Welcome to UAW Local 249

United Auto Workers Local 249

16 hours ago

The UAW Local 249 picnic will be held on Monday, Sept. 5th, 2022 from 11am to 5pm at LaBenite Riverfront Park in Sugar Creek, MO. Members will need to stop by the Hall to sign out event bracelets before the sign-up deadline of August 29th. ... See MoreSee Less

United Auto Workers Local 249

22 hours ago

Sometimes pain is the price of progress
By Jason Starr
On July 25th, the UAW’s 38th Constitutional Convention was called to order by our UAW President Ray Curry. This convention brings delegates from across the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada together to discuss not only our constitution as a document but what it means for us as members and as an organization. This is the document that speaks to what is important to us, what our values are, and how we will govern ourselves as a labor union moving forward.
The UAW is more than autoworkers, we represent everything from agricultural workers to adjunct professors, aerospace workers to casino staff, consisting of locals of less than 100 members to locals of over 10,000 members. The Constitutional Convention is a place to work towards consensus for the UAW as a whole and this year brought new processes and progress, despite being painful at times. Some of the topics discussed were contentious and it was evident that not all delegates were focused on building consensus and the broader needs of our union.
A small group of delegates attempted to use the convention as a personal platform. Taking the opportunity to use their floor time to disrespect leadership, obfuscate the truth, work to confuse delegates about what was being voted upon, engage in tirades lacking merit or facts, and vent their frustrations in a grand fashion at a group of individuals that have shouldered the burden of trying to push this union forward and away from the recent past that shadows us. It was obvious there was an agenda of division and distraction that did not support building a vision of progress for our Unions future, and as such, they were unsuccessful in organizing support and instead chose to twist the narrative for their own gains.
The delegates elected by the membership of UAW Local 249 took our responsibility very seriously and worked in the best interest of not only our Local but the future of our organization itself. Our delegates worked through the hundreds of complex resolutions and amendments presented from locals throughout the UAW to the convention Credentials, Rules, Resolution, and Constitutional Committees. These Committees worked tirelessly in the months leading up to the convention to prepare and present the delegates with detailed reports from each committee. Local 249 Recording Secretary Shirly Mata served on the Resolutions Committee and represented our local at a very high level.
Following the presentation of Committee reports the delegates were presented with a resolution because of the referendum vote to amend the Constitution to outline the process of direct International Executive Board positions. This resolution was adopted by the delegates and the 2022 Constitution will now reflect this change. Additionally, a resolution was presented by the monitor to institute ranked-choice voting. This resolution was debated on the convention floor and was ultimately defeated, and direct runoff elections were adopted.
Day two of the convention was called to order and US Congresswomen Debbie Dingle gave an impassioned speech that motivated delegates for the day’s work ahead. Then multiple resolutions were brought to the floor for discussion including updating the preamble of the UAW Constitution which was adopted. This was followed by a resolution to allow retired members to seek IEB positions. This was heavily debated and was resoundingly rejected by delegates. The proposal to amend the constitution to mandate the rejection of all contracts with tier pay scales was denied and sent to the upcoming Bargaining Convention. A resolution to prohibit the use of contributions from sources outside of UAW members was debated and passed. A constitutional change was adopted to clearly outline the salaries of IEB members and international representatives. This change eliminated the confusing percentage language from the 2018 UAW Constitution. A highlight from day two was the creation of a new Region 6 in our Union. This was passed resoundingly and is a great indication of the growth within our Union.
Day three brought guest speakers Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh, who is a card-carrying union member. Both speakers openly voiced their support of the UAW and pledged to be there with us in our fight for justice. Following the speakers, the delegates went straight to work passing a resolution to strengthen and build on the support of Women’s issues in the workplace and our communities. A resolution surrounding the utilization of Strike Fund Interest earnings was heavily debated and ultimately tabled until a full report from the Secretary-Treasurer could be given on the financial impact the change may have.
Following a debate on resolutions and amendments, tributes to retiring IEB members were presented. One of the retirees was UAW Region 4 Director Ron McInroy. It has been an absolute honor to work with Director McInroy over the last couple of years. His steadfast leadership during the transition to Region 4 was exactly what we needed at the time. He and his staff welcomed us with open arms to provide all the resources we needed during that very difficult time. His relentless nature and focus on membership education has given our Local so many tools to build power. I wish him and his family all the best in retirement.
The final day of the Convention was called to order and the first point of business was nomination and election for International Trustee. I am very proud to report the election of our own Financial Secretary, Dana Davidson, to the position. This is a huge honor for Dana and our Local as it is a testament to the diligent work, she has done managing our local’s finances responsibly and honestly. We know that she will serve the UAW with the same integrity in this new role as well.
Day four brought issues from the previous day to the floor for final resolution including the debate on strike pay. Delegates from Local 249 supported the resolution to initiate Strike Pay beginning on day one but could not support the additional increase to $500 per week. It was our determination that the aggressive increase to $400 plus medical insurance coverage and the elimination of the rule prohibiting working while on strike give the membership the ability to sustain a prolonged strike but also has the potential to create a serious financial strain on our strike fund. The additional cost would have even greater potential to negatively position the organization. Currently, the Strike and Defense fund has roughly $830 million dollars. A sustained strike, at Ford for example with nearly 57,000 members, would cost upwards of 42 million dollars a week and this would not include any strike resource costs. This is an example of just one company and if you can envision a scenario with multiple companies out at the same time it is a legitimate concern that the fund could quickly become insolvent.
None of the decisions made by our delegates were easy, as I said sometimes, they were downright painful. In the end, though, we made progress that I am very proud of. We made some important changes to our Constitution; we showed our ability to exercise the democracy this great organization was built upon, and we were able to come to a consensus on some very difficult topics. To move forward, changes need to be made, and that starts with clear, transparent leadership that is willing to push through the barriers ahead of us to get us on the path to unity and strength where we belong. ... See MoreSee Less

