hdw1

Ohio Assembly plant is getting 35 RTBU next monday. 31 from Sandusky ACH & 4 from Brookpark. I was told that they need more than the 35 that they are getting. So far no flowback postings at Sandusky ACH.

Yes, I have been told the same thing. That supervision is to encourage those with 30 years or more to take the buyout. Also to tell those that do not have 30 years but are considering some other buyout to go ahead and leave. This was at Sandusky ACH.

MTP has a saturday scheduled for the wek of 3/31, 4/14, 4/28, and 5/12. Daily OT Starting the week of 3/31 up to and including the week of 6/23.

Every line in the plant has been market tested. Including the one that will not produce job one till June of this year. There are going to be openings here in Ohio. We have some RTBUs scheduled for March 17, 2008 for Ohio Assembly. Yes, there are some that would like to come up north. Then we have a few that are wiling to go anywhere as long as the blue oval is out front. Sandusky ACH has 665 Ford people left in the plant, no good numbers on buyouts or retirements yet but a lot of talk of taking a retirement and leaving the whole mess behind.

At Sandusky ACH we have the following: Carpenter - 3 Electrician - 31 Machine Repair - 12 Millwright - 19 Tinner - 5 Pipefitter - 28 Welder - 4 Toolmaker - 23 Tool & Die - 27 HiLo Mechanic - 3 Powerhouse - 6 Gage & Layout - 4

RUMOR has it that a RETURN package will be available. The difference is that in a return you come back with 0 senority with ACH. In a reload you hire in with a new buyer.

The MOU was signed June 17, 2007.

All I can add are the numbers for Sandusky ACH. All numbers are close but not guarenteed. Ford employees only, not counting temps. 655 Total 167 Skilled 488 Production

If they did, it would put some of them out of our misery.

I received a post card from home (Ford) over the weekend. It had 2 web sites on it for us to go to, http://employees.ford.com and www.newlineofwork.com. Employees.ford.com is supposed to have details about Ford's latest employee-wide buy out packages. New and exciting job opportunities from companies that are now hiring. Tools to start your own business. Videos, breaking news, and more. It sure looks like Ford is putting on a full court press to get some of you people to leave. As much as some of you complain, you really should take Ford up on their offer.

Any need for mechanics?

Buyer due in to Sandusky ACH on Thursday 04.05.2007. Third trip thru the plant for this buyer. Rumor has it that this buyer will have someone in the plant next week to observe operations for three days. They may have people in the plant on all shifts. I was told to expect an announcement by the end of April 2007.

I read an article about some guy at a think tank. He predicted that we would have to take a 20% pay cut. He then went on to compare the wages of the "big 3" workers and the workers at the inport plants in the U.S. The difference was that their wages were about 93% of of what we were making. This would leave about 13% for legacy cost. With the buyouts I don't see that cost at that level. For what MAY change in the next contract, I don't see very many changes for current employees. I would predict no pay increase, an increase in prescription by a dollar or two. The biggest change, I think, will be for the new employees that hire in after September, 2007. Their wages MIGHT start lower and take longer to reach top wages. POSSIBILITY have a 401k with a matching amount instead of a defined pension plan.

Sandusky may never close, but I didn't go in. I had a hard enough time getting home last night. Almost got stuck and hit at the same intersection. I got up at 3:30 this morning to find a snowdrift in my driveway where I had parked my Gran Marquis. I called in and went back to bed, then dug it out late this morning.

Is there any word on what your new contract will look like as far as wages, benefits, and work rules?

At Sandusky ACH we had 8 mechanics and 4 took the buyout. We have 2 more on the flow back list. We are way behind on PM services. We have heard that Ohio Truck (Avon Lake) has a posting for skilled trades that are retiring can put their names in to come to Sandusky after they retire from Ford. This is for all trades not just mechanics.

Sounds like a person with very little senority trying to scare some of the 30 year people out to save his a__. Suck it up, we did our time outside looking in.

Jim, good luck in retirement . Be safe and enjoy. Keep in touch with us we are only a mouse click away.

Are you kidding? We can't keep up now. By Tuesday morning the are already discussing how much we will have working the weekend. I would not be shocked to see production running the week between Christmas and New Years.

The plant manager is down sizing his house. That is why it is up for sale.

I don't have my contract books at home, but I think that Article III, Section C says that if your senority is before 10.29.1984 you will have 10.29.1984 for your new plants senority. You will still retain your origional Ford senority for retirement.

Sandusky ACH has 1123

Lorain Assembly is already closed.

You will find the Transfer Leveling Date is 10.29.1984

This is probably for the parts plants for sale. Five dollars, not likley. More like ten dollars, and you have your Ford senority stopped and you start your senority with the new company.