Skilled Trades Conference Report by UAW Local 2093
Fraternal Delegate VP David Pawloski
International UAW Skilled Trades Conference - February 6th
Called to Order 9:22am by Chair of the Conference Ken
Laubert-Assistant Director of the Skilled Trades Department
Welcome to Detroit by ISTAC (International Skilled Trades Advisory
Committee)
National Anthems
Prayer-Jesus was a Skilled Tradesman-Carpenter
Moment of Silence
Another Welcome to Detroit by Region 1A Director Rory Gamble
Introduction of IEB
Introduction of Negotiating Team for GM-Delphi/Chrysler/Ford
Introduction of Ron Gettelfinger by Cal Rapson-Director of the Skilled
Trades Department
Address by Ron Gettelfinger-President UAW
-Safety for Ourselves and our Co-Workers
-Equipment Kills
-When someone is doing something unsafe, stop and ask them to call their
family, for it may be the last time they will talk to them
-No one ever thinks they will be hurt
-EFCA (Employee Free Choice Act)
-Need Local's to step up and be Organizers in their own Communities
-National Health Care crisis will never be solved at the Bargaining Table
-Single Payer is the right direction for our Country and the program this
Union will continue to push
-Start by Universal coverage for all children under 18
-Lower Medicare coverage to 55 years old
-Catastrophic Coverage
-No new extension of Fast Track, which expires in June
-Failed Energy Policies
-Marshall Plan for Auto Industry-Focused on Hybrids & Alternative Fuels/Save
the Environment
-Bankruptcy Laws are Obscene and Immoral
-Need Skilled Trades to step-up and be the leaders that they already are
-There will be tens of thousands of Skilled Trades jobs available for years
to come/ 1,000,000 by 2012 in the US
-Protect our Individual Trades
-No more sub-contacting
-Collective Bargaining and Collective Action
Introduction of Skilled Trades Department Staff
Appointment of Timekeepers for the purpose of timing Speakers on the
Resolutions
Adoption of the Rules
Report of the Credentials Committee
Report of ISTAC
Introduction of ISTAC Committee
Seating of the Resolutions Committee-Chair John Sachau
1st Resolution-Trade Policy
Moved and seconded-Discussion
Guest Speaker-UC-Berkley Professor Harley Shaiken-Director for the Center of
Latin American Studies
-These are tough times, but the UAW was born in tough times
-AC Spark Plug started in Flint and had tens of thousands of jobs
-AC became GM and then Delphi
-Last Delphi plant in Flint is slated to close
-The rules of the game are stacked against the middle class
-The rules are leading us to poverty, environmental degradation
-Government must shape and direct globalization for everyone
-Relatively a small number of firms benefit from globalization
-40% of global trade is within the same corporation (10% in Auto by itself)
-Stock holders benefit today and everyone pays for it tomorrow
-Short sighted focus, need high-road approach
-Ford raised wages, opposite of what everyone does today
-Productivity went up, car sales went up, profits went up,
-Low wage companies will always be unstable
-97-01 the top .1% received the same income of the bottom 50%
-Solutions
--Trade Policy-Standards on Labor and the Environment
--National Health Care
--Labor Law-make it easier to join Unions
*7.4% of private firm workers are Union
--Build Highways to middle Class, not exit ramps
Various Discussion on Resolution
-Friendly Amendment Offered and accepted
Motion and second to end debate-passed
Resolution passed-unanimously
2nd Resolution-Equal Employment Opportunity for All
-Affirmative Action
-Pre-Training Apprenticeship Classes
-Diversity
-Inclusive Organization
Moved and Seconded
Motion to Close Debate-passed
Without Objection Resolution adopted without vote
3rd Resolution-Skilled Trades Representation
-Skilled Trades need their own Representatives within the work sites
-Elected by Trades from Trades
-Be involved in Grievance Procedure and Bargaining Table
Moved and Supported-Discussion
Motion carried unanimously
4th Resolution-Subcontracting and Outsourcing
-Eliminate the abuses of subcontracting and outsourcing
-Eroding good paying jobs
-It has been proven over and over that we can do the work, better and
cheaper then Outside firms
Moved and supported-Discussion
-Question on Full-Utilization
-Debate Continued
-Several Amendments Offered
-Tool Room's attacked at many different locations
-More questions on Full-Utilization
-Discussion on Full-Utilization
-More amendments offered
-Special Attrition Program have affected Skilled Trades dramatically
-More spirited debate and more amendments offered
-Amendment to include apprentices and E.I.T. in Full-Utilization language
-Amendment offered to allow Laid-off Trades to go to the Shop Floor
-More discussion
Motion and support to suspend Debate as to introduce Mayor Kilpatrick,
motion carried without objection
Introduction of Mayor Kilpatrick by UAW V.P. Jimmy Settles
Welcome to Detroit by Mayor Kilpatrick
-We didn't come here on the same ship, but we're all in the same boat now
-Granddad and 7 Great Uncles and Great-Granddad worked at Ford
-Remember where you can from
