IUE-CWA LOCAL 717 FEBRUARY 2023

February • 2023

News of IUE-CWA Local 717 2950 Sferra Ave Warren, Ohio 44483

Office: (330) 392-1591 • Fax: (330) 395-4875

www.iue-cwalocal717.com

Published by the IUE-CWA Local 717 in the interest of its membership, to further the aims and programs of Local 717 and to promote the policies of the International Union of Electrical Workers. “Local 717 Union News” is printed with pride by the members of the Meadville Graphic Communications Workers Local 338 C

Michael Kish President

Joseph Ferradino Vice President

Brian Lutz Shop Chairman

Gary Tillman Financial Secretary

Michael Martin Treasurer

Veronica Dawkins Recording Secretary

Jeff Cleer................................................Floor Guard

ExECUtIvE BOARd

Troy Butcher

Bill Eaton

Mark Graczyk

Clinton Plott

Ed Ringer

Dennis Thompson

Heidi Mindek

tRUStEES

Jennifer Daniszewski

Kim Rock

Sonya Brown

SkILLEd tRAdES CHAIRMAN

J J Scarmuzzi

BENEFItS AdMINIStRAtOR

Melany Kish

EdItORIAL dEpARtMENt

Michael Kish Editor-in-Chief

Our Editorial policy

This paper is the voice of your Local and International Union, it provides information and opinions relative to the policy and programs of the International as well as the views and actions of our Local’s leaders and committees

Local 717 Union News welcomes articles from the members of Local 717 All articles should be constructive and contribute positively to the welfare of the entire membership.

The views and opinions expressed by the writers are their own and do not reflect the opinions, views or policy of the editorial Staff of IUE-CWA Local 717

Local 717 Union News reserves the right to edit any material submitted for publication and to reject any article deemed not in the best interest of Local 717.

All Advertisements that appear in IUE-CWA

Local 717 Union News do not signify and endorsement of Local 717.

President’s Report

By Mike Kish

Anyone familiar with the labor movement today knows that organized labor is a heterogeneous group - African Americans, Latinos, Asians and Asian Americans, whites, men and women, citizens and undocumented workers all make up the ranks of the unions affiliated with Change to Win and the AFL-CIO. There is no question that the American labor force is characterized by unprecedented diversity – and, not surprisingly, organized labor is as well In recent years, the labor movement has come to embrace and, to an unprecedented degree, champion racial and gender equality, often putting it at the forefront of movements for equality and civil rights in the United States And that connection - labor and civil rights -– has deep historical roots.

Take one of the key moments in the emergence of the modern civil rights movement: The Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955-56 The standard story features a tired seamstress, Rosa Parks, whose courageous refusal to give up her seat on a segregated public bus launched a boycott and a movement That narrative also features a young Martin Luther King, Jr , a then-obscure young minister whose political career on the national and international stage was launched by his leadership of the boycott But the boycott’s origins lay elsewhere, in part with a trade unionist, E D Nixon, a local civil rights activist who was a member of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. It was Nixon who approached the newcomer King to lead the Montgomery Improvement Association; trade unionists in the North offered substantial financial and logistical support to the boycott; and, from the perspective of the Pullman Porters, the boycott was their story which they covered in detail in the pages of the Black Worker, the porters’ monthly journal

Think back almost half a century to 1963 when a quarter of a million people gathered on the National Mall before the Lincoln Memorial in the great March on Washington Present that day were tens of thousands of trade unionists, whose numbers, funding, logistical assistance, and moral support helped make this an historic success The initial organizers of the march were the civil rights and labor legend, A Philip Randolph, and his assistant, Bayard Rustin. Randolph was at the time the most important black trade

unionist in the nation, a man considered to be the “dean” of the civil rights movement; Rustin would go on to work with the AFL-CIO for years to come. And the purpose of the march? That was captured in its slogan: Jobs and Freedom. This demonstration was not simply about civil rights broadly construed, particularly the abolition of segregation across the land It also had an economic dimension, and the “jobs” demand rested on an understanding that all American workers, black and white, needed access to employment, something, organizers argued, that the government was responsible for ensuring.

These are just several examples of how intrinsically the labor movement and civil rights have been intertwined and how they will continue to grow and move ahead together in the future.

