On August 10^th Arbitrator Eric Lindauer heard the arbitration of the grievance on Timber Sales and Job Security in the Weyerhaeuser PeEll and Aberdeen Woods contracts. Arbitrator Lindauer was presented testimony by Woodworkers District W1 Retired President / Director Steve Fluke, President / Director Robert Wilson and Assistant Director Chip Elliott and Weyerhaeuser Representatives Jim Johnston, Brad Kittselman, Doug Mays and Brian McDonald. The Arbitrator’s duty is to interpret and apply the agreement, with no power to add to or subtract from or modify any terms of the agreement. His decision is final and binding on both sides. With the information presented, we now await his decision to determine if the Company has the right to do Timber Sales while bargaining unit employees are laid off due to lack of need for harvesting, or to uphold the grievance on behalf of the Union members. The Union’s position on this issue is no one should be harvesting timber on Weyerhaeuser Timberlands in areas, where bargaining unit employees are laid off, with the exception provided for in the contract or Salvage and Right of Way logging which was agreed to in the severance document of July, 2009. The results of this Arbitration should be known in late October.

The week of July 19^th Weyerhaeuser announced they had a tentative agreement to sell all the Railroad lines they own in the U.S. One of those lines will affect members of Woodworkers Local Lodge W536 in Longview, Washington. The announcement said the potential buyer Patriot had 90 days to establish funding and get all permits in order. An additional 90 days will be needed to close the deal. Woodworkers District Lodge W1 Assistant Director Chip Elliott has been in close contact with our members and the company concerning the Rail Line. Our intention is to work out an agreement with Patriot to continue our relationship with the Railroad and provide job security for the workers involved. We will not be able to determine what will take place until the sale actually happens.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

On July 27, 2010, the IAM Woodworkers District Lodge W1 was certified as the bargaining agent for Training Device Technicians at Kingsley Field Air National Guard Base in Klamath Falls, Oregon. One hundred percent of the workers voted to join our union. Bargaining will begin on August 30^th and continue through September 2, 2010, if necessary.  Aerospace Coordinator Mark Blonden has been assigned by the International to assist in bargaining this contract.

On August 5, 2010, Woodworkers District Lodge W1 with the assistance of the Local Lodges hand billed the employees of all Northwest Hardwoods, Weyerhaeuser Mills on the West Coast. Mills are located in Eugene and Garibaldi, Oregon and Arlington and Centralia, Washington. Weyerhaeuser announced on July 22^nd their intent to sell all Northwest Hardwoods operations in the U.S. Our belief is this group has always believed Weyerhaeuser when they were told you don’t need a Union--we will take care of you. Clearly that has changed. The non-union Northwest Hardwoods employees have lost benefits over the past couple years, working conditions have changed, and now Corporate Weyerhaeuser has decided the Hardwood Mills no longer fit their future plans. One Northwest Hardwood plant is organized in Longview, Washington. The working relationship with the Union has been very good and benefits have been maintained at the Longview Plant.

Montesano Health and Rehabilitation contract bargaining is nearing completion. There are a few areas of strong disagreement that continue to exist and will need to be resolved before the vote is scheduled with the members at Montesano.

Wayne Bare Trucking, bargaining will continue on August 17^th in Arcata, California.  Talks have been progressing on schedule.

LSG bargaining in Tacoma, Washington, will continue the week of August 16^th. This a service contract on the Joint Lewis McCord base. Talks are progressing on schedule.

On May 24^th Woodworkers District W1 won an election for representation at Barrier West in Aberdeen, Washington. The Employer has challenged the election to the Regional Director of the NLRB. The Regional Director recommended the election be certified. The employer then appealed to the National Labor Relations Board in Washington, D.C. We are waiting for the results of that appeal and believe the election will soon be certified and bargaining of a contract will begin.

On July 19^th the Local Lodge bargaining committees along with the Woodworkers District W1 Representative bargained wage adjustments during a mid-termwage opener that was called for in the last contract bargain.  Improvements came mostly in longevity wage increases.  Business Representative Noel Willet lead the bargain and continues to work on the safety incentive program at the Nurseries.

