Happy New Year 2009

Seasons Greetings!

I wish all Raytheon Employees and their families a winning lottery ticket this new year.

I pray those of you with loved ones in the middle east find peace with the safe return of your family hero.

May these brave men and women find comfort in your support. They are an inspiration now and for generations to come.

For those of you against Union Removal, I wish you an extra dose of peace.
I hope peace prevails over your hate for free co-workers. May you discover the union was for naught after it is gone.

May a spirit of change come over RMS. A change that removes belligerence, and creates unity between management and labor.

May our new President lead our nation with wisdom beyond politics.
His call for change has inspired millions. I wish that his policies bring a return to prosperity and well being across all of America.

Reindeer Union

The union is building a list. Like Santa, they are checking it twice!


You better not cross,
you better not try,
you better not sign,
the petition on sly,
Jimbo and his cronies will frown,

They're making a list,
checking it twice,
gonna find out who's petition is ice,
Jimbo and his cronies will frown.

They'll see you when you work hard,
they'll see you cross the line,
they'll see you in your orange T-Shirt,
they'll spread rumors all around,


You better not cross,
you better not try,
you better not sign,
the petition on sly,
Jimbo and his cronies are clowns.

Merry Christmas season all!

Change we need!

The Change We Need!

The union leadership has a few things to be concerned about:

From what we have been told (by several individuals), they (Union Members) have been specifically discouraged from participating in on-line discussion on this blog. Know why? Remember the discussions from the Arizona Star-Net Blog two years ago? That’s one of the many reasons why.

Some members & non-members believe the discussion during the strike contributed to the decline of the organization.

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The free speech on "those bad, mean anti-union web pages", apparently has led to internal strife within the confines of the local union. With seeds of doubt planted by this and other contra-union web sites, many of us believe the petition drive will become much more fruitful when the time comes.

Brave union supporters who have posted here with pro-union bias are repeating the same old, tired “stories” we’ve all heard for years. We encourage more union supporters to give us their side of the story. Unique inside the union perspective is requested! We wish to air all the issues concerning the collective, so we as a group know the facts before signing the petition.

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Now that an opposition viewpoint is focusing on the fallacies of those long time anecdotes, a growing majority of the bargaining unit wishes to remove the bargaining unit in exchange for a merit system that rewards productivity and creativity. Poor performers, the union leadership, and their die-hard members are nervous. If we vote them out, they’ll get no federal bailout! So lets argue the issues here & now. Lets debate here. Lets ask all the important questions, and answer them to the satisfaction of the 1700 + workers in the bargaining unit. Ask all workers to come and read, submit questions, and challenge the status quo.

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We expect a large rebellion once the decertification process begins. A percentage of the unionists will try to blame the anti-union supporters, who are exercising their rights as American workers. They are willing to do whatever it takes to stop the momentum of this campaign. Management is keenly aware of the identity of these individuals. After all, they are so proud of their union; their shirts, buttons, pins, stickers and other trinkets are their “badges of honor”. In reality, they are already blaming anti-unionists for the “lost contract of 2009.” When will they begin to take responsibility?

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Finally, you’ll recall that the just-concluded election process, President-elect Obama’s political slogan was The Change We Need. That change needs to also happen here in the bargaining unit of Raytheon Missile Systems. Mean what you say; say what you mean. Vote for a change that’s closer to home, a change that will make a real difference in your life! Keep reading these and affiliated web sites to find out how and when this will happen. Oust 933!

Remembering the 2006 Holiday Season

Tonight I decided to post a couple of messages from the strike days to give a contrast to the workers at RMS. Time has passed, and maybe a bit of wisdom will prevail over the old emotions displayed by the mobs. Please take this opportunity to read the picture posted here. (click!) Contrast that with the text message I posted below. Put on your thinking cap. Analyze these two views. Do you still agree with the side you chose back then. Did you come out on the right side of this conversation? Why or why not?

Union supporters: Why did the union do the right thing?

Former union members: Tell us why they did wrong!

Non Committed workers: Why are you undecided?

All: make your comments here!

Copied message from AZ Starnet posted by the Neg. Cmte. below:

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220. Comment by Elisabeth D. (#3500) — January 2,2007 @ 6:17PM

Rating: 2 Thumbs Up

I read that letter too. Here's the whole text:

Happy New Year Brothers and Sisters,

We hope all of you are safe and enjoyed the holidays as best as the situation permits. It is now time to get back to business and continue with the struggle. I am sure that the salary folks had an enjoyable time, or at least the ones that didn’t have to work. As for the scabs, Ebenezer is too kind for them.

As we have now completed 8 full weeks and are starting our ninth week of this strike, it would make me wonder why some folks would consider crossing now. We have gone this far and it just wouldn't make sense to give up so close to the finish line. Do we know when that will absolutely be, no we don't. However, we can't imagine that it would be that far away as we have passed the hardest time of the year financially and we believe the company has done what they set out to do, and that is to punish us for going on strike. They have forced us to stay out through the holidays, but I truly believe that most did not suffer the way the company had hoped. Most of our people were working at other jobs and there was much financial aide for those in need. The toy drive was terrific and I have heard many folks say this was the best Christmas ever.

For those of you that may be thinking about crossing, keep some things in mind before you make your decision. All the friends you have met over the years will no longer be there, all the brothers and sisters you met and worked with on the picket lines or some other duty will no longer be there, the fight that you have fought over the last eight weeks will be all for not and you would have wasted all that time standing tall only to let yourself down in the end. This Union and it's leaders have not grown weak and have no quit in us. Although we may tire from taking care of all the business that striking requires, we will not walk away from our fighting brothers and sisters. If you do cross that line this week or anytime before the true end, you have given the company the strength to continue this battle even longer and that could be disastrous for us all. They are hoping that many will cross this week and we must continue to deny them the edge.

If you are one of those who got another job while on strike and found out that life is not all that great outside your Raytheon job, you now have a better understanding of why we are on strike to begin with. We do have good jobs at that company, but the more we let them take things away from us like retiree medical, a pension plan for future employees, the right to bargain for benefits and the costs associated with them and the continued assault on our working conditions, the more our once good job becomes one that we encounter while on strike. We stand tall to protect our good jobs not only for us but for our children and others who may walk through those doors some day. We must not sit quietly and let them take anymore.

