Sept. 30, 2010 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
From President Dan Howell: Local 2250 is hosting a canvass drive for U.S. Senate candidate Robyn Carnahan Saturday, Oct. 2 at 235 Jungermann Road. Robyn and her field director Tim Ryan will be there to brief us and give us areas to work. We ask everyone to show up about 9:30 am. We will only need about 2-3 hours of your time. Our target area, St. Charles County, also falls within Ken Bierman’s district. Ken currently holds a State House seat. If you have any questions or if you want to volunteer call Mike Melson at 314-808-0793.
From Bloomberg: Ford Motor Co. will seek to negotiate United Auto Workers union labor rates that match those of U.S. rivals General Motors Co. and Chrysler Group LLC, Chief Financial Officer Lewis Booth said. “On negotiations next year, we expect to stay competitive,” Booth said today at a conference in Paris. “The UAW leadership recognizes the need to keep us competitive with our domestic competitors.” Ford workers last year rejected concessions, including a ban on some strikes until 2015, that workers at GM and Chrysler accepted in advance of their bankruptcies. Ford workers agreed to concessions in March 2009 that included forgoing bonuses and cost-of-living raises. Ford said those givebacks cut its labor costs by $500 million a year.
Hyundai is recalling nearly 140,000 2011 Sonata sedans to fix a steering defect that is described by the NHTSA: "On some of these vehicles the steering column intermediate shaft universal joint connections may have been either improperly assembled or insufficiently tightened." This comes on the heels of an announcement in August by NHTSA of an investigation of the Kia Soul for loose or decoupling steering columns (Kia is part of the Hyundai automotive group)
Part 3 of Bob King interview on back:
Q: If you paid a visit tomorrow to the BMW plant in (South Carolina) and you got an opportunity to get two minutes with workers to tell them why they should join the UAW, what's the pitch?
A: I think the pitch is look at the success at Ford. Look at the success at General Motors. We are building the highest quality; we're building with the greatest productivity, and we are doing it because of membership involvement. We have a real voice. Members in Chicago felt secure to really fight against their immediate management, saying you're screwing this up on quality. Somebody in the BMW plant, I don't think, would have the security to do that.
I think that ... if it wasn't for the UAW, I don't think government would have intervened at Ford, General Motors and Chrysler.
The Department of Energy loans -- that was originally a UAW idea. Nissan benefited, a lot of other people benefited, but that was a UAW idea.
Q: It is pretty clear that the car companies have an ally in the White House. ... But I wonder if from your perspective, it looks quite the same. Do you have the partner you need in Washington?
A: We never have had somebody who is as sensitive or caring about ... working people as much as President Obama is. But he certainly does not agree to do everything labor wants.
Q: Are the people who tell me that the Democratic Party and the labor movement are going to shift most of their resources to the Supreme Court elections, if Virg Bernero doesn't close a lot of distance in the next couple of weeks, misinformed?
A: I'm not in that camp. I'm sure there are people who feel that way. ... I really believe that we can win.
There is nobody in Michigan or Ohio, in my mind, that shouldn't be voting for President Obama and the Democrats. Our two states would be dead if he hadn't saved the industry. And I believe that you don't give up because it's tough or because you're behind. You keep fighting and pushing, and we can come back.
Q: You have a lot of anger and frustration in your own rank-and-file and ... you had a little bit of that blowback when you tried at Ford to get the same deal that GM and Chrysler had agreed to. How tough is it going to be to sell to the rank-and-file who may want a return to what they had a little faster than what you feel you can give it to them?
A: When you get into 2011 bargaining, there will be a lot more at stake. I'm very confident in our local leaders and our members. Given the facts, they will make the right decisions.
I think the biggest (part at Ford) was the (no) strike clause, not understanding why was it necessary to do the no-strike clause. And No. 2 was Alan Mulally's bonuses. They killed us. ...I meant to give this to Alan. In my car I have this block a member made in the plant. It's a big wooden block and it's got a million-dollar bill and Alan's picture on it. I'm fine where I'm at. You remember when he said that? And at the end it has this huge screw. UAW members getting screwed.
They felt the injustice of it. And it wasn't right. ...
To Alan's credit he took a $600,000 pay cut. He more than made up for it with stock options but that was a board decision too. It wasn't his decision. And I think there is a real problem in the United States, a philosophical and political viewpoint. Shareholders should have a voice in this. Shareholders don't have any voice in setting executive salaries. And I think that is wrong. So I guess that is a multipronged approach.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
State of the Union September 28, 2010
Sept. 28, 2010 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
From Chairman Mike Bullock: A Policy grievance has been written by the Union for all employees concerning management’s decision to run line time longer than 11.0 hours.
From Community Services: The Make-A-Wish event last Thursday exceeded everyone’s expectations, especially the family. The generosity and genuine affection of this workforce was apparent to everyone who was involved and comments like “overwhelming” and “unbelievable” were heard at every stop along the way. There are too many people to thank to list here but you need to know that you have touched people’s lives in a way that they will never forget. Be proud of yourselves. You have set a new standard for Make-A-Wish events.(for the record, the gifts filled the family’s Dodge Durango and a Chevy Suburban)
Part two of Detroit Free Press interview with UAW President Bob King :
Q: Paint a picture of what bargaining does look like if pattern bargaining is reduced.
A: Between Ford and General Motors and Chrysler, you do have to keep fairness. ... Overall, we are not going to put one company at a disadvantage to the other companies. That wouldn't be right. That wouldn't be fair. What we don't have the ability to do right now is to make sure that that pattern stays throughout the whole industry.
Q: Across most of America, when you say 'UAW' you conjure a lot of negatives. I wonder if you could paint a picture of how you would like to see the union thought of.
A: I want to create and build all of the documentation in the world that (shows) ... if they are a UAW employee, you know that you are going to get the best quality possible ... that is, long-term, what will give us the greatest security and the greatest stability to get good contracts and good wages and benefits for our membership? ...
So the people attack the labor movement and say we are holding competitiveness back -- I don't think that is accurate. ...I would say to those folks, why are you recommending continuing hundred-thousand-dollar tax breaks to people making millions a year and not putting the money into the infrastructure? It's wrong.
Q: You are working a little bit in Mexico with the labor unions at the (Johnson Controls) plant there, so I was wondering if you would talk a little about that and how much resources the UAW has to dedicate to your big dream of global economic justice?
A: We will be doing more internationally. We are in some exciting planning now about, how do we do that? We will be rolling that out hopefully in the next 30 days.
We are setting up some meetings ...with people who have spent a lot of time in China ... I'm afraid the labor effort could get crushed if there is not outside support.
Q: A year after the government rescue and the bankruptcies, walk us through your verdict.
A: I'm very appreciative of President Obama and the Democratic leadership. It was not the politically popular thing to do. ... He invested in American companies and American workers. And that investment is paying off.
I don't know how you ever recoup the loss to the communities, the families, all of the jobs that we lost ... The way you learn from that is you make sure you don't get back into the same box or the same downward cycle ... The challenge is to make sure that as volumes increase, as new capacity is needed, it is built in the U.S. -- not other places.
Q: For UAW membership today, is job security the trump issue?
A: I think clearly that is the biggest thing. ...Job security, getting investment in our facilities, pushing forward on the newest technology -- all of those things are important.
From Chairman Mike Bullock: A Policy grievance has been written by the Union for all employees concerning management’s decision to run line time longer than 11.0 hours.
From Community Services: The Make-A-Wish event last Thursday exceeded everyone’s expectations, especially the family. The generosity and genuine affection of this workforce was apparent to everyone who was involved and comments like “overwhelming” and “unbelievable” were heard at every stop along the way. There are too many people to thank to list here but you need to know that you have touched people’s lives in a way that they will never forget. Be proud of yourselves. You have set a new standard for Make-A-Wish events.(for the record, the gifts filled the family’s Dodge Durango and a Chevy Suburban)
Part two of Detroit Free Press interview with UAW President Bob King :
Q: Paint a picture of what bargaining does look like if pattern bargaining is reduced.
A: Between Ford and General Motors and Chrysler, you do have to keep fairness. ... Overall, we are not going to put one company at a disadvantage to the other companies. That wouldn't be right. That wouldn't be fair. What we don't have the ability to do right now is to make sure that that pattern stays throughout the whole industry.
Q: Across most of America, when you say 'UAW' you conjure a lot of negatives. I wonder if you could paint a picture of how you would like to see the union thought of.
A: I want to create and build all of the documentation in the world that (shows) ... if they are a UAW employee, you know that you are going to get the best quality possible ... that is, long-term, what will give us the greatest security and the greatest stability to get good contracts and good wages and benefits for our membership? ...
So the people attack the labor movement and say we are holding competitiveness back -- I don't think that is accurate. ...I would say to those folks, why are you recommending continuing hundred-thousand-dollar tax breaks to people making millions a year and not putting the money into the infrastructure? It's wrong.
Q: You are working a little bit in Mexico with the labor unions at the (Johnson Controls) plant there, so I was wondering if you would talk a little about that and how much resources the UAW has to dedicate to your big dream of global economic justice?
A: We will be doing more internationally. We are in some exciting planning now about, how do we do that? We will be rolling that out hopefully in the next 30 days.
We are setting up some meetings ...with people who have spent a lot of time in China ... I'm afraid the labor effort could get crushed if there is not outside support.
Q: A year after the government rescue and the bankruptcies, walk us through your verdict.
A: I'm very appreciative of President Obama and the Democratic leadership. It was not the politically popular thing to do. ... He invested in American companies and American workers. And that investment is paying off.
I don't know how you ever recoup the loss to the communities, the families, all of the jobs that we lost ... The way you learn from that is you make sure you don't get back into the same box or the same downward cycle ... The challenge is to make sure that as volumes increase, as new capacity is needed, it is built in the U.S. -- not other places.
Q: For UAW membership today, is job security the trump issue?
A: I think clearly that is the biggest thing. ...Job security, getting investment in our facilities, pushing forward on the newest technology -- all of those things are important.
Monday, September 27, 2010
State of the Union September 27, 2010
Sept. 27, 2010 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
From the Wall Street Journal: The U.S. government needs to sell all its stock in General Motors Co. at an average price of $133.78 a share to fully recoup the $49.5 billion it spent to rescue the auto maker, according to the Obama administration official overseeing the Troubled Asset Relief Program. GM was reorganized in bankruptcy court last year with the help of $49.5 billion in U.S. aid. GM has paid back $6.7 billion in cash and $2.1 billion was converted to preferred shares. An additional $1 billion went to help wind down so-called old GM. The remaining $39.7 billion has been converted into a 61% stake in the car maker. The stake amounts to 304 million GM shares. (With a 17.5% stake, the UAW health care trust fund would be worth $11.7 billion if it was sold for that average price)
From Businessweek: General Motors Co. has cut costs and improved its products so much that an analyst expects it to be "printing money" when vehicle sales return to normal in the next few years. Morningstar analyst David Whiston, in a note to investors Monday, wrote that GM's initial public stock offering, which is likely to occur in November, could be a good investment. He set a preliminary fair value of the shares at $134 each. Whiston wrote that GM finally has healthy North American operations, and saved about $3 billion a year alone when it shifted retiree health care costs to a United Auto Workers union trust fund. The company can break even before taxes even if U.S. vehicle sales slump to 10.5 to 11 million vehicles, he wrote. So far this year sales are running around 11.5 million. "We think the normative demand for U.S. light vehicles is about 16 million-17 million units, so we expect GM to be printing money as vehicle demand comes back over the next few years," he wrote.
