st. thomas, ontario

ST. THOMAS, ONTARIO
Volume 44, No. 1
September 7, 2011
PUBLICATION MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40026126
PAGE 2, NEWSHEADLINE
St. Thomas, Ontario
P. O. Box 545, St. Thomas, Ontario N5P 3V6
EDITORIAL BOARD
Jean Simpson, Editor
Dennis McGee
Scott Smith
President
Plant Chairperson
Cindy Aquilina
Ray “Coop” Cooper
Member-At-Large
Recording Secretary
Shane MacPherson
Pam Ogden
Financial Sec.-Treas.
Member-At-Large
Bob Such, Retired Workers’ Chairperson
The opinions expressed or advertisements displayed do not necessarily
reflect the views, opinions or endorsement of Local 1520 C.A.W. The
Editorial Board reserves the right to edit any article submitted for length
or conformity to C.A.W. Policy. Published four times a year.
Load of Memories
Canada and the rest of the world
are suffering through a tough
economic crisis and no business or industry is safe. The
automotive industry is no exception to the rule. In today's
economy, job loss is common; it has become a very real and
frightening possibility that you have no control over.
We all agree that with this announcement Ford has made a
huge mistake in closing Ford STAP and eliminating the
production of good quality vehicles. With this closure, it is
not only a blow to the London & St. Thomas areas, but to
the communities surrounding them as well.
It will be difficult and sad because you're leaving
something you've come to know so well to venture off into a
somehow unknown future. It will be sad because you're
leaving behind a load of memories and mainly because you
know you'll be missing the people you actually spent most of
your day with for many years.
I guess it's always the people you get to know, how they
touch your life, the different relationships you build with
them, the good times, and even the not so good ones.
I know many of you have elected to retire, some will
choose to go back to school, relocate, start a business, some
will find jobs at other Ford locations, others will struggle to
find immediate work at the same pay scale and/or with
benefits.
Whatever your decision, it will not only affect you but
your family as well. I wish you all the best of luck with your
retirement, studies, career and future endeavours.
Some people say when "one door closes, another opens."
Good luck in choosing your new door!!
Last Issue of NewsHeadline:
The first edition of Local 1520's "NewsHeadline" was
distributed on Tuesday, October 12, 1968, and consisted of 3
typed pages on 8.5"X 14" paper. The committee was made
up of an Editor, a Publicity Chairperson and a Reporter.
Since then our little paper has gone through many transformations, from a few sheets to the slick shiny one that we
enjoy today.
The last edition will be distributed on September 7, 2011.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the members
that has contributed to "NewsHeadline" in the past: to Joan
Wakeling (past secretary) and Janice McClennan (present,)
for all their help with the typing, the many changes & retyping of all the articles; to the Editorial Committee past and
present; to Joe Lacasse from Fine Touch Graphics in
Windsor and to Terry Doyle & Deb Kuch at Doyle Printing
in London.
In Solidarity,
Jean Simpson, Editor
THANK YOU!
Thank you for the donation made in memory of my
beloved son, Nick DiSanto, to St. Peter’s Cathedral,
London. It was greatly appreciated especially at such a
difficult time.
Sincerely, John DiSanto
We would like to thank the Sisters and Brothers of
Local 1520 for their kind donation to the London
Humane Society in memory of our father Joe Richards.
Sincerely, Dennis, Dawn, Darra-Lyn,
Rick Marson and Samantha
Thank you for the lovely Bible given to me in memory
of my husband, George Melville.
Ruth Melville
I would like to thank CAW Local 1520 for the beautiful
Bible given to me in memory of my Mother. It was very
much appreciated.
Rob Bell
NEWSHEADLINE, PAGE 3
Of the many articles over the years that I have written,
whether as a Benefit Rep. or as the President of this
Local, this is by far, the most difficult one I’ve had to do.
The rich history of our Local is coming to an end and
with that comes the time to look back over the years and
reflect on the many hi-lights that made this, a great Local
Union and obviously we had some not so great times as
well.
Since our Local started in January 1968, and when you
talk to our retirees, you get a sense of what they went
through and it seems that history is repeating itself. For
example, the long 10-hour shifts, that we still don’t enjoy
today, although the money was good it did make for a
long day; mass breaks were called just when you had last
break and could maybe have gotten out a half-hour or
hour sooner than everyone else and the supervisor giving
you a hard time for not wearing your safety glasses and
sending you to Labour Relations and the list goes on.
At the end of the day, things change but also remain
the same (if that makes sense.)
Our great Local over the years has produced some
great leadership people who went on to join the staff of
the National Union, Ron Pellerin, Bert Rovers, Whitey
MacDonald and I may have missed some, but they know
who they are and I want to thank them for their
leadership and guidance through out our history.
There are many others that need to be thanked as well.
The likes of Bob Such, John O’Handley, Rick
Witherspoon and Don Richardson to name a few more.
These Brothers took up the fight for a better way of life
for all of us in the plant and for the surrounding communities where we all live and I believe their work never
went unnoticed and I thank them as well.
