sram63
-
Posts
7 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Gallery
Downloads
Store
Posts posted by sram63
-
-
Job 1 ,Are you asking if we have 3 more weeks in a row after this one? I don't think so. If you're asking if we have at least 3 more down weeks in the near future, yes we have a lot of down weeks scheduled as long as there's two shifts. If we go down to one shift (probably right after the Mustang launch--May, June or maybe July) then there won't be as many down weeks. We have to call the AAI emergency announcement # to confirm we'll be coming back to work Monday. But at AAI anything is possible and never say never!
According to many sources. The die came in yesterday and they ran some parts that were good. Production as usual starting on Monday. Also big shake down on supervisors. Dave Scarlberry fired and Tom Cline from Maintenance will be taking his place. Also 26 other salary were to go today.
-
Did you get fired during common training???? And Deboot made Mary give you your job back?
Unionist, I wasnt talking about you. I do know however there was a certain individual that came from St Louis that turned radical during common training and QUIT. They got their job back after walking out. Just curious if this is the same person who knows lots about the dunnage/ clean up jobs. They didn't like the Japanese puppets as they called them. Husband and wife unit with 45 grand apiece to come here. Friends of Deboot.
-
Did you get fired during common training???? And Deboot made Mary give you your job back?
-
Ok, WELLL YOU GOT ME!!! You are right. I don't know where Trim actually ends because you figured me all out. I must be one fat liar because I do NOT work in Trim department at AAI. But that doesn't mean I can't see for myself that your electric guns all have HOISTS! We didn't have HOISTS for our tools. I can see that your line tilts to the side for easy access. Uh, we bent our asses over.... and over and over and over. I can see that YOUR ENTIRE FLOOR moved with the car while the skillet raises and lowers the car to fit the job.... we walked with the cars and walked and walked. BROTHER ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?! You think I can't see for myself that isn't a little more ergonomically suited then where I came from? PaLEEZE!
Let me ask you... Have you ever worked at a traditional plan that was perhaps OLDER than you are? Where you might pipck up a gun that was just as old as you are? I highly doubt it.
You mention not to be scared off due to it's good money.... Is there a reason for Milan Chick to think that she will be making LESS wages if she chooses a different plant? I'm just having a difficult time following your post clearly.
I have absolutley NO reason to discourage someone that has ALREADY told me they have 14 years seniority because I am "afraid" or trying to discourage their transfer due to their seniority. In fact, I am VERY secure with my seniority. Let's just say that if YOU have 87 seniority, then I have you beat - in fact, I feel pretty damn secure with my seniority - so no, brother, wrong again. ANd no where in ANY posting or writing have I accused any one of being lazy so I'm not entirely sure why you even brought that up.
I have not said that Milan Chick will be forever stuck in Trim, I simply said to expect to wait a little while to bid out. What would YOUR BEST ESTIMATION that someone with mid 90's seniority will get into say PDI? I would say a long long long time. Well, how about paint? Not so long. That's exactly what I said so you might want to clarify why you think I have told anyone that they will be in Trim forever.
I DO regret transferring to AAI for many number of reasons. You couldn't possibly know what it's like UNLESS you've picked up your entire family and moved out of state to walk into a place like this so it's MUCH easier for YOU to say HOME IS WHERE YOU HANG YOUR HAT because You've been hanging your hat at AAI for at least the last 20 something years -- NOW take your 20 something years seniority and move your whole life and your hat a thousand miles from home and let me know how you feel. Talk to me then about how it's all about the great money and hooks for hats.
I SINCERELY should have stayed with what I knew best and that would a traditional plant. I had a choice, I chose AAI because I thought the Mustang was secure there -- it's not. AND the more I speak with individuals that have actually worked somewhere other than AAI, ALMOST ALL of them agree with what I am saying... this place COMPARED TO TRADITIONAL Ford assembly plants sucks BIIIIIG time!
I agree with you in that most of the people I like the best are from other plants... and a few that I like the least are ALSO from other plants. AAI is not ALL bad, but if given the choice -- which is what the subject is -- I have a right to MY opinion -- I would choose to transfer elsewhere. Now with that said, I at least have another plant to COMPARE to AAI. And you, brother, do not.
