June 26, 2020 - A November 27, 2019 hotline communicated the Union’s intent to seek a ruling from the Arbitrator over the Company’s proposed compensation to our members, stemming from the Arbitrator deciding the Concierge grievance in our favour. A return to the Arbitrator was made necessary due to the Company’s position that they could recalculate and clawback SIP to settle the Concierge grievance award. 

The process began with contacting the Arbitrator to determine by what method arguments for a ruling would be conducted. Agreement was reached to proceed with written arguments. Both Union counsel, and the Company’s legal counsel, have entered their written arguments. Lastly, Union Counsel concluded the process with a final written reply on the Company's written submission. The request for a ruling from the Arbitrator, via written submissions, is now complete.

Telus continued to maintain that they are entitled to an after-the-fact clawback of SIP, already paid to affected agents, and a re-calculation of SIP to a lower rate which, in effect, reduces the back pay owed to agents under the awarded grievance.

The Union asserted that no employer clawback of SIP could be justified. The arbitrator’s original grievance award confirmed that there was a breach of the collective agreement for the underpayment of wages for work of a higher value. That original award rejected the Company's defense argument that, due to higher SIP paid in Concierge, the grievance for a higher rate of pay should be denied.

We want to thank all Concierge members who have been waiting for final justice, and ask for patience a little longer, as the Arbitrator considers the merits of legal arguments presented. We are hopeful for a decision from the Arbitrator by the end of the year.

In Solidarity,

USW Local 1944

Strattec COVID -19 Update 6/25

Another short update for this week. The company doesn't plan to call back additional members for next week (6/29) at this time. The next group of members being recalled is planned for the week of July 6th. With the holiday shortening the work week next week, pay attention to your phones and emails earlier in the week for call backs. 

July 4th Holiday and Pay

The July 4th holiday will be observed on Friday July 3rd this year. The following contract language is used to determine if you are eligible to receive holiday pay.

Section 3 – Holiday Pay Eligibility
It is further provided that to be eligible for payment the employee must have otherwise performed
work for the Company at some time in the half of the month in which the holiday occurs, the first
half ending on the 15th and the second half ending on the last day of the month. However, for
the Fourth of July holiday only, an employee shall be entitled to holiday pay provided he meets
the last day - first day work requirement, has the required seniority on June 30th and has
otherwise performed work for the Company in the second half of June or the first half of July.
Time will be considered as worked in the half of the month when an employee is off due to
vacation or emergency leave of absence.

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Union Information

Tim Reiter:                Email:             [email protected]

                                    Cell (text or call):    262-510-8860

Human Resources

Dian Fellows:            Email:             [email protected]

                                    Phone:           414-247-3589

Savanna Sessler:      Email:             [email protected]

                                    Phone:           414-247-3457

Benefits

Madeline Stollfus:   Email:             [email protected]

                                   Phone:           414-247-3486

Rosanne Conard:     Email:             [email protected]

                                   Phone:           414-247-3448

Insurance Payments

Make checks payable to:                         Strattec Security Corporation

Address to:

          Attn: Madeline Stollfus

          Strattec Security Corporation

          3333 Good Hope Rd...

Because of the COVID-19 crisis the start of our Essentia Health Red Book contract negotiations has been postpooned for at least one month (meaning the old contract will stay in effect).  However, we are still going ahead with preparing.  We mailed out contract surveys this Spring, and have gotten a number mailed back.  However, if you lost yours or never got one, feel free to download and mail in the survey attached here.  We use these surveys to develop our negotiations strategy, so it's very worthwhile to fill these out.  Make sure your voice is heard!

redbooksurveypdf.pdf

Red Book Contract Survey

You can drop the filled out surveys with your union steward or mail them to the office at: USW Local 9460, 2002 London Road #200, Duluth MN 55812.

We had a meeting on the furlough today. There will be a few miners being recalled as of now. The decision was made to furlough the deca recovery employees and most of them will be offered janitor positions. The company will be getting ahold of everyone effected to tell them if and how there situation is changing. The current miners in the jainitorial position will most likely end going back underground unless the deca guys refuse the job. The plan still remains to have all surface employees back the 20 of July and miners back the 26. Anyone just starting the furlough will start this Sunday.

In Solidarity.

President,

Mike Hernandez 

We have over 3,000 USW members in Norma Torres congressional district (CD 35).  We need your help quickly weighing in on the Moving America Forward legislation that is currently in the Rules committee under review.  Here is the link to a one- page recap of bill:  CLICK HERE

This is a $1.5 trillion dollar investment proposal that links the surface transportation bill with a host of domestic investment priorities that we will be putting out a Rapid Response InfoAlert on later this week to all legislators.  But right now it’s specifically in the Rules committee. Buy America is referenced over 20 times in the bill, and we’ve been supportive of the legislation as needed investments in our country’s infrastructure. Unfortunately, we’ve heard some members of Congress want to undermine the expansion of Buy America provisions in the legislation. Congresswoman Torres has heard quite a bit from the non-union company California Steel Industries (CSI) who wants to weaken the bill, but she has not yet heard our USW side of the story in support. We need to get some calls and/or emails into her office asking her to stand up for American industry and support using U.S. taxpayer dollars to fund and incentivize domestic manufacturers and protect jobs.

 Since this big bill is going through the rules committee that Torres sits on, it is critically important that we make sure she doesn’t weaken the Buy America provisions that are in the bill. Here’s a link to the full text of the Moving America Forward bill: CLICK HERE

 Please contact her local office via phone (909) 481-6474, fax (909) 941-1362 or email [email protected] asap and ask for Congresswoman Torres to support the Moving America Forward bill without weakening the Buy America provisions that are so crucial to our workers!  For those of you who have her cell number on speed dial, please give her a call and/or text.  Thanks much for your help, wear those masks, and continue to stay safe!