tincup2b

As of the end of the day Tuesday KCAP had over 1200 signed up for one type of buyout or another. We all know that not everyone that signs up will accept the package when it is offered but I would think at least half would take it. Good luck to all regardless of which way you decide.

I think the date they were originally posted on this website was Sept. 9th or 10th 2006. I might be wrong but it was the first week or two of Sept.. Now the company is holding all other plants hostage using the Rouge complex as a negotiating tool. I can't believe the international would allow one plant to conceed all that is in these documents and then support it at the other plants as well. To me this is a way the international union can settle the 2007 contract without giving anything else up. They can make the new contract mirror the COA agreements and then blame it on the membership at each local for voting in the new COA's. Just my two cents though.

We at KCAP would also like to know what is going on. We know they are going to start letting people go the 1st of Jan., and we are going to be hiring Temps, other than that it is all up in the air. We have asked several times how they are going to replace the skilled and unskilled labor force and nobody seems to know yet. St. Louis is still a possibility since they still have some people there. The other rumor we are hearing is that TCAP will be getting offered trasnfers to KCAP. If we see anything in writing I'm sure someone will post it on here to help our brothers and sisters at the other facilities out. Good Luck with whatever decision each of you make.

Why would they share it with journalist if they can not take pictures or speak of the new products? Sounds kind of fishy to me. Cobo center is in downtown Detroit along the lake.

WTF???? Why do you think 250,000 units combined would be optimistic or that this would cause the segment to be crowded? I think you are way off on this thought. Look at any of the analyst predictions and the majority of them think that the segment of CUV will grow from the current 1 million units to over 3 million units in the next few years. If they are correct I don't see Ford having any problems selling 250,000+ Edge/MKX in a year or two. Now the question I have for you is "What is your line speed going to be when you are up and running at full speed, and how many hours does each shift work? Figure those numbers up and I think they will add a third shift in the future and maybe even before the Fairlane. I think we would all agree that Ford wants to close as many plants as possible and run the remaining plants on three shift operations. It looks a lot better on the Harbour report since you are utilizing over 100% capacity if you do it this way. And when the Harbour numbers go up that makes Wall Street happy which in turn makes investors happy and then good things start being said about Ford from Analyst again. That puts Ford back in better shape with the public and sales continue to rise. It is one of those trickle down effect things if you get my drift. No, these things don't happen overnight but that is the Way Forward thinking. Now for all of the employees that decide to remain with the company and pass up a buy out opportunity lets hope Ford is playing their cards right.

Wow! What a thread. First of all I don't think that they will replace any welders until the number goes under 12. That leaves four per shift and I think the company is OK with those numbers. The two welders that are reps can't really be counted in the total number at this time because they are not on the floor. Second topic that was brought up is the agreement to keep a certain number of House painters on rolls. As much as I would like to see the company bring our house painter number back up to 12 that is not what the language states. It states that the company can not supplement the house painter classification unless there are 12 classified house painters on rolls. The third topic, concerning the number of electricians taking buy outs. I think that 6 is a little low. I don't think it will go a whole lot higher but maybe around 10 or so. I know three or four on afternoons that say they are going and at least two on the #1 shift. Surely there are a coulple on the #2 shift that are exploring the oppurtunities. There are 2 or 3 more on the #3 shift that would like to go but they don't have a job lined up yet. I guess we will see when the time.

This is a question mainly for the skilled trades work force at Local 600. I know part of your COA was accepting the "Helping Hands" concept. Do you have any language that describes this in detail. I have a feeling that if this is something that has been agreed upon and the intent will be determined at a later time we are all in trouble. The two words alone spell DOOM for the skilled trades work force as a whole in my opinion. I am hoping somebody can point me in the right direction to find a letter or some kind of language that describes what this concept is.

