February 26, 2015 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
• From Chairman Mike Bullock: Congratulations to the 750 temporaries who will be converted to permanent! The conversion will happen on the following dates:
Your group leader will inform you of the time and place for the meeting to sign your paperwork and to learn of your benefits.
Orders for our trucks and vans have been coming in steadily. We have already reached #2 status in sales of mid-size trucks. Only Toyota stands in our way. Sales have way exceeded projections. With that said, the corporation approached the International Union to try and find an innovative, creative way to produce more trucks and vans here at Wentzville Assembly Center. A presentation to the union by the corporation was given on Tuesday of a unique “flex” schedule. This schedule has not been done at any other GM plant. Again Wentzville is being asked to be the leaders in the corporation.
The details are still being negotiated. The earliest we could launch a flex schedule would be July. We will remain on plan “A” overtime until a flex schedule would be launched.
The good news is, we are building two products that our customers cannot get enough of. I want to do everything possible to keep Wentzville Assembly Center as the sole builder of our products. With everyone’s help we can do this. I will share more information as it becomes available.
• Here are the shift schedules for next week, beginning March 2:
First shift: 6:30 am – 3:00 pm
1st break – 8:30 am
Lunch – 11:00 am
2nd break – 1:00 pm
Second shift: 2:30 pm – 11:00 pm
1st break – 4:30 pm
Lunch – 7:00 pm
2nd break – 9:00 pm
Third shift: 10:30 pm – 7:00 am
1st break – 12:30 am
Lunch – 3:00 am
2nd break – 5:00 am
• The 23rd Annual African-American Heritage Celebration will be held this Saturday, Feb. 28 at the Union Hall. Doors open at 6:30 pm and dinner will be at 7 pm. Beer, set-ups and snacks will be provided along with dancing and music from DJ “T Gutta”. Come on out and help make this a memorable celebration!
• The Civil Rights Committee is asking for donations of display items for the Irish Heritage day to be held Thursday, March 12. These items will be displayed for one day and then returned. You can donate items at the benefits office or the EAP office of Ron Moore.
• Reminder: ticket sales for the Colorado coat will run through Friday, Feb. 27 and the drawing will be at 1st shift lunch time in the cafeteria. Tickets are $5 apiece or 3 for $10 and are available from Women’s Committee members. You can also buy them in the cafeteria at 1st shift lunch time.
• You have to give Toyota management an A+ for audacity. Fresh off of a fiscal third quarter that generated $5.1 billion in profit, and projections of record full year profits of $24.5 billion, you would think Toyota workers would be in line to share some of that windfall. Well you would be wrong. The Toyota Motor Workers’ Union earlier this month proposed a 6,000 yen ($50) monthly wage increase for the fiscal year beginning in April, a raise of about 1.7 percent. That timid proposal was met with this response: “It is impossible to accept this as it is,” Managing Officer Tatsuro Ueda told reporters in Toyota City, Japan. “It is a higher-level proposal than we expected.” For the record, this raise would increase labor costs $168 million, or .7 percent of annual profits. How could they ever stay in business giving out raises like that?
• From Automotive News: General Motors is trimming production at two of its car plants amid mounting dealer inventories, an effort to reduce stocks of the Chevrolet Sonic and Camaro, Buick Regal and other models. This week, GM scheduled downtime for March 9-13 at its Orion Assembly plant in suburban Detroit, where the Sonic and Buick Verano small cars are made, to adjust supply to demand, according to a plant worker and another person with knowledge of the schedule. The Orion plant also was idle last week and previously had scheduled a down week for April 6-10, also to trim excess inventory. Meanwhile, the “Flex” line at GM’s Oshawa, Ontario, plant will be idled April 13-17, cutting production of the Camaro sports car, Regal sedan, Cadillac XTS sedan and Chevy Impala, one of the sources said. On Feb. 1, there was a 216-day supply of Sonics. The Regal had a 213-day supply, up from 96 days on Jan. 1. Camaro inventory was 131 days, up from a month earlier but lower than at the same time last year.
Tom Brune
UAW Communications Coordinator
Wentzville Assembly
636-327-2119
Thursday, February 26, 2015
Monday, February 23, 2015
State of the Union February 23, 2015
February 23, 2015 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
• Attention: GM has been working closely with Anthem and Blue Cross Blue Shield to address the recent Anthem cyber-attack. Anthem is a service provider to Blue Cross Blue Shield Michigan (BCBSM). GM was notified this week by BCBSM that some GM participants’ data has been compromised in this incident.
Impacted GM participants will be notified directly by Anthem via U.S. Mail. Anthem is offering two years of free credit monitoring and identity theft repair through AllClear ID to BCBSM or Blue Care Network members whose personal information could be affected. This includes members who live – or traveled to and received health services – in one of the 14 states where Anthem operates: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin. You do not need to wait for your notification letter from Anthem to participate in the credit monitoring/identity theft repair enrollment process. Simply go to www.AnthemFacts.comhttps://www.anthemfacts.com/ for instructions. Anthem’s enrollment process will ask you a few questions to determine if you may have been affected by the cyber-attack. In addition, both current and former Anthem members can call this dedicated, toll-free number if they have questions related to this incident: 1-877-263-7995. You can also learn more by reviewing attached the Frequently Asked Questions provided by BCBSM.
• FYI – Alliance Credit Union will be in the cafeteria all week signing up members with a special rate on new Savings account for GM employees.
• Due to high demand, ticket sales for the Colorado coat will run through Friday, Feb. 27 and the drawing will be at 1st shift lunch time in the cafeteria. Tickets are $5 apiece or 3 for $10 and are available from Women’s Committee members. You can also buy them in the cafeteria at 1st shift lunch time.
• The 23rd Annual African-American Heritage Celebration will be held this Saturday, Feb. 28 at the Union Hall. Doors open at 6:30 pm and dinner will be at 7 pm. Beer, set-ups and snacks will be provided along with dancing and music from DJ “T Gutta”. Come on out and help make this a memorable celebration!
• The Civil Rights Committee is asking for donations of display items for the Irish Heritage day to be held Thursday, March 12. These items will be displayed for one day and then returned. You can donate items at the benefits office or the EAP office of Ron Moore.
• Right-to-work legislation is making its way through the Missouri Legislature. While Governor Jay Nixon has promised a veto should it reach his desk, we can’t assume that his veto would not be overridden. That’s why it is important to contact your legislator and tell them you are opposed to right-to-work for Missouri. Call 1-855-626-6011 to contact your legislator to tell them they need to focus on creating jobs, not scoring political points at the expense of the middle class.
• From Reuters: United Auto Workers President Dennis Williams told Reuters it would be an "injustice" if workers at the Detroit Three automakers don’t get a raise in contracts this year, but he said the union must also ensure the companies remain competitive. Williams, in an interview with the Reuters editorial board in New York, gave a glimpse of the union’s approach to this summer’s contract talks with General Motors Co, Ford Motor Co and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. The UAW has not conducted a substantial strike against any of the Detroit automakers since the 1990s, and was prohibited from striking GM and Chrysler under the terms of the 2009 federal bailout. This time around, Williams said the union is prepared to call for walkouts, if necessary.