Brothers and Sisters, we want you to know that we are very aware of this whole situation and are watching it very closely. This leadership will not sit back and wait until it is too late. If there is any chance that this membership would seriously be in jeopardy, we would do what is necessary to protect you all that have stayed to the end. We will not let this company ruin the working lives of so many good people. Rest assured, you will not be left out in the cold. We will get you back to work at your good job. At what expense will that be shall be determined by the strength that you continue to show. If our position is weakened by those who cross, we will be begging for our contract. If we continue our strength, we will bargain on our terms and it will be much easier to protect that good job once again.

Stay strong brothers and sisters. It may be a new year, but the same old struggle continues as long as we are dealing with a company that doesn't give a damn about your interests or well being. We will persevere.

Your Negotiating Committee

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Interesting note, huh? Stay Strong Brothers and Sisters. The same old struggle is going to restart next year. Are you prepared to go another round of losses with the union? Or are you going to wise up to this game and finally call their bluff?

Sign the petition found on http://www.iam933.net/ . Help pass it around.

Dump 933!

Happy 2nd Anniversary!

Happy 2nd anniversary of the 11 week failed strike at RMS. By now everyone has gotten their Benefits packages done, and are aware of the medical costs that have been passed on to the worker by the union. No Pass-through?! Oh Puhleeeeze! Brothers and sisters, there is plenty!

Here are a few lines copied from a union flyer dated 3 November of 2006. "You wanted above average GWIs and we could only get 3% a year"...."There is pass through, there is red circling, there are high medical costs, there is pass through on Rx, there are average GWI's which don't amount to much due to the medical contributions, and a host of other things that will deteriorate your income everyday."

Remember how horrid the Company was when you read that flier? Remember the speech given during the 2nd week of January telling you that you had good jobs waiting for you at RMS, and you should approve the contract and return to work? It wasn't a different contract, was it? Well, yes it was. It actually was a less union friendly contract you signed and approved than the one you rejected in a frenzy at the TCC that Sunday night of the 5th of November. Look at the rhetoric your union gave you that fatefull night in Tucson. Look at your benefits package now. Look at the past contract concerning touch labor, and look at this one. Dont you feel duped, still?

Everything you lost, you may place the blame squarely on the union leaders who "fought for you". Now is the time to think clearly about what direction you wish to go within the Company. We ask you to give Raytheon a try as a union free workshop. If after a year this Company can't find a way to satisfy you and your trust in RMS is broken by ruthless managers, then we can always call the union back under NLRB rules.

You are doomed to repeat your mistakes if you don't learn your lesson the first time around. Click on the picture of the flyer to get a closer look at the text. It's a copy of the flyer that was posted around Raytheon last year at this time. Happy Anniversary, Enjoy!

Depths of Treachery

I hear the S word foaming up from the mouths of devout union loyalists. Unhappy minions repeat foolish things from the leadership that perk up my ears. Has anyone else heard the rumblings of an unhappy union testing the waters for another Strike!? Do these dummies even have the cojones to attempt a strike? Surely they know this would be the death nail in their coffin, even if our petition to removal them fails. This is better than I could ever wish for. Hundreds of unionists will quit and cross the line on the very first day. Go for it! I am all for the union striking. Lets see the bullies push their whole membership to the breaking point. Mr. Guth, & Mr. Rhinehart; push their buttons! Lets see if they can handle pressure. Watch them squirm. They're talking tough against us, but they are just an empty paper tiger.

Now that the union de-anonymized iam933.net through the WIPO case they lost, it appears they have begun a campaign to burn the supposed author. He was turned-in to HR last week anonymously for "making a website on the clock from his workplace computer, ID Number So-and so." Hogwash! The company has been able to read his computer to prove it false. They said he writes http://oust933.googlepages.com/home. He's doesn't write that page, period. Or any other web page while at work. But the accusation along with where it happened shows their depths of treachery. The accused works in a locked closed room with a high ranking union member. Duh!!! Union officers are too lame to debate on our forum, but they'll muddy up the water with accusations. Don't puss out, come to the forum and debate! Lets talk about next year's strike!

We also hear rumors that the union is "building a list" of people "unwanted." We're sure the owner of http://www.iam933.net/ is one of them, but we know there are other untouchables too. They say "don't speak to so-and-so, he's persona non-grata." Hear us out members. Don't buy the blacklistings, at least until you've heard both sides. Read our pages, and think this through. All of you are old enough to make up your own mind without arm twisting. We've seen the stewards coming around your work benches putting high pressure out on the floor. We see them trying to muscle you. If they had such a good platform, they wouldn't need to pressure you, would they?

This union has been in power over you for 56 years. None of us voted them into power. We've never worked here without the union being in control. It's like living in IRAN with Sharia Law. Try a union free shop for twelve months for a change! Give Raytheon one year without a union to show it is either a good or bad employer. If the company is worse than the union, I'll help you bring the union back. But if the company is not the monster this union says, then maybe it's the union that is the monster. There is no reason why we cant try one time. Labor laws are so strong in the USA that you could always get the union back here lickity split. You have nothing to loose, and everyting to gain. The scare tactics this union uses against freedom are simply used to keep harvesting your monthly dues tax. Don't be fooled any longer. Remember the union failed to get you one cent of a raise from '03 to '06! Oh, and did you get anything for striking? Oh yes...a pin.

Grotesque Hypocrisy

I've recently been told that our fighting machinists have picked a fight against the owner of the iam933.net website. He has come under hypocritical legal assault. Headquarters IAM has complained about his website address to the World Intelectual Property Organization (WIPO). To see a link to the case click this link: http://www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/search/case.jsp?case_id=14155 which was filed on the 3rd of September. Why didn't they attempt a cease and desist notice earlier? The union never wrote the webmaster of iam933.net about this issue. The address is posted on the website for all to see. But no communication was ever attempted. They might have better results if they had gone about this differently.