(Portions of this article were taken from Civil Rights and the Labor Movement: A Historical Overview by Eric Arnesen of George Washington University)

delegate to Int’l Conventions

At the January Membership meeting, nominations were taken to fill the position of Delegate to the International Conventions. This is an At Large delegate who is elected to attend in addition to the President and Shop Chairman, who are automatic delegates Two individuals were nominated but one decided to withdraw his name from the ballot so by default, Ronnie Grubbs has been elected as our delegate. Congratulations Ronnie!

GM Retirement

For those members who qualify for money and/or benefits from General Motors upon retirement, there has been a new wrinkle introduced by GM into the procedure The latest change has to do with anyone who has been divorced. In order to process your retirement paperwork, GM is requiring a copy of the QDRO filed at the time of your divorce. The QDRO specifies what, if any, portion of your retirement belongs to your ex-spouse Specifically, the QDRO must denote the GM Hourly Pension Plan AND the Delphi Hourly Pension Plan. If both are not listed, GM will not process your retirement until it receives a corrected QDRO If you’re uncertain, contact your attorney to obtain the proper paperwork.

This could be a huge inconvenience for our members but it seems General Motors is concerned about inconveniences We continue to request clarification of these changes from GM and the IUE-CWA and are currently waiting for the information. If you have questions, please reach out to the Benefit Administrator at (330) 392-1591

Shop Chairman’s Report

By Brian Lutz

I hope all is well with all Local 717’s membership and their families There has been rash of rumors surrounding the status of Plant 10 lately and I wanted to tell what I do know. First, Plant 10 is not closing anytime soon. Prior to the negotiations that took place during the latter part of the summer, the APTIV Corporation gave the Union notification they intended to utilize the language contained in Appendix F in our contract, to place some of the work that was being produced in Plant 10 to another outside supplier The clearly written intent of Appendix F allows the company to maintain efficiencies within the production process while the Union can maintain job security for its membership At the conclusion of the process the Company moved approximately 30 jobs out of Plant 10 and shipped that work to two Mexican manufacturers, since those products are produced there cheaper than here in Warren (at least that is what they say) The rumor mill has been going crazy because some folks see the non-running machinery and think they see a glimpse of what is to come, but remember what this company just told all of us at the end of the summer and that is they wanted to move work out utilizing Appendix F of our Collective Bargaining Agreement, which allows them to move work to MAINTAIN the JOB SECURITY of all

Skilled Trades & Health and Safety Report

By J.J. Scarmuzzi

Apprenticeship testing

As of now we are still looking at testing in late February or early March, so there is time to prepare and study for the test. There will be a lengthy Sign-Up period so that everyone will have an opportunity to sign-up, a detailed schedule of dates will be announced As in the past, special flyers will be in all the plants, the clock areas, and Union bulletin boards announcing the details. The sign-up period will be for all interested Seniority candidates, who are not already in a Skilled Trades classification Apprentice test will follow a few weeks later, testing dates and times will be assigned to those

employees of the Warren Operations They would never move work out to weaken the business segments because that would be the exact opposite of what Job Security is. I cannot say for sure what the long-term future holds but this company moved work from Warren Ohio’s Plant 10 Cable Operations to increase the efficiencies of the rest of what is left, because that is exactly what the language says in Appendix F of our Collective Bargaining Agreement

profit Sharing

I have received the final numbers for 2022 EBITDA% Attainment and they are as follows:

1st Qtr- 8.57% 3rd Qtr- 12.55%

2nd Qtr- 10.29% 4th Qtr- 13.98%

The yearly target that was shared during the 1st Qtr of 2022 was 16 95%, so the math goes like this:

Q1 + Q2 + Q3 + Q4 = 45.39 / 4 = 11.35

11 35/ 16 85= 67 35% which is short of the 75% minimum threshold to activate a payment, therefore there will be no profit sharing payment this year, again…

In closing for this month please remember that this year is a general election year and as such this is an opportunity to replace all of the officers and bargainers of this great Local Union. This is the time for all of those who have a better idea of how this Union should be ran to step up and take part and allow your voice to be heard. You only have one opportunity every 3 years so please make sure to take part in your Local Union. I hope to see you all at the Meeting!! In Unity!!

