Merry Christmas

Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas from Local Lodge 2061.

Homeless and Living in Cars by CBS 60 Minutes

USA Pension Plan Participants

In October, you should have received a packet from the USA Retirement Plan Administrator. The documents contain information critical to determining your pension plan benefit. You must review the personal information to determine the accuracy of the statement. All information must be accurate, as any mistakes will delay processing of your claim. In particular, you must review the page titled “Your Hours History”. We are aware of inaccuracies in the process of determining credited hours, which can affect your benefit. To receive a full year credit for each year, you must have achieved one thousand, eight hundred (1,800) hours worked. Overtime, vacation and sick leave are included in this calculation. If you detect errors in your personal information, or have reason to believe your work history accrual totals are inaccurate, you must respond no later than December 1, 2011. Included in the packet is a form for this purpose titled, “How to Correct Data”. Should you have any question, please contact us.

Mike Saltsman 321 794-3925

Lynn Beattie 321 289-5954

Lew Jamieson 321 446-7092

Open Your Hearts

In the coming weeks, we will be asking our members to “Open Up

Your Hearts” and donate one (1) hour’s pay to provide presents to

the children or our laid off members this upcoming Christmas.

In the past years, we have given generously to Brevard County

charities benefitting underprivileged children. We believe it is our

calling this year to help our laid off IAM members. Please give

generously to the children of our brothers and sisters.

Your Stewards or the Committee Members below will be accepting

your donations.

You may also donate to the “IAM Toy Drive” at any Kennedy

Space Center Credit Union.

For the flyer click here

Stewards please print a copy of the flyer and post it for the members in your shop(s) (please print it from home).

Job Fair November 8th, 9th, & 10th.

Time: 9:00a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Date: November 8, 9, and 10

District 166 Union Hall

271 Taylor Ave.

Cape Canaveral, Florida

See the flyer here: Job Fair Flyer

Brevard Workforce, Lockheed, and Spirit Aerosystems will be onsite to meet with members.

Double Health USA will also be onsite to answer questions and help you with medical insurance options.

Service watches will be dispersed to members who have not yet received them.

Regular Membership Meeting Tuesday November 1st, 2011

Regular Membership meeting starts at 4:30pm at the District Hall.

271 Taylor Avenue

Cape Canaveral, FL 32920.

Occupy Space Coast March starts at Brevard Veteran Memorial

The Occupy Wall Street Movement is coming to Brevard County

At least two events are planned for Saturday, a day when similar groups around the world are organizing marches and demonstrations in support of the Occupy Wall Street demonstration that started in Lower Manhattan a month ago.

Saturday morning, one group, Occupy Space Coast, is planning a march down State Road 520 from Merritt Square Mall to the Bank of America near the corner of SR 520 and Courtenay Parkway. The group expects to start marching at 11 a.m and stay in front of the bank until late afternoon.

A separate “Jobs not Cuts” rally is being organized for noon at Palm Bay City Hall on Malabar Road.

Come join us.

We will be on the north side of Merritt Square Mall at 10:30 a.m

"Occupy Wall Street is a leaderless resistance movement with people of many colors, genders and political persuasions. The one thing we all have in common is that We are the 99% that will no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of the 1%. We are using the revolutionary Arab Spring tactic to achieve our ends and encourage the use of nonviolence to maximize the safety of all participants".

LL 2061 Genreral Membership Meeting

The October meeting of Local Lodge 2061 will be Tuesday, October 4th. The meeting will begin at 4:30 p.m. at the IAMAW Union hall at 271 Taylor Avenue, Cape Canaveral.

USA Severance Recertification- DO NOT DELAY

All USA employees laid off July 22 must recertify for remaining eligible weeks by Friday, September 30. This recertification is for those weeks you are eligible following the initial 10 weeks. If you do not recertify by Friday, you will lose those weeks. DO NOT DELAY. Recertification directions (Salmon colored pages) are in the out-processing packet you received at the NSLD. Should you require any assistance or have any questions, contact me at 321 446-7092.

