301 locals POS leadership is trying to get the membership to vote on a agreement a week after laying off 200+ union brothers and sisters that would basically eliminate 30 job codes and classifications and would give some raises to agree to this. Can you seriously even consider this after watching our coworkers walking out the door without even a thank you from the union leadership??? Union leaders didn't even have the decency to show up when affected members were told they were being let go. They said they needed to get some sleep......seriously? I'm so ashamed and embarrassed that they even represent us !! How dare they not show up to see and thank our fellow members at this difficult time! The remaining members are disguised with Rob M. And will be working on getting him removed from office. Don't be afraid to do what's right this isn't the best we can do stand up and be heard !! It's now it never my brothers and sisters!!
25 replies (most recent on top)
This is a no win situation for your committee. If they said no, we'll talk in 19, they will threaten to close the place and blame it on the union. By bringing it to a vote, they (committee) leave the situation up to everybody. Which is the way it should be, especially when it involves peoples income and security. By the way, your chief steward can make an executive call by himself and not even let you vote on it. Sounds like you guys are about done, the vote will just determine how long the closing drags out. Dam, tried to warn you guys. Im working, tonight, with old lighting vets who have seen this playbook before...Its been the same for years now. Truly wish you all the best
Cant even get a straight answer as to where people are going to end up.. how can we make an educated vote on something when we cant even get real definitive answers to any of our questions..
Anyone else notice they have been pumping sh-- out of the ground?... covered trailers and license plates... they’re gearing up to close this place. Don’t buy into their b---s---. Just ride it out until they shut the doors.. but me personally im voting NO. I planned a career path to where i am for a reason. This agreement destroys everything i was working towards. Most of the indirect folks are in those jobs for a reason. A lot of them went to those jobs intentionally with reasons. What about the guys in STFA? Some of them go back to winders but then can be flexed back to STFA to do a job they were told they no longer needed them for and do it for less pay?
There is no So call Unity! Why would the hall bring this BS to the floor for a vote? Why in later part of this contract would the union address and agree to open the local? Why didn’t the union open the local in 2015 to adjust the t rate scale? In hindsight I’m voting no
No go for job code change scam
ABSOLUTELY MUST NO!!!!!! It’s smoke and mirrors!
And look what happened to the battery plant! With the closer in the building!
ABC? Sounds like the battery plant wage scale.
Everyone needs to vote no on this rediculous idea of the new wage structure. What there trying to do is eliminate the Union even though ours s---. Rob M. Needs to be taken out of the hall. Ge is playing games cause contract is around the corner. They will just continue to threaten us about plant closing and very convenient they did this after a major layoff probably to put fear in everyone's eyes. We all need to stand together and not vote if we do it's definitely all over for all of us and it becomes a slave shop. We need change in the hall asap.
So, they had brought up reduced wages in Bangor a few years ago. First question was if the management team was going to take a hit too...all the way up the chain. The look on the MSO's face was priceless.....OMG ! Like we had five heads to even think of such a thing. I told them I'd help them chain the doors up when it was time. A machinist can find work in 24 hours, an salaried employee coming from a failed plant can't! Ride the pony till it dies folks....play the game that they have created, and wait for the package or severance. In the mean time all GE employees should be reporting all wrong doings to the appropriate agencies. They will get what they deserve.
If the d-rates collectively decided to lower their hourly pay, I suppose it could save some of those who were laid off or prevent others from being laid off. I doubt that agreement would ever happen because as it is, most have maxed out their living conditions and live well above their means. They can't afford to give up their lifestyle and will never agree to it. Most have become drunk off of their easily obtained good fortune. Especially the d-rates who just got into GE right before the d-rate scale came to an end. Greed has corrupted us and will ruin us all.
We've got three quarters to get better and maybe that helps and maybe not. Didn't we hear that from Nathan? So we did through perseverance and LAWO, we trimmed the wind stand time down by weeks, cut the corners that could be cut everywhere else and still GE wants to strong arm us for more. I for one won't support the hall's vote on this out of contract deal. You all do whats best for yourself but you can count me as a big no. I got taken by the T vote and things are now worse than ever. On the other hand my time is almost done here and I feel bad for the T rates who got kicked to the curb way to soon so do what you think is best for you. Sullivan said that at the last contract meeting. Don't bother listening to the hall. Listen to your own head.
Can those of us that were laid off vote on this ? Aren't we still paying members till the end of next week at least?
The "union" is YOU. The officials were nothing more than a figurehead even long before the two tier system came in. The last poster was correct, somewhere in the neighborhood of $5k has walked out the door since January. In the end, you'll all agree to the ABC pay tier just like the D/T rate forced on you. Something to think about is why, when GE is bleeding millions of dollars, cutting costs, workforce, because of a soft power market, why are you not hearing anything from Europe? Where are the plant closings and layoffs there? Power generation is a world market...or is it?
I'd rather offer to give up some $ to save jobs and bring some guys back. I can't sell my brothers and sisters out for a few pennies !
Union lost thirty percent of members this year alone. This is not small
Put entitlement thoughts aside (bs c-ap, like I earned it, I give up 1/3 of my life, etc.), given the rate orders coming into Power does anyone believe that GE can sustain the current level of wages and benefits as they are? Just the GE pension obligations alone put the company at risk.
That's the choice be hard a-- to the end and what the plant close, or take a small cut and STILL make far more than average manufacturing job in the area.
The ceo was just talking about Schenectady being the hub for power so i say this guys are full of sh--. They’re going to get the yes vote though we all know that. Couple extra dimes in the pocket is all it takes for these weak a-- people we work with. Just watch what happens next. All those guys that got bumped out wont be back and they will likely cut even deeper after the fact.
I think this is our last chance to try to save this plant.
No more breaking the contract 3/4 through it. Wait a year
Don't forget that when they do close, they will make up for every dollar of raise they gave by trimming the packages. At least union members will still get a package, and we should be thankful for that.
They will close the plant either way at this point . It’s just a matter of time. Voting for more job classifications keeps more jobs longer , the other way the people who stay get raises but less will stay (less union dues paid too)
We were just discussing this and the consensus was it would be best let the dust settle till the bumped guys get qualified. Lets take our time discussing it for a few months and listen to ideas and suggestions. We need to get the board members and stewards soliciting feed back from those members on the floor not the guys in the hall, they have VERY little experience of what we actually do day in day out. I don't want us to make a bad choice that we could end up regretting for decades.
Why is there such a rush to vote on this? Can and Shouldn't this wait? Normally this would be done during contract negotiations correct?
You're exactly right! This will be used to eliminate more union members . Don't fall for their sales pitch and lies about closing the plant.