A 02-GM-010 Cover Io01 - UAW-GM Center For Human Resources

ALLISON’S SPARK EVERYDAY HEROES A BISON FARMER
FARMER
UAW-GM
SPRING 2005
people
THE MAGAZINE OF THE UAW-GM
CENTER FOR HUMAN RESOURCES
THE HUMMER RUMBLES because of Shreveport Truck
Assembly’s (from left) Brian Wheeler, Joseph Miller,
Mike Flores, Charlene Collymore and Wes Martin.
14
UAW-GM
people
SPRING 2005
D E PA R T M E N T S
28
3 First Impression
Working together — meeting
tough challenges
4 Short Takes
News and notes from the UAWGM CHR and other fun stuff
6 Shifting Gears
GM’s high-performance
vehicles; The North American
International Auto Show
31
21
10
F E AT U R E S
10 ALLISON’S GOT THE SPARK
Bolstered by their innovative electric drive system,
all of Allison Transmission is aglow
By Michael J. McDermott
14 ...AND BABY MAKES 3
Shreveport Truck Assembly welcomes the Hummer
H3 to the family By Bob Woods
Joint Efforts
Make-A-Wish; collaboration in
Fredericksburg; Fidelity handles
employee benefits; everyday
heroes at Mansfield Metal Center
26 Family Matters
Retirement planning; identifying
the symptoms of Alzheimer’s
28 Time Out
John English of UAW Local 933 is
at home on his bison farm; Tom
Leib of Warren Tech Center eases
clients’ ails with natural medicine
31
My Wheels
Rick Wells’ 1978 25th Anniversary
Edition Corvette
The 2006 Cadillac STS-V represented luxury
at the North American International Auto Show.
19 GET-ALONG GAMES
UAW-GM’s new, interactive approach to diversity
is fun for all By Adam Kleiner
>>> 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. For all address
changes and/or corrections to your mailing status, please see the personnel
department at your local GM facility.
COVER: PHOTOGRAPHS BY MICHAEL TERRANOVA
8
UAW-GM
people
firstimpression
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 UAW-GM joint activities and
people programs. It is published by
the UAW-GM Center for Human
Resources (CHR).
UAW-GM
Executive Board — Joint Activities
RICHARD SHOEMAKER
Vice President and Director
UAW General Motors Dept.
GUY BRIGGS
GM Group Vice President of
North America Manufacturing
and Labor Relations
JOHN R. BUTTERMORE
Vice President, Labor Relations
General Motors Corp.
RICHARD RUPPERT
Administrative Assistant
UAW General Motors Dept.
DR. TOM WEEKLEY
Administrative Assistant
UAW General Motors Dept.
JAY C. WILBER
Executive Director
UAW-GM CHR and UAW-GM
Quality Network
DIANA D. TREMBLAY
Executive Director
GMNA Labor Relations/UAW
JOE SPRING
Administrative Assistant
UAW General Motors Dept.
JIM SHROAT
Assistant Director
UAW General Motors Dept.
UAW Co-Editor
REG M C GHEE
GM Co-Editor
KEN BEEN
UAW-GM CHR Co-Editor
Working Together —
Meeting Tough Challenges
A
s you can tell from the media attention given to General Motors in the past
several months, we are facing intense competitive challenges this year. Now,
more than ever, we must work together in a smarter, more focused and more
effective way to improve GM’s competitiveness.
Improving sales and market share is a priority. While UAW-GM people cannot directly influence many factors that affect market conditions and market share, there are a
number of areas in which UAW-GM
people do have a crucial role.
Quality has a big impact
We do make a difference in prodon consumer perception
uct quality. Quality has a big impact
on consumer perception of GM’s
of GM’s entire product
entire product line. In order to satisfy
line. In order to satisfy
our customers, the quality of GM
vehicles has to be world-class. For
our customers, the
that to occur, we must focus on
quality of GM vehicles
“first-time quality,” getting things
has to be world-class.
right the first time, every time.
We know that the competition has
not slacked one bit and we cannot afford to stand still. We need to be the best right from
the start and all of the time! The annual UAW-GM Quality Network Objectives and Goals
provide an excellent blueprint for joint teams to work on health and safety, quality,
responsiveness and costs. As always, the key to our success is how well we work together.
The challenges facing GM in the marketplace are difficult. But as the UAW and GM
people at Allison Transmission and Shreveport Truck Assembly demonstrate in this
issue, when we pull together we can solve problems and no one can beat us.
GERI STROMAN
Produced by Pohly & Partners, Inc.
This magazine is printed by a
union printer on union-made paper.
UAW-GM People is published four times a year for the UAW-GM Center
for Human Resources by Pohly & Partners, Inc. Copyright © UAW-GM
Center for Human Resources 2005. All rights reserved. Reproduction in
whole or in part of any text, photograph or illustration without express
written permission of the publisher is prohibited.
Vice President and Director
UAW General Motors Department
GM Group Vice President of
North America Manufacturing
and Labor Relations
shorttakes
News and Notes from
the UAW-GM CHR and
Other Fun Stuff
Tom Weekley, UAW executive co-director, and
Jay Wilber, GM executive co-director
FEEDBACK
“I would like to thank the folks at
UAW-GM People magazine for
highlighting the Shreveport GM
Assembly Plant. It is such a
pleasure to work with your staff.
Thanks again for allowing us
to share with the rest of our
UAW-GM family our plant, people
and products. I wish you the best.”
SAFETY TIP
Inside GM’s plants, pedestrians
do not have the right of way
unless they walk in designated
lanes. To avoid accidents while
walking, remember to:
• Make eye contact with lift
truck drivers
• Listen intently for vehicles traveling in the opposite direction
• Use clear hand signals to tell
drivers to “stop” or “go ahead”
• Keep your head up and be alert
• Go slow; don’t rush
History of
Firsts
GM Announces $175 Million
Investment in Fort Wayne Truck Plant
pirits soared at Fort Wayne in January, as GM announced a $175 million commitment
toward upgrading the Indiana plant for future production of full-size trucks.
“This truck project is key in our efforts to strengthen our core manufacturing
capabilities in the U.S. and Indiana,” Joe Spielman, GM vice president and general
manager of manufacturing, told the audience gathered in a plant conference room.