As far as your comment about how much you like the AAI Original Supervisors better -- well, Milan Chick, are you reading this????
And I still don't know how you can say that you had it so much more difficult at AAI in the 80s than the rest of us... you forgot to clear up your $11 an hour mystery How much less did you make than everyone else? Were you hired in to a two-teir 3-year full scale system or what?!? And I have no idea what you are talking about that your wife worked in a few different departments when she was a TPTer. If it was so great, then why did she take the buyout?
And while I'm at it, WHY is it that 90% of your BEST friends are from other plants? Shouldn't THAT alone tell you something? Ninty percent? Are the Mazda people not as friendly or do you just enjoy meeting new people? I'm not saying that it's a bad thing -- I'm just asking.
I tell you what, since you love AAI so much, please list alll the things you just LOVE about your plant in YOUR posts and express YOUR opinion in YOUR words and type YOUR replies as YOU see it and I will do the same.
But since you DO NOT know what it's like to pick up your 20 years seniority and move to a COMPLETELY different facility to be looked down upon, since you DO NOT know what it's like to sell your beloved home, pack up every one of your belingings, move away from your loving family and settle into an ecomomically recessed, repressed and failing state -- then just leave that for those of us that DO KNOW...
Do I feel sorry for myself? Hmmm. I am sure as hell sorry I CHOSE to transfer to AAI that's for damn sure.
Bet you can't wait to go back to Missouri!! You pretend to know what is going on at AAI and pretend to know about me. The 90% of my friends being transplants, if you would have used your brain would have known that was from the fact that I am on nights, dork!!! And I judge people by who THEY are, not where they come from nor their race, religion or their sexual preferences. I however do not like to work my A$$ off and watch whiny people try to get out of the work they should be doing and getting great money for, with the education they usually came in with. I hate to see relatives of older prominent workers that weasled their way in without actually having to do anything and then think that life is so easy in the auto industry. I am proud to be an auto worker, although I have told my children to make sooooo much more of their lives! I'm happy you have more seniority than I do. If you hate it so much, then why didn't you take the retirement buy-out and shut up. I am sorry....but I think you are the kind that will make the lives of the new incomming employees miserable. I'm sorry the work and the environment isn't the same as the plant you came from but...it is what it is. Life is not easy. As far as the line is concerned....the skillet conveyer, and all the line gadgets you spoke about came only at the time of the Mustang! And since you were never at AAI before that, don't pretend to know what life at Mazda, then AAI Services was like! Speak only of what you know....not of what you heard. Second hand news is like the old "pass the word" game....the story changes as it goes around.
You discourage others from comming because of your own bitterness. It takes more than one opinion to create a forum. Such the word FORUM. And you talk tongue in cheek....so much you have said you have litterally retracted with BS. Take a tour of trim and get better aquainted with the root of our plant.
You asked why my spouse took the buy-out?? Not that it is any of your business, but after being tossed around for so long and so many different plants when Willow Run re-tooled and spent tons of money on so much innovation, President Bush saw to it that they moved the operation to Arlington, Texas for his own political platform. It was a common sense move, just like the less than 10 yr. seniority people have to face now during our current buy-outs. I will not bore the rest of the readers with a long winded, repetative post and leave it as such.
PLEASE: ALL TRANSFERS KEEP AN OPEN MIND...DON'T BE SWAYED BY ME OR ANY OTHERS!!!
-
Uh, I never said that members bid out of the clean-up department because they had to "clean up" -- you are mistaken or misunderstanding what was written. I said they were leaving because of the BS. And not all people left due to the loan outs -- I know of several that bid out that were never loaned out and many others that bid out to get away from potentially being loaned out -- so you're wrong and right. Mostly wrong. But know that at all traditional plants being loaned out of this department was completely unheard of....
CLEAN UP (or MAINTENANCE) is the term that is used in other plants to pick up trash and "DUNNAGE" usually is used for returnable containers -- totes and plastic bins. So I was trying to clarify. If I were to only say DUNNAGE (as AAI only knows it to be) then many people NOT from AAI would NOT CLEARLY know what department I was referring to..... but you wouldn't know that if you are an original Mazda worker. So it is clear that you are mistaken....