Part one of Detroit Free Press interview with UAW President Bob King
Bob King discusses challenges in a wide-ranging interview with Free Press editors and reporters. The following is an edited account of the discussion.
QUESTION: You would think, given the things going on, and the sacrifices that workers are asked to make over and over, that this would be labor's time. ... And yet it seems like maybe the opposite is true, that labor is struggling to sort of keep traction. What's your take on that?
A: Well, I think when you are 7% of the private sector, you don't have anywhere near the clout or the leverage to win workers the fairness that they deserve.
So, I think a huge responsibility of the UAW, and every union, is to have aggressive, comprehensive strategies to organize.
Q: Do you see opportunities to expand labor's footprint?
A: Definitely. ... This is a UAW that understands the importance of global competitiveness. It is a UAW that went through this horrendous period of contraction in the industry because both labor and management had it wrong. Now I think we have it right.
Q: Was it necessary to have the near-death experience for the Detroit auto industry to get to that sort of mutual agreement around these goals?
A: Well, I think people were moving there, but I think it certainly speeded it up. It's a pretty sad statement to have to lose as many members as we did and the companies had to close as many plants as they did. But ... I'm excited that we have this foundation now. We have the ability to grow market share and grow volume and put a lot of people back to work.
Q: You've said on a couple of occasions that workers who have sacrificed a lot through the collapse of the auto industry should gain as things recover. What does that mean?
A: It's gaining financially. How we do that is an open question. ... And I think there is a pretty broad understanding that we can't bargain agreements that make the companies long-term uncompetitive. We don't want to get back into the spiral that we just got out of. ...
We have to figure a path that really gives our membership ... their fair share of the upside. ... I think our members made these huge sacrifices. I want to see when the upside is shared, it is shared on some proportionate basis.
Q: Are we at the point yet where we are getting to the upside, or are there probably some more concessions that people will have to make?
A: I don't see any more concessions in this round of bargaining. My view of the world, American manufacturing talks about being globally competitive. We buy into that, and yet American CEOs are not globally competitive. They are paid outlandishly more than anybody else in the rest of the world. So that has to be addressed.
From the Wall Street Journal: The U.S. government needs to sell all its stock in General Motors Co. at an average price of $133.78 a share to fully recoup the $49.5 billion it spent to rescue the auto maker, according to the Obama administration official overseeing the Troubled Asset Relief Program. GM was reorganized in bankruptcy court last year with the help of $49.5 billion in U.S. aid. GM has paid back $6.7 billion in cash and $2.1 billion was converted to preferred shares. An additional $1 billion went to help wind down so-called old GM. The remaining $39.7 billion has been converted into a 61% stake in the car maker. The stake amounts to 304 million GM shares. (With a 17.5% stake, the UAW health care trust fund would be worth $11.7 billion if it was sold for that average price)
From Businessweek: General Motors Co. has cut costs and improved its products so much that an analyst expects it to be "printing money" when vehicle sales return to normal in the next few years. Morningstar analyst David Whiston, in a note to investors Monday, wrote that GM's initial public stock offering, which is likely to occur in November, could be a good investment. He set a preliminary fair value of the shares at $134 each. Whiston wrote that GM finally has healthy North American operations, and saved about $3 billion a year alone when it shifted retiree health care costs to a United Auto Workers union trust fund. The company can break even before taxes even if U.S. vehicle sales slump to 10.5 to 11 million vehicles, he wrote. So far this year sales are running around 11.5 million. "We think the normative demand for U.S. light vehicles is about 16 million-17 million units, so we expect GM to be printing money as vehicle demand comes back over the next few years," he wrote.
Part one of Detroit Free Press interview with UAW President Bob King
Bob King discusses challenges in a wide-ranging interview with Free Press editors and reporters. The following is an edited account of the discussion.
QUESTION: You would think, given the things going on, and the sacrifices that workers are asked to make over and over, that this would be labor's time. ... And yet it seems like maybe the opposite is true, that labor is struggling to sort of keep traction. What's your take on that?
A: Well, I think when you are 7% of the private sector, you don't have anywhere near the clout or the leverage to win workers the fairness that they deserve.
So, I think a huge responsibility of the UAW, and every union, is to have aggressive, comprehensive strategies to organize.
Q: Do you see opportunities to expand labor's footprint?
A: Definitely. ... This is a UAW that understands the importance of global competitiveness. It is a UAW that went through this horrendous period of contraction in the industry because both labor and management had it wrong. Now I think we have it right.
Q: Was it necessary to have the near-death experience for the Detroit auto industry to get to that sort of mutual agreement around these goals?
A: Well, I think people were moving there, but I think it certainly speeded it up. It's a pretty sad statement to have to lose as many members as we did and the companies had to close as many plants as they did. But ... I'm excited that we have this foundation now. We have the ability to grow market share and grow volume and put a lot of people back to work.
Q: You've said on a couple of occasions that workers who have sacrificed a lot through the collapse of the auto industry should gain as things recover. What does that mean?
A: It's gaining financially. How we do that is an open question. ... And I think there is a pretty broad understanding that we can't bargain agreements that make the companies long-term uncompetitive. We don't want to get back into the spiral that we just got out of. ...
We have to figure a path that really gives our membership ... their fair share of the upside. ... I think our members made these huge sacrifices. I want to see when the upside is shared, it is shared on some proportionate basis.
Q: Are we at the point yet where we are getting to the upside, or are there probably some more concessions that people will have to make?
A: I don't see any more concessions in this round of bargaining. My view of the world, American manufacturing talks about being globally competitive. We buy into that, and yet American CEOs are not globally competitive. They are paid outlandishly more than anybody else in the rest of the world. So that has to be addressed.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
State of the Union September 22, 2010
Sept. 22, 2010 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
From Chairman Mike Bullock: During his visit last week, which went very well, our new Manufacturing Manager Jim Glynn made a statement that was reiterated in yesterday’s diagonal slice meeting by John Dansby: As long as GM builds a van he sees no reason for it to be built anywhere else but here.
From the Chaplaincy Committee: “See you at the Pole” will be today after first shift at the flagpoles in the front of the plant. This will be to commemorate Global Day of Student Prayer. The tour holding room doors will be open for your convenience.
The reception for our Make-A-Wish family will be tomorrow at lunch timein the tour holding room. Come up, hopefully clad in a colorful Hawaiian shirt, and help brighten their day. The plant tour will begin at 11 am and you can check out the tour route in the cafeteria.
From Automotive News: The UAW will aim to ensure that its members share in General Motors Co., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler Group LLC profits in contract talks next year, President Bob King said on Monday. The union wants the workers to share in the turnarounds at the U.S. automakers in a way that does not put the companies "back in a cycle of uncompetitiveness" that left them struggling in recent years, King said. "There are a number of different approaches" to achieve that, including "flexible compensation, whether it is profit-sharing (or) gain-sharing," King said in an interview with Reuters. King also said the union was open to foreign investors buying into a GM IPO and expects GM and Chrysler to be able to repay U.S. taxpayer funding that supported their restructurings. "Our ultimate criteria is how do we make General Motors most successful, not where investors come from," King said.
Former Auto Task Force head Steve Rattner has published a book about his experience in dealing with the GM and Chrysler restructurings. This is from an interview with Jonathan Cohn:
JC: Let’s talk about the unions for a second. There are a lot of people who think that the unions are substantially if not primarily responsible for the problems at the Big Three. Obviously management had to be collaborating in this, but, as the argument goes, unions basically bargained for and secured packages that in today’s economy are just not competitive. And it wasn’t just the compensation, it was also the rigid work rules specifying who could do what, which made the factories really inflexible. I know you’re familiar with all of that. Talk for a second about your perception of the role the unions played in the problems the Big Three had, and then tell me a little bit about your experience dealing with them.
SR: The unions were not the major reason why GM and Chrysler got into the position they got into. There are certainly issues around the labor situation, which I’ll discuss in a second, but to lay this all at the feet of the UAW, which I know some management teams have tried to do, is simply not fair. I’ll give you two data points. First, labor only accounts for only about 7 percent of the cost of a car. So, if you cut that to 6 percent, you’re going to make a bit more money, but this is not the biggest expense that an automaker has.
The second thing I would point out to you is that Ford was playing with exactly the same deck of cards. They had effectively the same UAW contract. They had effectively the same manufacturing footprint, up in the upper Midwest area. They had the same kind of dealer network issues that GM and Chrysler had. And yet while Ford certainly struggled for a while, they got through this and have been making good money for some time now.
So, what’s the difference between Ford and GM? I would argue the difference between Ford and GM is management. I don’t know what else to attribute it to. It’s one of the few cases where you actually have two examples that you can put side-by-side and it would be a very valid comparison.
Having said that, there’s no question that the UAW contract contained excesses that probably never made good sense for almost anybody but certainly didn’t make sense in the current environment. I mean, I am a strong believer in unions and in the role of unions in making sure that workers get their fair share of the pie. But what I don’t believe in are unions, union contracts, and union efforts to create inefficient work practices and feather-bedding. So the fact that at GM they had something like 300 job classifications for UAW workers, and nobody in one job classification could be asked to do even the most menial task of someone in another, is just inefficiency—and wasteful.
The fact that GM and Chrysler UAW workers got a whole series of holidays that the rest of us don’t get—for example, at GM, the entire Fourth of July week—is an example of inefficiency that I don’t think you can defend. The jobs bank, I don’t think you could defend.
So we did push hard on many of those things. And, as you suggested, my view was that the UAW and Ron Gettelfinger, in particular, were very professional people to deal with. They fought hard for their interests, they were not shy about their points of view, but they were straight shooters, it was professional, and they were good partners in a difficult bargain.
From Chairman Mike Bullock: During his visit last week, which went very well, our new Manufacturing Manager Jim Glynn made a statement that was reiterated in yesterday’s diagonal slice meeting by John Dansby: As long as GM builds a van he sees no reason for it to be built anywhere else but here.
From the Chaplaincy Committee: “See you at the Pole” will be today after first shift at the flagpoles in the front of the plant. This will be to commemorate Global Day of Student Prayer. The tour holding room doors will be open for your convenience.
The reception for our Make-A-Wish family will be tomorrow at lunch timein the tour holding room. Come up, hopefully clad in a colorful Hawaiian shirt, and help brighten their day. The plant tour will begin at 11 am and you can check out the tour route in the cafeteria.
From Automotive News: The UAW will aim to ensure that its members share in General Motors Co., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler Group LLC profits in contract talks next year, President Bob King said on Monday. The union wants the workers to share in the turnarounds at the U.S. automakers in a way that does not put the companies "back in a cycle of uncompetitiveness" that left them struggling in recent years, King said. "There are a number of different approaches" to achieve that, including "flexible compensation, whether it is profit-sharing (or) gain-sharing," King said in an interview with Reuters. King also said the union was open to foreign investors buying into a GM IPO and expects GM and Chrysler to be able to repay U.S. taxpayer funding that supported their restructurings. "Our ultimate criteria is how do we make General Motors most successful, not where investors come from," King said.
Former Auto Task Force head Steve Rattner has published a book about his experience in dealing with the GM and Chrysler restructurings. This is from an interview with Jonathan Cohn:
JC: Let’s talk about the unions for a second. There are a lot of people who think that the unions are substantially if not primarily responsible for the problems at the Big Three. Obviously management had to be collaborating in this, but, as the argument goes, unions basically bargained for and secured packages that in today’s economy are just not competitive. And it wasn’t just the compensation, it was also the rigid work rules specifying who could do what, which made the factories really inflexible. I know you’re familiar with all of that. Talk for a second about your perception of the role the unions played in the problems the Big Three had, and then tell me a little bit about your experience dealing with them.