“We’re ... mature organizations that have been through a hell of a lot together to survive,” Williams said. “None of us want to blow it.” Williams serves on the board of commercial truck maker Navistar International Corp, an appointment he says he took reluctantly, reflecting traditional union concerns about getting too close to management. Williams says his views have changed, and he now supports UAW representation on boards. The union has a representative on GM’s board (former VP Joe Ashton). “We’ve got to be creative,” Williams said, referring to any overhaul of the two-tier wage system. “Wages are not the only way to stay competitive. It’s about productivity. It’s about engineering, it’s about a lot of things.”
Williams also told Reuters an investor group’s proposal that GM buy back $8 billion of its stock is premature, and the amount too high for the company’s long-term health. An investment firm controlled by Harry Wilson, a former member of the U.S. government task force that restructured GM through bankruptcy in 2009, together with four other hedge funds, is urging it to return part of its roughly $25 billion cash trove to shareholders. Williams, who said he met Tuesday with Harry Wilson to discuss the proposal, left open the possibility that he could endorse a smaller share repurchase. “I personally don’t have a problem with Harry, but that doesn’t mean I necessarily agreed with his total analysis of the company,” Williams said. He described his meeting with Wilson as “informative and frank.” . Williams said he is concerned that GM will need to make substantial investments in new models and technology to stay competitive, and to meet stricter fuel economy and emissions requirements. GM has outlined plans to boost capital spending in 2015 by 20 percent to $9 billion. Some of that investment will flow to U.S. factories that employ some of GM's 49,900 UAW members.
Tom Brune
UAW Communications Coordinator
Wentzville Assembly
636-327-2119
• Attention: GM has been working closely with Anthem and Blue Cross Blue Shield to address the recent Anthem cyber-attack. Anthem is a service provider to Blue Cross Blue Shield Michigan (BCBSM). GM was notified this week by BCBSM that some GM participants’ data has been compromised in this incident.
Impacted GM participants will be notified directly by Anthem via U.S. Mail. Anthem is offering two years of free credit monitoring and identity theft repair through AllClear ID to BCBSM or Blue Care Network members whose personal information could be affected. This includes members who live – or traveled to and received health services – in one of the 14 states where Anthem operates: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin. You do not need to wait for your notification letter from Anthem to participate in the credit monitoring/identity theft repair enrollment process. Simply go to www.AnthemFacts.comhttps://www.anthemfacts.com/ for instructions. Anthem’s enrollment process will ask you a few questions to determine if you may have been affected by the cyber-attack. In addition, both current and former Anthem members can call this dedicated, toll-free number if they have questions related to this incident: 1-877-263-7995. You can also learn more by reviewing attached the Frequently Asked Questions provided by BCBSM.
• FYI – Alliance Credit Union will be in the cafeteria all week signing up members with a special rate on new Savings account for GM employees.
• Due to high demand, ticket sales for the Colorado coat will run through Friday, Feb. 27 and the drawing will be at 1st shift lunch time in the cafeteria. Tickets are $5 apiece or 3 for $10 and are available from Women’s Committee members. You can also buy them in the cafeteria at 1st shift lunch time.
• The 23rd Annual African-American Heritage Celebration will be held this Saturday, Feb. 28 at the Union Hall. Doors open at 6:30 pm and dinner will be at 7 pm. Beer, set-ups and snacks will be provided along with dancing and music from DJ “T Gutta”. Come on out and help make this a memorable celebration!
• The Civil Rights Committee is asking for donations of display items for the Irish Heritage day to be held Thursday, March 12. These items will be displayed for one day and then returned. You can donate items at the benefits office or the EAP office of Ron Moore.
• Right-to-work legislation is making its way through the Missouri Legislature. While Governor Jay Nixon has promised a veto should it reach his desk, we can’t assume that his veto would not be overridden. That’s why it is important to contact your legislator and tell them you are opposed to right-to-work for Missouri. Call 1-855-626-6011 to contact your legislator to tell them they need to focus on creating jobs, not scoring political points at the expense of the middle class.
• From Reuters: United Auto Workers President Dennis Williams told Reuters it would be an "injustice" if workers at the Detroit Three automakers don’t get a raise in contracts this year, but he said the union must also ensure the companies remain competitive. Williams, in an interview with the Reuters editorial board in New York, gave a glimpse of the union’s approach to this summer’s contract talks with General Motors Co, Ford Motor Co and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. The UAW has not conducted a substantial strike against any of the Detroit automakers since the 1990s, and was prohibited from striking GM and Chrysler under the terms of the 2009 federal bailout. This time around, Williams said the union is prepared to call for walkouts, if necessary.
“We’re ... mature organizations that have been through a hell of a lot together to survive,” Williams said. “None of us want to blow it.” Williams serves on the board of commercial truck maker Navistar International Corp, an appointment he says he took reluctantly, reflecting traditional union concerns about getting too close to management. Williams says his views have changed, and he now supports UAW representation on boards. The union has a representative on GM’s board (former VP Joe Ashton). “We’ve got to be creative,” Williams said, referring to any overhaul of the two-tier wage system. “Wages are not the only way to stay competitive. It’s about productivity. It’s about engineering, it’s about a lot of things.”
Williams also told Reuters an investor group’s proposal that GM buy back $8 billion of its stock is premature, and the amount too high for the company’s long-term health. An investment firm controlled by Harry Wilson, a former member of the U.S. government task force that restructured GM through bankruptcy in 2009, together with four other hedge funds, is urging it to return part of its roughly $25 billion cash trove to shareholders. Williams, who said he met Tuesday with Harry Wilson to discuss the proposal, left open the possibility that he could endorse a smaller share repurchase. “I personally don’t have a problem with Harry, but that doesn’t mean I necessarily agreed with his total analysis of the company,” Williams said. He described his meeting with Wilson as “informative and frank.” . Williams said he is concerned that GM will need to make substantial investments in new models and technology to stay competitive, and to meet stricter fuel economy and emissions requirements. GM has outlined plans to boost capital spending in 2015 by 20 percent to $9 billion. Some of that investment will flow to U.S. factories that employ some of GM's 49,900 UAW members.
Tom Brune
UAW Communications Coordinator
Wentzville Assembly
636-327-2119
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
State of the Union February 18, 2015
February 18, 2015 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
• Ticket sales for the Colorado coat will run through Friday, Feb. 20. Drawing will be Saturday, Feb. 21 at 1st shift lunch time in the cafeteria. Tickets are $5 apiece or 3 for $10 and are available from Women’s Committee members.
• Shift schedules for next week are: 1st shift – 6:30 am to 5 pm; 2nd shift – 2:30 pm to 1 am; 3rd shift – 10:30 pm to 9 am.
