Thinkaboutit

Thanks for the info, was it well attended?

Wow, I was at Hamilton Place for the ratification meeting also. From the sounds of the discontent from my brothers and sisters I wouldn't be surprised at an 85% NO vote. The people I spoke to at work and in Hamilton were mainly pissed about the Local Agreement, and the fact that we had to hear most of the ecconomic package from the media. Outsourcing jobs in Oakville does not help any of us, senior and junior people alike were saying this. The fact that the local in the best position could not hold on to jobs pissed them off, and some were saying why was their no letter protecting STAP workers if things don't go good in 2011. They should have the right to come to Oakville if it all goes to pot and they don't get a hybrid drive train, but instead this agreement left them out on the street. I don't care man Oakville with TPT's untill 2011, give these guys an option to go to. Oh, but I did find out that it was not Ken Hogarth that said no in Toronto, it was a woman from Trim......WHAT HAPPEND TO THE LEGEND !!! Rod Thorne the retired time study from 707 came out and promised the bargaining committee that he would be looking into legal action against the union for signing a letter that they would presue avenues to reduce retirees benefits or something like that. WTF? Then I heard some other guy yelling about getting the RCMP involved as he believed the vote counting could be tampered with? It was getting pretty wild that was for sure, Booos all around for McColeman and the guys. I was waiting for the tear gas to start...... It was the worst ratification meeting I ever went to as far as not being happy with the content. Time will tell Windsor and St.Thomas to vote next !!!

Never mind that, lets take a closer look at this tentetive agreement this far................ "No wage increases over the life of the agreement" - Well I never hear the people I work with say they are under paid without a smile on thier faces, and in all reality with the 1.36 cola to roll in right off the bat, thats not a bad little raise if i do say so for the first year, after that normal cola will resume for years 2 and 3. Given the state of the auto industry I can live with that no problem. I would only like to see FORD follow suit by not giving their executives those large bonuses they have been handing out and for that matter to us too. Keep the company alive and give me a place to retire from one day. New employees to start at 70% of the rate and take 3 years to get to full pay - It beats the hell out of the UAW's two tier wage system where new workers will never see the wages we have bargained over the years (unless there a revolution). Ok I'm thinking it so I might as well say it too........the new hires of late (and not all mind you), what a spoiled lot. Walk in the doors and after their 90 days probation become the most non productive workers I've ever seen. "Ford owes me this job", "I'm going to get a restriction", "the supervisor is harrassing me" bla bla bla.......maybe a little growing in period will do them some good and hey if it was up to me I'd make that 90 days 3 years too. (just a personal observation and you can't say it's not true) The loss of 40 hours EAA every year over the 3 years - Does it suck ......yup, Will you die.....nope.... Why not take a SPA week instead, well SPA's keep utility jobs, EAA on Friday's and Mondays can be covered by TPT's. Where can you walk in off the street and get 104 hours vacation plus two SPA weeks in the first year. Drug co-pay of 10% to a max of 250/270/290 yearly - I have been suprised we kept the 35cents for the last 2 contracts to be truthfull, I do feel for the retirees though and I wish they could be left out of it. We have a decent benefit package....seen much worse and some a little better. Cash on the barrel - As I said earlier I hate bonuses, but hey if they won't move on base rates I'll take what I can get. First off a $2,200 dollar signing bonus, second a one time $3,500 dollar payment to help off set the loss of vacation, finally our annuall 1700 dollar holiday bonus. Year one - 2200 + 3500 + 1700 = $7400 dollars Second year $1700 dollars Third year $1700 dollars Total cash before taxes = 10,800 dollars, put it in an RRSP to maximize it , pay off some debt, check yourself into the Betty Ford clinic to get off the OxyContin addiction......whatever you like. Buy out package increase 75,000 production / 90,000 trades and a $3500.00 car allowance - I hope we never have to use this, but it is their incase of permanent job loss, its not a bonus..........I hope it's not a big carrot to make senior members vote on outsourcing good off line jobs So looking at it as a package the ecconomics of making our position viable for future investment is there, will it hurt a little....sure. Kind of like Buckleys...taste like crap but it works Now this is where it gets intresting - Local issues So the frame work for an agreement is already in place, the National has done their jobs. Now our Local bargaining people are left stranded with nothing to hold Ford hostage with. I can imagine what Ford will do at the Local levels, I predict they will reject all or most of our ammendments put in by the membership, and will be out for more destruction in our workplaces. More restrictions on bidding More De classifing Reduce high rate classifications Multi Task Skilled Trades Outsource Our Cleaners Outsource Shipping Outsource all off line jobs Listen to me when I tell you, this is the time for Oakville to hold firm and vote NO to this agreement, we can all take the ecconomic package, but screw with our jobs and make us work 30 years on the assembly line. JUST SAY NO, GIVE YOUR BARGAINING COMMITTEE THE SUPPORT THEY NEED TO HOLD THEM BACK ON THESE ISSUES. MAKE THE NATIONAL SUPPORT OUR BARGAINING COMMITTEES See you all Sunday at the meeting, bring your Union cards, listen to the whole package, the stuff that will really effect you will be at the very end of the meeting.