USA/IRS Letter

USA is required by federal regulations to keep all pension plan participants informed relative to the progress of plan termination. The recent letter from USA to pension plan participants regarding the filing with IRS for qualification determination of plan termination is an expected part of the process. USA is required to seek approval from the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation (PBGC is a federal government agency) and the IRS as part of the plan termination. This IRS letter was expected and hopefully indicates the process is closer to resolution.

Job Fair Monday

Human Resource representatives from the Trident Refit Facility in King's Bay, Georgia will be at the IAM&AW hall in Cape Canaveral on Monday, August 29th. The fair will begin at 12:30 p.m. The HR representatives will provide assistance in application and resume building for available jobs at the facility. There will also be representatives on hand to provide information on affordable health plans and mortgage alternatives. Brevard Workforce representatives will be present, as well.

Hate to say "We Told You So".

"Russia may fail to fulfill its obligations in delivering crews to the International Space Station after Wednesday's accident with Russia's Progress M-12M space freighter, a source in Russia's space industry said.

The space freighter fell in South Siberia's Altai Republic on Wednesday after failing to separate from the Soyuz-U carrier rocket, the first loss of the Progress freighter in the history of Russia’s space industry. A rocket engine failure is believed to have caused the accident.

"The scheduled launches of the [Soyuz] rockets are likely to be suspended because of the space freighter accident... until the reasons [of the accident] are established," the source said.

This means that members of the International Space Station's crew are likely to stay at the station longer than planned and that the new crew will not be able to replace them on schedule, he said.

After the retirement of the U.S. shuttle fleet earlier this summer, Russian Soyuz craft became the only way for astronauts to reach the ISS until at least the middle of the decade. NASA is paying its Russian counterpart Roscosmos more than $1 billion for crew transport services over the next four years."

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20110824/166122514.html

Hope our Politicians are paying close attention to the mess they created.

ISC Election Results

The members elected to serve as the Negotiations Committee are:

Murray Caldwell

Jay Shaw

Steve Ching

Jeff Estes

Phil McPherson

Negotiations Committee Elections

The election of a negotiations committee for members working under the ISC and IHA contracts will be conducted Tuesday, August 2. Polls will be open from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The voting will be conducted at the IAM&AW hall on Taylor Avenue in Cape Canaveral. The candidates in order of their appearance on the ballot are;

MeriBeth Chewuk

Jeff Estes

Jay Shaw

Matt Reasoner

Phil McPherson

Robert Atkinson

Murray Caldwell

Linda Donahoe

Steve Ching

James Kersey

We will be electing a committee of five (5).

Steward Election Set for Wednesday

The election for Stewards to serve after July 22 has been set for Wednesday, July 20. All IAM members employed by USA present at work on July 22 are eligible to vote. We will elect one Steward from GSS and one from Logistics The candidates are Stewards presently serving. The schedule is as follows;

0630 hrs. K6-1246 Utility Shops All Shops including Logistics and Pneumatics

0630 hrs. K7-0569 All Shops

0630 hrs. Heavy Equipment Area All Area Shops

0900 hrs. Logistics Warehouse All Personnel

0900 hrs. LES Shop All Shops including Logistics

1130 hrs. Crawler/Transporters All Personnel

1130 hrs. VAB All Shops including Logistics

1130 hrs. Generator Shop All Personnel

The stand-alone Logistics Service Centers, including the NSLD will be voted on a non-interference basis between 0700 hours and 1100 hours. Members will be required to vote in their base area. No travel to another voting location will be permitted unless specifically authorized by management. Should you have questions, contact Lew Jamieson at 446-7092.

Award Winning Documentary Film

The documentary film, " The 2nd Assassination of JFK " will be presented Wednesday evening in Titusville. The film tells the story of the end of our manned space flight program through the eyes of the people who sent us. The film received a Remi Award at the Houston Worldfest 2011. Watch the trailer at http://vimeo.com/19921809. The feature presentation will be;

Wednesday, July 6

7:00 P.M.

New Life Auditorium

6755 S. Washington Avenue

Titusville

There is no cost and the presentation is open to the public.