• From the Chattanooga Times Free Press: A labor group competing with the United Auto Workers for members at Volkswagen's Chattanooga plant has qualified for limited organizing rights at the factory. The American Council of Employees was certified by VW as having membership of at least 15 percent of hourly plant workers, Maury Nicely, an attorney for the group, said on Monday. Also, ACE was certified as having at least 15 percent of salaried employees, he said. Late last year, the UAW went through the same procedure, and auditors determined that the UAW had gathered signatures from at least 45 percent of the plant's blue-collar workers.
That percentage allowed the union to have regular meetings with Volkswagen officials. ACE will now have similar rights, though not as extensive. ACE will be able to convene monthly with human resources officials, hold regular on-site ACE meetings and post announcements at the factory. Both the UAW and ACE qualified under a labor policy that VW put into place last fall. Mike Cantrell, UAW Local 42 president in Chattanooga, said the group represents more than 50 percent of the blue-collar workforce. Cantrell said in a statement that the UAW, which already has met with VW management, is focused on representing its members and solidifying its partnership with the Volkswagen Global Group Works Council. He said the works council "has said clearly that it wants the Chattanooga plant to be a 'UAW-represented facility.'" Cantrell said he believes Volkswagen "will honor its commitment to recognize UAW Local 42, and we will continue working toward the process of collective bargaining with the company."
• The U.S. Postal Service is seeking bids on 180,000 delivery trucks as they look to modernize their fleet. They have set price parameters of between $25,000 and $35,000, with the total value of the contract somewhere in the neighborhood of $6 billion. The current trucks were built by aerospace company Grumman Corp., before Grumman was gobbled up by defense giant Northrop. Grumman put a rustproof aluminum frame on a General Motors chassis (the old Colorado) and powered it with a four-cylinder engine from the Chevrolet compact pickup. According to a 2014 report by the inspector general of the Postal Service, the Long Life Vehicles still in service cost an average of $3,188 to maintain in fiscal 2013, with 9 percent needing more than $6,000 in upkeep.
Given the history of the current delivery truck, GM – and Wentzville in particular – would be in a position to compete for this huge fleet order. GM Fleet and Commercial spokesman Bob Wheeler released this statement: “GM listens to the needs across a wide range of customers. The U.S Postal Service is an important customer and we are early in the process of exploring potential solutions that would work for their needs.”
• From Automotive News: General Motors sold 8,147 Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon midsize pickups last month. Is that good or bad? It depends whom you ask. Jalopnik leans toward bad, I guess, with this headline from Tuesday: "Is The 2015 Chevy Colorado In Danger Of Becoming A Failed Experiment?" The writer, who counts himself a Colorado fan, laments that in January, just its fifth month on the market, the Colorado didn't overtake the segment’s top dog, the Toyota Tacoma, in monthly sales. (It was 11,409 to 5,942.) Meanwhile, a Fox News report called the Colorado a "hot seller." And then there's the press release put out this week by GM itself, trumpeting brisk sales in the Los Angeles area, ground zero for smaller pickups and a Tacoma stronghold. It's understandable that people want to be the first to declare GM's midsize pickup gambit hit or a miss. The stakes are high. Since GM hasn't disclosed a sales estimate, I thought I'd offer one as a bogey for a successful launch: 120,000 in combined Colorado and Canyon sales this year. That would breeze past the 82,000 average estimate provided to Automotive News by three research firms. IHS Automotive, AutoPacific Inc. and LMC Automotive gave those forecasts around the time of the September launch, before the Colorado was named Motor Trend’s Truck of the Year, and before the bottom fell out of gasoline prices.
If my back-of-the-envelope target is reasonable, then January sales of the two trucks bode well. A 12-month run rate alone puts the total near 100,000, and January is a slow month. Plus, the trucks are still in launch mode. Many dealers say they can hardly get any. But even clearing that bar, or falling short of it, won't tell the whole story. You'll need to look at Silverado and Sierra sales for signs of cannibalization. And the pickups need to do well in California, where Chevy desperately needs better brand consideration. Conquest and average-price data must be crunched. But for now, 120,000 sales is as good a measuring stick as any for what will be one of the most closely watched story lines in the industry this year.
• From the Detroit News: Drivers of Chevy Cobalts and Saturn Ions met with skepticism when they tried to restart a $10 billion lawsuit accusing General Motors Co. of exposing them to falling car prices. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert Gerber has the sole power to decide whether they can demand money for their old, often second-hand, cars. The judge cast doubt on their hopes of demanding billions of dollars in damages from the automaker when he asked why they should be allowed to sue the company for the lost value of their vehicles when many accident victims can’t sue for death or injury.
• From the Associated Press: The death toll linked to crashes involving General Motors cars with defective ignition switches has climbed to 56. The new total, which is four more than last week, was posted Monday on an Internet site by compensation expert Kenneth Feinberg. Feinberg and his aides are combing through claims filed before a Jan. 31 deadline to determine which are eligible for compensation. Each eligible death claim is worth at least $1 million under guidelines established by Feinberg, who was hired by GM to handle claims and make payments. As of Friday, his office had received 478 death claims and 3,834 injury claims. Of the injury claims, 87 have been determined eligible for compensation, up from 79 a week earlier.
Tom Brune
UAW Communications Coordinator
Wentzville Assembly
636-327-2119
• Ticket sales for the Colorado coat will run through Friday, Feb. 20. Drawing will be Saturday, Feb. 21 at 1st shift lunch time in the cafeteria. Tickets are $5 apiece or 3 for $10 and are available from Women’s Committee members.
• Shift schedules for next week are: 1st shift – 6:30 am to 5 pm; 2nd shift – 2:30 pm to 1 am; 3rd shift – 10:30 pm to 9 am.
• From the Chattanooga Times Free Press: A labor group competing with the United Auto Workers for members at Volkswagen's Chattanooga plant has qualified for limited organizing rights at the factory. The American Council of Employees was certified by VW as having membership of at least 15 percent of hourly plant workers, Maury Nicely, an attorney for the group, said on Monday. Also, ACE was certified as having at least 15 percent of salaried employees, he said. Late last year, the UAW went through the same procedure, and auditors determined that the UAW had gathered signatures from at least 45 percent of the plant's blue-collar workers.
That percentage allowed the union to have regular meetings with Volkswagen officials. ACE will now have similar rights, though not as extensive. ACE will be able to convene monthly with human resources officials, hold regular on-site ACE meetings and post announcements at the factory. Both the UAW and ACE qualified under a labor policy that VW put into place last fall. Mike Cantrell, UAW Local 42 president in Chattanooga, said the group represents more than 50 percent of the blue-collar workforce. Cantrell said in a statement that the UAW, which already has met with VW management, is focused on representing its members and solidifying its partnership with the Volkswagen Global Group Works Council. He said the works council "has said clearly that it wants the Chattanooga plant to be a 'UAW-represented facility.'" Cantrell said he believes Volkswagen "will honor its commitment to recognize UAW Local 42, and we will continue working toward the process of collective bargaining with the company."
