IUE-CWA LOCAL 808 - 808 PICKET

808 PICKET

JUNE 3, 2010 HANDBILL

THURSDAY, JUNE 3, 2010

JUNE MEMBERSHIP MEETING

Tuesday, June 8, 2010 at 7:00 a.m. – 3^rd shift

Tuesday, June 8, 2010 at 1:30 p.m. – 2^nd shift

Tuesday, June 8, 2010 at 4:45 p.m. – 1^st shift

Skilled Trades Meetings after the 1:30 & 3:45 meetings

On the Agenda: Regular Order of Business

STEWARDS COUNCIL MEETING

1^ST shift – Tuesday, June 8, 2010 CANCELLED due to overtime

2^nd shift – Tuesday, June 8, 2010 at 1:00 p.m.

3^rd shift – Tuesday, June 8, 2010 after the 7:00 a.m. meeting

Save American Jobs Rally

Monday June 28, 2010

Time: 10:00 AM CST

West side of the entrance to the Southwind Port in Mt Vernon, IN USA

Standup for American workers.

Let companies like Aventine know we are

going to fight for our jobs

Parking and shuttle buses available on Plaza Road which is East of the Port on the North side of Hwy 62. Buses will start running at 9:00 AM CST.

Food will be provided at the Rally

Sponsored by Tri-State Jobs with Justice

More information 812-664-1425, tri-statejwj@ earthlink.net or call your Local Union Office or Rep.

Jobs for Justice are the people that worked hard to help us put on our big Rally back in February. So I would like for us to support them at the rally. We will rent buses to drive from the hall to Mount Vernon. If you are interested in going please let us know so we can plan how many buses we will need. We need to know by Thursday June 10, 2010.

Thanks,

Darrell Collins

You can count on me. SAVE AMERICAN JOBS RALLY West side of the entrance to the Southwind Port in Mt. Vernon, IN USA Monday June 28, 2010 10:00 AM
Name	Phone	I commit to:
			(# of people)

Turn in to your steward or the Union Hall by Thursday, June 10^th.

808 PICKET ARCHIVES

MAY 20, 2010 HANDBILL

THURSDAY, MAY 20, 2010

Changes to TAA program - Questions and Answers

When do the changes to TAA under the Recovery Act take effect?
In general, changes to worker benefits and certification criteria apply only to workers covered by petitions filed on or after May 18, 2009. The exception is that the increase in the amount of the Health Coverage Tax Credit (HCTC), which provides a tax credit towards health insurance costs, goes into effect beginning with the month of May 2009 and applies to all recipients, regardless of when their petition was filed.

How can I tell if I am covered under the Old TAA Program or the New TAA Program?
You can tell which program you are covered under by looking at the petition number, which is usually displayed in your paperwork as TA-W-XX,XXX. TA-W numbers that fall below 70,000 are associated with the Old TAA Program while numbers exceeding 70,000 will be associated with the New TAA Program.

What are the major changes in benefits?

Old TAA Program (Available to Workers Covered by Petitions with Numbers Below 70,000)	New TAA Program (Available to Workers Covered by Petitions with Numbers Above 70,000)
Trade Readjustment Allowances (TRA) Up to 104 weeks of cash payments for workers enrolled in full-time training Up to 130 weeks of cash payments if the worker was also enrolled in remedial training	Trade Readjustment Allowances (TRA) Up to 130 weeks of cash payments for workers enrolled in full-time training Up to 156 weeks of cash payments if the worker was also enrolled in remedial training
Training Enrollment Deadlines Workers must be enrolled in training 8 weeks after certification or 16 weeks after layoff, whichever is later, in order to receive TRA	Training Enrollment Deadlines Workers must be enrolled in training 26 weeks after certification or layoff, whichever is later, in order to receive TRA
Job Search Allowances 90% of allowable costs, up to $1,250	Job Search Allowances 100% of allowable costs, up to $1,500
Relocation Allowances 90% of costs, up to the statutory limit for Federal Employees Provides an additional lump sum payment of up to $1,250	Relocation Allowances 100% of costs, up to the statutory limit for Federal Employees Provides an additional lump sum payment of up to $1,500
Training Services Training may only be approved on a full-time basis Certified workers may not begin approved training until they have been totally or partially separated from adversely affected employment	Training Services Training may be approved on a full-time or part-time basis, although full-time training is required for TRA eligibility. Certified workers may begin approved training when threatened with separation from adversely affected employment
Health Coverage Tax Credit (HCTC) Prior to May 2009, a tax credit covering up to 65% of an eligible participant´s monthly qualifying health insurance premium Beginning May 2009, the tax credit will be raised for all participants to cover 80% of an eligible participant´s monthly qualifying health insurance premium	Health Coverage Tax Credit (HCTC) A tax credit covering 80% of an eligible participant´s monthly qualifying health insurance premium
Alternative Trade Adjustment Assistance Available to workers 50 years of age or older Requires a separate certification of group eligibility Workers may not participate in TAA-approved training Requires full-time employment within 26 weeks of separation Available only for workers earning less than $50,000 per year in reemployment Maximum benefit of $10,000 over a period of up to two years Participants are eligible for the HCTC	Reemployment Trade Adjustment Assistance Available to workers 50 years of age or older Does not require a separate certification of group eligibility Workers may participate in TAA- approved training Requires full-time employment, unless the worker is also enrolled in TAA-approved training and employed at least 20 hours per week, and does not set a deadline for reemployment Available only for workers earning less than $55,000 per year in reemployment Maximum benefit of $12,000 over a period of up to two years Participants are eligible for the HCTC

