MEETING MINUTES - June 12, 2002

Minutes of the Regular Meeting of the Association held on Wednesday, June 12, 2002, at the Best Western on Smokey Park Highway.  Should you have any questions, comments or corrections, please contact Bridget Downey, PHR, our Chapter Secretary .

BUSINESS MEETING: 
Meeting opened by President Terry Clark, SPHR.  

Featured Vendor:
Frank Pomeroy introduced himself on behalf of his company, Comforce Staffing Services.  In his 24 years with Comforce, Frank has seen major changes in the employment field.  Copies of a recent article from Kiplinger Magazine were available for members.  In this article, some of the predicted staffing challenges for the next 5-10 years are explored, pinpointing employment shortage areas.

Comforce specializes in medical office, accounting, general office and clinical laboratory support.  Because HR professionals are now spending more time processing staff to ensure organizational fit, Comforce offers a number of employment tools, including validated skills assessment and validated behavioral and personality profiles.  They also conduct a full battery of employee pre-screenings.

Chapter Business: 
Terry Clark presented past Chapter President Rick Cupp 2001 Superior Merit Award from SHRM.  The chapter also received a banner in recognition of this award.

June Program Presentation: 
Susan Thompson, Programs Chairperson, introduced Kay Manley from the A-B Technical Community College HRD Program.  Kay provided information on classes being offered for transitional workers including, How to Get the Job You Want, Aspire, and Career View.  These classes primarily target people with few computer skills, and are also offered in Spanish.

Susan Thompson next introduced chapter member Ryan Pickins from the Center for Meaningful Work in Black Mountain.  The major objective of Ryan’s presentation on Authentic Communication was to demonstrate how an increased understanding of the way our minds work can help us communicate more authentically and effectively. 

Legal/Diversity Update:
Kris McVey reported on a recent Supreme Court decision in a case involving Chevron Oil.  After a pre-employment physical for a permanent position revealed liver damage caused by Hepatitis C, Chevron terminated the services of a temporary worker.  The stated reason was that the toxic environment in the plant could cause further damage to the worker.  The EEOC had agreed with the dismissal because the worker could be harmed by remaining at the plant.  The appeal stated that the EEOC had overstepped its rule-making authority, but the higher court upheld the EEOC’s decision.  Kris McVey cautioned members that decisions are made on a case-by-case basis depending on the individual circumstances.  This court decision doesn’t diminish HR’s obligation to thoroughly assess each situation and have concrete evidence when making employment decisions.

Chapter Announcements:
Terry Clark welcomed new members and guests and opened the floor for announcements. 

George May announced the NC State BBQ Championship in Tryon, sponsored by the Polk County Chamber of Commerce.  This event also features music and crafts and will be held on Friday June 14 and Saturday June 15.

Rachel Smith of Karpen Steel had a very positive experience with training provided by the NC Industrial Extension in cooperation with A-B Tech’s Focused Industrial Training.  The topic was Value Stream Mapping.  Rachel described the training as effective and reasonably priced.

Frank Pomeroy reminded members that there are still vendor spaces available for the September 26 workshop.  Any member’s organization is eligible for participation.

LeAnn McGraw from Chimney Rock Park announced that they would be hosting the Mountain Music Festival June 15 – 22.

With no further business, the meeting was adjourned.