Ah the peanut gallery has finally arrived......and again nothing Intelligent to say. Never mind that, lets take a closer look at this tentetive agreement this far................ "No wage increases over the life of the agreement" - Well I never hear the people I work with say they are under paid without a smile on thier faces, and in all reality with the 1.36 cola to roll in right off the bat, thats not a bad little raise if i do say so for the first year, after that normal cola will resume for years 2 and 3. Given the state of the auto industry I can live with that no problem. I would only like to see FORD follow suit by not giving their executives those large bonuses they have been handing out and for that matter to us too. Keep the company alive and give me a place to retire from one day. New employees to start at 70% of the rate and take 3 years to get to full pay - It beats the hell out of the UAW's two tier wage system where new workers will never see the wages we have bargained over the years (unless there a revolution). Ok I'm thinking it so I might as well say it too........the new hires of late (and not all mind you), what a spoiled lot. Walk in the doors and after their 90 days probation become the most non productive workers I've ever seen. "Ford owes me this job", "I'm going to get a restriction", "the supervisor is harrassing me" bla bla bla.......maybe a little growing in period will do them some good and hey if it was up to me I'd make that 90 days 3 years too. (just a personal observation and you can't say it's not true) The loss of 40 hours EAA every year over the 3 years - Does it suck ......yup, Will you die.....nope.... Why not take a SPA week instead, well SPA's keep utility jobs, EAA on Friday's and Mondays can be covered by TPT's. Where can you walk in off the street and get 104 hours vacation plus two SPA weeks in the first year. Drug co-pay of 10% to a max of 250/270/290 yearly - I have been suprised we kept the 35cents for the last 2 contracts to be truthfull, I do feel for the retirees though and I wish they could be left out of it. We have a decent benefit package....seen much worse and some a little better. Cash on the barrel - As I said earlier I hate bonuses, but hey if they won't move on base rates I'll take what I can get. First off a $2,200 dollar signing bonus, second a one time $3,500 dollar payment to help off set the loss of vacation, finally our annuall 1700 dollar holiday bonus. Year one - 2200 + 3500 + 1700 = $7400 dollars Second year $1700 dollars Third year $1700 dollars Total cash before taxes = 10,800 dollars, put it in an RRSP to maximize it , pay off some debt, check yourself into the Betty Ford clinic to get off the OxyContin addiction......whatever you like. Buy out package increase 75,000 production / 90,000 trades and a $3500.00 car allowance - I hope we never have to use this, but it is their incase of permanent job loss, its not a bonus..........I hope it's not a big carrot to make senior members vote on outsourcing good off line jobs So looking at it as a package the ecconomics of making our position viable for future investment is there, will it hurt a little....sure. Kind of like Buckleys...taste like crap but it works Now this is where it gets intresting - Local issues So the frame work for an agreement is already in place, the National has done their jobs. Now our Local bargaining people are left stranded with nothing to hold Ford hostage with. I can imagine what Ford will do at the Local levels, I predict they will reject all or most of our ammendments put in by the membership, and will be out for more destruction in our workplaces. More restrictions on bidding More De classifing Reduce high rate classifications Multi Task Skilled Trades Outsource Our Cleaners Outsource Shipping Outsource all off line jobs Listen to me when I tell you, this is the time for Oakville to hold firm and vote NO to this agreement, we can all take the ecconomic package, but screw with our jobs and make us work 30 years on the assembly line. JUST SAY NO, GIVE YOUR BARGAINING COMMITTEE THE SUPPORT THEY NEED TO HOLD THEM BACK ON THESE ISSUES. MAKE THE NATIONAL SUPPORT OUR BARGAINING COMMITTEES See you all Sunday at the meeting, bring your Union cards, listen to the whole package, the stuff that will really effect you will be at the very end of the meeting.

Early Tentative Agreement ? We will hear later in the week at the last possible minute that we will all be required to vote on a new agreement this Sunday , those of us who acctually get a chance to hear of this might make it out, most who don't will not. It will be the typical no advanced information to the membership except the nice glossy highlights handed at the door on the way in, as you make your way to find a seat to hear all the hard bargaining and tough talks in a tough time that have been done on your behalf by your bargaining committees. You will be told given the ecconomic climate of the auto industry in Canada, and given the fact that the UAW had sold the farm to make them more competitive that the CAW had no choice but to follow suit but with a Canadian twist. Highlights will read No two tier wage structure - GOOD No VIBA benefit structure - GOOD St. Thomas given an extra year of production to 2011 - GOOD 3 year agreement - GOOD $2200.00 dollar signing bonus - GOOD Buy out package increase 75,000 production / 90,000 trades and a $3500.00 car allowance - Good No wage increases over the life of the agreement - BAD Freeze COLA payments now, and no payments for the first year - BAD New employees will start at 70% for the same work and take 3 years to get to full pay - BAD Loss of 120 hours vacation over all three years -BAD P - COLA frozen for retiree's for a year - BAD $1430.00 cap on Long Term Disability payments per month - BAD Drug co-payment of 10% upto a max of $290.00 per year - BAD $25,000.00 retirement incentive removed - BAD More to be announced as the week goes on I'm sure................................................ As you listen to the different back patters rise in support to this 5 month early agreement ask yourself these questions. Why are we not getting a raise? - weren't we always told a gain to our base rate out wieghed any signing bonus. Will the current $1.36 COLA be rolled into our rate at signing as ussual? Has every Local issue at all locations been addressed? With this early ratification vote they better be. Just a few things for you to think about........... Feel free to print and pass this around.....there wont be anything from the National Union around your plants. Attend the meeting at all costs