What are some examples of new groups of workers that may now be certified under the New TAA Program?
Additional groups of workers that may be certified include, but are not limited to:

Workers in firms that supply services.
Workers whose firm has shifted production to any foreign country.
Workers in public agencies.
Workers whose firm produces component parts of a finished article produced by its customer(s).
Workers in firms that supply testing, packaging, maintenance and transportation services to companies with TAA-certified workers.
Workers whose firm is identified in an International Trade Commission “injury” determination listed in the Act.

I am a worker who is already part of a certified worker group. Can I get the benefits as provided under the New TAA Program instead of the benefits provided in the Old Program?
No. The law provides that workers covered by certification of petitions filed before May 18, 2009 will receive the benefits that were available under the old law. The exception is that workers covered by certifications of petitions filed under the Old TAA Program will receive the increased HCTC amount beginning in May 2009.

I filed a petition for TAA certification recently and my petition was denied. May I file a petition under the New TAA Program?
Yes. You may file another petition on or after May 18, 2009. If your petition meets the certification criteria that apply to a petition filed on or after that date, your petition will be granted and you will be eligible to apply for the benefits offered by the New Program. However, the amount of time you have to file a new petition is limited, since a certification does not cover workers laid off more than one year prior to the date of the petition.

I filed a petition currently under review by the Department of Labor but I think I want the benefits available under the New TAA Program. What should I do?
In order to be eligible for benefits under the New TAA Program instead of the benefits under the Old TAA program, workers must be covered by a petition filed on or after May 18, 2009. You (the petitioner) have the option of withdrawing the petition currently under investigation before a determination is made on that petition, then filing a new petition on or after May 18, 2009. If the new petition is certified, workers covered by that petition will be eligible to apply for benefits under the New TAA program.

Before withdrawing your petition, please note that a certification does not cover workers laid off more than one year prior to the date of the petition. This provision of law has not changed. Therefore, when deciding whether or not to withdraw your petition, it is important to consider how long before the filing of a new petition workers covered by that new petition would have been laid off. If workers were laid off nearly a year before the date of a petition currently under investigation, then withdrawing and resubmitting that petition could result in the exclusion of some workers from eligibility to apply for any TAA benefits. In addition, withdrawing and resubmitting a petition will result in the investigation of different time periods, which could change the outcome of the investigation from a certification to a denial (or from a denial to certification).

In order to withdraw your petition, you should contact the individual investigator assigned to your petition or the Trade Adjustment Assistance program office at 202-693-3560, if you do not have contact information for the investigator assigned to the case. Once the Department has issued a determination on your petition, it will not be possible to request a withdrawal. A written request should reference and confirm any oral request to withdraw a petition. While a new petition may be filed if your petition for certification has been denied, certifications issued under petitions filed before May 18, 2009 may not be modified to allow workers to apply for benefits available under the New TAA Program. In addition, while you may discuss your pending petition with the investigator, the decision on whether to withdraw a petition must be
made by the individuals who originally filed the petition, and include all of the signatories to the petition.

How do I get more information?
Information about the changes to TAA under the Recovery Act will be updated frequently and may be found by utilizing the contact information provided below.

