WINGNUT SEPTEMBER 1976

UNOFFICIAL VOICE OF THE INSTALLER

VOL 1 NUMBER 3
SEPTEMBER 1976

DIGITALLY REMASTERED FALL 1997

CONTRACT TERMS MEETING REPORTS GRAPHS & CHARTS YERBA BUENA TIPS ON TIPS

A LA CARTE

Here it is September and after having waited for the union to notify me of the terms of the new contract I grew impatient and asked a member of the negotiating committee to lay it on me. In the highest tradition of muckraking journalism I pass it on to you . A wingnut scoop. Just 4 months old.

SUMMARY OF CHANGES IN THE CONTRACT
Article IJurisdiction

It has been agreed that the word 'sole' shall be included in the new wording along with a copy of the International agreement between 510 and the Upholsterers that is the exception and which applies to Greyhound Expo only. The exact or specific wording still has not been seen by any elected member of the negotiating committee.

Article IIUnion Shop Membership
Sec. E(re-written to read)
The employer recognizes the Union as the sole and exclusive source of labor for the classifications covered by this contract and he accepts the exclusive hiring hall proceedure (attached herewith) as the Union's proceedure for dispatching installers. The Union agrees that it will, upon the request of an employer, dispatch by name any installer in good standing whose name appears on the Journeyman (or A) list maintained in the hiring hall.
The Union shall be the sole and exclusive source of labor for the classification of shopman unless the union is unable to provide a shopman who is qualified to work for that employer.

Article XIClassifications
It has been agreed to include in the contract a minimum tool requirement for installers.
Sec. F(new)
The minimum tool requirement for installers shall be a claw hammer, pliers, a small and a large flat bladed screwdriver, a 6" to 10" crescent wrench, a 6' or longer tape measure, a sharp pocket knife, diagnol or side cutters, a work apron with pockets or tool belt with pouch.
Sec. G(new)
Journeymen installers will also bring a Markwell (Mll) staple gun. Employers will supply staples and all other tools needed on the job.

Article XIIWages
Sec. A #1, 2, 3
The hourly rate was increased $.65 as of 4/1/76 and it will increase another $.75 on 4/1/77
Sec A #4(deleted)
Sec 6(re-written to read)
A minimum of four hours of pay at the rate in effect at the time an employee reports to work shall be paid as a mini-call.

Article XIIITravel expenses
Sec. A(re-written to read)
The per day travel allowance shall be increased to $21.50
Sec. B(re-written to read)
A $5 premium for shopmen who report to work at a location other than their shop and within a specific radius. (To the best of my knowledge this raduus was never defined to the satisfaction of employers and no one knows its center or radius.)

Article XVIHours & Overtime
Sec. AThe Hours of Work to remain as constituted and to add
A 15 minute rest period shall be taken approximately half-way thru each 4 hour work period throughout the 24 hr day.
Sec. J(re-written to read)
On show opening days an employee may be requested to work 6 consecutive hours before being given a meal break. No employee shall work more than 6 consecutive hours without being given a meal break.

Article XVIIWelfare Program
Sec. A #1
The benefit rate will be increased $.10 per hour as of 4/l/76. For installers it will go from 27.5 an hour to 37.5 per hour and for shopmen it will go from 37.5 an hour to 47.5 per hour.

Article XVIIIPension Program
Sec. A
Increase rate $.15 hr on 4/1/76
Increase rate $.15 hr on 4/1/77
Sec. F (new)
The employers agree that the Union may, within the term of this agreement and upon 30 days written notice, withdraw the installers as a group from the present pension program and substitute an alternate plan provided that the benefit rate does not exceed the rate negotiated in the contract.
It is also agreed that shopmen who are also employed as installers shall maintain membership in the current pension program and all pension benefits which they accrue shall be applied to their shop pension program.

Article XXVII Termination of contract
Sec. A
The duration of the contract shall continue to be 2 years, from 4/1/76 to 4/1/78.
Sec. B (new)
In the event that negotiations extend beyond the date of expiration of this agreement, the terms of the present agreement shall remain in effect until a new agreement is signed and any alterations in wages, hours, or working conditions shall be retroactive to the date of expiration.

WAGES & BENEFITS	AMOUNT 4/1/75	AMOUNT 4/1/76	INCREASE 4/1/76	AMOUNT 4/1/77	INCREASE 4/1/77
INSTALLER
BASE SALARY	$8.13	$8.78	8%	$9.53	8.5%
STRAIGHT TIME
+ 4% vac	$8.45	$9.13		$9.91
TOTAL PACKAGE
+ h&w	$0.275	$0.375		$0.375
+ pen	$0.25	$0.40		$0.55
WAGES	$8.975	$9.905	10.3%	$10.835	9.3%
OVERTIME	$12.19	$13.17		$14.295
DOUBLETIME	$16.26	$17.56		$19.06
SHOPMEN
BASE SALARY	$8.35	$9.00	7.7%	$9.75	8.3%
TOTAL PACKAGE	$8.975	$9.875	10%	$10.775	9.1%

Well, those are all the terms that were spelled out in writting at negotiations except, my source wants me to be sure and add, both management and labor agreed verbally to meet quarterly to discuss topics of mutual concern and if mutually agreeable, to make changes in the terms and conditions of the contract during its 2 year duration. No date has been set, not even a proceedure for setting one.

