State of the Union July 17, 2014

July 17, 2014 online at www.uawlocal2250.com

• From the Veteran’s Committee: There are sign-up sheets posted at all three entrances for those interested in helping out with the SOS Ride on September 27, 2014. We will need people to work at the Hall and at each check-point along the ride. Anyone interested in joining the UAW 2250 Motorcycle Riders Club see Steve Melson.

• The CAP Committee would like to thank everyone who bought raffle tickets to support V-CAP. The winners are: 1st prize (Microsoft Surface tablet) – George Ferguson; 2nd prize (wireless sound cube) – Zach Luechtefeld; 3rd prize ($50 gas card) – Mike Bridgins.

• As you would expect following another big sales month, van field supplies fell again. Net field stock as measured in days dropped to 27 from 32 at the end of May. At just under 14,000 units, this is the lowest number of vans in the field since we’ve been reporting this metric. Cargo vans in particular are in short supply with only 26 days of Chevy cargos and 18 days of GMC cargos (for comparison sake, last June there were 10,239 Chevy cargo vans in the field – this year there are 5,170). Passenger vans have fallen below 700 total while cutaways are roughly the same as May.

• Spy photographs have surfaced of what appears to be a midsize pickup that is believed to be a Fiat Chrysler product for the Ram truck division. Speculation, based on the photographs taken, is that it is a version of the Fiat Strada pickup built in Brazil and sold overseas. If that is the case it would follow a familiar playbook where a Fiat truck product is modified to be sold in the U.S. (think Ram ProMaster full size van, based on the Fiat Ducato). The Strada is decidedly smaller than our pickup and is a unibody vehicle. The current powertrains for the Strada are all 4 cylinder engines ranging from the 1.3 liter turbodiesel to the 1.8 liter gas engine. A recent test drive of a Strada with the diesel by the website Autoblog gave the specifications for engine as 94 horsepower and 148 pound feet of torque. This propels the truck from 0-60 mph in a leisurely 13 seconds and produces a top speed of 99 mph. No word from Fiat Chrysler on if, or when, they may make this trucklet available in the U.S.

The UAW announced the formation of UAW Local 42, a new local union providing representation for employees at the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga.
Organized by Volkswagen employees, Local 42 offers workers the opportunity for a voice in the workplace through the German automaker’s “works council” approach to employee engagement. Volkswagen’s business model is premised on employee representation, and Local 42 will represent any interested employees who join the local as members. No employees will be required to join.
“Earlier this year, the UAW was gratified to earn the confidence and support of many Volkswagen team members,” said Dennis Williams, president of the UAW. “At that time, we said we would not give up on these committed and hard-working employees. We’re keeping our promise.”
Gary Casteel, the UAW’s secretary-treasurer, who previously served as director of UAW Region 8 covering the South, emphasized: “Local 42 will be run by, and for, the employees at Volkswagen.”
“We’ve had ongoing discussions with Volkswagen and have arrived at a consensus with the company,” Casteel said. “Upon Local 42 signing up a meaningful portion of Volkswagen’s Chattanooga workforce, we’re confident the company will recognize Local 42 by dealing with it as a members’ union that represents those employees who join the local. As part of this consensus, the UAW is committed to continuing its joint efforts with Volkswagen to ensure the company’s expansion and growth in Chattanooga.”
UAW officials reiterated the reasoning for recently withdrawing objections to the February election at the plant, which was tainted by outside interference. “As Volkswagen’s works council partner, the UAW’s role is to encourage job creation and promote job security so that Volkswagen employees can achieve the American dream and Chattanooga’s economy can prosper,” Casteel said. “We withdrew objections to end the controversy and put the focus where it belongs: obtaining the economic incentives necessary to ensure the growth of Volkswagen in Chattanooga and the addition of a new product line.”
Volkswagen employees formally announced Local 42 at an afternoon news conference, and immediately began communicating with fellow team members and with the plant’s management about next steps in advancing the works council partnership.
“Being part of the creation of an American-style works council is a chance to do something new and different,” said Michael Cantrell, a Volkswagen paint technician. “This is about securing good jobs for the future of the plant and Chattanooga, and building lasting partnerships between management and team members.”
Additionally, Local 42 members pledged to get involved in the community — as UAW members have done in other communities across the country — to support charitable causes, youth programs and other local needs. “I see Local 42 as an opportunity to give back to Chattanooga and southeast Tennessee,” said Myra Montgomery, a quality inspector in the Volkswagen plant. “As our membership grows, people are going to see us very active in this community.”
Local 42 members declared workforce development to be a top priority, and said they would work with Volkswagen and the UAW to organize job-training opportunities so that employees can continually expand their skills as new technologies emerge and manufacturing processes change.
“Having access to the UAW’s expertise and support will keep the plant competitive and will keep our workforce on the cutting edge of productivity and quality,” said Jonathan Walden, who works in the Volkswagen plant’s paint department. “The members of Local 42 are ready to roll up our sleeves and focus on the future.”