“GM’s $175 million investment is further proof that the community remains an important part of GM’s manufacturing plan.”
Although unable to attend the event, UAW Vice President Richard Shoemaker praised
the investment. “This $175 million commitment by GM is a solid vote of confidence in
the UAW members in the Fort Wayne plant and the Fort Wayne community,” he said.
“This welcome investment will enable the plant and UAW Local 2209 members to play
a key role in assembling GM products for years to come.”
The Fort Wayne facility assembles the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups,
builds the world’s first full-size hybrid pickup truck with hybrid versions of the Silverado,
and has a longstanding reputation of outstanding health and safety, quality and productivity.
Over the past five years, GM has invested $9.5 billion in U.S. manufacturing operations, including 2004, when GM announced investments totaling nearly $2.5 billion in
nine UAW-GM facilities: Delta Township, Mich.; Warren, Mich.; Flint, Mich. (three
plants); Fairfax, Kan.; Shreveport, La.; Wixom, Mich.; and Norton, Mass.
S
1924
General Motors opened the automotive
industry’s first proving ground in
1924 in Milford, Mich., to test its
vehicles. Here, vehicles climb the
11% test hill.
4
UAW-GM PEOPLE SPRING 2005
$
3.2
MILLION
You Willin’ to Negotiate?
A museum owner plunked down a whopping
$3.2 million at an Arizona auction for this one-of-akind 1954 Oldsmobile F-88, a concept car that GM
did not green-light for production. The Gateway
Colorado Auto Museum plans to showcase it this fall.
THIS PAGE , TOP TO BOTTOM : CORBIS , COURTESY OF BARRETT- JACKSON
— Morgan Johnson, UAWJTR,
Shreveport Assembly,
UAW Local 2166
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
A Born-Again Classic
Tech Center restores a 1959 Sting Ray
I
t was a truly special occasion when
about 50 UAW members from UAW
Locals 160 and 1869 gathered to unveil
a classic GM vehicle at the GM Design
Dome in Warren, Mich., with UAW Vice
President Richard Shoemaker, GM Vice
President for Global Design Ed Welburn,
GM Vice President of Manufacturing Guy
Briggs and GM Vice President for Labor
UAW members show off the Sting Ray.
Relations John Buttermore.
Members of the UAW Tech Center local unions restored every major
mechanical component, body panel and trim piece of this historic GM racer.
“In a real sense, this Sting Ray is a great-great-grandparent to today’s awesome
sixth-generation production Corvette — one of the world’s great sport cars,”
Shoemaker said during his congratulatory remarks.
Accolades All Around
Accolades for GM continue to pour in. The 2005 Corvette is
at the top of the list: Car and Driver named the Corvette,
built by UAW Local 2164 members at Kentucky’s GMVM
Bowling Green plant, as one of its “10 Best in 2005.”
The Vortec 4200 inline V6 has once again made the
“10 Best Engines” list of Ward’s Automotive Reports.
The engine is built by UAW Local 659 members at GM
Powertrain Flint South in Michigan.
GM topped all automakers in 2004 with the most return
customers, according to an annual survey of customer loyalty by R.L. Polk & Co. It was the fifth consecutive year that
GM has topped the list, with Saturn Ion (small), Buick LeSabre (large) and Cadillac
DeVille (luxury) winning their segments.
Consumer Reports recommended 12 GM vehicles in 2004, including eight
assembled by UAW-GM people: the Cadillac CTS (Lansing, Mich., UAW Local
602), Buick LeSabre and Park Avenue (Hamtramck, Mich., UAW Local 22),
GMC Sierra and Silverado (Fort Wayne, Ind., UAW Local 2209), Chevy Tahoe
and GMC Yukon (Janesville, Wis., UAW Local 95; Arlington, Texas, UAW Local
276) and the Pontiac Vibe (Fremont, Calif., UAW Local 2244).
By the end of 2004, 19 UAW-represented GM plants had achieved Quality
Network Phase III Planned Maintenance status. In the process, more than
$100 million was generated in savings for spare parts and asset recovery in 2004,
and throughput workshops saved an additional $3 million.
Child passenger safety technicians at the UAW-GM Child Development
Center in Flint, Mich., partnered with local Saturn, Chevrolet and Pontiac
dealerships last year to help increase public awareness of the need for child
passenger safety. The following workers contributed more than 107 volunteer
hours in buckle-up activities: Dana Miron, Tracy Kay, Helen Walker, Angie
Moore, Meghan Broughton and Dawn Elford.
2006 Cadillac STS-V
The Numbers
Building Momentum
Anticipating the introduction of up
to 17 new products in 2005, GM
plans to accelerate the momentum
of retail sales with special incentives.
Vehicles such as the Pontiac G6,
Cadillac STS and Chevrolet Cobalt
have achieved solid sales and continue to strengthen GM’s market
share. March was a good month, with
GM sales running 2.5 percent ahead
of March 2004. GM’s March market
share rose to 26.4 percent after difficulties earlier in the year.
Looking back on the first quarter,
there were a number of solid achievements. In March, Sierra pickup sales
were up 28 percent from a year ago,
while GMC Silverado sales were up
22.7 percent. Sales of the Pontiac
G6, Buick LaCrosse and Chevrolet
Cobalt, three brand new vehicles for
GM, were up 54.8 percent over
February. The Pontiac G6 saw a
72 percent increase in deliveries for
February — its best-ever sales month.
Chevrolet’s Cobalt stood solid with
sales up 5 percent over January. GM
has determined that new products,
along with aggressive marketing, are
key to meeting the challenges of a
highly competitive automotive industry.
GM’s U.S. Market Share
March 2005
CYD*
Cars
23.5%
Trucks
28.8%
Total U.S.
26.4%
Industry-wide
annualized sales 17.3
23.3%
27.1%
25.4%
17.0
(millions)
*calendar year to date
www.uaw-gm.org
5
shiftinggears
GM’s high-performance vehicles speed into the
North American International Auto Show
DRIVEN TO
EXTRE
An exciting, eye-catching collection
of high-performance and luxury GM
vehicles made their entry at this year’s
North American International Auto
Show, leading off appropriately with
the Corvette Z06, the fastest, most
powerful production Corvette ever.
