BTV to SHV Transferee

I watched the RNC the last few nights. Just wonder why when the G8 or Republicans hold a convention, their are always protestors or riots? Oh, yeah. The G8 and the Republicans want a "One World" policy. Hmmm, who else wanted a "One World" vision? Hitler? Stalin? pick an Arab country. YES, I compared the Republicans to Hitler and Stalin! Not much difference. Whats the first thing Hitler and Stalin did when they seized power? Eliminated the labor Unions and took governmental control over the labor. Read up on your history. Every time a Republican in KY, Indiana, Pennsylvania get elected, the first thing they do is abolish the rights of the governments workers to form a Union! That is a FACT! I dont remember seeing riot geared police in Denver hauling off protesters by the hundreds daily. The sham they put on about hurricane Gustav was nausiating. Does anyone really think if it wasnt a PR stunt, their crazy. The Republicans sat on their hands when Katrina pretty much wiped out New Orleans and the surrounding area. They didnt want the PR nighmare that would have happened if Gustav was the same type of huricane as Katrina. That would have sealed the deal for the Democrats. Why did Joe Lieberman speak and endorse McCain? Duh! Its is because he is of the Jewish faith. I'm not going to bash the Jews because I believe in their fight in Israel. Obama is of the muslim faith and a member of the Jewish faith can not endorse a muslim and be in good standing with their faith. Its prety much a Jew VS muslim thing. I guess Rudi Guilliani was allowed to get "on the job training" in NY, NY on 9-11-01 but no one else can. Watch 'ole Rudi. Keep one eye on him at all times. He is a snake in the grass. Palin, she has her own mess. If you vote for her because she is attractive, wake up junior, your not in the eigth grade anymore. You dont vote for someone because of their looks. If so, Pam Anderson or Carmen Electra would have been elected years ago. I know, Pam Anderson is Canadian, just making the point of the superficials. And McCa....z'z'z'z'z'z'z'z'z'z'... Did you see all the people yawning? His speech was lights out. I swear I saw an audience 'Applause' sign above the jumbo screen. I also swear I saw the Grim Reaper standing just behind his left shoulder. I did notice their are two kinds of Republicans. The military and the business. The military Republicans are the old guys with the American Legion and VFW hats that bravely and valiantly served and still have the "fighting spirit'. The business one's, all they want is what is good for their business and their wallet. They couldnt care less about McCa....z'z'z'z'z'z'z'z'z'.... military service. They need to losen the ties around their necks. Geeesh! You would think the 'young' republicans would relax a little. The Republicans basically base their party platform on the 3-G's. God, Guns and Gays. The Supreme Court shoots them down on all three issues year after year. Just my take.......... Yours??????

Happy LABOR day to all. YES, this day was brought to you all by the UNION'S, no matter which one. Thank the former and currect LABOR leaders of our country for getting and upholding this day. It's the end of the summer and the start of the election season. It's time to hold our elected officials in public office responsible for the shape our country is in. No, this isnt a Ron Paul or Hillary Clinton speech. How will this election affect the UAW or any Union? The Democrats are for the Employees Free Choice Act and the Republicans are staunchly against it! Why is this important? It will give the employees of an un-organized - non-union shop the clear and free choice to organize without interference from the company. Currently, if a group of people want to organize a Union, they have to have 30% of the employees sign cards for an election. Whats wrong with the election process? It is tainted and always 99% of the time held on company property. How is it tainted? The company owns the building and can preach, hand out flyers, have closed door and one-on-one meeting with prospected employees that might vote for the Union any time they want. They tell the employees that you will strike and your family will starve and you will loose your home or they will just close the business (all are illegal). The Union doesnt have a person, other than the organizing committee on lunch and break times to get the other side of the story out there. Not an equal playing field! Why vote with your wallet instead of special interest? You wallet is what the Republicans want, or the contents there of. They want you to fully fund your health care, take your social security and flood the market with the monies and play the stock market. We've all seen what this past year has gotten us in the stock market! They want all Union's busted and for you to work for pennies instead of dollars per hour. Actually, they want you to be a 1099 sub-contractor so you have to totally fend for yourself. The Republicans let the credit card companies re-write bankruptcy laws, but you see where that has gotten them also. The Republican preach about the Democrats wanting to take the guns away. WRONG! They want gun control. Yes, criminals will get guns, laws or no laws, but there is no reason in the world for a hunter out there hunting deer to need an AK-47. And yes, I know what I'm talking about! These guns get into the hands of radicals and into the cities and thats how the criminals gets them. YES, Thats how they get them! The abortion issue was settled 35 years ago but the Republicans wont let it rest. It will always be legal. Time to quit wasting money and time with that issue. They have tried time after time to stack the Supreme court deck to no avail. Republican are not your friends, they act like they are to get to your wallet! Your thoughts?