It seems the union can't handle the heat of a few buckaneers telling the workers what's really going on around here. It's obvious to them that they are the minority at RMS, and they intend to railroad any attempt by courageous workers to put this petition to the people. We've asked them on many occasions to come to the web and debate with us. I've asked on this forum, and the owner of iam933.net has a debate page asking for a healthy exchange of ideas. Since last November, the union has been asked to debate on http://oust933.googlepages.com/unionreply . They chickened out! Their ideas don't hold water against the ideas of free minded workers. Instead of debate, they are trying to squelch us. They are using a Soviet Style lack of respect for freedom of speech. It's a total lack of respect for the voice of the workers. And another example of the unions coercive methods they use to keep control of the people they wish to influence.

We like the fact that they've resorted to the legal venues however. In other times, we could expect far more inappropriate methods of coercion. We will let the legal system sort this out. I think the 1st Amendment of the US Constitution trumps them on this case, and they're going to take the union's lawyer to the wood shed over it. Freedom of speech is a wonderful thing. Why, just recently the union posted a real nice video about it. http://www.goiam.org/iamglc2008/freedom_of_speech.htm . Isn't it nice how they pasted "Freedom of Speech" on the entire back wall of the stage in this short clip, but then try to censor free speech of the critic? Notice the date of the clip. This is a Grotesque Hypocrisy.

So here's the union's case. They think the workers here at RMS are idiots. They think YOU are too stupid to tell the difference between http://www.iam933.net/, and http://www.iam933.org/. They say the websites are SO Close in name, that you the union member, or represented worker, would go to the web site disguising itself as the Union in order to lure unsuspecting viewers. The union says that the owner of the ".net" web site has fully incorporated the union’s IAM933 unregistered trademark into the http://www.iam933.net/ domain name for the sole purpose of diverting Internet users from union’s web site to criticism site.

Excuse me? This means that the Grand Lodge thinks the web surfers at Raytheon can't tell the difference between the union's site and the critisism site. What kind of morons does the union think it represents?! This is a no brainer to me. If you are in the union, and you're fighting for respect, then you need to get respect from your union first! I interpret that they say workers here are too mentaly handicapped to find the web page desired.

Now the union thinks they have to right to take IAM933.NET because it's a protected trademark? Ehem, if you guys wanted to protect your UNREGISTERED trademark so much, why didn't you buy the web address
when it was for sale for under ten bucks a year last November? Why didn't you offer to buy it before the complaint blew up? Why didn't you buy http://www.iam933.com/ when it was offered to you for 257 dollars only a few short months ago? Presently that site is owned by Transure Enterprise Ltd. of the Virgin Islands. It's still for sale folks! If the union wants to protect it's interests so much, why leave the trademark out in the open?

In my opinion, they don't care about their unregistered trademark so much as they do about stifling the oposition. They want free speech so long as that speech is in their favor. God forbid anyone stand up and speak out against them. God forbid the represented workers hear anything other than the mantra coming from the drumbeat of Vladimir Putin and Hugo Chavez. It's time the workers rise up and say enough! Enough of the double talk! Enough of the psychobabble. Enough of the union! It's time to OUST 933!

Paying the bills on time?

Did anyone notice this weekend that the union website was down? Did anyone take the time to read the notice that replaced the normal drivel found on their pages? If you were a web-steward, it must have felt embarrasing to wake up Saturday Morning and find your site was turned into a pregnancy education page because someone forgot to pay the bill. Yep, the site was taken off line late Friday Night 19th of Sept. untill sometime before 10:00 AM Monday the 22 Sept. because it said it was EXPIRED! The page had a nice little reminder there that said something to the effect of 'if you own this web site, please pay up or the url can be sold.' Of course I'm paraphrasing here, but you get the gist of the message. By now, you the reader are probably laughing unless you're sympathetic to the union. So my simple questions are: If these guys let their own domain name and website expire, what makes you so sure they won't let you expire? If they lack financial responsibility, how do they keep your financial interests protected? Why am I giving them my money? Why do I let them have the right to negotiate my future at RMS?! It's time to Oust 933!

I love it when the union makes our case

I love it when the union makes our case. This morning a friend of our committee passed on a flyer that was getting circulated around the plant site by a union steward. It’s a typical union brainwashing document with a kinder gentler touch. I decided to post their document for them on our blog, because it makes our case better than it does theirs. How stupid do they think the workers are to fall for this psychobabble?
The first two sentences start off kind and understanding. Hard to believe this is a letter coming from the same organization that trained it’s workers to hate and never talk to “crossers”. Then they get completely stupid. They wrote ”It seems that these anti-union workers have somehow overlooked the value of having a union here at Raytheon.” EHEM! We took this into long consideration before challenging this bunch of bullies with facts to show they hurt rather than help the workers of Raytheon.
This is a fight for the truth at Raytheon. This union is going to wine and dine you until you fall for their seduction. Fact is they are just a parasite-business designed to suck your wallet and coerce you to give up 3 months of your pay whenever they demand it in a strike. Once they get your automatic deposit, it’s harder to quit than it is to recall the governor of California. Then they’ll force you to hate when others don’t follow their orders.
Lets talk about the LABOR CONTRACT they so boldly spell out on their flyer. What chance do these high school educated negotiators stand in a room full of company negotiators with Masters Degrees and years of experience doing contracts under their belts? Each successive contract, some new union boss comes along and tries his hand at beating the old pros and gets spanked every time. They are pitiful losers and you have suffered every single contract. Why do they brag about this contract when they got their butt kicked at contract time?
You get what the company lets you have, period. It’s always been that way. You won’t get less without a union, because they are paying the going rate for skilled labor. This silly notion that you’ll get $12.98 an hour without a contract is juvenile. They can’t fill all the ranks they have now with the rates they pay, and the union bosses are telling you they’ll reduce it? At twelve dollars an hour, this company would be competing against telephone call centers for workers. The union must think the average worker is an idiot to believe that line of crap.
Then they tell you about the court case, Retirees against Raytheon, the greedy company, and the CONTRACT. But they never admitted to the fact that this union never fought for these retirees. They didn’t “pick a fight” for those who paid dues for their entire careers. Those retirees got their own lawyer and fought that fight without the union. One union official told me in 2006 that he was very upset that the union didn’t fight for their rights under the contract. Now they have the gall to say that they support those retirees? The only thing they do is tell union members they must parade around outside the Herman’s Road Gate with pickets! The union is the greedy corporation, they won’t even spend the legal fees on their own elderly loyalists. But they trick you into believing they are fighting for you. What a sham.
The third paragraph, first sentence of this letter is SPOT ON! “…advocates for and protects our membership.” Let’s break this down for the sake of clarifying the message. They advocate for membership. And they protect our membership!
Yep, they advocate for you to join them by attempting to convince you the company will screw you without them. They sew seeds of envy within your heart to make you hate the company officers. They offer stories of despair and hopelessness for the worker with the antidote being of course, joining the union so we can all have it better here.
Then they protect membership from the truth. They want to hide you from the facts that may cause you to leave membership status. They tell coworkers not to talk to those anti union types, there is something wrong with them. They are fools, and they are careless bastiches that don’t have the collective welfare of the workers at heart.
This union isn’t about safety, benefits, dignity and jobs. It’s not even about getting you better wages. It’s about taxing you the worker, and getting you to agree to make the payment. It’s a business. They raise the wages of crummy workers at the expense of the good workers. They protect those crummy workers at all cost, because they are loyalists who will pay for the protection, because they know in their hearts they suck at their real job, and need someone to keep them on the pay role. You good workers out there are paying thousands of dollars a year for this “protection" in the form of reduced compensation.
The union doesn’t want it’s members going to anti-union web sites. But it is loosing the battle. They are in a frenzy, and don’t know what to do when the truth is competing with their lies. Go ahead, get on Yahoo.com, and type iam933 and see by the numbers of hits what web site is getting viewed more. It’s obvious you are looking. We’re number One! They know it, but do you, the worker? You are concerned about how badly this union has hosed you down over the past few contracts. So are we. We promise change. They promise the same old prepackaged crappy representation.
I am so sure that this union is a complete failure, that I’ll stake a bet right here on line. If Raytheon screws us, then I’ll be one of the first to get on the band-wagon to restart a union. I’ll even become one of it’s officers and use my skills to benefit the new union. But I am betting that it’s not going to be needed. There are nine thousand salaried workers who enjoy working with us, and they have no union to protect them. They are not running to form a union. They have been laughing at us in the bargaining unit, because we haven’t been smart enough as a collective to free ourselves from the union. They are under orders not to tell us how they truly feel. It’s up to us to figure it out on our own.
Oh, and I love the last lines of their letter. They will continue to use the “moral high ground” campaign? HAHAHAHA! I fell out of my chair on that one. Tell that to my co-workers who are finding nails propped up against their tires, and getting damage done to their cars.