There has been many a struggle that we as a Union
and Local have taken up to better everyone, that included
protests against the federal and provincial governments
of the day and our Local was always at the forefront of
the issues. We got good press coverage on many of these
events that once again showed that solidarity would win
out as long as we stuck together as one.
We also have had great leadership in our National
Presidents as well: Bob White, Buzz Hargrove and now
Ken Lewenza. They all know how to take on Big
Business and none of them ever backed down from a
good fight. They must be thanked and recognized for
their outstanding work and support they have given
Local 1520. You could ask any one of them and they
would certainly tell you, if they needed help on a picket
line, demonstration or whatever, our Local could be
counted on for support.
Again, over the years there are many stories, some to
be told, others to be left alone, but there is no denying
this Local Union, I believe, is second to none.
To our current Leadership, many thanks for a job
well done, we may not have agreed on all issues, but at
the end of the day, we always stuck together and did
what we needed to, to help the membership.
To all the other CAW Locals around our area, I want
to thank you all for your leadership and guidance and
wish you continued success.
Our Retirees Chapter should also be recognized for
their outstanding contributions to the likes of the
United Way and other organizations that needed help.
This Chapter is very active and will continue to be that
way for years to come.
Good Luck to them and continued success to all of
you.
This article could, given a chance, be almost never
ending, but like everything, all good things must come
to an end and with that I will end this portion of my
article.
On another note, most everyone should be aware that
our Local Union office is set up in Lambeth, where the
Action Centre is located at 2386 Main Street. I would
encourage everyone who goes on layoff and/or needs
the service of the Action Centre, to please stop in and
utilize the resources we have to offer.
In Solidarity,
Dennis McGee, President
PAGE 4, NEWSHEADLINE
As we get closer to the September 16, 2011, date of
our plant closure, I would like to say it has been a
pleasure representing the skilled trades these last few
years. It’s sad that it has come to an end for our plant,
as I am sure that we all thought we would put in our 30
years and retire.
Some of the skilled trades will be leaving in
September and some will be here for the decommissioning, although as I write this, we still don’t know the
scope of the decommissioning.
For those of you who are leaving in September, Good
Luck and Best Wishes to you and your families. To the
Skilled Trades that will be here longer, please
remember to work safe.
In closing, on a personal note, I will remember and
cherish all the good times and laughs I had in Body
Shop.
In solidarity,
Doug Wiebe, Skilled Trades Chairperson
PREFERENTIAL HIRING CANVASS - The Company has canvassed 191 people as of August 24th.
It’s hard to believe that our workplace, we have
all given so much of our lives to will soon be
closing its doors.
The final day is coming soon so I would like to
take this opportunity to thank all of you who
touched my life. Over the years I have made many
friends that will be missed and the memories will be
long cherished.
As we all move on I wish each of you every
success in your future endeavours.
Results: 12/13
for Bramalea
30/40
for Oakville
6/15
for Edmonton
The start date for people transferring is October 3, 2011, unless notified by the Company.
The Company has also agreed to do a STEP canvass for Skilled Trades in Oakville. Once this canvass is completed our trades will be canvassed for the openings.
POST CLOSURE PREFERENTIAL HIRING LIST - Everyone who takes the layoff will have his or her name put on the preferential hiring list. If you do not want your name on the list, you have to go to Labour Relations and have your named removed. Those that have already asked for their names to be
removed do not need to do this again.
In Solidarity,
******** Remember that if your name in on the list and you are given an offer for a job and you turn it down, you will be in jeopardy of losing your VTEP. ********
Mark Campbell
Vice President
TRANSFERS FROM WINDSOR - Due to the closure of the plant you have the option of which layoff list you want to be on. If you would like to go back on the Windsor layoff list, you need to go to Labour Relations and make your selection.
PREFERENTIAL HIRING CANVASS The Company has canvassed 191 people as of August
24th.
Results:
12/13 for Bramalea
30/40 for Oakville
6/15 for Edmonton
The start date for people transferring is October 3,
2011, unless notified by the Company.
The Company has also agreed to do a STEP canvass
for Skilled Trades in Oakville. Once this canvass is
completed our trades will be canvassed for the
openings.
POST CLOSURE PREFERENTIAL HIRING
LIST - Everyone who takes the layoff will have his or
her name put on the preferential hiring list. If you do
not want your name on the list, you have to go to
Labour Relations and have your named removed.
Those that have already asked for their names to be
removed do not need to do this again.
******** Remember that if your name in on the list
and you are given an offer for a job and you turn it
down, you will be in jeopardy of losing your VTEP.
********
TRANSFERS FROM WINDSOR - Due to the
closure of the plant you have the option of which layoff
list you want to be on. If you would like to go back on
the Windsor layoff list, you need to go to Labour
Relations and make your selection.
DECOMMISSIONING - At the time of writing this,
we have just received the final number of work opportunities. The canvass should be well underway or
completed by now. There are 249 opportunities for
September 19 to 30; 209 for October 1 to 31; 103 for
November 1 to 30 and 57 for December 1 to 16. The
Decommissioning is scheduled to be complete by
December 16, 2011.
