Dragonfly

"any new news for oac?" Yeah, it looks like the company is lining things up for a "we need to re-open the collective agreement" set of negotiations. No new product announcement - No (secured) funding - just threads of future hope for us all to grasp at in what I'm sure the company hopes will have you believing is necessary to keep your job. We haven't bled enough yet it seems. I'm sure they'll be seeking a few hundred million from the Ontario Government as well before they "continue with the new product" — even though all indications around the plant also point to them already having every intent to bring new product here. Ask and ye shall receive! I couldn't imagine them doing things any other way. Hope you're all ready...

The General said: "Go ahead and strike and say goodbye product". So what, no one should ever strike again? When would the company not be holding product over all of our heads? "Ford will not continue to be at a disadvantage in Canada." But they'll continue to be disadvantaged in the US? If you're trying to make a case for a business plan, why then would they not move all of the product outside of North America? I think the picture is a lot bigger than what most of us think we know.

I guess I must be missing something. I get the 4-ON 4-OFF at 12 hours, but for the LAP routine are we talking 12 hours? 10 & 12 hour combo? How do the 4 crews fit in the mix? Do you guys rotate shifts? I can see this (below) working but the first shift gets all the weekends off...??? M T W T F S S M T W T F S S | hrs 12 12 12 0 0 0 0 0 12 12 12 12 0 0 | 84 0 0 0 12 12 12 12 12 0 0 0 0 12 12 | 84

Guys, how does AWS work for the trades? I've heard a number of scenarios but none seem to make sense. How many shifts per week, hours per day, and what about the weekends?

BTW, for what it's worth, a contract worker for one of the vendors let it slip out last summer that they are building something to bring to Oakville for 2014. There has also be talk in the plant between the skilled trades about a new engine and dash line being run by outside sources. It was kind of comical because the assumption was that OAC trades would be looking after the new equipment. If the lines are to be run as a separate entity then I'm sure that couldn't be farther from the truth.

The company wanted two-tier wages and the CAW leadership gave it to them, albeit in a different format -- let's call it "son of two-tier". I remember that fat bastard Chernicki pounding his fist on the desk at one meeting and shouting "we will not sell our jobs" (to two-tier wages). What a lying prick! I agree with you, it is a conflict of interest and I think the national leadership should be held accountable for this. Failure to truly represent the membership should never be tolerated. For starters we should demand that Voith be de-certified as part of the 707 local. Who the hell ever thought that them being a part of our local was a good idea? What a disgrace! Oh yeah, from now on we should also hold the leadership accountable for failing to make available all details of a potential agreement. Seems like they've been getting into the habit the last few years of not mentioning any of the details that could potentially stop them from "selling it to the membership". Big brother knows best after all you know... Pretty bloody sad when you have to fight your own union for us all to have a chance at true democracy.

They aren't targeting senior workers, just the jobs they are doing. The junior worker is the one that gets laid off in the end right?

Auto bosses, UAW press ahead with “pay-for-performance” scheme http://www.wsws.org/articles/2011/feb2011/wage-f04.shtml "...That the UAW is preparing to impose such conditions only underscores that it is no longer an organization of the working class, but a co-partner in exploitation. Auto workers can only begin to defend themselves by breaking with this rotten apparatus and building new organizations of struggle—elected by rank and file workers—to mobilize against the auto companies, their UAW servants, the two corporate-backed political parties and the capitalist system they all defend..."

Auto bosses, UAW press ahead with “pay-for-performance” scheme http://www.wsws.org/articles/2011/feb2011/wage-f04.shtml "...That the UAW is preparing to impose such conditions only underscores that it is no longer an organization of the working class, but a co-partner in exploitation. Auto workers can only begin to defend themselves by breaking with this rotten apparatus and building new organizations of struggle—elected by rank and file workers—to mobilize against the auto companies, their UAW servants, the two corporate-backed political parties and the capitalist system they all defend..."

Yes yes... There's an announcement coming to Oakville from Mark Fields in late January. New TVs and cable feeds are going in as you read this. I guess they can't afford the usual big production, or maybe they don't want Mark to be pelted with tomatoes...lol I'm guessing they're either closing the plant or bringing the "C"platform/C-Max to town! Oh yeah, lots of work going on right now tearing out the old "abandon-in-place" body shop technology. The future seems bright!

A Salute to our American Brothers and Sisters! I'm glad to see that the UAW members have grown some balls and voted down that horse shit contract your leadership was trying to stuff down your throats! Enough is enough! Our CAW membership needs to take a page from your book. Thanks for courageously leading the way!

I forgot to mention that the CAW already has agreed to strike ban when they took Magna workers on board. Why did our leadership think it was it a good idea then and not now for Ford workers?

