International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers

Local Lodge 839 3917 E. MacArthur Rd.

Monthly Meetings

2nd Saturday of the Month

Executive Board meets at 8:00 AM

This will be the first Father’s Day since my Dad died in November of 2008. I debated whether to “take a pass” on writing an article this month, but I know he would have encouraged me to set my sadness aside and not let it keep me from my work. Dad was a big advocate of working hard and fulfill-ing your obligations. My father grew up in rural Arkansas, where his family had no electricity, phones or indoor plumbing. Hard work and your word was what you traded on back then. Most of us can only imagine what life was like for a child growing up during those years of great depression. Throughout history, fathers have been looked to for guidance and support. They have been loved, respected and looked up to. Fathers worked long hours and made many sacrifices for their families. Fathers involved in labor unions sometimes paid the ultimate price, loss of their lives, while trying to improve working conditions and wages in the workplace. Working families suffered the most during recessionary times, known as “panics”. Unemploy-ment was high, work days were much longer, wages were low and safety regulations in the workplace were virtually non-existent. These were hard years. The story of one such family man is particularly inspiring. On the evening of May 5, 1888, railroad machinist Tom Talbot held a secret meeting with eighteen fellow machinists in a locomotive pit in Atlanta, Georgia. That meeting was the beginning of the IAM. The meetings were kept secret due to employer hostility toward union organizers. These men had no resources beyond their own skills and no friends in high places. Anyone caught trying to organize risked being fired on the spot. Tom went on to become the un-

ion’s first president and he faced many struggles while trying to raise the dignity of the trade. The IAM was built on the faith, courage and determina-tion of those men who refused to give up. In order for us to know where we’re going as a union, we must look back at where we’ve been. The IAM members that came before us made enormous sacrifices for us to be able to have the wages, hours and benefits that we have today. Many of those early machinists were fired or beaten for trying to organize; some were shot by federal troops in the midst of worker strikes. One of the things that made Talbot and others triumphant was their over-whelming spirit of solidarity. It was that unity that made them successful in securing wages that would allow them to feed and clothe their families. Their successes forged the way for our good wages and benefits. Have we held up our end of the bargain? What are we doing, and what are we willing to sacrifice, so that we can honestly say we’re making the free-doms that these ‘fathers’ fought for truly secure and available to all of us? Where is our strength and solidarity? My father once said it isn’t about fighting with the company; it’s about taking pride in your work and having the backbone to stand up for a better future for your fellow workers and your family. He was a pretty smart guy, my Dad!

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY! REST IN PEACE, DAD!

“I die like a true blue rebel. Don't waste any time in mourning.

Organize." - Joe Hill's last written words

President’s Corner

June 2009 By Kathy Petersen

Sony Handycam Winner

Congratulations to Twyla Glass-Lewis, the winner of the Sony DVD Handycam, Memory Stick and Tripod whose ticket was drawn at the monthly local lodge meeting in May. Twyla is the Administrative Professional at the Local Lodge building. It is her voice that you hear on the other end of the phone when you call the Local. Twyla purchased a lot of tickets for entry into the drawing. When asked, she said she didn’t know exactly how many, but she tried to buy at least one book of tickets every week. Kenneth Stone, the winner of the Mother’s Day basket drew her winning ticket from over 1.000 entries! Twyla works hard at the Local Lodge typing up letters, vouchers, and reports and getting seniority lists, new member packets and T-shirts. Her duties are too numerous to list here, but we all know that she is devoted to serving the membership and all of us benefit from her years of knowledge and experience. We hope that she has time to have some fun using her new camcorder on vacations and at her powwows. We know that Twyla has a couple of grand-children who keep her busy with football and dances; and now she can video their good times and remember them for many years! The committee would like to thank everyone who bought a ticket and we wish you good luck on our next drawing! IAM Local Lodge 839, Community Services Committee