Here is an article from a Cincinnati, Ohio local TV station. Cincinnati (Northern KY) is where Toy-motors US HQ is located and all the local media sucks up to them for the advertising dollars. Toyota Stops Tundra Production in Indiana They are moving Sequia and Highlander production there, but who is going to buy them?? They dont sell well now so why have another plant build them????? They are going to pay the workers to keep working so they dont have the UAW try and organize the plant. All the UAW has to show is that we have JSP and SUB with unemployment. Indiana is heavily Unionized but is a right-to-work state. Start firing or laying off people and they will do what it takes to organize. I just wonder if the people who start to work at the new Honda plant they're building in Indiana are paying attention to whats happening in Princeton, Indiana? Those people where promised jobs for life. Now they face the same uncertainty the rest of us have been facing for years! I know, they are going to build the civic there but it isnt comparing apple to oranges, it comparing UAW JSP-SUB benefit to no job or 60% unemployment for 6 months!

As I have read the posts on here and the article, the one thing you have all ignored. THE MAJORITY OF THE WORKERS wanted the holiday change. The holiday per say wont change but the day off will. I personally dont agree it should be for religous reasons, but the 700 or so workers wont be at work that day, so the Union and company agreed to work labor day and take Oct 1 off. The only thing here you are witnessing is the majority rules part of a labor agreement. I'm sure the company agreed to this only because of the 700 or so wont be at work that day. And it doesnt matter if they have sick days or not. 700 not showing up in one day is a huge labor impact on production, so they are heading off a possible work day catastrophe. Its called labor-management relations. here come the onslaught of "company suck up" "un-American" & "un-Union" name calling at me! Just seeing what is really there and not the hot head responce!

Just how wet would the streets be from all of this water if all the cars whre on Hydrogen? Think of all the oil slicks. The tire companies wouldnt be able to produce a tire that wouldnt skid as much. Then all the people would do nothing but complain about all the water on the streets all the time.

Yep, use what they already have. They need to make FOCUS a brand. Thats right a brand. The Lincoln is targeted at the 45+ well to do crowd, Mercury is targeted at the 45+ Middle class and Ford is targeted at the working stiffs no matter what age. How do they make FOCUS a brand? The same way toyota did with scion. Incorporate it into existing dealerships. They need to have small sportier little gas savers that are targeted at the 23-32 crowd. Yep the X-Box'ers and Playstation 3 dweebs. Those hipsters that have 25 tattoos up and down their arms, wearing wife beaters, hat tilted side ways, baggy shorts, and the peach fuzz gotee. You know the ones, the white kids (not being racist) listening to the rap music at deafening octives at the stop lights. They need to incorporate some of Mazda's designs and just replace the make of the car with FOCUS and give it a model name. They need to come up with 'hip' model names, not some silly single letter or number names. I wouldnt even give them names that start with E or F. Kiddies want the cars they can put lights under, play their thump thump stereos in, plug in an X-Box (by the way since they already have Microsoft SYNC, X-Box would be a fantastic compliment to the SYNC system). Instead of saying its a Ford, they can tell their buddies, it's a FOCUS. Keep the BlueOval off of it. Price them at around $12,000 to $22,000 and they will sell like hot cakes. The mitsubishi eclipse still sells to the kiddies and it is the only model they have that is near what the kiddies want. The kiddies like scions because of the accesories you can put on it. Make FOCUS the same way. Just my thoughts! Yours?