Festival for Florida's Future

Join Union activists this Saturday, June 4 for the festival. This is not a rally. There will be activities for the children, learning opportunities for the Union Activist, speakers and Union vendors. The festival will be open beginning at 10:00 a.m. and continue through 6:00 p.m. The location is Central Florida Fairgrounds at 4603 W. Colonial Drive, Orlando. Join the effort to return Florida to a state government that works for working citizens.

June 4th Fight For Florida Festival at the Central Florida Fairgrounds

"Instead of focusing on creating jobs and addressing high unemployment, Governor Scott and the Florida Legislature proved that they are out of touch with real Floridians, the families living paycheck to paycheck, the retirees surviving on meager state pensions, the unemployed searching for jobs that are not there and students working their way through college. The Festival will combine activism, education and music while serving as a kick-off for a sustained campaign to organize and mobilize working people from all backgrounds and walks-of-life to demand meaningful action by the state legislature and make a difference in the lives of all Floridians.

At the festival, attendees will participate in teach-ins to learn how they can fight for Florida. They will also participate in direct actions such as writing letters and recording video messages. They can register to vote in the upcoming elections in 2012. Noted speakers and live music will entertain families throughout the day. There will be a supervised play area for children, so busy parents can participate in the numerous activities. There will be a food court, educational booths, and various building trades will have their mobile demonstration units on hand to showcase their expertise."

Admission is free and there will be plenty of activities for the kids.

Bring your kids and let them enjoy the safe, supervised Kids’ Klub designed just for them while you learn how to Fight for Florida. Located near the Main Stage, the Kids’ Klub will feature 5 bounce houses, face painting, a roving balloon artist, an arts and crafts area and other super fun stuff. All children will be supervised by our friendly Klub Kounselors and upon check-in receive a wrist/ankle band with a unique number. In order to pick-up your child, you will have to have the matching band. This allows you to attend the various teaching opportunities without worry.

http://fightforflorida.com/

Flyer

Address:

4603 West Colonial Drive, Orlando, FL 32808-8158 (Central Florida Fairgrounds & Exposition Park)

View Larger Map

Services for KC Jones

Services for Ken Jones will be Thursday, May 5th at 7 P.M. at Halifax Memory Gardens and Funeral Home. The home is located at 4815 Clyde Morris Blvd. Port Orange. Telephone number is 386 322-5373. Our thoughts and prayers go out to KC's Family.

Linda Donahoe Wins Election

Linda Donahoe won the election for Secretary/Treasurer in Tuesday's election. Congratulations, Linda and Thank You to Tim Cooper and Michele Seely.

Secretary Treasurer Election May 3rd, 2001

Elections for the Secretary Treasurer will be held on May 3rd, 2011 (same day as the regular membership meeting). Polls open at 8AM and close at 6PM. The election will take place at the District 166 hall located at 271 Taylor Avenue Cape Canaveral, FL 32920.

Your vote will decide who the LL2061 S/T will be from this list of Nominees:

Tim Cooper

Linda Donahoe

Michele Seely

Brevard Workforce & Monster.com Jobseeker Event

Join Brevard Workforce and Monster.com for Let’s

Get to Work, a FREE, job seeker event to help

empower you and your job search. Put the

Monster to work for you with real-time tips and techniques

from Monster experts to energize your job

search and make you stand out in the crowd.

Brevard Workforce Moster.com Flyer.

Register Online at:

http://events.signup4.com/monsterApril28

Or see the Flyer for more information and options to register for the event.

Health Insurance Seminar

Health insurance professionals will be available for consultation Tuesday afternoon, April 12 beginning at 4 p.m. at the IAM Union hall, 271 Taylor Avenue, Cape Canaveral. This service is available to all IAM members who are looking for affordable health insurance after the loss of benefits due to layoff. If you think you may be affected by Shuttle fly-out displacement come see what options are available. None of us can risk losing what we have worked for by exposing ourselves to the risk of illness or injury. The advisors will be available Wednesday and Thursday afternoon, as well.

Brought to you by your;

LL 2061 Community Services Committee

This Friday! Protest John Tobia's anti-worker agenda

Florida House Rep. John Tobia of Melbourne is ignoring the needs of his constituents in favor of his own interests. He’s pushed bill after bill favoring corporations and big-money donors over the interests of everyday working Floridians.

