UAW Local 2166—FYI: Volume III, Number 8

Alex Santana—Shop Chairman • Mike Haineault—1st Shift Zone • Jeff Hall—2nd & 3rd Shift Zone
Kevin Sautter • Colie Lynch • Erin Schumacher • Luther Page • David Blackwell • Billy Flynn
John Hanning • Greg Hill • Jerry Gray • Stan Bowers • George Mellinger
Doug McKeithen • Kevin McCray • Darrell Shanklin • Dwayne Hawkins • Turnage Corr • Quinten Bowens
Larry Garrison • Howard Newson • Stephen Ying • B.J. Hutto • James Hunter

Volume III, No. 8 • March 6th, 2008

Educate Yourself

Did You Know:

From the years 1935 to 1941 the union grew from 27,000 members to 461,000.
Union workers earn approximately 30% more than non union workers.
Approximately 80% of union workers have medical insurance.
In 1979 there were 55 assembly plants and they were all union.
In 2007 there were 48 assembly plants and only 34 of them are union.

Shop Talk

The battle still continues...
Management will recognize the strong support of UAW Local 2166 membership. Your dedication and commitment has made us who we are today. Thank you to each and every one of you!!

C.O.L.A.: Cost of Living Adjustment will increase by eighteen (18¢) cents per hour. Therefore, the total Cost of Living Adjustment in your paycheck will be twenty-two (22¢) cents.

Downtime: No production scheduled for the week of March 10, 2008. For those of you that are off, please be safe, enjoy your time off and see you when you get back. General Motors plans include several plant shutdowns due to strike against American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Inc. Plants that have shut down due to the strike so far are as follows; Toledo, Ohio, transmission plant, Mishawaka, Ind., plant, which makes the Hummer H2, Pontiac Truck and Bus, Flint truck, Fort Wayne truck in Indiana, Moraine, Ohio and a plant in Oshawa, Ontario Canada.

Sub Benefits & Unemployment: We are entitled to receive state unemployment and sub benefits. Unemployment packets will be distributed at the doors between the shifts tomorrow (Friday, March 7, 2008).

Benefits Office: Benefits office in the old plant will be available during the shutdown week.

2008 UAW-GM Special Attrition Program: UAW and GM have reached an agreement on a comprehensive special attrition program (SAP) that will be offered to all of GM’s UAW-represented hourly employees. SAP offers a choice of several pension and buyout incentives. At present the dates given for Roll-Out to all GMVM and GMPT facilities will be March 17, through March 28. Grow into retirement will be available at 26 years to pay $2,750.00 a month, 27 years to pay $2,800.00 a month, 28 years to pay $2,850.00 a month & 29 years to pay $2,900.00 a month. Buyout for less than 10 years for $70,000 and 10 or more years pays $140,000. There are several options for regular retirement and different incentives as to how to apply the lump sum payment. Also after the July 1 cutoff date but no later than December 31, 2008 if you should become eligible for a normal retirement such as, 30 & out, 85 points or 60 and 10 years of service you will be allowed to retire with the lump sum payment the first of the month following the date of eligibility.

Transfers: Fairfax, KS has a requisition in and Lake Orion, MI has a requisition in.

As a result of the SAP, we do not know how many available openings, if any, will occur in other facilities but if there is one you may want to transfer to, submit your transfer application. Replacements due to the SAP will be back filled by appendix A first then followed by appendix K.

New Attendance Procedure: Hopefully everybody understands the new attendance procedure. The only way to protect you is to come to work every day. Schedule your time off in advance. Use your vacation restricted (VR) wisely. Please take notice before it is too late.

Environmental: Per Document 164 of the National Agreement the local parties are developing plans for employees that may be impacted and this will include transfers to other operations. There are discussions taking place as to the time frame and how to exit the functions listed. More information is forthcoming.

Holiday Pay: Use of VR hours will not be permitted, unless excused in advance for Thursday, March 20th or Tuesday, March 25th prior to and following the Easter holidays. If not excused, this would disqualify you to receive Holiday Pay and also fall under the guidelines of Document 8 of the National Agreement to be disciplined for attendance.

Vacation Time Off: Applications for vacation time off for May, 2008 through January 4, 2009 will be accepted starting Monday, March 3, 2008 and will close at the end of your shift Friday, March 14, 2008. Any applications turned in after the deadline will be on a first come first serve basis.

Layoff: Approximately sixty-eight (68) people went on indefinite layoff Monday, February 18, 2008. Approximately another one hundred (100) people will be laid off indefinitely a week from return up to thirty (30) days after. It appears that April 2000 seniority will be the cutoff date to hold an operation in the plant.

Red Shirt Day: Wear a red shirt on Friday to support our troops!!!

Meeting: Union meeting this Sunday at 2:00 p.m.

“The essence of trade unionism is social uplift. The labor movement has been the haven for the dispossessed, the despised, the neglected, the downtrodden, the poor.” (quote from A. Phillip Randolph)