Lynn Sherman
Chief Steward GCMS

As of 5-8-06 Ameren plans to reduce our GCMS workforce to a level far below what we currently have. They say this reduction is needed due to the protracted time between Major Unit Outages on their new long range outage schedule. They want to reduce all our electricians and non-certified repairmen while keeping only 18 certified repairmen and 18 machinists. This amounts to approximately 100 positions on GCMS being lost. Those that are reduced will be returned to their home plants and may face additional cuts at the plant level. All the specifics have yet to be determined. What is known is this; Ameren’s plan is to have all future Major Unit Overhauls in all four fossil plants in Missouri handled by outside contractors. I find it interesting that at the Newton Power Plant in Illinois, at the time of this writing, the company is way behind on that outage schedule because of the lack of available, qualified contractors to do the job! As a stockholder I find it very distressing to see my company staking the future of its power plants on a labor force that they have absolutely no control over while at the same time reducing the most qualified, flexible group of skilled men and women that they have ever had at their disposal!

I’m not sure what the future will hold for all of us in Local 148 but one thing I am certain about; we all are in this together and together we will get through it.

UPDATE 5-11-01:

Per my conversation with Don Giljum last night, it seems we have come to an understanding with the company as to how the GCMS reduction will take place. I hesitate to use the word "agreement" because even though the company has agreed to modify the contract language that addresses demotions, at our request, we still don't agree with some of the provisions and will grieve specific issues involved with the reduction and have informed the company of our intention to do so.

Here is where we stand;
Prior to any reduction canvass being made, all plant/GCMS apprentices will be up-graded to full journeyman status. (Although we were not given an exact date, I anticipate this to be very soon) A seniority canvass will then be made of the Machinists and Certified Repairmen to identify who will stay on GCMS. Those who choose to leave GCMS or those who are forced off GCMS will return to their home plant in their respective classifications and will continue to accrue Dorsett seniority until such time as they refuse an opportunity to return to GCMS.

All Electricians and Non-Certified Repairmen will be reduced back to their home plants in their respective classifications. All non-certified repairmen will, once they are back at their home plant, be offered an opportunity to certify. Should they pass the certification tests (F-4, F-5, and F-43) and elect to return to GCMS, they will be allowed to do so and bump a junior certified repairman off GCMS.

All current vacation picks will be honored by the plants of those who are reduced. The Union has not in any way waived its rights to grieve any of the above issues and in fact we will be doing just that. We have informed the company of our intent to grieve the fact that the certified repairmen and non-certified repairmen have been separated for purposes of this reduction as well as grieve for our rights under Article 2; Section 2 of the Current Labor Agreement. This reduction will not affect the current Callaway summer project. Any people identified as being reduced that have accepted the Callaway assignment, will be reduced after that project is completed.