2020 INCENTIVE AWARD: 10/22/20

Oct 22, 2020 | Local S6 Leadership Alerts, Local S6 Upcoming Events

Brothers and Sisters,

Please review the incentive award memorandum below. The Union and the Company with the help of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service meet weekly, outlining various issues and providing advice and methods to better manage the shipyard for the benefit of all. This memorandum is reflective of these weekly meetings. The parties are working collectively to set attainable goals while working to recover the schedule. This process is important for our shipyard and our customer, the US Navy. The Union is committed to continuing this process to ensure a stable future. See below:

Overall, by achieving the three goals listed, December 24, 2020, will become a BIW Paid Holiday for all Local S6 represented employees.

Please keep this in mind as we all work towards recovering schedule.

In Solidarity,

Local S6 Leadership

Leadership Alert: 9/24/20: Discipline Update

Sep 24, 2020 | Local S6 Leadership Alerts

Attention all Local S6 Members

Brothers and Sisters,

Understandably there has been a tremendous amount of frustration surrounding discipline, vacation time, PB time, and more. The Union has been actively engaged throughout the last few weeks with the Company, desperately trying to resolve these issues. When members ask a question, an answer should be able to be provided, simple as that. Unfortunately, for several reasons out of the Unions control, many of us have been in limbo, and with many questions going unanswered. By working with the FMCS Mediator, both parties successfully worked through the following that will be effective immediately.

  • June WILL count towards perfect attendance.
  • 217 members affected by this will be purged and achieve perfect attendance.
  • 91 members affected by this will have their discipline removed.
  • If you returned September 8th, 2020, you WILL still be able to accrue perfect attendance for September.
  • All discipline issued before strike will remain on your record for 12 months, which is and has been consistent as stated in the contract. Additionally, the months we were on strike will not affect that timeframe as previously stated by BIW. Therefore, if you were written up in March of 2020, you would come off your pink slip in April 2021. Anyone who has been told differently before today, your date will be adjusted.
  • Anyone who received a 5-day letter during the strike where BIW utilized the time frames through the strike to administer additional discipline, including discharge, are being dealt with through our legal department. Whereas BIW’s legal department has stated that those time frames do count for issuance of discipline, we must follow up with our legal team and take the necessary related action.

Local S6 is working as hard and fast as they can to resolve these and other issues. This commitment will continue and we will provide accurate information as quickly as possible. There is a tremendous amount of work that is and has to be done, with hundreds of phone calls flooding the Union Hall daily. We are not ignoring you or your issues. We have been utilizing many of our frontline Shop Stewards to help out. Understandably, you may not see a large Union presence on the shop floor currently. This is temporary. We encourage you all to continue to call your representatives and/or the Union Hall for assistance. We have not gone anywhere and will continue to proudly represent all the members of Local S6.

In Solidarity, Local S6 Leadership


 

Signing Bonus Update: 9/9/20

Sep 9, 2020 | Local S6 Leadership Alerts

Brothers and Sisters,

The Union has been in talks all day regarding the $1,200.00 signing bonus. Three separate documents made reference to the date this bonus would be dispersed, which in turn caused confusion. The inaccuracy lies within the return to work F.A.Q. (frequently asked questions) leaflet. The signing bonus will be distributed the next pay period on September 17th, 2020. Through today’s discussions with BIW, an effort was put forward to run another payroll cycle to try to pay the signing bonus out. Unfortunately, payroll can’t handle two (2) pay cycles in one week due to the large number of employees. The Union believes that this is unacceptable and never should have happened.

Local S6 understands the frustration many of our members have as we share in them as well. Remember, our Negotiating Committee was able to negotiate a signing bonus while out on strike. That doesn’t normally happen. There are many forums on social media where division and misinformation fracture the unity of membership. Keep in mind that for many months we have united in solidarity like never before. To be brutally honest, some people are never happy. Please don’t allow them to create negativity and sourness. The Union did not cave nor did the Union bend on any of its agreements. The Union cannot control every move made by BIW, but we can and do react. 

Our strength is in YOU!  What WE were able to accomplish during mediation to protect our Union rights took all of us! Local S6 is being revered all over the country for what WE did for the labor movement.  WE proved it’s our right to fight back and it’s our right to say NO!  WE have a long 3 years ahead of us.  WE need to continue to stay united and prove why we’re the best shipbuilders in the world!

United We’re One. Divided We’re Done.

In Solidarity,

Local S6 Leadership