Becky’s Report By Becky Ledbetter

Brothers and Sisters, I hope all is well with you. I would like to thank all of my brothers and sisters out there for the flowers, plants, gifts and small acts of love when my hus-band’s Grandma Ledbetter passed away. You were all so kind and thoughtful and our family really appreciates every-thing that you did. Some of you, from Spirit, brought food, again, thank you. For those who attended, what an awesome going home!!! Now to business. I have 4 open grievances. Three are all for attendance. This Company is not playing, so I will state it again, watch your time. Keep track of your FMLA hours and make sure you call both the hotline and the manager of your shop. Just keep track of every hour clocked. My other grievance is an overtime issue. I am waiting on information from labor to continue on with it. I have been helping Rita Rogers our Assistant DBR at Hawker. She had an arbitration scheduled for May 27th on a wrongful termination. Then one week before the arbitration, the Company called and brought our sister back to work with full back pay. It was great. Everyone, be safe and have a great month. Remember if you need anything just call 522-1591.

David’s Report By David Eagle

Brothers and Sisters, By the time most of you read this, we will have approximately one year until our contract expires. Many have voiced some concerns and what they would like to see changed in the contract. This is good because not all people know or understand what is actually in the contract. Another thought is, if you do not belong to our Union, you do not have a say or a vote regarding any matters that deals with our Union negotiated contract. The company thinks that you like everything they do because you don’t be-long or say anything to them about it. The company thinks that morale is good and everyone is happy. And that you like what the company has been doing for you. For those employees who do not belong, here is some good news. You will not be able to join like some of you used to do which was joining the Union just in time to vote. For those who get out of the Union, GOOD LUCK!!!! We are still having issues on overtime and attendance. Some areas are being mandatory while others are not working at all. There has been some lateral movement from one job code to another, to keep people employed instead of surpluses. Lateral movement is done by seniority, from the bottom up. I know some do not understand this, but it is for the best, unless employees do not want to work at Spirit anymore. So let us talk about Spirits Code of Conduct!! We, as a Union, have been telling labor that what they feel is good for the hourly employees should also happen to management for the same offense. Everyone signed this Code of Conduct and Jeff Turner keeps bringing it up so management should not be excluded. I know that many managers have been turned in for violating the Code and nothing has happened. However not all managers violate the Code, but it shows the hourly workforce that nothing happens to management then members think, what’s the use and morale goes down the toilet again. Don’t know what to say except we are all on the same team just different coaches and rules. All are under some type of pressure or stress so there is no excuse for management to act as they do. They took that job and as they say, live with it or quit....

I do hope that everyone had a great Fathers Day and has a great Union

negotiated July 4th weekend. Play hard but be Safe.

HoJo's Report By Howard “HoJo” Johnson

Hello Brothers and Sisters, This is Ho Jo your 2nd shift In-Plant Rep. First I would like to thank all of you for the beautiful plants for both my mother and mother in law. Your kindness at such a sorrowful time is greatly appreciated. At this time I have 17 complaints at the local level and 1 that I just sent to the district level. Watch your attendance I have a few 2nd shifters who have been terminated. Watch mandatory overtime. It is becoming an issue. Stay Strong and get ready to

Fight and Win in 2010

Human Rights Committee Human Rights for Everyone

By Rickey Nelson

Eleanor Roosevelt led by example. Her devoted rela-tionship with Union leaders was a wonderful thing for the country at that time. She offered lessons, for those who were interested, in seeking social justice in the workplace and even the home. Mrs. Roosevelt was known for her efforts in guiding the United Na-tions in establishing the Universal Declaration of Humans rights.

The full text of the Universal Declaration Of Human Rights can be found at http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/ The Human Rights Committee welcomes any member who would like to join us in promoting Human Rights in the workplace. We meet the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 3:45pm. Contact the Local if you want to participate.

On December 10, 1948 the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed the Univer-sal Declaration of Human Rights. Following this his-toric act the Assembly called upon all Member coun-tries to publicize the text of the Declaration and "to cause it to be disseminated, displayed, read and ex-pounded principally in schools and other educational institutions, without distinction based on the politi-cal status of countries or territories."

(http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/)

Fruits of Our Labor There is a cook book being sold at the District called “Fruits of Our Labor.” All of the recipes have been submitted by Union members and their families from Locals and Dis-tricts of the Southern Territory, Transportation Department, Woodworkers & NFFE of the Machinists Union.. The cost is $8.00. I will print a recipe each month from this book, starting with any entries from LL839.