Brian

choosing to sign-up. The test will be made up of several sections: Skilled Trades Reading Comprehension, Arithmetic Reasoning / Math Problem Solving, Graphic Arithmetic, Mechanical Arithmetic and Space Reasoning After the testing is completed and graded, a list of the upper 30 percentile will be generated showing who will be interview eligible. Interviews will then be scheduled in the following weeks The required documentation of your schooling, certificates, and experience is needed to support your responses in the interview process. Points will be awarded for education knowledge of Trades and related work experience These documentations should be provided as support for a meaningful interview. In preparation for testing, those interested should begin looking at study materials pertaining to Apprentice Testing There are tons of study guides available online and also in the local libraries. Any questions please contact me at (330)3737926. Look for the Sign-Up information in the lobby areas and Union bulletin boards, In Solidarity,

JJ Scarmuzzi

Veterans’ Outreach extends sincere thanks for suppor ting our mission to respectfully ser ve and honor all veterans for more than 28 years. Veterans that are hungr y, cold, homeless, needing counsel, love, and respect - these are the men and women that need our help. Won’t you help veterans overcome problems that are too much to endure alone?

Veterans Report

By Bernardo Rivera

This month I would like to spotlight a great American hero whose actions showed bravery, selfless service, personal courage and leadership Sergeant William Henry Johnson.

Sergeant Johnson was in the 369th Infantry Regiment "Harlem Hellfighters" from 1917 to 1919

While on night sentry duty on May 15,1918, Johnson and fellow soldier Pvt Needham Roberts, received a surprise attack by a German raiding party consisting of at least 12 soldiers

While under intense enemy fire and despite receiving significant wounds, Johnson mounted a brave retaliation resulting in several enemy casualties When his fellow soldier was badly Wounded, Johnson prevented him from being taken prisoner by German forces.

Johnson exposed himself to grave danger by advancing from his position to engage an enemy soldier in hand to hand combat Wielding only a knife and being seriously wounded, Johnson continued fighting, and stabbed his enemy Displaying great courage, Johnson held back the enemy force until they retreated The enemy raids’ failure to secure prisoners was due to the bravery and resistance of Johnson and his fellow comrade.

Sgt William Henry Johnson was awarded the French Croix de Guerre Avec Palme, Frances highest award for Valor and the Medal of Honor

(Source cited, army.mil)

veterans Committee Raffle

70" smart tv • $5.00 a ticket or 3 for $10.00 drawing at March Membership Meeting In Your Service!

Bernardo Rivera rivera.bernardo@aol.com

thank You

Kindness, thoughtfulness, generous, bighearted, compassionate, and loving These are just some of the adjectives that I choose to describe all of you that donated to the “Merry Molina Christmas Fundraiser” It made my family’s Christmas that much special I cannot thank you all enough. You have no idea what this means to my three kids, my husband Ralph, and myself

When Santa arrived at our house to deliver your gifts, my 3-year-old daughter Dylan was jumping up and down screaming “Santa’s here!

Santa’s here!, Mommy Santa’s here! That set the tone for the rest of Santa’s visit. Between the gifts for my little one and monetary donations for my two oldest, there really are no words that can express what we felt If I had to choose, shocked would be the word to describe it After everything was said and done, we all had tears in our eyes, including Santa. One thing that I told my kids was “I want you to remember this because one day I would like you to pay it forward just as people have done for you” The charity that all of you have shown to us as my family and I deal with this disease, has been so overwhelming I am eternally grateful for each and every one of you I feel truly blessed

As I continue to fight this cancer, please keep me in your prayers. You have all made me feel lucky and grateful to be a part of such a generous work family for so long I hope you all had a great holiday and thank you once again for making our Christmas a blessed one.

Jody Molina and family

Recording Secretary’s Report

By Veronica dawkins

Membership Meeting • Sunday, January 8, 2023

President Mike Kish called the meeting to Order

He asked everyone to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance

He reminded everyone to sign the registration book and to please silence their cell phones

Reading of the minutes of the december Membership meeting.

