A New Low at Chicago Assembly!

[TigerFan]

As you stated so well Spring we know who not to vote for to the Constitutional Convention, but you must give it to this crew they are proud of their vote to raise the Union dues for every UAW member in the system. Not to be outdone by that piece of work they accomplished at Sub-Council today at the plant they started teaching the Globally Harmonized Classification classes with Team Leaders and started the FPS on steroids program. It is clear that the UAW as we have known it is officially deceased at this point, the FPS program or 2009 concession package renamed was written by the AD to the VP of the UAW and his wife on the Human Resource side of the company. It is clear now why transplant management teams want the UAW to be in their plant, to drive down wages implement programs that gut work rules such as the FPS program. It should be a gut check for the UAW members that when the employees of these transplants do not want to be represented but the management team wants them, they understand the UAW is a company run Union. But to blame the IUAW is letting us off the hook, we knew who was going to give control of our plant to the Region and International and we followed their lead and now the willing participants from our local have ceded control and fell under the trance of promises of appointed jobs and forgetting who they work for, but they never believed it was the Rank and File. The lack of accountability was in large part because the leaders in Detroit are not elected by the members but delegates and could care less about the wants of the membership but only their future. The scare tactics will be the same as always we have to go along with this or the plant will close, 1 problem with this logic is that the leaders espousing this to the rank and file have nothing but a track record of closing plants, for example it use to be Michigan Truck and Wayne Assembly and now drum roll please Michigan Assembly.

[Decker]

For all those that want to talk smack about the decisions by the Local 551 Leadership the elimination of tag relief should send a message about what is on the horizon. So to try and save the plant product and future the Leadership has had to take tough votes upon our shoulders, such as the Chairman, President and Bargaining Team standing up at Sub-Council and voting for a modest Union dues increase(only $344.00 per member per year). Much of the criticism we face is from a certain former official and Skilled Trades that only think of themselves. We will continue to lead even if we have to stand alone to do it, and yes Decker not only myself but the whole team will be running for Constitutional Convention where we will proudly stand and support our vote to raise dues!

 

(roadhog)

Just overheard Coby talking in the Mezz by Labor with the C-Crew Representative and he was bragging how Aaron Wynn needs to respect the Chairman and nothing would happen to him. If this is the new Team concept we are in for a rough ride. I can only imagine the lack of respect the company is going to have for the local UAW now. The company has MBA's and Masters and we have this type of thug representative, this is not good for the membership.

 

There is a small bit of reason in my thoughts about this very noticeable change in stance that is recorded here in this thread. We all have read these different points brought out by roadhog, I agreed on different points made by roadhog based on the correct infornation given on the constitution. I`ve been in a different corner from roadhog based on the facts when the discussion was focused on the election and the possible recount. But, now I really wonder....

 

I cant help but think of those classes I attended, many many moons ago. Is someone trying their hand at reverse sociology? Is the noticeable change of stance and a possible identity change all the master plan? Is this the start of a smear champaign for a political run?

 

Now if the old long hair has got this completely wrong (could be) that wont be the first time but.... if roadhog is a "team" memeber??? this will be a first in the political arena here at the 551 because a team member, giving and putting out the stones so others can use them??? would be a first.

 

E-Board member, Team member, Bargaining unit member or not "roadhog" if an old long hair can give just a little something in the way of advice.

 

My advice based on, being on the floor as a district, safety, ergo rep and as a member and chair of the education committee, union label and constitution & by laws committee and an e-board member. And the best learning experience as a member, a delegate (not alternate) to the con con, (yep the old guy gets around) roadhog find your way and personality and then stick to them. This will not guarantee political success.... but it makes it very easy to walk back into the plant after all the political crap is over...( in my case, as the same old long hair that never changes).