With a 500 horsepower engine, the
vehicle delivers 0-60 performance
in less than 4 seconds. The new
Pontiac G6 was on hand, the only
hardtop retractable convertible that
delivers seating for four adults. The
two-seat convertible Saturn Sky roadster quickly became a crowd favorite,
and, with its impressive styling, signaled a new direction for the Saturn
The 2007 Saturn Sky
6
UAW-GM PEOPLE
SPRING 2005
line-up. The new Hummer H3, the
first Hummer to offer the choice of
a manual or automatic transmission,
displayed its refinement and comfort
that attracted many potential buyers.
The Buick Lucerne, the first Buick
vehicle in a decade to offer V8 power,
represented GM’s commitment to
reshape Buick’s model line. Cadillac
sedans were also there, displaying
the best in luxury and high-powered
performance with the crisp, elegant
design and performance of the STS
and the supercharged Northstar V8driven STS-V.
The 2006 Chevrolet Corvette Z06
MES
General Motors Vice President of
Global Design Ed Welburn presents
the Saturn Aura concept vehicle.
The 2006 Pontiac G6
The insides of the 2006
Chevrolet Corvette Z06
The 2006 Cadillac STS-V
General Motors President North of America Gary Cowger
introduces the new 2006 Buick Lucerne luxury sedan.
www.uaw-gm.org
7
shiftinggears
Wendy McHenry sits with
the 2006 Cadillac STS-V.
Jesse Rounds highlights the
perks of the Corvette C6.
By Reg McGhee and Geri Stroman
SHOW-OFFS
The advanced performance and technology of 2006 vehicles give UAW-GM
workers reasons to boast at the North American International Auto Show
8
UAW-GM PEOPLE
SPRING 2005
the Chevrolet Cobalt, both in production for the 2005 model
year, continued to live up to the popularity that they garnered
at last year’s show.
As with all debuts, UAW-GM product representatives presented GM vehicles to the public with the same pride and
enthusiasm that they employ to build these world-class
automobiles. The product representatives are UAW-GM
members from across the country who were chosen by their
facility. Their experiences at the 2005 NAIAS were both
rewarding and enlightening.
JESSE ROUNDS, UAW LOCAL 2164
BOWLING GREEN, KY., ASSEMBLY PLANT
Rounds, a 36-year UAW-GM worker, eagerly met the public
with his knowledge of the new Corvette C6. “The customers
asked a lot of technical questions in regard to the options,”
Rounds says. “Everyone wants to know about the high performance, how fast it goes. They always ask what colors are
available.” Rounds stressed the commitment of UAW and
General Motors to build world-class, quality vehicles:
“They’re working together more than they have before. For
UAW and GM to survive, quality is the key. Together we
stand, divided we fall.”
REBECCA COOK
N
ot even the bitter cold of a Michigan winter could
keep nearly 800,000 visitors from attending January’s
spectacular 2005 North American International Auto
Show (NAIAS) in Detroit.
A 10-day event, the NAIAS serves as center stage for
automotive manufacturers, industry suppliers and contractors to showcase their latest and greatest products. More
than 750 autos, including 65 new vehicles and more than a
dozen concept designs, were on display at the annual “premiere of premieres.”
GM offered a spectacular presentation with the unveiling
of exciting concept vehicles, new design productions, highperforming favorites and hybrid vehicles. The new Chevrolet
Corvette Z06, featuring the most powerful production engine
GM has ever built, made an appearance. The 7.0-liter, 500horsepower engine has a top speed of 190 mph. Underscoring
a commitment to high performance and quality with all
brands, Cadillac introduced its luxurious and powerful, 440horsepower STS-V sedan at the show.
The all-new roadster, Saturn Sky, and the Hummer H3 also
were on hand, signifying GM’s commitment to meet customer
demands for style, versatility and performance by revitalizing
current productions. The popular Pontiac G6 convertible and
within his family, they have purchased 33 Saturns since they
went into production,” Johnson says. “I love it, the public has
trust in us.”
Mark Tomaszewski stands proudly
next to the Yukon Denali.
DENNIS MINTUS, UAW LOCAL 1112
LORDSTOWN, OHIO, ASSEMBLY PLANT
As a welder/electrician/maintenance repair (WEMR) of 26
years for GM, Mintus plays a significant role in the production of the all-new Chevrolet Cobalt. “I was overwhelmed by
the customer enthusiasm; they were lined up to see the new
design that is replacing the Cavalier,” Mintus says. “I saw a lot
of the younger crowd, what I call the ‘tuner market,’ people
who like to tinker with cars. They were
impressed with the high-performance SS
model.” Mintus notes that UAW and GM
are very committed, and that both realize the competition in the small-car
market. “They want to produce worldclass quality,” Mintus says.
MARK TOMASZEWSKI, UAW LOCAL 95
JANESVILLE, WIS., TRUCK GROUP
Representing two of the most popular large SUVs, the Yukon
Denali and the XL, Tomaszewski most enjoyed the interaction
with the public. “They don’t hold back. If they have had problems with a vehicle, they’ll tell you,” says Tomaszewski, a 24year UAW-GM veteran and shop committeeman. “People like
talking about their vehicles and talking with someone who
comes from the plant where the product is built. They were
asking when we’re coming out with a diesel or hybrid; they are
looking for greater fuel economy.” Tomaszewski says UAW and
GM teamwork is essential to every plant. “Without teamwork
and the Quality Network, we won’t be around…. [People]
understand the need for quality and how it relates to the
demand for the vehicle,” he adds.
MATT QUEHL, MATERIALS SUPERVISOR
LAKE ORION, MICH., ASSEMBLY PLANT
Representing the Pontiac G6, one of the hottest new products,
Quehl’s belief in the vehicle is the reason his experience at the
2005 NAIAS was so important. “The quality, performance and
refinement of the G6 are all improvements over the Grand Am,” says Quehl, a
seven-year UAW-GM materials supervisor. “People love the GTP model and the
panoramic roof. They are grabbed by the
appearance.” He adds, “It is good for people to see that we are here. It shows that we
care about their questions.”
