The Marshall M. Hicks Scholarship program is for all sons and daughters of MSUWC members and retirees. This year's program is for students who will be graduating in the Spring of 2000 and beginning courses at an accredited college that fall. Please click here for more information, and please note the enrollee must take the PSAT/NMSQT in the fall of 1998 on the date their school chooses for the administration--either Saturday, October 17 or Tuesday, October 20. If you have any questions, contact your Local Union Representative.

WHAT: LABOR DAY PARADE & LABORFEST
WHEN: SEPTEMBER 7, 1998
WHERE: DOWNTOWN DETROIT

Plans are being finalized for this year's Labor Day Parade. The staging area for the Utility Workers will be on Woodward Avenue between Forest and Garfield Streets. The Michigan State Utility Workers Council and Local 223, UWUA of Detroit Edison will be sharing a booth which includes free information on electric and gas deregulation and the effects it will have on Union Members and our communities.

The 2nd Annual Laborfest from 10 AM to 3 PM, which includes free concerts and free children's activities, will also be part of this year's Labor Day Parade. Laborfest tickets are 50¢ each for food and beverages and can be purchased at the Laborfest grounds. Also, T-shirts with the slogan "Utility Workers Energizing Michigan" will be given to those who participate in the Labor Day Parade.

The State Council encourages all Local Union Members and their families to celebrate as "one labor family together". Contact your Local Union President or the Council for further information you may need.

Utility Deregulation

Visit the Council Web site at http://www.msuwc.org, then click on the Protect Michigan link to get the latest information on deregulation for the state and the country. The News Release section has the latest information, a link to the Public Service Commission Web site, and daily online news sources. In that section you will also find the Clinton plan and initial responses of the Utility Workers Union and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Union.

Temporary Electric Transmission Line Work Agreement

On May 29, 1998 this agreement was signed. On July 14 informational meetings were held in Grand Rapids and Jackson and on July 16 in Grayling and Midland for all interested volunteers. Volunteer slips were made available with a July 24, 1998 deadline. As of July 24, 1998, we received 47 qualified volunteers. As a result of those volunteers, training will begin September 8 for 6 employees from the south area and on September 22 for 6 employees from the east area. Training dates of January 11 and 25, 1999 have also been established for the next group of 12 employees. Tentative dates of March 22 and April 5, 1999 have been scheduled for the third group. Training will consist of two weeks at Marshall Training Center and then into the field for an additional two weeks. At this time no other training dates have been identified. Anyone who is in the Journeyman classification or above may volunteer at any time by signing the volunteer form which is available through your field leader and/or Local Union President .

Safety Update

We all mourn the most recent loss of three of our Union Brothers (Paul Luna, Juan Reyes and Tommy Tomasik). Knowing full well that the ultimate responsibility for a safe work place is vested in the employer, we still must be pro-active in this extremely important issue to try to assure that reasonable and applicable safety guidelines are instituted. The Council is presently working with the electric management and corporate safety on possible revisions or a complete rewrite to the Electric T&D Accident Prevention Manual and the Electric Distribution Manual. In the future, the Executive Board will continue to work very closely with the Company, MIOSHA and the National Safety Council to attempt to prevent further accidents of this nature.

Job Performance Appraisal Advisory

The Council has learned that some Company supervisors may be increasing performance standards to unreasonable levels. If you are having unreasonable expectations imposed upon you by your supervisor, you should contact your local union representative. It is also important that you carefully review your job performance appraisals with your union representative to determine if any action is needed to get you a fair and impartial appraisal. You have a right to, and should, file a grievance over any unresolved differences you may have concerning your appraisals. The Company has taken the position in the past that any actions, such as job performance appraisals, which are not contested, are accepted by both the individual and the Union. Although job performance appraisals might not be disciplinary action, they still have been used as a basis to deny job transfers to certain individuals as well as denial of merit increases. For the same reason, you need to challenge any counseling, warnings, and/or other forms of disciplinary action at the time they are imposed upon you. If they are not challenged, they could be used by the Company as a basis for harsher disciplinary action in the future.

The National Labor Relations Act, which is enforced by the federal government, prohibits discrimination against employees who file a grievance or otherwise pursue their rights under a collective bargaining agreement.

Fossil Reevaluation

The Union's Committee Members for this reevaluation are: Mel Wells, Collin Sibley, Bob Wierengo, Terry VanderMolen, Bill Drost and Council Officers Jim Davison and Steven VanSlooten. The joint committee members have met four times in the last three months. Progress is slow but we are moving forward. Members of the joint committee will be visiting several coal-fired plants outside of Consumers Energy in the near future to evaluate how other companies perform electrical and mechanical maintenance work. The committee will then reconvene and begin the process of writing the job descriptions and the necessary training.

Council Meeting - Nominations

The next regular meeting of the Michigan State Utility Workers Council on August 21-22, 1998, at the McCamly Plaza Hotel in Battle Creek. National Union President Don Wightman and other National representatives have also been invited. Please plan on attending and get to know your Union Representatives. Also at this meeting, nominations will be held for the following offices (all 3-year terms):

Executive Vice President (currently held by Jim Reilly, Local 101-Jackson)

Part-time Vice President (currently held by Vince Oberski, Local 258-Adrian/Erie)

Trustee (currently held by Don Manning, Local 388-Campbell)

Elections will be conducted at the January 1999 Council Meeting.

Memorial Plaque

The Council has put together a list of all Union Members to be engraved on a memorial plaque who lost their lives as a result of an injury while working at Consumers Energy from July 1937 through present. To date, 67 Members have been identified. The July 1937 date was selected because that was the first official Labor Union Representation on the property of Consumers Energy, according to our records. The plaque should be completed by Labor Day and will hang in the Board Room at the Council.

Congratulations and Best Wishes

Electric Service Worker Leon Kaiser from Local 347 retired after 50 years of service. Leon hired in on June 1, 1948, and called it quits on July 1, 1998. That's quite an accomplishment! I'm sure that many of us will fall well short of that achievement. We all hope and pray that God will bless you and your family with good health and happiness during your retirement.

National Safety Council - Labor Division

Council President Ruffner and Vice President Bakker have been working with the Labor Division to develop an Internet Reference Guide and interactive training program. The Guide is online temporarily in its first draft mode for additional input and is a link through the Council web site: http://www.msuwc.org or at: http://members.aol.com/rav0077/nsc.html