Are you willing to pay 65% more Union Tax?

Have you heard the grumbling from local union members lately about the IAMAW wants to raise your Union Dues (Tax) 35-65%? This September the National Grand Lodge will have meetings to determine once and for all the amount they plan to stick it to their members. Right now assemblers pay a whopping $41.94 per month in dues. This may not sound like much, but over the course of a year it adds up to $503 dollars. If you add 65% more it becomes $830!

What service does this union provide you that is worth 830 dollars a year? If you misbehave, and get 5 days off, is that 830 dollars? If they coerce you to strike, and loose 10 grand, is that worth it? So what tangible service do they provide? A cell phone might cost about as much, and you have communication nation-wide 24/7. Today you can get twenty gallons of fuel per month with those dues. I haven’t figured out how much beer you can buy, but I can imagine seventy dollars in beer a month will go farther than a pep talk from a smiling business representative.

I am really eager to hear from Union Supporters about the tangible value gained from union membership. I don't want to hear how good it used to be, I don't wanna hear how great it would be if everyone joined. I wanna hear what service the union offers the members of the bargaining unit. Union Members, please, level with me. What do I get out of the union if I join? And why should I pay a rate of increase that outstrips my pay raises they negotiated for me?

Clearly the union leadership is bothered by my stance against the union. Here is your opportunity to express the virtues of your side of the argument. I've stated before that this forum is open to both pro and anti union arguments. Yes I am personally biased against the union, but I am looking for someone with a pro union position to put their beliefs up against mine so the rest of the workers, both union and non-union can see the arguments and make a good decision in 2009.

Ladies and gentlemen, step right out into the monsoon

Today I got to see a flyer that states the union plans to have a demonstration out front of Herman's Road Entrance on Thursday 28 August at 3:00 pm. I want to announce their message after Company officials swept up the flyers. Why? Because I want the world to see how this union thinks. They ignored the retiree’s request when they first asked for help over two years ago. Frustrated, those retirees went off on their own, and found a lawyer to fight for them. Now the union wishes to bask in the light of the victory those four retirees won.

I challenged the union almost two weeks ago to contradict my statement, and they haven't said squat. This blog is an open forum, anyone can speak here. They read it daily. Still no response. Crickets chirping.......BUT NOW LETS HAVE A PARADE! *Carnival music please* Ladies and gentlemen, step right out into the monsoon and carry pickets to show our union pride in support of this great victory. We'll show this company! We'll show our critics! We won't back down; we have this lame, ehem, strong union to back us up! We will march out front in the rain to prove....what?!

Don't let these union saviors talk you into standing out on the corner to sweat and support what they refused to fund. The retirees paid dues for a whole career, and then they were neglected. They were forced to get their own legal representation, on their own dime. Now you members are getting corralled into a parade to make it look like the union supported the cause from the beginning. You are getting duped.

But meanwhile they will tell you that for the good of the collective, you must march. Show your pride. Show this company that you won't take it. Those greedy CEOs! Take PTO and come out to march, I say! Flex your time, but show your support for the commune! Do whatever it takes to...show you are following the orders of a radical activist. The stewards said, "Give until it hurts." "One more day." "Borrow money from your 401K". And you did.

They got you to move mountains. You sacrificed your retirement security for them. They take your dues, make you march, dictate who you talk to, & teach you union "pride". Did you know they have an agenda? And it isn't yours. You too will be refused after you retire. Support change at RMS. Dump the union.

The War is Over

Aight, team Oust, it's official "The War is Over"! No more orange shirts. No more being harassed by the union. We are done. I checked my mail on Friday, and to my amazement the union has finally sent me something worthwhile. I've been bought out by them. No more de-cert talk. They have done won me over. I'm sorry if yall didn't git nuthin' good from them like I did, but too bad. I'm callin' it quits. We can't talk bad about them no more since they finally sent me somethin' to prove they aren't totally useless.
Me and my rat stinky approve of this union, so yall just stop it already!