 

David

Edited November 21, 2013 by Decker

[TigerFan]

It is valuable not to be thrown off course when discussing a topic and not change the key factors in determining if a Local Union is on the correct trajectory or off course. I like most individuals at Chicago Assembly could care less about the technicalities of an argument or old grudges between politicians. For anyone trying to parcel words or change the focus I will in my humble opinion redirect the discussion; 1) Did Chicago Assembly Leadership stand at Sub-Council on their own and propose a Union dues increase for the entire UAW rank and file, 2) With the Globally Harmonized System of Classifications being implemented at CAP are we on the same glide path as plants with 2 classifications, 3) When one looks at the balance and expenditures of our Union Hall is it sustainable and a responsible path(1.1 million June 23 to 628 thousand 5 months later), issues about the longevity of the C-Crew and the product being secured for future years. All of the individuals that are trying to bash or kiss ass to gain advantage again humbly these are just a few of the big issues that the membership at Chicago Assembly needs to stay focused on!!!!!

[Decker]

You are correct TigerFan, we do have big issues at CAP and the 551.

 

Thanks for the nudge back into focas.

 

Your first two questions most likely can be summed up by saying, the day of the union being the voice of the membership is gone. Was there any discussion or a pole of the memberships feelings on the raising of more income for the IUAW and locals? Yes the locals will benefit by raising the dues because the locals get to keep a percentage of the collected dues. Unless the increase is earmarked for just the IUAW? Piror to supporting anything was it mentioned in the local news letter? The membership has just become nothing more than the income generating part of the big business that sells labor to the company.

 

 

Decker

[ChiTown]

Decker spot on about the IUAW, but the problem is that too many local politicians are looking for cush appointed jobs. We had an issue with MP&L last week at CAP and a political hack put into an appointed spot sent the District Rep an e-mail taking the companies side, the district rep has been at 4 plants, served as a Unit, H&S and never seen a company run union at any facility around Detroit. An Appointed rep that told the district reps to come to a quality meeting would have been told to do their job or be removed. Especially when she took the companies side!

[roadhog]

First off Happy Thanksgiving to all of my UAW family from the Chicago Assembly membership. I will start by saying that I have found out it is easier to throw bombs than to catch them. With this being said the rumor mill is rampant at the facility mainly being stirred up by a former official or crybaby I will call him. Due to charges being brought up towards the CAP leadership instead of concentrating on new product and grievances, some of the leadership has had to retain lawyers to defend against made up charges that were presented to the Department of Labor. As I have stated the President is in charge of paying an election Chair not the Bargaining Team at the Assembly Plant even if something to the contrary is being spread for political gain. Just because of an email by an official requesting the Election Chair to be off for 3 and a half months, this does not prove guilt as will be proved.

[uaw12]

Not to be out done, for the first time in my 12 years at CAP the Chairman went into Labor on Tuesday and a District Rep got 3 days off for cursing at a member after the member yelled and cursed at the rep. Instead of holding the company accountable and putting pressure on them Coby told all the reps that we needed to be more civil and nice. The message that has been to sent to all of us reps is that we should feel as if we work for the company not the members. We have been cursed at by the Chairman on multiple occasions telling us we can be on the team or get the F out and quit, and then we watch him kiss up to the company. This is what happens when family members are set up illegally into jobs they should not have and then what is the Union going to do about it when the company will pull the family members out, just look who is at a desk in Labor down to body shop. Roadhog you may think that getting on this forum is helping you and the leadership with the membership but all it is doing is fanning the flames and confirming to the company that we have the most corrupt and toothless administration in recent memory, but you are right about 1 thing we will find out how good your lawyers are and how deep and how many officials are implicated by an Election Official trying to save their own skin, but the gutting of our credibility will be the price to pay. And just icing on the cake for the company President Carlo Bishop's cousin, the Chairman of HVC gets fired 2 days ago, like the title says "A New Low at Chicago Assembly!"