Business Representative Noel Willet will be bringing the Rabey Trucking members together to discuss the employers proposal to resolve the contract. Our members at Rabey trucking are very supportive of this Company and understand the economic position of the Company but expect no less than a break- even contract.

On August 19^th the staff of District W1 and the staff of District 24 will meet in Gladstone at                     the District W1 office. The purpose of the meeting will be to go over the proposed By-Laws and Merger Agreement of a merged District. On September 9^th the Executive Board of District Lodge W1 will meet in Gladstone for a special meeting to go over the proposed By-Laws and Merger Agreement. After both groups have had time to look the proposals over and have had their questions answered, a time will be set in October for Executive Board action on the proposed merger. The proposal includes the newly established District to be lead by the President / Directing Business Representative of the legacy Woodworkers District Lodge W1 until the first election cycle in 2014. Woodworkers Local Lodges will not have an additional dues increase because of this proposed merger. Any increases will be because of Convention action at the International level or action by the District Delegate Council, which would be made up of Local Lodge representatives. Our intent is to have this merger in place by January 1, 2011. There are slightly over 3000 District W1 Woodworker members and 2800 District 24 members at this time due to lay-offs.

Woodworkers District Lodge W1 staff along with the Volunteer Organizing Committees in the Local Lodge are keeping the pressure on organizing.  Activity is occurring in nearly every area we have Local Lodges. If you are aware of friend or neighbors in non-union operations that feel a need for working rules and better benefits, contact the District Office at 1-503-656-1475 or talk to a representative when they come to your area.

This year due to economy contributions from our members to the Machinists Non-Partisan Political fund is lacking. This fund comes from donations (usually payroll deducted with your permission) from your paychecks. To be a sponsoring member of the MNPL the contribution rate is $25.00 per year. That is approximately $1.05 per payday. The monies from this fund goes to support political supporters of labor regardless of which party they belong to. Before donations are made, the governing body of the MNPL fund must be convinced the political candidate has the interests of working men and women as their foremost priority. Become a sponsoring member of the MNPL and help make a difference in the actions of those who are in office to take care of working families. If you are unsure how to become a sponsoring member, contact your Local Union Office.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The week of May 24^th DBR/Organizer Steve Fluke and BR/Organizer Sonny Hamar assisted the Sierra Pine bargaining committee in reaching a tentative agreement that will be voted on by the Sierra Pine crew on June 9^th. The tentative agreement is a four-year contract with continued participation in the Nelson Trust Health and Welfare Plan. Other details will be made available after the crew has had the opportunity to look over the proposal and vote. The Tentative agreement comes with a recommendation from the bargaining committee to accept.

 

 

The week of May 24^th BR/Organizer Noel Willet began the bargaining process with Rabey Trucking in Local W2 of Aberdeen, Washington. 

 

 

ORGANIZING

 ATK

On May 9^th 65 volunteers form all over the United States came together in Lewiston, Idaho, to conduct a Organizing Blitz on ATK, an ammunition factory employing 900 plus

employees. The Blitz generated over 100 card signers and a solid base to continue forward with our efforts to organize this group. Of the employees contacted, fewer than half said they were not interested in having a union, and we still have nearly half of the overall total to contact. We have committed to this group that if they want a union we want to be the union of choice and will continue our efforts.

 

On May 24^th IAM Woodworkers District Lodge W1 won another NLRB election for representation. This one involves 25 employees of Barrier West, a Bio-Mass plant in Local lodge W2 in Aberdeen, Washington. Noel Willet, Business Rep./Organizer for District Lodge W1, along with the help of the local Lodge organizing committee and   BR/Organizer Wayne Thompson did a great job putting this campaign together in a short amount of time. We hope to be certified by the NLRB in mid-June and shortly after begin bargaining a first contract.