Why are you paying dues again?

Congratulations! The union is celebrating a huge victory this week. I too would like to congratulate Mark Argraves, Ronald Geuder, Clare L'Armee and David Lillie for a triumph well deserved. These individuals collectively took Raytheon to court and won a class action lawsuit. The union didn't. It was a retired medical benefits dispute that had over 1000 retired RMS workers reeling with health care costs after the company refused to honor a series of labor contracts to cover their health care at no cost until age 65.

The Directing Business Representative, Jimbo Watson said; “they deserve the benefits they fought for”… however no one said that it was these four retired RMS workers who filed their own suit. They spoke for themselves. Look at the text of the newspaper articles, IAM web pages, and all other sources. Nowhere does it say the union filed the suit, or retained the lawyers, or paid for anything.

The union didn’t win this fight for the workers. They didn’t even start this fight. It was the retired workers who fought for them selves. Oh sure, they sent representatives to testify at the trial. A few words attesting that this union contract was effective in the 1990’s. But they made no financial wager, nor battle as they want you to believe. They didn’t pick this fight.

We can learn two lessons from this trial. First, Raytheon, and it's predecessor should not have written the language in the contract if they were not willing to honor it. Second, this union doesn’t fight for you as they claim. They are willing to bask in the glow of your victory after you win a lawsuit and show the world just how great they are. Some protection! So what are you paying dues for again? Workers, think!

Rusty Gear

A friend of our cause has reported to one of our members that Mr. Quintana, IAM933 President wants a meeting with some of our anti-union friends. Maybe he hopes to convince us to stop our campaign. We suppose an exchange of ideas is what he's looking for, maybe a forum to debate.

Well, Mr. Quintana, we've been asking to debate for ten months now! In an e-mail to one of our pages last November, your Secretary Treasurer challenged a debate on line. He never responded after we answered his challenge. Well Mr. Quintana, BRING IT ON! Right here on this web site, for all to see! Tell your members to read what is said about union officials, policies, and IAM933 history. We are confident that after all the facts are discussed, your union members are going to vote your union down.

Union Members, your nightmare with this union is nearly over. They coerced you into following them on a strike that was a lost cause. They've taught good people to hate their fellow co-workers. They've chewed you out for talking to non members. They've asked you to snitch on or fight with non members when they speak freely against union politics. Those conflicting feelings you have about the bad stuff the union does, compared to the promises they made is finally going to get resolved.

You will see how this union has hoodwinked you. They've used you. They've abused you. And they are going to do anything possible to stop this decertification election. They know you are sick and tired of the lies and abuse. They know you'll vote the bums out!

Brother, Can You Spare Some Change?

Union leadership wants us to sit down with them and talk. They want us to join the union and engage in the process of change with them. The funny thing is you don't invite your neighbor over to fix your car unless it's broken. The fact that the union president wants to have discussions with folks who support our cause is evidence enough that this union is broken. When union stewards say, "you'll be sorry when the union is gone" is evidence that they don't believe the union stands a chance against our small band of poorly organized com padres.

How has the union become so out of touch? The single biggest issue that the contingency workers had with the union strike is that they wanted us to join them on the picket lines, but they were too ignorant to figure out that they NEEDED our buy in. They kept the details to card carrying members, or did they? It seems more likely that they went into negotiations without knowing what they wanted to negotiate for. If the Raytheon contract was so important to the IAM nationals shouldn't they have sent in highly trained national negotiators to win their case?

So why should we join the union now? It's officially broke. It doesn't work. It isn't viable any longer. And no one in leadership believes the union stands a chance against even our motley crew. The union hasn't given us a choice of whether we want to be represented by them. It's like when a sleazeball drops a ruffie in your drink and says, "you're gonna like this". That's not consensual sex and this union doesn't believe that they need my permission to get serviced by them. Give me a freakin' break!

If the union was confident that they are doing a good job then they would put it to a vote. Instead of backroom deals and loud stupid intimidation they would act in a professional courteous manner by having discussions with folks who don't agree with them. They would really want to hear from us disenfranchised workers. But they know that if they put it to a vote, the majority of people would vote 'no confidence' in their leadership skills.

How can I prove what I am saying? Simple, wait until the new contract and see if they have the balls to even ask people if they still want the union to represent them. Entire job skills and departments would jump on that chance and say 'count us out'. Then the union could begin to discover why their tired old party lines no longer work.

Why do I hate and despise this union, and won't sit down and talk to their leadership? Because in the middle of a war they choose to make a statement by going on strike and trying to hurt the capability of our soldiers to fight. They are equal in my eyes to al-Qaida and Osama bin Laden. They sit around reading their communist newsletters and trying to figure out what is wrong with America. The answer? They are what is wrong with America. They do not understand the importance of fighting for freedom. They do not understand a representative form of government. That is why they assume power and are unwilling to renege.

And I am not willing to renege my fight. This union must be decertified. The backstabbing and intimidation must stop. The war against management must stop. The whining to H.R. must stop. They wear their offensive tee shirts. What? Offensive shirts? Yes. The union shirts offend me. What they stand for offend me. They are dictators saying that my money comes from them. Unfortunately I have to live with a 33% reduction in pay compared to national rates for my job skill, because they "represent" me. I can't get a RONA or a bonus for working hard, because it isn't fair to everybody! Well, boo hoo! Life isn't fair, and I want to be paid for my work not my union dictated pay rate. Let me prove my worth.

I am a Raytheon stockholder and I want to see my stock worth something. With the apathy stirred up by this union Raytheon stock will continue to struggle. When they ask me to sit down and have a drink with them I'll have to say, "no thanks, brother I'm allergic to ruffies". Instead of reading you commie propaganda, start reading about the founding of THIS nation. Our forefathers struggled against overwhelming odds to give us the best country in the history of the world where leadership is granted as an honor not a right of office. Communist rule by opression, representatives rule by permission. Stop the date rape game and give us all a choice!

