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Dave, we only have a little time remaining to decide our future. So I ask you, what is going to happen once all of those taking this buyout leave AAI? I know the company has enough sense to already have a plan, and I'm sure you would know what it is. Is the line going to be able to run with 400 or more people gone?? Or is the company and our UNION going to allow more transfers' (from buyouts or layoffs' from other plants') into AAI? Knowing we are 500 over staffed as it is, and knowing we have been threatened about 440 people getting laid off, makes any transfers' in ridiculous. But I want your honest answer to this-not what I want to hear-for the sake of all of us and our families trying to plan our futures. thanks

Wondering if the're are openings' at other plants for the 700 people getting laid off? What has your local been telling ya'll?

Thanks Dave, and I'm sorry to hear about your mom. :reading:

Hey Dave, whats the chance we can get a senority list added to the # of people taking the buyout?? It may help others to decide thanks! Also, how come there hasn't been any news letters out to let the members know that AAI won a 93million dollar tax abatement??

Dave, How can you say in one sentence the company wants 440 peeps gone, but in the next sentence say the company will replace 1 for 1 to keep the line running??? Sounds like they're determined to eliminate low senority people (probably who actually come to work) but over staffing and then laying off-like the company has already done! I would hope my local union would frown on this tactic. Just because this attendance policy has fallen through doesn't give the company a free pass to do what they want!! It sounds like there is resentment towards the membership for turning the policy down-it's done regardless of how we feel. So lets hope we continue to fight for those who DO come in to work. Dave, give me your # and maybe you can give me more insight over the phone. Thanks again for coming on here

Dave, how does the attendance policy play a role in the company reducing the 440? Was the company planning on useing the new policy as a way to eliminate jobs and count that towards the 440? What do you mean about replacing 1 for 1 as people take buyouts? How ever many take the buyouts should be deducted from the 440 layoffs-correct? And what are you impling when you say the company can't run now because people don't come to work? I personaly feel that since our hours have been cut most people show up-no one can afford to miss! I'm hoping to have a better feel for whats happening here at AAI so I know whether to stick it out or not. Shed some light for us :tequila:

Dave, I'm a little bothered by what you're saying. Mazda was counting on us to pass this attendance policy in order to cut back on the 440 peeps getting laid off?? I guess I have to ask why? The union fights to get these people hired back after the company fires them, right? So its the people who work majority of the time, and who are low senority getting screwed. Again, the company brought too many people over to begin with. We had temps filling in the gaps for awhile. Don't get me wrong the attendance is a problem here, as well as at other Ford facilities. Personaly I would have liked seeing the new policy pass, BUT lets not go overboard. The contract is up soon enough, so why the rush to open it now? And before permanent layoffs' are put in place, don't you think the union would at least push for TLOs'? Hopefully the buyouts' will eat up the layoffs'-but we must be sure NOT to accept transfers, that would be putting us in the same boat we are now. Thanks for your response and I hope for us all things will get better. :titanic:

Hey Dave, where is the list of how many are taking the buyouts going to be? Will it have senority dates so we know where we stand? Also how many so far are taking it? Thanks

I couldn't make it to the meeting, so thanks for explaining it. I suppose alot of us just do not like the idea of changing things so easily for the company. The employees' have accepted medical coverage changes, no more pay raises, and concessions. So to us it seems we're giving up alot PRIOR to the new contract. I feel there is a loss of fight in the union because of the company's situation THAT they got us all into. BUT, I have no problem letting some people burn themselves if they are "Chronic" in missing work.

I agree to the attendance being a problem, but the reason we're overstaffed is because the company was allowed to bring too many transfers' from other plants. If the people who were abusing the system were dealt with properly we would have never been in this situation. I know we're not the only plant with attendance issues'. So now all the lower senority that DO come to work have to be concerned for their jobs'. This issue could have been resolved through hiring temps' and getting rid of dead weight BEFORE it came to this. :titanic:

I like the idea of the meeting. Although, won't alot of this be discussed at the next union meeting? Also, depending on how many questions' were answered in the info. package you are arranging for us, many people may have enough inormation to make their decision. Here is a good one for ya. Whats your opinion on the company allowing another offer of buyouts' if they do not get enough?? Some think that could take place. :pig:

Dave, those of us that work at AAI appreciate the info. Any word on those information packages the union is putting together?

Thanks for keeping us informed Dave. One question for ya. Have we had any new hires' lately? Alot of us are seeing faces in our units' we've never seen before. Also, is the senority list that's posted up to date? Thanks again :burnout:

Thanks again Dave for the update and useful information!!

I agree that it takes more than a new grill to sell a car. I think the 500 is a lame design as well. Ford needs to bring some of the efforts they take in their European designs to the US. Have you seen the convertible Focus they have in Europe-alot nicer than what Focus we get. :gang:

Myself as well as everyone else I'm sure, is behind you 100% on not allowing outsourcing of MP&L. If that took place there are alot of us on the line that would no longer have jobs'. I can't wait for the info pakages you're putting together, as well as that big union meeting we're suppose to have. When is that meeting anyway?? Appreciate the info you're giving

Dave, all I'm saying is your response makes it sound as if unless we accept this attendance policy(and who knows what in the future) we risk the chance of not receiving future products?? To me this sounds like plant vs plant. For example, the company sees one plant not making concessions' so it goes with another. I just wonder why all these changes(not just AAI but all plants') can't wait until the next contract is negotiated, and voted upon. It looks like we have to show the company how serious we are about keeping our jobs', when they should already know that. Again, we're not the ones who kept pushing bad designs and products' on people.

Don't you think pitting plant vs plant for future work is something the union should be against? I'm not just talking about attendance but concessions and outsourcing and such.

Well thats good news. Thanks for the feedback. I agree, getting rid of people should be the last thing to happen. Besides the company is the one who brought all the extra people here in the first place. Hopefully this won't happen again when people take these buyouts, and the company tries to allow others to transfer in. Keep us informed on here-this is the most info we've gotten

Dave, I don't know what Mazda wants so thats why I'm asking. My senority falls less than 600 so I will need to know PRIOR to my decision on the buyouts'. Which I believe we need to know by next month?? I appreciate any info and so will all the others that fall into this category. :huh:

Dave, whats the news on the layoffs' that need to be done. How many? Regardless of how many take buyouts-I've heard 450 all the way to 650 need to be layed off. Before I can make a decision on buyouts, I need that question answered--thats all I need

Whats up doc? Yeah, believe it or not I finaly got him to stop and give me a second of his time. He said we're having a meeting with international(maybe next week), also the union is preparing an info. package containing all our questions, and supposedly they will be posting in the great hall a list of who is taking the buyouts(updated daily). We'll see. Take care!! :gang:

Yeah I know-but I needed information and thought all the fighting on the other posts might discourage anyone trying to answer this.

Since GM was the first to go through this buyout situation, what did they or the union do when it came to senority emps' getting laid off over lower emps' in other plants?? All this talk of bumping others from different plants-but yet I haven't heard of GM doing this. Personally, I don't see it happening. Any insight on GM's situation for comparison to Ford?

6 1/2 years in-currently at AAI and hope to stay there. I tell you what, this has been the longest most stressful 6 1/2 years in my life!! Hopefully soon we can kick back and put the cruise control on.