ACTION CENTRE - The Action Centre is located at
2368 Main Street, Lambeth, Ontario. The website is
www.cawlocal1520fordactioncentre.com. Check the
website out for information on hours of operation, FAQ,
layoff information, seminars, tuition refund process, etc.
NEWSHEADLINE, PAGE 5
The Action Centre is accessible to all Local 1520
members, including those who have taken separation
packages. Members can come to the Workers Action
Centre to file their unemployment documents on-line,
update resumes and receive assistance conducting job
searches. The W.A.C. sets up workshops, offers
counselling opportunities and is a wealth of information
about government services available to unemployed
workers. The Action Centre’s success depends on you!!
BENEFIT REPRESENTATIVE - The Action
Centre will also be staffed with a Benefit Rep. for one
year. If you are having any problems with your
benefits you can go in and see them or call them at 519652-5552.
FINAL PENSION STATEMENTS - You must go
see Marion and sign your final pension papers before
you can retire. A list of whose final papers are in is
posted in the Benefit Office and outside Marion’s
office.
FAQ
Q. - How long do we have call back rights and how
are they determined?
Call back rights are determined using the following
table and can be found on page 75 of the 2008 CBA:
2 years but less than 3 years
48 months
3 years but less than 4 years
60 months
4 years but less than 10 years
Period equal to
seniority
plus 12 months
10 years but less than 11 year’s
132 months
11 years and more
Period equal to
seniority
Your call back rights cease if you: retire under the
pension plan; receive a separation payment (STEP,
VTEP) or your time for time elapses.
Q. - What is IMP and how does it work?
IMP (Income Maintenance Program) is 60% of
weekly before tax base earnings, as of the employee’s
last day worked prior to the qualifying layoff. You can
find more information on page 107 of the supplemental
agreement appendix R (pink section.)
Employees Years of Service
on last day worked prior to
qualifying for IMP Benefits
5-6
6-7
7-8
8-9
9 and over
38
45
52
Q. - What is VTEP and how does it work?
VTEP (Voluntary Termination of Employment
Program) is a severance payment that is calculated by
years of seniority. There is a table on page 134 (Table
A) of the supplemental agreement appendix R (pink
section.)
Q. - What is PRIMP?
PRIMP (Pre Retirement Income Maintenance
Program) is income that is paid out of general funds
and not the pension plan until you reach age 55. The
income you receive does not change and the only
reason it is paid out of general funds is because under
the law the earliest you can retire under our pension
plan is age 55.
Q. - Do you give up preferential hiring rights is you
take STEP?
Yes, because you have severed your employment.
Q. - Can I refuse preferential hiring right to go to
Oakville?
Yes, but you would have to wait 6 months before
your name automatically gets put back on the list.
Q. - Do my benefits continue while on SUB/EI and
IMP?
Yes, except for dental.
Q. - When the plant closes are SUB credits
cancelled on a 1 for 1 basis.
Yes.
Q. - How do I calculate SUB credits?
The table below can be used to calculate your credits
and more information can be found on page 14 of the
supplemental agreement appendix R (blue section.)
Years of Seniority
7 but less than 8
8 but less than 9
9 but less than 10
10 or more
Maximum Credit Units
56
60
64
104
Number of IMP
Units Credited
In Solidarity,
26
32
Scott Smith
Plant Chairperson
PAGE 6, NEWSHEADLINE
In Memory
WE EXTEND OUR DEEPEST SYMPATHY TO THE FAMILIES OF:
FRED PEARCE - December 16, 2010-Retiree
JOE LEUNISSEN - April 10, 2011-Retiree
RALPH CALLAGHAN - December 19, 2010Retiree
PETER PINTER - April 14, 2011-Retiree
FRANK GREGORY - January 6, 2011-Retiree
DOUG DRUMMOND - January 7, 2011-Retiree
FRANK MARENGERE - January 7, 2011Retiree
JOHN (WAYNE) TANNER - January 18, 2011Retiree
HARRY JANS - January 23, 2011-Retiree
GERALD MOORE - April 17, 2011-Retiree
TEODOR LUKIANIEC - April 21, 2011-Retiree
RANDY YOUNG - May 1, 2011-Retiree
RICK ECKERT - May 2, 2011-Retiree
CARL ANDERSON - May 4, 2011-Retiree
LARRY GRECH - May 31, 2011-Retiree
BARRY WALTON - June 4, 2011-Final
Assembly
EDWARD GOTTHARDT - January 26, 2011Retiree
RAY MCCALLUM - June 21, 2011-Retiree
DELMER LAPRISE - February 2, 2011-Retiree
JUDIT GYORFI - July 5, 2011-Retiree
HORST LOHLEIT - February 3, 2011-Retiree
JOSEPH (JOE) MCPHEE - July 24, 2011Retiree
BOB WALLACE - February 12, 2011-Retiree
STEPHEN GOULAWSKI - February 14, 2011Final Assembly
WILLIAM REEVES - February 14, 2011Retiree
WILLIAM NORTON - July 27, 2011-Retiree
MIKE "SWIFTY" SWIFT - July 28, 2011Retiree
TIM BOWMAN - July 29, 2011-Retiree
HARVEY PETTIGREW - February 23, 2011Retiree
GREG "HIPPIE" HUDSON - August 4, 2011Retiree
ROY CLAYWORTH - February 23, 2011Retiree
CHARLES (CHUCK) WICKENS - August 5,
2011-Retiree
JOE RICHARDS - March 7, 2011-Retiree
DAVE BENN - August 6, 2011-Retiree
GERRY KARST - March 21, 2011-Retiree
KARL COENEN - August 17, 2011-Retiree
GARRY MORRIS - March 27, 2011-Retiree
GERALD "JERRY" EDGINTON - August 22,
2011-Retiree
RUDY POPPE - March 30, 2011-Retiree
WILLIAM TOPPING - April 5, 2011-Retiree
They will be missed by the membership of C.A.W. Local 1520
NEWSHEADLINE, PAGE 7
Communication with all members of our Retired
Workers Chapter is one of many important issues we
face as we approach the unfortunate demise of our
Local Union and this final edition of Newsheadline.
