March 2010 751 AERO MECHANIC Page

MARCH 2010

5 12

Inside IndexPresident's Message ...... 2Political Action ............... 3Joint Programs ................ 5Community Service ...... 6

VOL. 65 NO. 2

Labor History ................. 8Retirement ...................... 9Want Ads ........................ 10Eastern Washington .... 12

Members Keep Aging Tankers AloftMajor MilestonesMembers at Fairchild AFBare critical to keepingthe current KC-135refueling tankers flying

Looking back on theinnovations JointPrograms has deliveredin their first 20 years

Auburn Machinist Barbara Arrasmithcan smile about it now, but her three-monthbattle with her insurance company wasabout as much fun as a toothache.

But thanks to the efforts of her union– and some timely help from BoeingHuman Resources – Arrasmith recentlygot a check for more than $900 that offsetmuch of her out-of-pocket costs, andmuch of the bad taste in her mouth.

“It’s something in our contract,” shesaid. “We shouldn’t have to fight that hard.”

Arrasmith’s issue began in November,when her dentist informed her that sheneeded an implant to repair a damagedtooth. Her regular dentist referred her to aspecialist, who did the work, and billedWashington Dental Service afterwards.

Arrasmith knew that the cost of theprocedure was above and beyond the

amount of the dental insurance benefit shehad under her Machinists Union contractwith Boeing, so she was prepared to pickup a sizable portion of the bill on her own.

What she wasn’t prepared for was Wash-ington Dental denying the claim entirely –even though the Union’s contract withBoeing clearly states that implants are cov-ered, as long as they’re not cosmetic. (Checkit out on Page 229, lines 22-25.)

“Mine wasn’t cosmetic,” Arrasmithsaid.

Arrasmith called the insurance com-pany to point out the error, only to berebuffed on the phone. “The girl gotreally rude,” she said.

Arrasmith’s dentist also wasn’t verymuch help. “My dentist hasn’t got timeto sit there and fight with WDS.”

But somebody who did have the timeand inclination tohelp was AuburnSteward DaveSwan, who calledin District 751Business RepHeather Barstowfor added assis-tance.

“Dave Swan gota hold of Heather,”Arrasmith re-counted. “She camein right away to seeme, and later that dayshe handed me an

District 751 members in Everett cel-ebrated the 41st anniversary of the first747’s flight by watching the latest incar-nation of the iconic jumbo jet – Boeing’s747-8 – take to the skies for the first time.

“The first flight of the 747-8 was veryimpressive,” said District President TomWroblewski, who watched the first flightfrom Paine Field. “The size, the speed,the power and the beauty of that planeare remarkable, and to know that ourmembers put that plane together makesme very proud.”

Generations of Machinists haveworked on the various 747 models, andthose watching the first flight on Feb. 8said they felt a unique connection tocommercial aviation’s most-recogniz-able plane.

“The first one ever landed at San

Juan, Puerto Rico, I was on it,” said DocTueruel. “And it was a ‘Four-Seven thatbrought me back from Desert Storm.”

Geoff Olson said he’d worked on 747body structures for two years, but hadnever seen one fly. He said he’d workedon the first 747-8, as well as the last 747-400.

“It’s going to be cool to see her takeoff,” he said. “It’s pretty exciting, espe-cially when you take part in it. I help putthat together.”

The first 747-8 – now in flight testingat Moses Lake before heading south toPalmdale, Calif. – is a cargo jet intendedfor delivery to Cargolux, the Europeanfreight carrier. Cargolux was one of thelaunch customers for the Dash Eight,with firm orders for 10 of the 108 747-8s

Continued on page 2

Member Can SmileThanks to Union Help

747-8 First Flight ‘Incredible’

Continued on page 11

Union members lined theEverett flight line to witnessthe first flight of 747-8 onFebruary 8.Right: 747-8 takes flight.

With assistance from Business Rep Heather Barstow(l) and Steward Dave Swan (center), BarbaraArrasmith received a check for more than $900 toreimburse her for covered dental procedures.

Continued on page 2Members again rallied to show support fora Boeing built refueling tanker on Feb. 19.

Another Round in the Tanker BattleFor nearly a decade, the Machinists

Union has worked hard to secure thenext Air Force Refueling Tanker con-tract for Boeing. Our most recent effortcame in the form of a meeting withmembers of our Congressional delega-tion last month.

On Friday, February 19, District 751members, Stewards and staff stood along-

side U.S. Senator MariaCantwell and Represen-tatives Jay Inslee and RickLarson to voice supportfor the Boeing KC-767.

The rally, held at theEverett Union Hall, camejust days before the AirForce released its final

Request for Pro-posal (RFP) for re-fueling tankers onFebruary 24. TheRFP spells out 372factors that thePentagon will consider whenawarding this contract.

The release of the new RFP startedthe clock ticking for potential bid-ders, of which there are likely to beonly two: Boeing and the NorthropGrumman/EADs team that wants tomodify Airbus A330s into tankersthat are, at this point, simply con-

cepts. Each side has 75 days to submit itsbid, which means a deadline of May 10.

Pentagon officials are rejecting com-plaints from Alabama’s pro-Airbus con-tingent, who claim that the criteria was setup to unfairly favor Boeing’s less-expen-sive KC-767. Compared with the Airbusplane that would require billions of extradollars in hangar and taxiway modifica-

tions, the Boeing plane is not only lessexpensive to buy, but less-expensive andless -time consuming to deploy.

The Alabama delegation lobbied hardto get the Pentagon to change its require-ments to favor the Northrop/Airbustanker and after losing the fight, NorthropGrumman executives have hinted that

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell thanked members for their support of the Boeing tanker.Joining heronstage was Rick Bender (WSLC), Reps Rick Larsen and Jay Inslee, 751 Sec.-Treasurer SusanPalmer, Larry Marrell (SPEEA) and 751 District President Tom Wroblewski.

Page 751 AERO MECHANIC March 20102

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District 751 AERO MECHANIC ( ISSN 0894-7864,USPS 008-660) is published Monthly except Bi-monthly in December/January by Aerospace In-dustrial District Lodge 751, 9125 15th Pl. S.,SeattleWA 98108. $3.50 of the annual dues goestoward a one-year subscription to the Aero Me-chanic. $4 per year for non-members by DistrictLodge 751, International Association of Machin-ists and Aerospace Workers, AFL-CIO, 9125 15thPl. S., Seattle, WA 98108. Periodicals postagepaid at Seattle, WA. POSTMASTER: Send ad-dress changes to District 751 Aero Mechanic,9125 15th Pl. S., Seattle, WA 98108

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Tacoma 253-627-0822 Hotline: 1-800-763-1310

Web site: www.iam751.org

Tommy WilsonHeather Barstow

Don MorrisRay BaumgardnerRichard JacksonMark B. Johnson

Jon HoldenBrett Coty

D. Joe CrockettRon Bradley

Emerson HamiltonCharles G. Craft

Steve Warren (Eastern WA)

Stan JohnsonUnion Business Representatives

Susan PalmerSecretary-Treasurer

Jason RedrupVice President

Tom WroblewskiPresident, Directing

Business Representative

REPORT FROM THE PRESIDENT

751 AERO MECHANIC

District Lodge 751,International Assn. of

Machinists andAerospace Workers

Boeing Tanker Best for America, Taxpayers, Economy

James CoatsSergeant-at-Arms

by Tom Wroblewski,District President

Connie Kelliher, EditorBryan Corliss, Editor

At long last, the Penta-gon has issued its final Re-quest for Proposal (RFP)for tankers. Maybe this timethings will happen.

It’s been a long andtwisted road to get to thispoint. I won’t bore you by recapping allthe times we thought we’d finally wonthe tanker. But it often feels to me likethe movie Groundhog Day – for nineyears we’ve done all that we could, so isthis finally the morning when we wakeup and things will be different?

We’ve stood beside Boeing in the tankerfight for all these years and know it is theright decision.

We’ve always felt that the KC-767tanker favored by Boeing was the rightplane for the military. Northrop Grummanlikes to talk about how its Airbus tankerhas more cargo capacity, but the Air Forceneeds a refueling plane, not some weirdhybrid “multi-mission tanker/transport”that doesn’t carry cargo or pass fuel as wellas a purpose-built plane.

We’ve always known that the Boeingplane was a better option for taxpayers aswell. Not only is the KC-767 itself lessexpensive than the competing Airbusplane, but going with Boeing means thatthe Air Force won’t have to spend bil-lions more rebuilding airports and hang-ers to accommodate the oversized KC-30. Fiscally, it’s the smarter option.

And we know that it’s a better optionfor America. With nearly 31 millionAmericans out of work completely, orworking only part-time after losing full-time jobs, we need the kind of economicstimulus that only an all-American tanker

can provide. Sure, the Northrop/Airbus tanker would create someAmerican jobs – but the Boeingtanker creates more, and in themidst of this Great Recession,that’s got to be a consideration.

And that comes back to the big-gest reason why we’ve supportedBoeing for all these years – a Boeingtanker means jobs for District 751

members. Winning the tanker contractwould mean that our members in Everettand Auburn – and those who work atTriumph Composites in Spokane and BAEin Everett – will be building 767s and 767parts for most of the next two decades.

Finally, we know that the Boeing tankeris the more-practical option. It just makesmore sense to have the world’s best aero-space workers build these planes, in exist-ing factories with long-established supplychains, rather than go with the competingplan to have untrained workers who haven’tbeen hired, assembling planes in an as-yet-unbuilt factory from parts machined inEurope and shipped to America. The newAir Force tankers are too important to riskon that kind of untested, one-of-kind, trans-Atlantic joint venture.

The tanker battle is far from over, ofcourse. We’ve still got a lot of work to doto convince the Pentagon and Congress –and really all Americans – of the truthabout our tanker. And we’ll do this as oneteam, united in solidarity, from our locallodge officers in Puget Sound and Spokaneto our International President. OurIAM&AW brothers and sisters at the GrandLodge level have been beside us all the waythrough this long struggle and their supportwill be crucial once again.

We’ll certainly need your support, sobe ready when we call on you – one moretime – to let your elected representatives

know that a Boeing-built tanker is theonly option for America, its military, itstaxpayers and its economy.

As our 75th anniversary year contin-ues, it’s important to note another keymilestone, that being the start of a thirddecade for IAM/Boeing Joint Programs.

Joint Programs was launched in 1989,as two separate initiatives: the Healthand Safety Institute and the QualityThrough Training Program, which werelater merged into one.

Both were cooperative efforts by theBoeing Co. and this union to improvetraining and safety for workers in thefactory. In the two decades since, JointPrograms has pioneered all kinds of co-operative programs to improve the safetyand productivity of our members, fromhealth and safety site committees at allBoeing’s major facilities, to career plan-ning and education assistance.

Many of these programs have been inplace for so long we’ve started taking themfor granted. We shouldn’t – all the benefitsthat Joint Programs brings to our memberswere the fruits of hard bargaining.

Joint Programs is also a fine example ofwhat can happen when Boeing manage-ment partners with this union. By workingtogether, we’ve been able to cut injuriesand increase productivity – both of whichare factors that contribute directly toBoeing’s bottom line. I firmly believe thatif we could build on the cooperation weenjoy with the company in Joint Programs,then all Boeing’s shareholders and work-ers would both reap great benefits.