WILHEMINA JOHNSON,
UAW LOCAL 1853
WENDY MCHENRY,
SPRING HILL, TENN.,
UAW LOCAL 652
SATURN ASSEMBLY PLANT
LANSING, MICH.,
As a team leader in Saturn’s product
GRAND RIVER ASSEMBLY
score department, Johnson was happy to
The Lansing Grand River facility builds
get firsthand reactions from the public,
the most powerful car of the Cadillac luxDennis Mintus praises the
quality of the Chevrolet Cobalt.
especially for the Saturn Ion. “The pubury brand, the new STS-V sedan, and
lic is very concerned about durability
McHenry couldn’t be more proud. “I
and safety,” says Johnson, a 20-year UAW-GM veteran. “I’ve think it’s a classy car. We’re building them better and with
even had questions referencing the use of polymer versus steel higher quality than years ago,” says the team leader and 25-year
panels.” Johnson saw value in working the auto show because UAW-GM veteran. “I see the car in the body shop when it is
UAW-GM product representatives can answer questions bet- simply raw metal, and I’m able to share what we do [with
ter than any other experts. In addition to hearing customer NAIAS attendees] from scratch up,” she says. “We have a really
responses to Saturn’s advanced technologies, Johnson enjoys good team, and we work with the engineers to make changes. If
learning about “true Saturn owners.” “One guy told me that, people like what they do, they’ll build a better product.” ■
www.uaw-gm.org
9
Bolstered by their
innovative electric drive
system, all of Allison
Transmission is aglow
ALLISON’S GOT THE
SPARK
Allison Transmission, now part of
GM’s Powertrain group, draws on its rich
legacy of technological innovation, product quality and employee dedication to
preserve the plant’s status as a world
leader in the automotive industry. “It’s
hard and heavy work, and our bodies get
a little tired sometimes,” says Michael
“Brutus” Clymore, a UAW Local 933
member and assembler at the plant. “We
are the best in the world at what we do.
We take pride in that and are always ready
to help each other whenever needed.”
Both UAW leadership and GM management agree with Clymore, and look
forward to maintaining that leading status. “In my opinion, the future may look
brighter for Allison Transmission and
BY MICHAEL J. McDERMOTT
10
UAW-GM PEOPLE
SPRING 2005
the membership of UAW Local 933
today than it has at any time since my
employment began in 1977,” UAW Local
933 Chairman Tim Snyder says. He
recalls some strong years during the late
1970s, early 1980s and late 1990s, but
Snyder notes that Allison produced and
shipped more units in 2004 than at any
time in its long history. “The forecast for
2005 schedules is as strong or stronger
than our 2004 actual build,” he adds.
Equally optimistic is Larry Dewey,
president of Allison Transmission and
GMPT group director of marketing,
sales, brand management and customer
support. “Our business plan calls for
solid and profitable global growth,” he
says. “We [will] continue to focus on
our core business of serving on- and
off-highway commercial vehicle and
military vehicle original equipment
manufacturers worldwide.”
PHOTOS BY LARRY LADIG
CORBIS (SPARKS)
Ninety years have passed since James A. Allison
hung out a sign and declared the Indianapolis
Motor Speedway Team Company ready to meet the
needs of a budding automotive industry. Since the
early 20th century, many things at the plant have
changed, including the company’s name and ownership, but one thing has endured: Allison’s readiness
to meet the needs of the industry.
THE NUTS AND BOLTS of the
transmissions (left) made by
UAW Local 933 members are
considered world-class.
Clockwise from right, Donald
Utterback Jr., David Gundrum and
an IndyGo bus, one of the 330 GM
hybrid-equipped buses in service
in the United States.
GM POWERTRAIN, ALLISON
TRANSMISSION, INDIANAPOLIS
UAW members: 2,500
Salaried: 1,300
Year opened: 1915
Plant size: 3.5 million square feet
Union local: UAW Local 933
Products line: 1000/2000 series (LCT),
3000 series (MD), 4000 series (HD), military
applications, off-highway applications, two Allison
Electric Drive hybrid electric propulsion systems
www.uaw-gm.org
11
FRONT AND CENTER at Plant 15 are
dedicated workers, including Larry
Giffin (left) and Michael Clymore.
ELECTRIC ATMOSPHERE
AT PLANT 15
The Allison Transmission plant manufactures medium- and heavy-duty automatic transmissions for vehicles ranging
from delivery trucks and school buses all
the way to heavy armor such as the
M1A1 Abrams tank, which uses Allison’s
X1100 tank transmission.
While those products are world
leaders in their respective categories
and account for the lion’s share of the
division’s output, it’s what takes place
in one specific area of Plant 15 that
offers the best glimpse at the kind of
forward thinking and innovation that
has become Allison’s trademark — and
which promises to play an important
role in its future success.
This is where members of UAW
Local 933 are assembling and testing
Allison Electric Drives, hybrid electric
propulsion systems that represent the
newest addition to the division’s product line. The new technology was
showcased in January with the rollout
of two new hybrid transit buses
12
UAW-GM PEOPLE
SPRING 2005
by IndyGo, the mass transit system
operated by the Indianapolis Public
Transportation Corp.
Some 260 GM hybrid-equipped buses
are already in service in Philadelphia and
Seattle. More than a dozen cities have
purchased a limited number of buses for
trial runs, and the U.S. General Services
Administration has ordered 18 of the
high-tech buses for use in Yosemite
National Park, a fleet that is expected to
roll out in May. Seeing the buses operating in Indianapolis, Allison’s “hometown,” has been particularly sweet for the
workers who build the buses’ innovative
hybrid electric propulsion system there.
“Along with my knowledge of the
transmissions we build here, my
involvement with the set-up of the new
hybrid electric drive is one of the things
I am most proud of as a United Auto
Worker and a member of Local 933,”
Clymore says.
IndyGo President and CEO Gilbert
Holmes pronounced it “an exciting day”
when he unveiled the new hybrid buses at
a news conference held at Allison.
Holmes’ excitement probably had
something to do with the significant fuel
savings each of the hybrid buses is expected to provide annually, not to mention
reduced pollutants and lower maintenance costs over the life of the vehicles.
UAW Local 933 members and GM
salaried employees at Allison are understandably proud of their advanced technology drive train, but the source of
their excitement runs much deeper.
