Manufacturing Work Groups

[tiredworker]

Does anyone have an idea what the "Manufacturing Work Groups" at the Ford of Europe, Valencia site are actually doing? Does anyone have a copy of their contract or a description of what we just got ourselves into? Does cyclical apply to machining areas where operators and maintanence run machines, gage parts, change tools, break other operators, and do minor maintanence?

Edited October 23, 2011 by tiredworker

[lepskilledtrades]

Does anyone have an idea what the "Manufacturing Work Groups" at the Ford of Europe, Valencia site are actually doing? Does anyone have a copy of their contract or a description of what we just got ourselves into? Does cyclical apply to machining areas where operators and maintanence run machines, gage parts, change tools, break other operators, and do minor maintanence?

Great question!! What did we just get ourselves into? Who decides what is "cyclical"? Who knows what they do in Spain? I heard there skilled trades runs the machining departments. Did production just give up a bunch of their jobs to the trades?

[lepskilledtrades]

That would be ironic after the level of production support for this agreement.

You might advise your production workers to have their local explain to them what they do in Spain that is different then what they do here then. It is to my understanding that all the locals went to Spain to see there operations.

[Fatso]

My advice to any production worker who is interested in doing maintenance work is to make sure you get a raise for doing it.Maintenance work gets HOT and then management starts 'kiking the dog' which is usually a maintenance worker,just know that if you make a mistake it could mean disciplinary action.More responsibility+accountability=more pay.

Edited October 23, 2011 by Fatso

[steve morris]

"Ford can also form fewer and more efficient integrated teams with both production and skilled workers. The idea is to eliminate waste in the system, such as when one group must wait for another to perform certain tasks, Fleming said."

 

This is the reason I voted No. Unfortunately, I think this was over looked by a lot of people especially in Skilled Trades. In my opinion, these "manufacturing teams" are going to cost jobs and put people in dangerous positions.

 

Currently there are mechanical trades (PF, MW, MR, TM) in each department to cover breakdowns. In the event a a skilled tradesman needs assistance performing a task, he could ask someone within his trade that has the same knowledge and experience for help. Under the new "mechanical teams" he now is expected to get assistance from someone within his "team" which may or may not be from the same trade.

 

This will allow the company to cut heads in Skilled Trades, Which in turn will cost production jobs considering the laid off Skilled Trades employee will go back to production.

 

Secondly, and most importantly, This will put people at risk of getting hurt or killed. I went to college to learn MY trade, NOT EVERY TRADE. Have I learned about the other trades by working along side of them? yes. But that does not mean I can do the work of a PF or MR etc. Unfortunately, we have people that THINK they can and will be more than happy to try. We also have people out there that are to timid to tell management that they don't feel comfortable doing something. The last thing I want is for some other tradesman trying to be the hero, or to scared to say no, to do something that puts me in harms way. IT ONLY TAKES ONE MISTAKE AND SOMEONE COULD END UP BEING KILLED!

 

I was a skilled trades committeeman when the "umbrella concept" was introduced. I heard first hand how eager management was to cut heads in the skilled trades under this program to improve their budget. If you don't think they will do the same thing under the "mechanical teams", you're fooling yourself. I was also called out on numerous occasions to prevent management from trying to force a tradesman to do something he was not comfortable doing under the "umbrella concept". This "mechanical team concept" is just going to do more of the same.

The company, health and safety, you, or I cannot stop someone who is to timid to say no, or the person that wants to be the hero from doing something that shouldn't be done and putting people in harms way if we don't know what they are doing.

 

It pisses me off that for years now the company and Union have been pushing safety (which I am all for) to the point of giving people time off for mistakes, but is so eager to turn a blind eye to the potential danger these "mechanical teams" are putting us in! Think about it, If it's not for the sole purpose of saving money, why would they be doing this? The only answer I can come up with is that safety is only important at a certain price.

Could I use the signing bonus? you're damn straight I could. BUT I WILL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO GIVE THE MONEY BACK TO SAVE MINE OR A CO-WORKERS LIFE!

[tiredworker]

Our plant is currently using skilled trades as vacation/medical replacements in the machining areas. They are also using skilled trades to fill in when there aren't enough production people to run the area. This includes weekends "overtime" when all opt cards have been used and there isn't enough people to run the areas without the skilled trades filling in. The local union seems to be okay with this even after the national ratification was passed. Just wandering how this compares to the European way of doing things, how other plants are doing things, and is there more to come?

[lep_wrencher]

Our plant is currently using skilled trades as vacation/medical replacements in the machining areas. They are also using skilled trades to fill in when there aren't enough production people to run the area. This includes weekends "overtime" when all opt cards have been used and there isn't enough people to run the areas without the skilled trades filling in. The local union seems to be okay with this even after the national ratification was passed. Just wandering how this compares to the European way of doing things, how other plants are doing things, and is there more to come?

 

 

You think the international agreement is gonna stop our local from letting the company have their way???? Our local has, for years, given the company free reign to do whatever they want and I don't see it stopping anytime soon.

 

BTW, if you ask our local how things work in Spain, the answer will depend on who you are, production or trades. They tell the trades that you "have to be" a trademen to work the machining areas in Spain. They tell production that you don't have to be a tradesmen, but you will be required to take added training over and above the normal Machine Tech training.

 

I'm not sure if yoiu remember a couple of years ago, there were rumors going around the shop floor about an undisclosed letter the HR had that Q-tip signed stating that ANY new work coming in would not fall under the MWT program, it WOULD BE IMT. You remember the IMT program???? I know lepskilledtrades does.....

 

For those that don't remember IMT, Q-tip allowed the trades to displace machine operators, the trades were running machines full time.

Edited October 24, 2011 by lep_wrencher

[tiredworker]

For those that don't remember IMT, Q-tip allowed the trades to displace machine operators, the trades were running machines full time.

 

Sounds like the "NEW" Mechanical Work Groups are reverting back to the IMT program and that the International new about this all along. Just wish they would come out and say it.

[whiteford]

"Ford can also form fewer and more efficient integrated teams with both production and skilled workers. The idea is to eliminate waste in the system, such as when one group must wait for another to perform certain tasks, Fleming said."

 

This is the reason I voted No. Unfortunately, I think this was over looked by a lot of people especially in Skilled Trades. In my opinion, these "manufacturing teams" are going to cost jobs and put people in dangerous positions.

 

Currently there are mechanical trades (PF, MW, MR, TM) in each department to cover breakdowns. In the event a a skilled tradesman needs assistance performing a task, he could ask someone within his trade that has the same knowledge and experience for help. Under the new "mechanical teams" he now is expected to get assistance from someone within his "team" which may or may not be from the same trade.

 

This will allow the company to cut heads in Skilled Trades, Which in turn will cost production jobs considering the laid off Skilled Trades employee will go back to production.

 

Secondly, and most importantly, This will put people at risk of getting hurt or killed. I went to college to learn MY trade, NOT EVERY TRADE. Have I learned about the other trades by working along side of them? yes. But that does not mean I can do the work of a PF or MR etc. Unfortunately, we have people that THINK they can and will be more than happy to try. We also have people out there that are to timid to tell management that they don't feel comfortable doing something. The last thing I want is for some other tradesman trying to be the hero, or to scared to say no, to do something that puts me in harms way. IT ONLY TAKES ONE MISTAKE AND SOMEONE COULD END UP BEING KILLED!

 

I was a skilled trades committeeman when the "umbrella concept" was introduced. I heard first hand how eager management was to cut heads in the skilled trades under this program to improve their budget. If you don't think they will do the same thing under the "mechanical teams", you're fooling yourself. I was also called out on numerous occasions to prevent management from trying to force a tradesman to do something he was not comfortable doing under the "umbrella concept". This "mechanical team concept" is just going to do more of the same.

The company, health and safety, you, or I cannot stop someone who is to timid to say no, or the person that wants to be the hero from doing something that shouldn't be done and putting people in harms way if we don't know what they are doing.

 

It pisses me off that for years now the company and Union have been pushing safety (which I am all for) to the point of giving people time off for mistakes, but is so eager to turn a blind eye to the potential danger these "mechanical teams" are putting us in! Think about it, If it's not for the sole purpose of saving money, why would they be doing this? The only answer I can come up with is that safety is only important at a certain price.

Could I use the signing bonus? you're damn straight I could. BUT I WILL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO GIVE THE MONEY BACK TO SAVE MINE OR A CO-WORKERS LIFE!

 

Well said brother.

[damagedone37]

Production line must run, they don't care who

does the job just as long as they get there

numbers, he'll I could bring my wife in and train her

, they would not care as long as she did not stop

the line!

This is true. Very true.

[lepskilledtrades]

Production line must run, they don't care who

does the job just as long as they get there

numbers, he'll I could bring my wife in and train her

, they would not care as long as she did not stop

the line!

We were told that appendix "J" was not intended for skilled trades to do production work but for skilled trades to work "with" production. But then we were told that "cyclical" doesn't apply to machining areas so I take it machining areas are not production work?