SR: The unions were not the major reason why GM and Chrysler got into the position they got into. There are certainly issues around the labor situation, which I’ll discuss in a second, but to lay this all at the feet of the UAW, which I know some management teams have tried to do, is simply not fair. I’ll give you two data points. First, labor only accounts for only about 7 percent of the cost of a car. So, if you cut that to 6 percent, you’re going to make a bit more money, but this is not the biggest expense that an automaker has.
The second thing I would point out to you is that Ford was playing with exactly the same deck of cards. They had effectively the same UAW contract. They had effectively the same manufacturing footprint, up in the upper Midwest area. They had the same kind of dealer network issues that GM and Chrysler had. And yet while Ford certainly struggled for a while, they got through this and have been making good money for some time now.
So, what’s the difference between Ford and GM? I would argue the difference between Ford and GM is management. I don’t know what else to attribute it to. It’s one of the few cases where you actually have two examples that you can put side-by-side and it would be a very valid comparison.
Having said that, there’s no question that the UAW contract contained excesses that probably never made good sense for almost anybody but certainly didn’t make sense in the current environment. I mean, I am a strong believer in unions and in the role of unions in making sure that workers get their fair share of the pie. But what I don’t believe in are unions, union contracts, and union efforts to create inefficient work practices and feather-bedding. So the fact that at GM they had something like 300 job classifications for UAW workers, and nobody in one job classification could be asked to do even the most menial task of someone in another, is just inefficiency—and wasteful.
The fact that GM and Chrysler UAW workers got a whole series of holidays that the rest of us don’t get—for example, at GM, the entire Fourth of July week—is an example of inefficiency that I don’t think you can defend. The jobs bank, I don’t think you could defend.
So we did push hard on many of those things. And, as you suggested, my view was that the UAW and Ron Gettelfinger, in particular, were very professional people to deal with. They fought hard for their interests, they were not shy about their points of view, but they were straight shooters, it was professional, and they were good partners in a difficult bargain.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
State of the Union September 21, 2010
Sept. 21, 2010 oline at www.uawlocal2250.com
The 2010-2011 Leadership Institute for local union members have been scheduled at the UAW Walter and May Reuther Family Education Center in Black Lake, Michigan. The three (3) week-long programs that will be held along with dates and application deadlines:
Program Session Date Application Deadline
Standing Committee November 7 – 12, 2010 Thursday, October 7, 2010
Grievance Handling February 20 -25, 2011 Thursday, January 20, 2011
Union Involvement /Worker To Worker
(available in Spanish) February 27 – March 4, 2011 Thursday, January 27, 2011
A $75.00 per person registration fee MUST BE SUBMITTED WITH EACH REGISTRATION FORM. Go to www.uawlocal2250.com for more details and an application form.
From the Detroit Free Press: Ford confirmed Monday that it will not sell the next generation of the compact Ford Rangerpickup truck in North America after 2011. However, a larger version of the Ranger that will be sold in all markets outside North America will be unveiled Oct. 15 at an autoshow in Sydney, Australia. Rangers became available in the U.S. in 1982, and sales here peaked in 1999, at slightly more than 348,000, according to Ward's AutoInfoBank. But only 55,600 sold last year. So far this year, 35,029 have sold. (GM has sold 20,576 Colorado/Canyon pickups so far this year)
Information about Thursday’s Make-A-Wish:
Wentzville Assembly will be hosting a Make-A-Wish event on Thursday, September 23. Employees are encouraged to decorate specific work areas in the theme of “Hawaiian Shirt / Pool Party.
One note, a specific Tour Route will be planned – this tour route can be seen on a display in the Main Cafeteria on Monday, September 20. If you are decorating your area, PLEASE keep in mind, for your decorations to be seen it must be on the specific tour route.
In addition, departments are encouraged to do fundraising or displays at the specific locations that are PLANNED STOPS on the tour. The specific PLANNED STOPS will be at:
Stamping @ X-8
Body Shop @ T-25
Paint @ CC-40
Work Center @ P-40
Material/Trim @ P-31
Trim @ E-36
Chassis @ B-50
Wish Family Information:
Parents: Kristina & Daniel
Children: All Boys; Payton, Caden & Zechariah
Payton, 8; likes Bionicles, wears size 7
Caden, 6; wears size 6, likes Marvel Super Hero’s, Incredible Hulk
Zechariah, 4 Wish Child, wears size 4, like John Deer Tractors, cars & trucks…anything with wheels
The 2010-2011 Leadership Institute for local union members have been scheduled at the UAW Walter and May Reuther Family Education Center in Black Lake, Michigan. The three (3) week-long programs that will be held along with dates and application deadlines:
Program Session Date Application Deadline
Standing Committee November 7 – 12, 2010 Thursday, October 7, 2010
Grievance Handling February 20 -25, 2011 Thursday, January 20, 2011
Union Involvement /Worker To Worker
(available in Spanish) February 27 – March 4, 2011 Thursday, January 27, 2011
A $75.00 per person registration fee MUST BE SUBMITTED WITH EACH REGISTRATION FORM. Go to www.uawlocal2250.com for more details and an application form.
From the Detroit Free Press: Ford confirmed Monday that it will not sell the next generation of the compact Ford Rangerpickup truck in North America after 2011. However, a larger version of the Ranger that will be sold in all markets outside North America will be unveiled Oct. 15 at an autoshow in Sydney, Australia. Rangers became available in the U.S. in 1982, and sales here peaked in 1999, at slightly more than 348,000, according to Ward's AutoInfoBank. But only 55,600 sold last year. So far this year, 35,029 have sold. (GM has sold 20,576 Colorado/Canyon pickups so far this year)
Information about Thursday’s Make-A-Wish:
Wentzville Assembly will be hosting a Make-A-Wish event on Thursday, September 23. Employees are encouraged to decorate specific work areas in the theme of “Hawaiian Shirt / Pool Party.
One note, a specific Tour Route will be planned – this tour route can be seen on a display in the Main Cafeteria on Monday, September 20. If you are decorating your area, PLEASE keep in mind, for your decorations to be seen it must be on the specific tour route.
In addition, departments are encouraged to do fundraising or displays at the specific locations that are PLANNED STOPS on the tour. The specific PLANNED STOPS will be at:
Stamping @ X-8
Body Shop @ T-25
Paint @ CC-40
Work Center @ P-40
Material/Trim @ P-31
Trim @ E-36
Chassis @ B-50
Wish Family Information:
Parents: Kristina & Daniel
Children: All Boys; Payton, Caden & Zechariah
Payton, 8; likes Bionicles, wears size 7
Caden, 6; wears size 6, likes Marvel Super Hero’s, Incredible Hulk
Zechariah, 4 Wish Child, wears size 4, like John Deer Tractors, cars & trucks…anything with wheels
State of the Union September 20, 2010
Sept. 20, 2010 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
From Chairman Mike Bullock: We were informed by management this morning that there was a need to make up the 86 units of lost production for the month. Their first option was to reschedule this Friday. The Union vehemently opposed that. Under the Memorandum of Understanding on Overtime, article 10, section A of the National Agreement (page 242), model change extends for three weeks, which means that we can be asked to work beyond our scheduled overtime. Since our model change was Wednesday, Sept. 1, that means that exemption runs through Wednesday of this week. Therefore, we will be working 11.5 off of the K-line through Sept. 22, which should be more than sufficient to make up the lost production. I understand the hardship this will be for our members.
As expected, GM announced last Friday that they would invest $483 million in Spring Hill for 4-cylinder production. This was done with trumpets blaring and cymbals clashing, along with the usual political suspects. Once again proving that some legislators have no shame (and poor memories), three Republicans from Tennessee – all who had opposed the bridge loans to GM – were there to participate. They were Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn, and Senators Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker.
For their part, UAW members booed Corker when he took to the microphone to spout this delusional statement: "At the end of the day we all have to feel good about what we did…..I contributed to strengthening the auto industry in this country." To refresh your memories, this is what Corker had to say (among many other things) in March of last year: "The administration is pursuing much of what we pushed for in December, but the delay of several months has increased the severity and sent billions of taxpayer dollars down the drain. Now any investment is likely unrecoverable……”
From Chairman Mike Bullock: We were informed by management this morning that there was a need to make up the 86 units of lost production for the month. Their first option was to reschedule this Friday. The Union vehemently opposed that. Under the Memorandum of Understanding on Overtime, article 10, section A of the National Agreement (page 242), model change extends for three weeks, which means that we can be asked to work beyond our scheduled overtime. Since our model change was Wednesday, Sept. 1, that means that exemption runs through Wednesday of this week. Therefore, we will be working 11.5 off of the K-line through Sept. 22, which should be more than sufficient to make up the lost production. I understand the hardship this will be for our members.
As expected, GM announced last Friday that they would invest $483 million in Spring Hill for 4-cylinder production. This was done with trumpets blaring and cymbals clashing, along with the usual political suspects. Once again proving that some legislators have no shame (and poor memories), three Republicans from Tennessee – all who had opposed the bridge loans to GM – were there to participate. They were Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn, and Senators Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker.
For their part, UAW members booed Corker when he took to the microphone to spout this delusional statement: "At the end of the day we all have to feel good about what we did…..I contributed to strengthening the auto industry in this country." To refresh your memories, this is what Corker had to say (among many other things) in March of last year: "The administration is pursuing much of what we pushed for in December, but the delay of several months has increased the severity and sent billions of taxpayer dollars down the drain. Now any investment is likely unrecoverable……”
Friday, September 17, 2010
State of the Union September 17, 2010
Sept. 17, 2010 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
Some dumbbells have been removed from the fitness center. We ask that they be returned, no questions asked. Many people use the center and all of the equipment there, so please be considerate of your fellow workers. Thank you.
There is a new movement to organize unemployed workers that’s being called “UCubed”. You can go to www.unionofunemployed.com to learn more about this new organization.
Toyota is seeking to have a United States judge to throw out the majority of the 300+ lawsuits that have been filed against them on grounds that the cases are based on anecdotal and circumstantial information, according to Bloomberg. Among the litigated issues are the company's claims of quality, safety and reliability. Toyota’s spin meisters/lawyers responded by saying that claims to the quality and safety of its vehicles were opinions and the company can’t be held liable for misrepresentation.(Best headline of article covering this story: “Toyota Asks For Sudden Deceleration of Lawsuits” from thetruthaboutcars.com.
GM CEO Dan Akerson gave a wide ranging interview to the media earlier this week. Here is what he had to say about UAW President Bob King’s demand that worker concessions made during bankruptcy be restored, according to Forbes: “Everyone in the company had to give a bit…What’s past is past. I’m looking out the front windshield. We’re going to work with the UAW to be competitive. We are not going to preclude anything.”
From Forbes:
On how his management style will differ from Whitacre’s: “Ed did a great job righting the ship. I have to get the ship under way now, which is a longer term task.”
On why he accepted the job as GM’s fourth CEO in 18 months: “There’s a sense of service to the nation; the manufacturing base of this country’s at stake. Also, I can’t imagine a more interesting job.”
On future management changes: “I like the team that’s on the field.”
On saving Opel, GM’s European unit: “Opel is an important element of the mosaic we call GM. It’s still losing money, but Europe is a very important region of the world. We are willing to invest and be patient.”
