Summaries

Online Fliers

• #1: We're Overdue for Substantial Wage Increases!

• #2: Time to Sweeten GE Cola

• #3: GE's Bad Medicine

• #4: More Pension "Gold" for the Golden Years

#5: GE's "Competition" - Imagination at Work

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More Information

• UE has represented thousands of General Electric employees under a UE-GE national contract since 1938.

• We are one of only two unions holding a national agreement with GE.

• There are 13 unions representing GE members which have joined together in the Coordinated Bargaining Committee (CBC) of GE unions.

• Visit the CBC Website — www.geworkersunited.org

Non-Union GE Workers:

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Friday, June 13, 2003

Erie Walks — While
New York Talks

NEW YORK, June 13 —  With only two days left before the expiration of the UE-GE National Contract, the day’s most dramatic action took place hundreds of miles from New York City. Friday got off to a fast and roaring start when, at 3 a.m., third shift UE members in Erie walked off their jobs and got an early start on the weekend. They were followed later in the day by their counterparts on the first and second shifts. The Erie "marching band" performed flawlessly. Befuddled managers could only watch, helpless to stem the tide. Meanwhile, front page headlines in the local press alerted the Erie community to the walkout.

While nothing was going to rain on the Erie parade, the situation was considerably less bright in New York City where GE’s insurance cost shifting mania has cast a large cloud over National Negotiations. And while insurance remains the biggest hurdle, inadequate Company offers on wages, pensions, and job and income security - including SERO - have made a successful journey to the finish line of negotiations like something akin to running a gauntlet.

The day’s most significant development did produce a ray of hope. GE withdrew one of its most onerous insurance proposals. But while this was a significant step in the right direction, the problem is that GE still has a bushel basket of other insurance concessions still on the table. They include massive contribution increases as well as big hits on retirees. Thus, even as the Company was preparing to shell out $2 billion dollars to secure the rights to another set of Olympic Games, company-proposed takeaways remain of Olympic-sized proportions.

As for the UE Negotiating Committee, the morning was spent in caucus sorting out proposals, and readying responses and counters to GE offers. The two sides did not meet until 1:30 in the afternoon. The Company did make reasonable offers to improve both Short and Long Term Disability benefits as well as some useful improvements to certain Article 23, job and income security language. That said, more work needs to be done in this vital area. The UE Committee was also able to resolve a number of other miscellaneous contract language issues.

As we enter the final weekend of the current contract, UE-GE members from New England to California are hoping for the best, but preparing themselves, just in case, for the worst. Much can - and no doubt will - change over the coming couple of days. As always, keep checking here for breaking news that’s sure to come.

Comprising the UE Negotiating Committee today were; Pat Rafferty and Frank Fusco, Local 506; Bill DiSantis, Local 618; Marco Coeur and Bill Wossum, Local 1010; Ed Baran, Local 751; Pat Wojtowicz, Local 731; Dave Dennison and Bob Brown, Local 332; UE General President John Hovis; and Conference Board Secretary Steve Tormey. Joining the UE table today were Bob Roberts, IBEW; Mike Barrow, Flint Glass Workers Union; Wayne Reynolds, UAW.

Representing UE at the IUE-CWA table was International Representative Chris Townsend.