I finally saw a new Flex on the dealer lot today. It was right out front. I passed by and turned around to check it out. I looked at it inside and out. OK, its a little boxy but it would grow on me. The odometer had 122 miles on it from all the test drives. Leather seats, 2 big moon roofs, captains chairs, refrigerator for a six pack, drop down dvd player for the kiddies, room for 7 comfortably, SYNC, quiet ride ( 19in tires) and suprisingly spacious. The heads would turn if I took this home. Out of curiosity, I asked the dealer about Z-Plan. He didnt know if it was Z-Plan eligible yet. And then.......... out of the blue, the crafty salesman pulled out the window sticker. Has all the bells and whistles listed , 28 mpg on the highway and 23 city and at the end.......eeeeeeeekkkkkkkk $37,588! HUH???? $37,600????? Add this on to the list of cars people would drive, but cant afford. If this was to take the mini-van buyers away from Dodge Caravan, sorry, the Caravan wins. A VERY well equipped Caravan wouldnt cost more than $25,000. Ford , if you sell a very well equipped Flex for $25,000, you have many many sales and the Windsor plant keeps working! I'd take a $25,000 EDGE over the $37,000 Flex anyday!

First of all 'Big Stevie", you not taking anything from me. I'm retired and sitting in Florida. I do keep close contact with the SHV plant though. Again, the ZF thing, 2 employers, 2 contracts, ZF workers couldnt got to a Ford plant to work in '99 blah blah blah been explained zillions of times, ya just dont seem to get it. CD4EMAN, I dont have a beef with you as most of your post seem to be acurate and actually educational a little. I just believe SHV home plant should count for something and those who exercised their transfer right under the old contract shouldnt be diplaced by those who didnt.

Both Local agreements have expired and both have not been extended. The Transfer Agreement is totaly different from the Job Security Agreement. The Transfer Agreement is dead because of the obvious. The Job Security Agreement will have to be ratified by the membership and I dont see SHV workers allowing the BTV workers just to walk right in and bump them out. As for the the ZF'ers, again, Ford and the UAW agreed to allow the ZF' ers to become part of the Ford National Master agreement. The company didnt want that to happen, but the UAW was ready to strike them when they needed the CVT for the 500 launch and the Escape was selling like hot cakes. UAW Ford employees were ready to honor the UAW-ZF-BTV Transmissions picket line. In turn, if the UAW-Ford employees would have honored the picket line at BTV, then the UAW-Ford employees was also going to consider the picket line at SHV. The UAW wanted 1 company, 1 Union, 1 Agreement. With the ZF employees 100% ratifiying the agreement, it allowed about 200 people that were UAW Ford to come back to BTV to work. If the BTV Trans-ZF employees would have had remained in a separate labor agreement, no one that was hired at SHV in 2000 would have come back home. when the CVT was done, even more UAW-ford employees would have been out the door. Enough of the ZF-Ford bickering, its water under the bridge!

I have been told by a close friend of mine that Sharonville and Batavia seniority list will be combined. The New SHV bargaining Chairman and Reps seems to have brokered a deal with the BTV Chairman and Reps. I also hear that management doesnt want the seniority list combined. The SHV Chairman is the nephew of Ron Getlefinger's right hand man, Gary Mason. So it seems he needs the Intl Union to help push his through. This may need ratification from the membership. I dont see the SHV workers getting seniority people shoved down their throats from a diffeent plant and then possibly shooved out the door in case of a layoff. I say PHOOEY on this! The BTV workers had years to get to SHV and choose not to exercise their option to do so. The company wants to keep them in JSP until an In-Zone opening, then allow a senioriy person from BTV to fill it. For once, I agree with the company. The Local wants the lists combined also. They want a Local 863 seniority, not SHV or BTV. Phooey! We are an Almagamated Local. We carry more than one contract and negotiate different local agreements per plant. I believe that NLRB action may be in the works! Also there are about 300 outside contractors within the building. All remaining BTV skilled trades should be able to perform the contractor work until its completed. Boot the contractors out the door! Also, some of the trades have the right to go back to production further displacing others. A merged seniority list wont work and should be allowed to work. The SHV workers have SHV home plant rights. If the BTV workers are allowed to merge, then why cant any other plant merge also?? If we get a chance to vote on it, I encourage you to vote NO! Protect your home plant rights and vote NO. If you dont voice your opinion and protect your job, then a BTV worker will be glad to take it from you! I'm not trying to drive a wedge between the SHV and BTV workforces, but the Chairpersons and Bargaining Reps seem to have already done that!