On repaying $50 billion in taxpayer bailout money: “It’s not realistic to think that will happen in one fell swoop. At the same time, I don’t think any investment group has infinite patience.”
On his involvement in future product designs: “I’m like everybody. I have an opinion, but (design vice president) Ed Welburn is a pro. I will yield to Ed Welburn’s creativity. The cars I’ve seen coming out in 2012, 2013 and 2014 are really great.”
On his own GM vehicle breaking down 20-plus years ago: “It was a tense situation.”
On his view of GM vehicles today: “I think the Cadillac SRX is one of the finest cars on the road today, and the CTS is the best sedan I have ever driven.”
On GM’s market position: “We’re strong in North America, Europe and the BRIC countries. Our position ought to be the envy of the global auto industry…. The U.S. population is going to go from 300 million to 400 million. That’s good for General Motors.”
On overhauling Onstar: “It used to be the automotive version of ‘I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.’ I don’t want that.”
On repairing GM’s reputation with consumers: “You have to win it back on the road every day.”
On the debate over tax cuts and economic policy: “What’s good for America is good for General Motors. I’ve got other things to worry about.”
On GM’s marketing and advertising: “I’d like to see more humor in our ads. We can’t take ourselves too seriously.”
On promoting the GM badge: “I’m not embarrassed by the name General Motors. But GM is not a brand. The brands (Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC) are the heritage, legacy and future of the company.”
Some dumbbells have been removed from the fitness center. We ask that they be returned, no questions asked. Many people use the center and all of the equipment there, so please be considerate of your fellow workers. Thank you.
There is a new movement to organize unemployed workers that’s being called “UCubed”. You can go to www.unionofunemployed.com to learn more about this new organization.
Toyota is seeking to have a United States judge to throw out the majority of the 300+ lawsuits that have been filed against them on grounds that the cases are based on anecdotal and circumstantial information, according to Bloomberg. Among the litigated issues are the company's claims of quality, safety and reliability. Toyota’s spin meisters/lawyers responded by saying that claims to the quality and safety of its vehicles were opinions and the company can’t be held liable for misrepresentation.(Best headline of article covering this story: “Toyota Asks For Sudden Deceleration of Lawsuits” from thetruthaboutcars.com.
GM CEO Dan Akerson gave a wide ranging interview to the media earlier this week. Here is what he had to say about UAW President Bob King’s demand that worker concessions made during bankruptcy be restored, according to Forbes: “Everyone in the company had to give a bit…What’s past is past. I’m looking out the front windshield. We’re going to work with the UAW to be competitive. We are not going to preclude anything.”
From Forbes:
On how his management style will differ from Whitacre’s: “Ed did a great job righting the ship. I have to get the ship under way now, which is a longer term task.”
On why he accepted the job as GM’s fourth CEO in 18 months: “There’s a sense of service to the nation; the manufacturing base of this country’s at stake. Also, I can’t imagine a more interesting job.”
On future management changes: “I like the team that’s on the field.”
On saving Opel, GM’s European unit: “Opel is an important element of the mosaic we call GM. It’s still losing money, but Europe is a very important region of the world. We are willing to invest and be patient.”
On repaying $50 billion in taxpayer bailout money: “It’s not realistic to think that will happen in one fell swoop. At the same time, I don’t think any investment group has infinite patience.”
On his involvement in future product designs: “I’m like everybody. I have an opinion, but (design vice president) Ed Welburn is a pro. I will yield to Ed Welburn’s creativity. The cars I’ve seen coming out in 2012, 2013 and 2014 are really great.”
On his own GM vehicle breaking down 20-plus years ago: “It was a tense situation.”
On his view of GM vehicles today: “I think the Cadillac SRX is one of the finest cars on the road today, and the CTS is the best sedan I have ever driven.”
On GM’s market position: “We’re strong in North America, Europe and the BRIC countries. Our position ought to be the envy of the global auto industry…. The U.S. population is going to go from 300 million to 400 million. That’s good for General Motors.”
On overhauling Onstar: “It used to be the automotive version of ‘I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.’ I don’t want that.”
On repairing GM’s reputation with consumers: “You have to win it back on the road every day.”
On the debate over tax cuts and economic policy: “What’s good for America is good for General Motors. I’ve got other things to worry about.”
On GM’s marketing and advertising: “I’d like to see more humor in our ads. We can’t take ourselves too seriously.”
On promoting the GM badge: “I’m not embarrassed by the name General Motors. But GM is not a brand. The brands (Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC) are the heritage, legacy and future of the company.”
Thursday, September 16, 2010
State of the Union September 16, 2010
Sept. 16, 2010 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
From Chairman Mike Bullock and President Dan Howell: We would like to thank everyone for their huge support of strike assistance raffle for members of UAW Local 1887. A total of $2614 was raised and a check for that amount will be sent out today. The winners are: 1st place – Doug Dunahee; 2nd place – Brent Robinson; 3rd place – Ron Utlaut. This was a great show of solidarity and generosity!
From the Nashville Tennesseean: General Motors will spend up to $500 million to build a new assembly line for its next-generation Ecotec four-cylinder engine at its Spring Hill, Tenn., manufacturing complex, and recall about 400 laid-off workers to make the engines, a source with knowledge of the plan said Tuesday. A news conference has been scheduled for 9 a.m. Friday at the plant for GM to announce the plans, the source said. GM officials declined to confirm the information, but spokeswoman Kim Carpenter said a media advisory about a coming event would go out on Wednesday. GM furloughed about 2,000 workers at the plant late last year when assembly of the Chevrolet Traverse crossover utility vehicle was moved to Lansing, Mich. But 1,045 workers remain employed there, including 899 hourly and 146 salaried, building engines and operating a metal-stamping facility that makes body panels for the Traverse. About 400 of those workers assemble the current Ecotec engines on two separate lines, but that number would double when the third line opens, the source said.
From the LA Times: Toyota Motor Corp. has acknowledged that a software bug in the device used to read its black boxes produced faulty data, only months after the automaker touted information from the recorders to suggest that human error caused sudden acceleration. The automaker said it spotted and fixed the problem — which could give incorrect information on speed — in June and that it did not affect readings for pedal and brake application, crucial keys to determining potential causes of sudden acceleration. (of course)
"You can't rely on event data recorders to determine whether there has been a sudden acceleration event," said Clarence Ditlow, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety. "We can't take Toyota at face value that the EDR is accurate enough to clear them of responsibility for sudden unintended acceleration." In early April, Toyota downloaded data from an EDR in a crashed 2007 Tundra (whose driver lost his life) using the uncorrected software, resulting in what the company now says was erroneous data. Specifically, the readout indicated that the pickup slowed by 177 mph upon impact, a speed Toyota now admits is impossible. It wasn't until June that a software upgrade was provided to NHTSA, Toyota's Michels said. He said the company had reread the data from the Tundra and that it now showed a change of velocity of 1.4 mph.(Sorry, but if a Tundra can’t protect you from fatal injuries with what amounts to a slight brake application, they have much more serious issues)
From the International Union UAW: After nearly a month of imprisonment, Ms. Kalpona Akter, director of the Bangladesh Center for Worker Solidarity, Mr. Babul Akhter, director of the Bangladesh Garment and Industrial Workers Federation, and Mr. Aminul Islam organizer for BCWS’s district office in Savar have been granted bail and will be released from prison. They still face charges, but they have tremendous international solidarity and an excellent team of attorneys. Fearing that Bangladesh’s 3.5 million mostly young women workers would continue their struggle for a 35-cent-an-hour minimum wage, the powerful Bangladesh Garment and Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) filed trumped up charges against the union leaders for supposedly fomenting worker violence--including “use of explosives” to damage garment factories. But another very important and progressive trade union leader, Mr. Montu Ghosh, legal advisor to the Garment Sramik Trade Union Kendra, remains imprisoned. We need to redouble our efforts to free Mr. Ghosh. It was a major international effort which led to the release of Kalpona, Babul and Aminul. Labor played a huge role. You can write the Bangledesh Embassy by going to www.nlcnet.organd clicking on the “Free Imprisoned Trade Union Leader” link on the right.
From Chairman Mike Bullock and President Dan Howell: We would like to thank everyone for their huge support of strike assistance raffle for members of UAW Local 1887. A total of $2614 was raised and a check for that amount will be sent out today. The winners are: 1st place – Doug Dunahee; 2nd place – Brent Robinson; 3rd place – Ron Utlaut. This was a great show of solidarity and generosity!
From the Nashville Tennesseean: General Motors will spend up to $500 million to build a new assembly line for its next-generation Ecotec four-cylinder engine at its Spring Hill, Tenn., manufacturing complex, and recall about 400 laid-off workers to make the engines, a source with knowledge of the plan said Tuesday. A news conference has been scheduled for 9 a.m. Friday at the plant for GM to announce the plans, the source said. GM officials declined to confirm the information, but spokeswoman Kim Carpenter said a media advisory about a coming event would go out on Wednesday. GM furloughed about 2,000 workers at the plant late last year when assembly of the Chevrolet Traverse crossover utility vehicle was moved to Lansing, Mich. But 1,045 workers remain employed there, including 899 hourly and 146 salaried, building engines and operating a metal-stamping facility that makes body panels for the Traverse. About 400 of those workers assemble the current Ecotec engines on two separate lines, but that number would double when the third line opens, the source said.
From the LA Times: Toyota Motor Corp. has acknowledged that a software bug in the device used to read its black boxes produced faulty data, only months after the automaker touted information from the recorders to suggest that human error caused sudden acceleration. The automaker said it spotted and fixed the problem — which could give incorrect information on speed — in June and that it did not affect readings for pedal and brake application, crucial keys to determining potential causes of sudden acceleration. (of course)
"You can't rely on event data recorders to determine whether there has been a sudden acceleration event," said Clarence Ditlow, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety. "We can't take Toyota at face value that the EDR is accurate enough to clear them of responsibility for sudden unintended acceleration." In early April, Toyota downloaded data from an EDR in a crashed 2007 Tundra (whose driver lost his life) using the uncorrected software, resulting in what the company now says was erroneous data. Specifically, the readout indicated that the pickup slowed by 177 mph upon impact, a speed Toyota now admits is impossible. It wasn't until June that a software upgrade was provided to NHTSA, Toyota's Michels said. He said the company had reread the data from the Tundra and that it now showed a change of velocity of 1.4 mph.(Sorry, but if a Tundra can’t protect you from fatal injuries with what amounts to a slight brake application, they have much more serious issues)
From the International Union UAW: After nearly a month of imprisonment, Ms. Kalpona Akter, director of the Bangladesh Center for Worker Solidarity, Mr. Babul Akhter, director of the Bangladesh Garment and Industrial Workers Federation, and Mr. Aminul Islam organizer for BCWS’s district office in Savar have been granted bail and will be released from prison. They still face charges, but they have tremendous international solidarity and an excellent team of attorneys. Fearing that Bangladesh’s 3.5 million mostly young women workers would continue their struggle for a 35-cent-an-hour minimum wage, the powerful Bangladesh Garment and Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) filed trumped up charges against the union leaders for supposedly fomenting worker violence--including “use of explosives” to damage garment factories. But another very important and progressive trade union leader, Mr. Montu Ghosh, legal advisor to the Garment Sramik Trade Union Kendra, remains imprisoned. We need to redouble our efforts to free Mr. Ghosh. It was a major international effort which led to the release of Kalpona, Babul and Aminul. Labor played a huge role. You can write the Bangledesh Embassy by going to www.nlcnet.organd clicking on the “Free Imprisoned Trade Union Leader” link on the right.
