October 24, 2014 / No. 2216 Representing aerospace professionals with competence, integrity and action SPEEA works issues on voluntary layoff at Spirit At a meeting hosted by the Washington State Labor Council, SPEEA sought support for strengthening aerospace tax incentives. Shown here from left: Chelsea Orvella, SPEEA legislative director, Dan Peters, Area Rep, Brent McFarlane, NW vice president, Joel Funfar NW vice president (with microphone), and Gov. Jay Inslee (at the podium). Governor responds to question on tax incentives W ashington State Gov. Jay Inslee responded to a question raised by Northwest Vice President Joel Funfar on behalf of SPEEA and the Machinists’ union seeking support for increasing accountability in the aerospace tax incentives. Hear Gov. Inslee’s response in a video posted on the Legislative and Public Affairs Committee web page at www.speea.org (drop-down menu for Member Tools, Political Action). The governor attended the meeting hosted by the Washington State Labor Council (WSLC), Oct. 15. At the meeting, Funfar introduced himself as a member of SPEEA and asked the following: In November 2013, you called for a special session of the Washington State Legislature to pass an extension of the aerospace tax incentives worth an estimated $8.7 billion, the largest state tax break in U.S. history. Labor generally supported your proposal because, like you, we thought it would help our state land the 777X airplane and lead to more good aerospace jobs in Washington. At the time SPEEA, the State Labor Council and some Legislators expressed concern the legislation did little to secure design engineering jobs like the protections included for 777X manufacturing jobs. Unfortunately the legislative package was passed without any mention of design work and now we see more than 6,000 good paying engineering jobs being moved out of state by The Boeing Company. Were you disappointed with Boeing's announcement to move 6,000 engineering jobs to Southern California, Oklahoma, South Carolina, St. Louis and even Russia and would you be willing to work with the IAM and SPEEA to better connect Washington jobs and job standards to the aerospace tax preferences? Share your story Are you impacted by Boeing’s job cuts? B oeing is moving work away from traditional locations in the Puget Sound and sending it elsewhere. Tell SPEEA what it means to you, your colleagues and your families by completing a SPEEA form available at www.speea.org. The form includes a box to check if you are willing to share your personal story with your state legislators in support of a joint effort by SPEEA and the Machinists. We are working together to seek more accountability in aerospace tax incentives to make sure good-paying jobs stay and grow in this state in return for the record tax breaks. In appreciation – P2 What’s your leadership style? – P3 W ICHITA - SPEEA is working issues related to the recently announced Voluntary Layoff Program at Spirit AeroSystems, including the denial of unemployment benefits. In discussions with the Kansas Department of Labor (DOL) Oct. 16, SPEEA learned employees “should not factor in unemployment” if deciding to take the voluntary layoff package. The state DOL asserts employees participating in the Spirit Voluntary Layoff Program have willingly taken themselves out of the workplace. As a result, they are not eligible for unemployment. The DOL agreed to re-visit its position if SPEEA can provide information from Spirit in regards to the total number of head count reductions Spirit is targeting. Spirit is waiting for the final totals from the Voluntary Layoff and Retirement programs. SPEEA will continue to pursue this and other related issues and follow up with represented employees when information is available. SPEEA Connection survey S ince the SPEEA Connection survey started, more than 1,000 have given their input. If you haven’t already taken the brief (8-question) survey online at www.speea.org, take a few minutes. Your participation, including encouraging others to take the survey, will help SPEEA connect with members’ interests at work and in their communities. Go to www.speea.org and click on the dropdown menu for Member Tools/Surveys, then click on ‘Member Connection Survey.’ SPEEA movie night – P4 Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE) Local 2001 • www.speea.org 2 • SPEEA NEWS / October 24, 2014 / No. 2216 President Ryan Rule Executive Director Ray Goforth Executive Board Bob Wilkerson Jimmie Mathis Joel Funfar Michael E. Hochberg Brent McFarlane Earl Carter Treasurer Secretary NW Regional VP NW Regional VP NW Regional VP MW Regional VP SPEEA Council Officers Shannon Moriarty Gordon Yip Theryl Johnson Chair Treasurer Secretary Midwest Regional Council Officers Brenda Reiling Debbie Logsdon Rhonda Greer Chair Treasurer Secretary Northwest Regional Council Officers Dave Baine Carrie Rule Rebekah Hewitt Chair Treasurer Secretary SPEEA Publications Bill Dugovich Communications Director Lori Dupuis Graphic Designer Karen McLean Publications Editor [email protected] www.speea.org SEATTLE HALL 15205 52nd Ave S • Seattle, WA 98188 M-Th, 8 am to 5 pm • Fri, 8 am to 4:30 pm Phone: (206) 433-0991 1 (800) 325-0811 EVERETT HALL 2414 106th St. SW Everett, WA 98204 M-F, 8 am to 4:30 pm Phone: (425) 355-2883 WICHITA HALL 973 S Glendale St • Wichita, KS 67218 M-Th, 8:30 am to 5 pm • Fri, 8 am to 4:30 pm Phone: (316) 682-0262 In appreciation For many years of dedicated service to SPEEA-IFPTE Local 2001, the SPEEA Council presented certificates of appreciation to Midwest Vice President Earl Carter, left, and former Northwest Vice President Ron Shoemaker (shown left, with SPEEA Council Treasurer Gordon Yip). Both Carter and Shoemaker are retiring. In addition to serving on the Executive Board, both served as Council Reps, and took an active role in negotiations, along with many other efforts in support of workers’ rights and collective bargaining. SPEEA Council Meeting – Oct. 9 At their quarterly meeting, the SPEEA Council: Recognized new Council Reps: • B-10 Ernie White (Bellevue) • E-1 Mark Worden (Everett) who moved from district E-25 where he was serving as a Council Rep Voted on the following motions: • M14-017 – Support for legislation requiring a minimum of two persons on railroad engine train crews and support for US rail infrastructure mainte- nance and safety. Motion passed. For: 87. Against: 6. Invalid: 3. Per SPEEA governing documents, passage or adoption of SPEEA legislative or public issues requires a published ballot with a simple majority. Print ballots were sent from Everett and Wichita to SPEEA headquarters for counting and results were announced Oct. 20. • M14-018 – Support for United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 1069 (Pennsylvania) at Boeing in contract negotiations. Motion passed. For: 86. Against: 9. Everett Council Rep vacancy F or those who are interested in serving as their co-workers’ union representative and are eligible, the following vacancy is still available. • Everett (Prof only) – E-11 Building: 40-87, floors 1 & 2 If you reside in this district, meet the minimum one-year SPEEA membership qualification and are interested in serving as your co-workers’ Council Rep, complete and return your petition* by noon, Tuesday, Nov. 11. You can deliver the petition to the nearest SPEEA Union Hall in Tukwila or Everett or fax to: (206) 374-2213. If you have questions, contact Terry Hall at (206) 674-7360 or email: [email protected]. Once seated, an extensive training course is provided. *The 2013-2015 Council Rep petition can be downloaded at www.speea.org. (SPEEA Councils/Forms and Petitions). SPEEA NEWS / October 24, 2014 / No. 2216 • 3 UPCOMING TRAINING/EVENTS See online calendar for details RSVP where you plan to attend Puget Sound Performance Management Close Out Wednesday, Nov. 5 at 5 p.m. SPEEA Tukwila Monday, Nov. 17 at 4:30 p.m. SPEEA Everett SPEEA a sponsor of Kansas BEST Students from Andover Central High School near Wichita are shown here with mentors, including SPEEA member Tobias DiGennaro, a Spirit AeroSystems engineer, busy building their robot for competition through Kansas BEST (Boosting Engineering, Science and Technology). See a related article in the November Spotlite. Shown above from left: Michele Capovillo-Searle, Fabio Capovillo-Searle, Tanner Storment, Ron Engels, mentor, and DiGennaro, mentor. Executive Board mini-minutes – Oct. 2 Attendees: Bob Wilkerson, Jimmie Mathis, Mike Hochberg, Joel Funfar, Brent McFarlane, Earl Carter Excused: Ryan Rule Council: Dave Baine, Shannon Moriarty Staff: Ray Goforth, Bob Rommel, Robin Fleming, Steve Spyridis, Bob Brewer, Stan Sorscher, Pauline Tamblyn At their regular meeting, the Board: • Approved extending the leasing contract for the Wichita office until Dec. 31, 2017. • Approved SPEEA time for Midwest Council Rep Donna Lehane to attend the quarterly meeting of the Kansas AFL-CIO Board, Oct. 14. • Approved SPEEA time and travel expenses for SPEEA Council Chair Shannon Moriarty to attend the Midwest Council meeting and meet with members Dec. 11-14 in Wichita. What’s your leadership style? K nowing about leadership styles can help you work with others whose strengths differ. All styles working together strengthen a team, noted Sarah Laslett, the director of the Washington State Labor Education and Research Center (LERC). Analytical • Attention to detail Driver • Task oriented Photos with Santa at SPEEA Drop by either day between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6 SPEEA Everett Saturday, Dec. 13 SPEEA Tukwila Hosted by the Northwest Membership Activities Committee Wichita Veteran’s Day parade Saturday, Nov. 8 at 11 a.m. Downtown Wichita Sign up to hand out U.S. flags email [email protected] Fall Movie Night – ‘Interstellar’* Wednesday, Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. 