Recording Secretary Report

from Fred Charles

June 2008

I would like to thank all of our active and retired members who came out to vote in the General Election last month.  I also would like to thank our members who supported me and the Team in the election.  I feel our membership has elected a very good group that will support our members.

For those members who didn’t vote, I hope you will consider it in the future.  It is very important to exercise your right to vote whether it is choosing the leadership of our country or the leadership of our Local Union.  In either case we must make sure we elect good leaders who will look out for our best interest.  Many people have fought and paid a very high price so we have the freedoms that we have including the right to vote.  I urge you to exercise that right.

Many of our members in the amalgamated units have been affected by the strike at the Lansing Delta Township plant. Thankfully that is settled and everyone is back to work building quality vehicles.  I know it can get tough at times when unemployment is the only income.  I doubt that anyone really wanted to go on strike but it is necessary sometimes.  It seems our welfare is constantly under attack no matter how good a job we do or how much money corporations are making.  If we don’t stand up as a Union, who will.

I want to take this opportunity to thank our retiring officers - Chris “Tiny” Sherwood, Jim DooLittle and Mike Belsito - for their contributions to our Union.  I have worked with each of them for many years and it has been a real honor.  I wish them well in retirement.  And to those folks that have served this membership through appointed and elected positions who are retiring, I wish you all the best in retirement.