UNOFFICIAL VOICE OF THE INSTALLER

VOL 1   NUMBER 1
MARCH 1976

THE STATE OF NEGOTIATION
At the last general meeting on Feb. 5th, the business agent reported that copies of the contract proposals had been delivered on time to all employers and their representatives. The companies requested time to read and study the demands and would contact 510 when they were ready uo meet and negotiate. When the WINGNUT went to press on 3/l/76, three separate written responses had been received, & each from a separate employer. In past years all employers acted in unison thru their selected representative, but this time it seems they are acting separately. Wingnut Price, duly elected installer representative on the negotiating team reports that he has been unable to get a glimpse of the letters and cannot give us an account of their content. He hopes to have the letters read at the next general meeting (3/4/76) and advises all brothers who are,interested in the progress of negotiations to attend the meeting.
THURSDAY MARCH 4TH at 2145 19TH AVE

FLASH . . . 1984
BIG BROTHER put in an appearance 8 years before his predicted time of arrival with a closed circuit television surveillance system to monitor our brothers who were installing the California Retail Hardware Show in Brooks Hall. THE MINISTRY OF TRUTH denies that this implies installer dishonesty.

MEDICAL WINDFALL
Under the coordinatIon of benefits clause (in effect as of 2/l/76) the medical plan cut its payoffs by a probable 50% at the expens of ill, injured and out of work brothers. Permanent full time employees who have a second medical coverage plan, now pay twice for the same coverage and can not withdraw from the 510 medical plan. Add these brothers premiums to the already long list of installers who are paying premiums for zero coverage and it seems a very good time to invest in medical insurance stock. 

BELIEVE IT OR NOT
$1,743.00 was paid by local 510 to Allied Administrators for services rendered during December 1975. Said services were the collecting, recording and disbursing of funds and credits for the medical and pension programs. And for the work they employ a computer. ($1,743. x 12 mos = 20,916. yr) At that rate we could purchase our own computer in 2 or 3 years.

 OVER POPULATION STRIKE 510
One brother Journeyman wingnut has expressed concern with the large increase in union membership during the first quarter of 1976. Thirty new members, he said, were added to the C list as a result of a busy January and February. Most of them will probably make the B list (50 hrs) by the end of the Pacific Automotive Show at the Cow Palace and this will drastically effect the B list by spreading even thinner the little work there is. And the same problem will shortly work its way up into the A list.
The total amount of work presently available in the industry is not even enough to support our current contingent of journeymen. Until that time when the industry takes a giant step forward (i.e. a new Yerba Buena Convention Center) our Wingnut brother strongly suggests that installers take a preventative measure by increasing from 360 to 500 the number of hours required to become a Journeyman installer. 

FRIDAY THE 13TH
It was Friday the 13th and the dispatcher started at the top of the A list to dispatch 20 men in alphabetical rotation to work at Civic Auditorium on Sunday and Monday both doubletime. For Paradice Display up from L.A. Somewhere between the letters D and E systematic dispatching broke down in conflict with the take out of the Meat Packers and Fancy Foods Show and the put in of the Retail Hardware. 
Of the 20 men who started work on Sunday, 9 were journeyman on the A list, eleven were from the B and C list and 10 additional workers added to the crew on Tuesday were all from the B & C list. Many A list wingnuts felt passed by and uncontacted for this gravy Sunday and Holiday doubletime. 
Once again, the alphabetical rotational Fritzpatching system proved itself to be inconsistent in operation and perhaps even unjust in application. 

BICENTENNIAL MESSAGE
editorial
In this Bicentennial Year it is obviously imperative that we, as Americans, re-affirm our basic commitment to the princple of Democracy and stand up against the tyranny of minority rule. Seven affirmative votes is not enough to make a change in the livelihood of over one hundred men. Eleven brothers voting on an issue that effects everyone is not even an adequate sampling for a public opinion poll.
In order to arrive at a majority view and a realistic concensus of opinion as to what IS best for the common good EVERYONE MUST VOTE.. (even if they choose to abstain). We should begin today to set into motion those changes which will bring us closer to democratic control of our bread and butter.
ONE MAN ONE VOTE ONE MAN ONE VOTE

This note added 10/97
The cartoon comemorated a historical event. Early in the game installers accepted 'soliciting work directly from the employer' as their way of life. To know a foreman's home or jobsite phone number was worth money and individuals coveted that information.
One day, while seated in a Brooks Hall stall, I saw the writing on the wall. Barney 431-5989. If installers were competing for work, this leveled the playing field. So I added what I knew and the list grew. Like an idea whose time had come.

Note added December 1997
To get Union Officers to provide simple job notification in the form of a list of booked events, members had to create an additional full time paid position and write the specific task into the job description. Today installers pay upwards of $80 grand a year for their monthly 'convention schedule'.
Union Officers still refuse to mail copies to working members. Another full time position will be needed in order to accomplish that. Union officers are very astute and give away nothing they can sell.
I provided this one free. Not just as a service for working members, but also to illustrate how easily members are exploited by their own beaurocracy.

The WINGNUT is written, collected and published in the interests of the common good and based on the premise that no one can be expected to make an intelligent decision without all the information

$.25 for this issue and $1 for the next four issues to cover printing and postage. The Wingnut is also in need of ideas, opinions and information of general concern and interest which should be communicated to all the wingnuts in local 510.
This is your underground rag.
Support it with $ and information.