Summer 2006 - UAW-GM Center For Human Resources

people
LANSING’S BIG NEWS HEART HEALTH MAKE-A-WISH
UAW-GM
SUMMER 2006
THE MAGAZINE OF THE UAW-GM
CENTER FOR HUMAN RESOURCES
QUALITY
KEEPS ON
ROLLING
Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly
launches the Cadillac DTS and
the Buick Lucerne — and the
praise rolls in
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people
UAW-GM
contents
SUMMER 2006
people
UAW-GM
This publication is jointly produced
by the International Union, UAW and
General Motors Corp. and is intended
to provide information about the benefits
and opportunities offered through UAWGM joint activities and people programs.
It is published by the UAW-GM Center
for Human Resources (CHR).
UAW-GM
Executive Board — Joint Activities
CAL RAPSON
Vice President and Director
UAW General Motors Dept.
17
F E AT U R E S
10 FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly workers had one chance to introduce
the Cadillac DTS and the Buick Lucerne, which meant they had to do
it right — so that’s just what they did By Michael J. McDermott
14 WATCHING THEIR WASTES
How engine plants in Flint and Tonawanda kicked their landfill habits
By Bob Woods
17 A DIFFERENT KIND OF RIDE
Team members in Lansing, Mich., rely on a tradition of excellence to
spark innovation at their brand-new plant By Dennis McCafferty
DIANA D. TREMBLAY
Vice President, Labor Relations
General Motors Corp.
RICHARD RUPPERT
Administrative Assistant
UAW General Motors Dept.
JOE PONCE
Executive Director
GMNA Labor Relations/UAW
PAUL MITCHELL
Administrative Assistant
UAW General Motors Dept.
DOROTHY HENNESSY
General Director
UAW-GM Center for
Human Resources/
Quality Network
UAW Co-Editor
REG MCGHEE
GM Co-Editor
KEN BEEN
UAW-GM CHR Co-Editor
GERI STROMAN
D E PA R T M E N T S
3
6
Short Takes
Gen Y chooses Chevy
Cobalt; simulated work
environment opens;
and more
Shifting Gears
GM’s quality ranks high
with J.D. Power and
Strategic Vision
20 Joint Efforts
Fort Wayne’s safety idea;
welcoming Cal Rapson and
Diana Tremblay; and more
2
24 Family Matters
Handling retirement;
women’s heart health
26 Time Out
Mark Dimick makes the
rounds on the pool circuit
27 My Wheels
Marc and Kathy Quennoz’s
1963 Cadillac Fleetwood
60 Special
Produced by The Pohly Company
This magazine is printed by a
union printer on union-made paper.
UAW-GM People is published for the UAW-GM Center for Human
Resources by The Pohly Company. Copyright © UAW-GM Center for
Human Resources 2006. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or
in part of any text, photograph or illustration without express written
permission of the publisher is prohibited.
>>> feedback
We’d like to hear your thoughts on the
magazine. Please send an e-mail to
[email protected], or send
a letter to: UAW-GM People, Center
for Human Resources, 200 Walker St.
Detroit, MI 48207.
UAW-GM PEOPLE SUMMER 2006
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shorttakes
News and Notes from
the UAW-GM CHR and
Other Fun Stuff
GEN Y CHOOSES
CHEVY COBALT
GM’s new Cobalt appeals to a
younger set, who are an important
customer base
The Chevrolet Cobalt has been named the most “buzz-worthy new vehicle by Gen Y,”
according to the 2006 AutoVIBES Demographics survey. Gen Y customers are those
born between 1977 and 1986. With more than 76 million Gen Y-ers in the United
States, this demographic group is considered a very important source of customers.
More Cobalts were sold to customers under the age of 34 than any other GM
product. The vehicle is built at the GM Lordstown complex by UAW Locals
1112 and 1714.
Remembering a Leader
n
Daryl Garriso
Daryl Garrison’s great uncle Clyde received the first Suggestion Award
Daryl Garrison, a plate setter for PCC North Engineering Plant
in Pontiac, Mich., and editor for UAW Local 594, remembers
his late, great uncle Clyde Garrison as a quiet man. But he
recently confirmed that, in the early 1940s, Clyde spoke out and
proposed a production improvement that earned him GM’s first
suggestion award.
“My mom told me the story about her uncle Clyde and his
award several years ago,” Garrison explained. “Since then, I
have wanted to verify it.”
It took several weeks of looking through microfilm for
Garrison to confirm his mother’s story: Clyde, who worked for the
Pontiac Motor War Plant for 34 years, won GM’s first suggestion
award for recommending that a hobbing machine be rearranged
to speed up production. That suggestion was a hit and Clyde
won a $1,000 savings bond from GM, as well as a gold pin that
was pinned on his shirt by then-U.S. Vice President Henry A.
Wallace during a 1943 awards ceremony.
Clyde, a Local 653 member, retired from GM in 1968 and
passed away in 1988. Garrison, at 51, loves to keep records
of his family’s long history in the auto industry and only wishes
he’d known his uncle Clyde’s story sooner. “I wish I could have
heard the story from him firsthand,” he said.
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shorttakes
Close
to
Home
t
i
g
Ta
C
MFD, Indianapolis employee attends
fundraiser with Rick Wagoner
Looking to buy a new GM
company-owned vehicle?
The process for “tagging”
one just got easier. Using the
Internet, you can get right
to the vehicle you want. It’s
a matter of searching available vehicles, narrowing the
choice by make, model, color
and more. Once you do that,
just “tag” it — electronically,
of course. You’ll receive a discount authorization number to
bring to the dealership.
The discount is 4.5–15.5%
off the original MSRP. It is
subtracted from the GMS price
of the tagged vehicle.
To get started, just log in
to gmfamilyfirst.com or call
1.800.235.4646.
History of
Firsts
Left to right: Rick and Kathy Wagoner;
Alec, Kristina and Chris Lepper.
hris Lepper, UAW Local 23,
knows the value of the $1.6
million that GM has contributed to the Juvenile Diabetes Research
Foundation. His 7-year-old son, Alec,
is a type 1 diabetic who requires four
insulin injections a day. To express
his appreciation to GM, Chris wrote
a letter to Chairman and CEO Rick
Wagoner. It just so happened that
Wagoner was scheduled to be honorary
chair of a diabetes research fundraising
event and, moved by the letter, invited
Lepper, his wife and Alec to attend.
Type 1 diabetes occurs when the
immune system destroys cells that help
the pancreas produce insulin. Without
insulin, glucose in food stays in the
blood and causes damage, instead of
being converted to energy. That’s why
people with type 1 diabetes must take
insulin and monitor blood levels.
For more information on diabetes,
go to www.jdrf.org.
Simulated Work Environment
Opens at CHR
1954
Cadillac becomes the first auto company
to provide power steering and automatic
windshield washers as standard equipment on all its vehicles.
4
From left, Robert Vanderelzen, Dorothy
Hennessy, Tom Walsh, Ken Holder and Larry
Emerling at the SWE ribbon-cutting ceremony.
GAIL BOOKEE
S
imulating actual GM manufacturing
plant processes, the 4,073-squarefoot Simulated Work Environment
(SWE) provides hands-on training for
participants from UAW-represented GM
locations. The SWE supports the UAWGM Quality Network and the GM Global
Manufacturing System. The training
improves plant quality, safety, productivity and more. Even though the CHR just
opened its SWE in June, it anticipates
providing more than 5,000 training hours
for the balance of this year.
