| President Todd Collins Archive |
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December 2022 Hello Brothers and Sisters. As we enter the Holiday season, I hope all of you get the opportunity to spend time with your Family. The new year brings new hope and new opportunities for our members. However you choose to celebrate the Holidays and New Year I wish you a Happy Holidays and New Year. On the Local front the Old Newsboys and Toys for Tots campaign just wrapped up for the year. Thank you to all of the members who graciously donated to these worthwhile charities that do so much good work in the community. Thank you to all of our members for doing the quality work that only we can do. For all of the time that we spend away from our family to provide for them and for the dedication to make the companies that we work for the best in the business only because of the quality of the Union workforce that we are. May 2023 be the best and most prosperous year for all of us. Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year Brothers and Sisters. “All Labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence” Martin Luther King Jr. In Solidarity, Todd September 2022 Hello Brothers and Sisters. I hope that you all are enjoying the last few moments of summer and the sunny skies. With things starting to come back to “normal” it also has been a struggle for a lot of our members. The layoffs due to part shortages, planned downtime from most of our customers, has created layoffs and uncertainty with a good portion of our members. Hopefully we have turned a corner and will be able to look ahead to more steady times. On the Local front our Delta Dental Unit recently had an event to welcome new members as well as established members and hopefully create a new sense of solidarity. Congratulations to the Bargaining Committee for the recently passed agreement. The gains that were accomplished for the membership were a testament to the hard work and dedication to the membership. Most of our Units are experiencing a shortage of workers at their respective worksites. I’m sure you are all aware that our Units are not alone. Most businesses in Lansing and the surrounding areas are experiencing shortages. The Local has received the approval from the International Presidents Office for the recently changed bylaws that were membership approved. I hope that all of our members had a safe and fun Labor Day spending time with their families or in whatever they decided. On a sad note the Local lost a true Unionist and Friend. Jim Smith was the Sgt at Arms for Local 724. He was more than just a fellow Union Brother. He was a UAW worker who devoted his time to help others. Whether it was at Bridgewater where he worked, helping Veterans or volunteering to help anyone with anything, Jim was a true good person and friend that will be truly missed by all. To his family I can only say that we all owe you a debt of gratitude for sharing Jim with us and allowing him to pursue his passion. Thank you, Jim, for all that you did for us. You will be sorely missed. Fly high Brother! In Solidarity Todd April 2022 Hello Brothers and Sisters. As I write this letter Spring is upon us. Warmer temperatures and sunshine are on the way. I recently had the Honor to attend the UAW Financial Officers Conference. I attended the Roles and Responsibilities class. I learned of the importance of checks and balances. Our roles as Financial Officers of our Local are of the utmost importance. I am very proud of our Local and our transparency. The 38th UAW Constitutional Convention will take place July 25 -July 28,2022 in Detroit this year. The Local and Unit Nominations and Election dates have been established by the Unit and Local Election Committees. Please see the nomination and election notices later in this edition. The Local and Units will handle the nominations separately. The elections for both Local and Units will be held the same day. Our Bridgewater Unit has received 2 (two) Delegates. Our Dakkotta Unit has received 1 (one) Delegate. The Local has received 2 (two) miscellaneous Delegates. Please see the Notices posted later in this edition and that will be posted at your worksite. On the Local level I am pleased to see the recent developments of successful Organizing campaigns. From Amazon workers voting for the first ever Union worksite at the Amazon warehouse in New York to many more throughout the United States. Workers are standing up more than ever for better working conditions. I am proud to have the Honor to represent all of our Members at Local 724 and never take that privilege for granted! I hope all of our Members have a fun and safe summer with your families. “All Labor that uplifts Humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence” March 2022 Hi fellow Brothers and Sisters. As you are reading this, Spring is on our door step. The hope of warmer weather and sunny skies. As we transition seasons the hope is we also are transitioning away from the effects of the pandemic. From the chip shortages, part shortages temporary layoffs and uncertainty of the Auto Industry has had an effect on our members. Most of our Units are still hiring. With the added stress of having to pick up the slack due to the number of openings in our facilities, our members are certainly gong above and beyond. Region 1D has opened up opportunities for our members to receive free online training on a number of different topics. If you would like further information please contact your Chairperson or contact the Local. As far as the Local goes we have been making progress in making sure that we are addressing the needs