Tom Brune
UAW Communications Coordinator
Wentzville Assembly
636-327-2119

State of the Union June 19, 2014

June 19, 2014 online at www.uawlocal2250.com

• From the Women’s Committee: This Saturday is our workday for Habitat for Humanity. You can still fill out a form to participate and we will even take walkups Saturday. There will be two shifts that you can choose to work, 8am to noon or noon to 4pm. Please indicate on the form which time frame you would like to work and a contact number. Give your completed form to a Women’s Committee member of drop it in the Suggestion box. The address for the build is 112 Clinton Court at the Enclaves Subdivision. Take Hwy 70 to Hwy 79 and head south toward Salt Lick Rd/Birdie Hills. You will cross over Mexico Rd. About ½ mile past Church on the Rock, turn right on Eisenhower Dr. Clinton Court will be the first left. Hope to see you there.

• Recently there have been a number of audits regarding the use of the Employee Vehicle Purchase program. These are done on a periodic basis to ensure compliance with the rules of the program, typically to verify that people receiving the employee discount are actually eligible. The responsibility always rests with the employee/retiree that purchases made with their discount are valid. However, there have been some cases where personal information is conveyed at the dealership to obtain an authorization number that is apparently used again, without the employee/retiree’s consent, to complete deals with buyers that are not eligible for the discount. When these issues are uncovered in an audit, the employee/retiree will be contacted and requested to make up the monetary difference the employee discount provides – usually thousands of dollars. In addition, these people are suspended from the program for a period of 3 to 5 years. So the message is: never give your personal information to a salesman at a dealership to obtain an authorization number. You should have this with you before you go to purchase a vehicle. The numbers are good for 6 months so there is no need to wait until the last minute. Also, any communication from GM should always be reviewed, be it an email or a letter. Every time an authorization number is generated with your information, a letter is sent to your address of record indicating that. If you do not look at this letter you will have no idea your information is being used improperly. Yet you will be held liable for the difference if you cannot prove the dealer was using your information without your consent. That is the purpose of the notification letter.

• From Automotive News: Ford Motor Co. faces new challenges to its ambitious effort to become the industry's fuel economy leader after revising mpg numbers downward on six models this week. Affected models are the 2014 Ford Fiesta; the 2013 and 2014 hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions of the Fusion and C-Max (2nd downgrade); and the 2013 and 2014 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid. Jim Seavitt, owner of Village Ford in Dearborn, Mich., said he cleared out most of his C-Max inventory in the last couple of weeks with the help of a Ford incentive. Seavitt said he doubts he will be stocking any more anytime soon with this latest news. O.C. Welch, a Ford-Lincoln dealer in Hardeeville, S.C., said: "That's the No. 1 thing hybrid and Energi customers are complaining about. They ask: 'How do you get it to get the mileage on the window stickers?'" Welch said last summer's C-Max restatement virtually stopped sales of the vehicle on his lot. "I've got 24 C-Maxs in stock," he said. "We took half of them and made service loaners out of them. Those things have been grazing on the grass 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for eight, nine, 10 months." Ford said this week it had identified an error in its testing procedures and notified the EPA and worked with the agency to revise the ratings. Ford announced it will make payments to about 200,000 affected customers ranging from $125 to $1,050, depending on the model and whether a customer leased or purchased the vehicle. The company would not estimate the total cost of the reimbursement program.