UAW-GM PEOPLE SUMMER 2006
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Plant
Milestones
Indianapolis Metal Center, GM
Manufacturing Stamping-UAW
Local 23 celebrated its 75th
anniversary on June 23.
GMVM, Fairfax-UAW
Local 31 observed its 60th
anniversary on June 3.
Marion Metal Center,
GM Manufacturing StampingUAW Local 977 celebrated its
50th anniversary on May 18.
GM Warren Tech Center-UAW
Local 160 celebrated its 50th
anniversary on June 21.
The GM Lordstown
complex-UAW Locals 1112
and 1714 celebrated its 40th
anniversary on June 30.
Artistic License
A picture’s worth a thousand words. Just ask the elementary school kids
from Janesville School District. Recently, 26 young artists were selected
by the district to decorate a 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe. GM donated the E85capable flexible-fuel Tahoe to
The Nature Conservancy in
Wisconsin. GMVM JanesvilleUAW Local 95, which builds
the Tahoe, wanted to use the
SUV to help illustrate the
importance of nature conservation and renewable fuels
like E85.
The donated Tahoe,
along with a $15,000 contribution, will be used
in preservation projects
throughout Wisconsin.
Congratulations to all!
Got News?
We’d like to hear about
happenings at your plant.
Please send an e-mail to
[email protected],
or send a letter to:
UAW-GM People
Center for Human Resources
200 Walker St.
Detroit, MI 48207
GM’s U.S. Market Share
Cars
Trucks
Total U.S.
June 2006
CYTD* 2006
23.8%
29.4%
26.7%
20.3%
27.1%
24%
*calendar year to date
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shiftinggears
QUALITY
>> AWARDS
What they mean for customers
T
here are several ways to measure quality, but none more important than those
valued most by customers. With nearly 300 automotive models for sale in the
United States, the average customer can be overwhelmed with choices. So
it’s not surprising that they’re turning to independent product research to help them
decide which car or truck to buy.
Customers say they rely on independent product research to the same degree as
asking a friend. That’s according to a study by Keynote Systems, a leader
in measurement and monitoring of customer trends.
The most well-known automotive independent product research source is the J.D.
Power and Associates Initial Quality Study (IQS). When it released its results in June,
the news was front-page. Similarly, when Strategic Vision, another well-known market
research firm, released its report on automotive quality, there was big news — for both
customers and manufacturers.
To learn what third-party researchers are saying about GM quality, take a look at
this summary, which includes the J.D. Power IQS and the Strategic Vision Total
Quality Index (TQI).
6
>>
By Ken Been
UAW-GM PEOPLE SUMMER 2006
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2006 STRATEGIC VISION TQI RESULTS
Strategic Vision Total Quality Index
For the second year in a row, GM was recognized as the
top performer in the 2006 Strategic Vision Total Quality
Index (TQI). The quality study measures what the research
company calls “Things-Gone-Right,” as well as “Things-GoneWrong” and dealership experiences.
Chevrolet Corvette Coupe //
Luxury Small
GM led five of the survey’s
20 vehicle categories, beating out Toyota, Honda and Nissan.
Four of GM’s survey winners were
assembled in UAW-represented facilities.
Chevrolet Corvette Convertible //
Specialty Cars Segment
Luxury Convertible Segment
GMVM, Bowling Green-UAW Local 2164
GMVM, Bowling Green-UAW Local 2164
Chevrolet Silverado HD (2500/3500) //
Saturn Vue //
Tough Truck Segment
Small SUV Segment
GMVM, Spring Hill-UAW Local 1853
GMVM, Pontiac-UAW Local 594
GMVM, Flint-UAW Local 598
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2006 J.D. POWER IQS RESULTS
Plants in Top 15
in North/South America
#1
Top Three GM Brands
Above Industry Average
GM Canada Oshawa #2-CAW Local 222
Gold Plant Award
#7
GMVM, Detroit-Hamtramck-UAW Local 22
#8
GMVM, Bowling Green-UAW Local 2164
#11
GMVM, Lansing Grand River-UAW Local 652
#12
NUMMI-UAW Local 2244
#13
GM Canada Oshawa Truck-CAW Local 222
#14
GMVM, Fairfax-UAW Local 31
Chevrolet
BEST-IN-SEGMENT WINNERS
Chevrolet Silverado LD //
Large Pickup Segment
GMVM, Fort Wayne-UAW Local 2209
GMVM, Pontiac-UAW Local 594
Oshawa Truck-CAW Local 222
8
Pontiac Grand Prix //
Large Car Segment
Produced at Oshawa 2-CAW Local 222
UAW-GM PEOPLE SUMMER 2006
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shiftinggears
TOP THREE IN-SEGMENT WINNERS
Chevrolet Monte Carlo //
Chevrolet Corvette //
Midsize Sporty Segment
Sporty Segment
Multi-Activity Segment
GM Canada-CAW Local 222
GMVM, Bowling Green-UAW Local 2164
GMVM, Moraine-IUE-CWA Local 798
Chevrolet Silverado HD //
GMC Sierra HD //
Large Pickup Segment
Segment
GMVM, Pontiac-UAW Local 594
GMVM, Flint-UAW Local 598
GMVM, Pontiac-UAW Local 594
GMVM, Flint-UAW Local 598
GMC Yukon //
Chevrolet Tahoe //
GMC Savana //
Van Segment
GMVM, Wentzville-UAW Local 2250
HUMMER H2 //
Multi-Activity
Segment
AM General-UAW Local 5
Large Multi-Activity
Buick Rainier //
Midsize
Large Pickup
Large
Segment
Multi-Activity Segment
GMVM, Arlington-UAW Local 276
GMVM, Janesville-UAW Local 95
GMVM, Arlington-UAW Local 276
GMVM, Janesville-UAW Local 95
IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS
S
Premium
o … what do all these awards mean? There’s certainly
room for debate. Some skeptics argue that “judges”
love giving out a broad array of awards so that the name
of their research company gets plastered across automotive
ads throughout the country. That way, the company gains
as much exposure as the vehicle it’s awarding.
Again, that’s just the skeptic’s view.
Do the awards really reflect quality? The answer,
of course, depends on one’s definition of quality.
Some people, for example, maintain that long-term reliability is
the only true independent measure of quality. If you’re among
those, the J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study™, which measures customer satisfaction after three years of ownership, may
be the right one for you. If you define quality differently, there
are other studies that you’ll personally consider more valid.
Like it or not, customers will continue to consider
the growing base of automotive independent third-party
research. For that reason alone, the studies do matter. In
the final analysis, a joint focus on product quality leadership will continue to remain key in the marketplace.
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F
Clockwise from top left: Jim Griffith,
Judy Hafler and Scott Furgeson are
determined to let the public know
of GM’s quality efforts.
10
UAW-GM PEOPLE SUMMER 2006
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FIRST
IMPRESSIONS
Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly workers knew they’d only have one chance
to introduce the Cadillac DTS and the Buick Lucerne, which meant they
would have to do it right — so that’s just what they did
Q
uality is not something the men and
women of Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly
(D-Ham) take lightly. UAW Local 22
members and their salaried counterparts
build the world-class Buick Lucerne and
Cadillac DTS. Since winning consecutive J.D. Power and
Associates Plant Awards in 2004 and 2005, they could have
rested on their laurels. Instead, the D-Ham workforce has continued to push the quality envelope with the new Buick and
Cadillac models, committing to fit-and-finish standards that
would have been unheard-of just a couple of years ago.