• The U.S. Postal Service is seeking bids on 180,000 delivery trucks as they look to modernize their fleet. They have set price parameters of between $25,000 and $35,000, with the total value of the contract somewhere in the neighborhood of $6 billion. The current trucks were built by aerospace company Grumman Corp., before Grumman was gobbled up by defense giant Northrop. Grumman put a rustproof aluminum frame on a General Motors chassis (the old Colorado) and powered it with a four-cylinder engine from the Chevrolet compact pickup. According to a 2014 report by the inspector general of the Postal Service, the Long Life Vehicles still in service cost an average of $3,188 to maintain in fiscal 2013, with 9 percent needing more than $6,000 in upkeep.
Given the history of the current delivery truck, GM – and Wentzville in particular – would be in a position to compete for this huge fleet order. GM Fleet and Commercial spokesman Bob Wheeler released this statement: “GM listens to the needs across a wide range of customers. The U.S Postal Service is an important customer and we are early in the process of exploring potential solutions that would work for their needs.”
• From Automotive News: General Motors sold 8,147 Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon midsize pickups last month. Is that good or bad? It depends whom you ask. Jalopnik leans toward bad, I guess, with this headline from Tuesday: "Is The 2015 Chevy Colorado In Danger Of Becoming A Failed Experiment?" The writer, who counts himself a Colorado fan, laments that in January, just its fifth month on the market, the Colorado didn't overtake the segment’s top dog, the Toyota Tacoma, in monthly sales. (It was 11,409 to 5,942.) Meanwhile, a Fox News report called the Colorado a "hot seller." And then there's the press release put out this week by GM itself, trumpeting brisk sales in the Los Angeles area, ground zero for smaller pickups and a Tacoma stronghold. It's understandable that people want to be the first to declare GM's midsize pickup gambit hit or a miss. The stakes are high. Since GM hasn't disclosed a sales estimate, I thought I'd offer one as a bogey for a successful launch: 120,000 in combined Colorado and Canyon sales this year. That would breeze past the 82,000 average estimate provided to Automotive News by three research firms. IHS Automotive, AutoPacific Inc. and LMC Automotive gave those forecasts around the time of the September launch, before the Colorado was named Motor Trend’s Truck of the Year, and before the bottom fell out of gasoline prices.
If my back-of-the-envelope target is reasonable, then January sales of the two trucks bode well. A 12-month run rate alone puts the total near 100,000, and January is a slow month. Plus, the trucks are still in launch mode. Many dealers say they can hardly get any. But even clearing that bar, or falling short of it, won't tell the whole story. You'll need to look at Silverado and Sierra sales for signs of cannibalization. And the pickups need to do well in California, where Chevy desperately needs better brand consideration. Conquest and average-price data must be crunched. But for now, 120,000 sales is as good a measuring stick as any for what will be one of the most closely watched story lines in the industry this year.
• From the Detroit News: Drivers of Chevy Cobalts and Saturn Ions met with skepticism when they tried to restart a $10 billion lawsuit accusing General Motors Co. of exposing them to falling car prices. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert Gerber has the sole power to decide whether they can demand money for their old, often second-hand, cars. The judge cast doubt on their hopes of demanding billions of dollars in damages from the automaker when he asked why they should be allowed to sue the company for the lost value of their vehicles when many accident victims can’t sue for death or injury.
• From the Associated Press: The death toll linked to crashes involving General Motors cars with defective ignition switches has climbed to 56. The new total, which is four more than last week, was posted Monday on an Internet site by compensation expert Kenneth Feinberg. Feinberg and his aides are combing through claims filed before a Jan. 31 deadline to determine which are eligible for compensation. Each eligible death claim is worth at least $1 million under guidelines established by Feinberg, who was hired by GM to handle claims and make payments. As of Friday, his office had received 478 death claims and 3,834 injury claims. Of the injury claims, 87 have been determined eligible for compensation, up from 79 a week earlier.
Tom Brune
UAW Communications Coordinator
Wentzville Assembly
636-327-2119
Friday, February 13, 2015
State of the Union February 13, 2015
February 13, 2015 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
• Last week, the nation’s second-largest health insurer, Anthem, reported that it had been the target of a massive, “very sophisticated external cyber-attack.” The attackers gained unauthorized access to Anthem’s IT system and obtained personal information about Anthem’s current and former members. If GM becomes aware of a potential breach of personal information, GM’s Personal Information Security Incident (PISI) process is triggered. “As soon as GM became aware of this incident, we contacted Anthem and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan immediately,” explained Chief Privacy Officer Jill Phillips. “GM takes the privacy and security of our employees’ and retirees’ information very seriously and Anthem administers Blue Cross Blue Shield health insurance for GM employees and retirees in some states (including Missouri). Anthem and Blue Cross Blue Shield have assured GM that they are working closely to determine if any of GM participants’ data may have been compromised in this incident.” The GM impact remains unknown at this time, but Anthem has confirmed it will communicate directly with any impacted. To learn more about the actions Anthem is taking, Anthem has published a dedicated website: www.AnthemFacts.com. They also have established a dedicated toll-free number that both current and former members can call if they have questions related to this incident: 1-877-263-7995.
• There are Women’s Committee meetings Tuesday, Feb. 17 in the cafeteria. The 2nd shift meeting is at 3:15 pm. The 1st and 3rd shift meetings are after the shifts. The Bake Sale raised $530 for Habitat for Humanity. The winter coat with embroidered Colorado on front and donated by Pat Wyse will be raffled off. Ticket sales will run through Friday, Feb. 20. Drawing will be at 1st shift lunch time in the cafeteria. Tickets are $5 apiece or 3 for $10 and will be available from committee members.
• Reminder: The performance bonus will automatically be put into your PSP at your current elected deferral rate. You have until 2/20/2015 to change that percentage. W4 changes need to be submitted by 2/13/2013 (keep in mind that the PSP deferral for the performance bonus and the W4 changes will apply to all paychecks afterward until you decide to do otherwise).
• FYI – JLL (the facilities housekeeping and maintenance contractor) is hiring 4 mobile equipment repair persons. Our members can apply at http://www.careerbuilder.com or http://www.us.jll.com/united-states/en-us
• 2014 was a banner year for automobile manufacturers, with one notable exception: Tesla. Regular readers are familiar with our skepticism regarding CEO Elon Musk’s business model. But we’re not the only ones wondering aloud how this company can fetch $200 a share for their stock while delivering building 35,000 vehicles. Enter one Jim Cramer of CNBC and Fast Money fame. Take it away, Jim.
