608              TABLE TALK                   712

2010  Issue #11                                                                                                    February

Countdown to Contract – 212 days

   The following is a re-print from negotiations in 2006. It addresses issues we most surely will be faced with in 2010. There will be a reference to a Lump Sum raise on the upcoming survey #3. We feel that this article addresses the issues related to lump sum raises.

We would like to take this time to thank the original CAT Team.

hy the Company should Dump their Sunday Premium                Lump Sum Offer:

Ø     First, there is no advantage to a lump sum bonus it is subject to the same withholding as a regular paycheck so a large percentage of the money goes to taxes.  Besides, any other withholding may be held out of this special payment like your credit union payments and 401k.

Ø     Second, a lump sum bonus only happens ONCE and then it is gone.  After the money is gone you have NOTHING.  A pay raise on the other hand compounds with each wage rate increase.  This means that a pay raise of 3% on top of the previous wage raise of say 3.5% will compound, growing faster just as a compounding interest earning account at your credit union.  Wage increases will continue to benefit you for as long as you work at Potlatch.  The only one who really benefits from a lump sum payment is Potlatch.

Ø     Third, lump sum payments do not improve your vacation pay, holiday pay, your funeral leave, your overtime, or your pension.  It is just a one-time fixed amount.

Ø     Fourth, a better way for the company to compensate us is with wage increases or shares of company stock (Stock Options).  These would be far better than a lump sum payment.

Ø     Fifth, a lump sum is not adjusted for your job classification.  All workers will get the same payment regardless of seniority or job skills.  If the company always gave away bonuses instead of wage increases you would be making less than minimum wage.

Ø     Finally, when buying a house or a car, the bank is not interested in lump sum bonuses.  Lending institutions are only concerned with your traditional income not a single one time lump sum.

Management is not fooling anyone with a lump sum offer. Feedback from members indicates this offer is more than annoying, it is insulting. Which means DROP IT!!  And get serious about the negotiation process.  Sunday premium is a major and essential part of our overall wages.  Days off are important and working Sundays for Union Members requires fair compensation for each day worked.  Sunday premium pay helps to balance the loss of time with our family.   As a company, they would deny us our earned right to a quality of life away from work.  We take exception to that outdated attitude/position.

DUMP THE LUMP!!

KRONOS IN’S & OUT’S  

   Part of our responsibility in making sure we are getting paid properly for the jobs we are doing is that we verify that the time and pay scale are correct.  Yes, it is the supervisor who “Pays” us for the time worked.  But everyone can have an off day.  We need to take a moment to check it out. Kronos, has a way to double check this for any pay period. 

>Go to the intranet… Click on the Kronos hyperlink (right side of page for CPD, pull down menu  for IPPD). 

>Log in the user name: LOOKUP and type in the

                   Pass Word:  LOOKUP.

>Once in- Enter your JDE number, a dash, then the number of cards you are on. 

  Example; 12345-01 if this is the first card issued, 12345-02 if you received two.

>Leave the dates blank if you want the current pay period, other-wise type in the pay period dates in question.

>You should now see a display of your days worked, In and Out punches, the number of hours worked, your scheduled hours (Sch), paycodes if changed from the default (Pcd), approvals (Ap) and the job class codes.   Accumulated totals for the time period show across the bottom of the display.

>You can toggle (switch between)” Rounded” and “Actual” times swipes by clicking the ‘Rounded/Actual’ key.

>ADITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS:

          > ~ Press "Cancel" to return to previous view.

          > ~ "Charge" will cycle through the different labor levels associated w/the record.

          > ~ "Default" view will show the employee's setup.

          > ~ "Accruals" are not currently used.

          > ~ If your computer has a printer attached, click the Printer Icon to print the current                   screen                                       

          > ~TO LOG OUT: PRESS "CANCEL" UNTIL YOU ARE AT THE ORIGINAL LOG-IN SCREEN

Be sure Vacations and floaters are paid in accordance to the contract and OT is paid at the correct rate.

OUT-OF-POCKET MEDICAL COSTS

            Because medical costs have risen dramatically over the past couple of decades, negotiating medical benefits has become the proverbial 800 lb gorilla at the bargaining table. Companies typically want to direct more and more of the compensation packages away from wage increases to pay for these rising costs. Unions, on the other hand, are trying to bargain for wage increases as well as good medical plans for their members.

One solution has been to shift more and more of the costs onto the employees’ shoulders. Three decades ago, employees’ out-of-pocket (stop/loss) costs were very minimal. These have gradually increased over the years. In 2006, for example, our lowest premium, highest out-of-pocket option capped employees’ medical/surgical/prescription deductibles and co-pays at $1,500 individual/$3,000 family. That plan cost $33.32 per month for a family.

Today, our lowest premium, highest out-of-pocket option for a family costs $99.62 per month. This plan caps the medical/surgical deductible and co-pay expenses at $2,500 individual/ $5,000 family.

          To add salt to the wound, our prescription co-pays no longer count toward satisfying the medical/surgical cap. Here is what our plan booklet says: “When your network co-pays for generic and preferred brand name drugs reach $500 per person or $1,000 per family, the plan will pay 100% for generic and preferred name drugs purchased in-network for the rest of the year.”

          Co-pays for non-preferred brand name drugs do not count toward satisfying the stop/loss caps. You’ll continue to be charged co-pays for non-preferred drugs, even when your prescription stop/loss cap has been met.

SCHOLARSHIPS

            Local 712 sponsors three student scholarships.

          a.       The $1,000 Jimmy Guild scholarship is for students majoring in math or technology at LCSC. Both incoming and current students may apply by contacting Mark Renoir at LCSC. 

          b.       Two $1,000 scholarships are for incoming freshman for any school and for any major. Applicants are required to fill out an application and write an essay. Applications may be picked up at area high schools or from members of the 712 Scholarship Committee: Cheryl Peterson, P/R; Fran Feucht, Paper Machine shop and Royal Kingsley, Warehouse.

          Applicants do not have to be children of 712 members.

The deadline for returning applications to the scholarship committee is March 31st.

LABOR COSTS

   Labor costs are the wages and extra benefits (such as health insurance) that a business must pay to, or for employees during each accounting period.

Labor costs are closely related to labor productivity. By increasing productivity or tonnage in a given amount of time, while keeping labor costs the same or lower, businesses increase the value they get from the wages they pay.

All hourly jobs contribute to labor costs including the salaried relief positions which are chiefly managerial costs.

By artificially inflating labor costs for the hourly workforce these inflated numbers are used against us at the bargaining table.

Labor costs are also used to determine manpower needs. Hourly lines of progression are stretched thin by covering for salaried positions which causes overtime & loss of days off.

Management is happy to inflate our labor costs and not hire any new employees while we increase our profits with our increased productivity.  

The Table Talk will be archived at www.usw-608.com. If you have any ideas for future issues, please feel free to send them to our e-mail address: catoffice@cableone.net If you would like the Table Talk sent to your home computer, email the CAT office with your home email address.