Speakig of being an original: How on earth could you possibly know that you had it "much harder than the traditional plant" if you are an original? How could you know that? In fact, I can safely say that the ergonomics in the TRIM department at AAI today FAR best that of any other traditional assembly plant. So where did you get the idea that when you started 20 years ago, you had it much harder? From what I have heard, everyone had it "made" when it was Mazda.... just go ask one of them!
ALSO- When you started at $11 (or whatever) back in 87, well, hate to break this to ya --- EVERYONE started at $11/12 an hour back in the mid 80's! At that time it was TOP SCALE! So I am completely unsure of what point you are attempting to make. Back in the 70s the top scale was about $6 an hour, in the 80's it went up to roughly $12 then in the 90's top scale was around $18 per hour and today it's $28 per hour. It went up as the cost of living rose. Are you trying to say that while all the poor Mazda gang were making a "measly" $11, that everyone in FORD system back in 87 were making $28? I DON'T THINK SOOOO.
What exactly are people suppose to "know" when they come in? You say "KNOW that when you come in." Know what? That you were paid the top scale same as all the other auto plants and was performing the work with all BRAND NEW equipment with all ergonomic standards while traditional plants had outdated tools struggling to force management for simple standard ergonomics? You are going to need to be quite a bit more specific if you wish everyone to sympathize with something that you went through that the rest of us didn't also.
AS far as my statement that there is the us-against-them mind set --- I wholley stand by that comment. I think your statement only proves my point when you write "Our plant started out with employees only making 11/hour doing much harder work than a traditional plant employee. Know this when you come in." <------- THAT is a perfect example of what I am talking about!!! How can you deny a "us-againt-them" mindset and then go on to clearly say "our plant......much harder than traditional plant?" I hate to be the one to tell you this, brother but that is exactly your own "us-againt-them" mindset that made the "our plant -vs- your plant" comment. It's done all the time each and every single day at AAI.
I have myself spoke to management who says the plant was much better before Ford came in.
I myself have spoke to Labor Relations who said that there was never any trouble when it was just Mazda.
I myself have witnessed the preferential the Mazda workers get by management at every level on every day in every way.
I myself have sat during union meetings and heard Mazda complain about tranferees messing everything up for them.
I myself have spoke to many Unit Leaders that were transferred from other plants that are beside themselves from the way the Mazda people are so utterly bitter that the transferees are working at their plant.
And sadly I am FAR from being the only one to witness this type of mindset. Ask just about any transferee. Or for that matter, ask a Mazda original if they liked it better before FORD took over.
No where in my post have I degraded anyone for complying or maintaining a job with benefits. And no where did I imply that you should or shouldn't be proud to provide for your family..... that goes without saying. I am saying simply what I know.
MilanChick has every reason to be concerned. She has everything to lose and everything to gain. I could only WISH that someone had sat down with us before we came to AAI just to let us know that everything we know or have ever known about working at a Ford facility is going to be shattered. It will take YEARS to forget everything you know and "just do it like we tell you." It takes years to get up to speed with the way things are tolorated and executed at this plant. People lovingly and willfully drive in brand new Toyota without anyone blinking an eyelash. Or Mercedese. Or Porches. Even brand new Nissans. Forget about the Chevys and Dodges. People joyfulling and willingly demand management to write up or "fire" other union members for no other reason than this "original didn't like that transferee"-- OH YES! Daily. I have seen people here DEMAND that they be given special privedges REGARDLESS of their seniority SOLELY on the basis that they were "original!" Oh yes, I have. I cannot give more specific examples without naming names but I will say MARY OLSON (OLD Chairwoman) flatly and point blank told me when I found to have a contractual issue that I should seek answers from my old union representation... in a different state.... with a different local.... in a different region.... that I was no longer a member of. Because she said she had "her" members to worry about. Is that not a "us-against-them" mentality? And that was my first week at AAI. Thank god that hag is out of office.
And before someone leaps forward with TRANSFER horror stories I can guarentee you that you can be matched one for one. Some of the people at AAI that I like the LEAST are not Mazda so don't think I am slamming each and everyone of the originals. There are POS people everywhere from every plant and no one plant is better than the other. I am the first one to say that we are all in this together. I am also saying that no one is standing at the front door with open arms glad to see (pardon the pun)----> AnotherAutoWorker that is not of their peer group walk through their doors.