Finally, the other big news in Februarywas the first flight of the 747-8, whichcame one day shy of the 41st anniversary ofthe first 747’s maiden voyage.

It was an incredibly proud momentfor me, watching it take off and fly. This

newest 747 model is bigger, more pow-erful and quieter than any of its prede-cessors, and it is a testament to the skillsand ability of the thousands of District751 members who work on it now, orhave worked on it in the past.

Our members have been building 747sfor more than four decades, and eachnew generation has brought new skills tothe table. That’s helped Boeing keep theairplane fresh. While other planeslaunched in 1969 – like the Concord —are sitting in museums, the 747 is flyingproudly into a new century, thanks to thetalent and dedication of our members.

The 747-8’s first flight was just onemore example of how District 751 mem-bers are “First in Aerospace,” and I’d liketo offer my heart-felt congratulations toeveryone who worked on the new jumbojet. You – and that airplane – are incredible.

now on order.Boeing has sold a respectable 76 747-

8F freighters, but sales of the passengermodel – the 747-8I Intercontinental —have been slow, with Lufthansa andKorean Air being the only airline buyers.Boeing also has a net seven orders for abusiness jet version of the plane.

The global economic crisis has weak-ened demand for both the passenger andcargo versions, Boeing CEO JimMcNerney acknowledged. But he toldinvestors at a February conference inNew York that he expects more orderssoon, particularly for freighters.

“You’re going to see some thaw inthis market this year toward the secondhalf of this year,” he said. “You’ll seesome orders that are in the midst ofdiscussions right now.”

Boeing mayhave built 747s forfour decades, butthe Dash Eight rep-resented a whole-new challenge,said RichardPerreault, one ofthe mechanics whoworked on the pro-gram.

“Just think ofthe grief at first,”Perreault said, ashe and other 747co-workers lis-tened to the jet’sengines spool up inthe minutes before the first flight. “Wehad new people, new procedures.”

When the big day finally came, the firstflight itself was delayed morethan two hours by heavy cloudsover Paine Field.

No matter, said JoeQuintanilla, a structures me-chanic who volunteered withhis wife, Cynthia, to do crowdcontrol during the first flight.“We just had to wait for thesky to open up.”

The weather delay made fora long wait alongside the run-way on a damp, chilly morning.But after months of hard workand long hours of overtime, the747 team wasn’t about to missthat first flight, said Kevin

Weiderstrom. “It’s been a long wait,” hesaid. “We earned this.”

It was a proud moment, saidQuintanilla. “I built this. I put it to-gether,” he said. “We’re really excited todo a passenger plane too.”

Given all the hard work that went intobuilding Boeing’s first 21st century jumbojet, all District 751 Machinists should beproud, Wroblewski said. Their effort provedthem worthy heirs to those original Incredibleswho built the first 747s 41 years ago – andsaved the Boeing Co. in the process.

“Today’s first flight is a testament tothe best aerospace workers in the world,who are located right here in PugetSound,” he said. “The 747-8, and theMachinists Union members who buildit, are nothing short of incredible.”

Continued from page 1

747-8 First Flight ‘Incredible’

A flight line mechanic crossing the runway as the 747-8taxis for takeoff is dwarfed by the new jumbo jet.Inset above: Kevin Weiderstrom, who has worked lots oflong hours to prepare the 747-8 beamed with pride as hewitnesed the first flight.

L to R: Doc Tueruel, Geoff Olson and ChrisDeLisle talk about their role in the 747-8while they wait for the first flight.

March 2010 751 AERO MECHANIC Page 3

POLITICAL ACTION

On February 4, a delegation of District751 members strongly urged the Commu-nity Transit board of directors at a publichearing to reconsider plans to shut downearly-morning bus routes that workers relyon to get to Boeing’s Everett facilities.

Without the bus service, “the already-difficult parking situation at the Boeingplant will become nearly impossible,”Business Rep Jon Holden told the board.“Without Community Transit service,the clogged Mukilteo Speedway willbecome nearly impassable.”

More than 150 people packed thehearing to give input. The board is set tovote on the proposals March 4. If ap-proved, changes take affect in June.

The transit board is wrestling with aprojected $5 million budget shortfall for2010. As reported last month, to dealwith the shortfall, administrators pro-pose eliminating all Sunday and holidayservice, plus most weekday service be-fore 6 a.m. Two routes that ferry anestimated 600 workers from Gold Barand Stanwood into the Boeing site alsoare on the chopping block.

Given the economic realities some ser-

vice cutbacks are inevitable, District 751leaders concede. But the proposed cutswould create a special hardship for unionmembers who work at Boeing, given thatthousands of them start work well beforethe 6 a.m. start time proposed by Commu-nity Transit management.

“Most of us are at work at 6 a.m. – westart at 5:30,” Steward Brett Sancheztold the board.

By cutting that early-morning ser-vice, “you’re going to be losing money,you’re not going to have people ridingthe bus in the afternoon,” he said.

The agency is promoting van pools toreplace buses, but they just can’t meetthe need, added Steward Steve Johnson,who described the morning traffic jamson the trestle where U.S. Highway 2meets Interstate 5. He gets caught theremost mornings in his van pool, he said,and “the buses that run past us are al-ready full of Boeing workers.”

Cutting back on service will onlymake things worse, Johnson said. “Park-ing at Boeing is horrible and the high-ways to the plant are jammed solid.”

The IAM delegation loudly applauded

Spokane will be able to complete an-other four miles of its long-delayed NorthSpokane Corridor, thanks to $35 millionin federal dollars from the so-calledObama stimulus package.

That’s good news for members ofLocal 86 in Spokane, who for decadeshave waited for state and local officialsto complete the north-south route throughthe heart of Spokane, linking Interstate90 to U.S. Highway 395.

The corridor expansion “will save ship-pers both time and money while freeingSpokane motorists from avoidable trafficcongestion and relieving much of the 2.4million pounds of carbon dioxide gener-ated when the large rigs creep from inter-section to intersection and sometimes tieup traffic through multiple signal changeswhile they navigate their semis throughtight turns,” according to the editorial boardof the Spokesman-Review newspaper —where the workers who run the presses areLocal 86 members.

Local 86 also represents mechanics atKenworth Sales, Penske Truck Leasing,Cummins Northwest, United Parcel Ser-vices and B&B Truck Services — all com-panies that have a vested interest in im-proving routes for trucks hauling freightthrough eastern Washington’s largest city.

The Spokane project is ”exactly the typeof project I had in mind when working tocreate this grant program,” said U.S. Sen.Patty Murray, who announced that Spokanehad won the funding. “This project putspeople to work, improves safety, reducescongestion, and helps build a more eco-nomically vibrant and competitive region.”

the testimony of Boeing manager DougSimmons. The bus he rides in fromStanwood is one of the routes Commu-nity Transit has proposed cutting, eventhough it’s packed full to standing,Simmons said.

“Everybody’s loading up inStanwood. That’s where you’re gettingall your people,” he said. “We’ll take afare increase – I just hope you’ll considerother options.”

Holden urged the board to delay adecision until the Legislature has time toact on a proposal that would allow Com-munity Transit to temporarily collectnew fees, which would be enough to fillthe budget gap.

Cutting commuter service toSnohomish County’s largest employerin the midst of a recession is a mistake,the Machinists said.

“As far as I can see, if these cuts aremade, citizens may not be able to go towork, citizens will pay more in fuel costs,this will keep patrons off Community Tran-sit buses, and it will discourage ridership –forever,” Holden told the board. “None ofthese help bring us out of this recession.”

Steward SteveJohnson (l) urged theCommunity Transitboard to keep earlymorning buses toBoeing Everett.Inset: Business RepJon Holden stressedthe cuts would makeparking and traffic atthe Everett plantmuch worse.

Members Urge Reconsideration of Proposed Bus Cuts

Stimulus Fundsfor Spokane

Congressman Inslee (l) talks withmember Jeff Katzele about the tanker.

Continued from page 3

Steward Robin Johnston (r) conveys hisconcerns to Congressman Larsen and 751Political Director Larry Brown.

Another Round in the Ongoing Tanker Battlethey may not bother to submit a bid.

“Why would a customer change theirrequirements so a certain company’sproducts can be considered?” questionedDistrict President Tom Wroblewski.“What our military needs should comefirst, and we know that means selectingthe Boeing-built tanker.”

At the Feb. 19 rally, Wroblewskithanked Senator Cantwell and Represen-tatives Inslee and Larsen for their effortsand also acknowledged the leadership ofSenator Patty Murray and CongressmanNorm Dicks in this long struggle to securethe right tanker for the U.S. Air Force. Healso applauded the tremendous effort ourmembers have put into this battle.

Once the bids close on May 10, thePentagon will spend the next 120 daysreviewing them before awarding the con-tract, which is expected to be worth about$35 billion. Officials said they expect tomake an announcement on who will buildthe next-generation tanker sometime inmid-September.

“This is going to be an objectivecompletion,” Deputy Defense Secretary

William Lynn said. “It is going to be fair.It is going to be open.” He also vowed toresist political pressure and “play thisstraight down the middle.”

To enhance our changes, District 751has been participating in the WashingtonAerospace Partnership (WAP), a coalitionof business, labor and government leaderspushing for a Boeing tanker and reachingout to other states for support. The grouphas also launched the websitewww.ustanker2010.com. In addition, Gov-ernor Chris Gregoire led a press confer-ence on Feb. 22 that included governorsfrom eight other states who are pushing fora Boeing tanker.

While support for a Boeing tankercontinues to build, look for new groupsto spring up and attempt to influence thedecision.

One such group that surfaced at theend of February is the “Build ThemBoth” coalition, which urged Congressand the Pentagon for a split-buy to dilutethe taxpayer’s tanker dollars. This groupclaims to be a grass-roots coalition ofconcerned citizens who only want what’sbest for the Air Force, but they have

hired a high-profile political op-erative to lead their D.C. lobby-ing efforts – making their effortlook anything but grassroots.Their well-polished campaignhas sprung up overnight, signal-ing that someone has poured a lotof money into it, but they haveyet to disclose who.

Fortunately, the Pentagon in-sists that it’s not interested insplitting the tanker contract —sentiments top Air Force offi-cials repeated just this week.Anyone who has experience in

the aerospace industry, as our membershere in Puget Sound do, understandswhy. The world’s most profitable air-lines only operate one type of plane intheir fleet, because it cuts down on sparepart costs and training requirements.

After reviewing the final RFP,Boeing’s backers said they were confi-dent that the KC-767 would be the rightplane for the Air Force.

“I’m pleased with what I heard,” saidU.S. Rep. Jay Inslee. “As far as thespecifics of the proposal, we’re verymuch in the game.”

U.S. Sen. Patty Murray agreed, andvowed close oversight to ensure the AirForce lives up to its promise to be “fairand transparent.”

And U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell deliv-ered good news to District 751 mem-bers: She told reporters that Boeing haspromised her that it will build the tankersin Everett and modify them in Wichita,which specifically rules out any chanceof building them in South Carolina.