SHOCK TO THE SYSTEM
Over the past two decades, Allison — like
the rest of the automotive industry — has
had to adapt to many changes. Among
the most significant has been the shift
from batch manufacturing to lean manufacturing, otherwise known as the Allison
Production System, or APS, as well as its
transition to GM’s Global Manufacturing
System (GMS). Additionally, the role of
the UAW-GM Quality Network has been
significant. “Just about everything has
changed to some degree, from the
machines and equipment we use to the
ways in which we use them,” says UAW
POTENTIAL ENERGY:
THE ALLISON ELECTRIC DRIVE
The first time most people see a GM hybrid-equipped transit bus start up, what
they notice most is what’s missing: the big, dark cloud of exhaust smoke usually
expelled by a typical diesel bus.
The secret behind that cleaner air is the Allison Electric Drive system, the
most efficient parallel hybrid system available in the world. Two sources of
power move the bus: a “downsized” internal combustion engine and a hybrid
drive system, consisting of two 75 kW motors with 100 horsepower, and a
600-volt, nickel metal hydride battery pack.
The electronically variable transmission provides an infinite range of gear
ratios to drive the wheels. When the bus accelerates from a stop, the batterypowered electric motors assist the diesel engine. Acceleration is considered up
to 50 percent better than that of conventional diesel-powered buses, and particulate emissions are up to 90 percent lower.
The diesel engine provides power once the bus is up to speed and also drives
a generator to charge the batteries. A regenerative braking system captures
energy normally lost as brake heat and returns it to the battery pack, contributing to the vehicle’s capability for fuel efficiency and self-sustaining mobility.
— M.J.M.
Local 933 member Donald Utterback Jr.,
a test stand mechanic who has worked at
the plant for 27 years.
Bill Klenk, Plant 15 director of Allison
electric drive and off-highway, says some
of the most significant changes he has
witnessed during his 35 years there have
been the addition of electronics, which
are “in all that we do — in our products,
in our processes and in the systematic
approach to work activities.
“An important change has been our
focus on the customers,” he adds. “Today
we approach what we do by looking at
the customer’s product needs, the quality
of the product and the delivery of the
product to the customer.”
Achieving the kind of success Allison
continues to enjoy in today’s hyper-competitive automotive marketplace requires
a team effort and a commitment to quality that extends from the shop floor to the
plant manager’s office — something both
union and salaried workers acknowledge.
The atmosphere and morale among
workers on the shop floor is “good and
friendly,” says material services trucker
David Gundrum, a UAW Local 933
member who’s been observing it for 42
years. “At this point, we have a good
working relationship between the membership and GM management,” Clymore
adds. “There is an open-door policy all
the way up to the director.”
“MY INVOLVEMENT WITH
THE SET-UP OF THE NEW
HYBRID ELECTRIC DRIVE IS
ONE OF THE THINGS I AM
MOST PROUD OF.”
— Michael Clymore, UAW Local 933
Snyder calls the labor-management
relationship at Allison “one of mutual
respect that continues to grow.” He
acknowledges that they may not always
agree on every issue or the best way to fix
problems. “However,” he says, “I believe
we have reached a point where both sides
will recognize and agree where a problem
might exist, and be willing to work on
ways to correct or improve the situation.”
Klenk says the relationship between the
UAW and GM management at Plant 15 is
cooperative, very professional and proactive in dealing with potential issues. “We
engage in active communication about
our business. Everyone is treated with
respect and, in turn, treats others with
respect,” he says. “Employees are treated
as valued persons here, and employees
value what they have helped to create.”
Klenk singles out the plant’s cohesive
workforce — both hourly and salaried —
as one of its greatest assets. Other assets
he cites are mutual concern for and dedication to their customers, pride in what
they do and how they do it, and the
“professional” approach everyone takes
toward their job responsibilities.
CHARGED AND READY
In Snyder’s view, both union and management at Allison have reached a point
where they share the same long-term
goals of securing new corporate investments. “We want to position ourselves
such that Allison Transmission, Indianapolis, remains an attractive location for
new products,” he says. “Why not? Both
sides win when job security is a reality.
We have a well-trained, highly skilled
workforce that has demonstrated a capability and willingness to do great things.
This is not propaganda; this is a fact.”
Working together, the union and
management have achieved impressive
accomplishments in recent years. Dewey
points to improvements in quality and
responsiveness (delivery) performance,
which have resulted in reduced costs and
improved profitability. He also cites the
joint efforts of UAW Local 933 and plant
management that have resulted in
“tremendous improvements” in the
areas of health, safety and quality.
While leaders at both the UAW and
GM acknowledge that Allison Transmission will continue to face challenges
going forward, there seems to be a consensus that, by working together, they
will be up to meeting those challenges.
“We build the best transmissions in the
world here, without a doubt,” says
Utterback, summing up the general feeling of the membership.
“The potential for the future is great,”
Clymore adds, “especially for the hybrid
electric drive.” ■
www.uaw-gm.org
13
WORKING ON THE HUMMER H3 is
memorable for Steve “Chief” Nephew (right)
and Gary Grabenstein (bottom).
14
UAW-GM PEOPLE
SPRING 2005
...AND BABY
MAKES
Shreveport Truck Assembly welcomes the Hummer H3 to the family
A-plus test papers, cuddly baby
photos, a wedding invitation and
other mementos — the refrigerator,
more than just a kitchen appliance,
has become a magnetic bulletin
board showcasing family pride.
What better place for Steve
“Chief” Nephew to display the
latest object of his affection.
“I’ve got pictures of the H3 on
my refrigerator,” he boasts. >>
BY BOB WOODS / PHOTOS BY MICHAEL TERRANOVA
www.uaw-gm.org
15
Nephew is one of 3,000 proud and excited UAW Local
2166 members at Louisiana’s Shreveport Assembly Plant
who have begun building the brand-new 2006 Hummer H3
this spring.
“When GM made the official announcement in October
that the H3 was coming here, everyone was elated,” says
Charlene Collymore, a UAW Local 2166 member who works
on the final line. “It means the economy in Louisiana is growing and there are going to be jobs at the plant for a long time.
Job security is the name of the game.”
