Sisters and Brothers,
I wanted to try to address some concerns I hear from the floor.
“We don’t see the President or officers on the floor”
My duties as President have taken me away from Tulsa for over 14 weeks since the NMB handed down its decision. I have either been in preparations to meet with the company or participating directly with them, making your voice heard, on a joint contract. As a Local President, the authority to dictate when or where we meet is not within my power. If I did we would meet till it was finished. No breaks.
When I am in Tulsa I find myself working to represent those that have been harmed by contract violations. I meet with HR and visit areas that need my direct attention.
I, like many of you, have an additional responsibility to my family. I try my best to take care of those issues on the few days when I am in town, then Sunday night or Monday morning I go back to wherever negotiations are taking place.
I know that Local 514 representatives are working with the members throughout the Base and Offsites and are seen mostly in the areas where the CBA violations occur. Each of your representatives has different responsibilities, e.g. Benefit issues, Retirement, RIFF and surplus movement, Transfers, Working Grievances and Preparing for Arbitration, Helping with the blood drive-which saves lives, Training, 401k and SIS Pay issues and Outsourcing concerns. The list goes on and on and I believe you understand why we can’t always be in your area. This point in particular is why it is so important to elect good qualified Shop Stewards in you area.
As union leadership we take an oath to help promote labor in the political arena.We as officers are constantly trying to figure out how we can get 4000 plus members with a variety of views on politics, to have an increased awareness when it comes to fighting for Union jobs and the issues surrounding the laws that threaten our careers. This again takes us away from the base and offsites.
“What about pot luck”
I am aware that we have members assigned to shifts other than 5/8’s days with little or no relief. I continue to make every effort to bring about change, i.e. Tulsa C/S Policy. To date the company has not been willing to accommodate the needs of our members in Tulsa. It is my intent to address this issue with the Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement (JCBA).
“Why is negotiations taking so long”
Contrary to what the company has said in videotaped Town Halls, the company was not prepared for negotiations. From the beginning, myself along with my counterparts on the negotiation committee have pushed for the most aggressive negotiations schedule possible. However, this process deserves the attention to detail required to ensure nothing is missed. As many of you have expressed to me personally, you should know I share your desire to ensure we leave nothing to negotiate after the date of signing (DOS). As your representative on the negotiation team, I am doing my very best to make your voice heard.
In closing, I know when it comes to communication, there is always room for improvement. I welcome and encourage everyone to continue to reach out for answers. It is my expectation that our newly elected Shop Stewards bring back to the floor the information they receive at our monthly Shop Stewards and Membership Meetings. In addition, we publish the contact information for all Local 514 Officers on our Union Bulletin Boards.
Thank you,
Dale