These workers know exactly what they’re capable of, but
they’re wondering why more people aren’t aware of the kind of
quality — from initial design to final fit-and-finish — being
built into the cars and trucks coming off General Motors assembly lines these days. They’re determined to make sure the carbuying public gets the message, and they’re doing that by
BY MICHAEL J. MCDERMOTT // PHOTOS BY ROY RITCHIE
letting the cars they build at D-Ham speak for themselves.
The strategy is working, and the automotive press is taking
note. According to the Chicago Tribune, “the cabin is soundproof-room quiet,” and Automotive Design and Production
reported, “Lucerne is a solid, well-built car that is worthy of
being classified with the likes of Lexus and Acura.”
The Praise Goes On
There’s even more testimony to Lucerne’s pacesetting quality,
including a consumer review score of 9.4 (out of a possible
10) on Edmunds.com and initial sales of the CXL model that
more than doubled forecast levels. None of that comes as a
surprise to Frank Moultrie, plant chairman for UAW Local
22, plant manager Ken Knight, or the thousands of hourly and
salaried workers responsible for the accolades coming in for
the cars they build.
>>
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“People can no longer make the argument that GM vehicles
fall short when it comes to quality,” Moultrie declared. “We
are right there with the best in the world in terms of quality and
reliability, as this plant’s back-to-back J.D. Power awards and
the reception being given to Buick Lucerne and Cadillac DTS
make that crystal clear.”
“Success breeds success,” Knight added. “The plant won backto-back J.D. Power awards in 2004 and 2005. Since then, all of us
have come to believe more and more that world-class quality is
one of our core competencies. J.D. Power has a tremendous reputation in the industry.” The intensity around quality keeps
gaining momentum as a result of Detroit Hamtramck Assembly
being recognized by such respected outside arbiters.
Larry Clark and his fellow
UAW Local 22 members
know that quality and
reliability don’t happen
by accident.
Process Makes Perfect
The kind of quality and reliability being achieved at D-Ham
does not happen by accident. It’s the result of a concerted effort
on the part of UAW members and salaried employees working
together, with an emphasis on teamwork and a shared commitment to building the best cars in the automotive marketplace.
“I’ve been at this plant since 1984, before the cement even
dried,” joked Jim Griffith, a general assembly planner on the
launch team and a member of UAW Local 22. “The changes I’ve
seen in terms of commitment to world-class quality and focus
on achieving that goal have been tremendous. The members
understand the importance of that commitment to their own
futures and the future of the company, the plant and the union.”
As part of the team effort to get ready for the 2006 Lucerne/DTS
launch, every job in the plant was broken down into its separate
elements, and every element was checked and recorded, Griffith
explained. “Now we have data on everything, and that procedure is followed throughout the whole operation. The way it
used to be was just one guy telling another guy to put this screw
here. Now we have description sheets and best practice sheets
on every operation that’s done in the plant.” This has allowed the
plant to take the accumulated wisdom of generations of autoworkers and capture these essential best practices.
Andy Danko has only been at D-Ham since 2003, coming on
board as launch manager for the 2006 Cadillac DTS and 2006
Buick Lucerne. Now assigned as the plant quality manager
(since January 2006), he said D-Ham’s focus on quality was evident to him right from the start and clearly predated the most
recent product launches.
BY THE NUMBERS
detroit-hamtramck assembly
YEAR OPENED: 1985
PLANT SIZE: 3.6 million square feet
UNION LOCAL: UAW Local 22
CARS PRODUCED: Buick Lucerne, Cadillac DTS
HISTORY: Most D-Ham employees have a history of
building Cadillacs, having come from GM’s Detroit Fisher
Body Fleetwood and Clark Street Assembly Plant. This
group has grown to include employees from many plants
around the country.
12
“D-Ham has always had a strong focus on quality — you can
see that from the J.D. Power awards for the previous products,”
Danko said. “The biggest change for the plant with the 2006
products was the increased focus on fit and finish.”
Body fits were changed from design gaps of 5mm or more
to around 3mm, panel to panel, and interior fit standards for
the new design are much tighter than what the plant had been
used to. “We are working on improving fit items that we would
never have worked on with the old products,” Danko said.
“All employees at the plant now understand the new standards
and are working to achieve world-class quality every day.”
Recognizing UAW Expertise
UAW Local 22 member Rich Smoger, a general assembly
planner in the engine and chassis area at D-Ham, was a subject matter expert for the launch of the 2006 products. Like
Griffith, he’s been at the plant since the first cars rolled off
the assembly line in the mid-1980s, and he’s also struck by the
changes he has witnessed.
The most significant difference he sees in the way things are
done today is the recognition of the hourly worker as a vital
source of knowledge. “They ask for more of our firsthand
knowledge now,” Smoger said. “On the launches, we get
involved early on with the integration of vehicles. We see them
way before anybody else so that we can identify issues and
potential trouble spots in the build process. If you don’t identify
assembly issues early, you can’t build these cars.”
That’s just the kind of buy-in plant manager Knight believes
is essential to D-Ham’s success, especially with the 2006 models. “First Impressions was our theme for launching these two
cars. We all knew we’d only get one chance at this, and there
was a serious commitment on everyone’s part that we would
UAW-GM PEOPLE SUMMER 2006
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Rich Smoger (left), general assembly planner,
and Andy Danko, plant quality manager, work
together to implement the new standards.
customers feel. The people I talked to were all impressed with
how well the cars handle, how fine the interior and exterior
fits are, how much better they are than the products we were
building before.”
The credit for that, Knight was quick to point out, goes to a
joint launch team made up of “some extremely dedicated and
focused individuals — UAW Members and salaried employees who came together for the benefit of the entire plant.”
Recognizing what was at stake, the team applied a joint
approach to all aspects of the launch, from design and development to line setup and balance to training. With people from
both sides assigned to figure out the best way to do everything,
the process required compromise and a willingness to look at
what was best for the entire enterprise.
“The hourly launch team was the key to the success of the
new cars,” Danko said. “Those guys were involved in program
“ WE GET INVOLVED EARLY ON WITH THE INTEGRATION
OF VEHICLES. WE SEE THEM BEFORE ANYBODY ELSE
TO IDENTIFY ISSUES AND POTENTIAL TROUBLE SPOTS
IN THE BUILD PROCESS.” – RICH SMOGER, GENERAL ASSEMBLY PLANNER
decisions starting more than a year before the first car was ever
built at the plant.”
UAW members were involved with engineering in the upfront design and were jointly involved in deciding how the build
plan would be executed at the plant, he added. “They were the
link between the engineering design of the new cars and the
people on the line who would ultimately be responsible for the
quality of every car built.”
Attitude Is Everything
Trevor Mtenje, a general
assembly coordinator, is proud
of D-Ham’s efforts.
do it right,” he said. “We were unwavering on that for the
entire year leading up to the launch.”
A Team Approach
To cultivate buy-in, the plant brought all its employees together
at a nearby community college last year to showcase the new
cars and the new Global Manufacturing System (GMS) team
operations system that would be used to build them.
“We also gave our employees a chance to drive the cars,
either overnight or around the test track on the plant
property,” Knight said. “We wanted them to feel what the
To Moultrie, it’s inconceivable that the members of UAW
Local 22 might not have risen to the challenge. “It’s a nobrainer,” Moultrie said of the team-based approach that has
become standard operating procedure at D-Ham. “Our members fully understand what’s at stake. If we are going to succeed, it is essential that we work together to ensure our future
and the company’s future.”
The attitude toward teamwork that started with the launch
team has emanated throughout the plant, helped in no small part
by the excitement generated by the cars themselves. “When we get
a great product or great design to build, we get excited, and that carries over to the line,” Moultrie said. “That’s clearly what’s happening with the DTS and Lucerne. We take pride in every car we build,
and we want every car to go out to the customer defect-free.”
