The meeting was called to order by President, Dennis Zukowski at 10:10 a.m.
Flag salute led by Dennis Zukowski

Officers Present:

President: Dennis Zukowski
Vice President: Newell Collins
Secretary-Treasurer: David Brown

Trustees:

Marcia Scott
Roy Bozarth
James Shirley

Area Officers:

Tim Wells
Tony Espinosa
Ron Necessary
David Baldwin

New Area Officers:

Max Sommers
Junious Greene

Absent: Butch Hamilton
 
 

Item 1. Swearing in of new officers, Max Sommers and Junious Greene as Area Officers.
 

Item 2. Secretary-Treasurer report: Financial statement for the months of April was handed out to Executive Board Members along with the minutes of the last Executive Board meeting. Motion by Max Sommers to accept minutes Second by Tim Wells. Motion carried.

Motion by Roy Bozarth to accept financial reports. Motion second by David Baldwin. Motion carried.
 

Item 3. Trustee Report: No Trustee report due at this time. Semi-annual audit of Union's financial records will take place, today, after regular E. Board meeting.
 

Unfinished Business
 

Item 4. T-shirts-- There was a positive response to the T-shirts. The Executive Board would like to provide all members in good standing with a shirt. Secretary-Treasurer will send post cards to all members in good standing requesting size and color. Secretary-Treasurer will order T-shirts for all members in good standing.
 

Item 5. Executive Board held a lengthy debate on how to change members in Bad Standing to Members in Good Standing. The Executive Board was reminded repeatedly what the Members in Good Standing said in the survey. It was pointed out Members in Good Standing were very adamant in their response, no amnesty! Members not in good standing need to understand they are in arrears from 1999, not 1996. When the company stopped deducting dues from their paycheck, union members were obligated to their dues on their own. If a member failed to pay his dues, those dues are not forgiven, but accumulate each month. So, when the company started deducting dues again, those dues are applied to the balance owed and not for the month in which they were deducted.
 

Another issue regarding dues in arrears was the twelve dollars and fifty cents, ($12.50) some members still owe. David Brown made a motion; the Secretary-Treasurer will send a letter to all members who owe dues in arrears explaining the arrears. Member in bad standing will receive an agreement to which to repay the arrears at a minimum of fifteen dollars, ($15.00) a month. Motion second by Max Sommers. Motion carried.
 

Item 6. The arbitrator in the Max Sommers grievance will be Doug Collins. A date has not been set to hear the grievance.
 

Item 7. Local 483 ReOrg. How is it working? To early to say.
 

New Business

Item A: Empowerment: Where are we as far are empowerment? Where do we want to be? What is the Executive Board’s position on supporting empowerment? During the debate on empowerment, the E. Board tried to address many of the questions that are being asked. The E. Board is in favor of empowerment. However, the Executive Board believes what we have in place not is not working. The E. Board feels if the Union is involved with empowerment, it will work. Tim Wells made a motion to have Newell Collins and David Brown come up with a statement on empowerment. Motion second by Max Sommers.

Item B: The National Union has requested Local 483 change its by-laws. The National wants gender specific language remove. When membership elects senior officers, (i.e. President and Secretary-Treasurer), it should be noted that candidates are also running for Delegates to the National Convention. Membership will have to approve amendments to our constitution. All purpose changes should be forwarded to the President, Dennis Zukowski.
 

Item C: Last year the Executive Board agreed to join and support the Gas Workers Council. The Council was set up to fight Gas Deregulation. The Executive Board also agreed to spend a maximum of three thousand dollars, ($3,000.00). To date, Local 483 has spent thirty-five houndred dollars, ($3500.00). A letter was mailed to Local 132 stating we have exceeded our approved fund allocation. Without authorization to spend additional funds, Local 483 would have to withdraw its membership to the Gas Workers Council. A motion was made to withdraw from the Gas Workers Council and second by Max Sommers. The motion failed.

A motion to allocate addition funds was not second. Local 483 will continue its membership with the GWC with no authorization to spend any funds.
 

Item D: Monies spent out of the general fund for the deregulation fight will be reimbursed from the COPE funds.
 

Item E: The Executive Board was updated on talks that Dennis Zukowski and David Brown had with Sam Weinstein regarding a full time officer. The current E-boards of the local will remain in place. The Joint Steering committee would remain the same. Five members panel would do the contract negotiations. Local 132 will get two members the rest of the locals at the Gas Company would have one member. During the national convention a meeting with Sam, Dennis and Beatty Henson most likely will take places.
 

Item F: POPCO arbitration on vacation. When POPCO employees were terminated late December they didn’t received payment for accrued vacation. I grievance was filed. Our attorney advised the attorney for Local 483 that the Department of Industrial Relation was the best way handle these types of complaints. The Local will contact former POPCO employees and advise them.
 

Item G: Area Officers were advised to have Shop and Safety committee meeting. As this is the best form to handle vacation, on-call, overtime issues, and as a tool to increase membership participation.
 

Item H: OPEN FORM

Marcia Scott gave information on SAP, no bar codes do mesh with WICKS, and only 2% of member will be in SAP.
 

Montebello Storage field the sale is still on hold.

Ron Necessary explained to the E. Board how management in Taft was trying to force clerk to do Base Assistant work.
 

Y2K: The Company feels they are Y2K compliant. The Company is more concerned with producers who are not Y2K compliant. The Company plan to have Instrument Specialists on call for three days beginning New Years Eve.
 

Tony Espinosa was approved by the E-Board to attend this years National Conference. Because of personal reason, Tony can not attend. Tony made a motion to send Roy Bozarth in his place. Motion was second by Max Sommers. Motion carried.
 

Ron Kaelke’s wife is very ill. A motion was made to sent a Goodwill check in the amount of one hundred dollars, ($100.00), to Ron. Motion second by Ron Necessary. Motion carried.
 

Next meeting will be held in Ventura, California date to be announced.

Motion to adjourn by Roy Bozarth. Motion second by Junious Greene. Motion Carried.
 

Meeting adjourned at 4:00 PM.