Questions and Answers

You asked I'll answer.  

Straightforward answers from Joe Neely for Local 290 members!

Do you support elected agents or appointed agents? 

Back in 2014, I co-sponsored a bylaw change for elected agents because I believe in member voice and accountability. Since then, I’ve worked under the appointed-agent model and have seen the practical side of it as well.

My focus is on accountability and making sure the structure works for a large and diverse Local. Most importantly, if the membership brings a bylaw change forward through the proper process and votes to approve it, I will respect and support that decision.

Do you support day school or night school for our apprenticeship program?

I believe day school is the right direction for our apprenticeship program long term. However, for day school to be successful, we need the leadership to make it happen, a curriculum that supports the model, and the financial resources to make it sustainable.

Until we have those things in place, I believe night school is the best option because it has worked for Local 290 and continues to move our apprentices forward.

My goal is an apprenticeship program we can afford that produces the best-trained apprentices possible.

Do you support appointed committees or voluntary/open committees 

I believe in member participation. The majority of our committees should be voluntary, rank-and-file based, open, and accessible to our membership.

There are committees, such as our trusts and the JATC, that have legal or governing requirements that need to be respected. But where our bylaws allow it, I want our members involved and I want to preserve the tradition of member participation in Local 290.

What is your position on apprentice hourly tuition and the 45¢ book fee.

If you're referring to the 45¢ an hour book fee, I think that's something we need to look at. If we are collecting money from apprentices for books, I believe any unused balance at the end of an apprentice's apprenticeship should go back to the apprentice.

I also believe we are all adults and should be held accountable for our decisions. That includes showing up to work and school on time, paying our union dues on time, and paying our school fees on time.

We just came out of a contract negotiation, all though you weren’t involved with committee meetings. I would like to know given what you saw and experienced this last go around, what would you have done differently? 

A critical first step will be surveying what the membership wants in our contract.  I will have our negoation committee open to the membership.  We will also need to reasearch well in advance the needs for our existing benefit funds projected over the duration of a contract ratification as well as the costs associated to any new benefits the membership might be calling for.  We can do a better job of reporting to the membership