● 08-26-2005 I had the privilege and honor to
be a delegate July 24 through 28, 2005 to the 25th
Constitutional Convention of the AFL-CIO in Chicago
marking the 50th Anniversary of the merger of the AFL
and CIO. It was something to see that many people in one
huge auditorium drawn to the cause to bring justice,
dignity, with the dedication to improving the lives of
all working families......more
●09-04-2005
Today
is a good day to figure out how to put that puzzle
together called life. We all have a lot of events going
on in our lives. The hard part about these events are
which ones will carry us into the next day and into the
next year. You must ask yourself what will make us happy
and sometimes what will make us sad. Life is just that
way sometimes...more
●12-02-2005 At 12:01, December 1st, union
members went on strike at Polar Tank in Opole, MN....more
●12-16-2005 Polar Trailer Tank of Opole
Minnesota voted to return to work after a two week
strike. Employee are to receive a $2.00 increase in
wages during the three year agreement. Health care cost
for employees and management was a factor in the two
week strike. The Union negotiated several language and
other benefits also included in the settlement.
●08-27-2005 The Basic
Necessity Drive is the brainchild of Local 623
Women's Committee. The idea was born February, 2004....more
●12-17-2005 Even though it
is not politically correct, I want to wish people a very
Merry Christmas. Not a Happy Holiday but a Merry
Christmas....more
●12-01-2005
With the help of our Union Members and members of our
community, we were able to send approximately 1,400
pounds of clothing, undergarments, and hygiene products
to the hurricane
victims......more
●12-20-2005 District 165 is gearing up for
first round of negotiations at Tenvoorde Ford INC. The
oldest Ford dealership in the United States. Scheduled
to begin at 9:00 am in St. Cloud, MN
● 01-20-2006 In the shadow of a bitter strike
by the Teamsters Union, and despite vicious
editorializing by the city’s major newspapers,
Minneapolis voters elected the city’s only.....more
● 02-01-2006 Tenvoorde Ford Bargaining Unit
members ratified their new 3 year agreement 1-20-06. The
agreement gives the Auto Technicians a 3% across the
board increase each year of the agreement...more
● 03-28-2006 It
is that time again when we need our memberships help
with door knocking, leaflet dropping, phone calls and
mailings to our union brothers and sisters.....more
●05-15-2006 When
I wrote this article we were just a couple of weeks into
spring. All of Mother Nature was looking gloomy but a
least it was raining instead of snowing. All the
seasonal birds are back for the summer. It just doesn’t
seem like spring until you see you’re first robin....more
● 03-28-2006
GVP James Brown of the Midwest Territory has announced
his retirement effective July 1, 2006. Many of you will
remember Brother James Brown attended our two previous
awards dinners in Local Lodge 623....more
Q&A with
Thomas Frank, What's The Matter With KANSAS?
IAM
District 165- members
attended the Minnesota State Council of Machinist on
Oct. 20, 2007. It was held at District 77
union hall.
Attending from Local 623 was-George
Jansky, Joe Carlson, Ed Jurek, Ron Roske, Lewis Nueman Jr.-DBR, Jim Kisker-BR, Colleen
Murphy-Cooney, Roy Roberson Jr., Rhonda Studer and
Craig Sthmitz from Local 1575.
Minnesota
State Council of Machinist pictures
●12-01-2005
When the approximately 30,000 individuals in need of
a bone marrow transplant annually look for help,
only 30 percent of patients will be able to find a
match within their own family. For the other seventy
percent of patients, their only hope is to find a
match within the general public...
A
Chance To be Hero
●07-02-2007 As chairman of the I.A.M. Local 623 Legislative
Committee. I was awarded the privilege of representing our
Union at the Legislative Conference held in conjunction with
the “Enough Is Enough” rally in Washington D.C...more
●06-22-2007-Women
Workers' History (pdf file)
is a paid publication of Huck/Konopacki
Labor Cartoons.
●2-23-2007
CNN’s Lou Dobbs has made it official—we’re in the
middle of an economic War on the Middle Class.
Because of this, we have an opportunity to offer a
union solution to the problems facing the American
middle class. In doing so, we can improve the image
of unions and increase membership.
We can do this by getting the word out that labor unions built the
middle class and that labor unions can save the
middle class now. Organized labor can return us to
an economy that works for everyone, not just the
privileged few...
Read more:
www.middleclassunionmade.com
●06-22-2007 On Tuesday June 12th,
2007 a law firm from Minneapolis held a class at the
St. Cloud Labor Home about: ( Minnesota Workers'
Compensation Benefits ). During the class the
lawyers gave out a
Outline Sheet
(pdf file)
on benefits.
If anyone would be interested in contacting the law
firm, please call ( 320-251-8732 ), and ask for
George Jansky or email (
gjansky@qwest.net
) a request to the St. Cloud Labor Home for the
information.
●04-22-2007
At the William W. Winpisinger Education & Technology
in Hollywood, Maryland. District 165, LL 623 members
are attending the" Union Growth for Local Lodge
Leaders" class. The
schedule
(pdf
file) for April 22nd thru 27th
is a very busy one. I am putting some pictures of
the teaches and the class members on the website.
There are two other classes attending, IAM Women's
Specialized Training
(pdf file imail)
and Result Based Leadership
Canadian Territory.
(View Pictures)
●2-23-2007
History will mark that on November 7, 2006, the
Republican Revolution in America ended. After
12 years of rule, the revolutionaries degenerated
into the party of corruption and greed and the
voters threw the bums out....
Read
More
Page 1 ,
Page2
●2-23-2007 It’s
every member’s responsibility to bring new members
into our union by bringing organizing leads to the
organizing committee members of the Local Lodge and
District Lodge...read more
U.S. Families Coming Apart
at the Middle
The ability
of U.S. families to gain a toehold in the middle
class is quickly disappearing, according to a new
report examining the economic strength of the middle class.By
a Thread: The New Experience of America’s Middle
Class,prepared by the nonpartisan Demos and
Brandeis University, found just 31 percent of
families who are considered middle class by their
income level are financially secure, and one in four
middle-class families are at high risk of falling
out of the middle class.
“The cost of a standard middle-class life—a home,
healthcare, a college education—has soared in recent
years, outpacing growth in incomes. As a result of
these changes, it is becoming increasingly difficult
for Americans to enter and remain in the middle
class,” the report states.
By a Thread also found almost 80 percent of families
earning a middle-class income don’t have enough
assets to survive for just three months if their
income were to drop off or disappear. More than half
of middle-class families have no net financial
assets, and roughly one in four middle-class
families have a member without health insurance.
In order to strengthen the middle class, the report
recommends simultaneously building assets and
reducing debt, making post-secondary education more
accessible and affordable and addressing
skyrocketing health care costs. By a Thread used
five core economic factors to measure the financial
strength of middle-class families: assets,
education, housing costs, budget and health care.
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