BTV will release all temps on June 13th. All others will work untill the end of the month. Skilled trades will stay until Sept for tear-outs and disconection of air, water, electric and steam to machines. Possibility of some production to stay and assist trades with grunt work like driving fork trucks, shipping - receiving and the likes. If I heard correct at the Union meeting this past Sunday (very few people there), Batavia workers were going to go into JSP (Gen). A few (50 or so) was going to SHV immediatly. The rest will sit at home in JSP collecting 85% (36 hours of a 40 hour week). they then will have to wait for an IN-ZONE opening at SHV. SHV is supposed to have a layoff sometime in August anyway. I could be wrong but thats how I understood it. Any others that actually went to the meeting care to chime in? By the way, I am a Retiree........ So it wont affect me.

Yes, You bet. I'll take it. The 4 day work week. The Pro's: For the Worker, 1 more day at home during the week. 1 business day to do your banking, doctor visits, car repairs, shopping, hunting, fishing, boating or just relaxing and other errands you would otherwise use a sick day for. 1 less day of driving to & from work. 20% instant savings on gas. 1 less day per week on wear & tear to your vehicle. Possibly car insurance rates going down for the lesser commute time. 1 less trip per year for an oil change. If you did work on Friday, the whole day would be OT. For Ford, They can turn the lights, computers, fans, conveyors & all other non essential eletrical power sucking items off for 3 days per week. In the winter, 4 less heating days per month. Better attendance by having the extra business day for employees to use for errands or doctor visits. Tout the 'Green Appeal' that seem to be sweeping the nation. Schedule all deliveries and shipments to a four day schedule to cut down on freight & dock times. Yes, Ford does pay for Dock handling at places like Con-Way and Ryder. The Cons: The moaning and groaning from the people who just got to have their overtime every day. The UAW would have to negotiate OT after 40 hours instead of 8 hours daily. The additional moaning and groaning from the people who have no life outside of the plants because they would have another miserable day outside the building just waiting for Monday to role back around to get back to work. Not having enough parts from suppliers using the 'Just In Time' supplier method. Did I mention the moaners and groaners that would have another miserable day with their families because they didnt have to work? You know the types. Yea, those guys that either have lost everything because all they have done is work 7-12's and turn right back around and double back for another 12 hours shift so they can get 96 to 108 in one week. 4 - 10 hours day seems like the logical way to go. For both the UAW/Ford Employees and the Company as a whole. It's on its way.......

This is my first post in about 8-9 months. No internet since I left Ford........ The American Axel Rally was cancelled because the UAW thought there was a 99% tentative agreement on the table 2 days prior to the rally. So they cancelled the rally so that those who were attending from out of town had a chance to cancel their travel plans. The rally was to bring worlwide attention to the Strike and after the UAW thought an agreement was within hours, they cancelled the rally. American Axel was going to cut wages regardless of were the products they make were made. GM was getting AAM products from Mexico to build their top sellers. If you didnt think GM wasnt asking AAM to produce more from Mexico, I got a bridge to sell you in Iowa. GM wanted and needed parts for the Malibu (KC,MO) and their crossover line (Dayton,OH) plants. Other plants took the idle weeks to adjust inventories. The AAM Strike is kinda what GM needed! To say the UAW Pres. Ron Gettlefinger didnt give a damn about the AAM people is kinda silly to say. The Locals voted to Strike and the UAW Intl has an AAM bargaining Dept. The Intl backed the Locals and held out for as long as they could. The writing was on the wall. AAM was ready to shift all North American production to Mexico and to the one non-Union plant in Alabama. AAM flat out told the UAW, this is what is going to happen, remember, AAM owns the company. They can open it just as well, close it, Union or no Union. And YES, Pres. Gettlefinger did speak out about the bonuses of the CEO while the regular Joe's have to take a cut. He has done that at least twice at Ford (remember those $500 & $1000 checks you got in 2007 & 2008). Just do basic research and you will see his feelings toward Delphi. Delphi had to get a Federal Judge to allow their bonuses. I agree with your stance on ALL Officers, Chairpersons, Bargaining & Commitee Persons, Appointed Reps and every last Union member should attend every Local meeting. The meetings should be wall to wall people. But the companies know that less that 2% of the membership attend and the members rely on "shop floor rumors". Dont be part of the rumor. Be part of the Facts and hear them yourself. Three hours of your time in a 90 day period is all the Union asks for. Your voice and vote is heard only at these meetings. Enough of the book I just wrote...... Btv To Shv Transferee

NO NO NO! Each person has home plant rights, then Zone, then out-of Zone. National seniority doesnt exist as some like to believe it does. Yes, a person with 2 years in one zone could be working and a person at an ACH plant with 25 could be on layoff in another zone. It is possible!

