State of the Union May 12, 2014

May 12, 2014 online at www.uawlocal2250.com

• Congratulations to President Van Simpson, who was nominated by UAW Region 5 Director Gary Jones to serve on the Resolutions Committee for the UAW Constitutional Convention that will be held the first week of June. Van will be flying to Detroit today for his new assignment.

• Thanks to everyone who bought raffle tickets for the VAP vehicles during Memorial Day weekend. A total of $900 was raised for Habitat for Humanity. The winners of the drawing are: Lawrence Saunders, Charlene Vercher, Kerry Hayes, Jim Blanchard, Tom Prater, Wanda Richard, David Rodriguez and Bill Wright.

• The annual Annie Malone Parade will be held this coming Sunday, May 18. Anyone who wishes can help ride in vehicles, pass out beads or help decorate. We will be meeting at Gateway St. Louis Buick (previously Behlmann Buick GMC), 820 McDonnell Blvd, St. Louis MO 63042 at 10:30 am on May 18 and will be departing for the parade staging area no later than 10:45 am. For anyone wishing to help decorate the float, you can locate us at the parade staging area which is located on Market Street between Compton Ave and Jefferson Ave at 12 noon. Remember, admittance to the staging area is by entry sticker only. There is street parking in the downtown area and some near the staging area. For questions or detailed directions call Dan Williams at 314-616-2271. Mark the date and hope to see you there.

• From the Veterans Committee: The 26th Annual Run for the Wall will be Monday, May 19. You are invited to come and welcome more than 500 motorcycles making their way across the heartland of America to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington DC to honor the men and women still unaccounted for, from all of our wars. We will meet at the Wentzville VFW Post 5327, located on Hwy Z ½ mile south of I-70 at 6 pm. Please remember all of our Veterans and pray for the troops who are currently in harm’s way.

• There will be an Education Committee meeting Wednesday, May 14 between shifts in the cafeteria. All are welcome to attend.

• Earnings roundup: Toyota announced fiscal year earnings (which ended March 31) of $17.7 billion, but that was helped immensely by a currency foreign exchange gain of $8.75 billion as the Japanese government’s plan to weaken the yen paid big dividends. Nissan reported fiscal year profits of $3.78 billion, of which $2.41 billion was due to foreign exchange gains. Chrysler reported a net loss of $690 million in the first quarter as it paid costs associated with its completed merger with Fiat. Without the two unusual charges associated with its merger, profit was $486 million. Chrysler said it took a $504 million loss on the elimination of debt related to the prepayment of its note with the UAW Retiree Health Care Trust. It also took a $672 million charge for commitments it made in the New Year’s Day transaction that allowed Fiat S.p.A. to purchase the UAW VEBA’s remaining shares of Chrysler.

• Recall Roundup: Ford announced the 10th recall of the 2013-2014 Escape SUV, affecting nearly 700,000 vehicles. There are 2 issues: software flaws that delay the deployment of airbags in a rollover situation and exterior door handles that can get stuck in the open position. Chrysler is recalling 780,000 minivans (2010 -2014) for third row power window switches that can overheat when exposed to moisture. Nissan North America is recalling 123,308 2013 Nissan Altimas because the spare tires may have been significantly over- or under-inflated.

• From the Chattanooga Times Free Press: United Auto Workers opponents and the union continue to spar weeks after the worker vote at Volkswagen's Chattanooga plant, even as the state and VW talk about restarting meetings over a possible factory expansion. "We've talked to the company about a meeting, but nothing is scheduled at this point," Clint Brewer, a state Department of Economic and Community Development spokesman, said Friday about re-engaging VW. The state earlier proposed a nearly $300 million incentive package if VW put a new sport utility vehicle and 1,350 production and "headquarters" jobs in Tennessee.

Meanwhile, an anti-UAW website is charging that the union continues to try to organize plant workers in violation of its neutrality agreement with the company, an allegation denied by the union. The website, "no2uaw," said in an open letter to UAW Regional Director Gary Casteel that the union agreed in the neutrality document to discontinue all organizing activities at the plant for a year if it lost the February election.

It complains about a letter Casteel sent to VW employees dated April 21, the day the UAW pulled its National Labor Relations Board appeal for a revote. The website also cited a 2009 letter the UAW submitted to the U.S. Foreign Trade Zone opposing VW jobs in Chattanooga, and it said the union had been implying that the plant wouldn't get the expansion to accommodate production of an SUV without a works council and UAW. "And you lost the election. So why you are still sending us letters? Looks a lot like 'organizing activity' to us. ... Tell us, Mr. Casteel: What is it about the word "NO" that you don't understand?" said the website statement signed by "the Team Members of Volkswagen in Chattanooga who voted NO."

Casteel said in the April 21 letter that while the union was disappointed with the vote, it still believes a works council and UAW representation "can provide the foundation for productive and respectful labor relations." It added, "we have not wavered in our commitment to helping Volkswagen employees achieve this goal." He said the union has asked VW to bring the new SUV production line to Chattanooga.

Casteel also mentioned the withdrawal of the NLRB appeal, saying the UAW "accomplished its primary goal" to inform the public about "the unprecedented interference by anti-worker politicians and third parties." On Friday, Casteel said in an email that VW hasn't indicated it has any problems with the union's activities.

"Our neutrality agreement is with VW only, so the only party that can object to our activities is VW and they are not objecting," he said, adding that he hasn't ever seen the no2uaw website. VW plant spokesman Scott Wilson said the company doesn't view the UAW's April 21 letter as a violation. He said the letter went out before, or simultaneous with, the NLRB's certification of the election. "It's not after," he said. "I don't think it would be a violation."