Sept. 22, 2011 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
Attention: The polls will be open for the ratification vote on Monday, Sept. 26 from 4 am until 30 minutes after the last informational meeting. The schedule for those meetings is 7am, 1pm, 3pm and 15 minutes after the longest first shift line time. This vote is not for the local agreement, just the national agreement.
Information booklets should arrive at the Union Hall at noon and will be distributed as soon as possible. Both the information book and the contract language are available at www.uaw.org.
The UAW issued two statements yesterday regarding negotiations with Chrysler and Ford:
o Today the UAW and Chrysler Group LLC agreed to extend the current collective bargaining agreement while we continue negotiating toward a tentative agreement. The current contract extension was set to expire today. The UAW will not provide further comment regarding negotiations or speculate about timing or the potential outcome of these negotiations at this time.
o The UAW will focus its attention on Ford Motor Co. in negotiations for a tentative agreement. Also today, the UAW and Chrysler Group LLC agreed to an additional extension of the current collective bargaining agreement while continuing to negotiate toward a tentative agreement.
The UAW will not provide further comment regarding negotiations or speculate about timing or the potential outcome of these negotiations at this time.
Ford issued this statement: "We look forward to working with the UAW on a new tentative agreement that is fair to our employees and allows Ford to become more competitive." UAW Vice President Jimmy Settles issued this statement: “I am proud to announce that we have been chosen as the next department to begin the final stages of negotiations and not Chrysler… I can tell you that our negotiators have already been working hard in subcommittee meetings, and they are anxious as am I to begin intense discussions with the company and work toward a tentative agreement." There was no comment from Chrysler regarding the contract extension.
Here are some more questions and answers about the tentative agreement:
Q. What about the ‘use it or lose it” vacation clause?
A. That clause will end on the effective date of the agreement – Sept. 15. Any vacation hours you have remaining at the end of the year will be paid no later than Feb. 1 next year. VR hours were maintained in the tentative agreement. Regarding two-week summer shutdown, management must make a determination in the month of February about which, if any, weeks will be for summer shutdown. Those weeks must be scheduled during the May – August time period.
Q. What will be the work schedule when we go to 2 shifts?
A. We will remain on the alternative work schedule, which is 4-10 hour days and 2 out of 3 Fridays maximum. We anticipate working fewer Fridays with 2 shifts of production.
Q. What about eligibility for the signing bonus?
A. You must be an active worker, or not on a sick leave of more than 90 days prior to the effective date of the agreement, which is Sept.15.
Q. Are dental and vision coverage being reinstated for retirees?
A. Retiree medical benefits are controlled by the Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association (VEBA), and are not part of these negotiations. An independent board of trustees determines the level of coverage. We have been told that an update on those benefits is coming sometime next month.
Q. What is the attrition package for skilled trades?
A. Eligible skilled trades employees who take the package between November 1 and March 31 will receive $65,000 plus $10,000.
Q. Will employees who took the 3-year, $30,000 transfer relocation package be able to come back any sooner than 3 years?
A. No.
Q. If I don’t go and vote on Monday, is that counted as a “yes” vote or a “no” vote?
A. This a persistent myth. Only the votes that are cast are the ones counted. There are no automatic votes, either yes or no.
No comments:
Post a Comment