Brothers and Sisters,
Today members of your Steel Shift and Seniority Committee met with the company to discuss the current layoff situation, bumping, production levels and schedules. The Union proposed the B15 schedule to the company based on what the company told us was their tonnage requirements. We proposed the B15 schedule with options to run that schedule through the language in the collective agreement and based on the number of days the company said they require plus 1 designated 8 hour dead shift in a 28 day period per 3 crews and Mr. Forster FLAT OUT REFUSED.
The union brought up the issues surrounding Overtime, 3 day layoffs, stats, shift changes, the pandemic. We proposed things that would both make the membership happy and save the company money. To the extent when an individual receives a 3 day layoff on the B15 they lose 36 hours and under his B3 the loss is 24 hours. This is clear it is not about saving money as we heard a resounding NO from Mr. Forster. We gave him every opportunity to manage this schedule and work with them, again to a NO. Mr. Forster even agreed with the Union that there will be more overtime on the B3 schedule. We clearly can see this isn’t about having a happy and productive workforce. This is about a grudge , that much is clear.
The Union brought up that we may advise our members under the B3 schedule to do shift trades, in essence creating their own B15 schedule. Mr. Forster then said “employees will not create their own shift”. Shift Trades are an option under the collective agreement. The company will have t address each request as they were to come in. So another words making the managers actually manage, something they will not do under the B15 schedule.
The fact is, every creative idea the Union proposed, the company said NO.
We also proposed shuffling the Days/Afternoon/Nights to Days/Nights/Afternoons on the B3 schedule. At first glance the company didn’t see any issues in that but will look at it further before agreeing to it.
The Union is very disappointed in today’s outcome and the responses given by Mr. Forster.