Please come out in support of our Union brothers and sisters and all working Floridians in our community. Bring signs, banners and a friend. Let’s show Tobia just who he’s dealing with!

Where: 1905 South Harbor City Boulevard

When: Friday, April 8th, 2011 at 5:00 PM

Representative Tobia has filed HB 1425 which would decrease the minimum wage. He also supported the anti-union HB 1405 which forced state employees to pay 5% into their retirement. This is only the latest in what has been a long line of bad decisions Representative Tobia has made at the expense of working Floridians. This is our chance to let him know that we’re paying attention, and we VOTE!

Friday Rally at John Tobia's Office

Rally to be held at Tobia's office at 5PM Friday April 8th.

State Rep John Tobia District Office
1901 South Habor City Blvd. Suite 508
Melbourne Fla.32901

Health Insurance after KSC

Health insurance professionals will be at the IAM hall to provide assistance in finding affordable health insurance to fill the gap between KSC and our next employer. Those advising us are not insurance salesmen. They are former insurance professionals trained to match affordable insurance plans tailored to your family's needs. There are less expensive options to COBRA. These professionals will work one on one with you and your spouse to find a plan you can afford with the coverage you need. Don't risk losing everything you've worked for. Come, find how you can protect your family with an affordable health insurance plan.

Tuesday, April 12

Wednesday, April 13

Thursday, April 14

All sessions begin at 4 p.m.

Brought to you by your Community Services Committee. If you have questions, contact;

Meri Beth Chewuk IHA

Mike May USA

Karen Houston MET CON

Mike Saltsman USA

Jay Shaw YANG

Carson Yates USA

Murray Caldwell URS

Lew Jamieson USA

Protest Ritch Workman's attack on FRS

Ritch Workman's FRS "reform" bill HB 1405 is just the latest in a series of attacks on Florida state workers. His bill will add even more burden to public employees already straining under rising health care costs, pay freezes and furlough days.

This Friday, April 1st the AFL/CIO needs you to come out and

Protest Ritch Workman's attack on FRS.

Show Ritch Workman we care about our state employees and we won't stand by while Republicans in Tallahassee use them as a scape goat for their irresponsible budgeting!

WHEN:
Friday, April 1, 2011 5PM

WHERE:
Ritch Workman's District Office

33 Suntree Place
Melbourne, FL 32940-7602

CONTACT:
Space Coast AFL/CIO President
Claudie Pouncey
office(321)631-0110
fax (321)631-0103
spacecoastaflcio@bellsouth.net

Triangle Shirtwaist Fire 100 Years Later.

Rally Venue

Today's public sector rally is at the Wickham Pavilion. The pavilion can be accessed off of Wickham Road immediately south of the BCC Melbourne campus. Rally begins at 1 P.M.

Volunteers Needed/ Rally for Public Sector Employees

Rally for Public Sector Employees

Sunday, March 20

Wickham Park, Melbourne

1:00 P.M.

Volunteers needed to assist in setting up prior to the rally and help in cleaning up post rally.

Call Lew (321 446-7092) if you're interested in helping our Brothers and Sisters employed by the state, county and local cities.

Florida's governor and state legislator have declared war on the state's employees and the organizations that represent them. Let's show Tallahassee that we value our employees and will not sit idly by while they are stripped of collective bargaining rights, pensions and other benefits.

Let's show them Machinists care.

This Is What Democracy Looks Like

The day after Scott Walker's ceremonial signing of a bill stripping collective bargaining rights from Wisconsin's public employees, tens of thousands of protestors once again filled the Capitol Square Saturday. "Kill the bill" was no longer heard, but a new chant rose to take its place: "What's the word? Kloppenburg!"

Although they lost a battle in the legislature, pro-union protestors have pledged to win the middle class war. Their newest slogans centered around this goal, urging protesters to recall the eight eligible Senate Republicans, and to vote JoAnne Kloppenburg to the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

To that end, clipboard-wielding activists commandeered a Carroll Street bus shelter, urging protestors parading past to sign (if they hadn't already) their senator's recall petition. "Vote for Kloppenburg" signs suddenly became a ubiquitous fixture of the protest landscape.

