Local Negotiations 

There are a lot of questions on where we are at with the local.  Talks are moving slowly, but we (as a committee) have been dealing with a lot of distractions in the plant.  It seems like in every department, management is creating an environment that is causing grief for the membership and is not allowing us to totally focus on negotiations.  Having said that, we have mutually agreed to extend our current Local 2003 Agreement as of September 14, 2007.

SAP’s

Once again, the corporation is offering a special attrition program.  I don’t have all of the answers to your questions at this time, but there will be rollout meetings to the membership sometime in March.  Management will be aggressively trying to encourage all members to take a package. 

But the position of the committee is for all members to make an informed choice with all of the information possible.  Talk it over with your spouse, financial advisor, et cetera.  Do not let someone force you to do something you are not ready for.

Core and Non-Core

There will be representatives from the International Union and the corporation in the plant today from 9 a.m. to 12 noon to explain what this means to us here at GRMP, Local 730.  Hopefully after this meeting, I will be able to explain this to the membership at the rest of the union meetings today.

Document 8

I don’t know how else to say it, but this way.  This is the most restrictive and serious attendance procedure we have ever had in the national contract.  Don’t be mislead, if you miss a day and do not have it approved in advance and is not a qualifying day for a holiday, management will take your VR days.  You only get into the extraordinary circumstance once your VR’s are gone, or if it’s a day you can’t use a VR day.

In solidarity,

Steve Rop

Shop Chairman

UAW Local 730