GCIWU/PACE 2002

CONTRACT AND ISSUES SURVEY

RESULTS

1. How would you rate upper management’s concern for their workers?

65% of the surveys said Good.

43%Poor.

8%Bad.

2. Which of the following best describes how your immediate supervisor treats you on the job?

65% of the surveys said Very-well.

29%Leaves me alone.

5%gets on my case, but it’s not a big problem.

1%Singles me out for harassment-wants to get me fired.

3. Have you had any problems with a previous supervisor?

42% said Yes.

58%No.

38%Of the time the Union was involved.

62%Of the time the Union was not involved.

50%Of the time the Union was not contacted.

4. How do you think the Union could do a better job?

Listed in % of time selected.

38%Be more aggressive with management.

28% Train Stewards better.

24%Have more newsletters to tell us what the Union is doing.

17%Give members more say in Union decisions.

14%Have department meetings at lunch time to get our views and tell us what the Union is doing.

10%Have more social events. ( See following list )

7%File more grievances.

5%Be less aggressive with management.

5%Have more membership meetings.

5%Work on different issues. ( See following list )

Comments on Having Social Events.

1.Have a Union Day like Exxon Day.

2.Military Day at the Hall.

3.Have a Union Day, Bar-b-que, dance, etc.

4.Have domino and card clubs.

5.Holiday get together of some sort.

6. Have a labor Day picnic like a lot of other unions do.

7.Spring Break Party.

8.SummerParty.

Comments on Working Different Issues.

1.More freedom to trade stocks.

2.Additional holiday.

3.Additional week vacation after 15 years. (listed 4 times)

4.Fix holiday pay for process.

5.Work on seeing that the refinery is treated the same as the chemical plant.

6.Work on all federally mandated reports by ExxonMobil - 200 log, 300 log.

7.Holiday overtime pays less that scheduled worked holiday pay.

8.Make members feel like membership means something.

9.Identify strength with the Union.

10.Fix up a nice sign for the Hall.

11.What about profit sharing.

12.Process contractors should have their own facility at Syngas. Not use ours.

13.Continue to work on total income towards retirement. (listed 3 times)

14.Work on increasing shift differential.

15.Workers being replaced by contractors.

16.Improve relationship between Union and membership.

17.Work on more membership participation.

18.Work on 4-10’s for mechanical. (listed twice)

19.Get 2.7 back.

20.10% discount on gas like Mobil gets.

21.Hire more mechanical crafts.

22.Work on better communication from the Union to members.

23.Focus on what is hurting Union members. Focus on benefits.

5. Please rank the issues below according to how important you think it is for your Union to work harder on them.

Vote % per issue.

VerySomewhatNot Very

ImportantImportantImportant

A.Fairer treatment by supervisors.40%48%10%

B.Pay.91%8%2%

C.Sick Leave.44%8%18%

D.Promotions and special assignments.37%48%23%

E.Improve working conditions.52%41%10%

F.Health Insurance.92%7%1%

G.Retiree Medical Insurance.73%20%1%

H.More say in what happens at work.34%53%13%

I.12-hour shift schedule for operations.39%25% 36%

J.8-hour shift schedule for operations.8%15%77%

K. Too much overtime.14%31%55% 

L.Overtime distribution.29%35%36%

M.Discrimination.42%29%29%

VerySomewhatNot very

ImportantImportantImportant

N.Job Security85%14%1%

O.Health And Safety. (see list below)72%23%5%

P.Enforcement of Safety Policies.58%36%6%

Q.Pensions.85%17%2%

R.401(K) Savings Plan with match.80%17%3%

S.Job appraisal/performance.23%55%22%

T.Job Training.55%37%8%

U.Job Retaining.45%48%7%

V.Parental Leave.21%45%34%

W.Vacation in daily increments.49%35%10%

X.Break or lunch room.22%39%39%

Y.Inconsistent discipline procedures.63%25%12%

Z.Staffing levels.43%38%19%

a.Parking.14%26%60%

b.Equipment repairs.61%25%14%

Health and Safety Comments.

1.There are some problems with the attitude of, just get the job done instead of toward safety. (Listed 2 times)

2.Need a safety person for each group.

3.Need proper tools, quality tools.

4.It bothers me we officers and stewards do unsafe things. Why are they such hypocrites?

5.Health and safety looks great on paper. Actual condition, crappy.

6.Quit piece mill rotten pipe, fix pipe strain, fix equipment.

7.Fix facility hazard instead of leaving traps for others. (listed 2 times).

