Union Completes Negotiations for Internal CNC Training Program at GE – Vote at March 21 Membership Meeting

For months we have been negotiating with the Company around the return of the CNC Training Program after the COVID hiatus.  The bargaining committee and the Local 201 Policy Board have reached a Tentative Agreement (TA) with GE, and unanimously recommend the TA to the membership. The full text of the TA is linked the bottom of this summary. At the March 21st membership meeting we will vote on whether or not to ratify the agreement. Let’s vote yes to start this program.

If ratified the company will post 12 training positions shortly afterward. The program takes place during first shift. The program is open to all members currently at the R/M 17 rate. R /M-16 rate and below are also eligible, but will need to have successfully completed the Internal Blueprint Reading and Shop math class, or have successfully graduated from a vocational high school or a machinist training program (E-Team, Nighthawks, etc).  If you are on a rate 17 or lower, with no GE machine experience, and haven’t had 6 months outside experience running a machine, this is your path to upgrading into the machining job family (the other way is to upgrade to punch press – which you can upgrade laterally to from other R/M-17 positions). You must first pass an assessment, then the training roles will be filled with eligible candidates by seniority. 

The entrance assessment asks a range of questions from easy to difficult, in four sections which are averaged together for a final score.  The Company finally agreed to lower the passing grade a bit and to drop the lowest of the four scores when they average the final grade. If you want to study up beforehand, there are great shop math, blueprint, and machining courses available from the website www.ToolingU.com.  Free trial here: https://learn.toolingu.com/free-trial. 

The program will run for 22 weeks. If you are planning a long vacation the course may not be for you; it's already a lot to pack in over 22 weeks. For the first 4 weeks of the program, you will hold onto your previous job, shift, and pay rate.  If you ask off, or fail the 4 week assessment, you’ll land right back where you came from.  If you continue in the program after 4 weeks, you will be paid at R/M-19 for the remainder of the training program – and failure to complete the program after 4 weeks will mean you will be moved into an open job, for which you are qualified, which has already exhausted the upgrade system.  While in the training program you will not be eligible for overtime.  

There is now a “Co-Op” element where trainees will spend the last 4 weeks on the floor shadowing a trainer (R/M-19 Machinist selected by seniority on a volunteer basis) that will get paid working lead rate while training. You can only train one person at a time. These trainers will be responsible for getting trainees over the last hump, so it's important for the groups best trainers to volunteer. 

In week 21 your final assessment will be to successfully complete an “exhibit A” on a part, then you will be offered a R/M-19 machine job family position, which you may not decline.  The jobs will be bid by seniority and could be for any shift.  If you need to stay on a particular shift, the training may not be for you. 

This program is a great opportunity to get more qualifications for upgrading for our members – more money, stronger job security.  On the job training, while getting paid, to get after higher rates. It’s a win-win for everyone, and the board recommends voting yes on March 21st at the membership meeting to kickoff the new and improved Internal CNC Training program. 

↓ CLICK BELOW TO VIEW THE AGREEMENT ↓