Agenda for the Regular Monthly Meeting 10.4.23
Call to Order
Vice President Nick Vitello called the meeting to order at 7pm. Ten members were present. Officers absent were President Cindy Czappa and Trustee Don Carlson.
*Moment of Silence for International President Thomas Conway*
Roll Call of Officers:
¾ President Cindy Czappa
¾ Vice President Nick Vitello
¾ Treasurer Adam Bray
¾ Trustee John Repinski
¾ Trustee Pam Janicki
¾ Trustee Don Carlson
¾ Sergeant at Arms Mark Gustin
¾ Recording Secretary Jennifer Lieber
Reading of the Minutes
President Czappa called the regular monthly meeting to order at 7pm at the Labor Hall. 11 members were present. All Officers were present. We received a notice for a Steward Training and Grievance Handling Class October 31. Voted to send up to 3 stewards to training. We received a thank you letter from Dove’s Nest for our contribution. Nekoosa’s homecoming parade was the 20th as well as a pig roast that we participated in.
Application for New Members
Applications for Membership were received from: Brandi Allison, Roger Smith Jr, Logan Gabler, Tyler Jacobitz, Matthew Smazal, Michael Cullen, Jesse Rhoades-Abrahamson, Brent Baltus, Paul Summers, Brad Dugger, and Matthew Kissner.
New members are Chad Peterson, Adam Hintz, Dan Karl, Keith Swenson, and Joshua Strunk. We have 228 members in good standing.
Non-Members are: Justin Derezinski and Josiah Brandt.
Treasurer Bray motion to waive initiation fees, Seargant at Arms Gustin second. This motion carried.
Communication and Bills
-Steward Training and Grievance Handling Class
-Sub-District 6 Council Meeting and Next Gen Meeting
-Next Gen International Conference March 3-8
E-Board Monthly Meeting Notes 9.26.23
-temporary posting for woodyard
-woodyard is slippery with the rainfall
-wood room roof is leaking bad
-razorback has not seem to have improved
-black mold on ceiling tiles in wood room office that have been reported but not yet fixed
-August 19 will be next year’s shutdown
-Family Center donation request. Eboard recommendation is $250
-texting program costs. Is it something we would like to have? Would be about $35/month
-Next Gen Conference in Pittsburgh March 3-7
-Best Christmas Ever donation request. Eboard recommendation is $1,000.
-November will be another hiring group
-Cameras went live Oct 2
Treasurer’s Report
A detailed list of incomes and expenses were read, with a cash balance of $34,513.76 and savings of $175,062.72. Sister Schueller motion to accept report as read, Janicki second.
Discussion:
Seargant at Arms Gustin-have not had dues since July 6
Sally Feistel-has emailed international, and they have replied that the company (Domtar) has not yet sent the money, so that’s why we have not yet received our dues. Have sent all the paperwork to do direct deposit, but will follow up next week Monday to see if company (Domtar) has responded. Rothschild does direct deposit, so its not a Domtar thing.
Motion Carried
Old Business
-Text messaging service cost-are we interested? -Eboard
-Take Action: American Workers Need New Trade Tools to Compete with China petition
-Espanola mill closing
Sister Schueller-motion that any union member wanting to attend a paid Women of Steel conference or event has to have attended one unpaid committee meeting, has to have attended two Union Meetings, and has to have volunteered in a project or event for Local 59 in the last rolling calendar year.
Trustee Repinski-would that need to be in our bylaws?
Trustee Carlson-To get in our bylaws, it needs to come up at two meetings and be approved by the international.
Sister Schueller-March 8 got to go to first WOS meeting since covid. Why was Julie running the meeting when we have a not-retired coordinator?
Sister Schueller- Motion that Any woman of steel coordinator or Women of Steel District Leader wanting to attend a paid Women of Steel conference or event has to have attended two Union Meetings, has to have volunteered in a project or event for Local 59 in the last rolling calendar year and the must also petition the e-board and the union body to get a motion to go to any paid women of steel event. Seargant at Arms Gustin Second. Discussion of necessity to change by-laws.
Sister Schueller-
Felt slighted by our Coordinator while building floats at my home. Recusing myself from Women of Steel.
New Business
-Vote on Family Center Donation. Eboard recommends $250. Seargant at Arms Gustin motion to concur with eboard, Sister Schueller second. Motion carried.
-Vote on Best Christmas Ever Donation. Eboard recommends $1,000.
Deb and Gary Gevers. Matt Tranel with Premier Realty in town. This year will adopt 2 families. Must have children under 18. Something had to upset the household due to no fault of their own. Ie, single mom with blood disorder. Nominee does not know about it. Raise funds for cash and for gifts. Ask local communities to donate, and also present them with a check. First year was $7500, we asked the family what would you like us to pay? Utilities, rent/mortgage. Vehicle repairs. Go through family and friends to find out the families specific needs. Best Christmas Ever is based out of Minnesota. 30 mile radius around Wisconsin Rapids. Committee members can’t nominate anyone. Reveals are a big deal.
Need a High Def logo-from international.
Also work with Love Inc
Seargant at Arms Gustin motion, Trustee Repinski Second. Motion carried
-Text messaging program
Sally Feistel-to change bylaws, need to post for entire plant, read at two, vote at the third. Talked to by-laws expert, and if you have a chair of a committee,
President oversees all the committees, President Czappa is the chair, so she has the right to appoint who goes to women of steel.
Changes will have to be for all committees, not just for one, and then will have to be passed by the international bylaw committee.
Cautionary, the committee will likely be comprised by eboard members. Put a committee together, and submit all by-law changes at once.
Sister Schueller-how would you word it
Sally Feistel-have a committee to determine who goes to which conferences.
Sister Schueller-my request is to have to go to two meetings
Sally Feistel-the issue with that is that you only have one meeting each month. You could be going months without having access. You’d have to keep track of people working, because they would have to be excused. We cannot single out Women of Steel.
Form a by-law committee. Will need to determine criteria to send to all of the conferences, not just WOS. Will need to post when talking about bylaws. Make all the changes at once and send it to international
Sister Schueller-after last month’s union meeting, found in meeting with President Czappa, Murray, and boss Pat Lyons. I feel like my boss feels less of me because of what President Czappa told the boss. I’m afraid of the consequences. I lost my faith in my union. Be careful what you say in this room because you will be the next person upstairs.
Trustee Janicki-what about Espanola?
Secretary Lieber-being shuttered indefinitely. It’s a bit of a money pit
Jenny Kelnhofer-Veterans of Steel Committee
Tim Baton is one of the members heading it up
Good and Welfare
Sister Bonnie Schueller and Trustee John Repinski
Adjournment
Trustee Janicki motion, Sergeant at Arms Gustin Second. Motion carried. Meeting Adjourned.