“Given a fair shot, Washington state’s

workers will bring home this contract,”Murray said. “We have the skills, the tech-nology, and the experience of having builtthe only combat-ready tanker to prove it.”

District President Tom Wroblewskideclared “We will keep up our efforts untilour members are finally building theserefueling tankers. We know its the rightplane, our Congressional delegation knowsit, and soon the Air Force will acknowledgethat too by awarding the contract to Boeing.”

Senator Maria Cantwell talks with concerned members at the Everett Hall onher efforts to secure the Boeing tanker contract.

Page 751 AERO MECHANIC March 20104

A new display at the Seattle Union Hall tracks the history of District 751through the pins and badges members have worn on their chests over thepast 75 years.

The pins – all of them donated by members – tell the story of howMachinists have tackled the issues confronting them over the decades,said Tom Lux, the chairman of the District’s Labor History Committee,and one of the people who helped assemble the display over a period ofseveral months, starting last fall.

“It’s just a visual reminder of where we’ve come from, “ said Lux.The collection includes a lot of buttons showing support for politi-

cians who have backed the cause of labor since 1935, as well as othersworn by people opposed to anti-Union politicians.

Other pins show support for candidates in races for union officeswith both the IAM and the American Federation of Labor.

Likewise, there are a lot of solidarity pins from contract talks and strikes,dating back to the 1980 Boeing contract. Others were worn in solidaritywith other Unions — like the United Farmworkers, CommunicationWorkers of America and SPEEA – as they fought for fair contracts.

But the collection also shows the evolution of day-to-day Unionactivity. Some of the oldest buttons, Lux said, are those worn byMachinists during the 1930s to show they were full dues-payingmembers able to vote in Union elections – an important point in the dayswhen not every mechanic at Boeing was part of the Union.

There are also a number of Steward’s badges from the ‘30s and ‘40s,Lux said.

The display went up in December in the hallway outside the Stewards’Hall in Seattle, taking its place alongside other labor history displays.

“It’s a different way to look back on some of the events we’ve beeninvolved in,” said Lux. “A lot of our members collect buttons and thiswas a way to display them and share them.”

District 751 is one of the first units ofthe International Association of Machin-ists to have actively embraced UCubed,a nationwide initiative of the IAM&AWto aid unemployed Americans.

District 751 staffers distributed infor-mation and recruited UCubed membersat a series of “resource fairs” organizedfor jobless people in Snohomish Countyin February.

“It’s a communications tool amongstthemselves, with the hope that there’ll beenough people tojoin the cube to bean influence onOlympia andWashington D.C.for jobs,” said ErnieMcCarthy, a Dis-trict 751 organizerwho took part in theresource fairs.

The fairs wereheld in Everett, Marysville andLynnwood, and were sponsored by theSnohomish County government and lo-cal aid agencies. The goal was to letunemployed people know about a widerange of services available to help themfind jobs, get training for new careers orto just survive during this Great Reces-sion.

Offerings ranged from free flu shots forunemployed people to resumé-writingworkshops to free tax-filing assistance tohelp jobless people get bigger returns.

Soaring unemployment ratesprompted the effort, officials said.Snohomish County’s official jobless ratehit 10.3 percent in December (the most-recent month for which data was re-ported). That’s higher than the statewideaverage of 9.5 percent, and translatesinto more than 39,000 people out ofwork. It doesn’t count the number of

Applications will be accepted for the IAM/Boeing Joint Apprenticeship Program April 1,2010 through April 30, 2010.

Applications will be accepted for the follow-ing trades:• Cellular Manufacturing Machinist• Composite Manufacturing Technician• Machine Tool Maintenance Mechanic• Industrial Electronic Maintenance Technician• Model Maker• NC Spar Mill Operator• Tool & Cutter Grinder

To obtain an applica-tion, call the apprentice-ship office at 253-657-2518 between April 1stand April 30th – or printan application from theweb at http://www.iam-b o e i n g . c o m /apprenticeship.cfm.

To qualify, you must:• Be at least 18 years

of age.• Be a current Puget

Sound area Boeing em-ployee, or a previousPuget Sound areaBoeing employee on theactive payroll within thepast eight years of thecurrent application acceptance period (employedany time after January 2001 for the currentapplication period).

• Have a GED or a high school diploma.• Have US person status.• Meet specific defined vocational training

and/or trade-related work-experience require-

ments for the apprenticeship program beingapplied for. A list of minimum requirementswill be sent to eligible applicants upon request.

• Be able to perform the physical require-ments of the apprenticeship. For the IndustrialElectronic Maintenance Technician Program,applicants must be able to distinguish betweenprimary colors.

Apprenticeship programs are 8,000 or 10,000hours in length andinclude mandatoryoff-hour, unpaidclassroom training.Paid on-the-jobtraining by skilledjourneymen pro-vides apprenticeswith high demandindustry standardskills and knowl-edge.

The recruitment,selection, employ-ment and training ofapprentices is with-out discriminationbased upon race,color, religion, sex,age, national originor the presence of adisability.

A Preparing for an Apprenticeship packetdetailing the prerequisites for each trade will besent to those interested in applying. This informa-tion is also available on the apprenticeship websiteat http://apprenticeship.web.boeing.com.

The program is co-sponsored by the IAM/Boeing Joint Apprenticeship Committee.

people who are working less than full-time, or who have given up on finding ajob altogether.

“We’ve got to do something for peoplewho are out of work,” said Carl Zapora,the CEO of United Way of SnohomishCounty. “We can’t just sit back and waitfor things to get better.”

More than 200 people showed up foreach event, he said, with attendance get-ting bigger as word-of-mouth spread.“We’re reaching 500, 600, 700 people

who are gettingsome valuabletools.”

Membership inUCubed – for-mally called “UrUnion of Unem-ployed” —wasone of them.

The IAM&AWlaunched the new

union for unemployed people in January.The union cited a need to do something tohelp the more than 31 million Americanswho are out of work completely or haveseen their hours significantly slashed as aresult of the economic meltdown.

It is organized around a simple con-cept: unemployed people join six-per-son “cubes” with other out-of-workpeople in their ZIP codes. The peoplewithin the cubes then share job-huntingtips and provide moral support to eachother as they try to make it through thecurrent economic crisis.

UCubed also provides links to onlinejob-finding tools, including resumé-writ-ing tips and advice on how and where tofind work. And people who join UCubedget access to the Machinists Mall, wherethey can take advantage of the samediscounts and rebates on essential goodsand services that regular IAM members

enjoy.As the cubes grow, they also become

a way to ensure that jobless people havetheir voices heard in the halls of power.One of the documents the District 751organizers handed out was a “Jobs Now!”card addressed to Congressional lead-ers, telling them that “if we can spendbillions on banks, we can certainly in-vest in American workers.”

That seemed to strike a chord with theSnohomish County people at the resourcefairs, said Abdul-aleem Ahmed, anotherDistrict 751 organizer. “A lot of peopleare frustrated that Congress moved soquickly to bail out Wall Street, but hastaken its time when it comes to creatingjobs for ordinary Americans.”

As the cubes grow, UCubed’s orga-nizers at the IAM&AW are putting to-gether a searchable database listing un-employed people and their skills thatwill be available to employers who willbe looking to hire when the economyeventually rights itself.

“Ur Union of Unemployed is a way –I think it is the best way – for thousands

of unemployed to get and stay activeduring those dreary days and sleeplessnights,” said IAM&AW InternationalPresident Tom Buffenbarger. “I am con-vinced that this unique, useful and unify-ing idea will add a real sense of urgencyto efforts to get all Americans back towork.”

Snohomish County officials were gladto have the Machinists spread the wordabout UCubed at their events, said DeborahSquire, who is the vice president of market-ing for the local United Way.

“It’s a great resource,” she said, “anda real service that’s relatively new thatpeople might not know about.”

Squire said the personal connectionsUCubed offers are probably the most-valuable aspect. “Most of us find jobsthrough networking, not through want-ads.”

District 751 will be looking for moreopportunities to spread the word aboutUCubed, District President TomWroblewski said. Details about UCubedalso are available online atwww.unionofunemployed.com.

Applications for IAM/Boeing ApprenticeshipAccepted in April - Start Preparing Now!

Travis Smith is learning valuable skills as anapprentice in the Cellular ManufacturingMachinist Program.

Button Display of History

Tom Lux,chair of 751Labor HistoryCommittee,stands by ahistoricalbuttonexhibitdisplayed atthe SeattleUnion Hall.

Union Spreads Word About U-Cubed Campaign751 OrganizersAbdul-áleemAhmed andErnieMcCarthydistributedUCubedinformation ata series of‘resource fairs’in SnohomishCounty. Thenew program isaimed to helptheunemployednetwork to findnew work.

March 2010 751 AERO MECHANIC Page 5

IAM/BOEING JOINT PROGRAMS

IAM/Boeing Joint Pro-grams was established inthe 1989 contract negotia-tions and began to deliverservices to the membersin 1990. In the past 20years, this innovativeprogram led the way in delivering manyvaluable resources, training and benefitsto our members. Often what started as anidea at the Joint Programs became acompany-wide initiative or was incor-porated into our every day work life atBoeing. Looking back gives us a chanceto reflect on the accomplishments JointPrograms helped develop.

Here are some highlights from thelast 20 years:

EDUCATION ASSISTANCE –Whether you plan to continue in yourpresent work or seek a career change,Education Assistance (EA) provides bothactive and laid-off IAM-represented em-ployees opportunities for training and edu-cation. EA was introduced in the early1990’s – long before Learning Together.

EA is a unique program that allowsactive and laid-off employees to attendclasses and training courses to advancetheir personal and career goals – even ifthe training is not related to an employee’scurrent job.

In addition, Joint Programs Educa-tion Assistance was the first Boeing ini-tiative to pay tuition directly to the school.

CAREER ADVISORS/CAREERPLANNING – One of the most valuedservices Joint Programs offers is its onsiteCareer Advisors. Whether you are hold-ing a WARN notice, already laid-off oran active employee wanting to exploreoptions for the future, Career Advisorscan help. Career Advisors offer confi-dential personalized career development

and train-ing plans.T h e yhelp findand en-roll youin educa-tion pro-g r a m s ,a s s i s twith Em-

ployee Requested Transfers (ERT), tran-script evaluation, or challenge tests. Inaddition, they can help with CareerGuides, determining a new career path,offer job leads and job search skills,provide information about the re-em-ployment process and many other valu-able resources.

CAREER GUIDES AND CAREEREXPLORER – Career Guides were writ-ten by union members on staff of JointPrograms, who utilized subject matterexperts (hourly employees and line man-agers in each of the jobs) to validate andcapture up-to-date information. EachGuide shows a job summary, typicaltasks, duties and responsibilities, knowl-edge skills and abilities, physical de-mands andp o t e n t i a lh a z a r d s ,r e c o m -m e n d e dtraining andm i n i m u mskill re-quirements.The trainingrecommen-dations inthe guides

Remembering Some of Joint Programs’ Milestoneslink directly to enrollment foroff-hour classes.