Our first line of communication will continue to be
our monthly chapter meetings. It is also our intention
to maintain the local union website at
www.cawlocal.ca/1520 for those having Internet
access.
For those not having access to the Internet and who
do not attend chapter meetings on a fairly regular basis,
we plan to do a periodic mail out. If you fall into this
category, please submit a request for mail-outs along
with your name and address to C.A.W. Local 1520
Retired Workers Chapter at P.O. Box 545, St. Thomas,
ON, N5P 3V6.
MEMORIAL GARDEN -- On June 24, 2001, the
Bert Rovers Memorial Garden was opened in honour of
Brother Rovers and dedicated in memory of all Local
1520 members who have passed away since the start of
our Local in 1967. We have had the privilege to take
part in the rededication of the Garden each year since
that time.
11:00 am, June 13, 2011, was the tenth rededication
to honour Brother Rovers and the Sisters and Brothers
of C.A.W. Local 1520, whom have passed away over
the years. Thank you to Sister Ann Rovers and
Brothers Dennis McGee, Frank LeFrank and Charlie
Thomson for your involvement in the ceremony and
thank all of you who were in attendance. Thanks also
to Brother Paul French for supplying the sound system
for the dedication.
Thanks to the generosity and solidarity of both the
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
(IBEW) who have purchased our union hall and our
own Local 1520 Leadership, we are welcome to
continue to hold our chapter meetings at the IBEW Hall
as well as maintain the Memorial Garden on the
existing site. The Local 1520 Administration Office
has been re-located to 2386 Main Street Plaza in
Lambeth. The telephone and fax numbers and the
mailing address of the local remain unchanged.
SINCERE THANKS -- Thank you all for your
ongoing support that has provided me the enormous
privilege to serve C.A.W. Local 1520 members and
their families for the past forty-four years both as an
active and as a retired worker.
Thank you also to the current Local 1520 Leadership
and membership and our National Union for providing
the opportunity for our Retired Workers Chapter to
continue to function well into the future.
CARD COMMITTEE -- If you are aware of an
illness, injury, or bereavement involving a chapter
member, please help us send an appropriate card by
calling Kay Seaton at 519-455-3604 for London or
Kathy Lumley at 519-633-1681 for all other locations.
NEXT MEETINGS -- Our next meetings will take
place at IBEW Hall, 11:00 am, Monday, September 12,
Tuesday, October 11, Monday, November 14, and
Monday, December 12, 2011. Bring your favourite
salad, dessert or food item and stay for lunch. Lunch
will include barbequed hamburgers and hot dogs along
with a corn roast in September, hopefully a pig roast in
October and Wayside catering in November and
December, all compliments of the chapter.
In Solidarity,
Bob Such,
Retired Workers’Chairperson
PAGE 8, NEWSHEADLINE
BUDD MAYNARD
I started at Ford S.T.A.P. in October 1967. I had just
turned 23 years old and was married only three months.
I had left a good job at Westinghouse, but Ford paid
$1.00 per hour more and at $2.47 per hour, I couldn’t
wait to start. $40.00 a week more would see my three
rooms of furniture bought from London Furniture paid
off sooner. Two weeks in and I was at Rankin Ford
picking up my new 1967 Ford two door Galaxy hard
top, V8, P/S, P/B, and get this, AM/FM radio with a
rear speaker. COOL!! Hell, I was super cool!
I remember my final Ford employment interview
with Art Bently, (Father of Chris Bently, Ontario’s
Attorney General.) Art, after asking me the usual
questions, told me to stand up and stick my arm out
from my side. “Great” he said, “You’re hired subject to
medical, to work in the paint shop.”
I wanted this job, so I honestly told him, not only had
I never painted a car, but I hadn’t painted anything, not
a barn, wall or even a fence.
“Good” said Art, “You’ve got no bad habits we need
to correct.”
I passed my medical and as I walked out of the plant
I thought, boy wait until I tell the folks back home
(New Brunswick) I paint cars for the Ford Motor
Company. What did sticking my arm out from my side
have to do with painting? In those days, when you
painted a car, you needed to have enough reach to spray
half a roof.
