Brothers and Sisters,
I hope you all had a great New Year.
We have made substantial progress toward finalizing all movements; however, I was informed by Chad this morning that there will be a temporary halt to all movements for a month. This decision is part of ongoing negotiations aimed at attracting additional business. Despite this delay, we will continue our efforts to reduce the number of affected employees. This additional time will give us opportunities to continue our work on this.
I have been in communication with Davenport this week, and they are anticipating a hiring phase soon. I contacted HR yesterday, and they are working alongside Davenport HR to gather information on potential 23D options. Candidates for these positions include laid-off employees from TN Ops and Lafayette, these opportunities will be awarded based on company seniority.
Concerning employees who were on vacation during the Christmas week and did not receive their two holiday days, there was an error in coding their recent paychecks. The 16 hours of pay were mistakenly categorized as "regular." If you are among the 86 affected employees, please review your paycheck to confirm the hours were added. If this wasn’t done, please let a member of the bargaining committee know ASAP, and they will assist you in getting this resolved.
During my meetings in Pittsburgh, the primary focus was on assisting Lafayette with several pressing challenges, particularly with their Contracting Out process. We hope that some of the solutions discussed will provide them with effective resolutions.
In today’s election for delegates to attend the Constitutional Convention in Las Vegas, Ronnie Amos, Kevin Kittrell, and I were elected to represent our union.
For the upcoming elections, David Christopher and Justin Henderson will serve as Tellers. They will verify the qualifications of the nominees announced today on Wednesday, January 15, 2025.
Here are the nominees for North Plant Chair:
Jared Marsh
Mike Everett
And for Trustee:
Devin Pratt
Aaron Crowder
David James
Dominique Woods
Jason Gibson will be appointed as the Chair of the Finishing Department, while James Jones will serve as Vice Chair.
Additionally, we successfully conducted two safety stops this week. One involved a faulty crane in North Ingot, and the other addressed severely damaged flooring in the North Truck Shop.
Remember that Safety Stops are our rights and we don’t have to work in unsafe conditions. Both of the above stops had been ongoing and were resolved relatively quickly when escalated. If escalation is needed, please don’t hesitate to contact us!
On January 16, 2025 (next Wednesday), we have a round of 5th Steps scheduled, during which we will hear 18 cases.
Arbitration is scheduled for February 13, 2025, where we will address four cases: one discipline case, one CRT testing issue, holiday pay, and the new attendance policy.
We have successfully completed all the necessary paperwork to launch the loan program at Alcoa Tenn Federal Credit Union. The program will commence on January 13, 2025 (Monday). This program provides several benefits, and informational flyers will be distributed shortly. To participate, a letterhead from the Union Hall confirming your status as a Union member in good standing is required.
Please ensure that this link is shared with anyone who has not yet subscribed. It remains the most reliable source for accurate information.
Thank you for all that you all do!
Sincerely,
Nick McCarter
President, USW Local 309
(865) 254-6252
Nmccarter@uswlocal309.net