He added that evidence of how UAW Local 22 members
feel about the cars they build at D-Ham is right out in the
employee parking lot for all the world to see. “Many of our
members have purchased a DTS or a Lucerne, and I’d like to
see more of that among everyone who works at GM,” he said.
“We are building the best cars in the world today, and anyone
who works for GM can help ensure our shared future and
survival by buying one of them.” ■
www.uaw-gm.org
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[WASTES]
14
CREDIT
WATCHING THEIR
UAW-GM PEOPLE SUMMER 2006
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Environmental Engineer Casey
Essary is part of the UAW-GM joint
team at Tonawanda.
[
Mark Jezioro volunteered for his
internal auditor position on the
UAW-GM joint team.
For more than 20 years Miguel
Antonetti has been an environmental
engineer at Tonawanda.
How engine plants in Flint and Tonawanda
kicked their landfill habits
]
By Bob Woods // Photos by David A. Feiling
E
very Monday night, Andre
Savard takes his garbage cans to
the curb outside his house near
Buffalo, N.Y. He never used to
give it much thought, beyond making
sure the lids were on tight to keep the
varmints away. Nowadays, though, the
environment is top of mind. That’s
because his day job, as an environmental auditor and member of UAW Local
774 at the Tonawanda Engine Plant,
has him helping to prevent more than
25,000 tons of waste from ending up
in landfills.
Savard has worked at Tonawanda, the
world’s largest engine manufacturer, for
27 years. Until about 12 months ago, he’d
been a tool setter on the machine floor.
Now he’s part of the audit group that
monitors the plant’s environmental and
quality programs. When GM announced
in May that Tonawanda had become 100
percent landfill-free — which means that
waste materials from its manufacturing
operations no longer end up in landfills
— he felt especially proud. “I’m not an
environmental maniac,” Savard said,
“but I think it’s huge to be landfill-free.”
It is indeed a huge accomplishment
and source of pride for every one of the
2,500 UAW-represented and salaried GM
employees at Tonawanda, which joins
Flint Engine South as GM’s only U.S.
plants to achieve landfill-free status. Both
“A lot of our
processes are best
practices that are
being implemented
at other plants.”
— Miguel Antonetti,
environmental engineer
plants have designed and implemented
their own programs to reuse or recycle at
least 95 percent of scrap metal, swarf (a
mud-like substance with a high concentration of metal), wood, cardboard, used
oil, light bulbs, batteries and other materials. All remaining waste is sent to a
nearby incinerator, where it is converted
into energy. The efforts at Tonawanda
alone prevent more than 25,000 tons of
waste from ending up in landfills.
Becoming Landfill-Free
John Crabtree, the plant manager at
Tonawanda, recalls how the plant initially became more aware of its waste
habits. “We went down the list of our
waste materials to see what we send
to landfills and determine what we
could do with it instead,” Crabtree said.
“We looked at the available technology
and talked to vendors of the materials
about who was recycling what. In many
cases, they helped us come up with
solutions.” For example, swarf has been
used to make hockey pucks.
Crabtree coordinated those efforts
with a joint UAW-GM team headed up
by Miguel Antonetti, who has been an
environmental engineer for more than
20 years. He works with Savard, and also
with fellow environmental engineer
Casey Essary, resource manager Richard
Fudeman, and Mark Jezioro, an internal
auditor and UAW member. “We are
responsible for environmental manage-
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]
TONAWANDA ENGINE PLANT
Scrap metals
23,139.8 tons
Swarf
1,388.6 tons
Wood
312.8 tons
Batteries
71.5 tons
Used oil
69.4 tons
Cardboard
37.2 tons
Scrap plastic
50 tons
Computer monitors
27.4 tons
Other recyclables
13.7 tons
Tires
1.7 tons
Lamps
1.3 tons
TOTAL
25,113.4 tons
FLINT ENGINE SOUTH PLANT
Scrap metals
6,700 tons
Used oil
786 tons
Cardboard
95 tons
Scrap plastic
53 tons
Roll-media filters
36 tons
Batteries
21 tons
Wood
75 tons
Office paper
9 tons
TOTAL
7,775 tons
Flint Engine Began the Effort
“When the facility began production in
2001, just about everything was going
to a landfill,” said Ed Petzold, UAW
Local 659, a maintenance millwright
who works closely with the plant’s environmental team. “Soon after, we started
developing processes to save metal chips,
swarf, media paper and other waste.”
Since March 2005, nothing from the
plant goes to the landfill anymore.
The Flint Engine South team also
includes UAW Local 659 member Bill
Fowler, a sanitation worker whose duties
include overseeing gondolas, metal containers placed in production areas to collect waste materials. “We have 23 being
filled with scrap metal chips at all times,
and each gondola holds about 4,000
pounds,” he said.
“We recycle 97 percent of our
byproducts, and the remaining 3 percent is incinerated,” said Dan
McComb, the plant’s environmental
engineer, who emphasizes the role
played by the UAW Local 659
workforce of approximately 600
people. “They have been instrumental
right from the launch in setting up
16
UAW-GM PEOPLE SUMMER 2006
06-GM1-007 Tnawnda lo01(A).indd 16
the processes after Bill and Ed initially
identified our various waste streams.”
Cooperation Brings Success
Plant Manager Steve Finch credits the
cooperative relationship between the
UAW and management at Flint Engine
South for the program’s success. “We
foster teamwork here in areas such as
safety, quality and productivity,” he
said. “Now the landfill-free program
is part of that. The operators on the
line make sure we recycle material,
and the people who work in the offices
make sure waste paper goes into the
right containers.”
Finch’s words are echoed by John
Bradburn, GM’s senior environmental
project engineer. “Both programs show
what a team of people can do, banding
together on a mission that is near and dear
to everyone at GM — the environment,”
he said from his office at GM’s Pontiac
Centerpoint Campus in Pontiac, Mich.
The environmental teams at Flint
Engine South and Tonawanda have
been fielding calls and greeting visitors
from other GM facilities, sharing
knowledge as landfill-free programs
develop throughout the corporation.
“A lot of our procedures are best practices (BOBs — or Best of Best) that are
being implemented at other plants,”
Antonetti said. For instance, the plant
produced a fact sheet, summarizing the
benefits of its recycling programs and
its waste-to-energy project to share with
other facilities.
For the time being, though, these first
two landfill-free facilities can bask in
their well-deserved glory. “When the
announcement was made and the local
media ran stories, a lot of UAW members commented on how proud they
were to be a part of it,” Petzold said of
the reaction at Flint Engine South. At
Tonawanda, Savard said, “the positive
reaction from the UAW membership
has been overwhelming. All the people
here are aware of the program and are
more conscious about where our waste
ends up.”
It’s likely that they, too, think about
the environment when they take out
their garbage. ■
BLAKE DISCHER
What’s recycled…
and how much
CREDIT
ment and compliance at the site,”
Antonetti said. “This is a process that
started about four years ago. It wasn’t
anything that happened overnight. It
was one of the focuses of our ISO 14001
Environmental Management System.”
Once the team completed its assessment of what waste could be either recycled or incinerated, procedures had to be
implemented. “For example, we have 12
locations where we collect used oil from
equipment and filters in totes,” Jezioro
explained. “The totes are brought to one
of our treatment buildings, where they’re
stored in large tanks. Then we send
batches of that oil to be refined into a
clean oil.” Other stations are in place to
collect used batteries, fluorescent bulbs
and aerosol cans.
