Hammer Down Update
Seniority Update From Your LS6 Negotiating Committee
On BIW’s website, the question was asked, “Is BIW attacking seniority?” BIW’s answer was, absolutely not. In fact, the seniority article of the contract (Article 16) was agreed to by the Company and the Union earlier this week. First of all, whoever is answering these questions for the company is as out of touch as BIWs negotiating committee.
Article 16 speaks to your length of service from date of hire, occupational and nonoccupational leave of absence, the term of healthcare coverage if you’re laid off, leave of absences, and yard Injury.
BIW straight up lied to you. The fact of the matter is, under BIW’s proposal for Article 44- Manning/Demanning, where they are trying to steal your seniority.
No short-term loans, they want to pick anyone they want, loan you into any trade they chose, and assign you to any shift or facility for as long as they want. That’s attacking our seniority!
Nice try BIW, this is precisely how they try to manipulate the membership, with sly/underhanded tactics.
This is just one example of why your negotiating committee is fighting for you and the Company doesn’t like it one bit.
BIW is trying to create a false narrative that makes them look good through lies and broken promises. All we want is a fair contract and the Company just wants to create stall tactics and play games with our members.
The Union believes they don’t want to negotiate a fair contract and wish to take the coward way out by offering us a last, best, and final. BIW hates that we are so united and will not cower to their predictable antics. We must fight on brothers and sisters, our future counts on it.
These updates will continue to be posted on the Local S6 Facebook page as well.
In Solidarity, Local Lodge S6 Negotiating Committee.
HAMMER DOWN!!!!
This following message is from IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr.
Brothers and Sisters, I want you to know these very important negotiations for you, are front and center for our entire union.
Please know that you have the solidarity of myself, the entire IAM Executive Council and 600,000 Fighting Machinists from across North America.
I want to especially thank your IAM Local S6 Negotiating Committee, District 4 and Eastern Territory staff for all of the hard work you have done and will continue to do during these negotiations.
You have my commitment that the full resources at every level of our union will be available to you in order to get the best possible contract for our membership.
In these extraordinary times, it is imperative that we stay united.
Now more than ever, our solidarity is our greatest strength.
This union has persevered and emerged stronger through wars, depressions and pandemics because we have spoken with one voice.
You are the best in the world as your craft—building of state-of-the-art ships for our men and women in the US Navy.
Each and every day, you are living proof of your motto—“Bath built – best built.”
Together, we will emerge from these negotiations stronger and more resilient in our fight for your seniority rights, and economic and job security for all our members
God bless and God speed, Brothers and Sisters.
Leadership Connection 6-5-20
Local S6 Leadership Connection
Proudly Serving Our Members
June 5, 2020
STRIKE PREPAREDNESS
A Strike would take effect at 12:01 am on June 22nd.
- Call your mortgage companies and creditors to make arrangements ahead of time.
- Talk with your healthcare providers to get your full allotment of medications prior to a strike.
- Medical- Once on strike, you will only have medical coverage until June 30th. Cobra insurance is available.
- Dental- Once on strike, coverage ends June 30th, Cobra insurance is available and has 2% higher premiums than your existing coverage. You will receive a mailer if you are enrolled in the plan.
- NO Checks / NO Pay Check withholdings- e. MetLife, 401k loans, child support you will need to make arrangements on anything you have coming out.
- For more information on your 401K, please call GD # 1-888-432-3633.
- Workers comp if you are collecting you are all set, NO new claims during a strike.
- A&S if you are collecting you are all set, NO new claims during a strike.
- Vacation usage– You cannot use vacation during a strike.
- Unemployment benefits don’t apply to workers on strike. Check your local career centers for employment options/ We will also have a list of potential jobs posted at the hall while we are on strike.
- Union Plus– members cardholders have $300 of strike mortgage assistance and can delay payments after 90 days for 2 months.
- 211 / United Way of Maine has a host of available social services for members in need.
- For additional clarification on any of the above, you can reach out to benefits at 207-442-3951.
FLOATING HOLIDAY
June 21st, 2020, is the last day to use your (1) one floating for this year before our current contract ends.
SOLIDARITY DAY
Wednesday is solidarity day. Please wear your yellow Union shirt. We still have some available at the Union Hall. We will also be showing our support for the Negotiating Committee again, starting at 6 am, lining the sidewalk alongside the Union Hall all the way to the South Gate. We ask that you exercise social distancing and check in with the Steward at your site. There will be a limit of 50 people at each site due to COVID-19. Remember to wear your masks and practice appropriate distancing.
WE WILL NOT BE SILENCED, WE WILL NOT GIVE UP THE FIGHT, LET’S STAND UNITED AND SEND THE MESSAGE TO GDBIW- FAIR CONTRACT NOW!!!