 

 

Jim Semczuk, the National Awareness Coordinator for the Mesothelioma Center,

has asked us to post on our Website a site you can visit to gain further understanding of asbestos exposure. You can get information at james@asbestos.com

 

 

PACIFIC NORTHWEST LABOR HISTORY ASSOCIATION TO HONOR WELL KNOWN LABOR ACTIVISTS

 

On the evening of Saturday June 12^th the Pacific Northwest Labor History Association will honor two Labor Person of the Year Awards, according to the AWPPW newsletter.  Former IWA President Keith Johnson and Don Willner, longtime attorney who has represented our District and our Locals for many years through many battles will be honored. The cost to attend is $65 per person an additional $25 per person if you wish to attend the dinner. For further details contact the LERC office at (541) 346-5054.         

On April 13^th a ruling came down from Arbitrator Thomas Levak in favor of the Union in a case that may shape our future. Weyerhaeuser Company sent the bargaining unit crews home for a week last August in the Springfield Camp. They made the decision to continue to work contractor, logging crews in the Cottage Grove area, which is part of the merged Springfield area, while the bargaining-unit crews sat idle. In an agreement that was reached in July, 2009, the company had agreed to send contractors home when bargaining-unit crews were laid off. In return, they are allowed to bring the contractors back to work when bargaining-unit crews return. Weyerhaeuser argued in the Arbitration that as long as they fulfilled the harvest-level commitment to the bargaining unit, they have sole rights to establish where the bargaining-unit area boundaries are. Their claim was that when the Cottage Grove Camp went away, the company had the right to redefine the boundaries of what land was bargaining-unit land and what land was non-bargaining- unit land. The Union argued that the job security agreement that was put together in July of 2009 was very clear in that when bargaining-unit crews go home so do the contractors.  The Union also argued that the two Camps were merged into one through bargaining and all the area is inclusive.

 

The decision of the Arbitrator was that no bargaining-unit employees should have been laid off during the week the contractors worked, and that they all need to be made whole. This means that nearly 60 of our members will be paid wages and benefits, which will be nearly $70,000 as the penalty for the company not following the Agreement. This Arbitration was a joint effort lead by Local Lodge W246 along with Local Lodge W536 and Local Lodge W130 as well as District Lodge W1. We believe that this decision will help the Union in the areas Weyerhaeuser Company has began to put timber sales on the market while our members are laid off in those Camps due to lack of work.

 

 

 

On April 25^th the Staff from District W1 was called to a staff conference of the IAM International in Houston, Texas. The theme of the conference was the need to organize the unorganized. Members of District Lodge W1 were asked to assist by putting on presentations due to our recent success in organizing within District W1. The goal is to grow the union while our goal is to grow the District while servicing our membership.

 

 

 

The contract will expire at Sierra Pine Particleboard and Ply Veneer Facility in Springfield, Oregon on May 31^st.  Bargaining, for a new agreement, began on April 15^th and will continue with the next session scheduled for May 26^th.

 

 

 

 

On May 9^th nearly 70 volunteers will be blitzing a 900-person manufacturing unit near one of our locals. The blitz is scheduled for 7 days, and when we are successful, the benefits to those individuals and our union will be extreme.

 

Wayne Thompson and Marvin Abbott are bargaining a first contract at Montesano Health and Rehabilitation. The process has been long and stressful; however, they feel that with the help of a mediator this month the bargaining may be coming to a close.

 

Marty Demaris and Mike Rose are bargaining a first contract at Wayne Bare Trucking in Arcata, California. This bargaining is in the early stages and will take several months to complete.

 

Noel Willet along with a Grand Lodge Representative will begin bargaining a first contract with Logistics Solutions Group, Inc., a service contractor at Fort Lewis/McCord, in early June. We have been told that this process is much shorter than bargaining to which we are accustomed.  

          The District W1 Officers are Steve Fluke, President/Directing Business Representative, Bob Wilson, Assistant Directing Business Representative, and Steve Wilson, Secretary-Treasurer. The Business Representatives are: Marvin Abbott, John Hilkey, Marty Demaris, Chip Elliott, Sonny Hamar, Wayne Thompson, Ron Teigen, Noel Willet and Mike Rose.  Connie Bays keeps our office books in order and Susan Paul is the Secretary-Receptionist.