LAID-OFF REDE-PLOYED WORKERS –Through every layoff since1990, Joint Programs hasbeen there to help our mem-

bers transition to new careers or trainingafter they leave Boeing. Redeploymentservices include not only Education Assis-

tance, butalso ca-reer coun-seling, as-s i s t i n gwith en-rollmentin retrain-ing pro-g r a m s ,

help with a job search and resumé writing,computing classes to basic refreshers inmath, English and study skills. Joint Pro-grams also successfully coordinated jobfairs to put employers in touch with ourlaid-off members and enhance their oddsof finding new employment.

Advisors also assist laid-off membersthrough the Trade Act Assistance processwhen the Union has been successful in se-curing that benefit from the Dept. of Labor.

SELF-PACED PROGRAMS/COMPUTER LABS – Joint Programshas continually offered self-paced pro-grams and computer labs to meet theeducational needs of our members –whether it is remedial training, learningnew computer skills, or a host of othercurriculum. Joint Programs continues todevelop and convert appropriate ERTcurricula available in a self-paced for-mat to continuously improve cost, qual-ity and delivery of training.

PEER TRAINING/CURRICU-LUM DEVELOPMENT – When youwant to learn how to do a specialized jobwho do you ask? The experts – ourmembers on the shop floor. This is the

driving forcebehind theIAM/BoeingJoint Pro-grams PeerT r a i n e r s .Over theyears peertrainers haved e l i v e r e dshop specifict r a i n i n g ,safety train-ing which in-cluded inci-

dent investigation, lockout-tag-tryout,and “tricks of the trade” to know themost efficient way to perform their job.Hourly Subject Matter Experts were uti-lized in the design, development anddelivery of training. Peer trainers con-tinue to work on the shop floor serving asmentors rather than spending years in aclassroom teaching a course.

IN-PLANT ON-THE-JOB TRAIN-ING. Joint Programs has delivered multi-media trainingon-site for em-ployees in needof quick refer-ence materials forhighly-special-ized processes af-ter a technologychange in thearea. In addition,Skills Centerswere located at

various plant locations for hands-on train-ing near the work area. The Skills Centersutilize Subject-Matter Experts, which are751 members from the shop floor, to assistin the training.

SITE-SPECIFIC INITIATIVES –Safety issues are different in aircraft as-sembly locations than in the fabrication

division or fa-cilities mainte-nance. Indi-viduals can re-quest tailoredtraining assis-tance in specialprojects, dis-plays, and sup-port in investi-gation of area-specific health

and safety incidents. In addition, Ergo-nomic centers allowed employees to checkout and “try out” personal protective equip-ment ranging from air insoles for shoes, toanti-vibration gloves, to an array of kneepads and a variety of ladders that offer abroader standing base for greater comfortand stability.

SAFETY SHOE REIMBURSE-MENT - Safety Shoe reimbursementwas negotiated into the 1999 contractand originally provided $50reimbursement for purchaseof steel-toed shoes for IAM-represented employees work-ing in “mandatory compli-ance” or “company directed” steel-toedshoe work areas. In 2002, reimburse-ment amount was increased to $75 anddesignation of who could get reimburse-ment was eliminated. Now, all activelyemployed IAM-represented employeesare eligible to receive a reimbursementof up to $75 for approved safety shoesaccording to HSI program guidelines.

HSI SITE COMMITTEES – TheSite Committees are comprised of shopfloor employees and managers whosetop priority is to identify and resolvehealth and members’ safety issues. Theirresponsibilities include Plant SafetyTours where problems are investigated,solutions found and action taken. SiteCommittee members observe safety prac-tices in areas of high risk, follow-up onSafety, Health & Environmental ActionRequest (SHEAR) reports submitted byemployees, review and evaluate majoraccident investigations, and evaluateshop health and safety programs.

MOBILE TRAINING LAB - JointPrograms designed and delivered a 53-foot trailercustomizedfor hands-on profi-c i e n c ytraining inl o c k o u t -tag-tryout,overhead crane maintenance, confinedspace entry, confined space rescue, and therespirator fit test. The trailer offered thepossible scenarios suited to the shop-spe-cific training needs of Boeing workers.

SAFETY TRAINING. A safer work-

place is a continual goal and one thatrequires ongoing training. Just a few ofthe safety training courses delivered byJoint Programs are Job Safety Analysis,Inter-Regional Safety Monitor Training,various courses for the shop safety coor-dinators, First Aid-CPR/AED, Principlesof Occupational Safety & Health,MoveSMART, Lockout-Tag-Tryout, In-cident Investigation, Safety LeadershipTraining, and Hazard Communication.

INCIDENT INVESTIGATIONTRAINING. The class teaches partici-pants to secure an accident/incident area,talk to the employees and managers, anddetermine the problem, as well as solu-tions to avoid any future incidents. Em-ployees who complete the class also takeon the responsibility of being instructorsto help train co-workers, and form thebasis for safety investigation teams ineach shop.

MoveSMART – It’s one of the mostcompelling ergonomics initiatives intro-duced byJoint Pro-grams. It isbased on thefundamen-tals of mar-tial arts, tomake the hu-man bodywork moresafely, moreconsciously, to leverage strength and avoidstrain. By concentrating on certain musclegroups or positioning the body in just theright way, we can complete physical taskswithout injury. It is information employ-ees also can take home and apply to theirpersonal pursuits.

HAZARD COMMUNICATIONTEAM - This began with comprehen-sive training on the proper handling ofchemicals andprocesses inthe workplaceand hasevolved intoan intranet-based curricu-lum thatmoves at anindividual’sown pace, as well as a video explainingthe company’s chemical introductionprocess and how it impacts the workforce.

SHEAR FORM – While the SHEARform is a Company process, Joint Pro-grams assisted in the development and inongoing revisions. The Site Committeeshelp deliver resolution to those identifiedissues.

These are just some of the most memo-rable highlights of the first 20 years of theIAM/Boeing Joint Programs – an innova-tive organization that will continue to en-sure our members are prepared for thechallenge of change years into the future.Joint Programs will continue partnering tostrengthen our workforce through Safety,Education, and Training.

Page 751 AERO MECHANIC March 20106

Solidarity and teamwork are alive andwell for members working in the AccurateFloor Grids shop in the 40-53 building inEverett. When a long-time member neededassistance, the crew sprung into action tomake his road to recovery easier.

Member Lou Forbush, a QA Inspectorwho began working at Boeing in the 1960’s,suffered a stroke in early February, and co-workers have continually checked in to getupdates and offer assistance. On Wednes-day, February 17, members learned thatLou was going to be released from thehospital on Monday, February 22. How-ever, in order to be allowed to return home,a wheelchair ramp had to be constructed athis house.

Wanting to ensure Lou returned home atthe earliest possible date, Union StewardsEd Haala and Deanette Woods knew whoto call – the Union.They contactedBusiness Rep JonHolden, who hasyears of experiencebuilding wheelchairramps with the Ma-chinists VolunteerProgram, and askedif a ramp could beconstructed over thecoming weekend.

Holden re-sponded he and Lo-

City employees at Woodinville areamong the newest members of District751, but they’ve already proved they un-derstand one of the union’s most-impor-tant roles – community service.

Over the past year, about a half-dozenMachinists Union members fromWoodinville have been actively involved inrebuilding a house owned by Annie Babcock.

Babcock and her husband were the vic-tims of an unscrupulous building contractor,who they hired to remodel their Woodinvillehome in the late ‘90s. The contractor tookmore than a quarter-million dollars fromthem, gutted the house to start the work – andthen left town, leaving the house unlivable.

Adding insult to injury, Babcock’s hus-band, George, developed cancer and died,leaving his wife alone to tackle the exten-sive rehabilitation. She couldn’t keep up,and thieves and vandals took over, strip-ping the house of its furnace, wiring and

Woodinville M

cal F President Garth Luark would offertheir expertise and experience on the rampbuilding if there were adequate volunteersto complete the project.

The crew eagerly volunteered their Sat-urday to help Lou and included: Ed Haala,Deanette Woods, Jon Holden, Garth Luark,John P. Gravellese III, Gary Williams,Aaron Aason, David T. Downey, TheresaTyo-Moore, Kevin Godfrey and his twoboys, Zack and Parker (future machin-ists).

Stewards Deanette Woods and Ed Haalapaid for the ramp materials to get it builtand are organizing a fundraiser to covercosts and provide additional assistance toLou. A hotdog feed will be held on Friday,March 5 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. in the 40-21 building, column B-10.5. Any mem-bers are welcome to participate and help

out a fellow Union member.“We have a great group of members

who really step up and stick together,” saidHaala. “This isn’t the end of the assistancewe’ll provide for Lou because there is stillwork to be done on the house. We’reorganizing a paint crew now to pressurewash and paint his house. It really is afamily that supports each other and is therewhen you need them, which hopefully willmake Lou’s recovery a little easier.”

Shop Steps Up to Help Co-Worker

COMMUNIT

WORTH NOTING

CORRECTION FROM LAST MONTH ON TAA FOR CONTRACTORS

In the February edition of the Aero Mechanic, on page 3 incorrectly reported the wrong layoff dates to trigger Trade Adjustment Assistance for employees laid-off from 27 different contractors who work at Boeing. The correct layoff dates for TAA benefits are May 22, 2008 through October 19, 2011. The February paper had March 22, 2008 instead of May.

ZERO COLA FOR MEMBERS AT BOEING FOR MARCH 2010Calculations for the March 5, 2010 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for IAM hourly employees working at Boeing resulted in zero. Because the calculated quarterly adjustment amount is below the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Index the quarterly COLA amount will be $0.0 (Zero). Pay cards have been printed with an updated calendar.

COLA is generated quarterly under the IAM contract and is based on the federal government's Consumer Price Index. The next quarterly COLA will be June 4, 2010.

VOLUNTARY LAYOFFS AVAILABLEAT BOEING

District 751 and Boeing have agreed on a letter of under- standing that will allow some members at Boeing in job codes with a declared surplus to volunteer to be laid off with benefits. The agreement follows up on a similar letter of understanding agreed to in 2009. Voluntary layoffs are a way for Boeing to trim its workforce while still retaining employees with critical skills who want to remain on the payroll. The new agreement will be in effect through the rest of 2010. Interested members can apply for a voluntary layoff by completing an online Registration of Interest form. Visit our website at www.iam751.org for details of benefits and the process.

BOEING APPRECIATION DAYAT MOHAI - Sunday, March 21

The Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) will be hosting aBoeing Appreciation Day on Sunday, March 21 from 10 a.m. to5 p.m.

Special tours, discounts, drawings and activities for children will be available as a thank you for Boeing’s long-standing support of MOHAI. Check www.seattlehistory.org for a full schedule of the day's activities.

Free to current and former Boeing employees.

Most of us realize that months of planning and preparation go into anevent the size of the Winter Olympics. However, few are aware of just howmany organizations are involved or the extent of the contingency plans.

In January, Machinists District 751 became part of the Winter Olympicscontingency plan in case there was a disaster at the games.

In the event of a natural disaster, terrorist act or other catastrophe andathletes and citizens needed to be evacuated, District 751 agreed toallow the Red Cross to use our Everett Union Hall as a staging area forfamilies of potential victims. The plan would be to fly people out ofVancouver to Paine Field via military airlift. This would create atremendous influx of families wanting to get in touch with their lovedones. Our hall would be the focal point.