[jerrymaker]

As you stated so well Spring we know who not to vote for to the Constitutional Convention, but you must give it to this crew they are proud of their vote to raise the Union dues for every UAW member in the system. Not to be outdone by that piece of work they accomplished at Sub-Council today at the plant they started teaching the Globally Harmonized Classification classes with Team Leaders and started the FPS on steroids program. It is clear that the UAW as we have known it is officially deceased at this point, the FPS program or 2009 concession package renamed was written by the AD to the VP of the UAW and his wife on the Human Resource side of the company. It is clear now why transplant management teams want the UAW to be in their plant, to drive down wages implement programs that gut work rules such as the FPS program. It should be a gut check for the UAW members that when the employees of these transplants do not want to be represented but the management team wants them, they understand the UAW is a company run Union. But to blame the IUAW is letting us off the hook, we knew who was going to give control of our plant to the Region and International and we followed their lead and now the willing participants from our local have ceded control and fell under the trance of promises of appointed jobs and forgetting who they work for, but they never believed it was the Rank and File. The lack of accountability was in large part because the leaders in Detroit are not elected by the members but delegates and could care less about the wants of the membership but only their future. The scare tactics will be the same as always we have to go along with this or the plant will close, 1 problem with this logic is that the leaders espousing this to the rank and file have nothing but a track record of closing plants, for example it use to be Michigan Truck and Wayne Assembly and now drum roll please Michigan Assembly.

We (uaw) have the least democratic org. the membership can't vote for any iuaw leadership. how is this democratic?

[ChiTown]

jerrymaker I completely agree. The IUAW officials that are not beholden to anyone, especially the membership find local officials such as the ones at Chicago, promise appointed jobs and get them to vote against their own membership, aka raising Union dues for all IUAW members, FPS program and then feed those same individuals to the wolves aka the membership that they did not have their best interest in mind. Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely!

[Spring]

I've said this for a long time! Now is the time when you want to start looking at your Con-Con delegates!

[ChiTown]

Not to sound fatalistic Spring but I am going to sound fatalistic! The IUAW has shown time and time again they could care less who is at the Convention once they got the Chairman, President and Units to stand at Sub-Council and make a motion to raise dues for every UAW member that it was a done deal. Our delagates from Chicago Assembly are going to go down as the group that started the dismantling of the UAW as we have known it. The silent majority at CAP has never been this angry at its elected officials!

[dumbfounded]

The dismantling of the UAW as we know it. Your statement is so idiotic how does someone reply to it. The silent majority? Who you and your 2 friends? You have been quiet for a while and that's what you come up with? If you were spotted 500 votes you still couldn't win the election for chairman. Hell you were one of the lowest vote getters for bargaining rep in the last election. Why don't you figure out a way to bring something positive to the table instead of your chicken little mentality. Things feel a lot more positive around the plant now than they have in a long time. The last 3 years every union meeting was the ex chairman getting his ass handed to him every meeting because he sucked. What do you expect when you vote in a paint sprayer for chairman that's one mistake that will take a long time to forget. Who votes for a person who has never even been a district rep for chairman. We see how that worked out. What a joke and so are you Chitown.

[ChiTown]

If I voted to raise every members dues as you did I would be a little touchy also. Ex-Chaair, if you only knew just how close my office is to yours. Never shut your computer off or logout of your email account, you have given us a treasure of information. I do like the sound of me being Chair from my spot.

[TigerFan]

I have a question that I wanted to throw out there for any one at Chicago Assembly now that we are being told tag relief is being scaled back or eliminated after Christmas. This adds up to about 350 members displaced and if we are not tagging then where do these members go and had does this look for our plant, we have only been running 10 hours as it is. When one looks at the days of supply of the Taurus, MKS it is way above the point that is deemed healthy of 60 days, almost double this number. The frustrating point is that there has not been any information put out in the plant in 5 or six months except a Sub-Council report and even in that the Chairman, President and Units did not put down that they stood and voted to raise our Union dues.

[uaw12]

What does the new year hold for the IUAW-Ford. Election Chair has spilled beans to DOJ on payoff for vote rigging + recordings of a certain service rep in the room giving backing to the plan, no I am sorry 2 servicing reps. International and Regional. What does this add up to, V.P. of UAW-Chrysler is joined by his former counterpart at V.P. of UAW-Ford. The calls now are fast and furious to cover one's behind but it is 6 months to late! Is this %100 percent, nothing in life is but let's remember 2 Illinois Governors are in jail along with 2 Jackson family members, so if they could not get out of the DOJ it stands to reason this crew is in for a rough ride, along with the members they were sworn to represent, the only innocent individuals out of the whole mess. Power corrupts, absolute corrupts absolutely!