While at Westinghouse, I had been elected as shop
steward with United Electrical Union, so it wasn’t
surprising that soon after arriving at Ford, I joined the
UAW Organizing Committee.
We were warned by Ford Motor Company, that
anyone caught trying to get company employees to join
the Union would be terminated immediately. I
remember Al Tuckey and I meeting in the parking lot to
pick up union cards. Those early morning gatherings
were very frightening but at 23, equally exciting.
James Bond kind of stuff. I hid my cards in my socks.
It cost each guy one dollar to join.
I remember working on the sealer line in the paint
shop, wearing a baseball hat that read, “G.M. Eats
Fords,” called into the paint office, I was told “put your
hat in your locker or jump on the cart,” which was
parked there with a security guard “and he will take you
to the front door.”
The union became certified. We would have some
say in the work place, representation, better benefits,
more money and holidays, all the stuff we now seem to
think Ford just gave us because we are such a great
workforce.
The rights I recall most back then, was not my
pension, nor the right to refuse overtime after ten hours
or those mandatory Saturdays and Sundays, NO…. my
most memorable moment was walking out to that
assembly line proudly wearing that stupid “G.M. Eats
Fords” baseball hat. The guys clapped. Strange, I
never wore it again.
S.T.A.P. was like a small town. We all knew each
other, maybe not by our given names but most certainly
by the many nick names we were assigned, Blister,
Frenchy, Ya-Ya, English, the Ole Man, Crazy, Honky
and many more. These names were not done as insults,
but were openly offered as an act of friendship.
We were not only Brothers and Sisters in the Union,
but a lot of us were good friends. With nearly 4,000
people working in the plant, we shared what most
families do. Our little town, like all little towns, had its
good and as often as not, not just bad but sometimes
serious experiences.
Whenever, someone was charged by the Law, outside
of the plant, it would be reported by the local press as,
such and such of the Ford St. Thomas Assembly Plant,
was charged for whatever it would be. For some reason
Ford workers were singled out as an employee of the
S.T.A.P., while those at other factories were never, if
ever, tagged in this manner.
We sure had some lulus of crimes from a mass
murderer, embezzlement to assault, even a couple of
cruelty to animals charges.
We also attended each other’s weddings, kids
weddings and funerals of family members and most
sadly, of each other.
The often-heard remark whenever retirees were
asked, “How’s it going, now that you are retired?” was
nearly always, “I sure don’t miss the place, but I do
miss the people.”
Our local union, Canadian Auto Workers, not only
negotiated contract with the Ford Motor Company, but
also sponsored many of our sports programs, everything from darts to our very popular Local 1520 hockey
NEWSHEADLINE, PAGE 9
team, a huge Christmas party for our kids with food,
presents, entertainment and of course, a visit from
Santa. In the summer our Local hosted an annual
“Family Fun Day” for all Local 1520 families both
active and retired.
In a few weeks Ford S.T.A.P. will close. Several
thousand jobs will be gone. Feeder parts supply plants
will also shut down or drastically reduce workers.
United Way, along with many other charities, will
suffer both financially and also the loss of many volunteers. The communities that our members live in and
support will also suffer in loss of taxes and financial
spending.
A closure agreement was negotiated between CAW
and Ford, and approval was voted on with
overwhelming support.
Is everyone happy? Of course not! I believe our
Local leadership did the very best they could.
Personally, I congratulate them and our National Reps.
for a job well done. To those of you who think
otherwise, you should look at the real world. Talk to
those who have had the misfortune of finding
themselves unemployed due to plant closure and you
will quickly realize you got a very fair settlement.
Many would say an exceptionally good settlement.
There are always people who, for money, will
support those who think they aren’t getting what they
deserve. Stop listening to stupid rumours and move on.
I wrote an article in almost every issue of the
Newsheadline since it began 43 years ago. To readers I
bid goodbye and to everyone Good Luck!
Budd Maynard,
Retired 16 Years
THANK
YOU!
continued
Thank you very much for the lovely Bible. It was
very appreciated by the family of James Siroski, Martin
Siroski’s brother.
Thanks again,
Martin & Rose Siroski
The family of the late Garry Morris would like to
express our sincere appreciation for the beautiful Bible.
Thank you,
Josephine Morris & Family
We have less than one month to go until closure.
Still hard to believe, yet true nonetheless. To say
that the last several years have been stressful for
everyone would be an understatement of Biblical
proportions, however, it is the truth. Throughout the
course of doing this job, we get to see people go
through many phases of life, getting married, getting
divorced, having children, children leaving for
school, people going through illnesses, people
dying… The list could go on forever. We have seen
it all, good and bad.
As we all move on to new phases of life, through
new phases of life, we can and must take the
experience of having worked here with us. It’s likely
that most of us will never again work in a place as
unique as the St. Thomas Assembly Plant, and I for
one, will never forget one thing in particular and that
is, the great people who make up the membership of
this Local.