• From the N.Y. Times: Federal regulators disclosed on Wednesday that they were conducting a review of all the major automakers for ignition-switch problems similar to the safety defect that G.M. has linked to at least 13 deaths. The review, by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, has turned up potential problems in at least one company so far. The agency announced that it had opened investigations into about 1.2 million Chrysler vehicles over concern that jostling the ignition key could accidentally cut power in a moving car and disable the air bags — a flaw strikingly similar to the one that has thrown G.M. into turmoil and forced it to recall millions of small cars. A review of complaints filed to the N.H.T.S.A. by drivers of cars made in the last 10 years showed that reports of stalls of moving cars related to ignition-switch problems were not limited to vehicles made by G.M. and Chrysler; such complaints existed for a variety of vehicles. One filed in June 2005 about a 2004 Toyota Solara indicated that the car repeatedly shut off “while driving 25 mph, 55 mph, 65 mph, and other speeds.” The driver brought the car to several dealers near Deforest, Wis., according to the complaint. None could duplicate or fix the problem. Another driver of a 2004 Honda Accord wrote in July 2004, alarmed that the car had shut off on an expressway in Yardley, Pa., while going 65 miles an hour. After coasting to the side of the road, “I was able to start the car up and then realized that the ignition key had slipped forward into the off position while I was driving,” the driver wrote.

Tom Brune
UAW Communications Coordinator
Wentzville Assembly

State of the Union June 10, 2014

June 10, 2014 online at www.uawlocal2250.com

• From the Women’s Committee: Our Habitat for Humanity work day is June 21. There are volunteer forms that have to be filled out to work. Forms are at the doors. There will be two shifts that you can choose to work, 8am to noon or noon to 4pm. Please indicate on the form which time frame you would like to work and a contact number. Give you completed form to a Women’s Committee member of drop it in the Suggestion box. The address for the build is 112 Clinton Court at the Enclaves Subdivision. Take Hwy 70 to Hwy 79 and head south toward Salt Lick Rd/Birdie Hills. You will cross over Mexico Rd. About ½ mile past Church on the Rock, turn right on Eisenhower Dr. Contact a member of the Women’s Committee for more information.

Also, there will be a Women’s Committee meeting Thursday, June 12 after first shift and at 5 pm for 2nd shift at the Union Hall.

• There will be an Education Committee meeting Wednesday, June 11 in the cafeteria between shifts. There will be a Veterans Committee meeting Thursday, June 12 between shifts at the Union Hall. • May was a big month for our van sales. With nearly 14,000 sold, it was the biggest sales month since August 2007. Every competitor in the segment saw increases year over year. Here are the results:

	2014	2013	Change	Share
Ford Econoline	14,269	12571	+13.5%	43.3%
GM	13,946	10,259	+35.9%	42.3%
Mercedes Sprinter	2,264	1828	+23.9%	6.9%
Nissan NV	1,475	971	+51.9%	4.5%
Ram ProMaster	1,033	----	----	3.1%
Ford Transit Connect	4,222	3709	+13.8%
Nissan NV 200	1203	341	+253%

Looking at midsize pickups, Toyota sold 13,876 Tacomas, down 5.8% while Nissan sold 6,662 Frontiers, up 1.4%. For the calendar year Tacoma sales are down 6.2% while Frontier sales are up 26.4%.