And, pertaining to installers, the problem of enforcing union jurisdiction over work during the set up and take down of conventions and exhibits was discussed with management. It is covered in the contract by Article XXIII Sec. B.

"The Union further agrees to immediately take all steps to prevent the installation of displays and/or exhibits in any shows or conventions located within the jurisdiction of the Union by other than members of the union covered by this agreement."

Well, as it turns out, the management of Big G specifically requested that a new policy be adopted in order to ease relationships between labor and exhibitors wherein management would accept responsibility for enforcing union jurisdiction. He desired that all violations noted by members be reported immediately to the service desk and pledged that management would resolve the issue.

So far as is known, no action has been taken on this agreement and it does not appear as a change in the contract.

L A UP

In August the contract of local 83 (sign scene pictorial and display union covering the Los Angeles-San Diego area) expired and inspired by the recent negotiations of 510, they struck Greyhound Expo in L.A. during the jewelry show and brought about a quick and satisfactory resolution. They reduced their contract to a 2 yr duration, got $9.50 the first year ($7.50 salary, $2.00 benefits) and $8.50 the second year ($7.50 salary, $1.00 benefits) This makes their salary comparable to ours...$8.50 hr this year and $9.25 hr next year. They already get double time all day Saturday.

MEMORABLE MOMENTS OF MEETINGS YOU MISSED
by Frenn Lee Gossip

May 26, 1976
Special Meeting (to ratify contract terms)

Members present at this meeting were called upon to ratify the new contract terms negotiated by the committee without being informed exactly what the terms were. Dissident members forced the chair to at least read each item of the tentative agreement before calling for a vote.

June 3, 1976
General Meeting
A motion was passed to allow the installer pension research committee to call a special meeting for installers to discuss and select a new pension program whenever they are ready with a complete presentation. The date and place are still to be set and an announcement will be made in the near future.
Also at this meeting Wingnut Sam L resigned from the contract negotiating committee claiming that it was derelict in its duty in not preparing an adequate presentation of the results of negotiations for consideration and debate by the members before asking them to vote on accepting the new terms. He also critisized the officers of the union for assuming that the members present at the special meeting were informed as to what they were voting on before calling for a vote. His resignation was duly noted.

July 1, 1976
General Meeting
A motion was passed to add vision care coverage to the present health plan as a result of the $.10 increase in benefits negotiated in the new contract. One must qualify for health coverage in order to get the vision care plan.
Also, there was a big 'to do' over installer dispatching proceedure. The B A and a group of 'older' installers (senioritywise) argued long and loud as to the purpose, intention and interpretation of the new contract's wording of the installer dispatching proceedure. A motion was passed stating, "All installers must be dispatched by the union and contact must be made between installer and the union in order for a dispatch to be proper."
It was also agreed that the 'union' meant Alice, Art,or Fritz and that an employer may send an installer from one job to another without going throulh the dispatching proceedure. It was agreed that an employer may call an installer and ask if he or she is available for work at a specific time, but the employer must call the union and ask that a particular person be dispatched. This applies to A list Journeymen installers only. Likewise, an installer may call an employer to say that he or she is available for work, but that installer is not officially dispatched until contact is made with the union and a dispatch by name is confirmed.

August 5, 1976
General Meeting
A motion was made by the Business Agent asking the membership to grant him power to work out a settlement in a dispute over jurisdiction in the GESCO warehouse. 510 men have traditionally operated the forklifts and warehoused all the booth stock and decorating equipment and now the teamsters appear to want this work. There was a long arguement centered around whether or not the membership should be able to approve the agreement before it is finalized or whether the members must accept whatever the B A worked out. The entire discussion was made meaningless by an announcement that "local unions could not resolve jurisdictional disputes with other unions" and any agreement or arrangement would have to be on the QT. At this point the motion was withdrawn and all reference to the subject was ereased from the record. So forget what you have just read and destroy this incriminating document now!

Sept. 2, 1976
General Meeting
Members were informed that the Stockton local voted to join our pension plan and health plan, that an underground convention center is not popular with business or labor, and that the unmentional jurisdictional dispute was still unsettled. One installer complained that one of his employers was constantly late and always inaccurate in reporting his health and pension benefits and he was having difficulty in establishing his monthly qualification with the health plan administration. No official action was taken. Perhaps we need more complaints.

