|
|
From the Presidents Desk
Hugh Bowen
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
As you may be aware, a jury in federal court returned a verdict earlier today in the lawsuit Stanley Dowd and Richard Brown filed against Local 286. The jury found in favor of Mr. Dowd and Mr. Brown on one of their claims and in favor of Local 286 on the other. The jury awarded each of them $10,000 in damages against the Local. This does not necessarily end the case. We will explore possible legal options.
This matter should be handled only through the judicial process. As president of Local 286, I am asking that you neither say anything to Mr. Brown or Mr. Dowd regarding the verdict nor respond to the verdict in any other way. It would be best for all concerned if the lawsuit and the underlying dispute be resolved through the courts. It should not be brought into the workplace. And it most certainly should not be a point of discussion or dispute with either Mr. Brown or Mr. Dowd.
Again, I am asking that all members of Local 286 conduct themselves in a respectful and honorable fashion.
Sincerely,
President Hugh Bowen
Now for other matters, the chief stewards will be coming around to all departments lining up times to hold departmental steward elections yet this month. Steward elections will be held the first full week in December. As a reminder, only union members have the right to run for or vote in a steward election. If someone would like to run for steward and is unable to be in that day, you can leave an acceptance slip with the chief steward or at the union hall prior to that day. No one can vote an absentee ballot.
We have a lot of our members leaving the plant and not clocking out, and sometimes not coming back to work or coming back but not being seen by other people or management. Just a reminder: everyone needs to clock in and out, when coming in or out of the plant. The company has been giving all the way up to 30 days off for leaving the plant early and not clocking out. It is not worth 30 days off, so please don't leave the plant without clocking out.
If anyone has any tire coupons left and you do not need them, please bring them to the Union hall. A lot of our members are asking for them and Graham tire will take the extras to give other people the 20% discount, so they will buy Goodyear tires. The way the company seems to be doing, they need to sell as many tires as possible.
The sub fund remains in the same condition with payments for several weeks and then non payments for several weeks.
I would like to wish everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday.Hugh Bowen
Thoughts from the Vice President
John Shotkoski
News from your Secretary and P&I Rep.
Sally Edwards
Information Update from the Pension and Insurance Office,
my meeting with Met-Life has been postponed because Goodyear Corporate director of Medical Benefits, Jim Kruse, suffered a major heart attack. Jim had quadruple by-pass surgery. Now Jim has pneumonia and staff infection and is back in intensive care at the hospital. All problems with Met-Life Group Universal Life (Optional Life Insurance) have been sent to manager of Pension & Insurance, Mike Drahovzal. If you are still having any problems with enrollment or premiums, please let me know.
Jim Kruse is the negotiator for the PSR, Premium Stabilization Reserve, which is the fund which monies to be refunded would be distributed from based on an employee's level of participation and continuos service on January 1, 1999. This issue is also to be negotiated at a later date.Sally Edwards
Pension & Insurance Representative
In The Editors Opinion
Ucinda Sims
There are days when it is extremely difficult to find something to be grateful for. On those days we even seem to forget the givens like health and family and friends. We are so distracted by the quest for something “special” to be grateful for, that the every day simple blessings are forgotten.
Oprah Winfrey, a well known talk show host, advocates often the keeping of a “gratitude journal”. This requires taking a few minutes every day and writing down five things that you are grateful for. Small things. Things that may seem insignifigant about a half hour before quitting time or immediately following that big fight with your kids or spouse. And new things. Something that has never happened before or perhaps you have just never noticed before. And the things we all have a tendency to take for granted. Or that we expect, just because.
Each year we celebrate Thanksgiving as a major holiday. We rush around to make large dinners and invite family and friends and get together for food and football and fun. We say elaborate grace before the meal and practice family traditions such as everyone saying one thing they are grateful for.
I think that maybe it is time to make the fourth Thursday in November a little less signifigant by learning to be grateful all year.
In his book, 'Attitudes of Gratitude', M.J. Ryan writes the following:
True gratitude is a natural response to the miracle of life as we experience it moment to moment, a sense of abundance from the heart that is independent of our desires for the future.
That said, it does seem to be true that whatever we focus on tends to increase. Have you ever noticed that if you learn a new word you suddenly hear it everywhere? Or your friend introduces you to blue lobelia and you suddenly notice it blooming all over?