It has been a pleasure and an honour to serve the
membership, retirees and your families over the
years, through good times and bad. I don’t think that
I will ever forget the experience, nor should it be
forgotten. Witnessing what I have over the last few
years is the stuff of which books are written and
studies are done. It’s one of the top five stressful
events, which one can live through.
While it is seemingly a tragic event, and it is, I
think that each and every one of us can go out of this
plant holding our heads high, knowing that we truly
did build great cars for this company and made it
billions of dollars right to the end.
We wish each of you and your families nothing but
the best going forward and truly believe that you will
find more success in your lives as time moves on.
You are the best automotive workers in the world.
You should believe that in your souls. There is
nothing that you did to cause this event and everything you did should have prevented it…. You are
the best in every way and we will miss you and
always remember our times together.
Good Luck in the future…
Yours in Solidarity,
Kevin Cote, Wendy Acker and Kevin Caldwell
CAW 1520 Benefit Representatives
PAGE 10, NEWSHEADLINE
Dan Borthwick
President
CANADA
Tony Pleli
Financial Secretary
Brent Tree
Vice President
LOCAL 88
Kim DeGraaf
Recording Secretary
P.O. BOX 158
INGERSOLL, ONTARIO N5C 3K5
PHONE 519-425-0952
FAX
519-425-1250
www.local88.ca
August 17, 2011
Dennis McGee
President
CAW Local 1520
PO Box 545
St. Thomas, Ontario
N5P 3V6
Re: Ford St. Thomas Assembly Plant Closure
Dear Brother McGee
I write this letter as the president of CAW Local 88 to express sadness and disappointment as September
16, 2011 date approaches which will result in the closure of the Ford St. Thomas Assembly Plant.
Although this day has been known for some time it still remains devastating to the membership of CAW
Local 1520, their families and the surrounding community.
In our early years, CAW Local 1520 provided much needed guidance and knowledge to our very young
local union. This relationship has grown over the years as we have come to rely on one another through the
different struggles and challenges that we have both faced. CAW Local 88 learned how CAW Local 1520
was involved in the community, raising money for various charities and taking on all issues shared by all
workers, unionized or not. CAW Local 88 strives to live up to the standards and conscience that have been
set by CAW Local 1520.
The leadership and membership of CAW Local 1520 will be sadly missed by the communities of St.
Thomas and London, the labour movement, the CAW and CAW Local 88.
On behalf of the leadership and membership of CAW Local 88 I offer you, the leadership and membership
of your local union any assistance that we may provide. We are just a phone call away.
Thank You and the best of luck in your future endeavours.
In Solidarity,
Dan Borthwick
President
CAW Local 88
Cc CAW Local 88 Executive Board
National Automobile, Aerospace, Transportation and General Workers Union of Canada (CAW-Canada)
Syndicat national de l’automobile, de l’aérospatiale, du transport et des autres travailleurs et travailleuses du Canada (TCA-Canada)
NEWSHEADLINE, PAGE 11
EMPLOYMENT
EQUITY/WOMEN’S
ADVOCATE
I would like to begin my last Local 1520 Newsheadline
article by thanking the membership and leadership of Local
1520 for the support and assistance that has been extended to
me as the Employment Equity Rep./Women’s Advocate since
September 1990. It has been a privilege to serve the
membership in this capacity for the past 21 years.
I believe that over the years, we have seen a vast
improvement in terms of the way employees treat and interact
with each other in the plant. Generally speaking, employees
demonstrate a high level of respect for each other’s rights and
for the most part, treat each other the way they themselves
would want to be treated.
As we move forward into this new stage of our lives, we
need to continue to demonstrate respect for our friends and
fellow employees.
In closing, I want to once again thank you for the privilege
of serving the membership of Local 1520 and wish each and
everyone of you much success and happiness in your future
endeavours.
All the Best.
Penny L. Wilkins,
Employment Equity Rep./Women’s Advocate
To our Friends at Local 1520
Thank you for all of your help and support!
Together, we’re making it happen.
Thanks for helping the families to Toronto.
Dean, Renee, Nancy, Steph and Pie
CAW 1520
UNITED WAY
IN-PLANT
COMMITTEE
As we come closer to the start of a new beginning for
many of us, I would like to extend, on behalf of the United
Way In-plant Committee a big Thank You to all of the
members who gave continuously each and every year. It’s
because of your kind generousity that many of the
agencies are able to continue servicing our communities.
As you walk through the different paths of your life,
you can be proud of yourself for helping to build our
communities for our Children and Grandchildren.
There are many community organizations that require
volunteers to be able to function, please, if you have a few
hours to spare, choose one that most fits your style. The
rewards are great. You will not only enrich your life, but
also the lives of many others, and be careful it’s contagious. Cheers!
Cindy Aquilina, Chairperson
CAW 1520 United Way In-plant Committee
PAGE 12, NEWSHEADLINE
Gold
Ribbon
Campaign
Stephanie Simmons is a 17 year old grade 12 student
at Clarke Road Secondary School in London. She is
also a childhood cancer survivor who has battled cancer
since 2004, and understands the physical and emotional
impact of the disease on individuals and their families
and friends. Stephanie is the daughter of Dean &
Renee Simmons.