Let the T-Shirt Wars Begin

Ahhh, the joys of advertising. Ever since the iam933.net fans began wearing t-shirts bearing witness to the cause, the union has caved to the temptation to put out their own anti-anti-union t-shirts. Thanks for the free advertising guys! They've put on sale "ghostbuster" like t-shirts with a logo that says "We stand Proud, Strong, & United against ALL (insert Ghostbusters 3 logo here) union busters."
Come on Leadership! You guys aren't Proud, United or Strong! The stewards are begging former union members who quit during the strike to come back! Some pride! You've lied to your membership and caused them shame, division, and weakness. Half the membership is ashamed of how poor you guys represented them before the strike, and since then, your stewards have done a crappy job of representing the individuals who needed your "protection". They are torqued off at your dumb ideas and your crass arrogance. The only reason they stay in the union is because they hope the union will get better against all odds.
You have completely failed your charter. You go around blaming others for the problems you have caused. The union leadership is the cause of the red circles and take-aways. The union leadership has steered it's people to cause the company to treat labor as second class workers. The raw obstructionism and sour attitude that foams out of the leaders has spoiled the good will of the salaried ranks. You have taught your members to hate their neighbors. This is just some of the reasons your union deserves to be decertified.
To see the kind of shirts that scare the union leaders, check out these pages. http://www.cafepress.com/iam933 and
http://www.cafepress.com/darkgrounds ! More people at Raytheon are hearing the good news and donning their own t-shirts as our message is spreading faster than dropped hardware rumors during the strike. HR has repeatedly given the green light to wear these shirts. They've been asked after each building wears their iamnot933 attire for the first time. The stewards complain, they call the big-wigs. Every time they get shot-down in flames by HR. Then they pout about the "crossers" for a few days in the corner. All of you who have been wondering if it's OK to wear anti-union t-shirts, word is out; Wear them with Gusto!

The silence is deafening

In mid May AZStarnet reporter Becky Pallack identified that the union is in a long-term membership slide. I then looked over the LM-2 filed by the union for 2007 and noted just how bad the situation is within the walls of 369 West Ajo Way. They’ve had over a month to make a rebuttal to my claim about their minority status at RMS.

Their silence is like a piercing scream of agony coming from the halls of the Old Pueblo Lodge. It’s tantamount to an admission of their impending doom within the factory at Herman’s Road. To those who have had altercations with militant union members, find solace that the bullies will soon have to reject the kool-aid of envy and anger, and they will reform as good workers within our plant. They’ll have no choice.

To those union members who are distraught over the news that you are going adjust to living without the lodge’s representation, please accept my heartfelt open arm welcome to the rest of the team. We have been waiting for you to come around. As you begin to accept your new surroundings the rest of us will encourage you lighten up and get into the groove. We enjoy making the worlds finest missiles.

Those angry feelings you hold toward us will go away in time as you distance yourself from the hurtful messages coming out of the orators of despair. The free choices you wanted, but the union forbade, will make your dismissal of the old ways much easier. Those days will be gone. A few tyrants told you what you stood for, and made you give up good things for the collective. There may even be a Cumbaya moment where I could invite my old steward out for a beer! OK!!...I know…we’re not there yet…but can you imagine -- Whirled Peas?

Support Our Cause

Support our cause, buy my tees!
http://www.cafepress.com/darkgrounds

This design counters the AFL-CIO's message
to Turn America Around! Choose freedom
instead by having the right to vote OUT this
union!

When 1671 equals 1165

The AZ Daily Star recently published a couple articles showing how the union at Raytheon is dropping five years straight. Too bad reporter Becky Pallack didn't look deeper into the LM-2 form. She would have noticed the union has less clout than reported. I give her a 'B' for effort. She did contact President Jimbo Watson, and he confirmed the union is holding strong at Raytheon, even increasing in numbers! *chuckle*

What keeps her reports from being an 'A' is the simple fact that she could have dug deeper into the form and asked questions like "where are these active members employed?" "How many work where?"

IAM-933 represent Boeing, HE Microwave, CAE Reflectone, RMS Rescue & Fire, and L-3 Communications in addition to Raytheon Missile Systems. How many members does that leave at RMS?

Here are the facts, as reported by President Harry Anthros using the LM-2 for 2007. Also the two previous annual statements of representation. It shows total membership, the number of active members who have a vote, and the others with no voice.
Year -- Total members -- Active Members -- retired/other
2007 -- 1671 ----------------- 1165 ----------------- 506
2006 -- 1699 ----------------- 1258 ----------------- 441
2005 -- 1765 ----------------- 1392 ----------------- 373

The union has 1671 total members. But only 1165 of them count. The rest are retired members, or unemployed. Notice the "Other" category is growing, padding the numbers to make it look like strength.

With only 1165 active members across all the companies they represent, and aproximately 1730 laborers at Raytheon, it appears they fall below the 50% representation mark at RMS.

IAM 933 strength falls 5 years straight

It looks like the Arizona Daily Star has discovered that our Local 933 is loosing membership faster than it can be replaced. For five years in a row they have seen a decline. At this pace, it won't be long before they are officially recognised as a minority at Raytheon Missile Systems. That day will be their last at our factory. The azstarnet has this article on the subject. http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/allheadlines/238771.php

Bring our factory into the 21st century, Vote to Decertify IAMAW 933!

Raytheon is a Greedy Company! (Not)

It's been a while since something stirred me to blog as much as the things I saw this week. Raytheon has debunked another of the IAMAW 933's claim to be our protector.

Wednesday I saw Raytheon hourly workers painting and beautifying the plant. Their normal jobs? Assemblers and Testers. But we are going through a short period of work slowdown. The thing any greedy evil company would do is to lay those workers off and save the high labor cost, right? So what in Louise's cold heart let these workers continue on the payroll and do totally unrelated work that adds no profit to the corporate monsters?

It's simple folks. This company is looking out for the well being of its people and the long-term moral of its workforce. The company will profit from happy workers. The lies and propaganda from the union about how greedy Raytheon is just doesn't fit the picture. This company has gotten with the program long ago, and that's why it's one of the best places to work in the USA, period. (I can't wait to read the miscreant messages about this comment)

Help us remove this unfit labor representative at Raytheon. We will all be in a much happier workplace if we do.

Raytheon Hourly!

What's in it for you?