The decision to produce the high-profile H3 in Shreveport
is a strong testament to the plant’s proven flexibility and the
can-do attitude of the workforce. “The investment in the
Hummer H3 says a lot about the people who come to work
here every day wanting to produce top-quality products,” says
David Kitterlin, president of UAW Local 2166.
The H3 is a scaled-down version of the military-style H1
and H2. The new vehicle marks Hummer’s strategic entry into
the mid- and premium-level SUV markets, and represents the
future for the distinctive vehicle line.
A Good Home
General Motors has been building trucks in Shreveport
since 1981, beginning with the Chevrolet S-10. Over the
past few years, the company added significant floor space,
equipment and training to bring production of the Chevy
Colorado and GMC Canyon pickups to the heart of Bayou
Country. With the $250 million outlay for the H3 program,
more than $1 billion has been invested in this 3-millionsquare-foot, state-of-the-art facility. More than anything,
however, it’s Shreveport’s workers who have made a good
home for GM’s trucks.
“The investment in the Hummer
H3 says a lot about the people
who come to work every day
wanting to produce top-quality
products.”
— DAVID KITTERLIN, PRESIDENT OF UAW LOCAL 2166
“The commitment and character of the UAW workers and
the performance of this facility were the key enablers in us
getting this new vehicle,” says Plant Manager David Gibbons.
That high level of execution can be attributed in part to the
plant’s coordination of Quality Network action strategies, the
Global Manufacturing System (GMS), team concepts and
flexible manufacturing processes that allow the plant to
assemble multiple versions of the Colorado and Canyon while
seamlessly bringing the Hummer H3 on-line. All three vehicles feature the same inline, five-cylinder Vortec 3500 engine.
In September 2003, the plant sent a team of 25 hourly and
salaried employees from each department to the GM
Validation Center in Pontiac, Mich., for an intensive, 10month program to learn how to put the H3 together. Nephew,
who works on the door lines for the front-end load team
(FELT), was among those who signed up and was selected for
the special assignment. “Besides attending GMS courses, we
got down to the nitty-gritty of handling parts and actually
building prototype vehicles,” he says.
The program served as an ideal opportunity for UAW-GM
operators from Shreveport to collaborate on fine-tuning
processes before they were introduced to team leaders and
THE ULTIMATE SPORTSMAN’S VEHICLE
The Hummer H3, the sport utility
version of the renowned on- and offroad vehicle, offers many of the same
go-anywhere capabilities of its bigger
H1 and H2 predecessors — civilian editions of the military’s fabled Humvee —
including four-wheel drive, high ground
clearance and superb climbing ability.
However, the H3, the first Hummer to
offer an optional manual transmission,
also has a gentler side.
The H3 offers premium options such
as heated leather seats, a large electric
sliding sunroof, a DVD-based navigation
radio and numerous customized acces-
16
UAW-GM PEOPLE
SPRING 2005
sories. Its Vortec 3500 powertrains are
projected to reach peak fuel economy of
up to 20 miles per gallon. So whether you
have to haul or roll, the H3 is going to get
you where you need to go.
“It’s got ruggedness to go to the
extremes, but then it can be cleaned up
and be elegant,” says UAW Local 2166
member Charlene Collymore. “Anyone
would be proud to drive this vehicle
down the road.”
The Shreveport Assembly Plant is the
ideal facility to produce the new vehicle,
not just because of the facility’s stalwart
UAW workforce and GMS processes,
but, as they say in real estate, it’s also
about “location, location, location.”
“It’s the perfect fit for Louisiana, a
big sportsman’s state,” says UAW
Local 2166 member Steve “Chief”
Nephew, an avid fisherman who’s
already envisioning buying an H3 and
taking it on backcountry trips to nearby
Caddo Lake and Toledo Bend Reservoir.
But Nephew is only one of many who
are eager to drive the new Hummer. “We
have a lot of folks around here who like
to fish and hunt,” says UAW Local 2166
President David Kitterlin, “so we ought
to sell a bunch of them.”
— B.W.
GM TRUSTS THESE WORKERS with the latest
offspring of the Hummer line, a scaled-down
version of the military-style H1 and H2. Clockwise
from top, Jeff Bidwell, Greg Dornes, Cheryl Anders
and David Kitterlin, president of UAW Local 2166.
www.uaw-gm.org
17
SHREVEPORT TURNS THE BASE of the H3
into a powerful vehicle, with the help of
Plant Manager David Gibbons (left).
workers who participated in the program. “We identified and
corrected problems so that we wouldn’t have to deal with
them during production,” explains Bryan Wheeler, who also
attended the program at the GM Validation Center.
“The experience gave me a better insight into GM as a
world-class manufacturer,” Collymore adds. “I was able to see
what really goes on behind the scenes, from beginning to end.”
The plant has also set up an off-line training area where
workers can simulate some of the assembly processes. “We’ve
been bringing people to the area to perform some major elements of their jobs, such as installing parts and performing
standardized work,” Gibbons reports. “The time they spend
there depends on the complexity of the parts they are
installing. Some have spent a couple of days or longer.”
Jeff Bidwell, a FELT worker in the body shop, says the online and off-line training process is “almost like having a new
plant start up. For anyone who feels they need even more
training, we’ve been doing extra sessions. The Hummer brand
is one of a kind, so we want to make sure that we live up to the
corporation’s — and our own — high standards.”
One Big Happy Family
The smooth ramp-up to full production of the H3 demonstrates the solid relationship that exists between the union and
management at the facility.“Teamwork is very strong here,” says
Wheeler, who transferred to Shreveport from the Doraville
Assembly Plant in Georgia two years ago.“Management is great
about listening to the workers and the ideas we have, especially
when it comes to getting out a quality product. If there’s a problem anywhere, they seek our input and opinions. The engineers
listen to people on the line and make adjustments.
“I’m third-generation UAW and have been with the corporation for 28 years,” Wheeler adds. “I’ve seen things here, as far as
union and management working as one unit, that I haven’t seen
other places.”
18
UAW-GM PEOPLE
SPRING 2005
“Being part of the Hummer name
is going to be awesome. The
workers here are really excited,
and morale is sky-high.”