The Gold Ribbon Campaign, which was started by
Steph in 2006 and now includes her parents and her
two sisters, Nancy & Pie; it is their goal to convince
Canada Post to create a commemorative stamp to
promote awareness of childhood cancer in honour of
the many children who have faced the disease. Today,
more than 10,000 Canadian children live with cancer.
Stephanie's own
words are the most
powerful argument,
"sometimes I wonder
if there are ten
thousand kids just like
me ... how is it that
we don't hear more
about kid's cancer?"
"I would love to
honour and thank all
the survivors that
have come before us,
their strength and
determination to beat
their disease inspires all of us current warriors to dig in
and keep fighting!!" "But mostly I want to honour all
the brave
warriors
that have
lost their
battle, I
want these
heroes and
their
families to
know that
they have
not been forgotten!"
One of their ideas; they
wrote to Blackberry
several weeks ago and it
was released to purchase a
Gold Ribbon Theme page
for Blackberrys, it looks
great! Check it out!!
http://appworld.
blackberry.com
/webstore/content
/52642?lang=en
A "Day of
Action and
Awareness" is
being
organized in
Niagara Falls;
the falls will
light up in
GOLD in
honour of
Childhood Cancer on September 13 from 9:00 pm to
9:15 pm and again from 10:10 pm to 10:15 pm.
Another "Day of Action and Awareness" is being
organized in Toronto, the CN Tower will be lighting up
in GOLD in honour of Childhood Cancer Awareness
Month! This special event will take place on Friday,
September 16, the Block Party/BBQ starts off at 6:00
pm and the CN Tower will light up in GOLD at approximately 8:00 pm.
The family wishes to invite as many friends, families,
co-workers and associates as possible to both events;
they want this day to be magical for all the survivors
..... and for all the families that have lost a child to this
dreaded disease. They are working with several other
community groups to make this day special.
The Simmons family want to take this opportunity to
thank CAW Local 1520, the Retirees Chapter, CAW
National and to all of you who has supported this
campaign. The campaign continues ....
For more information on Stephanie Simmons, her
campaign, and how you can help, please visit
http://www.goldribboncampaign.org/ or
http://www.facebook.com/GoldRibbonCampaign
In Solidarity,
Jean Simpson
NEWSHEADLINE, PAGE 13
NEWS & VIEWS (MY OWN)
CAR LOTTERY 35 to 1 ODDS - In 2009, China
eclipsed the USA as the top auto market. Auto manufacturers are rushing to build plants there to fill the market
gap and maximize profits on the backs of cheap labour.
There is so much congestion there it’s chaotic. If you
want to buy a car you have to enter a lottery. It’s a
government run lottery and there are 177,000 weekly
winners out of 615,000 entrants. Those who win and
don’t want to buy a car are targeted for wasting their
quota. China maybe a large world market, but their
government has quotas for everything and if you want to
sell it there you have to make it there. Gee! What a novel
idea. They got that from us too!!
PLASTIC TIPS - Aglets are the plastic ends on
shoelaces. They are formed when plastic tape is wrapped
around the laces; heat and acetone are then applied to bond
the plastic to the laces. Polyester shoelaces are clamped
and heated ultrasonically to produce the molded tips used
in high stress applications like skate laces.
Plastic Soup is an area twice as large as the USA. It is
actually two large blobs moving around the Hawaiian
Islands drawn there by the North Pacific gyre. The gyre is
a vortex where the ocean circulates slowly because of little
wind and extreme high-pressure systems.
Plastic forms 90% of all floating rubbish. Every piece
of plastic manufactured in the last 50 years that made its
way to the ocean is still floating around somewhere.
These blobs are translucent and float just below the
surface. Some plastics are biodegradable in salt water but
the newer types are not.
150,000 tons of plastic is washed up on Japanese
beaches annually. Millions of sea birds and mammals are
killed from eating this junk.
What goes into the ocean goes into the food chain and
onto your plate.
With the passing of Jack Layton, democracy has
suffered a terrible loss. Without an effective opposition,
the rich will get richer and the rest of us will be left out,
with no voice.
Jack’s vision of Canada can still happen if we follow his
advice. “So let’s be loving, hopeful and optimistic, and
we’ll change the world.”
RETIRING FROM THE JOB NOT THE FIGHT After 26 years at the Blue Oval, I will be retiring when the
plant closes. I will miss the people I worked with. Your
support has empowered me to help others, in New Orleans
after Katrina and in the Yukon on the 1st Nations Reserve
helping to make water drinkable. Habitat for Humanity in
London always needs volunteers. Come and give us a
hand for a day, it will make you feel good.
Maybe we can update our website to keep in touch or
find out what others are up to via the electronic media.
Thanks!
Proud to be Union!
Ray “Coop” Cooper
RECYCLE, REUSE, DON’T THROW IT AWAY.
JACK 1950 to 2011 - If you ever met him, shook his
hand and saw the glint in his eyes, you just knew he could
do it. He could make his vision of a fairer, better and
more equal country come true for all Canadians.