[roadhog]

I am not sure exactly what your saying UAW12 but if it is close to what I think, the responsibility for this behavior would lie with our Local President and Election Committee and whomever signed off on the act. Unless there is lock solid proof and who would be stupid enough to be recorded or send a text implicating themselves.

[roadhog]

Wanted to give quick update to members of Local 551. The Bargaining Team had a special meeting with the Regional Director, Regional Servicing Rep and the reps at the Union Hall this week. I want to be clear we are 1 team no matter what some of the naysayers try and say. As a team of Carlo Bishop our President, Coby Millender our Chairman, Aaron Straker, Fred Weems Units we stood at Sub-Council and got the ball rolling on raising Union Dues and at the meeting with the Region the team stands by our decision. Some have pointed out that the team was for giving up the right to strike in 2009 and why now are we saying we need to raise dues to pump up the strike fund? The answer is we changed our minds and now we are for the right to strike. My fellow Skilled Tradesman you need to get on board with the team quick!

[dumbfounded]

Roadhog I am sure the crying and lying is going to restart after your post or continue I should say. Not saying your post is bad, it's a good post. Labor has been under attack for as long as the union has existed and even before that. So the threat of strike is crucial for us that should never

be compromised for anything, agree? I don't think, I know the chairman,bargaining team, and president are unified and doing an even better job than I expected. As for the nay sayers, the nay sayers I am thinking of were in office and put us back to the stone age. I hope this membership learned their lesson electing an awful chairman and never repeat that mistake again. A good chairman and bargaining team makes all the difference.

[uaw12]

Roadhog and Dumbfounded you 2 should get a room, I will break down what the floor thinks of what is going on. Our President, Chairman, and Units 3 years ago said that we should vote away the right to strike, now they were directed to stand up and propose a Union Dues increase for every UAW member for what? Beef up the strike fund. Dumbfounded you have previous officials on the brain and never address the issues on the thread. My suggestion is for you and Roadhog to start a thread about issues that has no bearing on the membership or take a stab at defending the defenseless, raising dues on members that were told they should give up the right to strike and have not had a raise in 10 years and counting.

[uaw12]

Department of Labor case #zf3267h. As the Captain of the Titanic said we have hit an iceberg abandon ship! Witness F in the case summary knows a lot of details, wonder who has been implicated?

[roadhog]

As this information is spread around the plant and used for political gain it is important to know that allegations are not proof of guilt. Even if and it is a big if someone is convicted or implicates officials it does not mean all officials are guilty.

[megirldeth]

Edited March 8, 2014 by megirldeth

[uaw12]

Interesting, the LLM report is upon us when the light comes on and Federal documents are signed(Indictment Papers). Reports are that a certain vote counter is on her way back to finish the vote counting 1 more time but has not worked since last May, the last election. Only question left to be answered and it is coming quickly is who will sign their sentencing papers along with the President and Financial Secretary? D-Day is quickly approaching at Chicago Assembly.

[roadhog]

UAW12 your statement is not accurate, the Chairperson of the election was only paid ghost payroll for 3 and a half months. They hurt their thump which has had them off for 6 months more which could happen to anyone. Get your facts straight, just because they are going to come back 2 days before the Convention vote to count does not mean it is rigged. I am sure this has happened at lots of locals around the country.

[ChiTown]

Pursuant to a voluntary compliance agreement, UAW Local 551 will conduct new nominations for District Committeeperson Board positions. This is on page 1 and on page 2 is the dates. The Chair of the Election committee said the 2 page "compliance agreement" was a typo. So they typed 2 pages with nomination dates in bold, handed them out to candidates for the Convention in the election rules but it is a typo. Then a text sent to a candidate stated the Election Chair has great lawyers! Looks like those lawyers will get plenty of use over the next several months.