VOL. 71 NO. 4 MAY 2016 Pushing back against job erosion Job erosion is becoming an issue important to address these issues. We put challenging these issues, as well.” throughout Puget Sound for members together a defined process to capture the The committee developing the new working at Boeing. Union Stewards are information needed to fight this move and process includes Holden, Chief of Staff reporting higher-graded work is being push back,” said District 751 President Jon Richard Jackson and Business Reps Brett assigned to lower-graded employees. Holden, who enlisted the Jobs Committee Coty, Emerson Hamilton, Rich McCabe In order to effectively combat these to help establish a process. and Dan Swank. escalating tactics by management, our “In order to effectively challenge this Depending on the particular union is putting together a process with activity, we need members involved to circumstances and documentation, the expectation that affected members help document these changes,” Holden our union will then determine if it is a Gary Naple attended his union meeting will step up, participate and help provide added. “Members will work directly misassignment grievance or an issue to to thank IAM 751 for changing his life the documentation to challenge these with their stewards and Business Reps involve our Jobs Committee. The goal is with union representation. actions. Members can begin using this to present the strongest possible case in for much quicker resolution. new process in May once Business Reps each instance. Our members performing Our union wants to ensure our members have had an opportunity to outline the the job are the experts who can precisely are empowered to document these and New member steps to our stewards. describe any changes to work, which is other types of issues surrounding job thanks union for “We are receiving complaints from critical in moving these cases forward.” classifications and labor grades. different organizations throughout Puget “Collectively, we are stronger when Boeing’s recent attempt to install the changing his life Sound regarding higher-graded work and we work together and get input from as new Mechatronics job is an example expectations from management that the many members involved as possible,” of what can happen if the Company’s IAM 751-member Gary Naple is work be accomplished by lower-graded added Holden. “Strength in numbers is proposal becomes reality and higher- thankful every day to have a voice members. This is concerning and it is the premise of unions and it holds true for graded work would then be performed in his working conditions and union by lower-graded employees. Our union representation. That was the message filed a grievance challenging the labor he conveyed recently at both a District grade assigned (grade 6) when much Council meeting and a Local 751-C of the work is currently in grade 8 and meeting. grade 9 jobs. Even more important, is our Gary is one of 220 workers at the challenge that Boeing does not have the Cadence-Giddens plant in Everett who right to implement the job at all because voted for IAM representation last May it intentionally erodes other parts of the and approved a first contract in February contract like inline promotions. Boeing of this year. has not put anyone into the job, and we “I want to thank District 751 for are working through our grievance on changing my life. You stepped in and this issue. showed us what we can do if we remain Putting together a new process to battle job erosion on the shop floor at Boeing This type of job erosion is something united and strong,” Gary told union L to R: Rich McCabe, Emerson Hamilton, Richard Jackson, Jon Holden, Dan our union will always fight and with members attending the meetings. Swank and Brett Coty. Boeing has stepped up efforts to move higher-graded a process for members to bring the “Every day I go to work and get to work to lower-grade job classifications, which we can challenge with proper documentation forward, we will be able see what we accomplished together by documentation from our members. to resolve them quicker. Continued on Page 4 FOD Busters’ inspiring invention Our members are the experts in building airplanes magnetizing steel tools and then using a modified gauss and often have a better way to perform their work to meter to detect the residual magnetic fields of any lost save Boeing both time and money. tools from the interior or exterior of an plane. Recently, IAM 751 Union Steward Chris Black Since initially coming up with the invention, demonstrated his ingenuity by coming up with an Chris recruited other Boeing employees to be a part invention that will help eliminate lost tools and foreign of the ‘FOD Buster’ team, which includes Kathy object debris (FOD) in airplanes. The invention involves Ferguson, materials engineer; Dan Bynum, remote visual inspector; and Dr. John Hull, physicist and Boeing technical fellow. The FOD Buster team developed the Union Steward Kim Krause (l) and Business invention utilizing existing magnetic Rep Greg Campos discuss how Boeing insurance mistakenly billed a member $4,000 for an field sensor technology. They then emergency room visit, which the union corrected. made presentations to BCA P-8 management to garner support. The first prototype is currently being used Union gets ER bill paid on the P-8 program. The value of union membership was evident as “The money it costs Boeing to look Union Steward Kim Krause in Everett helped ensure a for lost tools is expensive, and I knew member did not have to pay $4,000 in medical bills for there was a better way,” said Chris, procedures that should have been covered. who has 35 years as a nondestructive This issue seems to surface every so often when Blue test inspector and is a lead at Boeing Cross Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSI) rejects a medical Field. “This invention is a simple claim that should be covered. and inexpensive way to quickly and In this instance, the member approached Kim after accurately locate not just where the receiving the $4,000 bill following a recent visit to the Union Steward Chris Black (r) and materials engineer Kathy tools are but to determine if they are emergency room. The bill noted that his visit and the Ferguson are part of a FOD Buster team that invented a way even on the plane.” tests they ran were deemed a “non-emergency.” Our to locate lost tools in minutes rather than days using an Continued on Page 6 electromagnetic field detector to find a previously magnetized tool. Continued on Page 2 Inside Index Chemical Proper Payout President’s Message ....................2 Controls Union ensures Political Action ............................ 3 Everett hazmat team brings members at Hytek Service to the Community ........7 innovation for chemical Finishes get pay issue Retirement ...................................9 handling and hazardous corrected Want Ads .................................... 10 waste 5 4 Eastern Washington ...................12 Page 2 751 AERO MECHANIC May 2016 REPORT FROM THE PRESIDENT Working together, each doing our part, we will succeed By JON HOLDEN But if we work together has involved a great number of union system – while also making other gains District President and engage everyone in these members. Their work started last fall, that will enhance the quality of their work We are stronger when we types of issues, I believe we when we held Town Hall workshops life. work together. That is the will be successful in making across Puget Sound to ask for ideas on It won’t be easy, but if each of our fundamental principle that the good decisions that protect our how to change the way our union is run. members at Triumph stands together and entire labor movement is built members. The local lodge committees then stands strong, we can succeed. upon. The process will carry took those suggestions and used them In each of these cases, no one will Working together also will, with it expectations. As union to craft specific proposals, which were be expected to go it alone, but everyone I believe, help us protect high- members, you should expect presented to the Local Lodges for debate, should expect to do their part. Working skilled, high-wage jobs at that your business reps and amendments and approval. together makes us stronger, and that Boeing and the other companies where stewards already are engaging with each All of this input and participation has strength will pay dividends, whether our members work. other and working together to address made the amendments and resolutions we’re protecting jobs at Boeing, or I am hearing increasing reports of these kinds of issues as they arise. that our Local Lodges will put forward improving our contract at Triumph, or job erosion – the improper assignment Also as union members, you should much more thoughtful and relevant, and I enhancing the way our union is run. of work now done by workers in high expect to be engaged yourselves. This thank everyone who has worked together labor grades to workers in lower labor process will be successful when we all on this important project. grades. There seems to be an effort by take on the responsibility to document We aren’t finished. While the Local management at Boeing, in particular, these kinds of changes in our work areas. Lodges voted on the first round of District Lodge 751, to redefine the work done by our most- After all, you are the experts on the work proposals in April – as you can read International Assn. of skilled members in the highest labor that’s done in your area, and no one will elsewhere in this month’s AeroMechanic grades in ways that would allow workers know better than you if changes are – there is still time for us to consider new Machinists and in lower labor grades to perform the tasks.