Thanks for a job well done; looking forward to serving you in the future!
PAGE 14, NEWSHEADLINE
NEWSHEADLINE, PAGE 15
PAGE 16, NEWSHEADLINE
NEWSHEADLINE, PAGE 17
PAGE 18, NEWSHEADLINE
NEWSHEADLINE, PAGE 19
PAGE 20, NEWSHEADLINE
NEWSHEADLINE, PAGE 21
PAGE 22, NEWSHEADLINE
NEWSHEADLINE, PAGE 23
PAGE 24, NEWSHEADLINE
FINANCIAL SECRETARY'S REPORT - C.A.W. LOCAL 1520
FOR THE MONTH OF:
JULY 2011
BALANCE AT THE END OF: JUNE 2011 - $247,861.98
INCOME
Dues
Initiation - National
Initiation - N.M.O.
Recreation
Retirees Per Capita
Jackets, T-shirts, etc.
Interest
Retirees Active Fund
Investment Fund
Lounge Receipts
Building Receipts
Bluesfest
TOTAL INCOME
101,595.04
27.00
135.00
180.00
5,573.55
170.00
113.50
51.00
182.83
3,096.15
517,641.46
600.00
629,365.53
ALLOCATION OF ASSETS
Balance as per bank statement
Less o/s cheques
Actual Bank Balance
Special Accounts
Savings Account
TOTAL CASH ASSETS
PER CAPITA OWING
PAYROLL REMITTANCE OWING
ACTUAL CASH ASSETS
BALANCE OF MORTGAGE
596,301.09
76,866.08
519,435.01
527.21
205,209.66
725,171.88
64,229.65
25,415.95
635,526.28
0.00
EXPENDITURES
FUND SUMMARY
Office Wages
6,376.95
Lost Time
20,842.80
Travel, Meals, etc
5,736.01
Rent
1,700.00
Supplies
1,025.30
Telephone
1,779.72
Subscriptions
355.63
Per Capita Taxes
55,636.85
Per Capita Taxes - Affiliates 7,745.01
Staff Medical & Payroll Taxes 104.49
Retirees Active Fund
(1,631.44)
Recreation
7,830.00
Flower & Bible
50.00
Donations - Charitable
2,100.00
Payroll Remittance
9,013.96
Payroll Deductions
(25,415.95)
Bank Charges
3.00
Lounge Expense
53,268.11
Building Expense
5,535.19
TOTAL EXPENDITURES
152,055.63
GENERAL FUND
Net Income
477,309.90
Add to last month's balance of 247.861.98
Leaves Balance to account for 725,171.88
Balance previous month
Add income
Less expenses
BALANCE
(25,614.05)
101,115.53
87,003.77
(11,502.29)
EDUCATION FUND
Balance previous month
Add income
Less expenses
BALANCE
10,130.70
0.00
0.00
10,130.70
RECREATION FUND
Balance previous month
Add income
Less expenses
BALANCE
17,584.72
896.50
7,830.00
10,651.22
POLITICAL ACTION FUND
Balance previous month
Add income
Less expenses
BALANCE
9,459.62
143.30
0.00
9,602.92
RETIRED MEMBERS (per capita)
Balance previous month
Add income
Less expenses
BALANCE
81,850.00
5,587.88
0.00
87,437.88
BUILDING
Balance previous month
Add income
Less expenses
BALANCE
S. MacPherson - Financial Secretary
(Bracket figures are in the red)
(61,003.02)
517,641.46
5,535.19
451,103.25
FLOWER AND BIBLE FUND
Balance previous month
Add income
Less expenses
BALANCE
8,541.09
429.90
50.00
8,920.99
NEW MEMBER ORIENTATION
Balance previous month
Add income
Less expenses
BALANCE
0.00
316.53
SPECIAL ASSISTANCE
Balance previous month
Add income
Less expenses
BALANCE
5,126.75
0.00
0.00
5,126.75
INVESTMENT
Balance previous month
Add income
Less expenses
BALANCE
205,026.83
182.83
0.00
205,209.66
LOUNGE
Balance previous month
Add income
Less expenses
BALANCE
(12,999.22)
3,096.15
53,268.11
(63,171.18)
RETIREES ACTIVE FUND
Balance previous month
Add income
Less expenses
BALANCE
2,911.24
51.00
(1,631.44)
4,593.68
HUMAN RIGHTS FUND
Balance previous month
Add income
Less expense
BALANCE
3,913.40
28.66
0.00
3,942.06
WOMEN'S COMMITTEE
Balance previous month
Add income
Less expense
BALANCE
2,309.18
28.66
0.00
2,337.84
ENVIRONMENT FUND
Balance previous month
Add income
Less expense
BALANCE
TOTAL OF ALL FUNDS
443.21
28.66
0.00
471.87
725,171.88
181.53
135.00
PUBLICATION MAIL AGREEMENT NO.40026126
RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO:
LOCAL 1520
P. O. BOX 545, ST. THOMAS, ONTARIO N5P 3V6
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