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Local 564’s home office mailing address has changed. Please
mail all future correspondence/dues accordingly to: Int’l Union
of Operating Engineers Local 564, 2120 N. Brazosport Blvd.,
Richwood, TX 77531 (office phone and fax numbers remain the
same). Also, email addresses have changed - Richwood:
Rhonda@local564.com and
Texas City:
Mary@local564.com
International Per Capita Tax Increase
At the International
Convention, held every five years, it was voted on that there
would be a $1.50 increase in Per Capita over the next five years
effective July 1, 2008. This increase is spread over a three
year period, 2009 being the second increase. July 1, 2010 will
be the last increase until the Convention meets again in 2012.
July 1st the current per capita per member will be $9.25. Due
to this increase in Per Capita there will be a $0.50 increase in
your union dues effective July 1, 2009.
The Truth
about Employee Free Choice
Employee
Free Choice Act is the name of the bill, but all you hear is
that it is taking away the “secret ballot vote”. Those opposed
to the bill are trying to call your attention away from the
truth.
The truth
is, in the last 4 years the International Union of Operating
Engineers Local 564 in Lake Jackson, Texas has organized
employees all over the state of Texas. It takes extraordinary
courage and will on the part of the workers to achieve this.
The truth is that when workers try to organize the employer has
all the power and control. The truth is on average one employee
is fired out of every four organizing drives. The truth is that
when employees are fired it can take a year or more to get their
job back. The truth is the decision whether the employees form
a union with a secret ballot vote or to count the cards that the
employees signed is made by the employer not the employees.
Why do
less and less employees try to organize? Is it because they
don’t want to improve their work life and lives of their
families? No, it is because they are scared, that’s why. They
do not want to lose their job doing something that is supposed
to protected by law. Employees that want a union and want to
bargain collectively with a company have all the weight on their
shoulders and none is on the employer. Employers can harass and
intimidate workers. The National Labor Relations Act is to
protect the workers, but it is not enough. A company that
intentionally violates the law and wants to fire an employee; it
can without any monetary punishment.
It is
about time that the playing field is leveled.
The
Employee Free Choice Act addresses huge imbalances that allow
many employers to run roughshod over workers who want to form a
union. In a recent poll 70% of Working Americans have said that
they would join a union if given a chance, but current law makes
it unlikely they can get that chance.
The
Employee Free Choice Act would do three things: 1) give workers
the right to decide whether to use an election or a card-check
to gain recognition as a union; 2) set a time limit on achieving
a first contract before an arbitrator would be brought in to
settle differences; and 3) increase penalties on employers that
violate the National Labor Relations Act by firing workers,
refusing to bargain in good faith and breaking other rules
connected to collective bargaining.
Watch the
news and see that corporate America has gotten so top heavy they
are tumbling. Let the workers have a chance. Read the bill, if
you are still against it, so be it. If you are a worker who has
thought about joining a union or are a currently a union member,
this bill is our life line. If unions go away, America will
crumble.
Charlie Singletary
Business Manager
International Union of Local 564
Proud To
Be Union
Brothers &
Sisters of IUOE Local 564,
Thank you
for inviting me to your Annual Union BBQ again this year. It
was my honor to visit and break bread with you and your
families. Where else can you get a Union Made meal? In fact,
for the first several years of my life 100% of the food put on
our table was bought with wages negotiated by Local 564. My
father was an IUOE Local 564 member for over 40 years and held
the Union Steward duties for many of those years. As a young
man returning from World War II, he was well aware of what a
group of people could accomplish when they organize and strive
for a common goal. He was proud to be a Union Operator and was
very proud of his Union. I know he would be proud today as
well. The strides your Union has made have not gone unnoticed.
At a time when most unions across America are seeing their
memberships dwindle, Local 564 continues to fight for the
working men and women in their jurisdiction and have grown
because of it. Your Union is doing exactly what other unions
need to do. ORGANIZE! Over the years the Operators Union has
managed to identify leadership qualities and put the right
people in the right offices and keep them there for the
betterment of the whole. From the Business Manager, Business
Agent, Organizer, Executive Board, Stewards, officers and
negotiating committees, to the membership, IUOE Local 564 is
well thought of Statewide and Nationwide. Rest assured I
continue to recognize your PROUD PAST and I am as sure as ever
that IOUE Local 564 will have a BOLD FUTURE! Yes, my father
would be proud today and you have a lot to be proud of as well.
Remember, there is no substitute for Union Labor. Keep up the
great work!
In
SOLIDarity,
Jack Brown
UA Local 390
2009 TOP
ORGANIZERS
Every year
at our BBQ Local 564 recognizes the two top members that have
signed up the most new members. This year
John Bennett
of the Polyethylene department at Dow/Freeport, and Richard
Hennesy of PM Realty Group in Houston were both awarded
Union Watches. Good Job Guys!
Congratulations
to our 2009 Scholarship Winners!
Taylor Moss is a graduate of Brazoswood High School.
She is the daughter of Clifford Moss at the Dow/Freeport
Chlorine Dept. Taylor received a $500 scholarship from Local
564. She had a perfect score on the test!
Colby Singletary
is a graduate of Columbia High School. He is the son of Charlie
Singletary, Business Mgr. of Local 564. Colby received a $250
scholarship from the local, a $1000 scholarship from the O.D.
Kenemore Scholarship Fund, and $1000 Scholarship from the A.
Phillip Randolph Institute Scholarship Program.
Megan Minchew
is also a graduate of Columbia High School. She is the daughter
of Bo Minchew at the Dow/Freeport LHC #7 Dept. Megan received a
$250 scholarship from Local 564 and also was one out of
twenty-five in the state of Texas to receive a $1000 Scholarship
from the Texas AFL-CIO.
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