Monday, September 13, 2010
State of the Union September 13, 2010
Sept. 13, 2010 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
No State of the Union September 14 and September 15
Union meeting is Wednesday, Sept. 15 at 1 pm, 3 pm and 15 minutes after the longest first shift line time.
UAW-GM LifeSteps will be doing cholesterol screening in the cafeteria Tuesday, Sept. 14 from 8 am – noon and 1 pm – 5 pm and Wednesday, Sept. 15 from 8 am – noon and 2 pm – 4 pm. This screening is fasting and non-fasting.
The Make-A-Wish golf tournament is in need of teams. The tournament is a 4-person scramble Sunday, October 3 at the Golf Club of Wentzville with a 1 pm shotgun start. The price is $70 person/$280 team. There will be a putting competition hosted by GMAC from 11:30 to noon and lunch will be served from noon to 1 pm. Beverages will be served on the course during the tournament. Contact Mike Bridgins (x2112), George Herina (x2118) or Jeremiah Troutman at 314-971-1087 if you are interested.
From Automotive News: In a dozen ways, aftershocks from the new-car sales debacle are reshaping the used-car business. Asbury Automotive COO Michael Kearney says most buyers trade in vehicles at about 40 months. So the shortage of used vehicles will worsen as the post-Lehman sales crash ages, he says. "A year from now, or perhaps two years from now, this will be a much more important question than it is today," Kearney says. At Gerald Jones Honda in Augusta, Ga., owner Andy Jones says used models are becoming alarmingly scarce. "I normally sell 200 used vehicles a month," Jones says. "Lately it's been hard to find that many. There are weeks when my man goes to auction to buy inventory and comes home with just two or three vehicles. It's a huge problem." Jones recently traded for a 2004 Buick Century with 70,000 miles. The dealership paid $6,000 for it, installed new brakes and tires and made a few minor changes and is now asking $8,500 for it. Says Jones: "Three years ago, that would've been a $2,500 car.
No State of the Union September 14 and September 15
Union meeting is Wednesday, Sept. 15 at 1 pm, 3 pm and 15 minutes after the longest first shift line time.
UAW-GM LifeSteps will be doing cholesterol screening in the cafeteria Tuesday, Sept. 14 from 8 am – noon and 1 pm – 5 pm and Wednesday, Sept. 15 from 8 am – noon and 2 pm – 4 pm. This screening is fasting and non-fasting.
The Make-A-Wish golf tournament is in need of teams. The tournament is a 4-person scramble Sunday, October 3 at the Golf Club of Wentzville with a 1 pm shotgun start. The price is $70 person/$280 team. There will be a putting competition hosted by GMAC from 11:30 to noon and lunch will be served from noon to 1 pm. Beverages will be served on the course during the tournament. Contact Mike Bridgins (x2112), George Herina (x2118) or Jeremiah Troutman at 314-971-1087 if you are interested.
From Automotive News: In a dozen ways, aftershocks from the new-car sales debacle are reshaping the used-car business. Asbury Automotive COO Michael Kearney says most buyers trade in vehicles at about 40 months. So the shortage of used vehicles will worsen as the post-Lehman sales crash ages, he says. "A year from now, or perhaps two years from now, this will be a much more important question than it is today," Kearney says. At Gerald Jones Honda in Augusta, Ga., owner Andy Jones says used models are becoming alarmingly scarce. "I normally sell 200 used vehicles a month," Jones says. "Lately it's been hard to find that many. There are weeks when my man goes to auction to buy inventory and comes home with just two or three vehicles. It's a huge problem." Jones recently traded for a 2004 Buick Century with 70,000 miles. The dealership paid $6,000 for it, installed new brakes and tires and made a few minor changes and is now asking $8,500 for it. Says Jones: "Three years ago, that would've been a $2,500 car.
Friday, September 10, 2010
State of the Union September 10, 2010
Sept. 10, 2010 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
From the shop floor: Brother Scott Riley in body shop wants to announce a charity BBQ to benefit Backstoppers, an organization that supports fallen law enforcement officers and their families. The BBQ will be at Bissill Hills Shopping Center, Chambers and Bellefontaine Road from 10:30 am to 6 pm, Saturday the 11th. Ribs, chicken, burgers, sandwiches and plates will be sold. Brother Riley's son, Michael, is an officer with the Bellefontaine Neighbors Police Department. Please support this worthy cause if you are in the area tomorrow.
Reminder: If you haven’t scheduled all of your vacation time (VP) you need to do so. All unused VP hours are subject to forfeiture. You can get up to 40 hours pay-in-lieu for your unused VR time. When scheduling time off, keep in mind that the Veteran’s Day observance is moved from Monday Nov. 15 to Wednesday, Nov. 24.
There is some confusion and disappointment about the new structure of employee pricing on new vehicles. Let’s look at an example:
A 2010 Chevy Silverado – 2wd, ext. cab, 5.3 V8, 6 speed auto – stickers for $33,060. The preferred price (which replaces the old GMS price) is $31,148. The employee vehicle allowance (EVA – a new component designed to make up the difference between the old GMS price and the new preferred price) is $1500, bringing the total to $29,648.
There is a $5000 rebate on the truck, which makes a final price of $24,648, or around 25% off. The preferred price is only around a 3-5% discount from the sticker, so cash back will dictate the final discount. A hot seller like the Chevy Equinox listing for $28,965 is final priced at $27,751 as there is only $250 EVA and no rebates. You can go to www.gmfamilyfirst.com for more details.
From the shop floor: Brother Scott Riley in body shop wants to announce a charity BBQ to benefit Backstoppers, an organization that supports fallen law enforcement officers and their families. The BBQ will be at Bissill Hills Shopping Center, Chambers and Bellefontaine Road from 10:30 am to 6 pm, Saturday the 11th. Ribs, chicken, burgers, sandwiches and plates will be sold. Brother Riley's son, Michael, is an officer with the Bellefontaine Neighbors Police Department. Please support this worthy cause if you are in the area tomorrow.
Reminder: If you haven’t scheduled all of your vacation time (VP) you need to do so. All unused VP hours are subject to forfeiture. You can get up to 40 hours pay-in-lieu for your unused VR time. When scheduling time off, keep in mind that the Veteran’s Day observance is moved from Monday Nov. 15 to Wednesday, Nov. 24.
There is some confusion and disappointment about the new structure of employee pricing on new vehicles. Let’s look at an example:
A 2010 Chevy Silverado – 2wd, ext. cab, 5.3 V8, 6 speed auto – stickers for $33,060. The preferred price (which replaces the old GMS price) is $31,148. The employee vehicle allowance (EVA – a new component designed to make up the difference between the old GMS price and the new preferred price) is $1500, bringing the total to $29,648.
There is a $5000 rebate on the truck, which makes a final price of $24,648, or around 25% off. The preferred price is only around a 3-5% discount from the sticker, so cash back will dictate the final discount. A hot seller like the Chevy Equinox listing for $28,965 is final priced at $27,751 as there is only $250 EVA and no rebates. You can go to www.gmfamilyfirst.com for more details.
State of the Union September 9, 2010
Sept. 9, 2010 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
From President Dan Howell: The GimmeFIVE program is underway and we are working towards our goal of signing up 20% of our local union/retiree membership. GimmeFIVE, as UAW President Bob King explained, simply asks members to re-commit to the union by devoting five hours of volunteer time in the following areas: organizing, mobilizing, and political action. Members are also asked to recruit five members to do the same. Members who complete each segment will receive recognition buttons. You can sign up by going to www.gimmefiveuaw.org. It only takes a minute. The website also gives you information on how to log your hours.
Another issue highlighted this past Labor Day is the strike underway at a Mott’s applesauce/juice plant in Williamson, New York. On May 23rd, over 300 workers of UFCW Local 220 were forced out on strike when management imposed pay cuts of $1.50 an hour, a pension freeze, significant increases in health insurance premiums and other severe cuts. All this despite a profit of $555 million for parent company Dr. Pepper Snapple last year. To show support for these members you can choose alternatives to the following products: Motts applesauce, Fruitsations and Garden Cocktail; Hawaiian Punch, Mr. and Mrs. T products, Holland House mixers, Clamato, Margaritaville and Snapple cans.
From Wards Auto World: A bankruptcy court this week rejected a last-minute $3 million offer from a Belgian company to buy a former General Motors Co. transmission plant in eastern France, deciding a 1 euro ($1.27) buy-back offer from the auto maker is a better deal. Management reportedly is telling employees at the GM Strasbourg factory the sale could be final by the end of the month. Belgium’s Punch Corp. has 15 days to appeal the Sept. 7 decision on its offer with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.
Final part of the Rebuild America agenda:
Rebuild America by ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan
The dollar cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan now exceeds $1 trillion; the cost in lives is incalculable. Just last month, the U.S. Senate approved an additional $60 billion in funding for war, after first stripping out $20 billion in domestic spending that would, among other things, have prevented teacher layoffs. The insidious effect of these two wars on our national priorities could not be clearer. It’s past time to end them.
Can we afford to rebuild America?
We can’t afford not to. More than three quarters of the increase in the federal budget deficit since the end of 2007 is a direct result of the recession. As employment increases, that gap will close. Even deficit hawks such as David Walker (CEO of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation) agree that job creation must take precedence over balancing the budget in the short term.
In the longer term, we can begin to get our fiscal house in order by allowing the Bush-era tax cuts for the rich to expire as scheduled at the end of this year and ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities shows that those two factors – on top of the economic downturn – account for virtually the entire projected federal deficit over the next ten years.
New revenue sources – including, for example, a tax on financial transactions – could also be tapped to fund needed investments without squeezing other domestic spending or increasing the long-term deficit. The U.K. has a small tax on stock trades, and it raises nearly 0.3 percent of GDP – the equivalent of $40 billion in the U.S. Extending the tax to options, futures, credit default swaps and other derivatives could easily double that amount, and would have the added virtue of slowing the breakneck pace of speculation. It’s only fitting that Wall Street, after causing so much destruction, should be asked to contribute to the cost of reconstruction.
From President Dan Howell: The GimmeFIVE program is underway and we are working towards our goal of signing up 20% of our local union/retiree membership. GimmeFIVE, as UAW President Bob King explained, simply asks members to re-commit to the union by devoting five hours of volunteer time in the following areas: organizing, mobilizing, and political action. Members are also asked to recruit five members to do the same. Members who complete each segment will receive recognition buttons. You can sign up by going to www.gimmefiveuaw.org. It only takes a minute. The website also gives you information on how to log your hours.
Another issue highlighted this past Labor Day is the strike underway at a Mott’s applesauce/juice plant in Williamson, New York. On May 23rd, over 300 workers of UFCW Local 220 were forced out on strike when management imposed pay cuts of $1.50 an hour, a pension freeze, significant increases in health insurance premiums and other severe cuts. All this despite a profit of $555 million for parent company Dr. Pepper Snapple last year. To show support for these members you can choose alternatives to the following products: Motts applesauce, Fruitsations and Garden Cocktail; Hawaiian Punch, Mr. and Mrs. T products, Holland House mixers, Clamato, Margaritaville and Snapple cans.
From Wards Auto World: A bankruptcy court this week rejected a last-minute $3 million offer from a Belgian company to buy a former General Motors Co. transmission plant in eastern France, deciding a 1 euro ($1.27) buy-back offer from the auto maker is a better deal. Management reportedly is telling employees at the GM Strasbourg factory the sale could be final by the end of the month. Belgium’s Punch Corp. has 15 days to appeal the Sept. 7 decision on its offer with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.