State of the Union May 28 2014

May 28, 2014 online at www.uawlocal2250.com • From Chairman Mike Bullock: Good news – after many discussions with management it was finally agreed that the employee referral process will be open now through Tuesday, June 10. While the current need is for temporary positions, as you know those jobs can become permanent. If you don't intend to refer someone talk to your coworkers as they may have more than one person wanting a referral. There will be a handout explaining the process, which must be done online at mySocrates (https://mygm.gm.com). Also, the mandatory Plant Vacation Shutdown week of June 2-6 WILL counts towards an employee’s 90 days to attain seniority. It will also count towards the 52 weeks for a wage increase. • From the Women’s Committee: The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure will be held June 14, in St. Louis. Our team name is UAW Local 2250. You can sign up on line or there are registration forms at the doors. We are going to have a T shirt that can be purchased with or without signing up for the race. If signed up with the race it will be $10, or just the UAW shirt will be $20. Last day to sign up on team online is May 28. You can fill out paper form and it has to be turned in to a Women’s Committee Member by May 29 along with money for shirts. The committee will pick up shirts to distribute to walkers, runners. Forms can be dropped in the Suggestions boxes. Also, our Habitat for Humanity work day is June 21. There are volunteer forms that have to be filled out to work. Forms are at the doors. There will be two shifts that you can choose to work, 8am to noon or noon to 4pm. Please indicate on the form which time frame you would like to work and a contact number. Give you completed form to a Women’s Committee member of drop it in the Suggestion box. The address for the build is 112 Clinton Court at the Enclaves Subdivision. Contact a member of the Women’s Committee for more information. • From the Benefits Department: All new hire permanent employees will receive health care on their 91st day. However, you must call Fidelity at 1-800-489-4646 within 30 days of receiving health care so there is no lapse in coverage and your Bank of America card is up to date. If you have questions see your benefits rep. • From the Wall Street Journal: The all-new Ford Transit makes its North American debut with more durable paint, thanks to an industry-first paint technology now in use at Kansas City Assembly Plant. The Transit vehicles built in Kansas City are the first to use the new two-wet monocoat paint process developed by Ford and its paint suppliers. The technology results in more durable paint, uses less energy and water, and reduces carbon dioxide and particulate emissions compared with conventional paint processes. (continued on back) • Cont’d: The two-wet monocoat process uses a primer coat that requires only a few minutes of open-air drying time before the color coat is applied. The color coat is formulated with the same appearance and protection properties of the clear coat, which eliminates the need for a separate clear coat. The painted body is fully cured in an enamel oven after the color coat is applied. The total process removes one paint application step and one oven drying step when compared to conventional paint processes. The new paint procedure is being used for white-colored vehicles, which account for 80 percent of Ford Transit production at Kansas City Assembly Plant. As each color must be developed uniquely for the two-wet monocoat process, other colors will be considered based on demand. A conventional three-wet process -- primer, base coat, clear coat -- remains in use for metallic-colored vehicles. • From the Detroit News: Some automakers may look to shuffle where they build small cars to narrow the difference in manufacturing cost between subcompacts and compacts. Most compact cars for the U.S. market are built on American soil. Most of the smaller, subcompact cars are built in countries like Mexico where costs are cheaper. Eric Ibara, an analyst at Kelley Blue Book, has a prediction about U.S.-built compacts: “I think there will be increasing price pressures which may cause manufacturers to move production elsewhere. It’s a problem that the subcompacts can undercut price of the compacts, so the manufacturers need to be careful with the pricing.” The difference in size between a subcompact and a compact is less significant than the difference between and a compact and a mid-size. So is the price difference, which is then magnified because of the higher incentives automakers can offer on the subcompacts. In Mexico, hourly manufacturing costs total about $6.50, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In the U.S, the rate is more than five times higher, at about $35.50. “Compacts will continue to move up in price out of necessity,” Ibara said. “The migration upwards is just never-ending, but the manufacturers have to be careful with pricing and contenting to avoid cannibalization.”

