Monroe B Gone

All Bullshit aside and as much as I hate to say this I agree with Jody on this one to a certain extent as I will explain. First and foremost, we have just went through the toughest economic time in most of our lives and not one of us ever did not get paid every week ( or we had the choice to get paid, some rolled the dice and got stung) What I'm trying to say we all had a steady stream of income coming in whether we were working, or on layoff, or on a TLO. (some people that chose to go on sub did get stung and ran out of weeks but that was by there own choice, they could of worked production and continued to get paid but they made that decision) Is this agreement great NO, is this agreement shitty No, folks you have to understand that if a contract book is 2 inches thick one inch is in our favor and the other inch is in the companies favor, that's true collective bargaining. worst part is we see no compounding raise for 12 years now, instead we get lump sums and tweaked profit sharing. Health care was a victory for us, if you ever really needed to use it for a serious matter you would thank God every day that you have such good care that you can take anywhere in the USA as long as you get a referral (I have blue care network of Michigan and i was able to take loved ones to the Cleveland clinic, and mayo clinic for only a 25 co-pay. The care she received saved her life when the other hospital sent her home to hospice) Thank you bargainers for keeping and improving our health care. Look at the deal from the outside looking in and you will join me in voting Yes. One more issue that needs to be addressed while we have the attention of all the cheerleaders (IUAW reps) we need to get our house in order on Jefferson Ave. I was going over the number of reps and the amount of money being used out of our strike fund to cover day to day operations. The current rate of money hemorrhaging is unsustainable at the current rate. The amount of reps in the big 3 is WAY out of proportion compared to other areas within the organization for example farm implements, healthcare workers, aerospace and yes we have large numbers of active workers in these areas with minimal service reps. Make the hard choice and do the right thing, right size the force within the organization or you will be the next big thing to go bankrupt and don't count on the government to bail you out. sorry in advance of the far from perfect grammar but I've been up 42 hours strait taking care of loved ones and working.

I voted yesterday (Thursday) and I couldn't help but notice the smell of ribs, pizza, and corruption in the air. Who the hell pays for the charter buses and vans to pick up the white haired retirees?? I hope it is not our nickle fund! Where does all that $$$$$ come from and is it being properly managed and spent??? A Lot of money gets spent on the retiree vote, seems kinda fishy to me. The active membership needs to get off their butt and get out and vote, or they will be letting the retirees dictate how the show is run. They had their time and now is our time.

No cross eyes I'm not trying to stir the pot, we have a safety meeting every week, and we here about all the incidents at all the Ford plants world wide in these meetings. this injury happened in the last couple of weeks. Maybe by working midnights in the stamping plant you don't get the safety stand down meeting every week like we do. However it is a fact that they were included for the first time this week in over 7 years. Prior to that I can't say they were or were not included. And no smokey didn't give me this info either. This site has went to hell in a hand basket and it's not to hard to figure out why, look at the amount of post that some people post, they can't possibly have that many creditable things to say.

I found it odd, if not interesting that in this weeks Ford safety talk they mentioned an incident at the Saline plant (something about someone slipping and falling by the turn styles, and breaking their leg). I sit through these meeting every week and this was the first time in over 8 years that they have mentioned either a ACH or Visteon plant. I'm not trying to plant false seeds in anyone's minds but it did raise my eyebrows!!! We have always heard about safety incidents at ford plant around the world but they have always been true ford plants. I am sure this is not the first person hurt in an ACH plant in 8 years. Anyone else have any idea why they would be include now??

Thanks a million!

Does anyone have the web site that has all the discounts available for current Ford workers? I thought it used to be www.uaw.ford.com but that is not it any more? We could go their to buy Cabela's gift cards for discounts, travel, cell phone service ect...Thanks for any help.

I heard from a cleaner, that has a great fortune teller, that heard from his brother-in-law that has a drinking buddy that works for a sign company that is building a new sign to be delivered in Saline that reads " Johnson Controls Inc" With all BS aside the reality is something is in the works as of a sale. Milan will be announced as sold within the next 30 days and you will be next. As the economy stabilizes the sale will be more likely. Not to worry every hourly Ford employee will be offered a job at a Ford facility. For those that were sent back to their "home plants" you will see it was for the best.