Exactly why this happens is something of a mystery, but I believe it is because everything is around us all the time. We are choosing, mostly unconsciously, to notice certain things and not others because we just cannot pay attention to everything. As we change what we pay attention to, we notice that more. Scientists have proposed that something more amazing is at work - that reality is open to the mind's causal influence and is, in the words of David L. Cooperider, “often profoundly created through our anticipatory images, values, plans, intentions, beliefs and the like“. This suggest that we actually participate in creating what happens to us by the power of our positive or negative imagery.
In either case, the more we are grateful, the more we will have to be grateful for. Even if nothing more or better happens, our eyes are opened to the gifts that were always there. As Susan Jeffers notes, “When we focus on abundance, our life feels abundant; when we focus on lack, our life feels lacking. It is purely a matter of focus.”Ucinda Sims, Editor
Community Services Committee
Milt Schmidt
During this season of Thanksgiving many needy children and adults in our community will be giving thanks for you. Helping others is what being a union member is all about. And over the last several weeks you have all come together to do just that.
Together, you, our members in production, raised $123,400 for United Way/CHAD.You bought 33 cases of honey bears which raised $1188 for ARC. Thank you.
Together you donated a lot of food and money for the Lincoln Food Bank and several loads of coats and mittens which were delivered to the Lincoln Action Program.
And thank you to all of you who helped collect these donations and sell the honey.
This time of year is a great time to find a way to help in many ways.On December 11th, we will be ringing bells for the Salvation Army at Hy-Vee from 12:00 noon until 9:00 p.m. See me to sign up to help. We will also be collecting food from local schools which will be used for the Thanksgiving food baskets at the Malone Center. Let me know if you would like to help.
If anyone is interested in adopting a family for Christmas, please call the Big Brothers, Big Sisters at 464-2227. They have a list of families that need adopting.Once again, thank you for all you do and all the care you show and share for others.
Milt Schmidt
Retiree’s Corner
Officers of the Retiree's Club
President Jerry Teichmeir, Vice Pres. William Ellsworth, Secretary Marge Lahodny Tresurer Jim Landstrom
Next Meeting Notice
Retirees Club Local 286
December 13, 1999
Pot luck Dinner 5:30 p.m.
Club will furnish ham and dinner rolls. Bring side dish and your own table service.
Bring canned food for the Food Bank.Please note that the December 12th bus trip to Minden for the the Christmas pageant has been CANCELLED. Not enough people were interested. If you have paid for this trip please get your money back at the Union Hall.
We will be sacking candy for the Christmas Party at the Union Hall on December 3, 1999 at 6:00 p.m.
Come and Help...this is always a great time.
Please note: This year we will be only sacking approximately 1500 sacks of candy and goodies. Any remaining sacks will be available on a first come first serve basis on Monday at the Union Hall.
Cope Committee Report
The following businesses donated products and services that were given as door prizes at the recent 1999 Retirees and Stewards Banquet. We always appreciate the support and generosity of these businesses and thank them for their continued participation in helping to make each years banquet successful. Please show your thanks by patronizing these businesses whenever possible. This years list contains several businesses from surrounding communities where many of our members live and shop.
Bob's Tavern , Heidelbergs, Mid-Continent Bottlers, Valentinos, Wolfe Ace Hardware The Steak House, Earl's,Kastle'sAttractions, Hair Salon, Tobacco, HutJoyo Theater, Hy-Vee,State Fair Park Horse Racing,Graham Tire,U-Stop,Misty's, Carlos O'Kelly's, The Isles,Ashland Keno(Ashland),Cornhusker Steak Buffet,The Inn at Lincoln, Residence Inn,Sherry's,Tack Room, The Barristers Garden (Wahoo),T&C Lounge,
Barberettes,KC'sEastSideSaloon(Ashland),OurPlace(Ashland),MurphysQP, Veloci-Tee Screen Printers
Thank you, The Cope Committee
Get Cookin’The new Goodyear Cookbooks are now available. If you would like to have one, they are for sale at the Union Hall. They make great Christmas gifts, too. Price is $12.00 each. Come in today and get yours.
Start the New Century with a Win!
The 2000 Nebraska State AFL-CIO Calendars are available now at the Union Hall. Monies generated by the sale of these calendars are used to support the educational/scholarship fund. If you would like to purchase one and get your name in the drawing for next year, please stop by and get one today.
Congratulations to the November winners from Local 286 in the Nebraska AFL-CIO Calendar raffle. This months winners are
Terri Hawthorne, Dan Martin, Darrel Debrie
There are only a few days left and a few calendars left for 2000. Get your chance to win for next year now.
Notice to All Members
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the members of USWA Local 286 for their generosity with the recent plantwide collection taken on my behalf.
It was and always will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
Jim Hoffman Dept 111
We are Thankful for your Help