State of the Union May 28 2014

May 28, 2014 online at www.uawlocal2250.com

• From Chairman Mike Bullock: Good news – after many discussions with management it was finally agreed that the employee referral process will be open now through Tuesday, June 10. While the current need is for temporary positions, as you know those jobs can become permanent. If you don't intend to refer someone talk to your coworkers as they may have more than one person wanting a referral. There will be a handout explaining the process, which must be done online at mySocrates (https://mygm.gm.com). Also, the mandatory Plant Vacation Shutdown week of June 2-6 WILL counts towards an employee’s 90 days to attain seniority. It will also count towards the 52 weeks for a wage increase.

• From the Women’s Committee: The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure will be held June 14, in St. Louis. Our team name is UAW Local 2250. You can sign up on line or there are registration forms at the doors. We are going to have a T shirt that can be purchased with or without signing up for the race. If signed up with the race it will be $10, or just the UAW shirt will be $20. Last day to sign up on team online is May 28. You can fill out paper form and it has to be turned in to a Women’s Committee Member by May 29 along with money for shirts. The committee will pick up shirts to distribute to walkers, runners. Forms can be dropped in the Suggestions boxes.
Also, our Habitat for Humanity work day is June 21. There are volunteer forms that have to be filled out to work. Forms are at the doors. There will be two shifts that you can choose to work, 8am to noon or noon to 4pm. Please indicate on the form which time frame you would like to work and a contact number. Give you completed form to a Women’s Committee member of drop it in the Suggestion box. The address for the build is 112 Clinton Court at the Enclaves Subdivision. Contact a member of the Women’s Committee for more information.

• From the Benefits Department: All new hire permanent employees will receive health care on their 91st day. However, you must call Fidelity at 1-800-489-4646 within 30 days of receiving health care so there is no lapse in coverage and your Bank of America card is up to date. If you have questions see your benefits rep.

• From the Wall Street Journal: The all-new Ford Transit makes its North American debut with more durable paint, thanks to an industry-first paint technology now in use at Kansas City Assembly Plant. The Transit vehicles built in Kansas City are the first to use the new two-wet monocoat paint process developed by Ford and its paint suppliers. The technology results in more durable paint, uses less energy and water, and reduces carbon dioxide and particulate emissions compared with conventional paint processes.

• The two-wet monocoat process uses a primer coat that requires only a few minutes of open-air drying time before the color coat is applied. The color coat is formulated with the same appearance and protection properties of the clear coat, which eliminates the need for a separate clear coat. The painted body is fully cured in an enamel oven after the color coat is applied. The total process removes one paint application step and one oven drying step when compared to conventional paint processes. The new paint procedure is being used for white-colored vehicles, which account for 80 percent of Ford Transit production at Kansas City Assembly Plant. As each color must be developed uniquely for the two-wet monocoat process, other colors will be considered based on demand. A conventional three-wet process -- primer, base coat, clear coat -- remains in use for metallic-colored vehicles.

• From the Detroit News: Some automakers may look to shuffle where they build small cars to narrow the difference in manufacturing cost between subcompacts and compacts. Most compact cars for the U.S. market are built on American soil. Most of the smaller, subcompact cars are built in countries like Mexico where costs are cheaper. Eric Ibara, an analyst at Kelley Blue Book, has a prediction about U.S.-built compacts: “I think there will be increasing price pressures which may cause manufacturers to move production elsewhere. It’s a problem that the subcompacts can undercut price of the compacts, so the manufacturers need to be careful with the pricing.” The difference in size between a subcompact and a compact is less significant than the difference between and a compact and a mid-size. So is the price difference, which is then magnified because of the higher incentives automakers can offer on the subcompacts. In Mexico, hourly manufacturing costs total about $6.50, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In the U.S, the rate is more than five times higher, at about $35.50. “Compacts will continue to move up in price out of necessity,” Ibara said. “The migration upwards is just never-ending, but the manufacturers have to be careful with pricing and contenting to avoid cannibalization.”

