trimoac

I worked in Body when we had the three shifts before. The robots were down a lot but the extra four hours meant that down time was made up for. I wish I was still in Body so I could go back to the 8 hours as well, the 10s are so long. Oh well maybe this time they will actually get the 3 shifts in the entire plant, eventually. I know we are all hoping for that in trim and chassis but it will take some time to get parts organized for us. The only time we don't work full shift is if paint or body is down too long or part shortages and the part shortages are the major issue. Hopefully, things run smooth enough for them to keep the 3 shifts. If they actually put the new platform in by 2014 that will certainly help us out. New robots and equipment usually run better, at least once the kinks are worked out. I am glad we are at least heading towards that third shift, I would even love to see the midnights turn into the weekend shift like they originally wanted, I would rather work those then the 48 hours spread out over the 5 days, just seems like more actual time off since its several days in a row.

The partial third shift is for body, paint and bammr. They expect it to be going early next year. This would be the same areas that had the shift before. The rest of the plant is expected to follow, supposedly, in late 2014. Part of the issue is suppliers, since they can't keep up with us now they need to arrange for them to be able to get us more parts quicker. This was the info given at the oac ratification on saturday so as always subject to change if Ford decides to change it. But currently these departments are struggling to keep up with trim and chassis so if we are to build the cars that are on order they need them running more hours, as soon as possible. Other new jobs will be reliefmen, since they want to go back to tag reliefs. Not sure where and when that will happen yet.

That is my point exactly. I work in oac and I remember last year during uaw negotiations, we were all hoping to see them get some of the concessions back. We don't want to see our fellow autoworkers in the US get a bad deal, we want all of us to get good deals. Plus you are completely right, our contract is 4 years so Ford can continue to play the uaw and caw off each other. The only way that will stop is for both the uaw and caw to not let them do it. We need to stand together and make sure the company knows it.

I have to agree with edgy girl. Your posts often come across as atagonistic, general. You have every right to your opinion but it might be accepted better if worded more politely. People like edgy girl are trying to help people outside of the auto industry understand what we fight for, being rude and insulting her is not the way to get people to support us. It will have the oposite effect which does not help any of us. I would like to say thank you to edgy girl and people like her who are trying to educate others on what being an auto worker really entails. We could accomplish so much more if the US and Canadian autoworkers supported each other instead of fighting amongst ourselves. I would rather see everyone get good contracts then anyone get a bad contract. The company will continue to play us off each other for as long as we let them so it is up to us to learn to stand together so the company is unable to do that anymore. That would be one step in helping us regain the things we have lost over the last few years, as I'm sure we would all like to see, at some point in the future.

Why would I not be able to vote on a Saturday? Just to clarify we currently work Monday through Thursday 10 hours each day, Friday 8 hours, totalling 48 hours a week. We are hearing they wish to add at least one mandatory 8 hour Saturday shift per month to this schedule, making it 56 hours a week. They have asked us on several occasions to work the Saturday but have been unable to get enough volunteers to run a shift which could explain them trying to make it mandatory.

We don't work a 5 day 8 hour shift week. We work a 4 day 10 hours, and a fifth day 8 hour week, so we work 48 hours a week. We are hearing they want to make us work at least one mandatory Saturday on top of that, so 56 hours a week. As was mentioned in the last two weeks two employees died from massive heartattacks, while in their 40s. We have to fight to get our vacation time since it is constantly denied and many people are exhausted from the 48 hour schedule. All most of us want is at least to have a day or two a week to spend with family. Not work 6 days a week, with hours totalling 56 per week. As to the new hires they will receive a pension. It is partially a defined pension, so a percentage will be the same as our current one. The other portion will be a defined contribution pension, which would be similar to American 401ks. The build up to full wage is 10 years, yes that is a long time, but for now (until next contract at least) new hires are still eventually going to reach full rate. We go to ratify on Saturday and Sunday so until then details are sketchy except what we have heard in the press and rumors.