DECEMBER 2005 LABOR VIEWS

Service awards to members of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners for the month of December were presented to:
Eliathin Rivera 30 years
Carlton Bray 20 years
Congratulations!

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome all of our new members. I encourage veteran carpenters to assist new hires in any way possible. It can be overwhelming for anyone new to the shipyard to find their way around and learn the ropes. We serve our brotherhood well when we make an effort to see that everyone is successful at their jobs.

At our December meeting, we will be accepting any proposed by-law changes along with the ones that have been mailed out to all members. We also will be voting on them at the same meeting. I encourage all members to attend. That meeting will be held on Thursday, Dec. 8, 2005, at 2:45pm in the Union Hall at 171 Thames Street, Groton.

At this time our department is evaluating whether there is still a need to post an additional upholsterer position due to reductions in work.

We are in serious danger of not earning our safety bonus for using 3.5 or fewer lost work days due to injury. Since it was signed, our September rate was 5.9, and our October rate went down to 4.7. Obviously, we will need to make up that difference in November and December to achieve our accumulated lost work day injury rate of 3.5 in order to be awarded our bonus.

Reminders: If you have any floaters saved, you need to use them before the end of the year or you lose them.

Forty-nine percent of employees have not used their $80 shoe vouchers yet. This is a benefit negotiated by your Union. I will try to get a list of carpenters who have not gotten their safety shoes, and I will remind those members that they are in a position to lose the $80 voucher if they don’t use it by the end of the year. Doesn’t everybody need a new pair of safety boots each year? Why not let the Company pay for them?

We will be receiving turkeys for Christmas from the Company. If anyone is interested in donating theirs, I will be collecting vouchers. I will donate your turkey as well as potatoes and vegetables 
to the St. Francis of Assisi Food Pantry in Danielson on behalf of the Carpenters at EB. I have done this for several years, and they are genuinely appreciative. Northeastern Connecticut is a very needy area, and the food pantry never has enough food to go around.

Worker Compensation: It has been brought to my attention that employees who have an active claim in for an injury are having to go through all kinds of unnecessary steps in order to get reimbursed for mileage, prescriptions, and other expenses. I find it hard to understand what the problem is on an injury that was already accepted as eligible for worker’s compensation. Now when you have a follow-up visit with the same doctor as you’ve used before, the Company gives you a hard time getting paid. Comp won’t even return your calls. I’m told that if you’ve retained an attorney, they won’t even talk to you. I would think that getting an attorney involved would only increase the cost of that claim, however, the Company is leaving us with no other choice. I really don’t know what the problem is, but if it’s not having enough help to resolve each claim, maybe we could versatize some of our MTC members to help out with the work load. 

Recently we were informed by Bill Evans (Sail Area Superintendent) that carpenters Andy Crimmins, Dave Trehy, Ernie Mendonca, Mel Moreau, Ken Moffitt, and Chris Manning devised a system for loading the sail with masts and scopes on the 22 Boat. These carpenters are to be commended for their initiative and innovative approach which resulted in an improved method for loading of masts and periscopes. The concept which they developed will be used in all future mast loads on the 22 Boat. As I’ve said before, the Company needs to let the working leaders and the experienced carpenters do their jobs because the carpenters are more experienced than the managers who direct them. Good job, guys!

Christmas Shut Down: In the past, the carpenters had the opportunity to work during the shut down. Hopefully, we will have that opportunity again this year, but if we don’t, I want to remind members that those who have the first option to work will be picked by seniority. The overtime list will not be used. 

I would like to wish everybody happy holidays. May the New Year bring good health and safe working conditions for all of us.

  Fraternally Yours,

Mike Malone, President

Carpenters' Local 1302