What does the IAMAW Lodge 933 do for you? Presently, the union has less than 50% membership in the hourly ranks. What do you risk if they go away? What do you stand to gain when they disappear? What beliefs do you hold dear because of those old stories you always heard from old union guys? Who has challenged those beliefs? What is the source of their "truth"? Who is telling you the truth? Why do union guys discourage talk to non-union guys? What are they afraid you will learn? Who is http://www.iam933.net/ ? Are they the Company? Or are they hourly workers like you and I? If they are hourly, what motivates them to fight so hard to free you from the union's grips? Why do they hide their identities? Do they risk union retribution? Is the union just big business tapping your wages? What product does the union sell that's worth two hours a month for eternity? What's the return on your investment? Questions like this and more, you will answer in the coming months as you consider whether or not to vote FOR or AGAINST the continued right of IAMAW Lodge 933 to determine your worth to RMS.

Orange Shirts ... Solidarity in the Real World

I want to send out a warm thank you to everyone supporting our cause by wearing orange shirts on Thursdays. It sends out a nice warm hug to us for all our hard work keeping this blog going and for the other teams out there working so hard keeping their websites going. Two months before the big vote we can all pull together and show this union just how much they are in the minority. Last Thursday was a big deal for us when we got the reports back about just how many of you support this cause and proved it by wearing your orange shirts. Thanks again!

Smoke Up Your ...

Okay, the union boys are obviously getting very nervous. We've exposed their backsides and they don't like it. We've told you where your dues go. We told you that they lie by telling you that it is against company rules to discuss getting rid of the union. Chat away have a good time, buy our tee-shirts, and wear them.

Just be sure to chat during your breaks and in non-work areas to prevent any impression of a conflict of interest. Put our web address iam933.net on business cards and pass them out to your co-workers to invite them to visit our sites. Spread the word, especially to your neighbors, friends and anyone you know represented by IAM933 at Boeing, HE Microwave, CAE Reflectone, RMS Rescue & Fire and L-3 Communications. Enjoy the revolution.

The union is ashamed to admit that they are the minority. The truth is they have lost over 4% of their membership every year. There are more of us than them. So don't allow them to intimidate you. It's time to push, back and push back hard. We need to tie them up in lawsuits and National Labor Relations Board grievances. We need to get their stewards FIRED! They sure deserve it. They've been mean and stupid. They don't play by the rules. It's time to shut them up.

Tell your supervisors to make them remove their offensive stickers and posters from company property. Educate yourself about NLRB laws so you will know when they violate a law, then report each violation to the NLRB. If they ask anyone to join the union while on the shop floor or if they talk about union stuff on the floor, guess what? DING!!! That's an offense! They should get FIRED! We need your eyes and ears to report, report, report. Let's keep H.R. really busy dealing with union infractions.

The company can and should call for a vote to decertify this worthless union since less than 50% of the workers are actually in the union, but they won't because they don't want to look like the bad boys. But with enough complaints against the union it may become impossible to do business by consistently accommodating these sluggards. Let's make our majority voices heard. Wear orange, or green tee-shirts on Thursday to show your solidarity against the union, buy and wear our tee-shirts.

The time is now to push back. Let them have a taste of our smoke for a change. I'm tired of living under all their threats. 5+ years in a hostile workplace is FREAKIN' enough! Smoke 'em if you catch 'em! ~rr