• From Chairman Mike Bullock: Good news – after many discussions with management it was finally agreed that the employee referral process will be open now through Tuesday, June 10. While the current need is for temporary positions, as you know those jobs can become permanent. If you don't intend to refer someone talk to your coworkers as they may have more than one person wanting a referral. There will be a handout explaining the process, which must be done online at mySocrates (https://mygm.gm.com). Also, the mandatory Plant Vacation Shutdown week of June 2-6 WILL counts towards an employee’s 90 days to attain seniority. It will also count towards the 52 weeks for a wage increase.

• From the Women’s Committee: The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure will be held June 14, in St. Louis. Our team name is UAW Local 2250. You can sign up on line or there are registration forms at the doors. We are going to have a T shirt that can be purchased with or without signing up for the race. If signed up with the race it will be $10, or just the UAW shirt will be $20. Last day to sign up on team online is May 28. You can fill out paper form and it has to be turned in to a Women’s Committee Member by May 29 along with money for shirts. The committee will pick up shirts to distribute to walkers, runners. Forms can be dropped in the Suggestions boxes.
Also, our Habitat for Humanity work day is June 21. There are volunteer forms that have to be filled out to work. Forms are at the doors. There will be two shifts that you can choose to work, 8am to noon or noon to 4pm. Please indicate on the form which time frame you would like to work and a contact number. Give you completed form to a Women’s Committee member of drop it in the Suggestion box. The address for the build is 112 Clinton Court at the Enclaves Subdivision. Contact a member of the Women’s Committee for more information.

• From the Benefits Department: All new hire permanent employees will receive health care on their 91st day. However, you must call Fidelity at 1-800-489-4646 within 30 days of receiving health care so there is no lapse in coverage and your Bank of America card is up to date. If you have questions see your benefits rep.

• From the Wall Street Journal: The all-new Ford Transit makes its North American debut with more durable paint, thanks to an industry-first paint technology now in use at Kansas City Assembly Plant. The Transit vehicles built in Kansas City are the first to use the new two-wet monocoat paint process developed by Ford and its paint suppliers. The technology results in more durable paint, uses less energy and water, and reduces carbon dioxide and particulate emissions compared with conventional paint processes.

• The two-wet monocoat process uses a primer coat that requires only a few minutes of open-air drying time before the color coat is applied. The color coat is formulated with the same appearance and protection properties of the clear coat, which eliminates the need for a separate clear coat. The painted body is fully cured in an enamel oven after the color coat is applied. The total process removes one paint application step and one oven drying step when compared to conventional paint processes. The new paint procedure is being used for white-colored vehicles, which account for 80 percent of Ford Transit production at Kansas City Assembly Plant. As each color must be developed uniquely for the two-wet monocoat process, other colors will be considered based on demand. A conventional three-wet process -- primer, base coat, clear coat -- remains in use for metallic-colored vehicles.

• From the Detroit News: Some automakers may look to shuffle where they build small cars to narrow the difference in manufacturing cost between subcompacts and compacts. Most compact cars for the U.S. market are built on American soil. Most of the smaller, subcompact cars are built in countries like Mexico where costs are cheaper. Eric Ibara, an analyst at Kelley Blue Book, has a prediction about U.S.-built compacts: “I think there will be increasing price pressures which may cause manufacturers to move production elsewhere. It’s a problem that the subcompacts can undercut price of the compacts, so the manufacturers need to be careful with the pricing.” The difference in size between a subcompact and a compact is less significant than the difference between and a compact and a mid-size. So is the price difference, which is then magnified because of the higher incentives automakers can offer on the subcompacts. In Mexico, hourly manufacturing costs total about $6.50, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In the U.S, the rate is more than five times higher, at about $35.50. “Compacts will continue to move up in price out of necessity,” Ibara said. “The migration upwards is just never-ending, but the manufacturers have to be careful with pricing and contenting to avoid cannibalization.”