District Secretary-Treasurer Susan Palmer worked with the RedCross and the Everett Business Reps setting up a phone chain in the

event the hall isactivated as asupport center.

“We hopeour hall won’tbe needed, butif there is anevent that trig-gers an evacua-tion, the Unionis proud to offerits services tohelp,” notedPalmer.

District 751 agreed to allow the Red Cross to useour Everett Hall as a Family Support Center inthe event there is an emergency at the winterOlympic Games. Sec-Treas. Susan Palmerexplains the contingency plans to EverettBusiness Reps and Dist. President Wroblewski.

751 Offers Red CrossAssistance for Winter Olympics

Volunteers (from left) Garth Luark, Robleand Matt Hardy install insulation at AnnBabcock’s house in Woodinville.

When member LouForbush had a strokeand needed awheelchair rampbuilt to come home,co-workers showed upin force on aSaturday.

The Everett crew isholding a hotdog feedfundraiser for Lou onFriday, March 5 from10 to 11:30 a.m. inthe 40-21 bldg, Col.B-10.5.

Above and left: The volunteer crewgot lucky with springtime weather tobuild the ramp for a co-worker inFebruary. Several members broughttheir children to help with theproject.

Machinist Volunteer Program(MVP) Potluck & Awards Ceremony

Saturday, April 17 - 5 to 7 p.m.Seattle Union Hall A (9125 15th Pl. S)

Bring family and friends for this fun-filled evening thatrecognizes the members who volunteer their time. Bring ahot dish, salad or dessert – the Union will provide the meatand beverages. For info, call 1-800-763-1301, ext. 3335.

March 2010 751 AERO MECHANIC Page 7

plumbing fixtures and leaving a tremen-dous amount of trash behind. A winterstorm dropped a tree on the roof, com-pounding the damage.

Jason Burt, who is the code enforce-ment officer for the city of Woodinville,has known about the Babcocks and theirstruggles for years. He first encounteredthem on the job, when he found them outof compliance with building codes.

“I busted them,” he said.But over the years he became friendly

with the couple, and after GeorgeBabcock died, he tried to help Anniewhen and where he could.

About a year ago, Burt helped orga-nize a group to help Annie put her houseback together, working with volunteersfrom the Woodinville Police Department,the King County Sheriff’s Office and alocal church.

“We ended up with 200 volunteers,”Burt said. “That’s when itstarted gaining somesteam.”

Burt by now had be-come a District 751 stew-ard. City employees inWoodinville voted to jointhe Machinists Union in2008, and they ratifiedtheir first contracts withthe city in 2009.

So when it came timeearlier this month to in-stall the insulation in thehouse, Burt called on thevolunteers of District 751.

“We needed someonewho could come in and do

District 751 Members at McChord Fieldare playing a key role in the U.S. responseto the recent earthquake in Haiti.

The members – all employees of BoeingAerospace Operations – provide a crucialcurrency training capability for Airmenand maintain the simulators that C-17pilots and crews train on at the airfield,which is part of the Army and Air Force’srecently merged Joint Base Lewis-McChord south of Tacoma.

“We train them to be world-wide ca-pable,” said Jim Schneller, a steward forthe BAO group at McChord. “They needto be ready to go from the cold of Antarc-tica to the heat of Iraq and Haiti.”

Schneller and his BAO colleaguesjoined the Machinists Union in 2009. Thereare about 40 members in all, providing arange of support services for C-17s be-longing to the 62nd Airlift Wing, includingtraining for pilots and loadmasters, andmaintaining the flight simulators.

New C-17 pilots spend about 25 hours

the job quickly andwell,” he said. “I fig-ured my union broth-ers and sisters couldcome in and do it.”

Burt couldn’thave asked for more-willing volunteers,said Business RepJon Holden, who rep-resents the newWoodinville group.

“Through ourMVP (MachinistsVolunteer Program)outreach, we do a lotof things – buildingwheelchair ramps,cleaning up high-ways, and so on,”Holden said. “Installing insulation was alittle different, but very rewarding.“

“This was also a great opportunity forour new Woodinville members to get toknow some of our members who work atBoeing,” Holden said. “We found wehave a lot in common, and one of thosethings is a commitment to making ourcommunities better.”

In all, about a dozen Machinists tookpart in the Feb. 6 work day, installinginsulation throughout Babcock’s houseand filling in trenches that had been dugpreviously in the yard.

After a year of work, the Woodinvillevolunteers have punched in a new drive-way, planted a new lawn and erected astreet light. They’ve put on a new roof,installed all-new plumbing and wiring,and with the insulation in place, the vol-

unteers are ready to start hanging sheet rock,Burt said.

Their goal is to have Babcock’s house readyfor her to move in by May 15, and with the waythings are going, “I think we’ll make thatpretty easily,” Burt said.

Will the District 751 MVPs be back? They’re

always welcome, Burt said. “They did a greatjob. We couldn’t have asked for better.”

For more information about the AnnieBabcock House project, go online atwww.facebook.com/IAM751 and follow thelink to “Annie Babcock’s House.”

each quarter in the flight simulators atMcChord, practicing all kinds of missionsunder a variety of conditions. As pilotsgain flight experience, that tapers off, but aveteran pilot will still spend 10 to 15 hoursevery three months practicing on the “sim.”

The benefit is that pilots can explore theC-17s maximum capabilities while flyingthe simulator, said Capt. Lindsey Jackson,a C-17 pilot.

“It lets us push the capability of the jetand see how it reacts,” she said. “It’s criti-cal for our currency training, and it is a veryrealistic training capability.”

In addition, with the simulator, instruc-tors can customize the simulation to ad-dress a wide range of potential situations acrew might encounter, or even freeze theprogram and discuss with C-17 crews howto respond when something goes wrong –things you can’t do in a real airplane.

“It provides us the training we need tobe prepared for a new situation like theHaiti earthquake,” Jackson said.

The keys to the Haitimissions center aroundnavigating the chaoticsituation around thecrippled Port-au-Princeairfield, said Schneller.The ramps are crowdedwith a wide range ofplanes flying relief sup-plies and traffic on theone working runway isheavy, requiring carefultiming for arrivals anddepartures.

There’s no way totrain for exactly this setof conditions, which is why it’s so impor-tant that the pilots and loadmasters reallyunderstand how C-17s perform and whatthey’re capable of, Schneller said.

Because C-17s are such capable aircraft –and because their crews are well-trained – thesquadrons at McChord find themselves fly-ing all kinds of military and humanitarian

missions, all over the world.“Iraq and Afghanistan, tsunamis, hur-

ricanes, earthquakes – it seems likethey’re involved in just about every-thing,” Schneller said. “That’s the thingabout airlift, it does not tend to be rou-tine. You’ve got to be prepared for thenext thing.”

Jackson was on the first McChordflight into Haiti on Jan. 17, five days afterthe earthquake struck. The crew flew inmembers of the New York City urbanrescue team, who went to work pullingsurvivors from the rubble of Port-au-Prince, the Haitian capital.

On the way out, they ferried 186Haitian-American survivors to Or-lando, Fla.

C-17s normally don’t haul anywhere

near that many passengers, so the loadmastershad to figure out how to accommodate themon the floor of the cargo area. They ended upusing cargo tie-downs as giant seatbelts, Jack-son said.

“I don’t think anybody had dealt with anemergency floor loading before,” she said.“Everybody sat down, and we put the beltover them and tightened it up.”

Many of the C-17 aircrews would repeatthe procedure in the weeks that followed.

Flying the Haiti mission was “amazing,”said Jackson, who’s a native of Oak Harborand has flown C-17s for three years. “It wasa real honor to be able to help out withsomething like that.”

McChord has two C-17s dedicated to fly-ing Haitian relief missions as of press time,Jackson said, and the President announced acommitment to continuing aid to Haiti.

However long McChord’s support to Haitilasts, the District 751 Members who work atBAO will be there to back up the C-17 crews atMcChord, Schneller said.

“We’re proud of the job they do,” hesaid. “They’re hard workers and smartpeople, and they do a nice job.”

As part of earthquare relief services, airmen assistHaitian evacuee Leanne Civil onto a McChord C-17 inPort-Au-Prince, Haiti..

A McChord C-17 Globemaster is filled with approximately 186 evacuees from Port-Au-Prince, Haiti. The McChord aircrew airlifted earthquake evacuees to Orlando, FL.

Members at McChord Provide Help to Haiti

Members ‘Build’ Community Service with MVPTY SERVICE

U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Chris Haylett

U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Chris Haylett

751 volunteers (from left) Bob Gepford, Matt Hardy, Jon Holden, Garth Luark,Brian Meyer, Robley Evans, Jim Scarsorie, David Simms, Jason Burt and VennieMurphy teamed with other community volunteers to spend a day working torestore Annie Babcock’s house in Woodinville.

District 751MVP VennieMurphy preparesinsulation forinstallation.

ey Evansnie Business Rep Jon Holden and MVP Chairman Robley Evans were among the

volunteers who filled in trenches in Annie Babcock’s yard.

Page 751 AERO MECHANIC March 2010 8

The Martyrs of Women’s History:: Remembering theVictims of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire of 1911

Every March, the nation celebratesWomen’s History. We recount the namesof many brave women who gave a voiceto working women everywhere: Eliza-beth Gurley Flynn, Mother Jones, KateMullaney. We speak of their courageand undying devotion to the labor move-ment. We remember the women whospoke out, who shouted and made surethat everyone heard. But what about thewomen that didn’t have a voice? Whatabout the victims of an unfair system thatdidn’t live to see true change? Whatabout those women that, in their ownnameless suffering, forged the path forall women today? Those women are theJane Does of history, and though theydon’t have a namesake, their story is

more than worth mentioning.In the struggle for workers rights,

many women lost their lives: mothers,sisters, wives, daugh-ters, aunts, grand-mothers. All of theirsacrifices exemplify-ing the power of thefemale voice; a powerthat so many womenof old America hadonly in death. For inlife, they lived andworked in silent sla-very, but in death thecollective silence oftheir loss inspired amovement.

One of the great-est tragedies of theearly 20th century in-volved the death of148 garment workers in New York City.On March 25, 1911, the workers at theTriangle Shirtwaist Company, most ofwhom were immigrant women, headedto work for a normal day. A notoriouslyanti-union shop, Triangle Shirtwaist wasthe only shop that did not honor theshorter Saturday workday won in 1909by a strike with the International Ladies

Garment Workers Union (ILGWU).Hours after their counterparts at the com-panies on the lower floors had been re-leased to go home, the workers at Tri-angle continued to slave away at theirmachines and at 4:40 p.m., a fire startedon the eighth floor. Surrounded by hang-ing linens and scrap materials strewn onthe floor, the fire quickly erupted.

Workers immediately began fillingbuckets with water to douse the flames,but it didn’t take long to realize that thefire could not be stopped and the flamesquickly spread through the ninth andtenth floors. Trying to flee the building,workers found that the exits had beenlocked by supervisors to prevent breaksand keep union organizers out. Furtherfrantic searching for a way out of theflaming building led to the discoverythat both the building’s elevators werenot working. And, the sole fire escape

collapsed soon after the first workers toexit made it to safe ground.