Final part of the Rebuild America agenda:
Rebuild America by ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan
The dollar cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan now exceeds $1 trillion; the cost in lives is incalculable. Just last month, the U.S. Senate approved an additional $60 billion in funding for war, after first stripping out $20 billion in domestic spending that would, among other things, have prevented teacher layoffs. The insidious effect of these two wars on our national priorities could not be clearer. It’s past time to end them.
Can we afford to rebuild America?
We can’t afford not to. More than three quarters of the increase in the federal budget deficit since the end of 2007 is a direct result of the recession. As employment increases, that gap will close. Even deficit hawks such as David Walker (CEO of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation) agree that job creation must take precedence over balancing the budget in the short term.
In the longer term, we can begin to get our fiscal house in order by allowing the Bush-era tax cuts for the rich to expire as scheduled at the end of this year and ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities shows that those two factors – on top of the economic downturn – account for virtually the entire projected federal deficit over the next ten years.
New revenue sources – including, for example, a tax on financial transactions – could also be tapped to fund needed investments without squeezing other domestic spending or increasing the long-term deficit. The U.K. has a small tax on stock trades, and it raises nearly 0.3 percent of GDP – the equivalent of $40 billion in the U.S. Extending the tax to options, futures, credit default swaps and other derivatives could easily double that amount, and would have the added virtue of slowing the breakneck pace of speculation. It’s only fitting that Wall Street, after causing so much destruction, should be asked to contribute to the cost of reconstruction.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
State of the Union September 8, 2010
Sept. 8, 2010 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
There will be a CAP Committee meeting and a Union Label Committee meeting today after first shift at the Union Hall.
From Automotive News: General Motors plans to begin courting investors for its initial public stock offering immediately after the Nov. 2 midterm congressional elections, two sources familiar with the plans told Reuters. GM's roadshow is to begin Nov. 3 and last two weeks, the sources said. The IPO is expected to be priced on Nov. 17 and debut Nov. 18, they said. They cautioned that the plans were still being completed and could change based on how U.S. stock markets perform.
From the Detroit Free Press: Joe Ashton, 62, (UAW Vice President and head of the GM department) spearheaded the UAW's crucial effort to add numbers by organizing more than 6,000 casino workers in Atlantic City, N.J. One of those casinos even ratified a contract -- the first for the casino workers. Now, Ashton has responsibility for another UAW priority: negotiating a new General Motors contract next fall. "Right now, my approach is, 'General Motors is going to be successful,' " Ashton said. Still, "what I hope to accomplish is to negotiate a contract that is beneficial to our members and also continues to make the company competitive." Ashton has been a part of the UAW since 1969, when he joined the 3,000-member Local 1612 in Philadelphia. At 27, he became president of the local. "It was an experience that helped me throughout life," he said. "At that age I really wasn't prepared ... but I hope and think that I grew into the job."
In a bid to match Ford in the in-car technology race, On-Star will offer subscribers the “chance to have their Facebook and text messages read to them. Users will also be able to use voice commands to respond to Facebook and text messages” according to the Detroit Free Press. (experts are predicting that soon you’ll be able to actually speak real-time to another person).
Jobs, Justice and Peace Part 3
Rebuild America by investing in our cities, infrastructure, industry and people
In the midst of this crisis, we have an opportunity to rebuild our industrial economy on a more just and sustainable basis. Investing in revitalized cities, modern infrastructure, “green” industries and workforce skills is an investment in our country’s future.
Upgrade and modernize our nation’s infrastructure, with special attention to the needs of urban areas. From the levees that failed to protect the people of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina to the catastrophic bridge collapse in Minneapolis to the time lost each day traveling over congested and potholed freeways, the human and economic cost of neglecting our nation’s infrastructure is painfully clear. Repairing our 20th century is a massive undertaking in and of itself – but we need to do even more, and build an infrastructure for the 21st century and beyond. The oil spreading over the Gulf of Mexico this spring and summer dramatized the need to invest in buildings, transportation systems and technologies that will reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. Investments in infrastructure create jobs directly and immediately, but they also increase our long-term productivity and competitiveness – and, if guided by goals of energy efficiency and environmental sustainability, will help us address the challenge of global warming.
Retool manufacturing facilities to make the products of the future. Infrastructure repair and modernization will spur demand for a wide range of manufactured products, from solar panels to rail cars. So will the broader push for greater energy efficiency in our homes, our appliances and our vehicles. At the same time, manufacturing plants stand idle, and skilled manufacturing workers count the weeks until their unemployment benefits end as they search desperately for work. Smart public policies can end this disconnect by providing loans and other incentives to retool and reopen existing manufacturing facilities, and training to qualify workers for the jobs in green industries.
Ensure fair trade. We can’t continue to allow an unlevel field to drain jobs out of our country. A global race to the bottom hurts workers in the developed and developing worlds alike.
Rebuild America by guaranteeing justice for workers
Our economy is suffering not just from a shortage of jobs, but also a shortage of justice. The two are entwined. When workers’ rights are respected and the benefits of rising productivity are shared equitably, economic growth has a solid foundation. When they are not, economic growth is weak and unsustainable. The financial crisis that has so devastated our economy was, at bottom, the result of a lack of justice that led income gains to flow disproportionately to those at the top.
There is no better way to reduce poverty, no better way to keep families in their homes, no better way to strengthen our tax base, no better way to ensure that the jobs of the future are good jobs – than through the right to organize and bargain collectively.
There will be a CAP Committee meeting and a Union Label Committee meeting today after first shift at the Union Hall.
From Automotive News: General Motors plans to begin courting investors for its initial public stock offering immediately after the Nov. 2 midterm congressional elections, two sources familiar with the plans told Reuters. GM's roadshow is to begin Nov. 3 and last two weeks, the sources said. The IPO is expected to be priced on Nov. 17 and debut Nov. 18, they said. They cautioned that the plans were still being completed and could change based on how U.S. stock markets perform.
From the Detroit Free Press: Joe Ashton, 62, (UAW Vice President and head of the GM department) spearheaded the UAW's crucial effort to add numbers by organizing more than 6,000 casino workers in Atlantic City, N.J. One of those casinos even ratified a contract -- the first for the casino workers. Now, Ashton has responsibility for another UAW priority: negotiating a new General Motors contract next fall. "Right now, my approach is, 'General Motors is going to be successful,' " Ashton said. Still, "what I hope to accomplish is to negotiate a contract that is beneficial to our members and also continues to make the company competitive." Ashton has been a part of the UAW since 1969, when he joined the 3,000-member Local 1612 in Philadelphia. At 27, he became president of the local. "It was an experience that helped me throughout life," he said. "At that age I really wasn't prepared ... but I hope and think that I grew into the job."
In a bid to match Ford in the in-car technology race, On-Star will offer subscribers the “chance to have their Facebook and text messages read to them. Users will also be able to use voice commands to respond to Facebook and text messages” according to the Detroit Free Press. (experts are predicting that soon you’ll be able to actually speak real-time to another person).
Jobs, Justice and Peace Part 3
Rebuild America by investing in our cities, infrastructure, industry and people
In the midst of this crisis, we have an opportunity to rebuild our industrial economy on a more just and sustainable basis. Investing in revitalized cities, modern infrastructure, “green” industries and workforce skills is an investment in our country’s future.
Upgrade and modernize our nation’s infrastructure, with special attention to the needs of urban areas. From the levees that failed to protect the people of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina to the catastrophic bridge collapse in Minneapolis to the time lost each day traveling over congested and potholed freeways, the human and economic cost of neglecting our nation’s infrastructure is painfully clear. Repairing our 20th century is a massive undertaking in and of itself – but we need to do even more, and build an infrastructure for the 21st century and beyond. The oil spreading over the Gulf of Mexico this spring and summer dramatized the need to invest in buildings, transportation systems and technologies that will reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. Investments in infrastructure create jobs directly and immediately, but they also increase our long-term productivity and competitiveness – and, if guided by goals of energy efficiency and environmental sustainability, will help us address the challenge of global warming.
Retool manufacturing facilities to make the products of the future. Infrastructure repair and modernization will spur demand for a wide range of manufactured products, from solar panels to rail cars. So will the broader push for greater energy efficiency in our homes, our appliances and our vehicles. At the same time, manufacturing plants stand idle, and skilled manufacturing workers count the weeks until their unemployment benefits end as they search desperately for work. Smart public policies can end this disconnect by providing loans and other incentives to retool and reopen existing manufacturing facilities, and training to qualify workers for the jobs in green industries.
Ensure fair trade. We can’t continue to allow an unlevel field to drain jobs out of our country. A global race to the bottom hurts workers in the developed and developing worlds alike.
Rebuild America by guaranteeing justice for workers
Our economy is suffering not just from a shortage of jobs, but also a shortage of justice. The two are entwined. When workers’ rights are respected and the benefits of rising productivity are shared equitably, economic growth has a solid foundation. When they are not, economic growth is weak and unsustainable. The financial crisis that has so devastated our economy was, at bottom, the result of a lack of justice that led income gains to flow disproportionately to those at the top.
There is no better way to reduce poverty, no better way to keep families in their homes, no better way to strengthen our tax base, no better way to ensure that the jobs of the future are good jobs – than through the right to organize and bargain collectively.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
State of the Union September 7, 2010
Sept. 7, 2010 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
On September 23, we will host a Make-A-Wish child in the plant. His name is Zechariah and he is 4 years old. He will have with him his parents Daniel and Kristina and his two brothers Payton, 8, and Caden, 6. The plan is to have a stop during his tour in each department and we are looking for donations for Zechariah and decorations to help make his day special. Zechariah’s wish of getting a swimming pool was recently granted and the family could use pool related items. He also likes John Deere tractors, cars, trucks – most anything with wheels. You can contact Mike Bridgins at 2112 or Wanda Richard at 2308 and drop any donations off at the Benefits office.
The Women’s Committee would like to thank everyone who helped run, participated in, or sponsored holes for the golf tournament. Over $1300 was raised for the Blue Rose home for disabled adults.
Here is the monthly sales report from Marketing Director Andrew Reytnjes:
A combination of factors caused a drop in sales/share.
Limited Retail Inventory
We can't sell what we do not have in stock. At the beginning of the month Retail stock translated to an average of 1 cargo van for every dealer, Passenger vans were limited to fewer than 300 and cutaways were also less than one per dealer.
To get an idea of our Retail inventory situation checkout Chevrolet.com or GMC.com and search for a Cargo or Passenger van and see how far you have to drive to find one to look at or test drive in your desired color, wheelbase and engine configuration.
Did Ford have a large number of deliveries to Fleet customers?
This is a real possibility. Unfortunately there is a month lag time until registration data is available. Since a couple of large Fleet deliveries to key customers can really move the needle in terms of share when there are only 2 players in the segment this can be an important factor. Every point of share gained means a gain of a single share point and a loss of another share point to the loser (net 2 points)
Diesel Availability
GMFCO likely will get a bounce as our recently released 2010i model diesels move through the Upfit process and are ultimately delivered. As you can see from the attached charts GM wins when it comes to Fleet cutaway business but there is a lag time as the ambulances, shuttle buses etc get their bodies upfit. A large block of these produced together under the existing inventory and pre-sold production levels can have a temporary delivery effect.
So What Are We Doing?
