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Trump “lied his a-- off” , Worker-Union LeaderNearly Throws Up in His Own MouthPresident-elect Donald Trump is running around thecountry trying to convince us that he supportsworkers, and that he will save jobs. Trump’s smokeand-mirrors speech in early December to Carrieremployees had their union leader saying he “almostthrew up in his mouth” after Trump claimed he helpedCarrier, an air-conditioning manufacturing plant inIndiana, to keep 1,100 jobs in the country.But T.J. Bray, a Carrier worker and communicationsrepresentative for United Steelworkers 1999, representing workers in the plant stated “It seemed like sinceThursday, it was 1,100 then it was maybe 900, and thennow we’re at 700. So I’m hoping it doesn’t go any lowerthan that,” Bray said. In fact, as workers found out, 730factory jobs and 70 supervisor positions will be saved.Here are some of the facts:Carrier will still sending away more jobs than itkeeps, about 1370.Tax payers in Indiana will pay 7 million toUnited Technologies, Carrier’s owner,Carrier will get a tax cut from 35% to 15%.So, it appears that Trump chose to reward ratherpunish corporate flight. Trump is championing thetrickle-down theory of development. Provide hugebenefits to companies and wait for the benefits totrickle down to workers. Unfortunately they don’t.300 of the jobs “saved” were never scheduled to leavethe U.S.They were administrative and research jobs,not union jobs, even though Trump kept bragging thatit would be atleast 1,100 jobs saved.Carrier will keep some jobs from the Indianapolisplant, but they will also outsource other jobs. Imagine the workforce: “Do we go or do we stay?” Justdown the road from the Indy plant in Huntington, isanother Carrier plant where all 800 jobs will still betransferred. All the workers are members of the UnitedSteel Workers, a union that has fought incredibly hardagainst capital flight. Some union workers will thankTrump from the bottom of their hearts; others willCarrier United Steelworkers Union Leader, Chuck Jonesdenounce him and his deal, even though most of thisdeal was worked out before Trump and Pence ever gotinvolved.Indiana, like N.C. is among the first states to requireIDs for voting, to re-institute “right-to-work” legislation, and to deny women virtually any access to healthcare in order to outlaw abortions. Do we really wantto see social programs slashed, as corporate Americapays ever less taxes? Indiana went strongly for Trump,including support from 50% of union workers.Election data seems to indicate that it washighly paid white workers more than poorwhite workers who supported Trump tobegin with. The divide between highly skilledand paid workers and minimum wage workers harkens back to the 1920s when unionsfocused primarily on craft workers ratherthan the expanding industrial workforce.This is partly due to the failure of Clinton and theDemocratic Party to offer any real economic change tosupport working families. Plus what are we willing topay in the long run for some jobs in the short run? Taxbreaks, financial incentives, and deregulation will onlydeepen the divide between the haves and have-nots.Workers must meet, discuss and fight against injustices together to overcome the divisions created by theTrump campaign and election.page 5