of our members in an open, honest transparent way. The Local membership meetings that take place on the second Tuesday of each month at 5pm are a great way to have your voice and input heard and hopefully take an active role in making this Local even better. It looks like some training opportunities may be coming available as the weeks progress. Keep an eye on the boards in your Unit to keep up to date . Lastly, I would like to take this opportunity to say Thank you to our Administrative Assistant Stacey Fortino. Stacey has officially retired after more than 33 years of service to the members of this Local. Thank you Stacey for all of your years of service and dedication. We appreciate everything you have done for all of us and wish you a happy next chapter in your life. You will be missed. As for the members of Local 724, as always, it is an honor to be the President of our Local. December 2021 Holiday Greetings to all our members. As the Holiday Season is in full effect, I would like to wish all of our members and retirees a Happy Christmas and the very best New Year! As we turn the page on what was a challenging year for all of us, my hope is that the new year brings new hope for turning the page on this pandemic and all that surrounds it. With the announcement of weeks of planned shutdowns from GM some of our Units will be starting the new year with some level of uncertainty. All signs as of now point to 2022 being a rebound year both for our members and the nation as a whole. On a bright note, several of our Units ratified new contracts in 2021 with significant gains for our members. Hats off to all of the bargaining committees for all of your hard work. The Local has made a number of wholesale changes to make sure that we are doing everything to make sure our members priorities come first. The membership meetings are on the second Tuesday of each month at 5pm. These meetings are for ALL members of the Local. Transparency, Honesty and Openness are the overriding principles at the meetings, and I encourage all members to attend and take a more active roll in our Local. Member’s activism and involvement are the backbone of our Union and the key to our Solidarity. As President of UAW Local 724 my door is always open, and my phone is always on. It is my Honor to represent you all in whatever capacity I can. Thank you to all of our members for the hard work that you do every day. May you all have a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and the best New Year possible. In Solidarity May 2021 Hello to all of Our Members. Just wanted to give you an update on what’s going on at our Local. Our Dakkota Unit recently ratified a new contract. The Bargaining team worked hard for months to bring a good contract to the members that provided job security and other benefits. Congratulations to all of our Dakkota members. Our Delta Dental and Huntsman Units are also involved in contract talks as of the date of this article. The Local will provide whatever resources necessary to assist those Bargaining teams in negotiating a contract that is beneficial for our members. As we are turning the page on the current status of the pandemic I am hopeful that we can once again return to in person meetings for both the Local and our Units very soon. The Local has some limited online training opportunities for our members in case any member is interested. Please see you respective Chairperson our contact the Local for more information. I have to say that I am very proud of all of our members for the work ethic they have exhibited and the challenges we have had to deal with during this pandemic. Both in our personal lives as well as the challenges in our respective worksites. I know that the most recent news of chip shortages has affected some of our members as far as layoffs and I hope that will come to an end soon. As spring is beginning and the weather turns I hope all of our members can enjoy some sense of normal this coming summer. As always if there is anything that I or the Local can do to help any of our members please feel free to call the Local. I hope you all take care of yourselves and your family. Have a great summer! “If you can’t fly, then run, -Martin Luther King Jr. February 2021 Hello Brothers and Sisters. Hope all is well in this first month or so of the New Year. A New Year that turns the page on one of the worst and most challenging years in our nation’s history. With a new year comes a new President, a new Vice-President a new congress and senate. Let’s hope that with all of the new comes new hope that our country can find a way to come together and use our differences to unite us instead of dividing us even farther. Membership meetings are still cancelled until April for now. My hope is that beginning in May that we can start them again. On the Local front a member from our Dakkotta Unit passed away recently. Ken Dennings spent 8 years with his brothers and sisters at Dakkotta. He was a “HUGE” Michigan State fan. His wife and four daughters are in our prayers. Ken was a true Union guy who took care of everyone. You will be missed brother. Rest in Peace. Our Dakkotta, Woodbridge, Delta Dental and Huntsman Units will, by the time you read this, be in contract negotiations. I have faith that the Bargaining teams at each of those units will fight to bring a contract that is worthy of the membership that we represent. Our first food drive at our Local was a huge success. With help from Dean Poggiali we were able to organize an event that saw almost 200 food boxes go out to the community. Special thanks to Joyce Norwood from our RSDC Unit for organizing the event. Also