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Metal Trades Patriots to Overhaul US Naval Hospital Ship Mercy

 Metal Trades workers at Vigor Marine in Portland will perform a complete overhaul on the USNS Ship Mercy

Single Point of Contact Model Making a Difference at Vigor

Benjamin Heurung, MTD West Coast General Rep.

The Single Point of Contact model of representation is a negotiated and vital component to the administration of the Metal Trades Department Master Agreement that serves multi craft Metal Trades Councils within Vigor Industrial LLC. It serves as the conduit that unites multiple Vigor Industrial  collective bargaining agreements that exist between the company and the Puget Sound and Portland Metal Trades Councils.

As the West Coast General Representative, I presently serve as the current Single Point of Contact between the employer, local councils and affiliated local unions. It is my goal to fully define the role through the prioritization of establishing a clear line of communication that ensures a free and concise flow of information between bargaining unit partners. This collectively bargained representative position ensures that the employer provide the council and its local affiliates with timely, accurate records of their members and all pertinent information necessary to conduct and coordinate every aspect of representation and effective labor relations. Included but not limited to this task of the Single Point of Contact is the facilitation of negotiations, grievances, arbitrations and the weekly data necessary for the council and its affiliates to monitor and plan its representational activities. Those activities include the recording of new hires, sub-contractors, terminations, layoffs, personal information changes, leave of absences, wage changes, promotions and on call lists. The Single Point of Contact is responsible for certifying with the company that all locals working within the jurisdiction of the two councils, receive their dues and trust payments in a timely fashion along with audited reports and accurate membership / bargaining unit employee counts.

In its role as a quasi-ombudsman between labor and management, the Single Point of Contact is a viable vehicle that provides stewards, local council representatives and management with an unfettered and bureaucracy free bridge to one another, enabling and promoting effective labor and management relations through communications.

As the the Single Point of Contact representation model and its sphere of influence evolves throughout the Metal Trades universe, the department looks forward to its local councils fostering strong and productive relationships with our industry partners, working together to efficiently advance joint efforts that positively and productively affect the performance of all company employees from metal trades members on the deck plate to the company administrative personnel in the office. #MTDProud

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