Well take a look in your parking lot at work and look at all the fusions and Milan's, every one of those owners stepped on the throats of each and every Wixom and Atlanta assembly workers. We are UAW first, Ford second!

I know that their is a lot of new work coming in right now but that was all committed over 2 years ago ( new explorer,got some new taurus ect..) but in the next year and sooner Saline will loose all grand Marc. and all other mercury work, next fall will loose the ranger and as the cycles all balance out there's not a whole lot new coming in. take a look at what we used to get and where some of that work has now been awarded to. Don't think for a minute that Ford will reclaim Saline it's on its way out like the dinosaurs. Enjoy it while you can, I'm sure each and everyone (blue) will all have a job when the dust settles just a matter of where (Dearborn Truck, Michigan assy, ect.) Make the money while you can! most plants are on 40 hours

Skilled, One thing that I feel you are missing the point on is, when the wages were set years ago for try-out, their pay was bases on the fact that they would be working in presses, and the work and skill level where at a slightly higher level then a bench tool and die maker. I agree there IS a 2-tier wage system in place, and we didn't vote for it, there's no other way of putting it. Same job, different pay. When the classifications where combined, they traded tradesmen from department to department to fit the company's wishes and needs. Buffalo Stamping put in protection in their 2006 COA so even Apprentices graduating get the $33.11 rate. One of 2 things happened here. #1 with the way the company was going around and whipsawing the different locals, squeezing out every drop of blood they could, some locals bargained and protected there membership better then others. or #2 the Company owes those that are working in tool and die some back pay and a parity wage scale. I don't think that the current bargainers would like to have the title of "first bargainers to be stuck with a 2-tier wage scale" and sneaking it in the books and trying to use a lot of smoke and mirrors to call it something other than what it is. I work in presses, tryout panels, and do everything that a tryout tool and die maker does when the parity in wage scale was set years ago, Why would only one small group be forced into a pay cut?? If this is the case did anyone else see this in the highlight book provided by the international??

As far as I'm concerned my seniority is like personal property to me! A long time ago the international started playing games with our property making 2 , 3, or 4 different seniority dates to fit their own personal agenda ( protecting kids, self, or cronies). Most if not all the folks that created this mess are long gone. Everyone needs to turn in a resolution at their local during resolution acceptance period and show up with many friends to the meeting when the proposed resolutions are read and voted on at the local level to be brought to the national negotiating board. If we would send 75% of the locals with the same resolution something might get done. If not just do like Dearborn truck does and vote in a new committee every election. IMOHO One National Seniority Period!!!!!! The date you first got hired, how can that benefit or screw anyone??? Your date is your date, period! Don't like it........then you should of got hired sooner!

I'll take it one step further. One date, period, things get more "gray" when you have " company, trade, date of entry ect..., " hell you can have 3 different dates, that's Bull Sh@t. you got hired on date X period. That is the benefit of seniority. If you don't like it then you should of got hired earlier, period!! This system would stop any hanky-panky from going on. International would only have to maintain 1 list. No more hiding Peter, to screw Paul.

He's not worth the trouble.....He's the best that Jefferson High school could produce....he hired in in 1993, Full time in Sept of that year. Daddy got him his job, ( his Dad was a good dude I might add) somewhere he lost touch from where he started, when he ran his first election for afternoon shift comm-man he really did try to do the right thing, and did have balls in the right place...somewhere down the line he fell in line with the others and became one of "them". Probably had something to do with his plant closing and felt he had no other options. Now he's just Bob Kings meat puppet. IMOHO

The UAW should of done what Ford Motor company did, Bring in someone from Aerospace!!!! I'm sure Capt'n will be lovin it. he's got his head so far up Bob's ass he's sure to land a even more cushy job.

Just a couple of points, First they will get all 118 people to take a tlo this time, second those 4 that where going to come over got delayed and when they do come over the union tells us that they will be back before any of the temps(trades) working in production can come over because that is their home basic unit and they have first dibs before the other guys with more trade seniority. Said before 2010 will be a test for a lot of trades men and women. Good luck to all.

Tell them to put the 4 year school plan back in. I'll run like a purse snatcher down Winchester street!!