Like anyone has faith in the PBGC anymore. They are on their way to bankruptcy as well. Who is going to bail them out. I have heard horror stories that once the PBGC (Goverment) gets involved you only receive about half of your pension. The original bankrupt company may not be "touching your pension" directly but they are directly handing it over to the PBGC which then only pays you aprrox. half. Anybody in todays world that is counting on a full retirement from a company vested plan better wake up. If those people don't save in other ways, 401k, IRA's, or whatever else they choose, they are going to be in big trouble come retirement.

Yes, you can purchase COBRA.

I don't shop at target myself but not for the reasons that you are stating. I think that they are higher than some of the other stores and most of there stuff comes from over seas like their rival Wal-Mart. Read the below, taken from truthorfiction.com, and you might have a new outlook on Target. Target Stores Won't Fund Veterans Projects-Fiction! Target Stores are Owned by the French-Fiction! Target Stores Won't Allow Collections for the Marine's Toys For Tots Campaigns-Fiction! Target Stores Won't Allow Reservists Called for Active Duty to Maintain Insurance-Fiction! Summary of the eRumor There are different messages urging you to avoid buying anything at Target stores because the company turned down a request for funds for a Vietnam veterans memorial wall, is owned by the French, won't allow collections for Toys For Tots at Christmas, and won't give reservists call for active military duty continued health insurance coverage. The Truth This is quite an assault on Target stores and is becoming an example of how a rumor can mushroom and pick up momentum along the way. It started with a man named Dick Forrey. He is listed as being with Howard County Vietnam Veterans in the state of Indiana. He says that he did have the experiences both with the local Target store and the Target corporate offices as is described in one of the stories and did originate an email expressing his displeasure. It is not true, however, that Target categorically refuses to fund Veteran's projects and even Forrey is upset with how large this eRumor has spread. The Target company is sending a written response to people who inquire about the Forrey story that says that Target gives $2 million per week in the communities where stores are located. The Target letter says a veteran (referring to Forrey) approached a local store in March, 2002 for a $100 donation to a "moving wall" project. The response says that any donations by local stores are not in cash but in gift certificates or volunteer time. Cash is given by the corporate office and in response to official requests for grants. The letter says that the veteran who asked for the donation should have been given grant information from the store, but was not. The Target response also says that the company makes donations in three general areas: education, arts and family violence prevention. The company is happy to donate to any veterans causes that would fit within those guidelines. So while it's true that donations would not be given to a veterans project per se, they would be given if the veterans project is within the guidelines. Regarding Target's ownership, the company is on record as a U.S. firm based in Minneapolis, Minnesota and always has been. There is no foreign ownership in its past or present that we've been able to find or been presented with evidence about. Regarding benefits for reservists on active duty, this has been a big issue since so many reservists were called in for service in the Middle East and the National Committee for Employer Support of the National Guard and Reserve has been a watchdog of companies and how they treat reservists. They list target in the "Outstanding Employer" category which means it has "gone above and beyond the requirements of the law in support of their National Guard and Reserve employees." So how did such a completely false email come into being? It's easy to suspect a conspiracy or organized effort against Target but from our viewpoint this appears to have gotten started with the Dick Forrey letter and as others read it and got angry over it, they added other false charges in order to stack the deck.

We have heard alot of hype about 900 currently in negotiations with the company trying to hammer out a new COA similar to the one local 600 passed about a month ago now. Any word on how things are going? Also heard that the first week of these negotiations there was a stand off and one side or the other walked out. Any truth to that? If so, are they back at the table again? We would like to hear anything out there about local 900. The rumors go as far as closing MTP to adding a 3rd shift again and picking up F150 production. I'm sure someone knows something. Please tell!

Lt me start by stating that I haven't seen the letter that you received. If what you are saying is true about the transfers to DTP going to be considered a transfer of operations then there does not have to be an opening but instead it goes by seniority and NAP folks could displace DTP people with less senioity. Like is said "I haven't seen the letter". It would be great if you could scan and attach it on this thread though. That would shed some light on some of the things that are going to happen with DTP and NAP down the road.