8.Older workers should not have to work in acid gear while younger workers work in a/c.

9.Getting to old to do some of the work.

10.Safety is not always #1.

11.Should have yearly checkups if you work around toxic materials. 

12.Continue to support safety programs like VPP. (Listed 2 times).

13.Continue to put safety first ahead of production.

14.Concerned about the Syngas job post reduction. (Listed 4 times).

15.Stay on management about maintenance and safety.

16.Need to stay on management to repair equipment even when there is no money. (Listed 2 times).

17.Work on company’s attitude towards risk management.

18.Give up date reports and testing on benzene exposures.

19.Job training is inadequate.

6. Who is your Union Steward?

9%Put a ?

7. How many times in the last year did your Union Steward talk to you about Union activities?

73%Once to all the time.

27%0 times

8. Did you vote in the last election for your officers/Committee?

15%Yes

85%No

9. Compared to other Unions you know, how would you rate your Union?

50%Good

37%Fair

4%Excellent

9%Poor

10. What is your main source of information about what is going on in your Union.

36%Union newsletters

31%Talking with other members

20%Union Stewards

8%Company bulletins

3%Union meetings

2%Supervisors

11. Have you attended a membership meeting in the last 6-months?

15%Yes

85%No

Reasons did not attend.

35%Family needs.

15%Others

13%Social reasons

10%Not interested.

7%Don’t think they need me.

6%School

6%The Union doesn’t make a difference.

5%The Union is too radical.

3%I don’t believe in Unions.

12. When you have needed help from your local, has someone been available?

36%Always

28%Usually

28%Never needed help.

5%Occasionally.

3%Never

13. for our Union to win gains on these issues we need you to join our efforts and help our Union become stronger. Please tell us what you would be willing to do:

% of people surveyed per item.

3%Help plan a Union Social.

19%Attend a social event with my family.

8%Be a part of a new-employee welcoming committee.

33%Attend Union meetings.

39%Wear a Union button, hat or t-shirt on a solidarity day.

21%Attenda Union Rally.

2%Work onthe Union newsletter.

5%Send out mailings, updates files, etc., at the Union Hall.

8%Be part of a Union committee (media, Union benefits, political action, health and safety)

12% Hand out leaflets.

30%File a grievance or sign a group grievance.

27%Sign a petition that would be published in the newspaper.

2%Speak to a church or community group about our issues.

4%Become a steward.

7%Participate in a work-to-rule campaign.

Additional Comments.

1. I know a Union is only as strong as it’s members, so we need to find a way to accommodate the process schedule to get more participation from process.
2. Fix up a nice sign for our building.
3. Need our own local hats, shirts, buttons, etc.
4. I think I expected more strength from Pace. I am disappointed in that the company still considers us scum and treats us like such. I am beginning to wonder if we did the right thing by bringing in Pace.
5. Sick leave should be set by number of sick days, not incidents.
6. Lost interest years ago in the Union. Meetings seemed to be influenced by radical folks looking to pop off, and not conducive to orderly purposeful conclusion as I expected.
7. My immediate supervisors are as fair as possible and safety minded and treat us with respect. However I don’t think our plant managers, human resources people care one bit about us and our families.
8. Need better benefits for on the job disabling injuries.
9. Inform native Texans what the word solidarity means.
10. Some SWPT team meetings are scheduled the same time as our general membership meetings.
11. More surveys instead of more meetings.
12. Union only excepts opinions that agree with the most vocal members.
13. Establish good relationship with company to resolve issues. (listed 2 times)
14. Get rid of Pace. (listed 3 times).
15. I personally do not approve of Pace spending our money to publish a full-color glossy newsletter. This money could be better utilized here. Consider the cost of publisher, editor, paper, etc.
16. Would like to be informed more by stewards.
17. Lower dues. (listed 2 times).
18. Better dental insurance.
19. Pace has not had enough time to be really evaluated.
20. Stronger stewards means a stronger Union.
21. I don’t trust the Union leadership anymore that upper management, maybe less.
22. Overall I believe the Union has done a wonderful job. Not everything , but are doing a good job.
23. The Union didn’t do what the membership wanted so I dropped out.
24. Equal opportunity for sliders (OT) After all they are wage and represented by the Union.
25. Why do we not go for ISO certification?
26. People have to support the Union.
27. The company needs to train the first-lines better.
28. Honor the contract.
29. In the past the Union went by popular vote.
30. I had a bad letter put in my files that should not have been put there. Union did a bad job. (8 yrs ago)
31. I think the Union is out of touch with the mainstream of the represented workers