thanks to all of the volunteers form our units and our families that helped. I am very proud of what we were able to do to help the community. May we all remember that in the words of Walter Reuther “We are our Brothers and Sisters keeper”. Which means that we take care of each other, look out for each other, and we will get the same back in return. “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools” Martin Luther King Jr. December 2020 To all our UAW 724 Members. As you are reading this article, we are all experiencing the effects of a second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak. All of our Units have been affected in both our work and home lives. Hopefully with the elections behind us and a new president elected we can begin working to help each other and our country to get thru this pandemic. The systemic divide that this election cycle has exposed in our country is a major issue. Our inept ability to have rational, respectful conversation with each other will, I fear, cause an even deeper divide between not only our friends, our co-workers but our families as well. The basic principle of our Union is to come together as One. One common goal. And to look out for one another. We may have differences and disagreements. In my mind those differences and disagreements can, and should, be discussed in a respectful way so that we can all come to an understanding of each other’s point of views. With the Holidays upon us I hope that we can all Safely navigate how to spend time with our Family! On the Local front recently our Kirchhoff Unit ratified a new CBA. Congratulations to the Bargaining Committee for bringing the members an agreement that, considering the circumstances, was difficult at best. Our Dakkota Unit is currently in the beginning stages of negotiating an agreement with the company. I have faith that the Bargaining Committee will be able to bring a contract to the members that they can be proud of. My wish for the New Year is that we can look forward to a safe and healthy 2021 that brings us all peace and prosperity. From my Family to yours I wish you all a Happy Holiday Season and the hope and promise of a better New Year. “IF EVERYONE IS MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER, THEN SUCCESS TAKES CARE OF ITSELF” - Abraham Lincoln September 2020 Greetings Brothers and Sisters. Since the last issue of the Labor News things have certainly changed. The words “COVID” and “Pandemic” seem to dominate our everyday discussions and are part of the new “Normal”. Elections are less than 2 months away and are, most certainly, dominating the airwaves. Every election we always hear “This is the most important election in our lifetime”. As this is always true it definitely has many different implications this year. As Americans we have a choice. A choice to decide how our country moves forward or falls behind. How the United States is viewed in the global landscape. Whether we can still be that beacon of light in the International community or a dying symbol of freedom that once was an example for the entire world to see. As a Union we have always been a part of Middle class America. Any party or candidate that threatens that way of life is no friend of Labor. Please exercise your right to vote no matter the party. On the Local front we are currently still not having membership meetings due to the Governors Executive order. Hopefully we can start soon. Some of our Units have started or will be starting contract negotiations. These are challenging times and those Units are finding that the current climate is not the most ideal. With the Local Elections behind us and a new chapter beginning at the Local I just wanted to take this opportunity to Thank the entire membership for giving me the opportunity to be YOUR President. Please know that I consider this an honor and do not take that responsibility lightly. "Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you." Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg June 2020 Challenging Times It is no secret that most of us are dealing with unprecedented challenges right now due to the Covid-19 outbreak. Most of the units of our Local have been impacted and have had to shut down and make changes per the governor’s executive order. Some of our units have returned to work when the governor lifted the stay home order. With the big 3 coming back on line most of our units are operating again (albeit in a somewhat different capacity). The overriding concern in all of our units is that, if they are working, that our members are protected and as Safe as Possible! The unfortunate choice that some of our members are forced to make is one of personal safety for us and our families or return to work and provide for our families. With the challenges facing our members involving the unemployment system it is placing everyone in a very uncomfortable position. On the Local front I would like to say Thank you to Dean Poggiali who is our Community Service Chair and United Way Labor liaison for the daily updates to all of us throughout the area with information and resources available to help as much as possible during these challenging times. The Local recently had our Triennial Elections for the Local Officers and our Units as well. Congratulations to all of those who were elected to your respective leadership positions. I look forward to working with each and every one of you to help our Local move forward, in one direction, to serve those who have entrusted us to lead them and protect their best interests. In these challenging times our Solidarity and Unity will be tested more than ever!