I thought you may be interested in a few of the activities that have been worked over the last month.
Incentives
While I cannot presently comment on some yet to be announced incentives we have made a conscious effort to be extremely (but responsibly) competitive. We have been working very closely with our Divisional Incentive teams to ensure that Express and Savana are included in planning. We have also made an effort to work with our ~500 Business Central Dealers who control about 80% of deliveries to ensure that excellent dealer programs are in place. We have incorporated feedback from our National Dealer Council and of course kept a close eye on what Ford is doing. Just yesterday we announced an incentive for Mobility Upfits. Last year Ford delivered 20,000 compared to our 250 mobility vehicles so we see this as a good opportunity. We are also encouraging dealers to equip and display vehicles for the small business person closer to the front of the dealership.
Marketing Events
We have launched our Marketing Promotional events and last month managed to meet close to 2,000 construction workers, contractors and tradesmen for lunch in Texas. We had excellent coordination with our dealer partners and Upfitters and are hopeful that this grassroots marketing directly with the customer will lead to greater consideration and sales. We participated at the Brickyard 400 with Chevrolet, sponsored and provided vans for the Chicago Breast cancer walk and have more events planned for next month that I will report to you then.
Product News
CNG Vans are now available to order and we are hoping to capture conquest sales with this new offering.
Marketing Materials
Be sure to take a look at our Savana and Express 2011MY Retail Catalogs and our Chevrolet and GMC Commercial Catalogs. We have expanded the number of pages and have included vocational appropriate photography and included cargo models to appeal to sole-trader small businesses. We have also created some additional sales materials to help push the benefits we have with our exclusive diesel and some obvious benefits we have over Transit-Connect.
On September 23, we will host a Make-A-Wish child in the plant. His name is Zechariah and he is 4 years old. He will have with him his parents Daniel and Kristina and his two brothers Payton, 8, and Caden, 6. The plan is to have a stop during his tour in each department and we are looking for donations for Zechariah and decorations to help make his day special. Zechariah’s wish of getting a swimming pool was recently granted and the family could use pool related items. He also likes John Deere tractors, cars, trucks – most anything with wheels. You can contact Mike Bridgins at 2112 or Wanda Richard at 2308 and drop any donations off at the Benefits office.
The Women’s Committee would like to thank everyone who helped run, participated in, or sponsored holes for the golf tournament. Over $1300 was raised for the Blue Rose home for disabled adults.
Here is the monthly sales report from Marketing Director Andrew Reytnjes:
A combination of factors caused a drop in sales/share.
Limited Retail Inventory
We can't sell what we do not have in stock. At the beginning of the month Retail stock translated to an average of 1 cargo van for every dealer, Passenger vans were limited to fewer than 300 and cutaways were also less than one per dealer.
To get an idea of our Retail inventory situation checkout Chevrolet.com or GMC.com and search for a Cargo or Passenger van and see how far you have to drive to find one to look at or test drive in your desired color, wheelbase and engine configuration.
Did Ford have a large number of deliveries to Fleet customers?
This is a real possibility. Unfortunately there is a month lag time until registration data is available. Since a couple of large Fleet deliveries to key customers can really move the needle in terms of share when there are only 2 players in the segment this can be an important factor. Every point of share gained means a gain of a single share point and a loss of another share point to the loser (net 2 points)
Diesel Availability
GMFCO likely will get a bounce as our recently released 2010i model diesels move through the Upfit process and are ultimately delivered. As you can see from the attached charts GM wins when it comes to Fleet cutaway business but there is a lag time as the ambulances, shuttle buses etc get their bodies upfit. A large block of these produced together under the existing inventory and pre-sold production levels can have a temporary delivery effect.
So What Are We Doing?
I thought you may be interested in a few of the activities that have been worked over the last month.
Incentives
While I cannot presently comment on some yet to be announced incentives we have made a conscious effort to be extremely (but responsibly) competitive. We have been working very closely with our Divisional Incentive teams to ensure that Express and Savana are included in planning. We have also made an effort to work with our ~500 Business Central Dealers who control about 80% of deliveries to ensure that excellent dealer programs are in place. We have incorporated feedback from our National Dealer Council and of course kept a close eye on what Ford is doing. Just yesterday we announced an incentive for Mobility Upfits. Last year Ford delivered 20,000 compared to our 250 mobility vehicles so we see this as a good opportunity. We are also encouraging dealers to equip and display vehicles for the small business person closer to the front of the dealership.
Marketing Events
We have launched our Marketing Promotional events and last month managed to meet close to 2,000 construction workers, contractors and tradesmen for lunch in Texas. We had excellent coordination with our dealer partners and Upfitters and are hopeful that this grassroots marketing directly with the customer will lead to greater consideration and sales. We participated at the Brickyard 400 with Chevrolet, sponsored and provided vans for the Chicago Breast cancer walk and have more events planned for next month that I will report to you then.
Product News
CNG Vans are now available to order and we are hoping to capture conquest sales with this new offering.
Marketing Materials
Be sure to take a look at our Savana and Express 2011MY Retail Catalogs and our Chevrolet and GMC Commercial Catalogs. We have expanded the number of pages and have included vocational appropriate photography and included cargo models to appeal to sole-trader small businesses. We have also created some additional sales materials to help push the benefits we have with our exclusive diesel and some obvious benefits we have over Transit-Connect.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
State of the Union September 2, 2010
Sept. 2, 2010 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
Postings for 63b moves will be adjusted for the Labor Day Holiday. Body shop and material openings will be posted at the main entrance through Tuesday, Sept. 7.
August sales results were announced yesterday. Here are the van numbers:
2010 2009 Change Share
Ford Econoline 10,251 5,350 + 91.6% 60.8%
GM 5,750 6,436 - 10.7% 34.1%
Mercedes Sprinter 848 --- --- 5.0%
Ford Transit 2,025 2,220 - 8.8%
GM press release: The fully integrated and dedicated Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) option, available this fall for Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana full-size vans, will be priced at $15,910 MSRP, General Motors announced Tuesday. Pricing for the all-inclusive CNG option includes a dedicated CNG system ($14,590), a natural gas-capable Vortec 6.0L V8 engine ($1,295), as well as HD trailering equipment ($265). A $240 credit for deleting the spare tire brings the package price to $15,910. So the total cost of either a 2011 Chevrolet Express or 2011 GMC Savana Cargo model, which starts at $25,980 would be $41,890 with the CNG option.
• Reminder: The annual Labor Day Parade will be Monday, Sept. 6. This year’s theme is “Buck up for a Brother or Sister”. We will meet at 7 am to decorate the float at 19th Street north of Olive. We have the 8th spot in the parade, which begins at 9 am. There will be refreshments after the parade at Memorial Plaza.
See back side for some history on Labor Day
The History of Labor Day: How it Came About: What it Means
Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.
More than 100 years after the first Labor Day observance, there is still some doubt as to who first proposed the holiday for workers. Some records show that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, was first in suggesting a day to honor those "who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold." But Peter McGuire's place in Labor Day history has not gone unchallenged. Many believe that Matthew Maguire, a machinist, not Peter McGuire, founded the holiday. Recent research seems to support the contention that Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, N.J., proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. What is clear is that the Central Labor Union adopted a Labor Day proposal and appointed a committee to plan a demonstration and picnic.
The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883. In 1884 the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday, as originally proposed, and the Central Labor Union urged similar organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and celebrate a "workingmen's holiday" on that date. The idea spread with the growth of labor organizations, and in 1885 Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country.
Through the years the nation gave increasing emphasis to Labor Day. The first governmental recognition came through municipal ordinances passed during 1885 and 1886. From them developed the movement to secure state legislation. The first state bill was introduced into the New York legislature, but the first to become law was passed by Oregon on February 21, 1887. During the year four more states — Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York — created the Labor Day holiday by legislative enactment. By the end of the decade Connecticut, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania had followed suit. By 1894, 23 other states had adopted the holiday in honor of workers, and on June 28 of that year, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories.
The form that the observance and celebration of Labor Day should take were outlined in the first proposal of the holiday — a street parade to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations" of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families. This became the pattern for the celebrations of Labor Day. Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed upon the economic and civic significance of the holiday. Still later, by a resolution of the American Federation of Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday and dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement.
The vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known and has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy. It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pay tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation's strength, freedom, and leadership — the American worker.
Source: Department of Labor
Postings for 63b moves will be adjusted for the Labor Day Holiday. Body shop and material openings will be posted at the main entrance through Tuesday, Sept. 7.
August sales results were announced yesterday. Here are the van numbers:
2010 2009 Change Share
Ford Econoline 10,251 5,350 + 91.6% 60.8%
GM 5,750 6,436 - 10.7% 34.1%
Mercedes Sprinter 848 --- --- 5.0%
Ford Transit 2,025 2,220 - 8.8%
GM press release: The fully integrated and dedicated Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) option, available this fall for Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana full-size vans, will be priced at $15,910 MSRP, General Motors announced Tuesday. Pricing for the all-inclusive CNG option includes a dedicated CNG system ($14,590), a natural gas-capable Vortec 6.0L V8 engine ($1,295), as well as HD trailering equipment ($265). A $240 credit for deleting the spare tire brings the package price to $15,910. So the total cost of either a 2011 Chevrolet Express or 2011 GMC Savana Cargo model, which starts at $25,980 would be $41,890 with the CNG option.
• Reminder: The annual Labor Day Parade will be Monday, Sept. 6. This year’s theme is “Buck up for a Brother or Sister”. We will meet at 7 am to decorate the float at 19th Street north of Olive. We have the 8th spot in the parade, which begins at 9 am. There will be refreshments after the parade at Memorial Plaza.
See back side for some history on Labor Day
The History of Labor Day: How it Came About: What it Means
Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.
More than 100 years after the first Labor Day observance, there is still some doubt as to who first proposed the holiday for workers. Some records show that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, was first in suggesting a day to honor those "who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold." But Peter McGuire's place in Labor Day history has not gone unchallenged. Many believe that Matthew Maguire, a machinist, not Peter McGuire, founded the holiday. Recent research seems to support the contention that Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, N.J., proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. What is clear is that the Central Labor Union adopted a Labor Day proposal and appointed a committee to plan a demonstration and picnic.
The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883. In 1884 the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday, as originally proposed, and the Central Labor Union urged similar organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and celebrate a "workingmen's holiday" on that date. The idea spread with the growth of labor organizations, and in 1885 Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country.
Through the years the nation gave increasing emphasis to Labor Day. The first governmental recognition came through municipal ordinances passed during 1885 and 1886. From them developed the movement to secure state legislation. The first state bill was introduced into the New York legislature, but the first to become law was passed by Oregon on February 21, 1887. During the year four more states — Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York — created the Labor Day holiday by legislative enactment. By the end of the decade Connecticut, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania had followed suit. By 1894, 23 other states had adopted the holiday in honor of workers, and on June 28 of that year, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories.
The form that the observance and celebration of Labor Day should take were outlined in the first proposal of the holiday — a street parade to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations" of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families. This became the pattern for the celebrations of Labor Day. Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed upon the economic and civic significance of the holiday. Still later, by a resolution of the American Federation of Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday and dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement.
The vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known and has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy. It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pay tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation's strength, freedom, and leadership — the American worker.
Source: Department of Labor
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
State of the Union September 1, 2010
Sept. 1, 2010 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
From Chairman Mike Bullock: Management has notified the union that they will be keeping 27 more members after September 10 than they had previously announced. There will be 30 members laid off now. The seniority date to hold the plant will be 9/16/99 with last four SSN 3000.
