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Report from Vice President Mark Caruso Our March Union meeting was informative and one of the most interactive meetings we have had in a long time. Our special thanks to Jim Pedersen for attending the meeting. For those recently hired, Jim was the previous president of our Local and currently holds a position at our Region as Education Coordinator. Additionally, I would like to thank Dick Graham for his knowledgeable report on quality here at Saline. As Dick reported, losing our Q1 could be devastating to us as a whole. Our current Q1 status secures Saline’s “Last Bid” position. “Last Bid” is exactly that, after all the bids are in for a new job, Saline is allowed one final quote. If we lost our Q1 status because of defective products we would not be given a second chance. Regaining a Q1 rating would require endorsements from all of our clients. Bottom line, we must do our part as union workers and not leave room for the company to point fingers at us for poor quality. Members spoke out against the Visteon Company on concerns including; working out of process, safety, quality and other poor management decisions. I would like to thank them for their input and honesty. Leon Tooles will be heading up the Local 892 Annual Picnic on August 12, 2001. We invite and welcome all members and their families to enjoy partake and enjoy. Thank you Leon for committing to this huge task. There is a lot of responsibility and work that goes into a successful picnic. Politics: The Bush administration and Republicans in Congress repealed the ergonomics standard and other critical workplace protections. This was the first shot fired of many yet to come against working families. The business community and their GOP Congressional allies have a wish list of anti-worker legislation they want to pass while they maintain the "Trifecta" - control of the White House, the House and the Senate. As with the repeal of the ergonomics standard, we may not have much notice when the Republicans are about to strike. It’s believed the next battle may be over legislation to erode the overtime protections in the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). For example, Republicans may offer overtime-takeaway proposals as amendments when Senator Kennedy brings up legislation to increase the minimum wage. This could happen soon after the April Congressional recess (April 7 - 23)! It is clear that our government has alienated the working class family through negative legislative reforms. Protect your livelihood, stay on tune with political actions and get involved!! As One, |