United Auto Workers Local 249

22 hours ago

Transit and F-150 in high demand
By Jim Fisher
The last month has been very busy to say the least for Leadership of Local 249. We have seen several schedule changes during the month of July, and I would anticipate this continuing over the next few months. Both Transit and F-150 remain in very high demand and KCAP is a priority plant for Ford Motor Company. Unfortunately, just as we get into a normal routine, the parts start to run out again. The company has posted for several Super Production Schedules, and due to parts, we have seen multiple cancellations. Parts availability and production schedules are still being decided on a week-to-week basis. There is optimism from the company that parts issues will be improving by year end. If this does become the case, we anticipate an increase in overtime to catch back up with orders that still need to be filled, and to build back up inventory levels for our dealers.
During the past couple of down weeks in the Transit System management simply failed at all levels to process SUB payments on time. This is completely unacceptable and there is no excuse for this. The leadership team was in contact with Ford’s Labor Affairs Department in Detroit and went all the way to the Vice President of North America until the payments were processed. So, everyone understands, it’s the company’s responsibility to pay their employees. The union has no access to the payroll of the company. For a company that’s been making record profits and has thousands of employees here in Kansas City, there is no excuse for the pay errors that have been made.
We have heard every excuse from there aren’t enough supervisors, there are a lot of new managers, the company must loan too many people to different departments, and anything else they can come up with. Not one of those reasons are acceptable. The bottom line is when you come to work, you need to be paid correctly and on time. Nothing else is acceptable. At the current time there is next to no language that discusses Ford and how to handle pay errors. However, due to the current situation and until this is completely resolved, we are committed to raise ever single pay error to the highest levels if this is not resolved.
The plant has seen several issues with manpower over the past couple of months. This has not been caused by absenteeism as KCAP is currently the best plant in the system for absenteeism percentages. There are several reasons for this. However, some of the manpower problems have been for positive reasons. The addition of the Transit BEV, training members for the Transit C Crew Pre-Delivery Department, members being released from the line to begin their apprenticeship training in Skilled Trades, and expansions in the Stamping Plant have led to hundreds of new jobs being added to KCAP just this year. However, due to the current hiring wage and TFT language the overall plant population has not increased to keep up with the added jobs. In addition, during the past few weeks we have seen an increase in heat restrictions due to the time of year we are in and an increase in COVID 19 medical leaves. The shortages have led to the company offering voluntary overtime for Truck Trim and Chassis members by stating that until September 4, all Truck Trim and Chassis employees are being offered to work their RDO days. Those members interested in the additional overtime need to report to J3 and C5 at the start of the shift. While limited by the current language in the National Contract, Local 249 Leadership and the company continue to work on options to help the hiring process.
On a final note, I want to thank the membership. We have seen a lot of obstacles over the past couple of years. Our members may not have liked going through these changes but have answered every challenge. While we have seen the company looking to invest and expand their growing business plans, your commitment has made KCAP an obvious place to expand and invest in. This has helped create a stronger foothold on our future.
As most members know, in July Local 249 Delegates attended the UAW Constitutional Convention in Detroit. While these conventions always lead to discussion on how the International Union will be ran and debates can be intense at times, I would like to say thank you to our delegates. I’m very proud of the professionalism and knowledge our delegates displayed during the convention. It’s very clear that Local 249 sets the bar to a very high standard. ... See MoreSee Less

United Auto Workers Local 249

5 days ago

Truck A Crew Super Production ... See MoreSee Less

United Auto Workers Local 249

5 days ago

Stamping Plant Super Production ... See MoreSee Less