February 2020 Greetings Brothers and Sisters. December 2019 Greetings Brothers and Sisters. As you are reading this the Holiday Season in full swing. I would like to wish all of our members a Safe and Happy Holiday season with your family and friends. On the Local level our Alliance Interiors Unit recently ratified a new contract. Congratulations to Jeremey Hester and the rest of the bargaining team for the efforts and hard work. Our Bridgewater Unit, by the time you are reading this, will have voted on a tentative agreement and hopefully ratified a new contract as well. Thank you Kirk Nordberg and the rest of the bargaining committee for your hard work. I would like to say thank you to all of our members that were affected by the recent GM Strike. Roughly 1200 of our members were laid off due to the strike. Far too often the media talks about the UAW workers at GM and the severe impact that it had on them. The truth is that it affected all of the suppliers as well along with countless others. Thank you to the UAW GM workers for showing the world that it’s still ok to Fight for a fair contract and dignity within the workplace. On behalf of the entire Local I would like to wish all of our members the happiest of Holiday seasons. “There is no power in the world that can stop the forward march of free men and women when they are joined in the solidarity of human brotherhood” Walter Reuther September 2019 Greetings Brothers and Sisters. I hope that all of our members had a great summer with family and friends. As of the writing of this article the Big 3 contract deadline is looming. My hope is that the UAW leadership and GM will be able to reach an agreement that both addresses the member’s contract demands and prevents a possible work stoppage. Undoubtedly a GM work stoppage will have an immediate effect on our members at this Local. If a work stoppage does happen the Local will be here to help our members with whatever resources we can. With the current political environment it is important to remember that the middle class is slowly being eroded away. In today’s day and age no one wants to see a possible work stoppage/strike. If that does happen I have no doubt that the UAW Leadership and Bargaining team had no other choice. On the Local front our Alliance Interiors Unit, our Bridgewater Unit and our Kirchhoff Unit will have started or soon will start negotiations to bargain a new contract. I have no doubt that those UAW Bargaining Teams will be fighting for a fair and equitable contract for our members. Please make sure that you stay engaged and involved at your respective worksites. Its only thru the members Solidarity that our Bargaining teams and/or Elected Representatives have the most power. I want to personally say thank you to all of our members who work hard every day! Solidarity Brothers and Sisters! “The laboring man...ought to remember that all who labor are their brothers, and that all women who labor are their sisters, and whenever one class of workingmen or workingwomen is oppressed all other laborers ought to stand by the oppressed class.”— Robert Green Ingersoll April 2019 Greetings Brothers and Sisters. Spring is finally here (Well sort of). Spring ushers in New life. New growth. The change of Seasons also reminds us that change is inevitable. I would like to remind all of our members that this coming Fall is the expiration of the Big 3 Contracts. For most of our units the outcome of the upcoming negotiations could have a major impact on the landscape of our Local and its membership. Keeping in mind that as a result of the negotiations a Strike and/or lockout is always a possibility. Other area UAW Locals that may be impacted are in the process of communicating with the membership that being prepared is key. Some of our Local 724 members may be impacted so it is worth developing a plan now. On the Local front we recently had elections for 2 Executive Board positions. Congratulations to our new Trustee Dustin Edgington and Sue Wohlscheid our new Guide. I look forward to working with both of you on our Executive Board. On a sad note the Local Lost a True Trade Unionist on April 2, 2019. Ron Dean was a long time Member of UAW Local 724 with more than 30 years of service. Ron started his Union membership at Lindell Drop Forge and ended at Dakkota Integrated Systems. Ron held many titles at both facilities including Shop Chairperson. Ron was a true UAW member who dedicated his life to being not only a true UAW Leader but a member of his community as well .He loved to help people. Ron will be missed dearly by all who knew him. February 2019 Greetings to All With the winter weather firmly taking hold we can all dream of warmer days. When warmer days do arrive let us not forget that by the time those months hit that the decision by General Motors to shutter factories in the US and move work to Mexico will already be affecting our fellow UAW Brothers and Sisters. The effects of the GM decision will have far reaching implications beyond just GM jobs. It will affect the UAW members, and their families, at our Supplier plants and the communities around those plants. When the UAW and the American people stepped up to help General Motors out in 2009 we never expected to be paid back like this. The American public and the UAW have started a campaign to let GM know that we invested in them and now they need to invest in US! Please join this movement to let GM know that what they are doing to their workers and their families is not ok. On the Local front we are still navigating the process to have our sewer system repaired. Some of our Units have announced layoffs related to the recent GM decisions. Please keep these members in your thoughts and prayers that this is only a temporary situation. The Local will have elections for a Trustee position and a Guide position happening soon (please see the election notice). There are still some Standing Committee positions open at the Local. If any member is interested in getting more involved please attend the next General Membership meeting which are the second Tuesday of the month at 5:00 pm.
