September - IAM Local Lodge 839

PAGE 2 MACHINISTS MATTERS SEPTEMBER 2008
She stated in her speech that, “I don’t
think there’s ever been higher stakes in an election
than what we’re facing this November.”
“Barack and I may have started on different paths,
but we are on one journey now, and it’s a journey
to take back our country because Americans do
better when we have a democratic president.”
“We’ve got to start with a president who actually
understands the changes we have to make. And
no one has more at stake in this election than the
American labor movement,” said Clinton. Immediately
following her remarks, a resolution was
passed endorsing Barack Obama for president.
Various Labor Leaders spoke on our Country’s
desperate need to not replace the Bush horror
with a “McBush” and bring the country out of the
failed policies of the last eight years by electing a
Democratic President, Senate and House of Representatives.
We started on the Grand Lodge business
by addressing some resolutions presented by the
Resolutions Committee. Most of these resolutions
pertained to politics, organizing, energy. All of
the resolutions presented, were passed except one
which was sent back to the committee.
The third day we got down to the nitty
gritty. The morning session, 13 Amendments sent
in by various locals for consideration, were reported
on by the Law Committee. None of these
were very controversial, except one. The Law
Committee recommended non-concurrence on all
of them, which means they felt all of them needed
to be defeated, and they all were, after much discussion.
A full report will be made at the October
or November meeting on what was proposed and
why they were defeated.
After lunch we received the amendment recommendations
on the dues increase. The Law Committee
listened to all of the speakers, over 200, and
backed away from their 2% increase for an amended
proposal for a dues increase. This is a version of the
one submitted by many Lodges that would add a surtax
to the current per-capita amount, with annual increases
based on the Consumer Price Index - W (CPI-
W).
After listening to thirteen delegates speak in
support of the proposal, four asking for clarification
on points and four speaking against, our LL839 Delegate
Brent Allen, made a motion to send this proposal
back to the committee for further review and clarification.
That motion passed and it was sent back. Per the
Constitution, they could bring back to same recommendation
tomorrow or a slightly different one, but it
could not be sent back to the committee a second time.
At the afternoon session on Wednesday, The
Law Committee brought back a revised proposal for
the dues re-structuring. This approved proposal takes
into account the needs expressed by delegates and
lodges to keep the current method of calculating the
Grand Lodge per capita tax largely intact. To keep the
IAM financially strong, delegates approved a one-time
increase of $4.00 in the Grand Lodge per capita tax.
Coupled with the normal weighted average estimated
increase of 3.02 percent, or 78 cents, the total increase
for 2009 is $4.78, or the equivalent of just 2.76 cents
per hour.
There will be a normal increase of an estimated
80 cents in 2010. In 2011 there will be a one-time increase
of $2.00 in the per capita base rate and then annual
increases will be pegged to the CPI-W. Local
Lodges will have the ability to set their own dues rates
and collection methods based on their own needs.
Also, provisions remain for the International President
to grant special dispensations in certain circumstances.
A full report will be given when we return.
Howard Johnson, David Eagle, Kathy Petersen, Joni
Pierce, Terry Rodriquez, Stan Chapman, Susan Hiebert,
Larry Stafford, Brent Allen and Jeff Meis.