“Tesla said ‘'Our financials are better than they appear; not worse'" Cramer said, quoting Musk. "At the end of the day, Tesla lost $10,000 per car [last quarter]." Cramer made his comments on "Squawk on the Street" a day after the automaker posted a loss of earnings per share of 13 cents on revenue of $1.1 billion. Wall Street expected the company to post earnings of 31 cents per share on revenue of about $1.23 billion, according to Thomson Reuters. The company cited weather and shipping problems for its poor quarter. "This company should be stickered as not a real company," Cramer said. He added that before Wednesday's conference call, he thought the automaker could be a "huge company" by 2025. "This conference call was a rubicon that I have rarely seen crossed in my career," Cramer said. "Curly, Larry and Moe could do a better conference call."
Wow! We couldn’t have said it better ourselves, Jim.
• From Automotive News: Chevrolet's Super Bowl "Blackout" was more than a typical ad. Chevrolet executives, operating with the mindset of Las Vegas showmen, knew they needed to time the screen-distorting stunt perfectly. Paul Edwards, Chevrolet's U.S. vice president of marketing, and his team wondered: Just how long should people stare at their black screens before they're let in on the joke? Was a 14-second disruption too long? Was 4 seconds long enough? The debate wasn't concluded until less than a week before the game, when Chevrolet and NBC settled on 7 seconds. Only then did Chevy pop the question that would lead to its pitch for the Colorado's 4G LTE connectivity: "What would you do if your TV went out?"
The 7-second decision was a crucial one that executives at Chevrolet, ad agency Commonwealth//McCann and NBC wrestled with to coax maximum impact from the commercial. Chevrolet and Commonwealth executives were fully aware of the emotional tightrope they walked that night. Extend the blackout too long and they'd run the risk of inciting a legion of ticked-off fans. "Seven seconds was about that magic number where it was enough time to draw people in, but then to give them a big fat smile right after letting them know it was a commercial from Chevrolet," Edwards said. "If we played it out too long, you had the risk of people changing the channel, or shutting off the TV or, honestly, getting mad. I think we played it perfectly. It was a balancing act."
The length of the disruption was only one piece of the stunt. For heightened shock value, Chevrolet needed to place it in an ideal spot. Chevy was sold on the pregame when research found that anticipation peaked right before kickoff. The only drawback was that fewer people would be watching at that point, but it was an easy trade-off. Chevrolet, like a showman, knew its audience was ripe for the picking. "I'll take 80 million highly engaged consumers that are going to react immediately to 114 million that may or may not be paying attention in the third quarter," Edwards said. Edwards acknowledged that Chevy could have received a flood of hostile reactions on social media once "Blackout" ran. But he said the opposite happened. Chevy, measuring sentiment across 90 percent of the social space on sites including Twitter and YouTube, found that it garnered 93 percent positive sentiment among users.
Tom Brune
UAW Communications Coordinator
Wentzville Assembly
636-327-2119
• Last week, the nation’s second-largest health insurer, Anthem, reported that it had been the target of a massive, “very sophisticated external cyber-attack.” The attackers gained unauthorized access to Anthem’s IT system and obtained personal information about Anthem’s current and former members. If GM becomes aware of a potential breach of personal information, GM’s Personal Information Security Incident (PISI) process is triggered. “As soon as GM became aware of this incident, we contacted Anthem and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan immediately,” explained Chief Privacy Officer Jill Phillips. “GM takes the privacy and security of our employees’ and retirees’ information very seriously and Anthem administers Blue Cross Blue Shield health insurance for GM employees and retirees in some states (including Missouri). Anthem and Blue Cross Blue Shield have assured GM that they are working closely to determine if any of GM participants’ data may have been compromised in this incident.” The GM impact remains unknown at this time, but Anthem has confirmed it will communicate directly with any impacted. To learn more about the actions Anthem is taking, Anthem has published a dedicated website: www.AnthemFacts.com. They also have established a dedicated toll-free number that both current and former members can call if they have questions related to this incident: 1-877-263-7995.
• There are Women’s Committee meetings Tuesday, Feb. 17 in the cafeteria. The 2nd shift meeting is at 3:15 pm. The 1st and 3rd shift meetings are after the shifts. The Bake Sale raised $530 for Habitat for Humanity. The winter coat with embroidered Colorado on front and donated by Pat Wyse will be raffled off. Ticket sales will run through Friday, Feb. 20. Drawing will be at 1st shift lunch time in the cafeteria. Tickets are $5 apiece or 3 for $10 and will be available from committee members.
• Reminder: The performance bonus will automatically be put into your PSP at your current elected deferral rate. You have until 2/20/2015 to change that percentage. W4 changes need to be submitted by 2/13/2013 (keep in mind that the PSP deferral for the performance bonus and the W4 changes will apply to all paychecks afterward until you decide to do otherwise).
• FYI – JLL (the facilities housekeeping and maintenance contractor) is hiring 4 mobile equipment repair persons. Our members can apply at http://www.careerbuilder.com or http://www.us.jll.com/united-states/en-us
• 2014 was a banner year for automobile manufacturers, with one notable exception: Tesla. Regular readers are familiar with our skepticism regarding CEO Elon Musk’s business model. But we’re not the only ones wondering aloud how this company can fetch $200 a share for their stock while delivering building 35,000 vehicles. Enter one Jim Cramer of CNBC and Fast Money fame. Take it away, Jim.
“Tesla said ‘'Our financials are better than they appear; not worse'" Cramer said, quoting Musk. "At the end of the day, Tesla lost $10,000 per car [last quarter]." Cramer made his comments on "Squawk on the Street" a day after the automaker posted a loss of earnings per share of 13 cents on revenue of $1.1 billion. Wall Street expected the company to post earnings of 31 cents per share on revenue of about $1.23 billion, according to Thomson Reuters. The company cited weather and shipping problems for its poor quarter. "This company should be stickered as not a real company," Cramer said. He added that before Wednesday's conference call, he thought the automaker could be a "huge company" by 2025. "This conference call was a rubicon that I have rarely seen crossed in my career," Cramer said. "Curly, Larry and Moe could do a better conference call."
Wow! We couldn’t have said it better ourselves, Jim.
• From Automotive News: Chevrolet's Super Bowl "Blackout" was more than a typical ad. Chevrolet executives, operating with the mindset of Las Vegas showmen, knew they needed to time the screen-distorting stunt perfectly. Paul Edwards, Chevrolet's U.S. vice president of marketing, and his team wondered: Just how long should people stare at their black screens before they're let in on the joke? Was a 14-second disruption too long? Was 4 seconds long enough? The debate wasn't concluded until less than a week before the game, when Chevrolet and NBC settled on 7 seconds. Only then did Chevy pop the question that would lead to its pitch for the Colorado's 4G LTE connectivity: "What would you do if your TV went out?"
The 7-second decision was a crucial one that executives at Chevrolet, ad agency Commonwealth//McCann and NBC wrestled with to coax maximum impact from the commercial. Chevrolet and Commonwealth executives were fully aware of the emotional tightrope they walked that night. Extend the blackout too long and they'd run the risk of inciting a legion of ticked-off fans. "Seven seconds was about that magic number where it was enough time to draw people in, but then to give them a big fat smile right after letting them know it was a commercial from Chevrolet," Edwards said. "If we played it out too long, you had the risk of people changing the channel, or shutting off the TV or, honestly, getting mad. I think we played it perfectly. It was a balancing act."