Have you forgotten already that Ford is still planning on closing TWO more assembly plants in NA. What two those are I don't have a clue but I would hate to work at one of the few left outside of the Michigan/Ohio area. I guess only time will tell but those of us at assembly plants are still sitting on pins and needles just like the rest of the UAW employees. I guess what I am trying to say is don't discredit the Wizard just yet. I think alot of the stuff that he has stated could still be announced at a later time. For instance the article on one of the Louisville plants closing. Take it easy on the guy. As for your own situation maybe you are one of those spoiled UAW bitches that thinks the Company and the Union owe you something. Next time don't count on all of the O/T to live your life by, save 20% of your gross wages, diversify your investments, etc... Then maybe you wouldn't be so upset at another hourly worker. Just my two cents though. At least I do still have that.

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I now know where your problem stems from. you don't know a damn thing about the contract or what each employee does. If you would look at the pay scale you would see that the General Cleaner (Janitor) is the lowest paid classification in the plant. As far as the production worker knowing more about the equipment than the trades (electrician), I have to say you are way off of base. Yes that production worker might know the basic panelview of their particular machinery better. I would like to see your typical production worker hook up the laptop and go through the ladder logic of whatever program that equipment is runnig on and figure out the problem. It's not going to happen that's why production workers are not called "Skilled Trades". Until you walk a mile in the tradesman shoes or do the degrading work that the General Cleaners do I think you should back off and respect them. I know that I respect every production worker in the UAW and know that the job they do on a day in and day out basis is not one that the majority of americans could do. That's why everytime Ford hires they lose about 50% of those employees in the first month. Next time before you spout off have a few more facts and not a bunch of BS.

Isn't Gettlefinger from LAP. If so I imagine that would equal new product for LAP even if they quit making or moved the Explorer. That seems like the way it works. :shrug:

The following article was taken from MSN.com earlier today. We all new this was coming I just can't believe the UAW would publicly state that we are going to do whatever it takes to bail Ford out. To me that is giving up whatever leverage we might of had come contract time. I know there wasn't much leverage to start with but now it doesn't look like we will have any. UAW Indicates Willingness to Help Ford All Associated Press NewsDEARBORN, Mich. (AP) - The United Auto Workers union is willing to discuss further buyouts and other cost-cutting measures to help ailing Ford Motor Co., a top union official said. "We understand the crisis at Ford," said Bob King, a UAW vice president who heads the union's dealings with Ford. "We have to be far more aggressive in finding a solution." King made the comments Monday while speaking at a conference in Dearborn hosted by JP Morgan. The Detroit News reported on the remarks Tuesday. "We wouldn't rule out anything," said King, who was elected to his post at the UAW convention in June. "We're open to whatever helps the company and protects our members." King also said the union could support an alliance with a foreign automaker as long as it helps the company and secures union jobs. Ford spokeswoman Marcey Evans said King's comments indicate the UAW sees that it has a role in helping Ford restructure. "I think those comments are really indicative of just the cooperative relationship that we have with the UAW," she said Tuesday. Last week, Ford more than doubled its second-quarter loss to $254 million. It also forecast a loss for its luxury division, expanded a major recall, saw its monthly sales fall behind Toyota Motor Corp. in the United States for the first time and hired a mergers and acquisitions specialist to advise its CEO. In the past year, the UAW has agreed to historic cuts in health care benefits for retirees and to unprecedented buyout agreements to reduce the work force at General Motors Corp. and Delphi Corp. King praised Ford's new management team in North America led by Mark Fields, executive vice president and president of the Americas. He said the UAW and Ford are working together to address cost and competitiveness issues. "When the UAW and Ford are aligned and committed, we have a great history of success," he said. Late last year Ford started offering $100,000 and early retirement packages to workers mainly at plants the company has planned to close or cut production. Ford expects to eliminate 12,000 hourly jobs by the end of the year with the buyouts and through attrition as part of its restructuring plan. The company wants to cut 25,000 to 30,000 jobs and close 14 facilities by the end of 2012. Ford shares rose 23 cents, or 3.2 percent, to $7.40 in afternoon trading Tuesday on the New York Stock Exchange. They traded in a 52-week range of $6.06 to $10.62. ___ On the Net: United Auto Workers: http://www.uaw.org Ford Motor Co.: http://www.ford.com © 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Back to Recent News