N.C. sweet potato farmworkers win backwages and union rightsIf you’ve enjoyed a sweet potato recently, chances areit was harvested in North Carolina by migrant farmworkers, who supply nearly half of all sweet potatoes inthe U.S. Although the state’s minimum wage is currently 7.25, the workers who produce vegetables are paidpiece rates that fall well below the minimum wage.In 2014, four farmworkers at Birch Farms filed alawsuit against their employer for widespread wagetheft and other labor law violations. With help fromthe AFL-CIO’s Farm Labor Organizing Committee,the workers negotiated a settlement that included over 7,000 in payouts to the four plaintiffs, remunerationsfor the rest of the workers and a three-year collectivebargaining contract. Birch Farms paid over 200,000.As part of the settlement, the workers won a 3-yearcollective bargaining contract which includes: justcause termination, a pay raise to 10.72, a mechanismto file grievances through FLOC, and the right to be aunion member and collectively bargain.Nissan manufacturing workers continue 13 yearbattle to build a union in MississippiUE150 leaders Nathanette Mayo, Larsene Taylor,Angaza Laughinghouse and staff Dante Strobino got tomeet with Nissan workers in Mississippi at the Dec. 9-11Southern Human Rights Organizing Conference.A growing number of workers at the Nissan car manufacturing plant in Canton, Mississippi desire unionrepresentation due to poor working conditions, lowwages, and widespread safety issues that have leadto the death of two workers in recent years. By someestimates, as many as 40 percent of the 5,000 workersat the Mississippi plant have been hired as temporaryemployees who work for years earning significantlylower wages and benefits than regular employees. Anoverwhelming majority of temporary employees areAfrican-American.Workers at the plant have been organizing theirunion, including building broad community supportfor over 13 years -- and they aren’t backing down now.“We have bona fide civil rights concerns when itcomes to Renault-Nissan and its poor treatment ofworkers in Canton,” said Derrick Johnson, state president of the Mississippi NAACP.When automakers receive large tax incentives fromstate and local governments to locate their facilitiesthere, like the 363 million Nissan received for itsCanton, MS, plant, they should be more engaged intreating workers fairly to create stronger communitiesfor their workforce.The workers have been traveling the world to putpressure on Nissan to do-the-right thing. Most recently, a few workers traveled to France to meet withthe government there, who owns 20% of shares ofRenault-Nissan, which in turn is the largest shareholder of Nissan. In June, 35 French and Europeanpolicymakers signed a letter asking Nissan to adopt aposition of neutrality toward union organizing effortsin Canton.“Workers’ rights are, in fact, human rights. When Ireturn to France, I will be informing the French government and the French President Hollande about theanti-union practices in Canton, ” stated HonorableChristian Hutin, member of the French National Assembly. Renault-Nissan declined to meet with Hutin,who recently visited Mississippi on a fact-findingmission.UE150 members shared our experience withCAAMWU and the importance to build a pre-majorityunion. Even if they don’t win the union election,workers must always fight to have self-organization!

Stewards CornerOur union stewards in every corner of the state have been busy these last few months. There are so manyimportant cases that we have taken up that we don’t have room to publicize. But here are a few of the morerecent cases:City of Charlotte -- Reversed 1 Day SuspensionKim Vann-Burch, Special Transportation Services, was driving her bus when aresident side swiped her, causing minor damage to the vehicle. The managementblamed Kim for the incident, even though she did everything by policy.“I just recently got an unfair one day suspension. After I met with the union theyhelped me get all my paperwork organized, write everything down and even drawa diagram. After bringing my papers downtown 3 times and lots of persistance,thanks to the union support, I did get that overturned and back pay. I encourageall city workers to join the union today! ” -- Kim Van-BurchLongleaf Neuro-Treatment Center -- Unjust dismissalSelwyn Pitt, a housekeeper, was dismissed for insubordination. One Fridayafternoon, as workers were preparing to go home for the weekend, Fred, her boss,approached her and told her that she was going to be required to transfer to thefloor to work with psychiatric patients, a very dangerous floor. Housekeepers arenot properly trained to work with psychiatric patients and often get in harm’s waywithout an proper techniques to defend themselves. Selwyn knew this, and hadalso been informed that other healthcare technicians that were recently injuredwhile working that floor. Then on Monday morning, Fred approached her againstating she was now assigned to the psychiatric floor. Selwyn told him that shewould not go because she did not feel it was safe. She left the room and grabbedher cart to get on the elevator to go onto the floor where she was assigned to work. She was fired on the spot.She had a clean work record. State workers are protected with Just Cause and must have progressive disciplinebefore being fired. She was not given a disciplinary warning, just fired. The union, including her stewardBarbara Barrons has assisted Selwyn to file a step 1 and 2 grievance, which the state denied. The union is nowsupporting her to appeal the case to the State Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH).Caswell Developmental Center -- 5 day suspensionTankita (center) with chapterPresident Peggy Price and Rec.Secretary Sam Williams as theydelivered petitions about her case.Tankita Peterson, a developmental technician, was given a 5 day suspension on hersecond occurance being tardy. This is an extreme escalation of the recent attacksthat all DHHS workers face with the new Time and Attendance policy. At Caswell,several workers were given five days suspensions on their second occurance, andthreatened with termination on their 3rd. According to T&A policy, they aren’tfired until 8th occurance. The union proved that Caswell lied on Tankita’sdiscipline letter and falsified language that does not appear anywhere in the policy,to justify her write up, yet DHHS Sec. Brajer upheld management’s decision duringthe 2nd Step Grievance. The union is assisting her to appeal the case to the OAH.page 7