Jezioro and Savard volunteered for the
audit jobs and the additional 40 hours of
audit training. “We do complete environmental audits twice a year,” Savard said.
“And every Tuesday the entire team meets
to discuss the program.”
[
Flint Engine South team members
(from left) Gina Couturier, Dan McComb,
Ed Petzold and Bill Fowler.
8/17/06 3:03:21 PM
A Different
Kind of Ride
Team members in Lansing, Mich., rely on a tradition of excellence
to spark innovation at their brand-new plant
BY DENNIS McCAFFERTY // PHOTOS BY JON MURESAN
CREDIT
T
UAW Local 602 member and chassis team leader Jerry Metts likes the
input he has on the plant’s processes.
hings just aren’t the same
around Lansing, Mich.
People who work at the
new Lansing Delta Township
Assembly Plant can’t go anywhere — from the grocery
store to their kids’ soccer games
— without people asking them
about what they’re putting together
at the plant: the new Saturn Outlook,
GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave.
“Before the announcements about
these products were released to the
public, it was a battle to keep folks in
the community from trying to pry
some ‘inside’ information out of
you,” said Ted Foster, trim team
member, UAW Local 602. “Now
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06-GM1-007 Lansing lo01(A).indd 17
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8/17/06 3:00:28 PM
By The Numbers
Lansing Delta Township
Assembly Facility
Employees: 2,750 hourly workers,
UAW Local 602; 250 salaried GM
employees
Cost of plant: $1 billion
Production: The plant will produce
the Saturn Outlook, GMC Acadia
and Buick Enclave.
Size: 3.4 million square feet
Number of construction workers
on site at peak of building
process: 1,300
Other plant details: Construction
required more than 100,000 yards
of concrete, 14,000 tons of structural steel and 200 miles of wire
Employee awards:
★ Four consecutive years of seg-
ment-winning performance in the
Harbour Report
★ First, second and third place
J.D. Power awards in 2002
(Malibu first, Alero second and
Grand Am third)
that it’s out, they want to know all about
the vehicles — what they’re going to
look like, what kind of fuel economy
they’ll have, what the interior will be like
and which safety features they’ll have.”
The predecessor to this new plant, the
Lansing Car Assembly Plant, had a long
tradition of quality in its own right, and it
made a difference in products that were
built there. Now, with upgrades in equipment and innovations in processes, the
new Lansing Delta Township plant — or
LDT, as the locals call it — will build
upon this tradition, and they’ll have
exciting, new products to show for it.
These products are loaded with the
kind of bells and whistles that consumers
love — dual sunroofs, for example.
Options will include DVD players and
navigational systems. The vehicles will
also set standards in safety and environmental friendliness. All three are crossovers — SUVs built on a car chassis. They
can be configured to fit seven or eight
passengers, with 3.6-liter V6 engines, the
new 6-speed automatic transmissions
and either front- or all-wheel drive.
On May 24, the LDT team celebrated
18
GM employee Rose Davis (left) shows
personal pride for the new vehicles.
their first preproduction vehicle to roll off
the line at the plant — a white Saturn
Outlook. By the time the plant starts regular
production in late 2006, more than 600 preproduction vehicles will have been built.
“People are getting excited about
these products,” said Art Luna, president
of the 2,750-member UAW Local 602.
“This past Memorial Day weekend, during a parade, I had a local state representative come up to me to ask when they’re
going to be in the showrooms.”
Getting Involved
There’s no mistaking the personal pride
that Luna and his UAW colleagues have
for the new vehicles. After all, their input
on the vehicles — as well as every inch
of design that went into the new plant
— has been key to the products’ development from the very beginning. As early
as January 2004, when planning for the
design of the new plant began, team members were called upon to help with the
details — like which direction the door
fasteners should be facing when they’re
ready to be drilled into the product.
“Just to see GM make that kind of
investment to make the plant more ergonomically correct means so much,” Luna
said. “The fact that team members had
input on this makes them feel like more
of a part of the process.”
One notable innovation to which the
team contributed is a general assembly
improvement that will make it easier to
adjust the height of conveyors by four
inches to fit the job operation, as well as a
person’s height and personal preference.
Before, adjusting the conveyor height
was a more belabored process.
“Now, we have much more flexibility,”
Plant Manager Randy Thayer explained.
“You don’t have to shift around a bunch of
conveyor rails. It’s all in the software.”
Such efforts are the kind that UAW
Local 602 members notice. “It’s significant
UAW-GM PEOPLE SUMMER 2006
06-GM1-007 Lansing lo01(A).indd 18
8/17/06 3:00:44 PM
to the workforce when you make this kind
of effort to ensure that employees are safe
and healthy when they walk out of here
because they weren’t straining their bodies for hours on the job,” Luna said.
A new plant plus new products equals
new processes, and the team geared up for
those early on. They worked closely with
team members in Warren, Mich., on prototypes for the new vehicles. They’ve also
been brought up to speed on one of the
plant’s breakthroughs: flexible robotics
in the body shop. As a result, the plant
can build three unique vehicle platforms.
The plant will start production on a single
platform, but at the push of a button it
can change to other unique vehicle styles
to meet changing customer tastes.
“It’s very valuable to get this experience,” said Jerry Metts, a UAW Local 602
member and chassis team leader. “We
were the last of the plants where the body
work was separated from the chassis. We
used to have to truck our body product
across town. Now, we’ve had several
hundred repetitions in the chassis work,
to learn about the parts and how it all fits
in. And we can help the plant come up
with better ways to do something if it’s
not working quite right.”
Taking It All the Way
UAW-GM people are also part of a unique
marketing effort to build assembly-lineto-showroom interest in the products.
LDT came up with a concept — dubbed
“Why I Love My GM Vehicle” — that
brings dealership representatives into
their plant. Team members and the sales
staff then discuss product features that
make the vehicles distinctive.
Dealership representatives have presented information to all team members
about the products and services they
offer. They have toured the plant, and
members of the local service departments will be going on tours once the
plant is closer to beginning regular production. These visits help both the team
members and the service managers
understand how they can work together
to keep customers happy.
Several team members are customers
themselves, which has given them even
more reason to get excited about changes
at the plant. In late 2005, LDT fueled this
excitement by opening up the plant to
Saturn and other local GM dealers. During
all-team meetings, employees who own
Saturns told the showroom sellers about
their own personal, positive experiences
as consumers. One team member
explained how terrific the Saturn is when
it’s time to get a ton of Christmas presents
home from the mall. Another, Rose Davis,
credits her 2000 Saturn LS for keeping her
injury-free during a collision.
“I was hit in the front by a drunk driver,
and the car was totaled,” Davis said. “But
the car’s safety features kept me safe from
harm. I’m happy to tell anyone about that.
And the next Saturn I buy will come from
this plant — a 2007 Saturn Outlook!”
All of this enthusiasm from GM
employees translates directly into building products that folks in their Michigan
community are eager to know more
about. Which means UAW members in
Lansing will have to deal with VIP treatment for the indefinite future.
“They’re excited to see something like
this come out of Lansing, and, yes, many
are interested in buying. That makes us
feel good about our plant,” Foster said.
“We want LDT to prosper. To do so, we
need to do our part with respect to quality
and keeping costs down. If we do all of
that, the public will be very excited about
our vehicles.” ■
The New LDT: A Team Effort
The team-oriented approach at LDT reflects the philosophy that went into
building the plant itself. From the very beginning, UAW Local 602 members
worked with engineers to make the product easier to assemble. They huddled
with the construction team to come up with the best way to design the plant
— weighing in on critical factors such as ergonomic improvements and optimal lighting configurations.