Of course the goverment stated that the BP problem with the Alaskan pipeline would not effect current gas prices. They would release reserve oil if a refinery would request it. This should help truck sales right. Once again we see that our goverment doesn't have the answer to everything. Regular Unleaded gas jumped 20 cents today in Kansas City to 3.14 per gallon. Doesn't look like that $4 prediction is that far away. My guess is $3.49 by labor day and $3.79 by Thanksgiving. Let's hope not but it sure seems to be going that direction. Good luck to all of my union brothers and sisters at NAP and all other plants for that matter.

I have noticed several people in this thread mention the fact that Ford is trying to avoid contractual buyouts by keeping NAP open until after next years contract. I have read the contract and for some reason my book is missing the pages that you are speaking of. I can't find any page that states the company will offer employees buyouts if there plant closes. Yes there is Sub pay and GEN pool but no mention of a buyout. Could one of you great intellects please tell me where you are finding this language?

There is a rumor going around on the produciton floor that KCAP will have a couple of downweeks between now and the end of the year. Until the announce them this is of course rumor like most other things on this site. That being said it sure does seem like a lot of those rumors come true as time passes. Good luck to all at KCAP currently and also the ones that will be transferring there throughout the remainder of the year.

I have a good friend that has several new homes withing 15 minutes of the plant that are lease to own. They are new homes never lived in close to the plant. The payments are about 1200 per month. If you or anyone else are interested PM me your information and I will have him get in touch with you. He also has homes for sale. Let me know if anyone is looking to buy in the northland area (Liberty, Kearney, NKC, etc...) Good luck to all of you that transfer. I'm sure the majority of KCAP employees will welcome you with open arms. If a few people are A-holes don't let them tarnish the image of the entire workforce at KCAP.

No list as of yet. We have been told numerous times by the union that it will be one for one. I believe they are still working the numbers out based on the fact the Company thinks we have to many people in certain trades as it is. We should know something by the end of the week. I have heard that they might be bringing a couple of the crafts as early as June 26th. Has anybody from St. Louis heard this?

I'm sure somebody can post a short clip of the talked about video. This way I would know if I was for it or against it. It would be viewed for informational purposes only of course.

I sure wish people would stop posting information on here that is incorrect. As of Tuesday night there were 28 tradesman signed up. The list looked something like this. Toolmaker 3, Pipefitter 6, Elecrician 9, Cement Finisher 1, Layout inspector 2?, Millwright 4, Housepainter, 1, Carpenter 1, and there was one employee that I was unsure of his/her classification and didn't look it up. That being said the total number of trades that signed up since last night was an additional 13 to bring the toatal to 41. I don't have the breakdown of their trade yet but should have it shortly. The total # of the production that signed up I believe was 633. Don't hold me to that number but it is very close. Good Luck to all.

Ford has a system that is very similar to the one you speak of. It is called the TEM's system. The tradesman are suppose to log everything into this system. This includes the things they accomplished, worked on during their shift, and the parts that need to be ordered to fix problems found. Some tradesman are using the system while others think it is a system management is going to use to cut headcount. If the later of the two is the case I think we need to log everything to justify our jobs. If management is looking at what we do and expecting us to log this information what kind of action do you think they are going to have if they see very little is being input into the system. They could act in one of two ways. The first being the obvious, but less likely action, realize all the trades people are not entering the data and try to get everyone on board. The other, which is more likely, is see very little information entered in the system and think we don't need near the amount of tradesman that are currently employed. With this being said I challenge every tradesman to input as much information as possible into the TEM's system. If you are a tradesman at KCAP and have not had a TEM's training class in the last month or two I encourage you to complain to your supervisor and your committeemen so you can be scheduled to attend a class ASAP. Let's justify our jobs because the road we are going down currently is obviously the wrong one.