State of the Union May 20,2014

May 20, 2014 online at www.uawlocal2250.com

• Union Meeting is after tonight’s 2nd shift and Wednesday at 7:15 am, 1 pm and 15 minutes after longest first shift line time. VCAP donors are being asked to pick up their Cruise tickets at the meetings.

• From the Women’s Committee: The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure will be held June 14, in St. Louis. Our team name is UAW Local 2250. You can sign up on line or there are registration forms at the doors. We are going to have a T shirt that can be purchased with or without signing up for the race. If signed up with the race it will be $10, or just the UAW shirt will be $20. Last day to sign up on team online is May 28. You can fill out paper form and it has to be turned in to a Women’s Committee Member by May 29 along with money for shirts. The committee will pick up shirts to distribute to walkers, runners. Forms can be dropped in the Suggestions boxes.
Also, our Habitat for Humanity work day is June 21. There are volunteer forms that have to be filled out to work. Forms are at the doors. There will be two shifts that you can choose to work, 8am to noon or noon to 4pm. Please indicate on the form which time frame you would like to work and a contact number. Give you completed form to a Women’s Committee member of drop it in the Suggestion box. The address for the build is 112 Clinton Court at the Enclaves Subdivision. Contact a member of the Women’s Committee for more information.

• Reminder: This Friday is a VR blackout day and next Tuesday is the holiday pay qualifying day and a VR blackout day.

• From the Benefits Department: All new hire permanent employees will receive health care on their 91st day. However, you must call Fidelity at 1-800-489-4646 within 30 days of receiving health care so there is no lapse in coverage and your Bank of America card is up to date. If you have any questions please see your benefits rep.

• In a continuing effort to quickly address emerging safety issues, General Motors announced today it is recalling about 2.42 million vehicles in four separate U.S. recalls. The recalls are for: o 1,339,355 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia full-size crossovers from the 2009-2014 model years and Saturn Outlooks from 2009-2010 because front safety lap belt cables can fatigue and separate over time. In a crash, a separated cable could increase the risk of injury to front seat passengers.

o 1,075,102 of the previous generation 4-speed automatic transmission Chevrolet Malibu and from the 2004-2008 model years and Pontiac G6 from the 2005-2008 model years because of a shift cable that could wear out over time, resulting in mismatches of the gear position indicated by the shift lever. o 1,402 Cadillac Escalades and Escalade ESVs from the 2015 model year because an insufficiently heated plastic weld that attaches the passenger side air bag to the instrument panel assembly could result in a partial deployment of the air bag in the event of a crash. o 58 Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD full-size pickups from the 2015 model year because retention clips attaching the generator fuse block to the vehicle body can become loose and lead to a potential fire.

• Sunday was a beautiful day for a parade and I think everyone who came out to support this year’s Annie Malone Parade had a marvelous time. The crowd that line the route waved and cheered as we passed and the beads and candy where the hit of the day. We would like to thank anyone and everyone that had a hand in making this possible. Hope to see you there next year. Fred Jamison, Tina Hughes, and Dan Williams - Event Coordinators

State of the Union May 14, 2014

May 14, 2014 online at www.uawlocal2250.com

• From the Benefits Department: All new hire permanent employees will receive health care on their 91st day. However, you must call Fidelity at 1-800-489-4646 within 30 days of receiving health care so there is no lapse in coverage and your Bank of America card is up to date. If you have any questions please see your benefits rep.