Caswell Workers ChallengeSexual Harassment at WorkSexual harassment is a form of sex discriminationthat is against the law. Title VII of the Civil Rights Actof 1964 prohibits discrimination in the workplacebased on race, color, religion, national origin orsex. Title VII is enforced by the Equal EmploymentOpportunity Commission (EEOC).The EEOC defines sexual harassment as:- unwelcome sexual advances;- unwelcome requests for sexual favors; or- unwelcome verbal or physical conduct of asexual nature.Caswell Center has recently promoteda worker that perpetrated sexually offensive behavior on several women -this is unacceptable!Over the last few years, several cases have been reported of unwelcome behavior and comments thatwere sexually offensive to women workers. Thoseworkers reported this behavior. In a 2014 case, in theParrott building rather than addressing the personresponsible for the problem, Caswell Center transferred out the women to another building.The harassment continued with other women. Inearly 2016, a man in Byrum displayed sexually offensive behavior including touching a co-worker. A fewmonths later he made a sexually offensive commentto the same worker. She filed a complaint againsthim this past summer. A few months later he waspromoted to be a supervisor.These are not the only instances of sexual harassment at Caswell Center. As workers, we must remainvigilant, and document every instance and reportit back in our monthly union meetings. We mustcontinue to challenge Caswell and expose theseincidents so that all workers feel that Caswell is a safeand a welcome place to work.

CAAMWUThis page is dedicated to The Carolina Auto, Aerospace and Machine Workers Union, which isthe private sector manufacturing chapter of UE local 150After Union Files Complaintwith Labor Board, UniformPolicy Changed - WORKERSCAN WEAR UNION HATS INTHE PLANT AT WORK!Cummins Responds to 2014 PetitionSigned by 540 RMEP Workers,Announces Vacation Carry-OverOn December 7, 2016, RMEP Plant Manager JohnJudd announced the “final decision” from Cummins onRMEP carry-over vacation. Judd recalled hepromised in response to workers’ questions in allOn October 26, 2016, RMEP Human Resourceemployee meetings in past year that he would pursueDirector John J. Wolfe announced that previousthe restoration of 40 hours carry-over vacation foruniform policy as relates hats and headwear distributed RMEP workers. This follows the petition signed bySeptember 1 and 6, 2016 was rescinded. New guide540 RMEP workers in December 2014 that called forlines were posted in NOTICE TO EMPLOYEES on the restoration of our 40 hours carryover vacation whilefront and back entrance bulletin boards as well as team Cummins workers in southern Indiana still retain 200rooms and e mailed to plant employees.hours carryover vacation. Judd announced the corporate decision was made to implement “one time only”The new policy states : “Jackets, sweatshirts, hats or carry-over of 40 hrs vacation into 2017 but must beheadwear, etc., worn in working areas must be clearused in the first quarter of 2017.of graphics/painting/slogans, with the exception ofCummins apparel and insignia referring to unions,WORKERS PETITION FOR GREGworkplace matters of mutual concern, or other mattersBROWN REINSTATEMENTpertaining to working conditions for the purpose ofmutual aid or protection that are protected by the NaOver 100 workers mostly from Machining signedtional Labor Relations Act, which may be in any color.”petition to RMEP Plant Manager John Judd calling forthe immediate reinstatement of Greg Brown, RMEPThis policy revision came in response to the Union’stooling technician in B Encore who was terminated(CAAMWU-UE 150) unfair labor practice chargesin December 2015 for alleged lock out/tag out violafiled with Labor Board on September 2, the day aftertion. According to machine operator Reggie Crooms,RMEP’s announcement of the policy revision that prowho was in machine with lock out applied, Brown washibited any hats with non-Cummins logos and insigniaoutside of the machine holding light to assist him. Inand non- Cummins colors (red and black), essentiallyAugust, NC Division of Employment Security appealsprohibiting hats with union insignia and colors that arereferee found that based on “competent evidence”protected as workers rights under the National LaborBrown did not violate company lock out/tag out policyRelations Act. On September 1, a security guard at theand was awarded 4,550 in unemployment benefitssouth gate asked workers to remove non-Cummins(see UNITY NEWS #160). The petition was deliveredhats, including one worker wearing blue UE union hatto Plant Manager Judd on November 18.(see UNITY NEWS, September 6, 2016)The Employee and Union Member Guide to LaborContracted C&W WORKERS GET 2% RAISELaw, paragraph 1:75, states: “Employees have the rightFollowing UNITY NEWS #160 on August 28 reportto wear union buttons, t-shirts, hats an other insigniaing that contracted C&W workers had not receivedto show support for the union while at work, unless thetheir annual raise, C&W workers received a 2% raiseemployer can show special circumstance that make aeffective September 1. This is the third year in a rownarrowly drawn prohibition lawful. Asking, suggestthat C&W workers have not received their annual raiseing to or ordering an employee not to wear a button isuntil it was reported in the Union’s UNITY NEWS.unlawful.”page 9