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WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE CONTRACT RATIFICATION VOTE
You will have TWO VOTES:
- One ballot will be to accept or reject the contract.
- The second ballot will be to Strike.
Should the majority; 50% +1, of members voting, vote YES to ACCEPT THE CONTRACT, the contract passes, and the strike ballots aren’t counted.
Should the majority; 50% +1, of members voting, vote NO to REJECT THE CONTRACT, the strike ballots are counted and a 2/3 MAJORITY IS NEEDED TO STRIKE. FAILURE TO MEET THE 2/3 MAJORITY WILL RESULT IN ACCEPTANCE OF THE CONTRACT.
EXAMPLE: If 70% vote NO; REJECT THE CONTRACT, but ONLY 60% vote YES to Strike, the contract is still accepted even though the majority didn’t vote to accept it BECAUSE A 2/3 MAJORITY IS NEEDED TO STRIKE.
Voting will be by phone or online through ballotpoint.
Polls open 12:01 am Friday 6/19/2020.
Polls close at noon on Sunday, 6/21/2020.
VOTING INSTRUCTIONS ARE BEING MAILED.
2020 Negotiations Day 7
Brothers and Sisters,
Be prepared for the latest “Conceptual Proposal” on Schedule B.
If you thought traffic was bad before, wait until the start of 2021!
All facilities will have the same hours of production.
That’s ALL facilities will be working 7:00 am – 3:30 pm for day shift. 2nd shift will be from 4:00 pm – 12:00 am, and third shift will be from 11:00 pm – 7:00 am.
Article 30, Subcontracting
Well, folks here it is, the Company needs a way to supplement the workforce!!!
1) ALL capital work will be subcontracted without negotiating with the Union.
2) Eliminating the joint agreement process when supplementing the workforce with subcontractors or temps in response to a lack of mechanics, equipment, and/or facilities. With this massive pile of shit, the Company would not have to hire, they could just create a supplemental workforce.
Remember all those times the Navy came to BIW and highly praised the men and women who build the best warships in the US Naval Fleet. How many times has BIW sung the praises of the legacy of Bath Built is Best Built? Well, brothers and sisters, those days will be long gone, becoming a fading memory of what once was if this arrogant, insulting, incompetent management team gets their way.
These proposals are absolutely atrocious and BIW is truly showing you what they think of you. Again, they thought they needed all that versatility in 2015 and did nothing with it. Now they want more with no ability to prove their wants will work. This is just another failed experiment with our futures in the balance. This will cripple the city of Bath and the entire state of Maine. IF YOU’RE NOT PISSED OFF BY NOW YOU SHOULD BE, WE MUST STAND UNITED AND FIGHT BACK TOGETHER!.
These updates will continue to be posted on the Local S6 Facebook page as well.
In Solidarity, Local Lodge S6 Negotiating Committee.
PENSION UPDATE/ALERT 2020 NEGOTIATIONS
Brothers and Sisters,
This is a friendly update to some of our senior members. We currently have roughly 1269 members who would be eligible to apply for your Union Pension without a reduction in benefits prior to December of 2021. Many of our members would probably prefer to work to full retirement in lieu of leaving before 2021. As we are halfway through negotiations, your elected negotiating committee believes that each member of this group should reassess their future plans to make an informed decision that best suits you and your family. 7 out of 8 members of this committee happen to fall into this category. We all have a new perspective on our future. The Company will not survive with their plans for the future. We have continued to fail as a Shipyard as a result of decisions made by disconnected engineers. We do not want members to plan for a future at BIW that will not exist. If this group waits beyond 2021 and something happens at BIW prior to their full retirement age they will take a significant financial loss. All 8 committee members are concerned with BIWs future. Fortunately, 7 of us can reassess and make an informed decision prior to 2021. We will all certainly do that based on what the Company has proposed. Please take the opportunity to reassess your future. We suggest that you complete your retirement paperwork to assure you are protected. Remember, if something changes after your paperwork has been submitted you can withdraw that paperwork up until your actual retirement date. Don’t allow managements horrendous decisions to financially impact you and your family.
In Solidarity, Local Lodge S6 Negotiating Committee
Chris Wiers Rock Grenier Ray Gauthier Rob Jacobs
Bill Barrows Marc Bubar Andy James Doug Hall
YOUR SENIORITY IS UNDER ATTACK ! 2020 NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE
YOUR SENIORITY IS UNDER ATTACK!!!
- Code 10 MOA- 8/28/2002
- Article 3 – Hardships; Company picks and chooses who gets one and who doesn’t
- Article 7- Loans; Company wants to select who goes on loan and who doesn’t regardless.
