Secretary Treasurer

TREASURER/NOTES

BY, DAVID BRAY

I would like thank all of you who are hard working, card carrying, dedicated loyal Union members and for those of you who are not (commonly known as scabs) for what ever reason, well there is an old saying that goes something like this "YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR". If it was not for you the UNION MEMBER the Union would not exist and management would have full reign to do just what they want to do. The Union's strength lies within it's membership for it is you the member's who pay the dues that allow us to fight the cases we fight. Several cases come to mind here recently that being the pre-post, vacating post and annual leave. First of all the Union paid out over $300,000.00 in legal fee's to resolve the pre-post case. Where do you think this money came from, yes that's right you the member's not the scabs who are taking a free ride off of you. Locally we fought the vacating post and the blocking of annual leave and won both of them costing the local approximately $6,000.00. These issues are important issues to just about every bargaining unit employee but it was the member's who flipped the bill. So that is why I say it makes me sick when I hear someone say I don't need to join the Union or I don't need the Union, management likes me I'm one of the boy's my daddy will take care of me or you have to represent me whether I'm a member or not. If that was the case then how come these issues affected everyone not just Union members, where was your daddy at when you were working some where by yourself cause of position's being vacated or not being able to take leave. They were no where to be found cause they truly don't care about you. If they really did care about you then these types of things would not be happening. So let me make it very clear to you my position on representing Union members and Non-Union members it goes like this. Do you remember the Dream Team from the O.J. Simpson trial, well they weren't free but a public defender is, so in closing on this subject once again I'll say you get what you pay for.

Here are a few quotes I found from some reasonably famous people throughout history:

"All that serves labor serves the nation. All that harms is treason.... If a man tells you he loves America, yet hates labor, he is a liar... There is no America without labor, and to fleece one is to rob the other."

ABRAHAM LINCOLN

"While we are fighting for freedom, we must see, among other things, that labor is free."

WOODROW WILSON

"If I were a worker in a factory, the first thing I would do would be to join a Union."

FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT

"The right to join a union of one's choice is unquestioned today, and is sanctioned and protected by law."

HARRY S. TRUMAN

"Only a fool would try to deprive working men and women of the right to join the union of their choice."

DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER

At the beginning of next year the National level of the Union is going to enter into contract negotiations with management for a new Master Agreement. Once a new Master Agreement has been negotiated and put into print the Local will enter into contract negotiations for a Local Supplemental Agreement. This will be our agreement between management and the union here at Atlanta. What I am asking for you the members to do is anything you would like to see us negotiate in the Supplemental Agreement is to let us know and we will propose it during the negotiations and try to get it approved. This is your chance as a Union member to state to management as to how you want to be treated here at USP Atlanta in regards to working conditions and rights. I would like to be able to step to management with at least 2,000 proposals I have already started writing some myself but we will need your input to do this. Things to remember when preparing proposals are that they cannot conflict with Law, Rule or Regulation to include the Master Agreement. Think about the department that you work in are there things that could be done to make it better or maybe something added to your work site that would make your job easier or more convenient. I can think of a lot of things in custody because that is where I work. For all of you in these other departments you know what is best for you so start writing it down and give it to us. In doing so your helping us help you.

For those of you that have not seen the Supplemental Agreement here at Atlanta I encourage you to obtain a copy of it from personnel. For some time now supervisors especially in custody have been telling employees that they cannot pay overtime and basically sweating employees to take comp time. If you accept the comp time then it is on you because you accepted it. But, if you desire the overtime and they don't want to type it up don't stand there and argue with them just contact me and I will briefly attempt informal resolution with that supervisor and if I feel that is getting no where then we will handle our business and file to get your overtime. When management does not pay you overtime when you request it they are violating Article 18 Section 5 of the Supplemental Agreement "In the event an employee is required to remain after their scheduled duty hours, the Employee will be eligible for overtime/comptime "employees choice". Take note to the key words in this section "employees choice" so if you want it demand it because the decision is your's to make not managements.

In closing I would like to say the workers who make up your Union here at USP Atlanta are typical employees who are united not only for their own individual welfare, but for the well being of all. Be proud that you are a Union member for if you are not a Union member then you are obviously concerned for your own welfare and no one else's which would make you a prime candidate for management.