The result? Team members will work in a campus-styled facility that is
employee-friendly and safety-oriented, with high-tech innovations and significantly upgraded amenities. There is also a fitness center that’s bigger and
better than ever. At the plant’s on-site skill center, team members will improve
their computer literacy with plug-in programs that will help them better understand their roles.
“The team here is very receptive to
the difference in the atmosphere,” said
Ted Foster, UAW-GM trim team member. “They’re getting the sense that GM
has gone out of its way to make this a
great place to work.”
There’s also reinforcement that
safety is the plant’s top priority.
From the very beginning, joint teams
visited shops and went over prototypes. Design-team and ergonomics
department members were also part of
the process. The plant’s emergencyresponse resources are getting a significant beefing up as well, with 72
members making up individual teams
in each of the plant’s four shops.
“At a moment’s notice, we’ll be
available after someone sounds an
alert,” said Janet Wilcox, UAW Local
602 coordinator for the emergency
response team. “We’re working hand in
A team-oriented approach by UAW
hand with plant security members too.
Local 602 members is reflected in
the plant’s design.
It just feels like a safer place to work.”
www.uaw-gm.org
06-GM1-007 Lansing lo01(A).indd 19
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8/17/06 4:48:22 PM
jointefforts
Taking the Lead
There’s new leadership in the UAW GM Department and at GM Labor Relations
By Reg McGhee and Ken Been
U
AW Vice President Cal Rapson first term as vice president, Cal successfully numerous manufacturing and engineerwas elected in June to replace directed the UAW Aerospace, Agricultural ing positions with GM’s Powertrain diviretiring UAW Vice President Implement and General Dynamics depart- sion at Defiance, Danville, Pontiac, Saginaw
Richard Shoemaker. Earlier this year, ments, as well as departments representing and Toledo. In 1996, she was appointed
Diana Tremblay was appointed GM Vice UAW members at Guide Corporation, director of Labor Relations for the corPresident of Labor Relations, replacing Lear and American Axle.
porate Labor Relations staff in Detroit.
John Buttermore.
In December 2000, Diana
Vice President Rapson
was named manufacturis highly knowledgeable
ing director, Luton, at
about GM. He began his
Vauxhall Motors Limited
union career as a UAW
in the United Kingdom,
member at Local 659
and, in 2002, she was
(Flint Engine) in 1965. He
appointed plant manager,
is a graduate of the UAWOpel Belgium, in Antwerp.
GM apprenticeship proShe returned to the United
gram and holds a machine
States as executive direcrepair/machinist skilled
tor, Labor Relations, in
trades card.
2004, the position she
After holding variheld before being named
ous elected positions in
vice president.
his local, in 1978 Rapson
Diana holds a bachwas elected chair of the
elor’s degree in indusCal Rapson
Diana Tremblay
UAW-GM Skilled Trades
trial administration from
Sub-council 9. In 1982,
Kettering University and,
he was elected chair of the UAW negotiaA longtime Michigan State University as a Sloan Fellow, received a master’s
tion team at GM that bargained the 1982 fan, Cal is married, with four adult degree in business management from the
National Agreement between the union daughters and a stepdaughter.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
and GM. In 1989, Rapson was appointed
“The UAW, GM and the auto indus- Her husband works for GM Powertrain,
by then–Vice President Stephen P. Yokich try are facing challenging times,” Rapson and they have two children.
to the position of administrative assistant said. “However, I am confident that with
Diana believes strongly in employees
in the GM Department, where he played solidarity and a commitment to win- and their capacity to achieve. “GM has
a key role in negotiating the 1990 and win solutions, we can continue to make excellent people — hourly and salaried,
1993 national agreements with GM.
progress. My motto is ‘Never give up.’”
union and non-union,” she said. “Working
Rapson was elected assistant director
Diana Tremblay’s career has been a together, we can craft solutions that work
of Region 1C, his home region, in 1995. mix of labor relations and manufactur- for both the long-term good of the busiIn 1998, he was elected regional direc- ing assignments.
ness and the long-term good of the peotor of Region 1C and in 2002, he was
She started out as a GM co-op stu- ple of General Motors. Together, we can
elected vice president of the UAW. In his dent in Defiance, Ohio, in 1977. She held change the future.” ■
20
UAW-GM PEOPLE SUMMER 2006
06-GM1-007 joint lo01(A).indd 20
8/17/06 3:09:08 PM
A Kodak Moment
Make-A-Wish® and GMVM, Fairfax/Kansas CityUAW Local 31 help make a young girl’s photographic
dreams come true By Geri Stroman
S
eventeen-year-old Andrea always
dreamed of becoming a photographer for National Geographic.
Thanks to Make-A-Wish® and GMVM,
Fairfax/Kansas City-UAW Local 31, that
dream was realized, deep in the wilds of
Kearny, Neb., where Andrea became a
member of a photo expedition team.
“A photo shoot in Nebraska may not
sound like the most pleasing place to
be, but it turned out to be the coolest
experience of my entire life,” Andrea
said. “Being diagnosed with cancer was
certainly not fun, but I wouldn’t trade
this experience for anything.”
The men and women of UAW Local
31 and GMVM, Fairfax/Kansas City
did everything they could to make sure
that Andrea, who has suffered from
life-threatening Hodgkin’s lymphoma,
achieved this goal. Joe Liggins, a UAW-GM
Quality Network representative, started
putting the wheels in motion to
make it all happen last fall.
“We’ve been working with
Make-A-Wish for about 10 years
and we try to sponsor a child every
year,” Liggins, a UAW Local 31 member, explained. “Everyone here is always
excited to help and meet the kids. I
believe that this is one of the better
ways that GM and the UAW can invest
time and resources.”
With the assistance of five local GM
dealers and the donations of employees, they were able to provide Andrea
with camera equipment, hotel reservations, and money for meals and souvenirs on her trip.
In Kearny, Andrea and her family met
National Geographic photographer Joel
Sartore and photographed migrating
sandhill cranes, prairie chickens, elk and
grouse in the midst of their mating dance.
UAW-GM joint leadership accept check.
Andrea and her parents;
(above) some of Andrea’s photos
“I’m very thankful to all of the
people who helped with my wish:
the Make-A-Wish Foundation, General
Motors, the UAW, and, of course, Joel
Sartore,” Andrea said. “The best lesson from this is that you only get
one life; you should make it the best
you can.” ■
Making a Difference
The UAW-GM Center for Human Resources — and GM
— were honored recently with a national Make A Difference
Day award. The nation’s largest day of service, Make A
Difference Day is held annually on the fourth Saturday of
October. Its mission: To inspire people to put aside their
own cares in order to help others.
USA Weekend magazine, along with the Points of Light
Foundation and actor-philanthropist Paul Newman, sponsored the awards. On behalf of the CHR and GM, Newman
contributed $10,000 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
www.uaw-gm.org
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8/17/06 3:09:19 PM
jointefforts
Wait for the Wave
Fort Wayne’s pedestrian safety idea is a best practice By Ken Been
A
plant floor is one busy place,
with traffic that sometimes
rivals that of a big city. Shift
changes, pedestrians, mobile equipment, forklift trucks — everybody is
trying to get somewhere.
Without a focus on safety, this traffic
can be a dangerous mix. In fact, there
have been about 40 pedestrian–mobile
equipment accidents in GM North
America so far this year.
