Pictured left to right, IAM District 837 Assistant Directing Business Representative Chris Albin, member Ken Kellogg, retired Directing Business Representative Steve McDerman, current Directing Business Representative Earl Schuessler, Secretary-Treasurer Dewitt Darity and Business Representative John Fitts.
A member of IAM District 837’s wallet is $150,000 heavier after losing his job at Boeing’s St. Louis facility last year.
IAM District 837 helped Ken Kellogg win $150,000 in back pay after Kellogg was wrongfully terminated for allegedly violating company policy. An arbitrator recently ruled that Boeing issued a corporate-wide policy change, but failed to negotiate the change with the union.
In his scathing report, the arbitrator also ruled that Boeing violated the union’s non-discrimination clause as outlined in the collective bargaining agreement.
“This is what a strong IAM contract is about – justice and fairness on the job,” said IAM District 837 Directing Business Representative Earl Schuessler. “I want to congratulate Ken Kellogg, who stood his ground and did a great job in helping the union present his case. I also want to commend retired IAM District 837 Directing Business Representative Steve McDerman, who was the lead on this case, supported by myself and Business Representative John Fitts who was the Boeing Plant Chairman at the time the grievance was written.
“We in the IAM pride ourselves in the service we provide to our members and this is another great example of why it doesn’t cost to be union – it pays to be union.”
“Congratulations to Ken Kellogg and the entire IAM District 837 membership at Boeing,” said IAM Midwest Territory General Vice President Steve Galloway. “Contract enforcement is one of the most important jobs the union performs. This decision not only reaffirms the strength and importance of having a union contract, it also sends a strong message to management officials who try to bypass the collective bargaining process. Another great example of IAM dues dollars hard at work.”
Kellogg has been a member of IAM District 837 since April 2010.