Tis the Season With the Christmas and Holiday Season is in full swing I wanted to take to take the opportunity to wish all of our Members at UAW Local 724 and their Families a Happy Christmas and New Year’s. I also would like to thank all of our members who came out to vote in the November Mid-Term elections. A record number of voters exercised their right to vote and that is very encouraging considering the current political landscape in our country. On a very positive note 85% plus of the Lansing Area CAP Council endorsed candidates were elected. A big thankyou goes out to our CAP Board for all of the screening efforts that went into the endorsement process. With the recent announcement of the GM Grand River Plant going to one shift in January and the announcement that Gm will be closing plants, and layoffs will be taking, place it’s important to remember how this will impact UAW Members and their Families. In 2008-2009 the American public, and UAW Members, helped save the Auto industry. Since that time the industry has realized record profits. All the while still exploiting the workers who gave the company those same record profits. Our payback, as American Citizens and UAW workers, from the Big Three has been to build plants outside of the US, take the Corporate Tax Break and layoffs. On a more positive note on Behalf of the entire Executive Board of UAW local 724 and all of our Members I would like to wish everyone and their families a Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday Season. "May your walls know joy, may every room hold laughter, and every window open to great possibility." - Mary Anne Radmacher September 2018 I hope that all of our Members have had a safe and enjoyable Summer. On the Local front, the Local held our annual Golf Outing in August at Centennial Acres Golf Course in Sunfield. The event was another huge success with the help of our sponsors and volunteers. We look forward to next year making it even more fun and enjoyable for our members and their families. Both the Local and Unit Standing Committee Chairs attended recent conferences. I would like to thank all of you who volunteer for these committees. From the Veterans Committee to the Civil and Humans Rights Committee to the Union Label Committee, all are a vital part of our Local and our Union. If any member would like more information on any of our Standing Committees please contact the Local or your Chairperson for more information. As we see the season change please remember what time of year we are heading into. Election season is upon us. With the current political environment in our state it is even more important that the people in our state and our members exercise their right to VOTE. To our members that say that your vote does not count I say this. If you sit home and do not vote then those who attack our very way of life win! Those who seek to destroy the Middle Class way of life and the very Union that we all belong to cannot be allowed to take office. We cannot protect our way of life and those that we care about if we sit on our hands and do nothing. As the elections for our State draw near it has never been more important than to stand up and let your voice be heard. VOTE!!. I ask one last thing of our Membership. Take those phones and computers that we all have and look up the word SOLIDARITY. Then see how you can apply that to your life. To me it means looking out for my Brothers and Sisters. Having one voice. Our Union was founded on this principal and getting back to those principals has to be priority. “Just because you do not take an interest in politics, Doesn’t mean that politics won’t take an interest in you” -Pericles- May 2018 As you are reading this article it seems as if Spring may finally be here. With the rise in temperatures please remember to be aware of the effects of heat stress and heat exhaustion. For those of our members not in a temperature controlled environment remember to drink plenty of fluids and watch out for your fellow brother or sister. On the Local front the elections are over for the 37th Constitutional Convention Delegates. Congratulations to the following on winning the Delegate positions. Bridgewater- Delegates Kirk Nordberg and Adam Mosher. Alternate Delegates Dawn Parish and Lisa Dunton. Dakkota- Delegate Terri Niblock. Woodbridge- Delegate Chris Donelson. Local Delegates- Todd Collins and Debra Abent Alternate Delegate- Jeremy Hester. The upcoming 37th Constitutional Convention will be June 10-14, 2018 in Detroit. The Local Golf Outing will be August 4, 2018 at Centennial Acres in Sunfield. Fliers and signup sheets are available at the Local for those interested. Our Local Standing Committees are starting to develop and are having monthly and/or quarterly meetings. If you are interested please call the Local and we will put you in contact with the appropriate Standing Committee Chair. With the Summer months upon us the Local Executive Board hopes that all of our Members have a Safe, Happy and enjoyable time! “Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” March 2018 By the time that you are reading this the Holidays and New Year will have come and gone. I hope that you all enjoyed the time with Family and friends. This Year is going to be a busy year politically. Not only will we elect a new Governor this year but our State Senators and House of Representatives will be up for election. 2 State Senators and 14 House of Representatives in all will run for their respective positions. As much as some of our members do not like politics because of how divisive they can be, we have to remind ourselves of the power of our votes. Our votes can elect, or not elect if we stay silent, those who will stand up for working class people in this country. I encourage all of our members not only to register to vote but to vote for those who have you and your family’s best interest at heart. Those who have a record of standing up for middle class working families in this country. I recently attended the National CAP Conference in Washington. The Local CAP delegates spent time lobbying on Capitol Hill to let our representatives hear our voice. Please be aware of the Legislation that may be coming up around what some in our Government may call “Entitlements”. We can’t be silent if they come after our Social Security, Medicaid or Medicare. We all pay into these programs and we cannot allow these crucial benefits to be taken away. At the Local we have received the Call Letter for the upcoming 37th Constitutional Convention Please refer to the nominations and elections notice for the Convention. As of the time of this article we will have celebrated the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday. Here are a few of his words that have just as much meaning today as the day he spoke them. “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter”. December 2017: Big shoes to fillAs I thought as to what to write for my first article as President of UAW Local 724, I immediately thought of our Past President Dean Poggiali. The words dedication, commitment and passion for the union all exemplify the work that he has done (and still continues to do) for our local and the community. |
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