The standard practice has been for
pedestrians and mobile-equipment drivers to make eye contact. At GMVM, Fort
Wayne-UAW Local 2209, they take it
one step further. Their safety procedure
starts with the pedestrian, who makes
eye contact with the driver, signaling
an intention to cross in the vehicle’s
path. Before proceeding, the pedestrian
must “wait for the wave” back from the
driver, signaling acknowledgment of the
pedestrian’s right of way.
“With this program you are even
more on the lookout for pedestrians,”
observed fork truck driver Adam Flores,
a UAW Local 2209 member.
The idea was developed by the plant’s
Pedestrian-Vehicle Team, charged with
“As they give the
safety wave, more
people are smiling.”
Fork truck driver
Adam Flores waves
the all clear to
Kellie Christman.
22
keeping safety the top priority. “The
wave back seems so simple, but it’s a very
important safety practice,” explained
Kevin Cunningham, plant safety representative and a member of the team. “So
we reinforce it with visual controls.”
One major visual control is a “Wait
for the Wave” decal that the plant has
developed. The decal is displayed on
equipment and throughout the plant.
“It reminds everyone to focus on
pedestrian safety,” said Kellie Christman,
UAW Local 2209.
The best practice is now being implemented at several UAW-represented GM
plants. The most important benefit,
of course, is improved safety. But, as
fork truck driver Adam Flores pointed
out, there’s an additional benefit: “As
they give the safety wave, more people
are smiling.” ■
MATT DAY
— Adam Flores, UAW Local 2209
UAW-GM PEOPLE SUMMER 2006
06-GM1-007 joint lo01(A).indd 22
8/17/06 3:09:32 PM
Answer
Gal
Virginia Proby is using the
Tuition Assistance Plan
to help others with life’s
problems By Neal Learner
PETE LACKER
U
AW Local 2166 member
Virginia Proby is laying the
groundwork for a career doing
what she loves most: helping people.
The 30-year GM veteran is just a few
credits shy of an advanced degree in
psychology, which she intends to use
to become a school counselor upon
retiring from GM’s Shreveport, La.,
manufacturing plant.
“What drew me to psychology was the
fact that I just love helping people solve
their problems,” Proby, 52, explained. “I
like finding answers.”
Proby works on the sealer line for
GM’s Hummer H3 and Colorado
Canyon. She earned a bachelor’s degree
in psychology from Louisiana Baptist
University in Shreveport in May 2005,
and she expects to finish her master’s
degree there in May 2007. Both degrees
were paid for by the UAW-GM Tuition
Assistance Plan (TAP). Now Proby is
considering going on to get a doctorate.
“My plan is to become a counselor.
It would most likely be in a private
school,” Proby said. Her inspiration to
work in schools grew out of an observation that children today are in need of
guidance. “They have basically the same
issues that I had when I was growing up:
‘Nobody likes me, nobody wants to be
with me. How can I make friends? Am
I dressed right? Is my makeup right? Is
UAW Local 2166 member
Virginia Proby earned
her bachelor’s degree
through TAP.
my mom too strict on me? Is my father
too strict?’”
Proby is confident now about taking on new challenges, but that wasn’t
always the case. In the late 1980s, it took
some convincing to get her enrolled
in an associate’s degree program while
“What drew me to
psychology was
the fact that I just love
helping people solve
their problems.”
— Virginia Proby, UAW Local 2166
working for GM’s Kansas City, Mo.,
Leeds plant, which was in the process of
closing down.
Proby recalls attending a UAW-GM
education forum on the TAP benefit.
“When I first heard about it I thought,
‘No, that’s not for me. I don’t want to go
back to school. I’ve got a job. I don’t have
time.’ But then all of the people around
me were going, and they kept telling me,
‘You ought to try it out.’ So I took some
classes that summer, and I got hooked.”
While preparing for uncertain economic times was part of her reason for
returning to school in 1987, Proby credits one of her two sons for helping her
make the decision. “I actually went back
to school because my son was having
problems in school,” she said. “I promised him, ‘You graduate high school, I’ll
graduate from college.’ He graduated
from high school, and I graduated from
[community] college around the same
time. So we succeeded together.”
After transferring to Shreveport in
1989, Proby put her studies on hold. But
over the years, her sons kept encouraging her to return, which she did in 2003.
Proby says more GM employees should
take the educational plunge and make
use of the TAP benefit that UAW fought
so hard for.
Her advice for colleagues who may
be hesitant about going back to school?
“You’re never too old to learn,” Proby
said. “A lot of people over 40 are back in
school. It keeps you young.” ■
www.uaw-gm.org
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8/17/06 3:09:43 PM
familymatters
>>> money
Retirement: Handling the
Next Stage
Take time to prepare
By Reg McGhee
24
what to do about health insurance, and
how to age successfully. In addition,
there are chapters on where to live after
retirement, how to prepare for a serious
illness and how to arrange an estate to
save on taxes and probate.
“Retirement is not a simple matter,”
according to Hinden. “But your retirement decisions will be a lot easier if you
take time to understand your choices.”
Another useful book is Retire on Less
Than You Think, by Fred Brock, author
of Live Well on Less Than You Think
— both are available from Times Books.
Brock’s premise is that “you can retire
sooner and on less money than you
think, and live quite well, if you are
willing to make a few relatively painless
lifestyle changes.”
Brock addresses key themes such as
what the experts say you need versus
what you really need; cutting back and
simplifying your life; and cost factors
involved in retirement, including where
you live, your assets, your health insurance and Social Security.
A central theme of this thought-provoking book is the “flawed projection”
that retirees must have at least 70 percent
to 80 percent of retirement income in
hand before they retire.
Online Resources
Here are just a few of the free
resources available for retirement
information and planning.
• AARP: www.aarp.org/money
/financial_planning
• MSN Money: www.moneycentral
.msn.com/retire/home.asp
• Alliance for Retired Americans:
www.retiredamericans.org
• Social Security Administration:
www.ssa.gov
“Figuring out whether you have
enough saved is just half the battle,”
according to Karen Hube, author of
“How to Drop Out and Live Off Your
Nest Egg,” an article posted on the
MSN Money web site at www.moneycentral.msn.com/retire/home.asp. “The
other half is creating an investment plan
that will generate income without drying out your cash.
“Whatever resources you use,” Hube
stated, “don’t make unrealistic assumptions about the returns your savings and
investments will generate — or about
how much you’ll spend.”
One thing seems clear: Retirement can
be successfully managed with good planning. Take time to define your short- and
long-term goals, identify your assets and
liabilities and establish a timetable. Check
into the Pre/Post Retirement Planning
Program at your local union or location.
Consult a financial planner, or make use
of the many free retirement-planning
resources available on the Internet. ■
GETTY IMAGES
E
very day this year, nearly 8,000
people will turn 60, according
to Census Bureau figures. Many
of those people will consider retirement, along with others already entering this chapter of their lives. Two recent
books address retirement concerns in
helpful ways.
Stan Hinden, a Washington Post
retirement columnist, has published
How to Retire Happy (McGraw-Hill
Books, 2006). Hinden’s premise is that
“preparation and knowledge are the
keys to a happy retirement.”
This well-written book addresses
key decisions facing retirees during the retirement process. Chapters
cover important areas, including when
to apply for Social Security, when to
withdraw money from 401(k) plans,
UAW-GM PEOPLE SUMMER 2006
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>>> health
The Heart of the Matter
Women’s heart disease is a real
threat. Know the warning signs
By Meg Mitchell Moore
If you smoke or drink
excessively, stop.
If you don’t, don’t start.
GETTY IMAGES
W
ith heart disease killing hundreds of thousands of males
in the United States each year,
it’s been easy to focus on the middle-aged
man as the stereotypical heart attack case.