Editor

Mother’s Day Basket Winner By Kathy Petersen

The winner of the May Mothers Day Basket is Kenneth Stone. Kenneth is a first shift Union Steward in department 396Z, located in Plant II. Congratulations’ to Kenny for having the winning ticket! The basket contained a box of Ceros choco-lates, a Mother’s Day Beanie Baby, a journal, a set of note cards with a pen and a gift certificate to Felipe’s restaurant. The bas-ket was valued at over $50.00. The Community Service Committee would like to thank the membership for the support you give to us when you purchase food from the kitchen and tickets for the basket drawings. The money you spend enables us to procure additional items for bas-kets and raffles and allows us to help our members in need. We draw for the baskets at the end of the Local Lodge meeting and a picture is taken to put in the newsletter. Please try and attend your monthly meetings and maybe you will be the lucky winner next time! Coming up at the meeting in June, we will have a drawing for a Father’s Day basket. Believe me when I say it will be packed full of goodies!

Kansas State Community Service Conference

By Brent Allen

I would like to thank the membership for the opportu-nity to attend the community service conference. We learned a great deal about what and where your donation dollars go. Your community service committee, with your help, serves as a lantern to the community by helping such organizations as: Angel Tree, Mario's food pantry, Salvation Army, Center of Hope and the list goes on. Your donations count, whether you are buying a cheeseburger from our LL monthly meet-ings or buying raffle tickets for one of the monthly baskets. Our members should be proud for helping people in the community less fortunate than us! Here’s where it gets good: “Remember the saying you reap what you sew.” I hope that’s true because there are over 10,000 laid off workers in this area. A large number of them are our union brothers and sisters. So, remember when you give to your community service commit-tee, you are helping your own. Someday it may be you or a family member that needs help. We give because we can and don’t expect to be the one that needs the help. With our current economy anything could happen. Unions share because we care and this is our community

4th of July Quotes

Blueberry Surprise Crust: 1 C. flour 1/2 C. chopped pecans 11/2 sticks margarine 1 c. graham cracker crumbs Filling: 1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese 1 C. powdered sugar 2 t. vanilla 1 can blueberry pie filling 1 carton Cool Whip Chopped pecans Mix crust ingredients and pat into 9 x 13 x 2 pan. Bake 8 minutes at 400 degrees, cool. Mix filling ingredients and spread on cool crust. Top with 1 can blueberry pie filling. Frost with 1 carton of cool; whip. Sprinkle with chopped pecans. Refrigerate.

Lori Love Mark Love IAMAW Grand Lodge Representative

Recreation Committee By Larry Stafford

The Recreation committee is in full swing and meeting twice a month to get all of the ask letters out for sponsorship of this years car show, poker run and Labor Day picnic. We try to line up spon-sors to fund the major portion of the activities for this event. These major sponsors will be printed on the commemorative T-shirt. We also need people to ask any local businesses to provide giveaways for the door prizes for the entrants in the events or for the raffle baskets that will be on display all day. The Committee could use a lot of help in obtaining these prizes. If we had 200 union members going out and asking all of the places they do business with to do-nate some items like coupons, ball caps, stickers, services or just about anything that pro-motes their business, it would help the 10 or so com-mittee persons trying to do it all. Businesses that donate items will be listed on the banner that will be on dis-play at the District and will be promoted in the Machin-ists Matter and the PlainDealer. We will ask the membership to use these businesses because they helped when we asked. The proceeds will be going to two worthily causes: the MDA Telethon and Guide Dogs of America. Spend the day with Union

Brothers and Sisters.