The length of the disruption was only one piece of the stunt. For heightened shock value, Chevrolet needed to place it in an ideal spot. Chevy was sold on the pregame when research found that anticipation peaked right before kickoff. The only drawback was that fewer people would be watching at that point, but it was an easy trade-off. Chevrolet, like a showman, knew its audience was ripe for the picking. "I'll take 80 million highly engaged consumers that are going to react immediately to 114 million that may or may not be paying attention in the third quarter," Edwards said. Edwards acknowledged that Chevy could have received a flood of hostile reactions on social media once "Blackout" ran. But he said the opposite happened. Chevy, measuring sentiment across 90 percent of the social space on sites including Twitter and YouTube, found that it garnered 93 percent positive sentiment among users.
Tom Brune
UAW Communications Coordinator
Wentzville Assembly
636-327-2119
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
State of the Union February 11, 2015
February 11, 2015 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
• Reminder: The annual African American Heritage day is set for Thursday, Feb. 12. Displays will be in the cafeteria along with videos and, of course, popcorn. Come on over and check out the displays.
• There are Veterans Committee meetings Thursday, Feb. 12 at the Union Hall. The 2nd shift meeting is 3:15 pm and the 1st and 3rd shift meetings are at 5:15 pm.
• There are Women’s Committee meetings Tuesday, Feb. 17 in the cafeteria. The 2nd shift meeting is at 3:15 pm. The 1st and 3rd shift meetings are after the shifts. The Bake Sale raised $530 for Habitat for Humanity. The winter coat with embroidered Colorado on front and donated by Pat Wyse will be raffled off. Ticket sales will run through Friday, Feb. 20. Drawing will be at 1st shift lunch time in the cafeteria. Tickets are $5 apiece or 3 for $10 and will be available from committee members.
• Reminder: You have to sign up by 2/12/2015 if you want any of your profit sharing deferred to PSP. The performance bonus will automatically be put into your PSP at your current elected deferral rate. You have until 2/20/2015 to change that percentage. W4 changes need to be submitted by 2/13/2013 (keep in mind that the PSP deferral for the performance bonus and the W4 changes will apply to all paychecks afterward until you decide to do otherwise).
• FYI – JLL (the facilities housekeeping and maintenance contractor) is hiring 4 mobile equipment repair persons. Our members can apply at http://www.careerbuilder.com or http://www.us.jll.com/united-states/en-us
• In case you hadn’t heard, David Hurst met his goal by collecting $7585 for Missouri Special Olympics. This made David the top individual fundraiser for the 2nd consecutive year! It was your generosity that made this happen. Thanks to everyone who donated. David proudly wore a UAW 2250 t-shirt as he plunged into the cold waters of Lake St. Louise. Great job, David and thanks for representing the UAW and GM so well!
• US News and World Report released their 2015 Best Cars/Trucks for the Money list. They chose the Chevrolet Colorado as the best compact truck. “The all-new 2015 Chevrolet Colorado surpasses its competitors with first-rate cabin materials and composed driving dynamics, according to test drivers. Because it has the best combination of positive reviews and long-term ownership costs in its class, the Chevrolet Colorado is the 2015 U.S. News Best Compact Truck for the Money.” The only other GM product to win was the Chevrolet Impala.
• With all the news about earnings, profit sharing and the pending launch of the third shift, January sales news has gotten lost in the shuffle. You may recall that the Colorado overtook the Nissan Frontier for 2nd place in the compact truck segment. Here’s a look at both the van and compact truck segment results:
At the present time, our production of both the van and pickups is basically sold out. In fact, we stopped taking orders for 2015 vans some time ago. Field supplies tell a similar story. In the case of the Colorado, there are 3239 units in net field stock, or a 14 day supply. Only the Escalade ESV has a lower supply. Given the fact that there are roughly 3500 Chevrolet dealers, it’s obvious that some of them do not even have a single Colorado. With the marketing campaign ramping up, expect the plant to be producing as many vehicles as possible for some time to come.
• Harry Wilson, a former member of the Auto Task Force that restructured GM through bankruptcy, announced yesterday that he would be seeking a seat on the board of directors and be pushing for an $8 billion stock buyback this year. This is not the kind of news we like to hear, particularly in a contract year. Wilson is acting at the behest of 3 hedge funds who collectively own 2.1% of GM’s shares. In their view, GM stock is undervalued (agreed) and that the buyback is a better use of GM cash as opposed to, say, fully funding the pension plan or expanding capacity at plants that build products whose demand outstrips supply.
We are reminded of the last time GM was doing well and was under pressure to execute a share buyback to support/increase stock prices. In 1999 GM earned then record profits, riding the crest of the pickup and SUV craze (sound familiar?). That year they completed what turned out to be a $9 billion share buyback. GM said at the time, “In total -- through share buybacks, spin-offs, and dividends -- General Motors has returned more than $34 billion in capital to its shareholders since 1997.” In hindsight, this seems like failed policy as GM was ultimately forced into bankruptcy just 10 years later. Had this money been either kept or used to enhance assembly plants and products, things could well have turned out differently. And obviously GM stockholders who hung in there watched there investments turn to dust. Bob Lutz, no stranger to these situations, said yeserday pressure on auto makers for big share buybacks “are always a harbinger of the next downturn…in almost all cases, you regret it later.”
Tom Brune
UAW Communications Coordinator
Wentzville Assembly
636-327-2119
• Reminder: The annual African American Heritage day is set for Thursday, Feb. 12. Displays will be in the cafeteria along with videos and, of course, popcorn. Come on over and check out the displays.
• There are Veterans Committee meetings Thursday, Feb. 12 at the Union Hall. The 2nd shift meeting is 3:15 pm and the 1st and 3rd shift meetings are at 5:15 pm.
• There are Women’s Committee meetings Tuesday, Feb. 17 in the cafeteria. The 2nd shift meeting is at 3:15 pm. The 1st and 3rd shift meetings are after the shifts. The Bake Sale raised $530 for Habitat for Humanity. The winter coat with embroidered Colorado on front and donated by Pat Wyse will be raffled off. Ticket sales will run through Friday, Feb. 20. Drawing will be at 1st shift lunch time in the cafeteria. Tickets are $5 apiece or 3 for $10 and will be available from committee members.
• Reminder: You have to sign up by 2/12/2015 if you want any of your profit sharing deferred to PSP. The performance bonus will automatically be put into your PSP at your current elected deferral rate. You have until 2/20/2015 to change that percentage. W4 changes need to be submitted by 2/13/2013 (keep in mind that the PSP deferral for the performance bonus and the W4 changes will apply to all paychecks afterward until you decide to do otherwise).