So much so that many women don’t realize heart disease is their No. 1 killer, far
surpassing deaths from breast cancer.
“When we talked about heart disease,
women listened up, but historically they
were listening for their husbands, not themselves,” said Dr. Patrice Desvigne-Nickens,
MD, leader of the Cardiovascular Medicine
Scientific Research Group at The National
Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
That’s the bad news. The silver lining is that, by acknowledging risk factors and taking appropriate action to
monitor and combat them, women can
get an early start on heart health.
“As we live longer we want our longevity to be graced with good health,
and protecting your heart is essential for
that,” Desvigne-Nickens said.
Heart disease comes in different
forms, the most common and pressing of which is coronary artery disease.
Left unchecked, coronary artery disease
eventually progresses to heart attack.
According to Dr. Desvigne-Nickens, risk
factors for heart disease fall into two categories: inherited risks and modifiable
risks. “Knowing that you have any of the
inheritable risks should make you more
vigilant about managing your modifiable risks,” Desvigne-Nickens said.
Managing those modifiable risks might
mean making wholesale lifestyle changes,
such as controlling blood pressure, high
blood sugar and cholesterol with a combination of diet (e.g., limiting intake of salty
and fatty, cholesterol-ridden foods) and
exercise. In appropriate cases, according
to Desvigne-Nickens, medication can also
help control blood pressure and cholesterol. If you smoke or drink excessively,
stop. If you don’t, don’t start. And if this all
sounds like a lot of common sense, that’s
because it is. Even so, Desvigne-Nickens
said, doctors are constantly met with blank
stares or “that-old-spiel-again” expression
when they dole out the advice to patients.
Those same patients, she points out,
are often shocked to learn that at least
half — and possibly more — of female
first-time heart attack victims die, having
shown no previous symptoms. In other
words, by the time the warning signs present themselves, it might be too late to do
anything about them. That’s why when it
comes to women’s heart health, a little bit
of prevention is worth a lot of cure. ■
What You Should Know
• Inherited risks for women include
a family history of heart disease, age
and being postmenopausal.
• Modifiable risks include high
blood pressure, high blood sugar and
elevated levels of cholesterol, along
with obesity, smoking, inactivity and
excessive alcohol consumption.
• It’s imperative for women to have
their blood pressure, blood sugar
and cholesterol checked regularly.
Source: The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
www.uaw-gm.org
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timeout
Story
Tell Us Your If you have an interesting story to tell about your life
outside the workplace, we’d like to hear it. Please send
an e-mail to [email protected].
Sure Shot
UAW Local 1999’s Mark Dimick is making the
rounds on the pool circuit By Greg Lalas
Dimick stumbled into the
trick-shot game. In 1980,
he competed in a national
amateur 8-ball tournament.
The organizers included a trick-shot
competition as a kind of undercard.
He didn’t win the main event, but
he reached the trick-shot semifinals,
26
Mark Dimick (left) and
Nick Nikolaidis at the World
Championships.
the entire room focused on his table.
“My heart was pounding,” he recalled.
“Everybody else stopped shooting on
the other tables and got real quiet. I just
took a breath and rolled that last ball
down and shot. When I made that one
the whole place just erupted.”
Since retirement, Dimick
has been concentrating
more on his pool career.
He has also designed and
begun marketing his own jump cue, the
“Dr. Popper Jump-Q.” Unlike typical
cues, it allows a shooter to jump a cue
ball over a blocking ball that’s only one
inch away.
Dimick’s next goal is to make one of
ESPN’s $25,000 invitation-only events.
“I’ve been very close to getting on
ESPN,” he said. “Having all the time to
practice should make a difference.” ■
BALLS )
Neat Trick
( POOL
Game On
where he lost to Tom
Rossman. Rossman
later began running amateur trickshot tournaments
around the country,
and Dimick entered
as many as he could
while still working the
second shift as a fork-truck driver and
installing drive shafts on the assembly line
at GMVM Oklahoma City.
“I won four first places and two second places,” he said. “That really sparked
my interest, and I kept at it every year.”
Dimick finally tested himself
against the pros in 2000 and found
that he wasn’t out of his league. At
January’s 2006 World Championships,
he gave himself a nickname — “the
Oklahoman” — and made his move.
The World Championships consist of
40 prescribed shots in eight disciplines. The top 12 players after the set
program advance to a head-to-head
bracket. Dimick won the Jump and
Special Arts disciplines and knocked
off several top competitors before losing in the semifinals.
But what he’s most proud of is the
thrill he gave the crowd with a masterful display in the Wing Shot discipline.
A wing shot consists of seven rapid-fire
shots at moving balls. Only Rossman
had ever made all seven in competition.
So, after Dimick pocketed his first six,
COURTESY OF MARK DIMICK ; BRIAN URKEVIC
T
hese days, Mark Dimick
spends a lot of time in his
shop, but he’s not tinkering
with a carburetor or waxing fenders. Dimick is refining his pool
game. The 50-year-old, who retired from
GM in February after a 27-year career, is
at it several hours a day, practicing his
award-winning trick shots.
“Now that I’m kind of retired, I’ve got
more time to do it,” Dimick said, smiling.
“It” is competing in artistic pool
tournaments and participating in trickshot exhibitions around the country
and the world. Dimick has been playing
competitive pool “on the side” since
the early ’90s, but this year he leapt
into the big time when he took third
place at the Artistic Pool and Trick Shot
Association’s World Championships
in Southington, Conn. In short, he
held his own against the best in the
world, such as Mike “Tennessee Tarzan”
Massey and “Quick” Nick Nikolaidis.
Now Dimick is ready to make a name
for himself.
UAW-GM PEOPLE SUMMER 2006
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my
NAME: Kathy and Marc Quennoz, both members of UAW Local 1853
PLANT: Spring Hill Assembly
JOB: Quality Inspector (Marc) / Op Tech Line Worker (Kathy)
YEARS WITH GM: 18 (Marc) / 20 (Kathy)
WHEELS: 1963 Cadillac Fleetwood 60 Special
UNDER THE HOOD: 390 four-barrel with 300-horsepower engine
MILES: 109,000
wheels
TIM JACKSON
PRIDE AND JOY: Kathy and Marc Quennoz
are the proud owners of this 1963 Cadillac.
WHY IT’S HOT: “This car is hot because
they don’t make them like this anymore,”
Marc said. “It’s a Turino turquoise Cadillac
with chrome, fins and whitewall tires. It’s a
hot ride at the cruise-ins and car shows. It
gets a thumbs-up wherever it goes. Then,
when you show people all the options that
this Cadillac had in 1963, including
cruise control, air conditioning, power and
tilt steering, power windows, built-in seat
belts and AM-FM radio, they just can’t
believe cars had those options back then.”
THE RIDE: “It’s a smooth ride — you don’t
feel any bumps. I mostly drive it to auto
shows. It has a tilt steering wheel, tinted
glass, power locks, power windows and
vent windows, power seat, leather interior,
as well as the cruise control.”
THE BEST PART: “Driving this large,
chromed, finned, wide-whitewall-tired
Cadillac and watching the faces of the
kids and grown-ups when they see this car
— it’s a look of wonder and amazement.
Worth it every time I take it out!”
Cars
Calling All Do you own a cool vehicle
that would be the envy of
UAW-GM people? Then
give us the scoop by dropping us an e-mail at
[email protected].
www.uaw-gm.org
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people
UAW-GM
UAW-GM
Center for Human Resources
200 Walker St.
Detroit, MI 48207
Visit the CHR at www.uaw-gm.org.
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