Meetings:
Executive Board Meeting -- 1st Tuesday every month at 7:00pm
Union Meeting -- 2nd Tuesday every month at 10:00am, 3:00pm and 7:30pm
Office: 2800 South High Street
Columbus, Ohio 43207
Phone: 614-491-0357
Cell: 614-562-3870
Fax: 614-491-8811
After the resounding defeat of issue 2 I am proud to say we are the first state in the country to defeat anti union legislation. The working people in Ohio did not fall for the bullying and outright lying by the Republican Party. We stood up and showed the nation that we will not allow politicians to balance the budget on our backs. They used children old ladies, and anything possible to get issue 2 passed but the people stood up and said no. We at local 208 would like thank everybody that participated in the effort to get this thing defeated, our effort will help other states stand up and do the same. Just because this time we were able to stop this bill we must stay active an alert to any legislation that would hurt our way of life including the retirement that we have worked so hard for. We will keep you up to date on all the stupid politics that are coming from this state house. The current governor ran on jobs but nether he or his administration has done anything to create good paying jobs for the working people in this state, we must be careful in the people that we vote for we must watch not only what these people say but what they do! Who we elect does make a difference so pay close attention to what politicians are saying. We at local 208 will keep you up to date not only on local politics but also what is going on nationwide that can have any effect on us!
Kenneth D Rawls Vice President Local 208
October 1, 2011
Well, we are in for a very busy next couple of months. With the elections only a month away and our contract expiring in less than two months this is proving to be a very busy time. It is my hope that you, the membership realize how important NOVEMBER 8th is. This is not only a fight for our survival, but also a fight for the middle class. The implications of what will happen to the working class are HUGE. If you have been watching, the commercials that the governor’s party, the tea party, and the special interest (KOCH Brothers) people have been putting out, you can see the deception that they are putting out. These commercials are trying to portray that they only want us to pay a little bit of the things that we have bargained for in good faith. They are not telling the public the rest of the story. We know, and you should know how devastating this piece of legislation would be to us. For example, if the company does not agree with an arbitrators ruling they can just choose to ignore it. The company would tell you that they would never do this. DON’T YOU BELIEVE IT! They will take advantage of every possible aspect of this bill. For those who think that things are bad now, think again. It will mean a 4.5% cut in pay. The PERS pickup that has been negotiated (in good faith) under previous and current contracts will be gone. In short, this piece of legislation that the Republican Party has crafted has absolutely nothing to do with balancing the budget, but has everything to do with creating a bigger gap between the HAVES and HAVE NOTS. They try to hide it, but if you read between the lines, it is as obvious as the nose on your face. Do not let them ruin everything that we have worked and fought for. Get involved! There is still time to knock on doors, phone bank, and do literature drops. It will not hurt you to sacrifice a few hours to keep our future intact.
As far as negotiations are going, we can see a little progress, but it is extremely slow. Have patience, we will prevail. We are working hard to get us a fair and equitable contract. We will give out before we give up.
We are currently working on trying to come to a solution to the third party monitor problem and other rules and so called policies that certain management are trying to use against us. The wheels of justice move slowly, but they are turning. Stay tuned for future updates.
Yours in Solidarity,
Tim DeMoss
Congratulations
To the following winners of
The Ramona Hill Scholarship Fund:
TRACY COLES
DAVID AUSBURY
Dear Brothers & Sisters,
Your Local 208 negotiating committee will soon begin negotiations with COT A on a new collective bargaining agreement. The current contract expires on November 27, 2011 . Informal input from the membership can provide the negotiating committee with some information to begin the process, but more is needed. In an effort to more accurately represent the desires of the membership as a whole, we have developed the enclosed questionnaire.
This questionnaire has been developed as a way to invite all members to participate in the negotiating process. The direct distribution method (via mail-out) was determined to be the most democratic, allowing every member the opportunity to have equal input into the crafting of proposals. It is convenient and confidential, and will be statistically validated. Surveys are anonymous - control numbers are not matched to individual members. They are included only to assure the uniqueness of each response.
Results of the survey will help us better understand your expectations from these negotiations and target the contract areas that are most in need of improvement in a rapidly evolving environment. Improvements may not come easily with challenges that are now facing the transit industry, but our intent is to negotiate the best agreement possible. Understanding the challenges that lie ahead, we need to develop a focused proposal strategy that must begin with an accurate assessment of member sentiment. We sincerely hope you will take a few minutes to complete the questionnaire. Once the results have been tabulated and analyzed, they will become an important tool in dictating the direction that will take place in negotiations. The final results of the survey will be made available for you to review with your Local officers.
Fraternally,
Your Negotiating Committee