13th Avenue Warren Theatre Half-price seating in the balcony/lounge Bowling with Santa* Saturday, Dec. 13 from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Derby Bowl – includes gifts for children • Serious and methodical • Focused on results Free for members and their immediate families • Practical • Confident *Hosted by the Midwest Membership Activities Committee • Logical Amiable • Focused on people • Competitive Expressive • Big-picture person • Team player • Stimulating • Friendly • Impulsive • Good listener • Outgoing Laslett presented this during a workshop at this year’s Leadership Conference. Check out Washington LERC resources at georgetown.southseattle.edu/lerc. Sign up for home email at www.speea.org 4 • SPEEA NEWS / October 24, 2014 / No. 2216 SPEEA movie night shines light on farm workers’ ongoing struggle D ecades after a successful fight to represent farm workers in collective bargaining, the struggle continues for workers’ rights in the fields. That was the message from guest speakers following the SPEEA Diversity Committee’s Movie Night screening of the recently released movie on Cesar Chavez, leader of the United Farm Workers. Chavez led efforts to organize about 50,000 farm workers in the 1970s through multiple non-violent campaigns, including the Delano grape strike, a hunger strike and the march from Delano to Sacramento, California’s state capitol, to protest brutal working conditions on industrial farms. Following the movie, representatives from the United Farm Workers and Familias Unidas Para La Justicia told of their efforts to secure fair wages, eight-hour work days and a contract in Western Washington. “We’re fighting for a better future for our children,” said Ramon Torres, president of Familias Unidas Para La Justicia, noting that their children, as young as 12 years old, are working in the fields by their parents’ side for 15-hour days without breaks. They are urging a boycott of Sakuma Brothers Berries, also packaged under the Driscoll’s Berries label and included in Haagen Dazs strawberry ice cream. For details, see the website at boycottsakumaberries.com. United Farm Workers (UFW) representative Indira Trejo talked after the movie about conditions at corporate dairy farms that supply milk to Darigold, for example. The workplace injuries are crippling and yet there is no safety equipment or train- Shown above from left: Indira Trejo, United Farm Workers, Dave Baine, SPEEA Northwest Council chair, and David Olivera, OPEIU, at the Tukwila hall. Inset at right: Ramon Torres, president of Familias Unidas Para La Justicia, and Edgar Franks, Community to Community Formación Cívica project coordinator, at the Everett hall. ing. They work 12-hour days without access to clean water. UFW is urging union members to learn more about the injustices and sign a petition at http://action.ufw. org/page/s/darigoldpetition. About 50 attended the events at the SPEEA halls in Everett and Tukwila with a televideo link between the sites. The SPEEA Diversity Committee hosted the event in honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month and invited members, retirees, and other union friends. UPCOMING MEETING SCHEDULES NORTHWEST MEETINGS Monday, Oct. 27 Tuesday, Oct. 28 Thursday, Oct. 30 (ALL TIMES PST) MIDWEST MEETINGS Week of October 27, 2014 5:00 p.m. NW Legislative & Public Affairs 4:30 p.m. Women’s Advocacy Committee 4:00 p.m. Diversity Committee Monday, Nov. 3 Tuesday, Nov. 4 Wednesday, Nov. 5 Thursday, Nov. 6 Week of November 3, 2014 4:00 p.m. Council Officers Meeting 5:00 p.m. Leadership Development & Training 4:30 p.m. ACT Committee 4:00 p.m. Executive Board Meeting Monday, Nov. 10 Tuesday, Nov. 11 Thursday, Nov. 13 Week of November 10, 2014 4:30 p.m. New Hire Committee 4:30 p.m. Tellers Committee 5:00 p.m. Council Meeting INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF PROFESSIONAL AND TECHNICAL ENGINEERS (ALL TIMES CST) Week of October 27, 2014 No meetings scheduled Monday, Nov. 3 Thursday, Nov. 6 Thursday, Nov. 6 Week of November 3, 2014 6:00 p.m. Council Officers Meeting 4:30 p.m. MW Membership Activities 6:00 p.m. Executive Board Meeting Thursday, Nov. 13 Week of November 10, 2014 5:00 p.m. Council Meeting This newsletter is approved for posting on SPEEA Bulletin Boards