Yeah, CAW has integrity... Brother Lewenza has said a few of things in the past, and then back-pedalled some. Mullaly will bleed you dry if we let him. He's a wolf in sheep's clothing... I agree that if the contact is good, it doesn't need to be "sold". There are a lot of concessions being tossed around for our new contract that in my opinion are not financially beneficial to the company. I'm wondering why our leadership is considering agreeing to them? I hope the CAW membership does have the integrity to vote NO to the bullshit, and to send our leadership back as many times as it takes for them to get a contract that works for everyone. Lets hope that they keep the talks focused on truly helping the company get back on track and not allow these negotiations to become a race to the bottom for our workforce. At some point enough is enough. The people of Canada and the US can never work for the wages paid in Mexico, and we can not be competitive with India or China with the standard of living that we enjoy now.

Looks like they removed the comments already! Some unhappy people perhaps? Hey - limit the unions right to strike/reduced work ownership language/pay freeze for new hires? Seems like there are a lot of "divide and conquer" strategies being agreed to here by your leadership. I don't see the cost savings benefit... Send them back for a real agreement that protects your interests as well as the company's! I truly hope that the UAW membership doesn't let the $1000 sucker's bonus payment sway their judgement.

I'm sure most of you have heard by now that Ford is demanding the same deal as GM negotiated. I've also heard that Ford has stated that 40% of the trades need to go. That's somewhere around 140 people. There are a hand full of tradespeople who have been trying over the last 2 years or so to make a difference by making an extended effort to protect our work language in the CA only to find out that our brothers couldn't be bothered to lend and supporting hand. Already the tears are flowing down the cheeks of the milquetoast bastards who failed to help the cause. Crying because they, being junior, know their jobs are will soon be gone. Well brothers, you are all about to get what you've fought for... absolutely nothing! Here's what I think is going to happen. The National Union is going to negotiate away your benefits and work ownership just like they have for GM and Chrysler. Expect much of the same bullshit they agreed to. The National is then going to tell our local leadership puppets to sit down, shut up, and to agree to the concessions. The bobbleheads will agree. They will then be told to find a way to sell it to the membership. Oh yeah that reminds me... the dangling carrot to get us to agree this time? Since Saint Thomas and Windsor are toast and therefore lost votes, I think it will be a new small car platform rumoured to be "the S model" which is based on the Mazda 2 platform... Anyways, then like lambs to the slaughter we will be corralled into Hamilton Place for a bullshitting session like we've never heard before. Angry brothers and sisters will stand at the microphone shouting and calling to a table of deaf leadership to make a difference. With tails between their legs, they will not even try. (Here's what happens to them if they do try.). Our leadership will tell us that there is no alternative, sadly for most of us there is not, and that they've negotiated the best deal possible (best for who I ask?). The majority of us will vote in favour of the new contract and a new era in Ontario's automotive history will begin. I have voted against the last 4 contracts and have actively spoken out against them. This time is no different. Our leadership will proudly proclaim that they've done a wonderful job in keeping our wages intact but will disguise the fact that most of your benefits and most certainly your job ownership language will be severely affected. You've already see the coveted senior production jobs starting to disappear. We will never in our working lifetime see those benefits return again to their present status. Personally I'd rather give up some of my hourly rate and keep all of our benefits, pensions and work language -- but then I guess that would mean the the Union would have take a pay cut too since their income is based on our hourly rate... Like I said earlier, in who's best interest will these concessions really be for? Truthfully, we really don't have anywhere to go now. Nowhere these days can you get a job working for $35-$40/hour for this kind of work. What I do know is that if we don't protect our work ownership, you can bet that two tier wages will coming soon, you can mark my words on that. Have you noticed that the Premier cleaning company is actually named Premier Manufacturing? At $17.50/hour and already doing our coveted senior production jobs I think two tier is already here. All we need now if for them to become members of the CAW... Oh wait, they already are! CAW Local 707 no less! More dues paying members for our Union instead of well paid members...imagine that? Now we've got two fights on our hands... the company, and with our own National Union leadership. Don't let the company and our Union scare you with bullshit like we're not going to get anymore products or the plant will be moved to the US or Mexico. Bill Ford himself said that the way forward meant that there will only be 8 or 9 "super plants" and that all of them will be run at 95% capacity. That includes us! If we don't get one model then it will be another model and another until we are at 95% capacity. Ford does not do business in Canada because they like Canadians, they are here because it has been profitable and the facility that matches their needs already exists here. I'll say it again - you'll only get what you fight for! P.S. Have you got your $1700 bonus yet? Don't count on it...