USW Local 2-232

formerly PACE 7-232

Representing  employees at Briggs & Stratton Corp. and Strattec Security Corp. in Milwaukee, WI

Membership Meeting 

Sunday July 25th, 2010

USW Local 2-232 Office

8500 W. Capital Dr.  LL 101  Milwaukee 

9:30a.m.

Election for Trustee at Large 

will take place during this meeting.

  Members are urged to Attend this Meeting.

           Well, it’s that time again. I wish I could make this article a little more positive than my last editorial. Unfortunately, the current management regime and overall state of business does not permit such a positive article. The Union and management had a meeting on April 23rd to discuss the relationship between Union leadership and management. At that time the Union was informed that we will be having what the upper management refers to as a “Traditional Relationship”. Some of you may ask what exactly is a “Traditional Relationship”? From what I can tell it is the exact same unfair, unprofessional and most of the time disrespectful chasm from which I feel we have always been in. From our perspective nothing is really changing except that the current company management regime will now instead of trying to resolve issues, will go right to verbal and written discipline.

            These swift and at times unjust acts of discipline will lay the ground work for further and possibly far more severe discipline. In my opinion this meeting that took place was the company’s way of presenting the Union with a formal “Declaration of War”. The reason I use such a harsh term is because the reality of the management regime recognizing any change in the Union and Company relationship, in this case a negative change, is a tell tale sign the management regime will provoke us more so than ever to react. It drives us to fight and attempt to spread our forces thin. We, as members of this Union, are soldiers fighting for our rights and livelihood day in and day out. We will not let this current situation break our backs. Even though our numbers may get lower, our spirits to fight get higher. All of us need to be more aware of tactics being used by the current management regime. For example, in certain areas some of the foreman and forewoman are using intimidation tactics by instructing our members to confront them before meeting with their Union representatives. These types of actions will not be tolerated. Also, another tactic being used by the regime is the unfair issuing of discipline. What I mean by this, for example, you get written up for doing “something” that very well may be just, but then you get angry when your peers are not disciplined, or equally disciplined for that very same “something”. I urge you not to fall into the regime’s trap by turning your brother or sister in to the regime’s puppets on the floor and further create dissension and poor morale among our ranks. I ask you to please let your brothers and sisters know you have noticed a fault or error and address this from within our ranks. If you feel that certain individuals may be unapproachable, then I recommend you to get your Union steward and have them confront the individual. We do not as a Union fuel the regime’s fire for our downfall. As members we are all on the same team, fighting the same fight. We cannot afford to lose our “heart”. We must stand up to the scourge of “Union America” known as “Corporate Greed”. These corporations, including our own, have brought this war to us. Historically, Unions have the advantage, because we are defending our livelihood on our own turf. If I may be so bold as to compare our situation to that of a famous Texas mission known as “The Alamo”. We are 370 brave volunteers from Local 7-232 fighting against a force that has us out gunned, out manned, and far better supplies with the help of the government. As everyone knows after a ferocious fight the “Alamo” was unfortunately finally lost. However their fight, as well as ours, will never be forgotten. We as one of the oldest and largest private sector Unions, with a proud history of meeting the unfair and unjust tactics of “corporate greed” head on, still have a chance to change history by winning our battle at our “Alamo”, Strattec De Milwaukee. I feel with the 370 current volunteer soldiers enlisted at our “Alamo” we can be successful. If, however, we do go down, our fight will be remembered. The wrath and fury of Labor Unions of which we so willingly applied to the asses of our corporate oppressors will be a light and inspiration for others in the continuing war for a Labor minded America.