I'm not a Lawyer, but I'll play one on here. Bankruptcy means you have declared yourself finacially un-viable to your debtors. You have no assets of value 'for sale' (clear title cars, boats, houses, stocks, bonds, 401k, IRA's, whole life insurance policies, inheritance) to make your debts whole. If your bankruptcy hasnt been finalized by a judge, then the 'bonus' would then become your 'viability' to pay debt and your debtors would have to be contacted (by Ford then to the bankruptcy judge) to let them know of the potential for collection of the debt owed. Then the debtors would then 'get in line' for distribution of payment as the judge deemed owed. The biggest debtor isnt always the first to be paid. Usually a bankruptcy judge will take what you have and barter with the smallest debtors to get as many debts cleared out as possible. Usually for pennies on the dollar. Most debtors only collect the legal fees and nothing towards the actual debt. But it is now on you credit report that the debt was paid but with a judgement against you. I could be wrong.......

any comments CSMJ on the breif strike at Chrysler? Since your brilliance is so well documented here on BON.

Fraud? NO. Here's why. GM hasnt had a national strike in over 40 years. GM was calling the UAW's bluff. Also, if you folks have already forgotten, the parts suppliers and our Canadian CAW brethren were getting layoffs only after 2 days of a strike, so that tells me their wonderful "Just In Time" parts network is working. Yes, GM saved some $$$ because of the non-payment of wages for those 2 days, but they didnt really clear that much inventory, since the truck drivers wouldnt cross the picket line to take cars to the dealerships. We didnt hear any dealerships complaining about inventory shortages after 2 days did we? If it were a week, then maybe the dealerships would have chimed in. But if the strike would have lasted for more than 2 weeks, then GM would really be feeling the impact. Yes, GM felt pressure from Delphi and other suppliers to get a deal done because GM cant get parts from other sources. They have sourcing agreements with suppliers to accepts so many parts within a time frame (just a Ford does) for a certain price. I dont want to hear that GM can get parts from china to suppliment the shortage, they cant. Tarrifs, quality and patent issues there or they would already do it. And I dont want to hear how Delphi doesnt have an impact on GM because they do also. GM as a company wouldnt have survived Wall Streets wrath if the strike would have lasted 2 weeks or better. GM isnt in the same toilet Ford is, but they are getting pissed on also. GM's stock price didnt budge the 2 days on strike, but a week or so later, we would have seen the plundge! GM knew this, thats why they kept bargaining. Fraud? No! Strategy? Yes. I believe Gettlefinger's real intentions were to let Chrysler know that the UAW wasnt afraid to strike. The UAW has been somewhat defiant with Chrysler the past 2 years, so Chrysler will be defiant at the bargaining table.

Under NLRB rules and the Taft-Hartley ACT, as long as they pay Union dues, they have a "Voice & Vote". They do fall under the current national agreement as TFT's.

Go ahead and file to decertify with the NLRB. Whats stopping you? Nothing! The only ones that will really love you for it will be FORD management and the local salary staff at the newly decertified plant. Then, bye bye to paid time off, 96 hours of vacation, safety reps, quaility reps, OT after 8hrs a day, automatic time & a half on sat, double on Sun. Good bye to any grievance process. There are no laws to prevent the company from taking any of these perks the UAW have bargained for YOU away if you decertify. Go ahead, call your local and state so-called labor boards. They dont exist! Sure, the company will kiss thy ass in the present, but when they need to start to cut cost and there is no Union to stop them, you better believe they will cut, cut, cut and it will be on your back! Just look at the almighty "I dont need no UAW" salary folks now. They get cut and why? No Union! DUH! Pioneer, I read your post on here wuite a bit and for the most agree with them, but them one is just really ignorant on your part. (look up the word ignorant please!) And to those UAW haters, just quit your job tomorrow. Lay down your badge at labor-relations and tell them you quit. Oh, you wont do that, because of the UAW pay and benefits! You know you wont find the pay or benefit scale anywhere else for non-college educated people. Think about it folks.

