Carbon Can Kat

Called the Retirement Board today and their recorded message said it would be paid in late December. The letter they mailed out said early December. If you have direct deposit I would look for it next Friday the 19th not sure about USPS delivery.

Mike Hom is your Director of Manufacturing Operations (DOMO) and Ken Minielly former PM at Indy IIRC. The DOMO is the level of managemnt between the plant managers and the executive VPs

You are probably talking about Dale if he is from Atlanta. One of the best plant managers you could get, the people at AAP loved him. Be prepared to see people, both salary and hourly, held accountable for their actions or responses to his questions. He is a highly intelligent, stand up and fair guy who is easily approachable but he doesn't take anyone trying to BS him. Once he has been there awhile you will see he truly cares for the people at the plant.

Well I'm glad I was well thought of. PM me how I offended you or wronged you. I honestly would like to know. I know out of ~290 tradespeople there are some who don't like me for whatever reason. I just took what Dana left me with and did the best I could. My goal was always to maintain what we built with Dana and to make the process better where we could. I do know I had the respect of the last two plant chairmen and others at the plant. The one thing I will say and stand behind is I tried to keep my coordinator's aware of what was going on in the plant that would effect the trades. I also wasn't afraid to stand and speak my piece to the operating committee about things.

That is true if you take the SRI or 28+ package options, with the ESTEP or STEP options you are viewed as to having voluntarily quit the company. That is how how it was explained by both the HR people at the plant and the Dearborn people who did the package presentations. Still it is worth a call to the NESC see what they say. On my separation papers it is shown I quit the companty due to lack of work at my location not that I retired.

Great post the only thing that you need to look into is your vacation pay. When I signed up for the $140,000 we were told that you would get vacation due to you that is already on your check stub. For example my retirement started November 1 at age 49 and I have December vacation eligibility so I would get any remaining vacation pay I have until December 2006 but would not get the 200 hours in December 2006. If my effective retirement date was after December 1, 2006 then I would have gotten my 200 hours. I looked at it in terms that were easy for people to understand instead of dealing with the thousands of dollars figure which clouds your judgment. My analogy was I was going to give Ford ~$6.00 to get $140. The ratio is the same but because of the sums involved it lets you make a more informed decision. For health insurance I have the option to pick it up through my wife's employer so taking the $140K was a no-brainer. Additionally I have job interview next week that has benefits better than or equal to what I had at Ford. Plus they automatically put 5% of your base pay into a 401K, also run by Fidelity, and will match up to 4% of your contributions. So if I was to contribute 6% of my pay with their contribution and match I would be at 15%. Work ten years get vested, be past the 59 1/2 age to draw out of 401K if neccesary, then draw a second pension with lifetime benfits again. Thanks to Ford and the UAW for allowing me to step out and do something that I would have never of done if it wasn't for the plant closing in Atlanta. I was perfectly content to work another 6-10 years and not add anything to my monthly retirement except 401K contributions and interest. For those of you who don't know go look at your retirement plan, it used to be that you would gain extra monthly benefits the longer you stayed. That changed with the last contract so that if you got your 30 credited service years in before 2003 you would still accrue the additional ~$60 a month but if you got your 30 in during or after this contract your monthly benefit was based solely on those 30 years.

Well it's over they drove Truett Cathy's car off the line about 7:25 or so. Most of the remaining people in the plant stayed to watch. A bittersweet moment for sure. It was great seeing the workforce do the things we have done to make us the best that this company will ever see but it was also hard knowing this was probably the last time you will see people you have come to love. What ever is in store for the people here I wish them the best and much success. For those of you who were group leaders in either FTPM or FPS thank you making our job easier. To my PM Planners and FTPM Coordinators I couldn't have asked to work for a better group of people. I will miss you and love each and everyone of you. You were the best of the best!!! It was an honor and a privlege to know you. You guys will remain in my thoughts and prayers until the end of my days. I would like to thank the UAW and Ford for allowing me to raise a fabulous family. It was a great 30 years, even though there were good times and bad. Lastly thanks to my wife for supporting me through the long hours and numerous incarnations of job positions I have had while here. Without you I could not have accomplished what I did. Scott Finney

Last job left Body and went to Paint a little bit after 1:30. Looks and sounds weird in Body Shop. It is unsettling not to hear the conveyors and machinery running in that area of the plant during a weekday. I guess we are a dead man walking at this point. You can hear the fat lady warming up backstage...

How we did it 18 years ago...

Ahh bicycle stories :bandance: We had a pipefitter who every night for about a month took the dayshifts foreman's bike and placed it on top of the water test booth. I know I had to go retrieve it at least twice. Best part was listening to the foreman plead with the guy not to put it up there anymore. There was the time we had a female security supervisor and she earned the the nickname "the Black Widow" from her atttitude towards hourly people. She wore a white pants suit in one night and as was her disposition managed to piss off a few trades people. When she came down from Labor Relations on the mezzanine from taking a person there to be disciplined her bicycle seat had a nice layer of graphite grease applied to it. Needless to say when she sat down it turned the rear of the white pants suit black. She promptly went up to Labor Relations and quit on the spot. There are more stories of grease being applied to various bicycle parts. Have seen when foremn pulled their bikes out the bike rack at the front of the plant the front wheel would remain in the rack and the would have to walk their bike back to the shop to be repaired carrying the front wheel. Total distance from the front to the shop is about 3/8 of a mile.