• FYI – JLL (the facilities housekeeping and maintenance contractor) is hiring 4 mobile equipment repair persons. Our members can apply at http://www.careerbuilder.com or http://www.us.jll.com/united-states/en-us
• In case you hadn’t heard, David Hurst met his goal by collecting $7585 for Missouri Special Olympics. This made David the top individual fundraiser for the 2nd consecutive year! It was your generosity that made this happen. Thanks to everyone who donated. David proudly wore a UAW 2250 t-shirt as he plunged into the cold waters of Lake St. Louise. Great job, David and thanks for representing the UAW and GM so well!
• US News and World Report released their 2015 Best Cars/Trucks for the Money list. They chose the Chevrolet Colorado as the best compact truck. “The all-new 2015 Chevrolet Colorado surpasses its competitors with first-rate cabin materials and composed driving dynamics, according to test drivers. Because it has the best combination of positive reviews and long-term ownership costs in its class, the Chevrolet Colorado is the 2015 U.S. News Best Compact Truck for the Money.” The only other GM product to win was the Chevrolet Impala.
• With all the news about earnings, profit sharing and the pending launch of the third shift, January sales news has gotten lost in the shuffle. You may recall that the Colorado overtook the Nissan Frontier for 2nd place in the compact truck segment. Here’s a look at both the van and compact truck segment results:
| 2015 | 2014 | Change | Share | |
| Ford Transit | 6380 | ---- | ---- | 33.8% |
| GM | 5071 | 5828 | -13.0% | 26.8% |
| Ford Econoline | 3308 | 7476 | -55.8% | 17.5% |
| Ram ProMaster | 1580 | 607 | +160% | 8.4% |
| Mercedes Sprinter | 1505 | 1288 | +16.8% | 8.0% |
| Nissan NV | 1059 | 749 | +41.4% | 5.6% |
| 2015 | 2014 | Change | Share | |
| Toyota Tacoma | 11,409 | 9842 | 15.9% | 44.9% |
| Chevy Colorado | 5942 | ---- | ---- | 23.4% |
| Nissan Frontier | 5868 | 4931 | +19.0% | 23.1% |
| GMC Canyon | 2205 | --- | ---- | 8.7% |
At the present time, our production of both the van and pickups is basically sold out. In fact, we stopped taking orders for 2015 vans some time ago. Field supplies tell a similar story. In the case of the Colorado, there are 3239 units in net field stock, or a 14 day supply. Only the Escalade ESV has a lower supply. Given the fact that there are roughly 3500 Chevrolet dealers, it’s obvious that some of them do not even have a single Colorado. With the marketing campaign ramping up, expect the plant to be producing as many vehicles as possible for some time to come.
• Harry Wilson, a former member of the Auto Task Force that restructured GM through bankruptcy, announced yesterday that he would be seeking a seat on the board of directors and be pushing for an $8 billion stock buyback this year. This is not the kind of news we like to hear, particularly in a contract year. Wilson is acting at the behest of 3 hedge funds who collectively own 2.1% of GM’s shares. In their view, GM stock is undervalued (agreed) and that the buyback is a better use of GM cash as opposed to, say, fully funding the pension plan or expanding capacity at plants that build products whose demand outstrips supply.
We are reminded of the last time GM was doing well and was under pressure to execute a share buyback to support/increase stock prices. In 1999 GM earned then record profits, riding the crest of the pickup and SUV craze (sound familiar?). That year they completed what turned out to be a $9 billion share buyback. GM said at the time, “In total -- through share buybacks, spin-offs, and dividends -- General Motors has returned more than $34 billion in capital to its shareholders since 1997.” In hindsight, this seems like failed policy as GM was ultimately forced into bankruptcy just 10 years later. Had this money been either kept or used to enhance assembly plants and products, things could well have turned out differently. And obviously GM stockholders who hung in there watched there investments turn to dust. Bob Lutz, no stranger to these situations, said yeserday pressure on auto makers for big share buybacks “are always a harbinger of the next downturn…in almost all cases, you regret it later.”
Tom Brune
UAW Communications Coordinator
Wentzville Assembly
636-327-2119
Friday, February 6, 2015
State of the Union February 6, 2015
State of the Union
February 6, 2015 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
• From Chairman Mike Bullock: I’m proud to announce the new bargaining committee for all three shifts. You will see the committee members and the districts they represent on the back. Please give them your full support.
Also, The profit sharing and the performance bonus are handled differently for PSP purposes. You have to sign up by 2/12/2015 if you want any of your profit sharing deferred to PSP. The performance bonus will automatically be put into your PSP at your current elected deferral rate. You have until 2/20/2015 to change that percentage. W4 changes need to be submitted by 2/13/2013 (keep in mind that the PSP deferral for the performance bonus and the W4 changes will apply to all paychecks afterward until you decide to do otherwise).
• The Women’s Committee is having a Bake Sale Monday, Feb. 9 at the Suggestions office to raise money for Habitat for Humanity. In addition, a very nice winter coat donated by Pat Wyse will be raffled off. Ticket sales will begin Monday and run through Friday, Feb. 20. Drawing will be at 1st shift lunch time in the cafeteria. Tickets are $5 apiece or 3 for $10 and will be available from committee members. The Bake Sale will run until sold out. Anyone wishing to donate baked goods can drop them off at the Suggestions office.
• Reminder: There is one day left to donate to David Hurst in support of Missouri Special Olympics. You can go to David’s web page to make a donation by going to www.somo/PolarPlunge and scroll down to the Lake St. Louis picture. Click on that and select “donate to a participant”. Enter David Hurst in the box and it will take you to his page. The plunge will be Saturday, Feb. 7 at Lake St. Louise (the smaller lake). The Parade of Costumes is 11:30 am and plunging begins at noon.
• Wednesday, Feb. 11 is White Shirt Day. This day honors the men and women who participated in the sitdown strike at Flint in 1937. Their perseverance resulted in the UAW becoming the sole bargaining unit with General Motors. The strike ended on Feb. 11, 1937. White shirts will be on sale in the cafeteria next week.
• The annual African American Heritage day is set for Thursday, Feb. 12. Displays will be in the cafeteria along with videos and, of course, popcorn. The Civil Rights Committee is asking for items to be displayed for one day. You can give them to Denise Black at the end of trim, 1st shift, or at the Civil and Human Rights Committee office at column A-40 by the Learning Center.
• Anyone interested in playing mens softball Sunday nights at Ozzies in O’Fallon should contact Kevin Dandois at 636-578-3683. Tryouts will be the first warm weekend at Ozzies.
Tom Brune
UAW Communications Coordinator
Wentzville Assembly
636-327-2119
February 6, 2015 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
• From Chairman Mike Bullock: I’m proud to announce the new bargaining committee for all three shifts. You will see the committee members and the districts they represent on the back. Please give them your full support.
Also, The profit sharing and the performance bonus are handled differently for PSP purposes. You have to sign up by 2/12/2015 if you want any of your profit sharing deferred to PSP. The performance bonus will automatically be put into your PSP at your current elected deferral rate. You have until 2/20/2015 to change that percentage. W4 changes need to be submitted by 2/13/2013 (keep in mind that the PSP deferral for the performance bonus and the W4 changes will apply to all paychecks afterward until you decide to do otherwise).