Trapped in a building deemed “fire-proof” by the company, the women were

doomed from the moment the fire started.In an article run in the AmericanFederationist newspaper the followingmonth, Samuel Gompers noted that theworkers were “packed at their machineslike close-herded cattle, while at workthey were locked in like penitentiaryprisoners, they had never been exercisedin a fire drill, they toiled among heaps ofhighly flammable materials, they had asoutlets in case of fire animpracticable fire-es-cape...”

A New York Times ar-ticle that ran the followingday reported that most ofthe workers “were suffo-cated or burned to deathwithin the building, butsome who fought their wayto the windows and leapedmet death as surely, butperhaps more quickly.”

One observer noted thatthe girls “rushed to the windows andlooked down at Green Street, 100 feetbelow them. Then one poor, little crea-ture jumped. There was a plate glassprotection over part of the sidewalk, butshe crashed through it, wrecking it andbreaking her body into a thousandpieces.”

One man in the building, the onlyman that many reported seeing jumphimself, helped the girls get out the win-dow. He held the women out the windowand dropped them one-by-one. ObserverWilliam G. Shepherd said, “He held outa girl who did not resist. I noticed that.They were as unresisting as if he werehelping them onto a streetcar instead ofinto eternity. Undoubtedly, he saw that aterrible death awaited them in the flames,and his was only a terrible chivalry.”

According to Shepherd, the most tragicscene came when the same man held hislove out the window before propelling tothe ground himself. “Those of us who werelooking saw her put her arms about himand kiss him. Then he held her out intospace and dropped her. But quick as a flashhe was on the window sillhimself…together they went into eternity.He chose the easiest way and was brave

enough to even help the girl he loved to aquicker death, after she had given him agoodbye kiss.”

The girls continued to pour out thewindows and in the end, 148 people laydead in the streets and burned within thebuilding’s charred remains. Fire ChiefCroker, who could recall a career-worth ofhorrific images, said that the Triangle Shirt-waist Fire was the worst he had ever seen.And, when asked if he could identify if thebodies in the building were that of womenor men, another officer on the scene repliedthat “its human, that’s all you can tell.”

In the days that followed, memorialswere held throughout the city. The ILGWUheld a march of protest and outraged citi-zens demanded action taken against un-safe working conditions. The communitybegan to recognize the power of the unionin the protection of workers – and manyrealized that a union presence at Trianglecould have averted the tragedy altogether.At a memorial held in the MetropolitanOpera House on April 2, 1911, Women’sTrade Union League organizer RoseSchneiderman called on the working classto demand change. “I can’t talk fellowshipto you who are gathered here. Too much

blood has been spilled. I know from myexperience it is up to the working people tosave themselves. The only way they cansave themselves is by a strong working-class movement.”

Marches, memorials and rallies helpedgarner more attention and within a month,a Factory Investigating Commission wasfounded. Statewide hearings led to fac-tory safety legislation and promptedunions and businesses to conduct inves-tigations through the Joint Board of Sani-tary Control. Stricter standards were putin place and the unions were granted theability to enforce workplace safety re-quirements.

The loss of 148 lives in the TriangleShirtwaist Fire created a devastating blem-ish on American history. But its influenceon the labor movement cannot be mea-sured. The loss of the poor women whosuffered that day connected a nation andensured that workers today would have asafer place of work. That is why thesevoiceless martyrs to the cause of social andlabor justice should stand at the forefrontas we look back and celebrate women’shistory this month. Their silence far moredeafening than any powerful speech; theseJane Does are the true heroes of history.

by Rosanne Tomyn

Families of victims idenify the dead in a makeshiftmorgue. With so many dead, the city’s morgue had tobe moved to accommodate the 148 victims.

A political cartoon that ran shortlyafter the tragedy, as the communityerupted with anger.

A diginal recreation of the fire made by Nick Rotondo of Bizzy Productions,Inc. that shows how tightly packed in the workers were.

Above: 1911 political cartoon on thetragedy that points a finger at theCompany for causing so many deaths.

Left:onlookerswatchhelplesslyas womenjumpfrom thewindows. A mural commissioned by the ILGW on the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire tragedy.

Triangle workers toil away at their machines inthis photo taken before the fire.

March 2010 751 AERO MECHANIC Page 9

by Ruth Render,Retired Club Secretary

March Retired Club Minutes

Congratulations to the following members who retired from the Union:

Union Retirees:

RETIRED CLUB OFFICERSPresident Al Wydick 253-735-8004Vice President T.J. Seibert 206-329-0160Secretary Ruth Render 206-324-4055Treasurer Betty Ness 206-762-0725Srgnt-at-Arms Leroy Miller 206-878-0601Trustees: Louise Burns 206-242-5878

John Guevarra 206-762-3848 Mike Keller 206-723-4973

Union Office: (1-800-763-1301) or 206-763-1300

Monthly Retired Club Meetings Schedule

• Everett Retirees Group meets at the Everett 751 Union Hall (8729 Airport Rd), thefourth Tuesday of every month at 11 a.m.

• 751 Retired Club meets every Monday at 11 a.m. in the Seattle Hall (9135 15th Pl.S.). Second Monday of the month is the business meeting. A free lunch is served atnoon every Monday following the meeting.

• Alliance of Retired Americans South Area Chapter meets the second Thursday ofeach month at 1 p.m. at the Kent Senior Citizen Center (600 E. Smith St). We shareinformation about developments affecting seniors, we decide on letters and e-mails topublic officials expressing elders’ concerns and what is happening to us. Come on inand sit in and see what goes on. For more info, contact Leroy Miller at 206-878-0601.

The meeting on February 8 was calledto order by Vice President T.J. Seibert.

Roll Call of Officers: All officerswere present.

Minutes: It was M/S/P to accept theminutes as printed.

Financial Report: The January ex-pense report was read by Treasurer BettyNess. A motion was made to accept thereport as read. M/S/P.

Communications: The Retiree Clubhas received notice that District 751Communications Department is plan-ning to record the histories of retiredmembers. Anyone who would like to beinterviewed should contact RosanneTomyn at 206-764-0340.

Business Representatives Report:Bus Rep Mark Johnson reported the firstflight of the 747-8 is planned for today.Before the meeting, he spoke with someof the retireeswho werepresent whenthe first 747took flightand noted theproduction ofthat plane wason schedule.

J o h n s o ngave aprogress re-port about the 787 and reported Boeingis changing 401K matching funds frommoney to Boeing stock for non-repre-sented employees. This will not changefor hourly employees due to our con-tract.

The next contract negotiations aretwo years away, but we are already mak-

ing preparations. We always bring upretiree issues and will do so again thistime. We will keep fighting for you;however, Boeing is not the family com-pany it used to be so it is hard to tell whatwill happen.

A question was asked what retireescan do to help with the tanker decision.

Johnson responded we are workingclosely with the Washington Congres-sional delegation to ensure Boeing winsthis important contract.

A question was asked about theERISA law and the need for language torevise it to make it easier to gain a COLAfor retirees. Johnson agreed that withouta change in the law Boeing does not haveto give anything to the retirees.

Health & Benefits Report: Healthand Benefits Rep Jackie reported if youhave Selections prescription drug cover-age Medco is now managing the serviceand new cards have been mailed. Theprescription drug and contractual ben-

efits are un-c h a n g e d ,h o w e v e r ,Medco has aslightly dif-ferent for-mulary orp r e f e r r e ddrug list thanSelec t ionshad before.She was told

that it should reduce most people’s costsbut has heard that some seniors nowhave higher costs. If you have GroupHealth coverage you will also receive anew ID card.

Health & Welfare: Helen Pompeogave the report. A moment of silencewas observed for the following deceasedmembers: Richard Horstman, Judy Jack-

son, William Mack, Evelyn Miller, Wil-liam O’Brien III, Thomas Rodman,Hubert Sandall, Thomas Stedman andThomas Venable.

Legislative Report:Carl Schwartz reported President

Obama has included a measure in thebudget for a $250 payment for everyoneon Social Security. This organizationmade a resolution that we are in favor ofincluding this item in the budget andgave it to all of our Senators and Con-gressmen.

Carl wrote a letter to the editor of TheSeattle Times regarding the recent Su-preme Court ruling that now allows cor-porations to spend as much as they chooseon political campaigns. His personal feel-ing is that this ruling will create an un-even playing field.

Jan Egger spoke about the MachinistsVolunteer Program and the wheel chairramps that are built. He encouragedpeople to look into volunteer opportuni-ties. It is a good way to meet others anddo something for the community.

John Guevarra reported the Legisla-tive Committee meets an hour before thebusiness meeting and all are welcome tojoin them.

John went to Olympia February 5th tosupport education and say no to budgetcuts in education. He thanked everyonewho signed a petition last month; 8,000petitions were turned in.

Audit Report: John Guevarracomplimented Retired Club TreasurerBetty Ness on the fine job she doesensuring everything is in place to do the

audit, which takes place every six months.The recent audit went well.

Birthdays & Anniversaries:Recording Secretary Ruth Render read

the Birthdays and Anniversaries. JohnPompeo & Dorothea Dalsky. Anniver-saries: Calvin & Vera Doss and Harold& Dorothea Dalsky.

Good & Welfare: T.J. Seibert, RuthRender, Tom O’Brien, John & RobinGuevarra all thanked Secretary-TreasurerSue Palmer for handing out Labor His-tory calendars at the meeting. Sue saidthe calendars were donated by the LaborHistory and Education Committee.

Robin Guevarra mentioned the BlackHistory month display in the meetinghall lobby is very well done and notedthe important role Roman Mayfieldplayed in our history.

T.J. Seibert and Tom O’Brien bothmentioned what a wonderful personRoman was.

Tom O’Brien asked, when will theUnion get a spokesperson that will reallytell the community what is going on withthe 787 and point out the fact that it isn’tthe union but management that is behindthe problems? He also said we need todefend our union when talking to people.

T.J. Seibert thanked everyone for sup-porting him as the Vice President whilePresident Al Wydick is out.

Old Business: NoneNew Business: John Guevarra

handed out various legislative materials.Adjournment: A motion was made

to adjourn at noon. M/S/P

Cherie S BatesAugust BergerManuel L BorjaGregory O BrooksJames W BuckJohn L CawleyUon Y ChhorVan ChorLynn E DolandDavid O EdgarCurtis J EhlkeDannie L EllingsonDiane M FehdThomas GilesPhilip m GraunkeRaymond F GundermanDanny J HammarstenCarrie M HattenGerard E Jones

Neil S KatherJohn H KingLarry W LambertTeresa M McDanielRay D MeliusMargaret A MurchKhanh P NguyenGary OgburnEdward G OlmsteadRaymond J PolsonTerry W PrattMeth PreapJimmy PruittRobert A PullenGeorge RackleffJohn RamburDavid L RasmussenThomas J RegeleinAnthony Rouff

Jyneal RussellRobert RyderDeanna L SabadoTheodore D SahnowMark S SandersMarjorie L SannesJohn D SaywersRichard E SchairerMary SchuhKenneth SchwinckJudith A SimpsonWayne D SnyderGary D StallmanMichael StrandThomas P ToupinAlan WahlinDavid WoodsLynn D ZeiglerJeffrey Zozosky

RETIREMENT NEWS

Celebrating anniversaries in March were: L to R: Harold and DorotheaDalsky and Vera and Calvin Doss.