It depends on the package but some allow you to keep the X and Z plan. A plan is for active employees or their family. Union dues are paid monthly for the month they are taken out of. You will not be eligble for any rebate or kickback. I'm sorry you feel the need to bash another union member. You could have just answered their questions and taken the high road. I'm glad after 30 years to have a UAW negotiated retirement I can go to when my plant closes. The one thing I won't miss after October 27th is the back stabbing and bashing that has come to the UAW lately. I can see why the UAW and Ford are in the mess they are today, everybody is looking out to create there own little base of power without looking at the big picture.

Click here for what we were told at AAP package presentation

Atlanta has roughly 2100 people both hourly and salary.

Nah :lol: Maintenance Planner / Controller. Don't drink much Miller anymore sort of prefer Guinness and Dos Equis Dark. Although I have heard the rumor that you get up to two cases a month as an employee perk. :beerchug:

ESTEP Retirement Buyout Atlanta Assembly - plant closing 30 years senority 49 years old Millwright / TPM Coordinator Have an interview Monday with Miller Brewery in North Carolina and have a couple of other job leads. Plans are to go back to school for an accounting degree if job search fails to produce anything worthwhile.

Don't know where you got that info she hasn't been the PM at AAP. Matter of fact don't ever remember her being at the plant except for visits. Last series of PM we have had in reverse order from Dale have been Pat Reid, Gary Laden, Jim Hill and Wheeler Stanley. I think Pat and Dale are the only one's left with the company.

It is also what Ford uses when you travel on company business to make reservations. No global ID = hard time making travel arrangements

30 years taking buyout and retiring 11/01/06 from AAP.

They told us at AAP yesterday 70% is if you take the focused educational package. You get two years to complete school instead of four. Taking an education buyout also does not preclude you from other employment outside of Ford.

We had our package presentations at AAP yesterday and some are today. Taxes and deductions on the $100K & $140K go like this regardless of the number of dependants on your W-2 or W-4. Federal Taxes - 25% FICA - 7.65% State and Local taxes at the prevailing rate There are other deductions that come out as well. These are money owed to Ford such as insurance benefit overpayments, overpayment of SUB / GIS wages, any court ordered child support or qualified domestic relation order payments. Money owed for Ford Motor Credit or TESPHE loans IS NOT deducted from the buyout checks. They said the turn around time would be 3 to 5 weeks unless you had the above court ordered deductions which would increase the amount of processing time required. They told us according to IRS rules there would be no pre-tax contributions made with this money. The money has to be disbursed to the person in the form of a check or direct deposit to their account. After the person gets the money then they can invest it however they see fit. Direct deposit is not an option for those people choosing the Special Termination of Employee Program (STEP) or Enhanced Special Termination of Employee Program (ESTEP) options. The money for the two education buyout options is paid in an ANNUAL LUMP SUM minus taxes and not paid weekly.

Don't know the specifics about how Ford's healthcare premiums are figured but a majority of the plans are based on the oldest employee's actuary table and health history. So as your workforce ages your healthcare costs rise in a somewhat disproportional ratio. Since the US doesn't have socilaized medicine (thank God), the costs are passed unto employers who provide healthcare. We have become a bunch of whiny spoiled beyotches here with UAW negotiated benefits. Most large corporations require their employees to pay a substantial amount into their own healthcare or don't provide any healthcare benefits at all.

Go to the IRS Tax Tables in the link. You will need Adobe Acrobat to access the pdf. Go to page 37 of the pdf and look at Table #7. This will let you figure what your federal tax hit will be without FICA and Medicare deductions.

When I talked to the Fidelity people you have the option of them taking the money or you can continue to pay monthly with a coupon book. The other option is to change the loan(s) to a withdrawal of funds and then pay taxes and penalties on it. There will be a lot of questions about these buyouts. It could be worth your while to contact and talk to an attorney or CPA who is familiar or specializes in taxes and tax law beforehand. An INDEPENDANT certified financial planner who you pay by the hour is a good option as well.

AAP people will also be eligible for TRA / TAA money through the state of Georgia as well unless you take the retirement options. If your new job pays less than $50K a year you are eligible for $10K over a two year period. Works out to about $98 a week from TRA / TAA. AAP people on 10/27 or 10/30 make sure you go to your Department of Labor Career Center in your area and apply for everything they have to offer. EVEN IF YOU THINK YOU ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR A PROGRAM APPLY AND MAKE THEM DENY IT. Remember that people at prior plants that closed had to come pick their checks up since they will not be direct deposit unless this is changed with the new proposals.

I will take one please TPM Coordinator / Millwright at AAP, 49 years old with 30 years senority. Just not sure what one yet. Either option #1 or #5 depending on how the retirement portion works for #5. I can pick up insurance through my wife's work. If I can start drawing retirement immediately after the plant closes then #5 if not then #1. The current wording on option #5 is sort of vague about when you can start drawing your pension and if the the Social Security enhancement will remain. Guess we at AAP will find out more Tuesday and Wednesday of next week when our packages are presented to us. Either way I'm just ready to move on to another phase in my life.