Posted on 04/28/2012 8:14:21 PM PDT by digger48
Employees upset with higher-ups at company, union
Kokomo — An Alternative Work Schedule begins May 7 at Chrysler Group’s three transmission plants in Kokomo, and many employees see only disadvantages to shifts the company said would benefit the workers.
United Auto Workers members affected by the change learned details about the new schedule Thursday during union meetings.
AWS is also known as 3-2-120 because three employee groups work two shifts every day for a total of 120 production hours every week.
Instead of working a traditional eight hours per day for five days per week, Chrysler’s transmission plants’ employees will work 10 hours per day for four days per week.
(snip)
“Chrysler Corporation and UAW International are the ones making us do this. It’s going to disrupt a lot of families.”
(snip)
“It was 106 degrees on my job last year ... Eight hours a day in that was horrid. Now I’ve got 10-and-a-half,” Landis said. “They’re sitting in an air-conditioned office, telling us how bad they feel for us.
“People don’t understand the wear and tear on your body in a place like that,” she later said. “Yes, we are paid good wages, but you know what? It’s nice to be treated like a human being.”
(snip)
Landis said she was concerned about the AWS’ effects on families, especially parents who have a little more than a week to find someone trustworthy and willing to watch their children for more than 10 hours a day.
“A ton of single parents are from New Castle, St. Louis,” she said. “A lot of these people don’t have family here. ... These parents are not going to be able to put their kids on the bus, nor are they going to get them off the bus.
(Excerpt) Read more at kokomotribune.com ...
excellent post.
: )
>>Did you ever work on a 106 degree factory floor with constant 90 db noise levels?<<
Worked many summers in Texas mowing yards. Many days I wished it was 106 and the decibel level was only 90. Because of fair skin, I wore hot, long sleeved shirts in a time when the lightweight poly, UV protection shirts (and pants) didn’t exist. One summer I ended up with 30 yards — many more than I wanted — because idiots got in and out of the business and couldn’t work it. That was with a 4 HP mower and bag, and manual edger and hedge clippers. Today’s equipment makes that job look silly easy.
Were you working in hell or Texas?
10-4 is great. It’s hard during the work week, but the extra day off makes up for it.
I work nearly 12-5 on straight salary, so anyone complaining about overtime and long hours can suck it. My job is outside in the middle of winter and the height of summer. Factory work can suck, but the pay is pretty good and you don’t need a college degree.
What a bunch of wusses. I used to work in a Plywood plant with dryers and presses going for the whole shift and in the summer(in CA)it was well over 110 in there.
I also worked 4 10 hour shifts for years and I loved it. 3 day weekend ever week. We did have the complainers saying it was soooo hard to work 10 hours straight but they were in the minority.
“I work nearly 12-5 on straight salary, so anyone complaining about overtime and long hours can suck it. My job is outside in the middle of winter and the height of summer.”
Preach to the chior, baby!
I’d LOVE to see some of these people on the ramp at Las Vegas, tossing around 50+ Lb. bags on a 114 degree day. That’s 114 BEFORE the reflection heat from the concrete.
I worked 3 12’s, 4 Off, 4-12’s, 3 off, FOR YEARS. Same schedule most cops and firefighters work. It didn’t kill me, and I had lots of time to pass-ride across the planet.
4-10’s would have seemed like a dream, especially with the WHOLE WEEKEND OFF, every weekend! (plus, I’m SURE they still get all of the UAW paid Holidays off, as well.)
...on this site. Anyone who isn’t a “professional” is considered nothing more than a loser here on FR. Factory workers are the lowest form of life.
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That’s a load of crap, rabbr! Your accusation about non-professionals being considered losers on FR is a load!
After the Navy, I worked as a machinist, diamond drill bit maker, Purex plant worker wading around in ankle deep bleach all night and having clothes fall apart after two weeks, apt.mgr. of 360 units while working 2nd shift at an airline (union), traffic garage at a defense plant (union), salaried non-union Eng., Engng. Tech at another defense plant, back to first defense plant as Eng., progressed through Mgt. to Mgr. of Quality Engineering before I retired.
During that lengthy period, I earned my AAS, BBA and MBA. As a manager of a half dozen functions I often dealt with the disgusting union mgt. and their reps. They didn’t care a damn about their members; only wanted to play-act like big boys so they could be voted in next time and continue to have super seniority preventing layoff and guaranteeing their salaries/pensions without having to work.
I’ve done lots of grunt work in my life and I don’t look down my nose on anyone else who is doing such work. In fact, I admire them for sticking to it, because I’ve been there and know how tough it is.
Sorry for the long ramble, but I personally took offense at your accusation.
Yeah, I know. I have been reading the attacks and denigration of factory workers for over a decade but I got it wrong.
BTW, I've been blue collar for most of my life. I've only been in a union once. I also notice that your defense of your position is based on your experience with unions. No one ever mentions the millions of us who work in factories but are not union. Our company hasn't given out raises in over 4 years. I work in maintenance and have a pretty decent pay. The production workers get treated like dirt.
But, stick around a while and you'll see what I'm talking about. The attitude that people like me are too stupid, lazy, too low an IQ, etc. just because we work in a factory, will show it's hand here on FR.
BTW, I find it interesting that you are offended at a comment that was NOT directed at you. Why?
Same here.
Towards the end of my career, I had a slightly dyslexic supervisor (Chemical Engineer) who would surreptitiously slip me reports to check for spelling and grammar errors.
Apparently those nuns with the yardsticks did a better job than the profs. at Penn State. ;)
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