I would like to talk about safety and there is a misconception by some supervisors that production is more important than safety. Please know this is not the company's position; they partner with Local 97 on safety. In fact we negotiate safety with the company. We also have a Safety Advocate program. This gives us a Safety Advocate for Electric Operations and CMS in each division also one Safety Advocate for TLS New York. Please use the Safety Advocates; they are a great resource.
To all the new members, if you are not sure about the task at hand ask someone. For those that are hired at the Journeyman level keep in mind you are not in Kansas anymore; it is a different mind set here at N. Grid. Remember we partner with the company on safety and we negotiate it. It is our responsibility to work safely.
Local 97 has been trying to work with the company on a check list for new hires at the qualified level. It would look like the progression check list we have now. The idea is that we know the company tries to hire skilled workers but they don't understand all the policies and procedures. We want to make sure that they would be ready to be considered qualified and be put on the qualified list in the barns.-Jim Murty, ABM, Western Division