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| August 2015 | Vol 3, Issue 2 |
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|  There are just a few quick notes this month, in case you have things you'd like to do that aren't reading your email.
Remember that the Quarterly Membership Meeting is this week. Please be sure to make time for that as we discuss what's happening in the Union or if you have any comments or suggestions for the CMFG contract negotiations that are upcoming early next year. It takes planning and thought to be prepared. Now is not too early to begin.
Finally, a couple of short takes on some bad, and some good, Union news in the country over the last few months.
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Quarterly Membership Meeting - This Week!
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P.S. - OPEIU Local 39 Membership Meeting
Wednesday, August 19th, 2015
5:30 PM
All union members invited and encouraged to attend Agenda
- Unit Updates
- Financial Update
- CMFG: Preliminary Discussions on upcoming Bargaining in 2016
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| CUNA Mutual Group Reminders |  Just a few quick notes for our Members who work at CUNA Mutual Group:
- You will only be able to carry over 10 vacation days into 2016. Last year we went down to 15 and this year it is down to 10 (but there it stays). We don't want you to lose any of that earned benefit!
- We are in the last year of the current contract and Bargaining will begin sometime early in 2016. If you have any suggestions, comments, concerns, or questions, please be sure to come to the Membership Meeting Wednesday where you'll get a chance to talk with the Chief Steward Mike Pionke and the Business Agent Debi Eveland.
- This goes for every member in every bargaining unit, but our Members at CUNA Mutual have seemed to be more reluctant to call of late.
If you are called in for a disciplinary meeting, you must request the presence of a Union Steward! The Company won't remind you. If you get to Step 2 or Step 3 in the disciplinary process before the Union is notified, there is going to be far less that we're able to do to help save your job. See the Know Your Rights section at the bottom of this -- and every -- newsletter for more information on how to request representation.
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| Bad News & Good News | Recent articles in the news have given both bad news and good news for Unions in the US. While these events don't impact most of us directly (depending on how much you like Oreos or how much you read online) they both illustrate the trends that are impacting the US economy and Unions.
Bad News
This month saw the announcement out of Chicago that Mondolez, the owners of Nabisco, intends on outsourcing the manufacture of Oreos from the plant in Chicago to  a plant in Mexico. This means the loss of some 600 good jobs from Chicago's Southwest Side.
In May the CEO "touted the upward trajectory of the company's profits through cutting back on procurement and customer service and her plans to make it even more profitable by a restructuring that would realize a gain of $1.5 billion for stockholders." The CEO was rewarded at that stockholder meeting with a compensation package worth over $20,000,000 (or something more than the salary of some 300 of those employees that she's laying off). After that, I don't like Oreos enough to continue to support such a company.
This reminds me of another junk food company that decided the compensation of executives was much more important than good American jobs: Hostess. There was much talk a few years ago about how it was the Unions that caused the downfall of the Twinkie, but the ding dongs in management had long ignored changing American tastes, leading to declining sales. Instead, they "Bained" the company, restructuring it and leveraging an incredible amount of debt. This led to bankruptcy. It's bad enough that holding companies and greedy executives seek to steal from workers, but in this case it was the bankruptcy judge that imposed a devastating contract on workers. "Under the imposed contract the wages of the worker mentioned above would take another 30 percent cut over five years. This time the employees had had enough and went on strike."
Of course, the media blamed the workers' strike for the death of the Twinkie. The company was sold, plants were reopened with non-union workforces. Oh, and it just so happens that the company is being sold again for something over $1.3 billion in profit. Someone's making money, but it isn't the people who make the products. Good NewsEnding on an up-note. The last few months have seen four different media company employees vote to Unionize. The Guardian US and Gawker Media were recently joined by Salon.com and Vice Media in seeking Union representation. Employees in each of those companies sought for, fought for, and won the right to be represented in a Union. All four of these media companies are online-only and the workers who have voted to Unionize are primarily editorial and/or office staff. In essence, they are the typical 21st century Union worker. The factory workers of places like Hostess and Nabisco have long been the mainstay of the US Union movement. Factory workers long ago recognized the need for Union representation. But office workers have been, and continue to be, slower in recognizing that the same intent to squeeze all possible wealth out of the business up to the top, like a tube of toothpaste, exists in service and financial industries as well. Now that our state has adopted the so-called "right to work" laws, keeping our Union intact, let alone growing the membership, is going to take constant vigilance and vocal support.  |
| Upcoming Membership Meetings | 
Membership meetings are held the third Wednesday of the second month of the quarter, at 5:30 PM.
August 19th, 2015
November 18th, 2015
February 17th 2016
May 18th 2016
This is your Union. Your participation gives us the tools we need to face the continued opposition of both companies and politicians. We strive to make the meetings relevant and to the point. Please stop by and participate in the democracy that is your Union.
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| Know Your Rights! |  Weingarten Rights
The US Supreme Court has ruled that the National Labor Relations Act gives workers the right to request union representation during investigatory interviews by supervisors, security personal, and other managerial staff. These are called Weingarten Rights.
An investigatory interview occurs if 1) management questions you to obtain information; and 2) you have reasonable apprehension that your answers could be used as a basis for discipline or other adverse action.
You must ask for union representation either before or during an investigatory interview. Management does not have to remind you of this right. If your request is refused and Management continues asking questions, you may refuse to answer. Your employer is guilty of an unfair labor practice and charges may be filed. If you are questioned in a situation where Weingarten may apply, read or present this statement:
"If this discussion could in any way lead to my being disciplined or terminated I respectfully request that my steward be present at the meeting. Without representation present, I choose not to respond to any questions or statements."
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We hope to see you at the Membership Meeting! Stop by, it shouldn't take too long to get everyone up to speed on what's happening in our Union, and then stay as long as you want if you have questions or comments ahead of next year's CMFG bargaining. Because even as there is both bad news and good regarding Unions in the US, we're still here and we'll stay strong with the support of all of our Union Members.
See you Wednesday!
In Solidarity, OPEIU Local 39 |
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