000 and 2003 negotiations.

It is anticipated that a CBC Membership Contract Demands Survey will be put out around the 2006 Labor Day time period. Casilli has submitted a draft of a proposed survey to the national Conference Board. The final approved survey will be used to set bargaining demands and priorities from the Union’s membership’s concerns. These demands and priorities will be developed and fine tuned from September 2006 to at least January 2007.

An important expanded local leaders CBC Meeting is being planned for October 2006 in Saratoga, New York. This meeting will be critical for the Unions in developing effective tactics and strategy to mobilize members and public support for the anticipated hard battle ahead over the hot issues of Pension, Retirees, Health Care, Job Security, etc. Local 201 leadership is currently working up some proposals for the national Conference Board in regard to the type, size and direction of such a campaign. GE Contract 2007 shall absolutely necessitate a high mobilization effort if GE workers are going to protect gains of the past and achieve a fair contract in such a difficult economic and political climate.