Honda and Toyota didnt get where they are today by good leadership and design. They got where they are today because Ford, GM, AMC-Chrysler built junk in the 60's- 70's- 80's. The junk stigma has made it through to this generation of car buyers. The japs made more fuel efficient cars in the 80's then they worked on their style. Have you seen a toyota or honda from the 80's still around? Nope, rust buckets! After they got the rust issues worked out by not importing the steel, they worked on style and interior. Once people was getting 100,000 miles without an overhaul, they took notice and bought another. Ford, GM, AMC-Chrysler was still building cars that needed major repairs at 50,000 miles. So, the buyers bought from the japs and "made in the USA" didnt matter anymore ala the opening of the flood gates to acceptance of foreign goods! And by the way, The Union didnt stab anyone in the back for trying out a new program. You gave them permission to bargain on YOUR behalf when you signed your initiation card to be a UAW member. Go to labor relations and ask then for a copy of the initiation card and read the fine lines! Toyota and Honda dont have skilled trades as we know it, they have maintnance people that do all work regardless of a special trade they may have. Electricians do millwright, pipefitters do tool maker, HVAC does machine repar and so on and so on. No classified trades at the jap plants! Just they way they want it!

We all know about the tire, toys & food recalls from china. But what about other items we're not sure where they are made? Just look at some of the labels in your favorite store. It says "Distributed By (Insert Store Name or company here) or "Packaged for (Insert Store or company name here). But where was it made? Says who sold it and warehoused it, but not where it was made. Shouldnt the Commerce Dept make these companies put a country of origin on their lables? I think they should. Just look at stuff from china. NOTHING leaves the country with out a 'made in china' label on it. Its their commerce law that anything exported gets the 'made in china' label to promote 'made in china'. Why shouldnt we have country of origin labels on our products? every now and then you see a label that says made of domestic and foreign ingredients or parts. I know cars have to have a parts content label. Why not everyday stuff we use. Did it come from a factory in Cincinnati or Beijing (<--- only city in china I could type the name right). Your thoughts!

1 down, 100 billion to go. I'm almost sure he didnt kill himself. I'm sure the government did it because of the black eye again. Oh well, as I said 1 down, 100 billion to go. the chineese ought to be lucky they arnt speaking japaneese. If it wasnt for the US training the chinks in 1937-44 to fly war planes and how to drop the bombs correctly, they wouldnt be any chins, changs or chungs left, theyd all be hoshimotos, herihitos & yens! Call me a racist if you will, I'm just calling it like I see it!

Arnt the ACH plant employees Ford employees? What Ford can do with ACH plants is the 'ole Batavia ZF/Ford Joint Venture. By that I mean that Ford can partner with say for example Federal-Mogul to operate a plant in Indy. Fed-Mogul 51% - Ford 49% ownership. As the Ford employees retire or flowback, Fed-Mogul could hire under a separate labor agreement at a lower wage scale and different benefits. This worked in Batavia, but the Ford workers were only leased to ZF (basically a glorified way of being a temp service). In the senerio above, the Ford employee would be leased to Fed-Mogul under the same type of agreement. ZF-Batavia had the option in 2004 to renew the lease on the Ford employees or terminate the lease. But before they had the chance to terminate or renew the lease, Ford bought back the 51% ownership from ZF, but under a different subsidiary, Batavia Transmissions LLC. Why under the BTV Trans LLC name? Because when Ford bought the 51% from ZF, the ZF employees had a separate labor contract from Ford and under the ZF agreement succesorship clause, any new owner would accept the current terms of the labor agreement. So there for instead of Ford, BTV Trans LLC was born. As the BTV Trans LLC employees contract was to expire in Sept 2004, Ford wanted to keep a separate labor agreement because of the pension and GEN/SUB liabilities Ford had in their master contracxt that BTV Trans LLC employees didnt. So can some of the ACH plant be Joint Ventures? Its a possibility. Anything can happen. PLEASE dont take the above senerio as a rumor or truth. It was just a made up example of how a joint venture could work!

The article was just the opinion of the writer and not to be taken as the truth. As Gettlefinger has stated on many occasions, he doesnt care what the analyst think should happen and he's not letting them bargain for the UAW through the media. And again, have the analyst be correct on anything yet? I believe they are just about 0-fer.