Durham City Chapter AdvancesFight for Meetings w/ City ManagerOn December 1, 2016 several leaders of the DurhamCity Workers Union met with two City Council members- Jillian Johnson and Steve Schewel -- to follow upon our 2016 City budget proposals. The union is nowpushing for many important changes to city policy andpractice.We need a new system of worker input -- meet andconfer between the City Manager’s office and the elected leaders of the union on a quarterly basis. We havepracticed this for years, but since recent denials fromthe City Manager, are now advocating for the city toadopt a formal policy granting the union these important meetings. The brown bag lunches the city hasrecently set up are a response to our request for moreinput from workers. However, these meetings areoften during work hours when workers can’t attend,plus they are not set up to actually hear real concernsfrom workers. Workers have been reporting majorsafety issues to the union, which these meetings havenot addressed.END UNFAIR MERIT RAISESThe union was able to get information that shows howunfair merit raises are -- this past year it was managersand adminstration that got 5.5% wage increase whilefront line workers often were only given 3.25% basedon unfair evaluation system. We need across- theboard raises based on seniority, and ability to evaluateALL supervisors and upper management!CHANGES TO GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE,INCLUDE WORKER REPRESENTATIONAND STOP ALLOWING CITY MANAGERTO OVERTURN DECISIONS OF HEARINGPANEL.The Union represented two workers in unjust suspension grievances. The grievance hearing panel voted infavor of the workers, but City Manager Bonfield overturned the panel’s decision in support of management.This needs to end. We need Civil Service protections!Also, workers filing grievances have had a long practice of choosing a support person for pre-disciplinarymeetings and grievance hearings. But since ReginaYoungblood became director of Human Resources, sheand City Manager Bonfield have changed the grievancepolicy to limit representation rights. Earlier policychanges limited topics on which grievances could befiled. This needs to be expanded so workers can appealevaluations, grieve unsafe conditions, and more!Worker grievancefilings win release ofPublic WorksSupervisorIn late Fall, many workers were relieved to hear aboutthe release of Coleman Brown. It is important to notethat he left after several workers filed grievances andfought them as far as they could go. After such a rashof negative instances, Coleman had no choice. Workers must continue the important work of filing grievances, documenting management, bringing concernsto union meetings to continue to develop strategies.

Southern Workers Assembly Hosts WorkersSchool To Uplift Southern Organizinglong media onslaught about the capitalist presidentialelections, making workers feel like almost nothing else isgoing on in the world or at their workplaces. While workersare confronted with a choice between voting for an outrightracist billionaire who hates workers like Donald Trump, orgiving lukewarm support for Hillary Clinton, the schoolsought to elevate workers’ roles in building a social justiceunion movement. After all, it is the class struggle that is themotive force that changes history, not rich politicians.The class struggle expandsLibby Devlin, Southern Director of NNU/NNOC on paneldiscussion about organizing lessons and strategy. Also pictured are Nathanette Mayo (UE local 150), Deb Casey (CWAlocal 2204), Leonard, Riley (ILA local 1422), Gary LaDuke(UE local 170), Roland Mc Millan (Raise Up).By Dante StrobinoWorkers from 12 Southern cities, several workplaces anda number of

N.C. Public Service Workers Union UE local 150 Winter 2017Summer 2014 Workers in TWO Major Areas Win Historic In-Range Wage Adjustments-- Charlotte City & DHHS Workers Workers in two of our union's main concentrations waged long 3-year battles that eventually won historic mid-year salary in-range wage increases: