Grievances

The third step of grievances in our contract calls for the International UAW to become involved. This is supposed to expedite the process and help to bring resolution to the issue if local management and local Union officials can not come to terms. There were over 400 active grievances carried over to the second contract negotiations because the International UAW and Freightliner LLC Corporate Management could not resolve them. Numerous Duty of Fair Representation charges have filed against our Local by members that feel like the whole grievance process is moving to slow. Most of these charges are active and have not been decided on by the NLRB. To view some of the outstanding charges against the UAW and Our local vist this link:

http://www.unionfacts.com/unions/unfairLabor.cfm?ID=218&LOCAL=3520&TYPE=Duty%20of%20Fair%20Representation

Before the UAW

                                 

The UAW made several unsuccessful attempts to gain access to our plant from 1990 until 2000. Freightliner Corporations Management team led by Jim Hebe, realized the value of good workers. Our wages and benefits were excellent. This made it extremely difficult for a Union to get a toe in the door. In January of 2000, a Neutrality agreement was entered into between the UAW and Freightliner. A pre-agreement was entered into between the International UAW and Frieghtliner. The UAW  gave concessions and assurances to Freightliner Corp. that if Freightliner would allow a card check to take place instead of a National Labor Relations Board election, the plants under this agreement would not be allowed to reach the same levels of wages and benefits as other Unionized Freightliner facilities. We have signed copies of this agreement. Shortly thereafter the Class 8 truck market went through a market shift (down turn) and Freightliner cut wages $1.15 per hour in all Non-Union facilities and implemented a cost share for health care. This all but guaranteed the UAW a successful organizing drive in all the Non-Union Freightliner facilities. Our plants Card Check procedure was an overwhelming success. The results were certified on or around January 28, 2003. Our first Contract was Ratified on December 20, 2003

First Contract

Robert Whiteside and Glenna Swinford were elected to the first Bargaining Committee. The process of preparing for a first contract was lengthy and frustrating. The UAW came in and immediately divided the Bargaining Committee. At the time it made no sense, but in retrospect this made it easy for them to bargain the contract promised to the Company.

Most of our members felt that the first contract was insufficient. They blamed the UAW for not bargaining hard enough. At the ratification meeting our Lead International Representative Steve Jones threatened to "Take it outside" ( threatened to fight someone) when he was asked why the Bargaining Committee was bringing an insufficient contract back to the membership. He was also accused of being in the Company's pocket.

The memberships reaction to the proposed contract left an impression on Robert and Glenna. They both knew that if they were ever involved in contract negotiations again they had better bring back a contract the membership would be proud to ratify.

UAW practice is for a Local's membership to take a strike vote sometime during negotiations. This did not happen for our first contract. UAW Representatives assured our membership that the offer was 'as good as it gets" and  it was voted in favor of by 68 percent of the membership.

The first 3 years

Our First contract was ratified for a (3) three year period. It would be nice to be able to say that it was a smooth (3) three years. Being newly formed and as inexperienced as we were, there were many hurdles to overcome. The biggest of these was learning to be single-minded. Well, we were not very successful at that. Differences of opinion turned into arguments. Arguments turned into grudges. Grudges were stored away for a time that revenge could be exacted. Monthly membership meetings were anything but pleasant. It could and typically would turn into a shouting match, with someone inevitably getting escorted out of the meeting. Attendance at monthly meetings fell off severely.

 Several members learned of the  pre-agreement and filed Charges against  the UAW and Freightliner with the NLRB. These charges are still being fought in Federal Appeals Court.

 We made it through the turmoil of that first contract, but not unscathed. As stated previously, differences of opinion left many people ill-prepared for our second contract negotiations.