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Post by bulldognuts on Sept 8, 2014 10:03:23 GMT -5
Bacon Thanks for being honest about being a union officer. I noticed you addressed my fellow workers concerns about reps not doing their jobs properly by saying if you don't like it do yourself. That is exactly the kind of attitude that people are complaining about.I also noticed that you did not address my point that union dues have been raised many times in the last fifty years, each time we got a raise . Can I assume that by you ignoring that point that you have no defense for this. I can appreciate someone having a different opinion from mine, but if you are going to tell us how wonderful it was to have our dues increased at least try to defend it in a intelligent and thoughtful manner. You called the membership on this forum weasels,apparently because they disagreed with you. If you want to convince us that you believe your own statements, maybe you should leave the name calling out.
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Post by legacywannabe on Sept 8, 2014 11:34:59 GMT -5
Union officers are supposed to represent we shouldn't have to do it ourselves that's why we voted you all in. People say we need to go to union meetings and I agree to a certain extent, but that's why we voted you in so the officers would keep us updated while we work on the line they need to walk around a represent.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 8, 2014 13:11:23 GMT -5
Im a working officer, i have no problem getting dirty with my brother and sisters. I understand your frustration for your worries about not seeing your reps they should be removed, and if you read your bi laws there is a simple way to do just that. Maybe after they are removed you or your fellow workers on this post can run to fill the open positions and represent the uaw and workers the correct way. So you are high on the UAW totem pole and that is why you have an unrealistic view of how things really are. And yes, we can run against the ones in office but we will never win because again the voting system that we use is not a truthful system. It can be manipulated and votes changed to the liking of the local or IUAW. We push a button and count on our votes being tallied? Really? A serious and realistic voting machine would be done with a ballot, that will include your name and global and address so a second or third party could come in and tally votes to make sure there are no shenanigans going on. Other than that until we start seeing our dues being used for what they are intended for, the leadership of the local and IUAW are worthless.
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Post by new2ford on Sept 8, 2014 14:01:21 GMT -5
^^^^AGREED!!!! And challengers should be allowed to represent each individual that runs! I could not believe there were no challengers (basically witnesses) allowed to remain in the hall to represent candidates. Never seen that before, seems odd. As if something to hide and this would not be the first union election I have voted in, not even the first UAW election, I have just never seen things done this way. I also have to say I am sick of hearing elected or appointed officials tell me if I don't like it get involved. Because not liking it is the reason the leadership won't allow me to be involved. If I am not towing this local leadership's line I am not allowed to participate-plain and simple. Democracy allows for a variety of ideas, this is a dictatorship. And I am sure I am not the only one. Sad when I go to work just hoping to get through the day without needing my union because I know they won't come and do the job just because I disagree with them on policy issues. SMH
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Post by Grimace on Sept 8, 2014 17:29:39 GMT -5
I read the posts here daily. I'm beginning to run out of curiosity for you guys constantly complaining about our local reps. I thought before that maybe you had one or more issues that weren't addressed correctly or weren't answered fully enough to satisfy your questions. Aren't your comments actually requests for help? Out of concern for you I offered my time over a month ago to freely assist you and the offer is still open, just get my attention on the floor, or PM me and I will try to help you get more info or get you the help with your problems that you need. I am not a current elected official just a co-worker that will try to help.
Running for office or joining a committee to fix the problems: Not a bad idea, we are all the union, we are all responsible for ourselves and to a point for each other. I know that at some point you've been told to document everything that happens to you, documentation is gold when the "he said - she said" argument comes to a boil. Being an elected official however allows you the opportunity to get more deeply into the issues and illicit official responses and corrections from management (labor relations).
Our election process: I am a great example of popularity and charisma beating out someones simple devotion to be a committee person on determining who gets to fill the position. The answers to your questions on the entire process are available from the election committee and then you can get further support from the union by-laws committee (for conformation of the election committees response to your questions). Even if you're never elected, (like me) you can still be helpful to others. You seem to be able to communicate very well, what ideas or corrections to the current system would you like to see? (To be clear and more constructive here, how would you have handled a problem differently?)
Seeing your committee person every day: Sometimes this is simply impossible. Your committee person has about 250 people per zone. A percentage of that number find themselves in labor relations every day for penalty hearings for written warnings up to termination. A percentage of that zone wants help getting an excused day off for an ill family member, help repairing their records, getting a garbage can emptied, assistance in health & safety issues, or any one of a hundred different problems that come across their desk. Each problem receives a level of importance compared to the others and the problems are addressed at the level of their importance and in that order. I have seen these guys doing the triage, scratching their heads and checking their watches trying to figure out how to get everything done in just one shift. We're damn lucky to have them. Correcting even a simple issue can sometimes involve physically hunting down an MPS, or superintendent somewhere on the plant floor. More important issues can require a mountain of documentation, and cooperation from the company that is rarely available, and can be extremely time consuming.
If it was always a "cut and dry" process, "black and white with no gray areas" things would be much simpler! The problem is that the system is overloaded with those that have learned to play the system and eat up their time. These are the people to direct your anger towards.
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bacon
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Post by bacon on Sept 8, 2014 17:38:22 GMT -5
LEGACY attending meetings is vital this is where your issues will be addressed and if not then you need to take it to the next steps of region rep or international rep and i promise they will get noticed.
SPASM im not here to have a pissing match with any of you, you are my brother and sisters. And im am in no way high on any totum pole i am a local trustee and chairman of the locals house and rec committee im just a small guy that works right next to my fellow workers. As time goes on im reading alot into my bi laws uaw constitution and local contract to educate myself so i know what my rights are and how to handle situations just like yours i encourage you to do the same.
Here is my email feel free to write me anytime and i will assist you in amyway i can with all of your problems. I promise you i will do everything i can to help or get you to the right people to help you.
Baconpig18@yahoo.com all lowercase letters
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Post by lap65 on Sept 8, 2014 17:55:50 GMT -5
Grimace, since they know ( and they do most of the time) who is playing the system, why aren't they putting those people at the bottom of importance level instead of allowing them to eat up their time.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 8, 2014 18:07:35 GMT -5
Grimace, for the most part its B and C crew who have the shitty reps. My point is, our elected and appointed officials aren't doing anything for us. You know this as well. And even you brought into question about 10 years ago when you ran for union rep, how the voting totals where done, because everyone on night shift voted for you but you had one of the lower percentages of vote tallies. When you were on the launch team you seen the jobs that were over loaded and hurting people. Its great that you aren't working on the line and that you have a launch team and quality leader position, but if this were 1994 and you were a line worker and we had the current leaders we do now, I know for a fact you would be pissed as well. Its only the people who are not line workers who are defending our current leadership. That should tell you something. Bacon, no pissing match, just stating facts. Its like I mentioned before: Its you that are elected and appointed and those that are QL's that have no problems with how things are. Youre not going home with swollen fingers and bloody knuckles everyday. You are not feeling the pain. This is the worst that this plant has ever been, job wise and union wise. And yes we need Solidarity! We need you people to stand up and fight for us! Not vice versa.
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Post by Bcrew4life on Sept 8, 2014 19:06:45 GMT -5
Bacon, the main reason me & many others on Bcrew don't attend union meetings is the meeting times. Noon would mean going to work with little sleep & 6pm isn't possible for us. If meetings were 12 & 4 that would make it a lot easier for Bcrew to attend. But that would be to problematic for some that aren't willing to change their schedules a little or maybe it's just that they don't want Bcrew at the union meetings for some reason.
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