sprcon

At LAP those of us who signed up for the buyout were also asked a preference date. We were aksed to choose Jan, Mar, June, or Sept. retirees and education buyouts were allowed first on Jan. 2. Everyone else will be allowed based on their preference date using seniority. I chose January and have been pushed back to March at the eqarliest and probably September based on seniority. This is how they are doing it here. Not sure about others.

It takes three components to make a company successful. Great Products, Great People and World Class Marketing. Don't blame the union, Toyota or Mexico. Ford has mediocre products, prople in conflict and terrible marketing. So Ford has dropped the ball in 2 out of 3 Mediocre products and terrible marketing. With this in mind does it not seem logical that this in effect created the 3rd problem people in conflict? Divide and conquer is alive and well.

Simple answer. Refuse to resign stand by the principle that you are to be treated like everyone else. Period. If they then fire you as an elected rep for not succumbing to this garbage then take legal action. Alert the media if and when they fire you from being an elected rep. Contact a good attorney and use both to expose them. Our union is continually selling us out and pitting plant against plant, brother against brother, and sister against sister. This has to stop and the only way to stop it is to stand together. The premise is a simple one. People will only give you what you are willing to accept. Are we tired of accepting this garbage? Only we have the power to change it.

New attendance policy will be in effect that states a short term illness is still a chargeable offense. Each day you are off with a Dr Note that states unable to work by Ford's rules is concerned a separate occurrence. So don't get the flu even with a Dr note. 4-10 hour days with no OT after 8 hours. Outsourcing cleanup and stock jobs. And a host of other things including no pay for job prep like paint people having to wear special gear for their job. New attendance policy does not have any discipline involved until the 4th occurence and then it is counseling. If you currently are being disiplined under the current attendance policy then you remain there and automatically go to the next step of discipline. This essentially means that those who went in the progression on their 1st occurrence will stay there while those who have occurrences after the COA goes in effect will have 4 free. To give up OT pay and allow them to adjust shift schedules any time they want is a mockery of what those before us fought for. All this during a contract year? Absurdity if we vote it in. Let the contract get negotiated this year as scheduled not before. Toyota was nailed in a court case concerning paying prep time to don required equipment on their employees which is why workers get paid for prep time now. By eliminating that requirement essentially are we saying Ford is above the law? Just something to consider. Bottom line this is an oft used tactic by companies to bully employees into anything they want. This is nothing new. What is new is the people who are leading our UAW, are you listening Gettelfinger and our local president?, are selling us out. Period. I for one am ashamed at the mockery of this leadership as it relates to the membership they purport to represent. The COA is subject to ratification by the membership. Anyone wanna bet it passes with a 51-49 vote regardless of the actual totals we will not be allowed to see? Can we demand a paper ballot on this vote for accuracy? Just in case we need a recount to insure fairness? Wonder what would happen if the UAW membership decided to do a 1 day walkout across the board at all plants on the same day. Shut down production and see if Ford and the UAW wuss leadership quickly decides to work with us.