• The Women’s Committee is having a Bake Sale Monday, Feb. 9 at the Suggestions office to raise money for Habitat for Humanity. In addition, a very nice winter coat donated by Pat Wyse will be raffled off. Ticket sales will begin Monday and run through Friday, Feb. 20. Drawing will be at 1st shift lunch time in the cafeteria. Tickets are $5 apiece or 3 for $10 and will be available from committee members. The Bake Sale will run until sold out. Anyone wishing to donate baked goods can drop them off at the Suggestions office.
• Reminder: There is one day left to donate to David Hurst in support of Missouri Special Olympics. You can go to David’s web page to make a donation by going to www.somo/PolarPlunge and scroll down to the Lake St. Louis picture. Click on that and select “donate to a participant”. Enter David Hurst in the box and it will take you to his page. The plunge will be Saturday, Feb. 7 at Lake St. Louise (the smaller lake). The Parade of Costumes is 11:30 am and plunging begins at noon.
• Wednesday, Feb. 11 is White Shirt Day. This day honors the men and women who participated in the sitdown strike at Flint in 1937. Their perseverance resulted in the UAW becoming the sole bargaining unit with General Motors. The strike ended on Feb. 11, 1937. White shirts will be on sale in the cafeteria next week.
• The annual African American Heritage day is set for Thursday, Feb. 12. Displays will be in the cafeteria along with videos and, of course, popcorn. The Civil Rights Committee is asking for items to be displayed for one day. You can give them to Denise Black at the end of trim, 1st shift, or at the Civil and Human Rights Committee office at column A-40 by the Learning Center.
• Anyone interested in playing mens softball Sunday nights at Ozzies in O’Fallon should contact Kevin Dandois at 636-578-3683. Tryouts will be the first warm weekend at Ozzies.
Tom Brune
UAW Communications Coordinator
Wentzville Assembly
636-327-2119
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
State of the Union February 4, 2015
February 4, 2015 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
• From Chairman Mike Bullock: I have great news – the profit share payout for 2014 will be $7000!! But that’s not all. UAW Vice President Cindy Estrada and her team were able to negotiate an additional $2000 performance bonus to defer the charges related to recalls this year. She was able to accomplish this because of the great work all of you have done. This total is the equivalent of $4.50 an hour for a typical 2000 work year. Through the life of the current agreement negotiated by our UAW team, we have received $30,250 in total profit sharing!
To receive a full profit share and performance bonus, you must have 1850 compensated hours in 2014. Any amount of hours less than that will be prorated. For example, if you had 1600 compensated hours you would receive $7783 in combined profit share and performance bonus. The payouts will also be subject to a 1.44% dues special deduction. Payout will be February 27. You can read the joint letter on the back for Cindy’s message.
• Reminder: As you know, the gate drive for the Polar Bear Plunge netted $5880. Once again, thanks to everyone who donated. But David Hurst has not yet achieved his goal of $7500. If you didn’t have the opportunity to donate yet you can go to David’s web page to make a donation by going to www.somo/PolarPlunge and scroll down to the Lake St. Louis picture. Click on that and select “donate to a participant”. Enter David Hurst in the box and it will take you to his page. The plunge will be Saturday, Feb. 7 at Lake St. Louise (the smaller lake). The Parade of Costumes is 11:30 am and plunging begins at noon.
• The annual African American Heritage day is set for Thursday, Feb. 12. Displays will be in the cafeteria along with videos and, of course, popcorn. The Civil Rights Committee is asking for items to be displayed for one day. You can give them to Denise Black at the end of trim, 1st shift, or at the Civil and Human Rights Committee office at column A-40 by the Learning Center.
• Anyone interested in playing mens softball Sunday nights at Ozzies in O’Fallon should contact Kevin Dandois at 636-578-3683. Tryouts will be the first warm weekend at Ozzies.
• From Automotive News: Ford Motor Co. is adding 1,550 hourly employees in the first quarter. The hires will cause between 300 and 500 UAW members earning Tier 2 hourly wages of $19.28 today to rise to top-tier status with hourly wages of $28.50, said Bill Dirksen, Ford vice president of labor affairs. Under Ford’s agreement, Tier 2 numbers are capped at 20% of the production work force (GM agreement is not the same as Ford’s and GM tier 2 percentage stands at 18).
Tom Brune
UAW Communications Coordinator
Wentzville Assembly
636-327-2119
• From Chairman Mike Bullock: I have great news – the profit share payout for 2014 will be $7000!! But that’s not all. UAW Vice President Cindy Estrada and her team were able to negotiate an additional $2000 performance bonus to defer the charges related to recalls this year. She was able to accomplish this because of the great work all of you have done. This total is the equivalent of $4.50 an hour for a typical 2000 work year. Through the life of the current agreement negotiated by our UAW team, we have received $30,250 in total profit sharing!
To receive a full profit share and performance bonus, you must have 1850 compensated hours in 2014. Any amount of hours less than that will be prorated. For example, if you had 1600 compensated hours you would receive $7783 in combined profit share and performance bonus. The payouts will also be subject to a 1.44% dues special deduction. Payout will be February 27. You can read the joint letter on the back for Cindy’s message.
• Reminder: As you know, the gate drive for the Polar Bear Plunge netted $5880. Once again, thanks to everyone who donated. But David Hurst has not yet achieved his goal of $7500. If you didn’t have the opportunity to donate yet you can go to David’s web page to make a donation by going to www.somo/PolarPlunge and scroll down to the Lake St. Louis picture. Click on that and select “donate to a participant”. Enter David Hurst in the box and it will take you to his page. The plunge will be Saturday, Feb. 7 at Lake St. Louise (the smaller lake). The Parade of Costumes is 11:30 am and plunging begins at noon.
• The annual African American Heritage day is set for Thursday, Feb. 12. Displays will be in the cafeteria along with videos and, of course, popcorn. The Civil Rights Committee is asking for items to be displayed for one day. You can give them to Denise Black at the end of trim, 1st shift, or at the Civil and Human Rights Committee office at column A-40 by the Learning Center.
• Anyone interested in playing mens softball Sunday nights at Ozzies in O’Fallon should contact Kevin Dandois at 636-578-3683. Tryouts will be the first warm weekend at Ozzies.
• From Automotive News: Ford Motor Co. is adding 1,550 hourly employees in the first quarter. The hires will cause between 300 and 500 UAW members earning Tier 2 hourly wages of $19.28 today to rise to top-tier status with hourly wages of $28.50, said Bill Dirksen, Ford vice president of labor affairs. Under Ford’s agreement, Tier 2 numbers are capped at 20% of the production work force (GM agreement is not the same as Ford’s and GM tier 2 percentage stands at 18).
Tom Brune
UAW Communications Coordinator
Wentzville Assembly
636-327-2119
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