Ok, I never said that all of which you stated was false. I have a feeling you are trying to discourage high seniority transfers. Let me start by saying the way I know we had it much more difficult than traditional assembly plants from the beginning, was from the fact that my spouse worked for 5 different ones in 5 yrs. in the 80's before taking a buy-out. After which time they became a TPT at AAI. Let me tell you, I never got so much sympathy for what I had been doing for less pay than they had been doing. My spouse worked in body, trim and PDI during almost a 2 yr. period and said they never had a job previously that was so busy and physical. Now, obviously you have not experienced the ergonomics in TRIM either or you would have known that Unit 11 in Trim and Final ends at station 32. Now as far as the open arms, I am not a selfish, lazy person. I welcome all Ford employees to AAI and to excercise their seniority rights. It is the way! And if I get bumped down, so be it. And as far as telling them that they will be stuck in trim or placed there, that is false also. We have many people that have posted out to departments in this last posting for which the deadline was tonight. Openings in all areas of the plant will be available to those that have the seniority. Not to mention the openings created by the buy-outs. True, if your seniority isn't above the early mid 90's you will probably have to take trim to keep days. I hope all people considering comming to AAI keep an open mind. 90 percent of my best friends are transfers from other plants. Yes there are some very selfish, self-centered transfers that want AAI to be just like the plant they left. As well as originals that don't want to earn a fantastic wage for the job they have to perform. Home....home is where you hang your hat. Please don't be scared off, it is good money, it can be what you make of it.
As far as management stress goes. Yeah....it sure is there. But in my experience, (I'm sure it is different for all), the managers that started with Mazda work with the people so much better than the managers that came from Ford plants or outside the system. The arrogance is not there. They still remember the team concept and work as a team.
I think you, (AnotherAutoWorker), feels sorry for yourself. It sounds like you made a big mistake and regret it. The door opens both ways.
-
You are speaking with one now. I am on night shift by choice and have been for a very VERY long time. So I know of which you speak of. I can have 50 years seniority and I will stay on nights if given the choice!
There has been three scheduled official down weeks announced with another 3 down weeks rumored but not yet announced. Although this may change.
The first down week will be Monday March 31st. Then the week April 28th and again on the week of May 12th. It was stressed at the last union meeting that these date COULD change.
There is also rumor that Shut Down (which starts on July 4th by the way,) MAY be extended by a week or more.
I also am an original AAI member and the downweeks are as stated as above. I also am on nights by choice. Our shutdown is not officially set yet but the company has until April first to finalize it. It is unclear if they want to start it the week of the 4th since it falls on a Friday or force us to use all 10 of our vacation days. Much of the above stuff is true about the plant with the exception of the mind set. It is not "us" against "them". Our plant started out with employees only making 11/hour doing much harder work than a traditional plant employee. Know this when you come in. Please don't criticize the differences in the work environment and downgrade us for complying so long. We still have jobs at a great wage with numerous benefits. I feel very fortunate to still be able to provide for my family. If the seniority thing is an issue this may help. The Material Handling cusp between nights and days falls at 88-89 seniority. Bare in mind that the lowest 2 people in the units are not allowed to pick jobs during job picks. Those people are used as loan outs to all departments. Not exclusively MH. That is why the "Clean UP" or dunnage people bid out like flies. During periods of absenteeism the dunnage operations are shutdown and those people are loaned out to different departments. It isn't because they have to "Clean Up" like stated by a previous post. Hope all of this helps Milan girl. Good luck and looking forward to seeing you.
4 DAY WORK WEEK?
in Ford Employee Forum
Posted
I have been asking lots of the same questions and have thought about all the possible scenerios. I was told that YES they can force a Friday just as they were able to force Sat.'s. Now on the short work week. The new contract only guarentees us 32 hours so there is the possiblity of only working 8 hours for 4 days with no short work week on the remainder. I really don't have a problem with the vacation time issue. Think about it. 99% of the time everyone uses their time on Fridays. Now the lower seniority can't complain when all the Fridays in the summer are at cap. I haven't found an answer on the question of half days. Do you stay an hour after lunch with a first half or do you come in an hour after lunch for second half? :reading: :reading: