AAI work schedule changing?

[deflep1]

The rumors started flying mid week about us returning to 5-8's in September. Body and Paint have not been able to keep up with us running 10-10.7 hrs. at 68 jph. The company has overloaded most of the jobs in Trim & Final, and we're not getting our production numbers, and with all the new people, it's hard to keep the quality up. The union says we are supposed to stay on 4-10's, but if the company can't get the production numbers in 10.7 hrs, and it's killing Body & Paint to try to keep up, then we might have to go back to the 5 day week plus some Saturdays. My sources said it's being discussed right now, and will probably happen, while other people in the know say it's already a done deal, and going to tag relief may NOT happen. If that is correct, then we have a BIG problem. We kept an extra 150-200 people for tag relief in October. If we keep mass relief, then those people wouldn't be needed. People are getting worried about a low seniority layoff and I don't blame them. The company won't keep all those extra people if they don't need them. We do have a small number of people who are still working here while waiting to transfer to Chicago, but everybody else is staying. Some unit trainers have said they've seen paperwork on possible new products for us ( a Lincoln product, a Galaxy 500 remake, and another Mazda car), but this would be 12-18 months away, if any of it ever even happens. If we knew we were getting another product soon, I could see them keeping extra workers around, but not for a year or more. Maintenance says they can't make proper repairs while we are running 10.7 hours, and it's better for them on 1 shift to run 8 hours, 5 days a week with daily overtime and Saturdays as needed. Our plant manager wants to save money on 4-10's, but we're not getting our production numbers and we're killing Body, Paint & Maintenance in the process ( and they are PISSED at him!), so I believe they might not have a choice but to go back to 5-8's soon. We'll have to deal with whatever work schedule they throw at us, because we don't have a say in the matter. If anyone has additional info about this, please post it.

[oldenuff2knowbetter]

10-12 hours a day is always going to have negative effects on efficiency and quality. People get tired and lose focus after 7-8 hours of anything, let alone this type of work. Yes Ford is doing well, but I see problems ahead if they don't change the way they set hours. Just a 35 years-of-experience opinion.

[fordguy61mi]

"Our plant manager wants to save money on 4-10's, but we're not getting our production numbers and we're killing Body, Paint & Maintenance in the process ( and they are PISSED at him!),"

 

Since when do they care if we're pissed at them?

[wildosvt]

"Our plant manager wants to save money on 4-10's, but we're not getting our production numbers and we're killing Body, Paint & Maintenance in the process ( and they are PISSED at him!),"

 

Since when do they care if we're pissed at them?

 

 

No kidding, The company and the union knew there would be a drop in quality when they dropped the shift, Alot of people on new jobs etc. They will give it ample time to get it sorted out I'm sure.

[ReDemption]

Deflep you have good reason to be concerned. The issue your talking about is the exact concern I told them (current committee and the IUAW) when they said that AAI was going to implement tag relief. I understand that Tag saves jobs and it’s a good thing, but at a plant that’s losing a shift and has no prospects for future product, implementing tag isn’t very smart.

 

The reason I say this, it’s of my opinion that when a plant loses a shift they have a very small budget. Implementing tag onto the plant will just increase its manpower costs (onto a budget that’s already weak) and it will eventually lead to more lay-offs.

 

There were plants picking up enough members so that none would have been placed on ILO (production speaking). So finding a job (at that time) wasn’t the issue. Now who’s to say that can be said when AAI again cuts the head count with eliminating tag relief because it no longer can afford 150 + extra members on the budget?

 

Putting tag relief into a plant that’s viable with multiple shits is proper union representation, saving jobs is the union’s main function period. But to implement tag into a plant that’s cutting a shift and possibly sinking is something that should have not happened nor even be considered given the circumstances. They should have waited until the plant was sustainable and had future product. Now, as I had voiced my concern to them then, who will pick up our brothers and sisters if you cant afford the extra members (for tag) and are in need to lay off to stay afloat?

 

Good luck and I hope it all works out for you brother. Hopefully AAI gets more products and restores your second shift. Until then, I’ll keep you in my prayers.

