SEPTEMBER 2008 LABORS’ VIEWS   

Service awards to members of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America for the month of September were awarded to:

Gary Urso           30 yrs.

Richard McCormick       30 yrs.

Congratulations!

As I write this article, I have just returned from the wake of Richard E. Mulvey, Jr.   We extend our sympathy to his wife, Susan, his children, and his extended family.  How tragic to lose his life at such a young age (46).  Richard was known as a good worker, and a responsible person who was well-respected by everybody.  He was a member of the South Killingly Volunteer Fire Department.  His wife informed me that, just a week before his death, he had physical exam, endured a stress test, and got a clean bill of health.  I write this to remind the membership about how valuable your health is.  It is common to take good health for granted, and it takes a tragedy like this to hit you hard before you appreciate how important it is to take care of yourself.   Richard’s early death should remind all of us that life is short.  He will be sadly missed. 

Our workload has slowed down considerably.  For the members who have worked overtime in the past, it is obvious that those opportunities have decreased.  Hopefully, this will keep our department from being affected by layoffs.  Recently, the 775 boat was brought into Graving Dock #2 and will remain there for approximately two months.  Carpenters have some staging and MIP work.  This work was not part of our original manning plan so this, and any other work which is awarded in the near future, will help our department considerably.  Now that overtime has been cutback, it is that much more important that members show up for assigned overtime.  I’m still noticing no-shows on the overtime list, and this will adversely affect those people in the future.  When you no-show, you are charged triple hours, and as everyone knows, overtime is assigned to people with the fewest hours.  I ask you to be considerate of your fellow union brothers and sisters.  With the economy on a decline, and with people struggling to meet their needs, anyone who no-shows deprives his fellow union brother or sister the opportunity to earn much needed extra pay when the overtime is not exhausted. 

There has been a change in the voucher program for apprentices.  Since the Tool Store is closing, our apprentices will now receive $100 vouchers from Home Depot.  Apprentices will still have to attend a Union meeting in order to receive their vouchers. 

It has been brought to the Union’s attention that some of our members on second shift were told that only two people per crew were permitted to be excused to attend a monthly Union meeting.  I talked to our superintendent, and he assured me that, if anyone wanted to go, it wouldn’t be a problem.  If anyone on second shift is planning to attend a meeting, he/she needs to give the foreman a reasonable notice, and there shouldn’t be a problem.  If there is, I need to know. 

NSSF polling:  Six first shift positions at the sub base were filled in August.   These positions were chosen by seniority.  Normally, we do our polling in September for the NSSF, but the six carpenters who worked there asked to be returned to the Shipyard because they were having issues with their foreman.  The Union stance is that we will be taking another poll before the end of September like we have in the past.  The Company, however, is saying that we have no active memorandum of agreement because the last one expired in 2004, and for some reason, it was not renewed in subsequent years.  The Company’s position is that we should not poll again.  With the upcoming contract negotiations coming up, perhaps this is an issue that needs to be addressed.

Safety:  All carpenters are reminded that safety is of the utmost importance.  Skip Castro has informed us that our rate of injury is up significantly.  He feels that a number of these injuries could have been avoided if carpenters had been wearing their PPE.  Remember that one of our bonuses depends on a low rate of injury, and we will not earn that bonus if our rate of injury doesn’t decrease.  Right now we are in serious jeopardy of not earning that bonus.  WORK SAFE! 

760 BOAT AT SUB BASE:  I am pleased to inform our members that the work we were awarded on the 760 boat has been completed on time, and the members who had worked this job should be congratulated.  Several people from management commented on how well the work was done.   This is a feather in our cap for future work considerations.  It shows the Company that we are the best when carpentry work is required.  Management had originally planned to sub this work out.  Why would they even consider going to outside contractors when we prove time after time that we are more than capable of completing this work?