The Communications Department is looking for retirees who would beinterested in sharing their personal stories of Union membership and workingat Boeing or other employers. If you’re a Retired Machinist and would bewilling to be interviewed, potentially on camera, please contact us.

Interviews will be highlighted in the Aero Mechanic, as well as online. Itis important to preserve this history from the folks who lived it. Some of theinterviews will be used as part of the 75th anniversary celebration. We lookforward to hearing your story!

• Call at (206) 764-0340 or 1-800-763-1301, ext. 3340, OR• Send an email with contact information to: rosannet@iam751.org OR

———————————————————————————————• Mail the form below to: Aero Mechanic, 9125 15th Pl S, Seattle, WA 98108

Name: ___________________________________________________

Clock # or BEMSID: _________________ Year Retired: _______________

Address: ____________________________________________________

City, State, Zip: ______________________________________________

Phone Number: ________________________________________

Attention Retirees - Share Your History!

Page 751 AERO MECHANIC March 201010

FORMEMBERS

ONLY

ANIMALS ELECTRONICS & ENTERTAINMENT PROPERTYBOATS FURNITURE & APPLIANCES RECREATIONAL MEMBERSHIPTOOLS RECREATIONAL VEHICLES SPORTING GOODSHOUSING MISCELLANEOUS VEHICLESFREE COTTAGE INDUSTRIES AUTO PARTS & ACCESSORIES

WANT ADSFREEANIMALS

Each single ad must be 25 words orless. Use a separate piece of paper orad blank for each ad, as they are pre-classified physically. Ads are freeonly to members - active, laid-off, orretired. For best response, includephone number instead of addressesin ad copy. Members' "cottageindustries" will be OK in ads, but nocommercial ads. When using ownpaper for ads, include informationrequired on regular ad blank.

AD RULES

Circle One:

Ad (25 word limit. Pleaseprint)._____________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Phone (or Address)______________________________________________________________________________________________

The following information must be filled in for your ad to appear:

Name __________________________________________________________ Clock Number _________________________________

Address _______________________________________________________ Shop Number __________________________________

Mail Coupon to AERO MECHANIC NEWSPAPER, 9125 15th Pl. S., Seattle, 98108 Deadline is March 17th!

Deadline For Next IssueMarch 17th

ELECTRONICS &ENTERTAINMENT

FURNITURE ANDAPPLIANCES

HOUSING

MISCELLANEOUS

BOATS

COTTAGEINDUSTRIES

PROPERTY

RECREATIONALVEHICLES

SPORTING GOODS

TOOLS

VEHICLES

2010 LAMBS arriving soon, Jacob sheep arerare, smaller, spotted sheep that are easykeepers, beautiful, rare, unique, please visitus at www.shadowmountainjacobs.com. 253-891-1042

2001 Evinrude 6hpm long shaft, no tank-kicker motor, used very little, like new, $550OBO. 360-277-9359

AFFORDABLE PROFESSIONAL PHO-TOGRAPHY, Studio J Images is a local pho-tography company offering professional wed-ding, anniversary, engagement, pregnancy, fam-ily, graduation, and specialty photography. Alldigital packages available or design your ownpackage. Flexible, reliable, and eager to be apart of your event or special occasion. Askabout our SPECIAL FOR MACHINISTSMEMBERS. More information and slideshowsat http://studiojimages.net/ or call Beth at 402-730-8663

“JUST A CALL AWAY” DAILY CHECK-IN CARE FOR SENIORS or loved onesliving independently, 10% discount to Boeingemployees, packages starting at $19.99. 206-772-0747 or Diana@justacallaway.net

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR SOMETHINGTO DO IN YOUR RETIREMENT? SunsetView Garden Club meets the third Thursdayof each month at the Golden Pine Apart-ments, 2901 10th NE, Renton, WA. Every-one is welcome. Contact 425-255-8195 or425-255-0859 for more information

PHOTOGRAPHER. VERY affordable digi-tal wedding photography. Save money. Alsoavailable for family portraits, senior picturesand special events. Call about Fall and Christ-mas events now. 206-240-9773

GOLD’S GYM, RENTON, 10728 NE CarrRd. Take advantage of Special Boeing Em-ployee Rate - simply present your Boeing badgefor discount! Family Owned & Operated byBoeing Employee Michael Cavaiani, a strongUnion brother! One time processing fee of $49,single monthly membership dues of $29, fam-ily add-ons $20. Personal Training rates avail-able at $49 per session (reg $60). 425-793-5457

LAKE TAPPS BACKFLOW. For all yourbackflow testing and repair needs. $5 dis-count for members. $10 discount for seniorsand veterans. Licensed, bonded, insured - aservice disabled, veteran-owned small busi-ness. Call 253-217-7751 or e-maillaketappsbackflow@comcast.net

STUDIO IV SALON & DAY SPA offers awide range of services and highly trainedstaff. $5 off any service for Aerospace Ma-chinists members. Located in Auburn at 119East Main St. Walk-ins welcome or call 253-333-8617 for an appointment.

TATTOO SPECIALS of the month, allBoeing employees and families 25% off,Underground Tattoos. 253-590-3892

THE COMPUTER GEEK LLC, reliable newcomputer builds and reliable computer re-pair, great rates, done in timely manner. 425-374-4175

KIMBALL PIANO WITH BENCH, lightwood, sounds great, you transport, $350.425-882-2818

SOLID OAK MISSION-STYLE SOFA, loveseat, and chair with ottoman, $300. 253-394-4213

CABO VILLA, in gated community, 3bd/3ba, private pool overlooking sea of Cortez,can be viewed at www.cabovilla4rent.com,$199 per night. 206-384-1141

$110K, 2-STORY HOUSE, with mountainview, in town of Concrete, 1750 sq. ft. on 2lots, very affordable w/ $10K down and 5year contract then local financing. 206-362-1695

WANTED: FEMALE ROOMMATE, 3bd/3bath Lakeland home, 2 miles from BoeingAuburn, owner is first shift, $900/month, noutilities. 253-735-4423

2 DUPLEXES FOR SALE, one 2003, one2004, Shelton, excellent condition, 2B 2BAeach, 2 garage in between, W/D, dishwasher,sewer, bus line, $249,900 each. 360-275-0974

KONA, HAWAII oceanfront condo. Enjoy 2Bd/2 Bath fully equipped condo – pool,jacuzzi, underground parking, private lanai,DSL, color TV w/ VCR/DVD. $1075/wk -$1175/wk. 206-938-9214

2008 VSI PARK MODEL CABIN on deededlot in Lost Lake RV Resort, near Lacey, WA,tons of amenities with indoor/outdoor pooland private lake stocked with fish, in gatedresort, can stay 185 days in a calendar year,$145,000. 425-432-6134

BISSELL PRO-HEAT RUG SCRUBBER,less than a year old, used twice, $75. 360-387-9642

2-ROOM DISH POWER BOXES, modelDP 301 and DP 301E, model dish #311, allfor $100. 360-387-9642

93 PIECE FINE CHINA SET, made in Ja-pan, harmony house “west wind”, $390. 253-840-2108

CASE-CASTEROL GTX 10-30 WT, Sears10-30 4HP Johnson, hi-lift hydraulic jack, 1-man rubber boat, rake, compressor. 425-255-1804

ALTERATIONS, regular hem $6, pant cuff$7, waist slack $7, shop address: 6604 – 220th

Street SW, Mountlake Terrace, WA. 206-499-8898

HALLMARK KIDDIE CAR CLASSICS,55 small, medium, and large-sized cars, air-planes and scooters, all priced at box listprices or below, all boxes in new condition,no ornaments. 425-432-6134

HOOVER FLOORMATE HARD-WOODFLOOR CLEANER, model #H3000, washesand dries hardwood floors, has 2 removablecontainers, one for cleaner and one for dirt,weighs 23 lbs, comes with 2 (8oz) old En-glish floor cleaner and 1 (8oz) hard floorcleaner, used but works like new, $140. 425-432-6134

SIDE-BY-SIDE PLOTS, Auburn MountainView Cemetery, next to veteran’s section, 2or more $1650 each, 6 available if you wanta family section. 360-494-4118

LOOKING FOR A BEACH HOUSE atOcean Park, WA? **Debt Free Only**, salefor $285,000 or permanent trade with yourSeattle home with something similar. 3beds/2baths, 2 car garage, back yard attached toCanal, 2 blocks away from the beach, 25minute drive to Seaside, OR. E-mailsn7515@comcast.net

CHOICE BUILDING LOT, paved cul-de-sac, all utilities available, septic design, 180’frontage by 135’ deep, $195,000, Edgewood,WA. 253-863-1527

WYNDAM/TRENDWEST TIMESHAREpremium membership, 7,000 points yearly,about 1 week yearly, over $14,000 in value,sale, trade, December anniversary, $150transfer fee. 253-468-5634

PEACEFUL, QUIET, 5 ACRE WOODEDLOT, east of Arlington, just a few minutesfrom all amenities, underground electricityand telephone to lot, $67,521. 360-435-2430

FISHING FAMILY’S DREAM, your owndeeded, 2bed/2bath condo on beautiful LakeChelan. One week every year, plus mainte-nance, $3000. Call George or Dorothy be-tween 11 AM and 6 PM for more informa-tion. 253-846-2071

1998 CHEVY 5-SPEED PICKUP & 31’ALEGRO MOTORHOME, both run great,Motorhome comes with towing package andpickup comes with canopy, $10K for all, willconsider selling Motorohome without towpackage and truck. Call Robert at 253-846-1736

1991 KOMFORT 5TH WHEEL (26 FT), ingood condition, fully equipped, $5,000. 206-653-7135

28’ COACHMAN SANTARA 1995, duct a/c and heat, stove, oven, dinette, microwave,sofa, queen bed, 2 tvs, runs good, $11,950OBO. 425-255-6712

REPRODUCTION SCHWINN CRUISERSS BICYCLE, excellent condition, papers,accessories, $75. 425-353-0564

ARCTIC FOX 30FT FIFTH WHEEL, 2002,2 slides, queen bed, dinette, hide-bed, oakcabinets, great condition, NADA guide$19,480, selling for $15, 000, tow vehicle forsale as package deal. 253-770-9773

54 GAL LYMAN (DEERSTALKER)BLACK POWDER RIFLE, new condition,lots of extras, powder, bullets, everythingyou need, $325. 360-456-3847

WEATHERBY MKV DELUXE, 270 mag,fired 7 times, mint condition, leupold mounts,ammo, $1100 cash, serious buyers only, priceis firm. 360-652-7962

MOSSBERG 935 12 ga 31/2” semi-autoNWTF mossy oak camo, only fired 12 rounds,$400 OBO. 206-718-4562

ROTEC 44-26 – M COMPANY 48-23 props,used – good condition, $100 each. 253-839-2519

MACHINIST & TOOLMAKERS TOOLS,whirligig $50, 3c collet holder $40, angleplate $30, bench lathe $200. 425-271-8719

2002 OLDSMOBILE AURORA, 4dr, 3.5engine, 8-speaker Bose system, heated seats,leather interior, 3 phase white paint, 119,000miles. 253-203-4098