PENSION

Progress in establishing a more beneficial pension program for installers proceeds at a snails pace. It is a game played by lawyers, accountants, actuaries, executives, bankers, officers, trustees et al. As things stand (4/1/76) $.40 per straight time hour goes down the proverbial drain if you work less than 500 hrs in a year. $.55 per hour as of 4/1/77. A small premium to pay for working less than others.

The committee however, slugs on at a snails pace and has found out that the CAL Nurses Association has just adopted a new 'pension program' which is very similiar to what the committee has been looking for. It is an individual retirement account for wage earners in which deposits are made monthly directly by employers aand accounts accrue interest at a guaranteed rate (presently 7.5% compounded daily). It is handled free of charge by a bank just like a savings account and individuals may contribute additional funds to a maximum of $1,500 per year. The funds become available at age 60 and may be withdrawn all at once or in periodic installments. The money belongs to the individual and may be withdrawn at any time but early withdrawal is subject to substantial reduction in interest, a large service charge and increased IRS taxation.

Installers with pension credit in the present plan will be able to 'roll over' their benefits into the new plan.

If this plan is approved by the installers one big problem still remains, withdrawing from the current plan. Even though installers met and voted to withdraw and even though a vote of approval was made at a regular membership meeting and even though it has been negotiated into the new contract, the final say lies with the trustees of the pension plan and they may refuse to allow installers to withdraw. What can be done about this? That's a good question.

The trustees of the pension plan are: A Kane*, F Dreislien, A Rodriguiz*, I Heskett*, W W Ward (lawyer), W W Ward Jr (lawyer), Rose (accountant), L Corbett (lawyer) (*denotes participation in the plan) The trustees of the health plan are the same except for A Rodriguiz who is replaced by A Paulo.

INSTALLER PENSION CREDIT SUMMARY

Amount of credit Number of installers

0 44

1/3 yr 15

2/3 yr 11

1 yr 2

1 1/3 yrs 3

1 2/3 yrs 2

2 yrs 2

2 1/3 yrs 2

2 2/3 yrs 0

3 to 5 yrs 6

5 to 10 yrs 6

10 to 20 yrs 4

20+ yrs 2

total 99

TIPS ON TIPS

Some Installers still do not know that different employers have different policies regarding 'time tips'. Most companies will carry a time tip on their books They will pay you and bill the exhibitor. WESCO will not do this! If you get a time tip from an exhibitor while working for WESCO, take the time. Have a break or whatever.

TRADE SHOW SCHEDULE
SEP 19-22	BROADCASTERS	HYATT	WESC0
SEP 20-24	RETAIL DRUGGISTS	BROOKS	K & M
SEP 26-29	CA REALTORS	HILTON	GESC0
SEP 30-3	CA DENTAL	BROOKS	?
OCT 8-10	SKI SHOW	C PALACE	GESCO
OCT 11-13	ANESTHESIOLOGY	BROOKS	GESCO
OCT 19-21	COMPUTER EXPO	BROOKS	?
OCT 24-27	BANKERS ASSOC	HILTON	?
OCT 28-31	SANITARY SUPPLY	BROOKS	WESC0
OCT 31-3	WEST COAST	SHERATN	?
NOV 7-10	PLUMBING	BROOKS	GESCO
NOV 15-18	OSTEOPATHIC	BROOKS	?
DEC 10-12	WORK BOAT	BROOKS	?

SIGN, DISPLAY AND ALLIED CRAFTS LOCAL UNION NO. 510
FINANCIAL STATEMENT  JULY 1, 1975 JUNE 30, 1976
RECEIPTS:    Dues $100,705.69   Reinstatement fees $350.00   Initiation fees $10,974.30   WD-CC ($414.50; fine $100.) $514.50   Defense assmnt $3,046.15   Trust fund reimbursement $900.00   Bond dividend (final) $90.00   Savings interest (defense) $533.53   Transfer from LU 1390 $59.42   Redeemed bonds $3,000.00   Total $120,173.59
EXPENSES:    Per Capita $32,317.85   Payroll $46,531.74   BA expense $7,162.00   BA, auto Ins $659.16   Employee benefits $5,951.52   Supplies $2,122.18   Telephone $19,640.88   Maint contracts/service $177.75   Mimeograph $1,218.53   Moving $166.00   Officer dues $516.70   Legal retainer/service $1,946.32   Trustees $84.00   Delegate qtr exp $870.00   Ticket $40.00   Dues - illness $144.80   Org. - Marriott $200.00   Misc. $960.43   Payroll taxes: (Paid $15,007.36 WH $12,240.98) $2,766.38   Total $108,766.68

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 decison without all the information.

THE COMPLAINT DEPT