- Article 8- Apprentice two-year program; lower seniority by two years
- Article 10- Shift changes = move to off shifts/new hires
- Article 11- Pick who they want after crew
- Article 18- CTO Company can regulate
- Article 32- picking who goes up to 50 people
- Article 38- Transfer; Company can prevent you from going to a different trade regardless of seniority
- Article 44- Manning/Demanning; Company can move you between facilities as they wish
SENIORITY IS THE UNIONS SACRED COW. PLEASE PRESERVE IT!
2020 Negotiations Day 6 (Afternoon Session)
Brothers and Sisters,
The Company passed across Article 7; Classifications, in conjunction with the Classifications Task List.
The conception of this nightmare was drafted up by BIW’s Director of Trades Evan Gilman. The evident lack of true production knowledge presented itself as soon as we opened the packet. How this man still possesses employment at BIW after having access to arguably the most versatile contract in recent memory is staggering.
The Company is now wanting to increase the list of flexibility, stealing from almost every trade, all in an effort to reduce management responsibility.
Clearly, from the Unions perspective, there should be a job opening for the Director of Trades in the near future for lending a helping hand to Dirk and his band of engineers to cripple this shipyard.
Remember, Dirk Lesko is trying to follow in his father Newland Lesko’s footsteps who was involved in forcing the Union out of International Paper. Apparently, he’s trying to keep the family tradition alive. International Paper went on strike in 1987 and the rest is history.
We don’t want to be part of history; we want to be part of the future.
Company Proposed Article 7 Changes
- Long term loans are picked by management and will prefer senior qualified volunteers where business needs can accommodate (management decides)
- Loans longer than four weeks: non-volunteers may take a voluntary layoff in place of a loan (no unemployment)
- Notification can be sent to Local S6 up to one day late
- Loans may be between facilities
- No loans into a classification on involuntary layoff (voluntary no longer counts)
- The Company can loan into a classification with employees loaned out
- The Company can have long term loans out of a classification that is hiring
- Long term loans can begin on any day of the week
- Employees on loan are now eligible to be loaned
- Versatility is now for your entire trade not just for your job
- No limit on short term loans
All these updates that have been written and will continue to be written are by the committee and posted on our LS6 Facebook page. We appreciate all the members sharing and supporting us. More updates will come tomorrow….
In Solidarity, Local Lodge S6 Negotiating Committee
2020 Negotiations Day 6
Brothers and Sisters,
Please find below “Highlights” from the Negotiating Committee on proposals that have been presented to the Company.
- Addressing merit raises
- Addressing hiring issues
- Reestablishing recognition programs
- Recognizing three additional Union committees- Womens, Veterans, and Education
- Separating classifications back to how it was prior to 2015
- I02, P16, S14, M06, M08, M10, M12, M14, etc
- Eliminating all 22 versatility tasks
- Eliminating short term loans
- Double time on holidays
- Double time after 12 consecutive hours
- 10 Holidays
- Christmas shutdown regular workweek with the option of code 14s
- Vacation usage without restriction
- Proposed a significant general wage increase for all Local S6 employees.
- Proposed 3-year contract
- Proposed significant ratification bonus (in addition to general wage increases)
- Raises for M03s
- Pension increase of 10 cents per year
- Return to a two-step grievance procedure
- Additional, two hours of pay per week for delayed grievance payouts
- Increased personal business time
- All discipline goes away with a new contract
- Excluding Marijuana for under the influence in Article 50 (discipline)
- New severance package/article proposed
All these updates that have been written and will continue to be written are by the committee and posted on our LS6 Facebook page. We appreciate all the members sharing and supporting us. More updates will come tomorrow….
In Solidarity, Local Lodge S6 Negotiating Committee
2020 Negotiations Day 5 (Afternoon Session)
Brothers and Sisters,
Apparently, the Company hasn’t recovered from their concussion and decided to take a stab at Article 18, Compensated Time Off.
The trauma inflicted was FAR MORE SEVERE than first assessed.
Below is what they want:
C70, S18, Y02, and H18 all will fall under these provisions applicable to Compensated Time Off.
1) Use any of your CTO up to 80 HRS at your discretion.
2) Any CTO used in excess of 80 HRS must be scheduled and approved in advance through an annual schedule in January.
3) All CTO requests will be on a seniority basis.
4) CTO in excess of 80 HRS that was not requested and/or granted in the annual scheduling process may be taken at the Company’s discretion.
So, remember, if you’re a new mechanic in theses Departments with 80 HRS of CTO or less you have full discretion to leave when you want.
Article 44, Manning/Demanning
The Company wants to assign between any facility. Consideration will still be given to volunteers. Employees with a seniority date prior to January 1st, 2016 will be grandfathered at the facility you are currently assigned. So even if your name is on the volunteer list to go to another facility the Company doesn’t have to go to the volunteer list. They want the ability to temporarily assign anyone they want wherever they want.
In Solidarity, Local Lodge S6 Negotiating Committee