You have to love a nation that celebrates its inde-pendence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family pic-nics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism. ~Erma Bombeck

And I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free. And I won't forget the men who died, who gave that right to me. ~Lee Greenwood

Welcome To our New IAMAW LL839 Members

Local Lodge 839 Get Ready to

Fight & Win

In 2010

President - Kathy Petersen Vice President - Brent Allen Recording Secretary - Larry Stafford Treasurer - Joni Pierce Conductor/Sentinel - Jeff Meis Trustees - Susan Hiebert, Stan Chapman, Terry Rodriquez Communicator - Dennis Williams Educator - Roger Stamback 1st Shift In-Plant Rep. - David Eagle 2nd Shift In-Plant Rep. - Howard “HoJo” Johnson Editor - Larry Stafford

International Association of Machinists

and Aerospace Workers

Local Lodge 839

3917 E. MacArthur Rd.

Wichita, Kansas 67210

IAM&AW THE FIGHTING MACHINISTS!

Phone: (316) 524-1090

The Fighting Machinists

www.ll839.org

Monthly Union Meetings

2nd Saturday of the Month

Executive Board meets at 8:00 AM

Regular Meeting at 10:00 AM

Everyone is Welcome

The Kitchen is open most meetings

Hamburgers and Drinks

We are the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. We belong to Local Lodge 839 of District 70 in Wichita Kansas. We represent the Fighting Machinists of Spirit AeroSystems. We work to give our members a voice on the job. Visit our web sit often at www.ll839.org for helpful and timely information. If you have any questions, contact

one of your In-plant Representatives at 524-1090. If you have any articles you want published, e– mail the editor at LStafford@ll839.org

All Content © IAM Local Lodge 839 2005-2009, All Rights Reserved

Community Services Conference Report

By Rickey Nelson

The Wichita-Hutchinson Labor Federation of Central Kansas hosted the 31st Annual Kansas State AFL- CIO Community Service Conference in Wichita in May. Four Delegates from the LL839 Community Service Committee attended this conference where we learned many ways to help our community. We learned about the many ser-vices that are offered and are available for everyone in our community, not just Union workers. These include food programs the Prairie Land and Angel Tree Food Pro-grams. These programs were created to help the community and are available to any-one in the community regardless of their income. Information for these programs can be found at the Local Lodge. The Prairie Land food program is run by LL774 and the details can be found at their website http://www.ll774.org/ The United Way of the Plains is very active in helping people in need in Kansas. Their website has a wealth of information at http://www.unitedwayplains.org/ or you can call 211 for referral for assistance. The Wichita Work Force Center provides rapid response services and is now open to help laid off workers. They are located at 150 N Main St # 200 Wichita, KS 67202 (316) 260-5555. Their website is http://www.workforce-ks.com/ Union Plus does not just offer a credit card for Union members. There are a lot of benefits they offer to Union members. Their information can be accessed at http://www.unionplus.org/ If you would like more information on these or other services, contact a member of the Community Services Committee by calling the Local. We are not experiencing layoffs now, but all of us probably know someone or even a family member who is having trouble making ends meet. Share this information with people who need it. Thank you, the membership, for sending us to this conference.

From the Union Plus Website

With summer road trips ahead, remember to use your union discounts and other auto advantages to save money, time and hassles:

• Goodyear Discounts -- Save 5% off tires and 10% off auto service such as an oil change, parts, and sale prices. Download a Goodyear dis-count coupon.

• Union Plus Premier Motor Club -- Join the club and travel worry-free knowing you have roadside assistance and other travel benefits. Compare to AAA and join now.

• June Specials on Car Rentals -- Now through June 30, 2009, union members can save as much as 50% on summer car rentals from Avis, Hertz and Budget. Regularly save up to 25%.

Union Plus Auto Buying Service -- Want to avoid the hassle of nego-tiating with a dealer when buying a new or used car or truck? As a union member you qualify for pre-negotiated, best-market pricing, a $100 rebate on a union-assembled car, plus help in finding the vehi-cle you are looking for.

Get more miles per gallon by paying attention to details you may have ignored when gas was cheaper. For example, avoid carrying unneeded items, especially heavy ones, in your

trunk. An extra 100 pounds reduces a typical car's fuel economy by one to two percent. It all adds up.

ROBERT BRENT BLAY CARL BROCKLESBY OSEPH FARIAS JDEWAYNE R. FREEMAN

ROBERT D. HULL ALFRED NEISES KEITH STENGEL SHARI YOUNG