The cuts are not Perm....just from Feb-Sept 2010, Like I said there's a hole in the program schedule. There will be 4 ILO's soon (was going to be today but union got them delayed) When the crown vic production ends we will loose t&d in the engine plant and the frame plant not sure on the numbers yet. Not looking good though for 2010.

More trades heading to production in the rouge on Monday not to mention the tool and die plant with a big "hole" in the work load through 2010. There will be 118 (out of aprox. 170) tool and die makers laid off at the peak starting in Feb and ending in Sept.

If they really want the numbers to go up so they can hire "new lower rate employees" they should at least offer the same thing they did in the very first round. lets face it, the rules have changed since then. There was always the gen pool, now it's gone. I think if they offered the 4 year college plan with 50% pay they would get more than enough takers. To get a good degree in the medical field (what we would need to make even pay) it takes 4 years of school. Seems to me that all the old times that where ever going to leave have left, and all we have are the ones that will go out under the " toe tag retirement plan", if thats what they so choose then so be it. The company and the IUAW need to shift the focus on the other people that might be inclined to leave. Just my 2 cents worth

I'm with you 100% on this one. We do not need to send blind sheep with the bobble head mentality. This union has been going down a slippery slope because of too man "yes men" on board. The time has come to clear out all the slugs that have been in bed with the company for far too long. Elect those that represent your best interest, not the bargainers of your unit that were trying to sell this crap onto us. We spoke loud and clear now it's time we Vote for delegates loud and clear this coming spring!

So many Names and all the same person.........unless of course you all use the same computer....Capt723, Eagle, candy, and The Wizard are all the same !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well Dumb ass you know who I'm talking about the one with 9-93 ford service date, yes you!!!!! Back to the scare tatics to get this damn thing passed!!! what whould we gain on this........everything has an out..."if market conditions blahh blahh blahhh blahhh blahhh you know when Bob K gets the boot so will you...I guess you could always go back to driving hilo back in Monroe now that it's a warehouse. because under your leadership it was wiped out from what about 1800 members to 9. Other chairmans from other visteon plants got their plants back to blue. PS Get out of bed with the company

Well union brothers and sisters, as we are all up in arms over the IUAW constantly coming back for more give backs it's time we rally our own locals and send new faces to the convention this summer. DO NOT SEND ANY CURRENT ELECTED REP THAT HAS BEEN TRYING TO GET YOU TO DRINK THE KOOL-AID. WE do not need someone with a spring mounted on the back of their necks to nod like yes-men. We need strong voices, ushering the winds of change. Lets not forget how many of those plants that have closed with our current reps in charge, while at the same time expanding in Mexico. We Can't let Bob King become our president. He has no credibility! Anyone that would stand in front of a union membership and preach equal sacrifice and then go back and claim his 3.5% lump sum less than a couple weeks after ratification is a chump (Bob came from Local 600 rouge)why would someone feel entitled to the more than the ones he preached to give up theirs "we must all sacrifice????" I guess we don't mean me????? J D you trying to sell this BS again is one big disapointment. I thought you were a stronger man than that.....Jury in......you became a self centered yes man to better your own position in the IUAW. To bad for you. As the winds change, people like you will be blown out of their positions, and new true leaders will spring up and rise to the new day of a great UAWin the future.

Ok I did leave a few fact out like lets see......Hummm Capt...The veba was to be funded with ford stock at a set value of $2.00 a share regardless of the market value plus or minus, when the agreement was made ford stock was trading at $1.80 a share. Now that it is higher the IUAW has allowed ford to fund at the current market value and puts all the risk back on the backs of the retiree's. Seems pretty much one sided to me. We already traded cash for Stock wasn't that enough?? We all know how the stock can bounce up and down, why should we risk our future, we had a pretty good thing going with the set price. We stood pretty good in the risk to reward formula, now it's back to where we assume all the risk once again. I guess you might of took the wiz kid thing a bit personal but the truth is, not enough new members equals risky future for the long run of the uaw. Sooner or later we will all retire, then what??? Capt'n you have a couple of choices, #1 you can go with the flow and be a yes man or #2 you could stand up in a rational way and look out for all our futures (yours, mine, our fathers and mothers, and our next generation) to be honest with you I always thought you would be strong enough to take the #2 route but the jury's still out on that one. Quote "what is right is not always the most popular, as what is popular is not always right"