Greetings from Mid-Michigan – The Great Lakes State!
Happy Easter
We all need a reminder of what we have and how we keep what we have. Our union leaders spend hours and countless days away from their families to help us to improve our lives and keep our Local strong. I can only speak for myself and our Regional Director, Dale Coalmer when I say we love what we do, that’s why we do these jobs. There is a commercial on TV for H&R Block, it goes “wake up America, get your billions”. I would say “wake up IUEC, get your benefits and training”. There are thousands of people that want your wages, benefits and would not care about union dues. Who wouldn’t pay two dollars or more an hour for our wages and benefits? They say Right to Work helps the little guy. Remember if the IUEC was gone we would become the little guy; low wages and no benefits. Greedy corporations support reducing wages and benefits, that’s where RTW came from. There are always members that say the IUEC could do better. Look around, do you think you could be better off? Three pensions, cadillac health plan, wages making us upper middle class and a school program second to none (NEIEP). Greatness can be improved on, but it’s nice to start at the top. The IUEC and retirees provided us with all our benefits; have you thanked a retiree?
Very few Mechanics take Continuing Education classes because they claim not to need schooling. They couldn’t be more wrong. We demand the highest wages and benefits, therefore we must keep our skill at the highest level. Continuing Education should be on your list of things to do, not things to avoid. I practice what I preach; since I became the BA I have completed a Bachelor’s degree, several classes at NEIEP to train our members, OSHA 500, CPR & First Aid, Rigging & Signaling, many online classes and too many other classes to mention. Learning and teaching are what makes us the best!
“The American Labor Movement has consistently demonstrated its devotion to the public interest. It is, and has been, good for all America”.
John F. Kennedy
Training is important to all of us. I was fortunate to work with great Mechanics, some nice and some not so nice. I learned as much from one as I did the other. We are all taught by a Mechanic whether he was nice or not. We have not had Probationary Apprentices for a long time; training is part of being a mechanic and IUEC member. Mechanics claim not to have time to train and are having trouble making the time lines the companies want. Where would the company be without trained people doing the work? Better yet, where would you be if the Mechanic who taught you said he/she did not have the time?
NEIEP:
Sign up for Continuing Education classes.
Dates to remember:
April 3, 2015 State Test
April 5, 2015 Easter
April 28, 2015 Union Meeting @ 6:00 pm – Dinner included
April 30, 2015 JAC Meeting
Golden Rail Club
Kalamazoo: 4.1.15 First Wednesday @ 10:00 am, Theo & Stacey’s
Lansing: 4.15.15 Third Wednesday @ 9:00 am, Zeus Restaurant, 6525 Pennsylvania, Lansing
Grand Rapids: 4.21.15 Third Tuesday @ 9:00 am, New Beginnings, 1455 Michigan
Street, NE, Grand Rapids
The work Picture:
Being optimistic, things should be good.
In Unity There Is Strength,
Bill Kogelschatz
