What do you see as the primary challenges SPEEA faces in the near term and what are your solutions?
Fiducial Responsibility. I will carefully monitor our expenditures to ensure we spend the Membership’s dues wisely.
Effective Negotiating. We need to carefully negotiate the details in our contracts and side letters because the Membership no longer trusts the company to do the right thing. With more Membership input and stronger support for our negotiation teams, we can insist on more time to review the proposed contracts and get feedback from members. Remember, we are only 18 months away from the 2008 contract negotiations kickoff.
Maintain Benefits. We need to be pro-active in informing and involving the Membership. We need to use resources available to work with other Boeing unions, IFPTE, and the broader labor community to develop and implement strategies to maintain our benefits. We fight to keep these benefits not just for us, but for those who will be working in all the companies that SPEEA represents under current and future employers.
Outsourcing & Bargaining Unit Erosion. Persuade Boeing to keep more work in house and not ship technical & engineering work to partners/subsidiaries. In the past SPEEA has used our Membership’s strength to show when our employer has unwisely chosen to ignore the members’ view on outsourcing. We need to counter outsourcing more and use partnership for our members needs, and give them a stronger voice.
Organizing. I serve on the organizational planning committee and know the value of organizing more members in Boeing & other companies. Our members bring value to their employers. By growing SPEEA, we will have a stronger position for the Membership.
What would you bring to the Executive Board?
Membership Voice. I bring a tech & 2nd generation SPEEA & Boeing perspective to SPEEA issues. I will be an active voice for members on the Board. I will challenge the Status Quo to benefit the Membership.
Dedication. Having attended board meetings regularly as a council officer for the last 3 years, I will spend the time needed to debate & resolve issues the Board deals with and not complain about the length of meetings. I will attend all board & committee meetings.
Focus. I have attended Executive Board meetings that have lasted 7 hours or more. And I have seen board meetings gloss over details on issues. There needs to be a balance that is focused on our members.
Encouragement. I will work to get members that are interested to attend board meetings, which are open to members. I have noticed when members are in attendance, the meetings are much better because they are able to share their issues and ideas with the board that enrich the meetings.
How will you represent the Northwest region as a regional Vice President?
Accessibility. I have represented the Northwest region and SPEEA in many ways and levels in my SPEEA service. My goal is to make SPEEA operations more accessible to the members. I have represented SPEEA members and understand many of the diverse opinions we have in our membership.
Advocacy. I have used my positions to speak out on issues members have. At a Partnership event, I have received positive feedback from Boeing managers because I spoke about membership issues that managers may not have felt comfortable to bring up. I know this is one way SPEEA can use the Partnership and meetings with our employers as a conduit to communicate the wisdom of our members to the top leaders of our employers.
I intend to work with others with our shared interests, other unions at Boeing for example, and engineering and technical workers around the country.
Regional Understanding. I have worked in Everett, Renton, Plant 2, The DC, and Bellevue. I have kept in contact with members and member representatives from other Puget Sound plants and those in Oregon, Spokane and other parts of the Northwest region of SPEEA. I will vigorously represent all parts of SPEEA’S Northwest region fairly and equally.
Describe your level of SPEEA activism and your accomplishments.
Proven Activist. I am Current Chairman, and past Secretary of Northwest Council. I have been a member of five committees and am the current chair of the SPEEA Legislative & Public Affairs committee. I am a labor delegate to two labor councils, Martin Luther King County and Washington State. I have twice been an IFPTE convention delegate. I am the SPEEA representative on the King County Airport Roundtable. I have received SPEEA Awards for activism.
Union Solidarity. I promote working with other unions in the Coalition of Labor Unions at Boeing (CLUB) and have been recognized by other Boeing unions for my union work. By working together with others we have improved conditions for more than just our members. Our strike experience showed our efforts helped those not even represented by SPEEA. At the same time we have been helped by others.
Why are you interested in the Vice President position?
Membership Service. Over past 3 years, I have consistently attended Executive Board meetings as a council officer. One item clearly stands out – there needs to be more focus on members’ needs. Executive board members need to remember that the Membership is the supreme governing body, which we have the pleasure to serve.
Effective Decisions. I have seen decisions made in haste when more time was needed on issues. I have seen where the board bows to outside pressures, where they should not. A minority on the board have made a positive movement to bring the board to a position where it should be and perform the duties the Membership and SPEEA Constitution expect the board to do. I will work with all board members to get the board to function in an efficient yet responsive and responsible manner.
Payback. I feel that by volunteering to serve, I am doing what others did for many years before me and that others will do in the future for all of us. I ask for your vote so I can represent you as a Northwest Vice-President. And I thank you for voting in SPEEA elections.
Ballots will be counted March 14. Please mail in your ballot today.