— CHARLENE COLLYMORE, UAW LOCAL 2166 MEMBER
That cooperative spirit will help the plant meet the challenges of introducing a new vehicle, says Gibbons, who managed GM’s Opel Eisenach operations in Europe before being
assigned to Shreveport in 2002. “Any time we introduce
change in an organization, it can be challenging,” he observes.
“We have to make sure that our operators are trained, that our
facilities and processes are ready to go and that the product
will meet the customers’ high expectations.”
Bidwell got a firsthand look at what customers can expect
when he was chosen, along with other UAW Local 2166
members, to attend the festive unveiling of the H3 at the
California Auto Show in October. He returned with a
renewed sense of pride that everyone in Shreveport shares,
knowing that they’re at the forefront of such a significant
product launch.
“Being part of the Hummer name is going to be awesome,”
Collymore says. “The workers here are really excited, and
morale is sky-high.”
Nephew heartily agrees. “The operators are as gung-ho as
they can be,” he says. “This is probably going to be the
hottest unit that GM releases this year. It’s going to take off
and open up an entirely new SUV market. So we want the
very first ones that roll off the line to make a totally favorable impression on the public.”
That leads Nephew back to the pictures of the Hummer H3
proudly affixed to his refrigerator. “I don’t have my order in
for one yet,” he says, “but I’m working on it.” ■
BY ADAM KLEINER
Get-Along
Games
UAW-GM’s new, interactive approach to diversity training is fun for all
One does not typically associate board games
and Legos with issues of discrimination or sexual
harassment. But that is exactly what happened at
a recent diversity training seminar in Detroit at
the Center for Human Resources, and the results
were surprising.
At the event, 140 UAW and GM people
rolled dice, moved game pieces and
assembled Legos in the process of gaining
a broader understanding of diversity. It
was a new approach to a serious subject,
and judging from participant reaction, it
was a big hit. One hundred percent of
those who responded said they would
recommend the session to others.
The games were part of a busy twoday agenda designed to help Local
Equal Application Committees deal
with challenging situations that come
up at their locations. The theme was
“Respecting One Another.”
“We don’t think we’re going to solve all
the problems in a two-day seminar,” says
Rebecca Scrase, a UAW international representative and facilitator of diversity
programs. “But we want our people to
get a better understanding of diversity
issues so they can appreciate one another
as workers and respect one another.”
CORBIS (DICE); ROBB ROWE (GAME)
Hot Ticket
Using a game of chance, training
participants tested their knowledge
of UAW-GM’s discrimination policy.
The seminar involved Local Equal
Application Committee members,
plant managers, local union officers
and personnel directors.
It was the first time since 2002
that people with these responsibilities gathered for diversity
training. The seminar was in
such high demand that more
than 70 people who wanted to attend
were turned away due to a lack of space.
“Diversity is the collective mixture of
our similarities and differences, not just
race and gender,” says Mike Coletta, a GM
www.uaw-gm.org
19
presented with a scenario: The classroom was a plant that had the opportunity to bid on a project. The project
would create new jobs and wealth in
their town. The challenge at hand was to
build a prototype to give the customer.
Each group represented a different
component of the prototype. But as they
built their components, the groups would
have to come together to make sure the
prototype met the customer’s needs.
The participants will be using the
games in a similar manner back in their
assistant director. “We expand the definition by recognizing family status, religion, sexual orientation, education and
existing disabilities. Other factors, such as
seniority, UAW represented, non-union
and current military status, are also
important. We must meet the needs of all
so that everyone will be able to achieve
their full potential.”
That is where the games came in. On
the second day of the training, participants divided into several classrooms for
a small-group exercise. While previous
exercises were geared around discussion,
this time participants found Monopolylike game boards, game pieces and dice
in the rooms.
Participants paired up, rolled the dice
and answered multiple-choice questions that tested their knowledge of the
discrimination policy outlined in
Paragraph 6 of the 2003 UAW-GM
National Agreement.
“We bonded. We high-fived and
hugged each other,” says Betty Johnson of
Spring Hill, Texas, and a member of UAW
Local 1853. “People really got into it.”
Chuck Davenport, chairman of the
service parts operation in Charlotte, N.C.,
appreciated teaming up with a UAW
member from Michigan, whom he barely
knew. “The message was that I could
work with somebody I know very little
about and put my trust in them,” he says.
Building a Prototype
After lunch, the participants returned to
the classrooms and found that piles of
Legos had replaced the board games.
The Legos were separated into four piles
and spread to four different parts of the
room. An even number of participants
sat with each pile. This time, they were
20
UAW-GM PEOPLE
SPRING 2005
“Our people need to know they
are protected by the UAW and GM
National Agreement,” says Tony Ortiz,
UAW assistant director. “Paragraph
[6a] gives them the right to raise issues
with the union — to file a grievance if
necessary and try to resolve a situation
before it gets too far out of hand. We
want to get people using the process at
the plant rather than running out and
getting an attorney.”
To further emphasize the importance
of civil rights and make diversity real for
the attendees, two outings were organized. On the first day, participants toured
the Detroit Museum of African American History. On the second day, the
group toured the city’s Mexicantown
and attended a lecture on Latino culture
from a Wayne State University professor.
“I was blown away,” says Delores
Ramos, of GM SPO Fontana UAW Local
6645, whose family history parallels
some of the experiences the professor
discussed. “We need to learn to respect
people for who they are.”
To help broadcast this message
FUN AND GAMES, learning and making
friends were the goals of the training.
plants so that all employees can learn
more about respecting one another, as
well as the UAW and GM’s policies for
non-discrimination and harassment.
“There’s several people here I’d like to
see in the same game,” says Davenport
of his peers at Charlotte’s service parts
operation. “It’s a simple tool to get people to realize they can commingle with
their coworkers. It would help them
realize that if I can show you respect
during a game, I should be able to show
you respect any time.”
Busy Agenda
Of course, the December training seminar was not all fun and games. Both days
the agenda included several hours of presentations on the responsibilities of the
Local Equal Application Committees.
These committees exist for employees to
turn to when they feel their civil rights
have been violated. The presentations
allowed UAW and GM leadership to
emphasize the vital role of the committees, and help them with some of the
more difficult aspects of their roles.
throughout the organization, the
“Respecting One Another” training will
be repeated in June, September and
October, and follow the same agenda,
including games and group outings. All
Local Equal Application Committee
members are encouraged to attend. In
addition, a series of “Train the Trainer”
sessions will be held, beginning in June,
to help Local Equal Application
Committees bring the interactive lessons to more locations.