Overall, the rally looked to be the biggest yet, with Madison police estimating a crowd size of 85,000-100,000.

www.thedailypage.com

Thunderous Sound.......The Death Of Democracy

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Awake The State Rally Results

300+ people showed up at the Awake The State rally this afternoon. LL2061 had a strong showing at the rally along with several other local unions. The message was strong and clear, stop attacking workers or pay the price come election day.

There is going to be a follow-up rally on Sunday March 20th, 2011 at Wickham Park in Melbourne. Rally start time will be 1PM but we will meet up prior to rally start.More information for the 20th will be posted in coming days.

For those who attended the rally today, THANKS for coming and if you missed the texting information it is as follows:

Text to 407-710-7258 message BRE (all caps).

Also, don't forget Daylight Savings Time starts on March 13th. Remember to reset your clocks and change the timers on your lawn sprinklers.

AWAKE THE STATE

Machinists will assemble in the south parking lot of Moore Justice Center (Viera Branch Courthouse) at 4:30 p.m. We will march across the street to school district headquarters with out Local banner. Let's support Florida's public sector workers with a good showing.

Brevard Awake The State Rally March 8th 2011

Awake The State is a series of local rallies taking place throughout Florida on March 8th opposing budget cuts Floridians simply can't afford.

Awake The State Website

Brevard's "Awake The State" event will be held Tuesday, March 8th to coincide with the opening of the Florida Legislative Session @ the School Board Headquaters, located at 2700 Judge Fran Jamieson Way, Viera, FL 32940.

We will gather together at 4:30pm with the Rally and Speakers beginning at 5:00pm. Invited Speakers include Teachers, City Council Members, Mayors, Union Leaders and Members, Parents, Disability Advocates, Elderly Advocates, and ALL of those members of the Affected Communities!

Please remember that this is an event to wake up our STATE Legislators so that they will do the PEOPLE'S work in Tallahassee this session. We are asking everyone to make their protest signs relevant to what is being affected by the actions of those creating the laws in Tallahassee! It's time for US to let our Legislators know, once and for all, that WE are the ULTIMATE Bosses and WE WILL "AWAKE THE STATE"!

Event Location

Brevard County Public Schools
2700 Judge Fran Jamieson Way
Viera, FL 32940

Please attend the event with your family and friends as we need a loud voice to be heard!

Regular Membership Meeting, Secretary Treasurer Nominations March 1st 2011

Regular membership meeting Tuesday March 1st 2011 at the District Hall. During the meeting, nominations will be held for the Secretary Treasurer, that represents LL2061.

Meeting starts at 4:30PM with a stewards meeting to be held directly after the regular membership meeting.

Address:
271 Taylor Avenue
Cape Canaveral, FL 32920-3025

Secretary Treasurer Election

Nominations for the office of Secretary Treasurer for LL 2061 were noticed and conducted at the February 1st membership meeting. After reviewing the IAM&AW Constitution, I determined the process followed was not in accordance with the prescribed timeline contained in the Constitution. Consequently, I have ruled the February nominations null and void. Nominations will now be held during the March 1st meeting with the election scheduled for May 3rd. Members will be notified by USPS mailing of the new timeline accompanied by a request for an absentee ballot for those members who qualify. Please, carefully read the qualifications for voting by absentee ballot to make certain you qualify. Also, note the deadline for return of the request.

I regret any inconvenience incurred by prospective candidates and the membership as a result of this decision. I urge all Local Lodge 2061 members to vote in this critical election.

Lew Jamieson, President

IAM&AW LL 2061

Brevard Workforce Aerospace Workforce Transition Program

You MUST register for the AWT program prior to lay-off (forced or self-nominated) in order to receive services from the AWT!

The Aerospace Workforce Transition Program provides programs and services to help aerospace workers transition smoothly from Space Shuttle/Constellation jobs to new employment both inside and outside of aerospace. Our mission is to help workers begin now to make a plan for their post-shuttle career by providing skills assessment, resume support, workshops, educational resources, career planning, training and support resources.

www.launchnewcareers.com/

As instructions on Brevard Workforce's website, you must ALSO register with:

http://www.employflorida.com/

If you are having trouble using either websites to register or need hands-on assistance for any reason, call 321-394-0556. They will be happy to assist you in registering or with questions concerning AWT programs.

