Picket Duty
Strike Operating Procedure #2
Picket Duty
Picketers should bring a photo I.D. and the Union Strike Card
with them each time they report for duty.
Picket Duty is the most labor-intensive section of Strike
Activities. Pickets are used to advise the public that a labor dispute
exists, discourages SCABS and strikebreakers and show the Company that
you are serious with your grievance against them.
Picket Duty Assignment shall be four hours in duration one day
each week.
Assignments are made based on first-come first-served basis. If
the requested duty slot is filled, the member will be assigned another
slot. Members who did not turn in requests will be randomly assigned.
Assignments are the right and responsibility of the District.
Members are required to work their assignment in order to
receive strike benefits from the International or District.
Picketers will be assigned a day, time, and gate to walk picket
duty. Picketers are required to be at the District Hall a minimum of 15
minutes before their duty starts in order to check-in and load the
vehicle before the departure time for the shift.
Picketers are working for the Strike Captain of their shift or
his/her designee and will attempt to comply with all reasonable requests
made by those authorities.
Picketers must be sober and of good judgment before reporting
for duty and during their duty.
Illegal activities are just that: illegal! Picket duty does not
give you permission to break any local, state or federal laws and
statutes.
No alcohol or illegal drug use will be allowed on the picket
line or be consumed while on any District activity.
Picketers walking the line will use no threatening language or
actions. Violence will not be tolerated.
Picketers will not forcibly block any entrance nor prohibit,
coerce, or restrain employees from entering the GKN facilities where
they are picketing.
Picketers will stay off of GKN property and walk in the defined
areas. (Last strike the local Police authorities helped determine where
to walk in high traffic areas that protected our members while ensuring
their right to picket was not violated.)
Picketers will attempt to collect the license plate and identity
of suspected SCABS crossing their line (preferably with a witness on the
line with them). This will be reported to the Security or Strike Captain
in a reasonable time.
Picketers will comply with all local Police authorities while on
the line. This includes city, county, and state officers on patrol or on
station in the area (This does not include the private GOON PLATOON
hired by GKN to intimidate our members! They do not have authority over
you as long as you do not go onto GKN property.)
Picketers will not carry (concealed or un-concealed) firearms on
the Picket Line.
Picketers will have their Union Strike Card stamped upon
completion of their duties (as they get off the vehicle on return.) This
will ensure that proper payment is made in the subsequent week for their
duties.
Picketers will be able to pick up their International and
District checks at the Hall on the days and times approved by the
International (Currently planned to be Tuesday and Thursday between 8AM
and 5PM.) Payments will begin in the third week of the strike.
Picketers must remember that they are the FACE of the STRIKE to
the community. St. Louis Union members enjoy a good relationship with
the community because of the professional manner in which they air their
grievances against local companies.
Picketers with a hardship that prohibits them from working an
assigned shift must contact Ken Krolik or Thomas Pinski for another
assignment. District Business Representatives will have the final
authority in determining any disputes in assignment.
Picketers must walk the assigned shift for the first two weeks
of the strike. If another assignment is desired, the Picketer must find
someone on their desired shift to agree to a swap and both parties must
complete and sign the request form for change of assignment. A list of
all current assignments will be available in the Hall. Phone numbers or
addresses will not be posted for confidentiality reasons. No changes
will take place until a Strike Committeeperson has notified the parties
that the change is approved.
Picketers must walk at the gate they are assigned to. Refusal to
get off the vehicle at the assigned gate will forfeit the Picketers
right to strike payment, as they are not fulfilling their assigned
duties.
Strike Captains and vehicle drivers may make last minute
temporary changes to gate assignments to ensure primary gates are
staffed and no Picketer is left out of visual range of another member.