Flash Forward

I just love the comments we get asking us to work "within" the union. We have done that, have the tee-shirt and it still hasn't worked, that's why we are goin' to all this trouble, duh! Here we have people ADMIT that the union is broke and don't work good, well Hee Haw, good buddy at least one spark in your distributor is firing! Bless God, and pass the bucket of pork rinds! You are the very folks that should be canceling your union dues!
Now if you weren't getting cable t.v. would you keep paying for it every month? I don't think so. But your union is broke and you take the wise old Democrat point of view, "if it don't work throw more money at it"! As Dr. Phil would say, "How's that workin' for you"?
We are not your six toed cousins from the hills! And nope we ain't mad at ya'. We are done tryin' to fix the broke tractor. There's work that needs to be done and we aren't goin' backwards and git us an old mule. Daddy tried that and nearly killed his fool self. Now when you've actually plowed with a mule before and wanna come talk about how hard it is workin' for Raytheon then You I will listen to, but not all those other panty waisted girly men out there.
I have worked in restaurants, and retail. Yes, I have worked at Wal-Mart, and you know what? Those jobs are fine for unskilled labor. If you don't want to go to school and work hard at getting a skill then Wal-Mart is what you deserve. Yes, Wal-Mart would need a union if people didn't have a choice in who to work for. Wal-Mart isn't such a great place to work. I was a manager there and thought the hourly folks needed a union. It was so bad I thought the managers needed a union. But I did Wal-Mart the favor of quitting and living without the joy of my presence. There are plenty of retailers out there, if you find one that treats its workers well then that is the one you should shop at. Please send me a comment and let me know which retailer treats its people well so I can shop there too.
And stop trying to tell us that if we don't like being hourly then we can just become salaried. Really? Do you mean if I go ask H.R. to make me salaried that they will just do it? If I could I would, and I hate working a salaried job! If Raytheon did that then the union would slap them with a big old grievance, so guess what that's never going to happen. Don't think of us as black sheep of your little family. We don't want your representation, nor do we want your permission to exist. We only want the union to go away. We do not want to co-exist. We are the majority. We will not make the same mistake we did during the last contract. We are better organized, and do not cave in to your fear tactics. There are more of us than there are union members and we will decertify this union. We just want to help you to feel better about the transition when it happens.
There was a day and time when people were loyal to companies and worked there their whole lives, but today people are smarter and just quit! Companies that don't take care of their people need to spend a lot of money constantly training new workers. Those companies can't compete as well as companies that retain good workers. Wal-Mart can stay in business because it doesn't take any special skill to keep them going, so they can afford to fire all their Christmas new hires every year, and they usually do. The really good workers they keep and make certain to give them 39 hours a week or less so they don't get any benefits. Welcome to the savvy low life scum of retail! When those good workers quit there are over 400 applications waiting in personnel for a phone call from folks who don't understand retail. In 6 months they will get the best education of their life and go back to college, get an MBA and probably treat their employees like Wal-Mart treated them because they didn't learn the 'real life lesson'. Take care of people and that is how you are a success. You aren't successful by having an inflated bottom line, a big bottom means you need to go to the gym more and push yourself away from the dinner table.
A lot of my co-workers are scared and rightfully so. What will happen to me in two years when the union is decertified and they won't be there to save my slacker butt from the unemployment line? Well, if you are a slacker, you deserve the unemployment line, since somebody else has been doing your work for you. Good workers get rewarded, and if they don't pay you well enough then guess what? There are other places to work for like Boeing and Lockheed. If you haven't stuck your head out the hole you're in for awhile then guess what? There is an EXTREME shortage of aerospace workers. Read the article for yourself, and rejoice! We are dinosaurs that need to be highly compensated or the aerospace industry will crumble. The industry is learning the hard lesson of how much harder they need to work to keep people. The millennial generation tells employers to give them more or they will leave and work somewhere else. Well good for them and better for us. I think Raytheon needs to give me the massages and the lattes to keep on working until I'm 70 so they don't have to put up with the millennial kids coming to work these days (about noon - if the employer is so lucky)
Okay let's flash forward to two years from now when the union is decertified. For die-hard union supporters it will suck. It won't suck because Raytheon will be a worse place to work, but it will suck because of the mental stronghold of union folks. They will be grieving that their little "family" is dead. It's the same syndrome that gang members go through when they wake up and realize that they have to figure things out on their own and think for a change. There won't be someone holding their hand telling them who they should hate. Now they will have to figure out who the enemy is and hopefully they won't look in the mirror, because they will come to realize all too soon that they are their own worst enemy. I got a pretty good taste of how pleasant it was to work at Raytheon during the strike. There weren't a bunch of bitter old slackers standing around complaining about how horrible it is working under the torturous conditions at Raytheon.
Those whiners never worked in retail.
Some folks complain that their 401K will go away. Well good riddance, a 401K is a sucker investment anyway. Folks that bother to educate themselves know that 401K plans only offer extremely safe venues which do not pay very well. During your working lifetime you can lose over $1 million by investing in a 401K instead of having that same money work for you in a multitude of better mutual funds available outside of a 401K plan.
There is fear that people will lose their job when the union is decertified. That just will not happen with the shortage of aerospace workers today. Only the extreme slackers will go away and the union shouldn't be protecting those folks anyway, since it just makes the union look stupid. There are very few people willing to move to our lovely oasis here in Tucson. It is the desert and they just won't come here because it seems formidable. A lot of folks have worked in awful factories and will never allow themselves to take on an assembly job ever again. Raytheon can not legally lower your pay either. They can pay new hires less money, but they won't do that for long since aerospace workers are retiring faster than they are being trained. Millenials won't work at Raytheon, ohhh PuhLeeezze! We make bombs and your hands may get dirty and you can't wear flip flops, oooohh like No way, dude!
Now when Raytheon can figure out how to serve lattes on the production floor and will let you wear pajamas and flip flops then you might have to worry about the millenial generation competing for your job, but that won't be until they've worked at Wal-Mart, Starbucks and Hooters for a out 10 years and realize, omg I need more $$$ or I can't text my bff Jill and hang out in Boca 4ever!
Life will be great without the union. People can only take so much negative us against them propaganda. Especially after this election year. The only thing we hear from talking heads is blah blah blah. We tune out the rhetoric and look around and realize, I don't have it so bad. I could be existing in China, or some other God forsaken communist regime instead of the best country on earth where you have the freedom to choose where to work instead of having it mandated to you by the bureaucrats in your government. Some union supporters don't even get that. There are a bunch of whacked out union folks that think communism is far better than freedom. They are so used to being told what to think that they truly want the government telling them what to think, do and how to live. Stop smoking your rope, crawl out of your sweat lodge and see what life is like outside in the real world. It's like beautiful out here baby!

A Campaign of Hope

These days we hear a lot about hope from all sorts of political campaigns. Their words can fall on deaf ears until you begin to feel a quiet dissatisfaction with the 'status quo'. Hope is a process that slowly gets phased in when you discover that your present situation leaves a lot to be desired.

The first step is recognizing your need for hope. Going along in your day to day life it is easy to become complacent and assume that the decisions you made in the past will serve you well into the future. Your accountant will quickly tell you not to make such an assumption. Sure your Edsel gets you back and forth to work everyday, but maybe just maybe you were sold a bill of goods from a fast talking salesman that makes you look like an idiot every morning when you stand at the gas pump feeding your thankless beast. The portfolio you held last week can very well be worthless today. It is an extreme necessity to question, re-investigate, and refocus to excel and finish the race of life well.

The second step after admitting that your life isn't the best it could be is to re-investigate how you got where you are today and begin to question what better choices you could have made years ago. Once you discover the void in your life that can only be satisfied by hope then you begin to reach out in hope to like minded people. It is only then that hope can begin to do its work in your life. Sitting back and watching your loved ones wasting their lives in foolish endeavors is hard to do. But when their eyes become opened to the bondage they sold themselves into then you can be a true friend by welcoming them into their new found awareness.

And the next step is to refocus. When your boat is heading toward the waterfall you need to work far harder to turn around before you become shipwrecked. And it is to this end that we plead with you. THE END IS NEAR! You may see a beautiful rainbow ahead, but that's just the mist coming up from the waterfall that's about to kill you. We see a lot of people who sincerely believe that this union is the pot at the end of the rainbow, but we are here to tell you that the only pot at the end of this rainbow has been smoked in the 'bong of life' a long time ago, dude! Come out into the light (you may need to wear shades for awhile 'cause the future is really brighter out here than in there). Scrape off the mushrooms and dust off the pot-ash.

The reality here is that this union worked well and was needed at one time. It is no longer an organization that we can put our hope in. Our only hope at this desperate crossroad is no union at all. This unions reputation is down the toilet. The company can't take it serious anymore especially after the extreme juvenile behavior exhibited during the last strike. Professional workers need to be represented, we don't need to be laughed at. This union has selected a handful of job skills to make a push for higher wages. This group was chosen not so much because of their need, but more so for the need of the union to gain loyalty from a majority of the workforce. Workers with far more skills and education are left without any realistic pay raise comparable to the national and even regional wages.

So thanks, to all those campaigns out there for reminding us to hope. It's a New Year and we have a new resolve to push even harder. The edge of the waterfall is approaching and we just can't stay on the boat with these folks any longer. Either let us off or we have to scuttle the boat. Now that's worth hoping for.