 

ORGANIZING

 

         The District staff has been very active over the past several months with organizing. Every one of the staff has sacrificed time away from home--including some weekends--to make our organizing efforts a success. Mike Rose and Noel Willet have guided our District to three successful organizing campaign elections in a row!

 

 

         In July of 2009, we were certified as the bargaining agent for the employees at Montesano Health and Rehabilitation in Montesano, Washington. There are approximately 80 members who work at that facility. Wayne Thompson and Marvin Abbott are bargaining that contract and hope to wrap it up in the next couple months.

 

 

         In late fall of 2009,  the staff organized a trucking firm in Arcata, California, called Wayne Bare Trucking. There are 64 members working for Wayne Bare trucking.    Bob Wilson and Chip Elliott are in the early stages of bargaining a contract for that group. There have been two rounds of negotiation and another is scheduled for the first week of April.

 

 

         In March we were certified as the bargaining agent for Logistical Solutions Group, a service contractor at Fort Lewis McCord. There are 50 members within that group. Bargaining will start for those members soon.

 

 

         Steve Wilson and Bob Wilson also worked out the details for an auto repair group to join our District. In and Out Auto Service in Gladstone, Oregon, brings in an additional two members.

 

         The addition of 194 members and more importantly, the efforts to organize the unorganized are very beneficial to every one of our members. When bargaining time comes around, we always hear from the employers that economic issues, such as wage increases and benefit improvements, make them unable to compete with their industry rivals. Every group of individuals we organize brings the competitiveness closer together. It really does not matter from which industry improved wages and benefits come from, economically we are better off at the bargaining table when everyone around us is getting fair wages and treatment.

 

         Last week I had a member tell me that he did not realize how well he had it within one of our Union shops until he was laid off and had to find employment elsewhere in the interim until his job reopens. Many of us forget what we have when it is a way of life. The Union way of life is clearly more rewarding at the end of the day. Our wages as well as Holidays, Vacation, Pensions and Healthcare are taken for granted in many shops but there are a few of our plants, as well as most non-union operations, where these benefits are not provided.

 

         We have organizing activity going on in nearly every Local Lodge within District W1.  If any of you members know of an unorganized shop or industry in your area where there is interest,  please contact your District Representative. In May we will be blitzing an operation with nearly 1000 potential members. Many of our Local Lodges have agreed to send assistance in this undertaking and that is deeply appreciated. The International is also providing major assistance to this campaign lead by Bill Street our Administrative Assistant to the IAM President.

 

INDUSTRY NEWS

 

Assistance from District W1:

 

         Our Local Lodges have been doing a very good job of handling “day to day” issues at the plants we represent. When assistance is needed a request is made for the District to provide a representative. When a request is made, a representative is assigned and usually is in contact with the Local within twenty-four hours. In handling our business with efficiency, we are able to not only provide representation to our members but can also look for new opportunities as I mentioned above.

 

Certification of the Trade Act:

 

         We have been certified for the Trade Act in many of the Weyerhaeuser Operations where we represent the members. There are a few places we have not been certified as of yet but are being told the issues are being worked. Warrenton Oregon is one of those areas where not only did the company have a major lay-off in the Spring of 2009, they also ended up closing and selling the plant in the Fall of 2009. We have continued to pursue the applications for Trade Act and will continue until our members get what they rightfully deserve.

 

 

Contract Bargaining:

 

         Bargaining will begin at Sierra Pine for a contract that expires at the end of May. We will keep the members informed as developments occur. At Olympic Panel and Plywood in Shelton the contract will be open for Healthcare negotiations. As things develop we will keep the members notified. We have a few contracts that open in 2011 and most of them open in 2012. We are looking forward to a better economy in the years to come.

 

          City of Shelton Public Works, Finance and Customer Service (3 separate contracts are being bargaining. Public Works and Customer Service are moving forward and Finance is going to PERC mediation.

 

          Mason County Prosecutors settled for a 6-month extension of current terms. Mason County Corrections and Support contract is moving to the Commission for ratification of April 8th. It includes a $50.00 per month increase towards H&W and a Salary Survey Wage increase effective in tiered quarterly implementation effective 1/1/10.