MEETING MINUTES – April 9th, 2003

Minutes of the Regular Meeting of the Association held on Wednesday, April 9th, at the Renaissance Hotel in Asheville.  Should you have any questions, comments or corrections, please contact Bridget Downey, PHR, our Chapter Secretary.

Chapter Business:
The meeting was opened by President Lorraine Poe, SPHR.  To remind us that we are our own best resources, Lorraine asked members and guests to identify themselves and their organizations.

Bettina Hall expressed her thanks to everyone who responded to her job fair and sent job leads.  As a result, lots of former Simula employees were able to find employment.

The J. Crew call center is closing, leaving 120 available staff members.  Anyone with open positions is asked to contact Lisa Hart have their openings added to the job listings.

Lorraine directed members to the article in the Asheville Citizen-Times describing Bill Hart’s completion of the Appalachian Trail last summer.

Lisa Bollinger, of Great Smokies Diagnostic Lab won the TWIN (Tribute to Women in Industry) award for outstanding women in industry.

Frank Pomeroy introduced the vendor for the month, Kathy Haney, from the Montreat School of Professional and Adult Studies.  Joining Ms. Haney was Gary Harris, the director.  Ms. Haney would like to make a 15-minute appointment with each of our members to tell them about using Montreat as an option for their employees who are returning to school.  They offer accelerated programs to allow adults to work full time while also attending school full time.

There is one opening left in 2003 for vendors.  Interested parties should contact Frank Pomeroy at their earliest convenience.

The NC Incumbent Workforce Development Program has grants available to help businesses strengthen their profitability and competitiveness by providing their workers with the training necessary to increase productivity, wages and job security.  For more information and/or an application form, call Phil Monk at 828-2500-4760 or visit http://www.nccommerce.com/workforce/.

The May issue of the newsletter is being completed.  Members with submissions are asked to send them to:

·        Carol Rovello - What's Happening (events not sponsored by the WNC HRA)

·        Lisa Claxton - Legislative Update, General Interest, Advertisements

·        Terry Clark - Member News

·        Batina Smith - Career Connections

Holly Waltemayer announced that the Student SHRM Chapter has been holding monthly programs at different businesses. 

The WNC Human Resources Association now has 104 members.

·        There is a proposal to change the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) test for exempt personnel.  The proposal can be found on the national SHRM web site at www.shrm.org.

·        The NC Workplace Violence bill is available for review and comment.

Members can comment on national issues at the SHRM web site and NC issues by contacting Charles Taylor, Elizabeth Dole, or John Edwards.  Lorraine pointed out that North Carolina SHRM members have been very active in responding to federal issues.

The SPHR and PHR certification exams are coming up in May.  We hope for the best for all of our colleagues who have worked so hard to prepare.

Program Highlights:

The WNC Human Resources Association was pleased to present Tim Greaves of Haynsworth Baldwin, Johnson & Greaves, LLC, who spoke to the group about the recent Freightliner union decision.  A major factor in the outcome was the Neutrality Agreement that Freightliner signed.  They agreed not to comment on union activity except to correct inaccurate information.  That left the union organizers free to do extensive marketing, while Freightliner was forced to remain silent.

Mr. Greaves presented a wealth of information on union activity including:

·        Tips for remaining union-free

·     Surprising statistics on the effectiveness of union campaigns

·        Prevalence of pro-union loyalty in European countries

·        2 No-Union Websites:

o       High Point/Thomasville – www.nounionatthomas.com

o       Gaffney – www.unionfreeat fccc.org

·        Concessions the "Big 3 Automakers" are requiring as a condition for
suppliers to keep their business

·        Increasing sophistication of union marketing efforts.

For additional information, Tim Greaves can be contacted at 864-271-7410 or you may visit the Haynsworth Baldwin Johnson & Greaves LLC web site at http://www.haynsworth.com/index.php

Special Note:  Attorney Thomas G. Greaves, III, or "Tim" to his friends, began studying art in 1994 and has participated in workshops with many well-known artists.  Today, when he is not practicing law at Haynsworth Baldwin Johnson & Greaves, Tim finds time to paint portraits, landscapes, and whatever else strikes his fancy.  His paintings are primarily owned by private collectors and can be found at Antiques Associates (Telephone: 864.235.3503), Richard James Galleries in Charleston, South Carolina, Southern Estates Antiques (Telephone: 864.299.8981) in Greenville, South Carolina, and through Irene Morrah (Telephone: 864.242.4166).

With no further business, the meeting was adjourned.