Branch News
September 25, 2018
Fellow members, I regret that I have to start this edition of my little rant by extending my condolences to Jennifer Miranda and her family. Hildo Miranda was one of the first people that I met when I started here a little over twenty years ago. I spent just about each night of my first year to year and a half working on the sack sorter legs and tray slide with Hildo, Mike Loschiavo, Tommy O., and Carmello Garcia. Hildo and Mike welcomed me and showed me the ropes around here, even letting me sit with them and Del at lunch. Every night there were new stories, new laughter, and some new happening on the legs to keep me entertained. I’ll never forget watching Hildo chasing “Bullethead” around the legs all the while screaming like a banshee at him. I’ll also always remember him calling me “Messier” every time that I would get my head shaved or how he would tell everyone that Dave Moulthrop “never shoulda let that f***ing Miranda train the Catholic boy”; “we ruined you”, he would say. Coming to work was definitely more fun in those days. Rest in peace Hildo, and my deepest sympathy to Jennifer and all who were close to him. It has been brought to my attention that everyone is not swiping onto the operation numbers which correspond to the jobs which they are performing. Listen, I get it; you don’t feel like walking all the way to the time clock every time that you get moved, or you’d have to go get your card from the rack, or a boss says that they will just swipe you over. I’ve heard all of the excuses. Just remember those same excuses when we lose the jobs in the areas that are amazingly being staffed by zero employees every night according to the clock punches that are used for these ludicrous Function 1 Scheduler packages. Some computer keyboard tapping nerd in Washington doesn’t know what the operation does, where it is located in the building, or what time it actually runs; so what makes you think that they know that you are actually working there 7 hours every night and that it should be a full time position? Hell, they probably don’t even know where the Lehigh Valley P&DC is. Never has it been more important to make sure that you are swiping over to every job that you do, every time that you are moved, every night. This mandate is doubly important to MHAs that aspire to make regular. If the jobs go away, your chance to make regular lessens. Something that is as equally important to protecting jobs as swiping over is scanning. I have not stressed this enough, I guess. If your coworker has a barcode stuck to their back, scan them every time they pass you. Tracking is important for the customers and even more important to the bean-counting men of Oz behind Megan’s magical Function 1 curtain. The Union Picnic was held this past weekend and I would proclaim it a success again even though we fell about 25 people short of the projected turnout. The day was nice and the food was good, as always. Everyone seemed to enjoy the games, face painting, caricatures, and fortune teller. Hopefully more of you will realize what you are missing out on by not attending these events and hopefully you will join us at future events. Prizes this year were won by the following: $15 gift card for AMC Theaters (retiree drawing): Lola Daggres $15 gift card for AMC Theaters: Dave Ramsay $15 gift card for Dunkin’ Donuts: Chelsea Marucci $25 gift card for Amazon: Ebony Willis 43” Sharp Roku FHD TV: Jayson Newman The rumors floating around the floor about there being an annex for the Christmas season this year are true. The Plant Manager will be meeting with both Union to discuss the staffing of the building and I will pass that information on just as soon as I know it. Something needs to be done to avoid that embarrassing debacle of a year ago from repeating itself. I’m glad that Mr. Hanson will be being proactive in this endeavor. Now if he could just harass the Function 1 meatheads into some conversions and additional jobs. Next week, I will make available the 2019 National Negotiations bargaining proposal forms for everyone to start submitting their ideas for the new contract. Formal bargaining starts in June, but all proposals are due in to Washington by January 18th. I will set a deadline date for them to be turned into me and will inform you of that date in the next newsletter. I hope that everyone has turned in their “no lunch” request for to the Union office, as the deadline was 9/24. The deadline to sign up for the ODLs and the call-in ODL is September 30th. Please remember that starting in October, we will run a food drive again for the Thanksgiving season. Please be prepared to give generously and please do not donate expired or opened items. I have gotten new volunteers for the Social and Recreation Committee, but I’d like to have two people from each tour. I currently have only one per tour. If you are interested, please let me know. I will be away the end of this week to attend the Local Council meeting at Local 308 Headquarters in Philadelphia. I will return on Saturday. Stay United, Stay Strong- Sean |
Branch President Sean Craig
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