News

Contemporary Letter

../1017_001.pdf

Charlie Ray Fetty III

USW 2102 Maintenance Main Griever

1414 E. Evans Ave.

Pueblo, CO 81004

Maintenance Main Griever, USW Local 2102

November 18, 2011

To Whom It May Concern:

In regard to the application of Evraz Rocky Mountain Steel Mills for an extended Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Operating Permit, (permit 02PB0492): and specifically regarding the 3^rd party maintenance contractor requirement by the existing permit.

Specifically: Air Pollution Control Division, Colorado Operating Permit # 95OPPB097. Section 10.21 (Paragraph 54) Page 10... and Section 2, Condition 1.17 page 24… and VI, Page 18.

The use of a third party maintenance crew is an unnecessary busyness financial hindrance for our Company. It costs us at least twice as much per man-hour for non-Union and untrained workers.

The Union is better qualified to do the job. Our management contends that the contractors are not qualified enough to hire into our company and Union, but our Union argues that the contractors are being housed within our plant and are doing more and more of our contractual work every day. We are even being forced to train them to take more of our work. We are forced to compete with several contractor workforces for our contractual work and this creates a hostile work environment. Surely, the EPA considers such things and would not contribute to such an unhealthy environment.

We have a legal Right to these jobs as the Primary Contractor for Evraz Rocky Mountain Steel Mills. We are the United Steel Workers Local 2102 and we have a signed contract with the company that forbids our daily work being contracted out… and especially to inside contractors. These contractors are being given our shops, our tools, our equipment, our supplies and our monies. We are unfairly being pushed out of our jobs by such things as this unfair and unnecessary 3^rd party requirement. The Union is the legal 3^rd party to do this maintenance.

The Union has a vested interest in keeping these emissions as clean as possible… and this company as profitable as possible. Indeed, it was the Union who first alerted the EPA to the emission problems at the plant during our 7-year Labor Dispute with the company at the turn of this century. The Union workers have shown themselves to be better stewards of clean air and clean water. This is why the Union is the better Contractor… for everyone concerned.

This “3^rd party” requirement is a remnant from the bitter 7 year Labor Dispute between the USW and Rocky Mountain Steel Mills. It was implemented during very hostile circumstances in which the company sought to break the Union with “replacement workers”. To continue it is to continue that labor dispute.

Please… until this matter is solved consider holding the permit.

Sincerely,

Charlie Ray Fetty III

MMT, Evraz Rocky Mountain Steel Mills

Maintenance Main Griever, USW Local 2102

Contractors should join the Union.

Which side are you on?
I have stood... to the best that I am able... for everyone in this plant... I have put myself on the line... time after time... I have tried my best to do my job... now, I ask that you stand with me.
Our livelyhoods are on the line... aye, and our children's livelyhoods... what will be our legacy to them?
Which side are you on?
As we are systematically replaced by non-Union workers making half of what we make, it should occur to you all that the end is near... the end of what has been best in our lives... and what would have been best in our children's lives.
We stand on the brink... a decision to make... how low will we go?... before we make a stand against it?... or break?
Workers... Union... and nonUnion... management... corporate... Russians... this applies to all of you.
What kind of world will it be?
The writing is on the wall... will our children's only hope of working in this plant be working for contractors... making half of what we made in our working lives... because of the stands that our parents took?
How long will the company continue to pay more for less(not to the actual contract workers, but the lion's share to their management and ownership)... how long will the company pay more only to be rid of the Union?... and how much will we all pay if they have their way and the Union is gone?
It's not only the Union membership that's losing here... all of you in management have children as well... when we go down, can you think of any realistic reason why you won't be next?
You nonUnion workers... don't you think that if you're doing the job, you should be paid what the job is worth?... don't you think that your children should be able to provide for their children?
Corporate... do you know where we're going?... do you have any idea of the real costs in human terms of what you're doing?... you have all the power... misuse that power and you will lose it... if history has shown us nothing else, it has shown us that.
Russian... you already know... now, you have all the power... will you be better or worse than your predecessors?... what kind of a world will we live in?
I am standing in front of you all... asking that you to stand on behalf of better world... for us... and for our children... if people work in this plant, they should be paid a good Union wage... and pay the Union-dues.
If any of you don't like what this Union is... then you have no one to blame but yourselves... you are this Union... and if it is good or bad... or if it lives... or if it dies... you are responsible... we all are.
You might have enough suction to survive for a while in the mill after the Union... and you might not... but what about your children?
What will be our legacy?... what will the world be like?... will there be brotherhood?... or will there be suckies and cutthroats?
Which side of the future are you on?

Production and Maintenance Employees of Rocky Mountain Steel Mills

News