Organizing Update, Electrical Union News, IUE-CWA Local 201
August 16, 2005
Organizing Committee considers new approaches to unite GE and other manufacturing workers with Local 201 members
Rand Wilson, Local 201 Organizing Director
Five members of Local 201's organizing committee and President Jeff Crosby met on August 4 to review past efforts by GE workers to organize and to consider different approaches to help them unite.
The committee looked at data showing the history of National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) supervised elections and campaigns where GE workers sought to form a union. GE workers successfully built majority support and won elections in six out of twenty-one elections at GE facilities since 1990. In twelve other cases, workers withdrew their petition for an election either because of lack of support or unfair practices by GE.
We decided to get an intern or college student to look into what factors led to workers winning or losing their election.
We looked at a comprehensive list of GE facilities in Massachusetts and the rest of New England. In addition to its transportation division here in Lynn, GE has a major presence in Massachusetts with facilities in Ayer, Billerica, Foxboro, Framingham, Ludlow, Medford, North Billerica, Pittsfield, Townsend, Watertown, Westborough and Wilmington. There are about 30 other GE locations in the rest of New England.
Except for Medford and Pittsfield, workers at the other Massachusetts facilities are not organized.
We reviewed the current status of WAGE (Workers at GE) committees in New England. Volunteers from the organizing committee will be meeting with WAGE members in Auburn, Bangor and Somersworth during August. We discussed the interchange of parts and personnel between GE plants in Hooksett, NH and Rutland, VT with the Riverworks.
The WAGE committee in Auburn is seeking a meeting with Congressman Michaud (Maine) to discuss job loses from the plant to Mexico and other low wage countries.
The organizing committee had a lengthy discussion about outside vendors that provide parts for aircraft engines made in Lynn. Except for AMETEK, all of the workers are "not-yet-union." That means they do very similar work, but without the superior wages, benefits and working conditions that Local 201 members have. It was agreed that we need to better understand the contracting relationship between GE and these firms.
Outside of GE, manufacturing workers are united in IUE-CWA at nine other plants in Massachusetts and Connecticut. There are also about 20 plants where manufacturing workers belong to other unions in the North Shore region. The committee agreed that we need to do a better job sharing the gains and achievements that GE and other union manufacturing workers have enjoyed with workers who aren't yet united.
Members who have family, relatives or friends who might benefit from a union, should contact me at rwilson@local201iuecwa.org or call (781) 598-2760, Ext 25.
Organizing Committee considers new approaches to unite GE and other manufacturing workers with Local 201 members
Rand Wilson, Local 201 Organizing Director
Five members of Local 201's organizing committee and President Jeff Crosby met on August 4 to review past efforts by GE workers to organize and to consider different approaches to help them unite.
The committee looked at data showing the history of National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) supervised elections and campaigns where GE workers sought to form a union. GE workers successfully built majority support and won elections in six out of twenty-one elections at GE facilities since 1990. In twelve other cases, workers withdrew their petition for an election either because of lack of support or unfair practices by GE.
We decided to get an intern or college student to look into what factors led to workers winning or losing their election.
We looked at a comprehensive list of GE facilities in Massachusetts and the rest of New England. In addition to its transportation division here in Lynn, GE has a major presence in Massachusetts with facilities in Ayer, Billerica, Foxboro, Framingham, Ludlow, Medford, North Billerica, Pittsfield, Townsend, Watertown, Westborough and Wilmington. There are about 30 other GE locations in the rest of New England.
Except for Medford and Pittsfield, workers at the other Massachusetts facilities are not organized.
We reviewed the current status of WAGE (Workers at GE) committees in New England. Volunteers from the organizing committee will be meeting with WAGE members in Auburn, Bangor and Somersworth during August. We discussed the interchange of parts and personnel between GE plants in Hooksett, NH and Rutland, VT with the Riverworks.
The WAGE committee in Auburn is seeking a meeting with Congressman Michaud (Maine) to discuss job loses from the plant to Mexico and other low wage countries.
The organizing committee had a lengthy discussion about outside vendors that provide parts for aircraft engines made in Lynn. Except for AMETEK, all of the workers are "not-yet-union." That means they do very similar work, but without the superior wages, benefits and working conditions that Local 201 members have. It was agreed that we need to better understand the contracting relationship between GE and these firms.
Outside of GE, manufacturing workers are united in IUE-CWA at nine other plants in Massachusetts and Connecticut. There are also about 20 plants where manufacturing workers belong to other unions in the North Shore region. The committee agreed that we need to do a better job sharing the gains and achievements that GE and other union manufacturing workers have enjoyed with workers who aren't yet united.
Members who have family, relatives or friends who might benefit from a union, should contact me at rwilson@local201iuecwa.org or call (781) 598-2760, Ext 25.
posted by Rand Wilson at 2:39 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home