Edited August 1, 2010 by ReDemption

[Grim Reaper]

Deflep you have good reason to be concerned. The issue your talking about is the exact concern I told them (current committee and the IUAW) when they said that AAI was going to implement tag relief. I understand that Tag saves jobs and it’s a good thing, but at a plant that’s losing a shift and has no prospects for future product, implementing tag isn’t very smart.

 

The reason I say this, it’s of my opinion that when a plant loses a shift they have a very small budget. Implementing tag onto the plant will just increase its manpower costs (onto a budget that’s already weak) and it will eventually lead to more lay-offs.

 

There were plants picking up enough members so that none would have been placed on ILO (production speaking). So finding a job (at that time) wasn’t the issue. Now who’s to say that can be said when AAI again cuts the head count with eliminating tag relief because it no longer can afford 150 + extra members on the budget?

 

Putting tag relief into a plant that’s viable with multiple shits is proper union representation, saving jobs is the union’s main function period. But to implement tag into a plant that’s cutting a shift and possibly sinking isn’t something that should not have happened nor even be considered given the circumstances. They should have waited until the plant was sustainable and had future product. Now, as I had voiced my concern to them then, who will pick up our brothers and sisters if you cant afford the extra members (for tag) and are in need to lay off to stay afloat?

 

Good luck and I hope it all works out for you brother. Hopefully AAI gets more products and restores your second shift. Until then, I’ll keep you in my prayers.

 

 

AAI is in serious trouble. Hopefully some new product can be negotiated.

 

Good Luck.

[hi-lo feva2]

AAI should already be on tag relieve considering one shift was implimented on july 12. It takes 4-6 weeks to train for tag relief. With that being said, what is the delay? The writing was on the the wall because they kept way to many people for one shift. Even with tag, there is probably an excess of 200 heads. A new product would iron out the manpower issues. The union made a point of saving jobs initially but looks like they just slowed the bleeding down. AAI is at a fork in the road and only it's navigation system (Glass House) knows the direction and it's even confused. Give AAI direction!

[dividedwebeg]

AAI should already be on tag relieve considering one shift was implimented on july 12. It takes 4-6 weeks to train for tag relief. With that being said, what is the delay? The writing was on the the wall because they kept way to many people for one shift. Even with tag, there is probably an excess of 200 heads. A new product would iron out the manpower issues. The union made a point of saving jobs initially but looks like they just slowed the bleeding down. AAI is at a fork in the road and only it's navigation system (Glass House) knows the direction and it's even confused. Give AAI direction!

 

I knew we we in trouble during the octomods when the UAW negotiated for incremental volume. I think the UAW realized with the Mazda 6 sales nose dive and the New Camero, and the New Challenger it was quite obvious we are in trouble.

 

 

Hopefully the 2011 agreement can get us some product like, CAP, DTP, WAP, MAP, KTP and Louisville did with all of their new product investments from the 2007 and March 2009 agreements.

[deflep1]

No kidding, The company and the union knew there would be a drop in quality when they dropped the shift, Alot of people on new jobs etc. They will give it ample time to get it sorted out I'm sure.

Wild & Ford Guy, I was referring to SALARIED members of Body, Paint & Maintenance being pissed at John Savona (plant manager). They are being run to death and still can't hit the production #'s. Maintenance doesn't have time to fix anything correctly while we're running, and some robots and control panels are starting to fail because of it. They aren't giving us ample time to learn jobs, in fact we are running with dozens of fewer stations at 68 jph now then the last time we were at the same line speed. Some stations are doing EXACTLY the same work elements at 68 jph as they were at 50 jph. That's about 20 less seconds per car to do the same job as you were doing a month ago! Not all those stations were under loaded before, but most are overloaded now. Most stations are way overloaded on 1 of the cars, and if it's the Mustang, while we're running a 2 to 1 ratio, you're in the hole most of the time. Thanks for your prayers, Redemption, we need help from anywhere we can get it. You guys are right, AAI does need some direction from the Glass House. We have a modernized plant & flexible platform, so we can build ANYTHING, but we're still limping along. Thank God the Mustang platform is unique, and no one else is set up to build it, or we'd be in serious trouble. We do need new products here and are worthy of them. Some people say we're not a "traditional Ford plant" and don't like us at all, but we are hard working people building high quality cars so all the workers at Ford can prosper. I want ALL of us to succeed as employees and the company to be very profitable here in the U.S.!