Ernie and Others Coming on Thursday

[Buzz]

Ernie and a couple of other delegates will be visiting the Arthur Kill yard on Thursday. They should be there about 5 a.m. They'll try to bring us up to speed on how the contract talks are going and answer your questions. Understand that NOTHING is written in stone yet so everything is likely to be in very general terms, but they will try to answer your questions to your satisfaction to the extent that they are able based on talks thus far.



(Get your list of 32 questions ready, PROUD MEMBER. LOL.)

[PROUD MEMBER]

I only have six.
1. When do they think Neil will sign an extension with the BOE?
2. How many years do they think it will be for?
3. When we finally get a new contract with Neil, will we be giving anything up?
4. What is the Board doing to get new members, not just at Pioneer but throughout the Local. Not just to get new members but to keep recent already hired members to stay because at this rate our pensions aren't looking good!
5. When we finally get a new contract will it be for 3 years from the day it is signed or will it start from 7/1/18?
6. When will all the members from all the different properties be under one contract again?

Buzz
I assume Ernie reads this site but just in case maybe you can pass it on to him ahead of time.

[Buzz]

The first 5 questions I knew the answers to (from previous conversations). For the last one I consulted Ernie (but I ran all of them past him).

1. When do they think Neil will sign an extension with the BOE?

They would have no way of knowing that.

2. How many years do they think it will be for?

5.

3. When we finally get a new contract with Neil, will we be giving anything up?

No!

4. What is the Board doing to get new members, not just at Pioneer but throughout the Local. Not just to get new members but to keep recent already hired members to stay because at this rate our pensions aren't looking good!

It is not the job of the DOE to get new members for 1181. That's up to the union and companies, and it's they who have to negotiate a better contract to attract and keep new hires. At 89%, our pension fund looks very good.

5. When we finally get a new contract will it be for 3 years from the day it is signed or will it start from 7/1/18?

It will be retro to July 1. (And probably for 5 years.)

6. When will all the members from all the different properties be under one contract again

Can't answer that question at this time. A lot would depend on whether or not we get the EPP back.

[PROUD MEMBER]

Thanks Buzz
As far as my question #4. I wasn't referring to the Board of Ed with regards to getting & keeping new members. I was referring to our Executive Board.

[PROUD MEMBER]

Also with regards to #4 our pension at 89% may be looking very good but without new members just how long will it be before that % drops drastically. I'm going on my 16th year at Pioneer and up until 2 maybe 3 years ago getting a driving job here was like hitting the lotto.

[Buzz]

Thanks Buzz
As far as my question #4. I wasn't referring to the Board of Ed with regards to getting & keeping new members. I was referring to our Executive Board.

Oh, ok, I misunderstood, but I think the question was answered anyway.

[Grrr]

I'm going on my 16th year at Pioneer

Have you ever seen a pension increase in those 16 years?  Or an index adjustment? 

[Buzz]

Also with regards to #4 our pension at 89% may be looking very good but without new members just how long will it be before that % drops drastically. I'm going on my 16th year at Pioneer and up until 2 maybe 3 years ago getting a driving job here was like hitting the lotto.

Yeah, I know what you mean. Again, sweetening the pot for new hires is necessary to attract and keep people. I think owners, and certainly the union, are very aware of that and believe it will be addressed in the next contract.

[Buzz]

6. When will all the members from all the different properties be under one contract again

Just curious ... why is this important to you?

[PROUD MEMBER]

Well to start off with obviously you've heard the saying "Strength in numbers."
Having said that it doesn't make any sense (at least to me) how I can call someone working at another 1181 property a "Union Brother or Sister" when me & them have different contracts or even the same contract as far as what's in it but still separate contracts.
So if members at one property go out on strike due to say something their owner does the members of all the other properties don't because they have a separate contract.
Buzz I'm guessing you have around 20 or so years with this Local. To justify my concern, 15 years ago when things were good and we didn't have to worry about the next contract, our job security and much more if someone said to you or any Member including the Executive Board at the time, "Lets separate each property and the Members with different contracts," what would you have said to that person?

[Buzz]

Yes, this is my 25th year and I guess 15 years ago I would have said to that person, "Please explain to me how my life will be better if we all have the same contract and whether it will affect how much money is in my paycheck every week."

I would ask the same question now.

Would it allow for a better sense of unity? Yes, it would. In the absence of the EPP, it's not something that can be brought to fruition at this time.

(BTW, the 5 "Legacy" companies do have the same contract.)

[LMR]

If we don't address the members under the last two contracts they will not be here for the long haul.And if the offer tones hires is not attractive you will continue operating short 40 plus drivers,and it will only get worse .Right now that 40 less members paying dues,and if we continue on this path it will only get worse.This scenario weakens our union as well as the viability of our pension

[PROUD MEMBER]

Correct me if I'm wrong but with regards to the 5 "Legacy" that you are referring to. I'm I correct in assuming that you mean that these 5 properties have 5 separate contracts that are the same as opposed to 1 contract that all 5 properties are under? Obviously, which is like comparing apples and oranges!

[Buzz]

If we don't address the members under the last two contracts they will not be here for the long haul.And if the offer tones hires is not attractive you will continue operating short 40 plus drivers,and it will only get worse .Right now that 40 less members paying dues,and if we continue on this path it will only get worse.This scenario weakens our union as well as the viability of our pension

That's true, LMR, and as I've said in previous posts, the new contract is bound to make things considerably better for new hires.

(Don't know where you got that figure but I don't think we're anywhere near 40 drivers short. However, we do have at least 40 short drivers.  )

[Buzz]

Correct me if I'm wrong but with regards to the 5 "Legacy" that you are referring to. I'm I correct in assuming that you mean that these 5 properties have 5 separate contracts that are the same as opposed to 1 contract that all 5 properties are under? Obviously, which is like comparing apples and oranges!

Huh???