Contact Information

United States Department of Labor                                 Phone: 202-693-3560 or 1-888-DOL-OTAA (1-888-365-6822)
Employment and Training Administration                      Fax: 202-693-3584 or 3585
Division of Trade Adjustment Assistance                       Web site: http://www.doleta.gov/tradeact
200 Constitution Avenue, N.W. Room C-5311
Washington, DC 20210

ELIGIBILITY FOR COBRA INSURANCE

You must be in pay status in unemployment & eligible for TRA. A worker can be eligible for TRA and not be in school. If not in school, the worker must be conducting a systematic and sustained work search.

SUB PAY FOR RETIREES

If you are 55 or older and retiring, you MUST call SUB pay every week.

VGA

Your VGA can stay in your account until you turn 65 before you have to remove it.

RETIREMENT PAPERS

Make sure you send a copy of your Birth Certificate in with your Retirement Papers. If you are deferring your retirement, mark out July 1^st on your paperwork and write in the date your retirement will start.

808 PICKET ARCHIVES

MAY 6, 2010 HANDBILL

THURSDAY, MAY 20, 2010

MAY MEMBERSHIP MEETING

Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 7:00 a.m. – 3^rd shift

Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 1:30 p.m. – 2^nd shift

Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 4:45 p.m. – 1^st shift

Skilled Trades Meetings after the 1:30 & 3:45 meetings

On the Agenda: Regular Order of Business

STEWARDS COUNCIL MEETING

1^ST shift – Tuesday, May 11, 2010 CANCELLED due to overtime

2^nd shift – Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 1:00 p.m.

3^rd shift – Tuesday, May 11, 2010 after the 7:00 a.m. meeting

BASIC SKILLS CLASSES

If you are going to take any Basic Skills Classes, you must bring your Birth Certificate to the WorkOne at the Union Hall. If you do not have a birth certificate, you can bring your Drivers License and Social Security Card. The hours for WorkOne at the Union Hall are 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Friday.

Happy Mother´s Day

808 PICKET ARCHIVES

APRIL 27, 2010 HANDBILL

MONDAY, APRIL 26, 2010

CANDIDATES FOR RECORDING SECRETARY AND SERGEANT-AT-ARMS

The following members are candidates in the upcoming election.

Recording Secretary Sergeant-At-Arms

Phil Hunter Rex Lickey

Candy Rhoades

ELECTION FOR RECORDING SECRETARY

Since Phil Hunter was the only one to accept the nomination for Recording Secretary, he will automatically fill that vacancy. Congratulations Phil.

ELECTION FOR SERGEANT-AT-ARMS

A 24-hour election will be held at the union hall beginning at 7:00 a.m. Thursday April 29^th and continuing until 7:00 a.m. Friday April 30^th. We encourage all members to stop by the hall and vote.

Remember to Vote

808 PICKET ARCHIVES

HANDBILL APRIL 22, 2010

THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2010

RECORDING SECRETARY NOMINATIONS

Nominations were held at the April Membership Meetings. The following members were nominated for the office of Recording Secretary.

Rex Lickey Phil Hunter

Those nominated will have ten days to accept the nomination. The deadline is Friday April 23, 2010. Letters Postmarked within this time limit shall be considered as meeting the time requirement.

SERGEANT-AT-ARMS NOMINATIONS

Nominations were held at the April Membership Meetings. The following members were nominated for the office of Sergeant-at-Arms.

Phil Hunter Rex Lickey Bill Kennedy Candy Rhoades

Those nominated will have ten days to accept the nomination. The deadline is Friday April 23, 2010. Letters Postmarked within this time limit shall be considered as meeting the time requirement.

ELECTIONS FOR RECORDING SECRETARY

AND SERGEANT-AT-ARMS

If needed, elections for Recording Secretary and Sergeant-At-Arms will be held at the union hall over a 24 hour period beginning at 7:00 a.m. Thursday April 29^th and continuing until 7:00 a.m. Friday April 30^th.

LOCAL 808 DELEGATIONS VISIT WHIRLPOOL SHAREHOLDERS MEETINGS

Whirlpool CEO Jeff Fettig Tuesday April 20, 2010 committed to high level meetings with IUE-CWA to discuss the future of the plant in Evansville, IN.

Speaking with Division President Jim Clark prior to the company´s annual shareholder meeting in Chicago, Fettig reiterated that the company loses money on top-mount refrigerator and it could not stay in the U.S., but said the company would entertain proposals on a replacement product.

Clark said keeping the plant open is still a long shot, but he was pleased with Fettig´s action.

"If we don´t have dialogue we can´t move forward. This opens the door. Now we will see if we can make something happen," Clark stated.

A delegation of Local 808 members joined by local Jobs with Justice Representatives picketed and leafleted at the meeting.

808 PICKET ARCHIVES