We are the United Steelworkers, North America’s largest industrial union. We’re 1.2 million members and retirees strong in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. We proudly represent men and women who work in nearly every industry there is.
We got the ok for holding our monthly meeting this morning from the county health department. We will be required to limit the meeting to 45 people, so if we need to, we will hold a second meetingimmediatelyafter the first. We will be required by the county to sanitize the area before and after the meetings, use face coverings when coming through the doorway, and follow the distancing recommendations of 6’. The meeting will start at 5 p.m. please try to avoid congregating before and after the meeting.
The company will be ramping up production next week June 1st as planned. Currently the company is looking at roughly 50% staffing across all 3 shifts. The company is compiling a list of employees needed to operate and regardless if you are currently working or on layoff members will be receiving calls to return to work June 1st starting tomorrow morning Thursday May 28th. Members will be called or emailed and offered work by seniority, job class, and shift. If the company does not have enough volunteers for the positions needed they will begin mandating members to return to their job class and shift in reverse seniority.
Please make sure that you are keeping an eye on your email / phones so you can respond to the company when you are called. Human Resources will begin calling members tomorrow morning. It is important to answer/respond to the company quickly so staffing plans can be met and our members have sufficient notice on their return to work weather its voluntary or mandatory.
A reminder that the Local's membership meeting that was scheduled for May 17th has been moved to June 14th. 633 S. Hawley Rd. Milwaukee, WI 53214 in Yatchak Hall at 9:30 a.m
Several members have reported that they were asked to perform job searches starting this week to qualify for their unemployment. I did reach out to the company to make sure that there were no issues with members recieving their benifits and Dian Fellows reached out to the DWD. The issues members seem to be facing is they checked the box that said they would return to work within 8 weeks. Some members have been out 8 weeks now and can still collect unemployment. The requirement during the pandemic is that you sign up for the Job Services Program and fill out their resume questions. You DO NOT have to complete a work search. You just need to make sure you completely fill out the Job Services questionaire.
