lep_wrencher

We also got some of your Specht 500 machines, 4 of them to be exact, I don't know if they came out of CEP 1 or 2. The machines are used, you can tell, they're disgustingly filthy. It's very apparent that people in the machining areas in Cleveland don't know how to take care of machines. The last thing I heard is that either the Skilled Trades or our new IMT trades will be installing the Specht machines over Christmas, 2 machines in each of our head lines.

We are being told that all of our temp help has to be gone by Aug. 11th, they say it has something to do with their time being at 8 months and having to hire and pay benefits to them.

Is this rumor or are you getting this from a reliable source?

We are told that we will be getting between 50-60 transfers. Has anyone seen any postings in any plants?? A lot of us keep asking about the status of transfers and we can't seem to get any answers.

He ain't lyin' bout that, not one bit...... About stirrin' the shit that is....

Heard on the floor today that the big meeting really was nothing. Some new big-wig from the glass house is going to all the engine plants, kind of a meet-and-greet. I heard he was at Romeo a day or 2 before LEP. I didn't hear about anyone from international being with hm and I didn't get a name or job title on the new individual either.

Make that in AWD, twin turbos, with a 5 or 6 speed manual tranny...... I'm ALL over it!!!!

BTW, has anyone seen our newest member of Ford's E-lite management team, Price????

And here I always sthought it was "Queen B____".... Just goes to show how much I really know...

Hell, I forgot all about that!!!!! Also, to all the people from Cleveland - the absolute most important thing to Jan isn't whether or not you build engines, it's wether or not you have your earplugs in - to hell with everything else.....

Some of the talk on the floor is that he is a limey and kinda laid back. I was told that he is "another Hornsey". That's what a couple of members of management told me. There certainly were a lot of smiling faces the other day when the word of her departure hit the shop floor. I asked if JD (Jan's dad) was worried about is job since his protection is leaving.

We were told that something like 17,000 people have signed up for the buy-outs. I'm under the impression that this is a total from Ford, Visteon, and ACH. But still, it's not the 35K that FoMoCo is wanting. There are still a few days left though.

Frank, if you read the buyout info that was put out a couple of months back, it was also on the UAW web site, there were special dates put in for the people at AAP, due to the fact that they we being idled. Atlanta was the first plant to start off this round and they were also the first to have a cut-off. Some on e please correct me if I am wrong, but I think the good folks in Atlanta only had a 3 week window in which to sign up for a buy out.

Lima is heavy on every trade. We will be shutting down our 3.0L V6 some time within the next 6 months and the new D35 engine only has homes for about 1/3 of the trades people that we currently have. We currently have just over 300 trades people and the new D35 is only going to need just over 100. As far as Machine Repair, we have about 50+ and the numbers for the D35 engine are for only 22. Also from what I am hearing, not too many of the trades here at Lima are signing up for buyouts either. I would say that trades flowing back into Lima probably won't happen.

D.R. is a PITA for just about everybody. I was told they actually put is dumb a$$ on D35 assembly. Maybe we'll get lucky and he'll take one of those salaried separation packages.....

I am trying to figure out why you would be told that yoiu can't go to GEN.... If you read the contract, the section titled "job security agreement", it will spell out covered events. By "covered events" the contract means, do NOT get laid-off, go directly to GEN. A product phase-out, such as the Taurus, I would think would qualify as a product phase out. I was just wondering if you hit your bargaining committee up about this??? What was their response???

I've been told that Ford has been playing around with the D35 engine and have made prototypes with the displacement as high as 3.9L, a hybrid version, and even turbo charged. I was glad to hear Mark say that there would be a new Lincoln built at CAP.

From what I have heard, it's Cleveland that "sold the farm". We at Lima are NOT combining trades nor are we using them to permanently displace production people. The bit about Cleveland's agreement that would scare me is that the trades will assist in daily production tasks (what the hell does that mean, sound VERY open ended to me) but will not be held captive to a production machine ( "A" production machine, I've never seen a machining area with "A" machine - meaning just one). How far do you think that Ford management will try to push this one??? -Production worker: "hey, Mr. Tradesman, watch my machine while I go to the restroom." -Supervisor: "Hey, Mr. Tradesman, Mr. Production is off for 4 hours and we don't have any coverage, watch his machine." -Supervisor: "Hey, Mr. Tradesmans, Mr. Production is off this week on vacation, we don't have any coverage, watch his machine." Where will that one end??? It's like CSMJ said, "Go ahead Lima vote it down, we'll take the whole thing". With the Vulcan going out soon, do you people from Lima actually believe that Ford would keep the lights on for just 325k D35 engines. I am sure that ALL of you remember Mark Fields saying, "change or die"??? After the latest announcements of plant closures, and even with the first round, I can see that they are seriuos about this. Can't you? I would certainly hope. Here's another fact for people from both Cleveland and Lima to think about, they said they want to close 14 plants in NA, how many engine plants do you think Ford is actually going to need??? Also, how many other U.S. plants are even discussing ANY kind of new work? Whether you like it or not, this may be what helps save our plants.