-Many Thanks from Mayor to the delegates for the work they do
-At the US Conference of Mayors, Mayor Kilpatrick told his fellow Mayors to
tell their residents to stop buying foreign cars
-When you buy a GM/Ford/Chrysler you don't just buy a CD Player but a job, a
community
-UAW must stand up, without the UAW the country will continue on the wrong
path
-When we put the Children together, the whole world comes together
-Speak truth to power
Debate on Resolution continued
-Many more amendments offered
-Explanation of the differences between 'Whereas' and 'Be It Further
resolved'
-All friendly Amendments accepted
-Motion to close Debate supported and passed
-Motion to close debate passed without objection
-Without objection Resolution is adopted
5th Resolution-Advancing Technology
-Train all workers
-Expand opportunities for Skilled Trades and all workers to continuously
update skills
Moved and supported-Discussion
-Friendly Amendment Offered and Accepted
-Without objection Debate Closed
Resolution passed unanimously
6th Resolution-Protection of the Basic Trades
-Low road employers are trying eliminate Lines of demarcation
-Local's must fight efforts by Management
-This does not mean that sub-trades cannot be rolled back into their
original Trade
-Stop assigning Trade work to non-trade workers
Motion and support to adopt Resolution-Discussion
-Friendly Amendment on loss of seniority by the merging of Trades Offered
and accepted ( No one loses seniority )
-Amendment offered and accepted for more
-Apprenticeships and less hiring of Journeyman
-Many amendments offered
-All friendly amendments accepted
Resolution Passed
7th Resolution-Health Care
Moved and supported-Discussion
Guest Speaker Adam Miller UAW Social Security Department-Senior Benefits
Consultant
-In 2005
-47.6 million without Insurance
-8.3 million Children
-27.3 million workers w/o insurance
-Workers with employer insurance is below 60%, most in 40 years
-Every year around 2 million people file for bankruptcy for medical bills
-75% of people who file medical bankruptcy have insurance
-2002 US spends $5,274 per person with 15% uninsured
-2002 Canada spends $2,931 with 0% uninsured
-In US all people receive Health Care, but in the most expensive way
possible
-US Ranks
--Male life expectancy 20th-Female 19th
--Infant Mortality 36th
-Cost shifting does nothing to fix the Health Care System
-The problem with the US Health Care system is there is no system in place
-HSA's ( Health Saving's Accounts ) 401k for Health Care
--Consumer driven health care
--Make consumers pay more so they use less
--People are not Doctors
--People don't use Health Care like buying an RV
--People don't know who the best specialist are, or the best equipment to
use or where the best facilities are or the best drugs available
--US average Out-of-Pocket Costs are highest in the World
--Not everyone contributes to a 401k, so why would they to an HSA
--The more you make the more you contribute
--No such thing as a "Retirement Healthcare Nest-Egg" Costs will blow
savings away
--HSA
*Put $1000 a year into it, Spend $500 a year out of it, after 30 years you
have $6,300, one illness complete wipes out
-If you allow healthy people to opt out of traditional Health Care, then all
that will be left are sick people which will drive up costs even more
Discussion
Several friendly amendments offered and accepted
Motion and support to close debate
Motion to close debate passed without objection
Without objection Resolution carries
Motion and support to adjourn the convention until 10am tomorrow
Passed unanimously
Wednesday Feb. 7th-Independents Council
Meeting Called to order at 8:03am.
Pledge was given
Moment of Silence
Introduction of Delegates
Waste-Water Technician has been added as a Skilled Trade-EPA regulations
played a part in the decision
Industrial Maintenance Technician was also added as a Skilled Trade, but
only in Independents and Competitive shops, not at Big 3 or Ag Imp
Saturn is downsizing
Lear has sold 13 plants, Interior division. New owner wants 3 to 7 dollars
an hour in concessions
Region 8 has lost 150 staff.
Any work site with less then 100 employees falls under servicing staff for
organizing, more than 100 belongs to International Organizing department
90% of people in the US who belong to Unions belong because there was a
Union at their work site when they were hired
Freight-liner agreed to card check which the UAW won. So the "National Right
to Work" sued, so the UAW agreed to an election, which they also won
Some Chrysler locals and Steel plants have Skilled Trades running Production
when nothing is broken down
Nissan plant in Tennessee is 90% white and make $22,
Nissan plant in Mississippi which is 60% black they pay $12-14
In Mexico, people stand outside the plant everyday, waiting for someone to
get fired
In Germany, negotiations are only about wages and work rules. Overtime,
Health Care, Vacation Time, Holidays are all Law.
Apprentices are not being put on anywhere. Big 3 and AAM trades took buyout
and then went to Lear, other plants and got hired as Tradesmen.
Dundee, MI plant has one Trade