From President Dan Howell: The annual Labor Day Parade will be Monday, Sept. 6. This year’s theme is “Buck up for a Brother or Sister”. We will meet at 7 am to decorate the float at 19th Street north of Olive. We have the 8th spot in the parade, which begins at 9 am. Bring your friends and family to help decorate and there will be refreshments after the parade at Memorial Plaza. Hope to see you there.
From the Detroit News: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened a preliminary investigation into steering issues reported on the 2011 Hyundai Sonata. NHTSA said it reviewed field reports on 2011 Hyundai Sonata vehicles that allege either a separation of the intermediate steering shaft assembly upper universal joint that resulted in a complete loss of steering capability or a loosening, but not complete separation, of the upper universal joint connection. The probe covers about 16,300 2011 Hyundai Sonata vehicles, NHTSA said in a statement posted today on its website. The popular vehicle accounts for nearly half of the company's car sales.(This is strangely reminiscent of the Kia Soul steering problems, which is another Hyundai Group product)
From the Wall Street Journal: Almost 2,000 employers and unions will be eligible to submit retirees' medical bills for reimbursement by a $5 billion federal fund, the Obama administration said Tuesday, suggesting the fund will be spread widely but thinly. General Motors Co., General Electric Co., Procter & Gamble Co., PepsiCoInc., AlcoaInc., IntelCorp., and PfizerInc. are among the large corporations that the White House will say can submit retirees' health bills for reimbursement. The list includes the United Auto Workers union, state and local governments and universities. Under the program, approved employers can tap into a federal fund that will reimburse up to 80% of certain health costs for retirees between the ages of 55 and 64, or those who don't yet qualify for Medicare. Medical, surgical, hospital and prescription-drug costs are eligible for reimbursement, and employers can use the money to help reduce co-payments, deductibles and other out-of-pocket expenses. Employers can submit medical claims filed since June 1.
Part two of the Jobs, Justice and Peace national agenda
Millions of Americans are hurting right now. When we help them, we’re also helping to put the economy back on track. Unemployment checks are quickly recycled as workers spend them on necessities, providing a needed boost in consumer spending. More federal assistance to states and cities will prevent layoffs, cuts in services and tax increases that threaten to further squeeze consumer demand and push the economy back into recession. A moratorium on foreclosures will not only keep families in their homes, it will help stabilize neighborhoods and protect housing values.
• Aid for the unemployed. In July, the Senate finally acted to extend unemployment benefits to jobless workers who have exhausted their 26 weeks of state benefits. That extension will run out again at the end of November. In the meantime, the COBRA subsidy that allowed many jobless workers to continue health insurance coverage for themselves and their families has been allowed to expire. So has the extra $25/week that unemployed workers were receiving as part of the Recovery Act. With more than five unemployed workers for every job opening, with the average duration of unemployment exceeding 34 weeks, with nearly 6.6 million Americans unemployed for more than six months, and with unemployment expected to remain high into 2011, Congress needs to act promptly to ensure that benefits for the long-term unemployed continue beyond November. The 65 percent COBRA premium subsidy and $25 increase in weekly benefits should both be restored immediately. Failure to do so is both cruel and economically irresponsible. It’s widely recognized by economists that assisting the unemployed is one of the most effective stimulus tools in the federal government’s arsenal. According to Mark Zandi of Moody’s Economy.com, a dollar spent on unemployment benefits increases GDP by $1.61.
• Aid for cities and states. Cities and states continue to reel from the economic downturn, and their plight is adding to our jobs crisis. State and local governments across the country have eliminated more than 300,000 jobs over the last two years. And the situation is not getting any better: the depressed economy means depressed revenues, leading most states to enact even deeper cuts in fiscal 2011. At a time when more citizens need services, services are being cut; at a time when more jobs are desperately needed, jobs are being cut; and at a time when families are watching every penny, taxes and fees are being raised. The federal government has the power to stop this destructive cycle by extending financial assistance to state and local governments. Recent Congressional action providing $26 billion for Medicaid and education was helpful, but did not go nearly far enough. The Economic Policy Institute has recommended $150 billion in federal assistance to state and local governments, estimating that those dollars would save or create between one and 1.4 million jobs.
• Direct job creation. With hiring in the private sector weak, and with states and cities cutting their own employment roles, the federal government can and should directly fund the creation of public service jobs, as it has done historically in other periods of high unemployment – most notably, during the Great Depression. The Local Jobs for America Act, introduced by Representative George Miller (D-Calif) would provide $75 billion over two years to local governments and states, targeting those communities where the need is greatest, for programs to put the unemployed to work on community service projects run by either local governments or non-profit organizations.
• Moratorium on foreclosures. Foreclosures are devastating neighborhoods in Detroit and across the country, sending out ripples of pain – from the families who are losing their homes, to neighbors whose property values are plummeting, to entire communities confronting abandonment and blight. According to RealtyTrac, there were 11,889 homes in foreclosure in the city of Detroit in July, and 100,995 across the state of Michigan. Despite $75 billion in funding for mortgage modifications to assist beleaguered homeowners, financial institutions are dragging their feet. According to the most recent report of the Making Home Affordable Program, out of more than 3 million eligible loans nationally, only 1.3 million have had trial modifications initiated – and a mere 421,804 have a permanent modification in place. In Michigan, through July, only 14,525 homeowners had received a permanent modification of their mortgage loan. Meanwhile, foreclosures mount – another 18,833 were filed in Michigan in July, according to RealtyTrac. To give struggling families a meaningful opportunity to save their homes (and to create a meaningful push for lenders to work with them toward that end), we support legislation (S.B. 29) introduced in the Michigan state legislature to establish a 2-year moratorium on foreclosures.
From Chairman Mike Bullock: Management has notified the union that they will be keeping 27 more members after September 10 than they had previously announced. There will be 30 members laid off now. The seniority date to hold the plant will be 9/16/99 with last four SSN 3000.
From President Dan Howell: The annual Labor Day Parade will be Monday, Sept. 6. This year’s theme is “Buck up for a Brother or Sister”. We will meet at 7 am to decorate the float at 19th Street north of Olive. We have the 8th spot in the parade, which begins at 9 am. Bring your friends and family to help decorate and there will be refreshments after the parade at Memorial Plaza. Hope to see you there.
From the Detroit News: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened a preliminary investigation into steering issues reported on the 2011 Hyundai Sonata. NHTSA said it reviewed field reports on 2011 Hyundai Sonata vehicles that allege either a separation of the intermediate steering shaft assembly upper universal joint that resulted in a complete loss of steering capability or a loosening, but not complete separation, of the upper universal joint connection. The probe covers about 16,300 2011 Hyundai Sonata vehicles, NHTSA said in a statement posted today on its website. The popular vehicle accounts for nearly half of the company's car sales.(This is strangely reminiscent of the Kia Soul steering problems, which is another Hyundai Group product)
From the Wall Street Journal: Almost 2,000 employers and unions will be eligible to submit retirees' medical bills for reimbursement by a $5 billion federal fund, the Obama administration said Tuesday, suggesting the fund will be spread widely but thinly. General Motors Co., General Electric Co., Procter & Gamble Co., PepsiCoInc., AlcoaInc., IntelCorp., and PfizerInc. are among the large corporations that the White House will say can submit retirees' health bills for reimbursement. The list includes the United Auto Workers union, state and local governments and universities. Under the program, approved employers can tap into a federal fund that will reimburse up to 80% of certain health costs for retirees between the ages of 55 and 64, or those who don't yet qualify for Medicare. Medical, surgical, hospital and prescription-drug costs are eligible for reimbursement, and employers can use the money to help reduce co-payments, deductibles and other out-of-pocket expenses. Employers can submit medical claims filed since June 1.
Part two of the Jobs, Justice and Peace national agenda
Millions of Americans are hurting right now. When we help them, we’re also helping to put the economy back on track. Unemployment checks are quickly recycled as workers spend them on necessities, providing a needed boost in consumer spending. More federal assistance to states and cities will prevent layoffs, cuts in services and tax increases that threaten to further squeeze consumer demand and push the economy back into recession. A moratorium on foreclosures will not only keep families in their homes, it will help stabilize neighborhoods and protect housing values.
• Aid for the unemployed. In July, the Senate finally acted to extend unemployment benefits to jobless workers who have exhausted their 26 weeks of state benefits. That extension will run out again at the end of November. In the meantime, the COBRA subsidy that allowed many jobless workers to continue health insurance coverage for themselves and their families has been allowed to expire. So has the extra $25/week that unemployed workers were receiving as part of the Recovery Act. With more than five unemployed workers for every job opening, with the average duration of unemployment exceeding 34 weeks, with nearly 6.6 million Americans unemployed for more than six months, and with unemployment expected to remain high into 2011, Congress needs to act promptly to ensure that benefits for the long-term unemployed continue beyond November. The 65 percent COBRA premium subsidy and $25 increase in weekly benefits should both be restored immediately. Failure to do so is both cruel and economically irresponsible. It’s widely recognized by economists that assisting the unemployed is one of the most effective stimulus tools in the federal government’s arsenal. According to Mark Zandi of Moody’s Economy.com, a dollar spent on unemployment benefits increases GDP by $1.61.
• Aid for cities and states. Cities and states continue to reel from the economic downturn, and their plight is adding to our jobs crisis. State and local governments across the country have eliminated more than 300,000 jobs over the last two years. And the situation is not getting any better: the depressed economy means depressed revenues, leading most states to enact even deeper cuts in fiscal 2011. At a time when more citizens need services, services are being cut; at a time when more jobs are desperately needed, jobs are being cut; and at a time when families are watching every penny, taxes and fees are being raised. The federal government has the power to stop this destructive cycle by extending financial assistance to state and local governments. Recent Congressional action providing $26 billion for Medicaid and education was helpful, but did not go nearly far enough. The Economic Policy Institute has recommended $150 billion in federal assistance to state and local governments, estimating that those dollars would save or create between one and 1.4 million jobs.
• Direct job creation. With hiring in the private sector weak, and with states and cities cutting their own employment roles, the federal government can and should directly fund the creation of public service jobs, as it has done historically in other periods of high unemployment – most notably, during the Great Depression. The Local Jobs for America Act, introduced by Representative George Miller (D-Calif) would provide $75 billion over two years to local governments and states, targeting those communities where the need is greatest, for programs to put the unemployed to work on community service projects run by either local governments or non-profit organizations.
• Moratorium on foreclosures. Foreclosures are devastating neighborhoods in Detroit and across the country, sending out ripples of pain – from the families who are losing their homes, to neighbors whose property values are plummeting, to entire communities confronting abandonment and blight. According to RealtyTrac, there were 11,889 homes in foreclosure in the city of Detroit in July, and 100,995 across the state of Michigan. Despite $75 billion in funding for mortgage modifications to assist beleaguered homeowners, financial institutions are dragging their feet. According to the most recent report of the Making Home Affordable Program, out of more than 3 million eligible loans nationally, only 1.3 million have had trial modifications initiated – and a mere 421,804 have a permanent modification in place. In Michigan, through July, only 14,525 homeowners had received a permanent modification of their mortgage loan. Meanwhile, foreclosures mount – another 18,833 were filed in Michigan in July, according to RealtyTrac. To give struggling families a meaningful opportunity to save their homes (and to create a meaningful push for lenders to work with them toward that end), we support legislation (S.B. 29) introduced in the Michigan state legislature to establish a 2-year moratorium on foreclosures.
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