Motion to Accept Minutes with by kim Rock 2nd: Ron Bagaglia M/p

Recommendations of the Executive Board

To accept bid from Main Light Electric for $2700 to upgrade parking lot lights

To move May Membership meeting to May 21, 2023

Motion to Accept Executive Board Recommendations by troy Butcher

2nd: Melany kish M/p

Financial Report

Financial report for December given by Gary Tillman

Motion to Accept december Financial Report by Mark Graczyk 2nd: Jeff Cleer M/p

Committee Reports

Shop Committee – Brian Lutz

• Schedules in Plant 47 are at 15 million pieces per week for the first quarter of 2023. In 2022 we produced 1.5 billion connectors and 2023 looks slightly higher at 1 6 billion connectors Approximately 20% of that volume is hellerman Tuton Management informed us that they will be hiring 3 new P.E.’s to replace those who have left. Twenty four tools will be received by Plant 47 this year Management thanks all who worked over the holiday shutdown, Maintenance was able to complete the necessary preventative maintenance project in the plant.

• Schedules in Plant 7 had a very good year producing 36 million LBS of compound in 2022, even with extended periods of downtime Line 5 has 2 broken screws, which will cause it to be down foe an extended amount of time

• Schedules in Plant 10 are about 14 million feet per week through February, based on last weeks production forecast. The plant received the final installment of money allocated to finish the e-beam that was received form the Mecca facility Cable extrusion in the CV’s will be concluded by the end of the first quarter and the plant expects to produce no steam after that point The plant continues to work through issues regarding the 373 service assignments

• Schedules in Plant 11 are at 55-60 million pieces per week in January. We shipped 210 million pieces in December 2022 Management has set a goal for 2023 to increase uptime and to have several focus groups established

within the departments. Several new program dies are already running production in the CTS family of tools that we recently received The CTS 2 8 die will be received sometime in the forst quarter The plant has received the first 4-out die. Dept 926 equipment will be installed as soon as their vendor issues are resolved

• All transfer request filed prior to January will be purged on the first Mon day of February (Feb 6, 2023)

Motion to Accept Committee Reports as presented By: Ron Bagaglia

2nd: Melany kish M/p

Unfinished Business

Question concerning the status of the work shift from Plant 10

New Business

*Nominations for Delegate to International Convention (1)

Ronnie Grubbs Accept

Mark Graczyk Accept

*Nominations for AFL-CIO Labor Council (3)

Eleftherios Karapetsas Accept

Joeseph Ferradino Accept

Motion to appoint the 2 nominees to the AFL-CIO Labor Council by Julianne Mazerek 2nd: Gary tillman M/p

Good and Welfare

Reminder – February’s Membership meeting moved to Feb. 19, 2023

Roll Call of Officers and Elected Officials

president Mike kish p

vice-president Joe Ferradino p

Shop Chairman Brian Lutz p

Skilled trades Chairman JJ Scarmuzzi p

Financial Secretary Gary tillman p

treasurer Mike Martin p

Recording Secretary veronica dawkins E

Floor Guard

Jeff Cleer p

Executive Board troy Butcher p

Bill Eaton p

Mark Graczyk p

Clinton plott p

dennis thompson E

Ed Ringer p

Heidi Mindek p

trustees Jennifer daniszewski A

kim Rock p

Sonya Brown p

Benefit Administator Melany kish p

Alternate Julianne Mazerek p

EAp Monica dobbs Faulkner A

Alternate dave McBride A

Alternate Heidi Mindek **

Health & Safety JJ Scarmuzzi **

trainer Rick Mercer A

Zone Committeeman Mark Graczyk **

Committeman dist 1 April Reitz p

Alternate Leigh timko p

Committeeman dist 2 daniel Heath p

Alternate William Eaton **

Committeeman dist 3 Gary tillman **

Alternate veronica dawkins **

Committeeman dist 4 Heather perez p

Alternate dennis thompson **

Committeeman dist 5 Jeff Cleer **

Alternate Ron Bagaglia p

Election Committee Julianne Mazarek ** kim Swain A

Women’s Committee Andrea daniels p

Co-Chair Angela Sheppard A

political Action Joe Ferradino **

Social Action Gary tillman **

veterans Committee Bernardo Rivera A Constiution

Lord’s prayer dedicated to Jody Molina, Yvonne Bourlier, Jan Parker, Tim Yeager, family of Amy Brink, Greg Kovach, Dennis Thompson, John Zerbs, Gus Aivazis

Motion to Adjourn: By: Jeff Cleer 2nd: Ron Bagaglia M/p