Brevard Workforce also has a mobile van where you can go for assistance. Here is the schedule for February:

Brevard Workforce Express

February Schedule

Feb 2: Special Event No Public Access
Feb 3: 9am-3:30pm NSLD
Feb 9: 8am-3:30pm Logistics
Feb 10: 8am-3:30pm OPF
Feb 16: 9am-3:30pm NSLD
Feb 17: 8am-3:30pm USA- Titusville
Feb 23: 8am-3:30pm Logistics
Feb 24: 8am-3:30pm OPF

They also have several offices in Brevard County and at locations onsite at KSC(By appointment NASA Headquarters Building Room 1474).

Remember, visits to AWT offices or mobile locations are on the employees own personal time. This also includes registering online, which must also be done on the employees own personal time.

Don't sit idle on the sideline thinking you will not need services, be proactive in protecting your own future. Brevard Workforce's AWT program can only help you if you seek help before lay-off. With the end of the Shuttle program, none of us should feel our job(s) are secure. Assume you need assistance and REGISTER now.

Brevard Workforce Resume & Interviewing Help Class

Brevard Workforce Flyer

Brevard Workforce is having a class on February 2nd in Titusville to help you hone your resume and interviewing skills. Seating is limited and registration is required to attend the event. The attached link has the information required to contact Brevard Workforce to register for the event.

I.A.M NATIONAL 401(K) PLAN USA Participants

This post concerns only members who signed up for the optional I.A.M. National 401(k) plan , not the standard USA/Vanguard 401(k) plan.

As per the collective barganing agreement, USA has terminated participation in our optional I.A.M National 401(k) plan. Currently, Prudential Retirement is the plan administrator. You may contact them at 1-877-778-2100 reguarding your account.

At this time Prudential is still showing the accounts as active as they have not been updated on the status of USA's servicing termination. Information I received via phone by customer service, was that as long as I am employed by USA, the money cannot be rolled or cashed out. The agent informed me when the status changed from "Active-Eligible for Ctbs" to "terminated" I could then move the funds. They also did not know if or when the status will change since USA has not notified them of any changes in plan participation. If you are a participant in the optional 401(k) plan be sure Prudential has your current address and contact information, which you can update on their website.

www.retirement.prudential.com

Future updates will be posted here on the blog as the information becomes available.

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

A local family has been chosen to receive a new house via Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (ABC Network). They are looking for skilled volunteers to help build the house.

http://www.extrememakeoverspacecoast.com/get-involved/

In order for the build to be a success we need a few things: time, heart, and supplies. This is a community effort, and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and LifeStyle Homes know that we can’t do this without the great people of the Space Coast. There are many ways to get involved with this project, just look below.

Our Local is full of members with the exact skills they are looking for and this is a nice way to give back to our community by volunteering to help. In the link above there is a sign-up form for skilled and unskilled workers to sign up to help. The shifts appear to be 6 hours long with multiple start times and days to conform to most every schedule.

Financial Secretary Murray Hill Resigns

Brother Murray Hill, longtime Local Lodge 2061 Financial Secretary has submitted his resignation effective January 1, 2011. Murray has accepted a position with the IAM&AW as a Grand Lodge Auditor responsible for Locals and Districts in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. Murray's departure leaves a large void in the Local. For years, Murray has been the heart beat of this organization, attending to local business while often times assuming responsibility for numerous other duties. Murray has set the standard for IAM&AW F/S's and it will be difficult to replace him in the near term.

The Local By-Laws state in event of a vacancy in office, the President may appoint a replacement until such time as an election can be held - typically not to exceed three (3) months. Consequently I will make that appointment in the near future. Per the By-Laws, the election will be duly noticed at the January 4th membership meeting followed by nominations at the February 1st meeting with an election, if required, March 1st. If you are interested in being considered for the appointment, please contact me (321 446-7092).

In closing, I wish to thank Murray for his service, unselfish commitment and friendship. Your wisdom and advice will be sorely missed, Brother. We all wish you well in your new career.

Lew