Auburn WAGE Bulletin, April 28, 2006
Our WAGE Committee gathered on April 23 to hear from Ric Casilli, a leader of IUE-CWA Local 201 in Lynn, Mass. Casilli - a veteran of three previous national contract negotiations with GE - will again be a negotiator at talks with top management expected to begin in May 2007.
Casilli came to Auburn to give a preview of some of the anticipated bargaining issues and the timing of nationally coordinated membership activities to spotlight employees' top concerns.
The existing agreement with GE, covering approximately 10,000 members, expires June 18, 2007. Another 10,000 plus union members in 13 different unions will also be impacted as part of coordinated bargaining.
GE has traditionally used the wage and benefit package negotiated with its union members to set the pattern for what it gives to its nonunion workers. Benefits for tens of thousands of retirees are likely to be affected as well.
"Most people know what big business wants these days," said Casilli. "Just about every corporation - even very profitable ones like GE - is seeking to roll back the gains that workers have made in their health care and pension benefits."
The number of workers united in unions at GE has declined from about 35 percent in 1980 to less than 15 percent today.
"We've held off GE in past years, but as union membership declines, it's getting harder and harder," said Casilli. "The only way we can defend GE workers wages and benefits is by uniting all GE workers behind the unions' national negotiating committee."
"That means our campaign has to educate and involve many more workers from non-union plants. WAGE committees like the one here in Auburn are really leading the way," Casilli concluded.
"Everyone at GE should pay very close attention to these national negotiations. Whether you support unions or not, our fate is closely tied to the outcome of these talks." -- Jill Starbird
WAGE members discussed participating in a national survey to help the Negotiating Committee determine members' top priorities for contract negotiations. We also talked about raising funds to send members from Auburn to contract rallies, union meetings and national negotiating sessions.
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Auburn WAGE voted to join Maine’s Fair Trade Campaign. The campaign is organizing a public hearing on trade issues Thursday, May 11 at 6:00 PM at Andover College, 475 Lisbon St., in Lewiston. Everyone is urged to attend.
The job you save could be your own!
posted by Rand Wilson at 9:33 AM
4 Comments:
I work at GE in Bangor. Several people are getting very upset with management as they tiurn the screw on us. Several months ago, several employees filled out info cards from the WAGE paper and sent them in. To date, no one has been contacted. How do you expect to do anything for anyone if you don't actively enlist people when they are ready??? Check your mail from months ago and get back to us or be considered ineffective and disinterested.
Dear GE Bangor,
I've forwarded your message to organizers at IUE-CWA Local 201. I suggest that you try to reach someone again at the Local by either calling (781) 598-2760 or writing to 112 Exchange Street, Lynn, MA 01901. Also be sure to visit the website at wwww.local201iuecwa.org
i work in lynn and this new contract is crap we where sold out buy the exceutives in the cbc in excepting this contract now get to vote in lynn on wensday but the rest of the country get to vote on monday so they will neve know how we feel and vote we need to let the country know how we feel about this contract
cbc union excecutives voted on this contract and it is crap we have to pay 3000.00 a year for ins but cant use it until we pay 4000.00 deductable first and the list goes on they took all the stuff my parents faught for in the 60s and 70s thru it out so i left work at 5:00 and stood out there all night going back today at 3:00 hopfuly with more people
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