1940 PLYMOUTH STAFF CAR, gloss O.D.paint, 300 miles on rebuilt flat-head six, newinterior, new windows, new tires ready forthe next parade, $14,000 OBO. 206-777-5241

2008 HYUNDAI ACCENT, 10K miles, 5sp, bronze/red, like new, I owe $8200, takeover payments and it’s yours. 253-840-2108

“CLASSIC” 1973 MUSTANG CONVERT-IBLE, new top, rear glass, runs and drives,needs TLC, new tires, chrome rims, drive ithome, $10,500 OBO. 425-778-0252

1991 GEO METRO, good shape, good en-gine, new carb, tires, rotor, new paint, justlicensed, $2000 OBO. 425-442-1934

1965 MUSTANG CONVERTIBLE – 289V-8, white top with green body, white inte-rior, $16,500. 360-387-5083

1971 RS CAMARO SPLIT BUMPER 307V-8, red, $5,500. 360-387-5083

FREE PIANO, Meissner upright, circa 1920s,great sound, fair dark brown finish, 18 keysmissing ivory service, you haul. 425-822-6736

FREE SIMMONS BEAUTYREST queenpillow-top mattress and box-spring. 253-394-4213

RECIPIENT OF FREE LAWN MOWER,LAST ISSUE, there are more attachmentsthat go with it (FREE), come and get them.Call Jim, 206-824-1396

FREE

March 2010 751 AERO MECHANIC Page 11

Machinists Union members have an opportunity foran evening of solidarity and fun at the Everett SilvertipsHockey Club on Friday, March 12. The gameagainst the Seattle Thunderbirds starts at 7p.m. at the Everett Comcast Arena. Machin-ists Union members can purchase discountedtickets for the game – $10 for upper levelsseats and $13 for lower level. Members canpurchase tickets at the Everett Union Hall

(8729 Airport Road), Monday through Friday (8 a.m.to 5 p.m. - closed for lunch noon to 1 p.m.).

The event is to build solidarity and ispart of our community outreach pro-gram to provide more information to thepublic about unions.There will be spe-cial giveaways and raffles at the event.

It will be a fun night, and we hope tosee you there.

Machinists Solidarity Night at Everett Silvertips

District Council Delegate Garth Luark (l)administers the oath of office to Local A CouncilAlternate Craig Eddings.

Joint Programs Administrator Stosh Tomala (l)administers the oath of office to Local A VicePresident Wilson “Fergie” Ferguson.

District President Tom Wroblewski (r) administersthe oath of office to Local F Council Delegate PaulVeltkamp as Sec-Treasurer Susan Palmer looks on.

District Vice President Jason Redrup (l) acceptsthe oath of office from District President TomWroblewski.

Administering the Oath of Office

appeals form.”Arrasmith said she had been frustrated fighting the

insurance company alone. All that changed once theUnion got involved.

While Arrasmith was filing her appeal, she alsocontacted Boeing’s Human Resources representativesin Auburn, who also took up her case.

“I must have pushed the right buttons,” she said.Within weeks, Arrasmith was notified that WashingtonDental Service was in fact going to pay on her claim. Acheck was sent to the dentist who’d done the implant,who in turn reimbursed her for about a third of the cost— $903 in total.

Swan said he’s been a steward 15 years, but this isthe first time he’s run into an issue like this where amember had to appeal the denial of a dental insuranceclaim.

Barstow agreed, and said she fears that other membershave been improperly denied coverage they were entitledto get, because someone at the insurance company hadmade a mistake.

“They get told they’re not covered and they drop it,”she said. “They just assume that’s true.”

Clearly, that’s not always the case, Swan said.“We need to make sure our members know what’s

going on,” he said. “They shouldn’t have to fight sohard. Especially as they get closer to retirement, andthey have a lot of dental things they need to get donefirst.”

Arrasmith said it was a frustrating experience, consid-ering “the company pays decent money for these benefits,and as members we fought for coverage.”

But by working with the union and calling in thecompany to help, the problem was solved.

“I had a lot of good people on my team,” Arrasmithsaid. “It was HR and you guys and Dave pointing me toHeather. It’s always nice to see something turn out infavor of an employee.”

“It’s a lot more fun when you get $900 back,”Barstow quipped. “Persistence paid off.”

Continued from page 1

Member Can SmileThanks to Union Help

Page 751 AERO MECHANIC March 201012

EASTERN WASHINGTON

In Eastern Washington, less than adozen members are tasked with keepingthe heavy equipment for Central Pre-Mix Concrete in top running condition.When you realize that this unit providesready-mix concrete, aggregate miningoperations, and concrete for heavy con-struction – having well-maintainedequipment is critical to the successfuloperation of the company.

Eight of these skilled mechanics work

at the company’s Sullivan Road facility,and one works at the Pasco location.Using their craftsman skills as dieselmechanics, they service and repair vari-ous equipment, loaders, bulldozers,mixer and dump trucks – to keep thingsmoving for Central Pre-Mix.

In addition, these members occasion-ally repair and service equipment fromother Central Pre-Mix plants that don’thave the capabilities of the Spokane op-

eration.Central Pre-Mix has a

long history in EasternWashington – one that ourmembers at this facility areproud to be a part of. WhileCentral Pre-Mix originallyopened its doors in 1930,employees opted for Ma-

chinists Union representation in the early1960’s – establishing another long-stand-ing relationship.

Our members at Central Pre-Mix areexperts in their fields – bringing eitheryears of work experience or completingapprenticeships to offer journeyman levelservice.

Union Steward Casey Streeter has 10years at Central and completed his dieselmechanic apprenticeship in 2005. Likehis co-workers, he appreciates the good-working relationship with management,which is why so many members remainat the plant for decades.

The members’ immediate foreman isa working foreman who is in the bargain-ing unit. In addition, the equipment man-ager is a former mechanic who was pro-moted from the bargaining unit. Thisunderstanding of the trade and knowing

what is required has resulted in a goodrelationship with management and amutual appreciation and respect.

“There is not a lot of turnover here.While I have 10 years at Central Pre-Mix, the next guy above me has 15 plusyears, above him it goes to 25 plus years,and we just had two members with over30 years each retired,” stated Streeter.

“With the downturn in the currenteconomy, the shop is trying to catch upon project work and big projects,” statedStreeter. The Union contract providesjob security for the members.

Their current three-year contract isset to expire June 30.

Steward Casey Streeter is workingwith Business Rep Steve Warren to putthe finishing touches on the contractsurvey so members can prioritize issuesfor the upcoming negotiations.

Mechanics Ensure CentralPre-Mix Keeps Rolling

Above: Just asample of thetrucks ourmechanics atCentral Pre-Mix serviceand repair.

Left: AnthonyGlenn workson one of theengines.

We have all heard about the need toreplace the aging Air Force Tankers, butfew realize we currently represent mem-bers who are critical to the existing KC-135 refueling tankers. Working forFlightSafety Services at Fairchild AirForce Base in Spokane, we have skilledinstructors and technicians who provideinstruction, support and maintenance ser-vices to the flight simulators for theKC135R Air Force tanker aircraft. Theirpositions are essential to keep the fleet ofKC135 tankers in the air and a well-trained flight crew ready and available.

These specialized experts at Fairchildwork as Simulator Maintenance Techni-cians and Pilot Instructors and utilizesophisticated full flight simulators totrain on all aspects of flying for the KC-135s. They perform scheduled and un-scheduled maintenance on simulators,computers and other Aircrew TrainingSystem (ATS) equipment, as well asproviding customer support. This re-quires the pilots to know all aspects ofthe plane and how it will handle in every

potential situation. Technicians musthave detailed working knowledge of allaircraft systems to enable them to oper-ate, maintain, identify and repair any andall aircraft simulator related malfunc-tions. Systems include:

Avionics, Motion Hydraulics, Instru-ments, Computers, Visual Systems, Au-dio Systems, Linkage, Lighting, Com-munications, Fuel Management, FlightManagement, and more.

To do so they must be educated on:• Electrical and

mechanical theory,• Operating princi-

pals of digital and ana-log computers.

• Component leveltesting and repair ATSfield replaceable units.

In 2007, a nation-wide organizing effortbrought MachinistsUnion representation toFlightSafety Servicesemployees at 11 loca-tions, including theworkers at Fairchild.

The workers at Fairchild FlightSafetylooked to the Union for help when theirwages were stagnant and falling behindmarket rates. Their wages were suffer-ing because they were being comparedto typical electronic technician jobs ratherthan a position with comparable respon-sibilities and skills. The electronic tech-nician is only a small part of what theydo. Basically, there were no other posi-tions east of the Cascades that were com-parable to their responsibilities.

Previously, Fairchild simulator main-tenance technicians received a 3 cents anhour increase at the same time pilot simu-lator instructors received a $5 per hourincrease. This was one of many reasonsthey united together to get Union represen-tation to ensure they had a voice in theirfuture.

Although this group is relatively new tothe Union, these members have experi-enced first-hand the benefits of Union rep-resentation. After the Machinists Unionnegotiated a nationwide contract in Octo-ber 2007, members at Fairchild in Spokanesaw a first year wage increase that aver-aged $7.04 per person and a three-year

average increase of $9.59. In addition, theyreceived 3 percent of their pay in the formof a FlexBenefit, which can be used topurchase the benefits of their choice -health care, retirement, extra vacation oradded cash in their checks.

Since these workers are covered by theService Contract Act, Machinists Unionrepresentation is the smart way to go. Evenwhen the contract is paying “all that thelaw requires,” the IAM can often get morefor the workers. The same is true for fringebenefits, insurance and retirement provi-sions that the contractor may otherwise nothave to offer. Finally under the ServiceContract Act, if you’re represented by theunion and the contractor changes, you havecontinuity and job security – making UnionYes the right decision.

“The Union helped us out a great dealwith the wage disparity so we are nowmore inline with simulator personnelthroughout the West Coast,” said UnionSteward Jim Kurzhal.

The group is currently preparing to be-gin negotiations for a second contract.Members met with Union leaders in lateFebruary to provide input, complete sur-veys and take a preliminary strike sanctionvote. Demonstrating solidarity, the groupdelivered a 100 percent strike sanction voteshowing confidence in their negotiators.

Union Steward Jim Kurzhal will be thevoice of Fairchild at the nationwide ne-gotiations, along with Business Rep SteveWarren, and he looks forward to his rolein the negotiations.

So the next time you wonder how theaging KC135s keep flying, you’ll knowit is in part thanks to the training pro-vided to our military from our membersat FlightSafety Services.

751 Members Keep Aging U.S.A.F. Tankers AloftMembers atFlightSafetyvoted 100%to grant strikesanction onFeb. 22. L toR: Ray Ebach,Mike Zerba,Jim Kurzhal,ScottGreenwood,and RichardDoyen.

Union leaders discuss issues for the upcomingFlightSafety negotiations. L to R: Jim Kurzhal, IAMOrganizer Jesse Cote, Richard Doyen, Jason Knabe,Business Rep Steve Warren and Mike Zerba.

Photo right: CaseyStreeter (l) andKevin Charles workon one of the trucks.

Above: Terry Hirsch(r), who works atthe Pasco facility,discusses an issuewith the engine.