• The annual Annie Malone Parade will be held this coming Sunday, May 18. Anyone who wishes can help ride in vehicles, pass out beads or help decorate. We will be meeting at Gateway St. Louis Buick (previously Behlmann Buick GMC), 820 McDonnell Blvd, St. Louis MO 63042 at 10:30 am on May 18 and will be departing for the parade staging area no later than 10:45 am. For anyone wishing to help decorate the float, you can locate us at the parade staging area which is located on Market Street between Compton Ave and Jefferson Ave at 12 noon. Remember, admittance to the staging area is by entry sticker only. There is street parking in the downtown area and some near the staging area. For questions or detailed directions call Dan Williams at 314-616-2271.

• From the Veterans Committee: The 26th Annual Run for the Wall will be Monday, May 19. You are invited to come and welcome more than 500 motorcycles making their way across the heartland of America to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington DC to honor the men and women still unaccounted for, from all of our wars. We will meet at the Wentzville VFW Post 5327, located on Hwy Z ½ mile south of I-70 at 6 pm. Please remember all of our Veterans and pray for the troops who are currently in harm’s way.

• There is a Community Services committee meeting Thursday, May 15 between shifts in the cafeteria. All are welcome to attend.

• There will be an Education Committee meeting Wednesday, May 14 between shifts in the cafeteria. All are welcome to attend.

• The Blood Drive is tomorrow. Times are 9 am to 2 pm and 7 pm to midnight and will be held in the tour holding room. The drive is being conducted by Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center. • The $1000 Lump Sum Bonus will be payable during the week ending June 8. The eligibility date for this bonus is Thursday, May 15. Eligible employees are defined as those whose status with the Company as of the eligibility date is one of the following:

• Active with Seniority
• On temporary layoff status
• On leave pursuant to Family and Medical Leave Act
• On one of the following leaves of absence which has not exceeded 90 days as of the eligibility date:
• Informal (Par. 103)
• Formal (Par. 104)
• Sickness and Accident (Par.106/108)
• Military (Par. 112 or 218[a])
• Educational (Par. 113)

• Workers at Lear in Selma, Alabama, who make seat foam for Hyundai have been living far too long with dangerous chemicals, low wages, and mandatory 12 hour days (even on weekends and holidays). Now, they are standing up and doing something about it. In the past week alone, there have been more than a half-dozen plant evacuations after a series of chemical leaks. The chemical—called TDI—causes chronic asthma and other lifelong breathing problems. On May 7, a group of workers at this plant marched on their boss and demanded change. They want to form a union with the UAW so workers have a voice in developing a long-term solution to the safety problems. They want to bargain fair wages. Currently workers at the plant start at $9.00 an hour, and no production worker makes more than $11.25, even after nine years of service. They want to stop getting disciplinary points when they have to go to the hospital to treat their breathing problems. And that’s just the beginning. These workers need our support! Please sign the petition and tell Lear and Hyundai that enough is enough! Go to this website.

• Bob “I’m not anti-union” Corker has finally cleared his throat after his guarantees of VW awarding a new SUV to the Chattanooga plant upon rejection of the UAW were met with……well, nothing. Following a VW supervisory board meeting Monday that was widely expected to render a verdict on the location of production, but instead revealed nothing new, Corker spoke with the media. He said that a decision on where Volkswagen will build the SUV is due “in the very near future.” Departing from his previous assurances he said, “I’m not going to put a time frame, but it’s moving in the right direction.” Asked if Chattanooga is now a shoo-in for the plant, Corker said, “Well, I’m saying we had a long pause, which was unfortunate, and it takes a while to sort of get the gears back moving again. But I have no indication that things are different than we thought prior to the election. It does take a while to sort of get everybody moving together and moving ahead. But again, there’s more happening than meets the eye,” Corker said. What exactly is happening? According to Republican Gov. Bill Haslam, who spoke with the media last week, “We’ve had conversations about trying to set up a meeting. But we haven’t had any meetings.” Back to you Bob: “I think if you had that conversation with the governor today he’d give you a different response. Again, the election was just certified within the last few weeks and you know things are moving in the direction that we thought they would.”