“We all have to work together just like
parts of the car,” Ortiz says. “Once it’s
assembled, it’s a thing of beauty.” ■
jointefforts
STAR
Treatment
UAW and GM score Wish child a dream trip
to NFL Pro Bowl By Geri Stroman
TOP AND BOTTOM: COURTESY OF MAKE-A-WISH; GROUP PHOTO BY RAY PRESTON
“Awesome!” That’s how 16-year-old
Make-A-Wish® child Danny, a cancer
survivor, described his trip to the 2005
NFL Pro Bowl in Honolulu. His wish, a
trip for him and his family to football’s
most star-studded event, came true
through the partnership of the Make-AWish Foundation and the UAW-GM
Center for Human Resources, along with
the determination of UAW Local 31
members, GM salaried employees at
Kansas City’s Kansas Fairfax Assembly
Plant and several GM dealers in the
Kansas City area.
From start to finish during one week
of February, Danny and his family
enjoyed the opportunity of a lifetime.
In addition to attending the NFL Pro
Bowl game, Danny, his parents and
little sister enjoyed a fantasy vacation
that included a luau, golf, snorkeling
and swimming with dolphins. While in
Hawaii, the family also visited Pearl
Harbor and Sea Life Park.
When they learned about Danny’s
wish, UAW Local 31 members Joe
Liggins and Jack Neece, both Quality
Network representatives for GM Fairfax Assembly and coordinators of
the plant’s Make-A-Wish activities,
approached their Quality Council
about making Danny’s dream come
true. “We knew that we could make
this happen,” Liggins says. “We work
closely with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and every year we try to sponsor at least two wishes.”
“It was just amazing,” Danny says.
“We were able to attend team practices,
and I had the opportunity to meet one
of my favorite players, Tony Gonzalez, a
tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs. I
was even able to go onto the field during
the third quarter of the game!”
Danny and his family were one of 15
Wish families on the trip. “My sister and I
made new friends and exchanged e-mail
addresses with the other kids,” Danny
says. “We’ve made friends for life.”
The family was overwhelmed. “It was
unbelievable the way that GM and the
UAW came through for us,” says
Danny’s mother, Dana. “We stayed in a
five-star hotel, had a car, tickets to the
games, and saw practices and were
treated to an NFL party.”
Danny’s dream adventure began with
a private tour of the GM facility in
November. He even donned a paint uniform and observed the robots painting
the vehicles. “It was incredible,” Danny
says. “I had never been inside a plant
HAWAIIAN DREAMS came true for Danny
when (clockwise from top) he met some
locals; got an autograph from NFL star
Tony Gonzalez; and hung out with (from
left) his mom, Dana, Plant Manager Paul
Marr, UAW Local 31 President Dave
Peterson, his sister, Bret, and his dad, Carl.
before. We saw the production of the
Malibu Maxx, and that was really cool.”
In addition to the tour, Kansas Fairfax
hosted a luncheon for Danny and his
family, and gave him a Kansas City
Chiefs jersey, which touched the boy
most. “Everyone seemed like family,”
Dana recalls. “We can’t thank UAW and
GM enough for everything they did. This
is something we will never forget.” ■
www.uaw-gm.org
21
jointefforts
Wayne Moore, third-shift representative
Aimee Rocheleau, synchronous operator
George Holzworth, synchronous operator
Brad Roberts, manufacturing engineer
22
UAW-GM PEOPLE
SPRING 2005
George Sorrow, electrician
Melvin Carter, UAW QN representative
DAVID DEAL
fÉâà{xÜÇ
I
f you walked into the wide-open
atrium of the GM Powertrain plant
in Fredericksburg, Va., last fall, you
would have seen a curtained-off area
where a broad cross-section of employees — UAW Local 2123 operators and
skilled tradepersons, engineers and
supervisors — met every day at 7 a.m.
They huddled around folding tables,
morning coffee in hand, and quickly got
down to the day’s business: turning
their plant into a model of safety, quality and productivity.
At these Quality Network Problem
Solving Workshops, the participants
seek to make continuous improvement
a results-generating effort. The conversations are lively — busy minds brainstorming to improve plant machinery
clutches every year. This new work,
amounting to an estimated $1.9 million
per year, will go into the 2006 Buick
Lucerne and 2006 Cadillac DTS.
“The results of our problem-solving
had a large influence on this recent
announcement, and that speaks to the
accomplishments of everyone who took
part,” says Melvin Carter, the UAW
human resources and Quality Network
representative in Fredericksburg. “It’s
not only going to bring us more work,
but it will bring new technologies into
this plant that will move us forward
into the 21st century.”
Side by Side
Currently, the plant is a three-shift
operation. Approximately 220 hourly
with a variety of changes that resulted in
greatly improving safety, ergonomics
and throughput. These teams are very
self-motivated and enthused about creating their own work environment.”
The key was getting input from the
people on the floor, who are the essence
of plant production, says Brad Roberts, a
manufacturing engineer who specializes
in ergonomics, and a Quality Network
Problem Solving Workshop participant.
“The operators had the experience; they
had the history here,” Roberts says.
“They needed to tell us how to do things
to make all of us work better.”
Before, Roberts explains, engineers
would design a part of the operations
and put it out on the floor, where the
workers would troubleshoot it. But it was
[tÜÅÉÇç
At GM Powertrain, Fredericksburg,
nothing is better than working together
By Dennis McCafferty
procedures. Solutions that emerge
from the workshops resolve questions
raised by workers whose tasks sometimes conflict.
For instance, a bottleneck that resulted
in assembly-line downtime between the
balancer and a riveting section was dissolved, resulting in considerably increased throughput. “We worked on this
until we found a way to get the machinery in place to eliminate the bottleneck
automatically,” recalls UAW Local 2123
member George Sorrow, who is an electrician and Quality Network Planned
Maintenance co-chair. “This meant that,
instead of standing around, we could get
back to work.”
Such teamwork-driven efforts have
been recognized. The Fredericksburg
plant recently received a new assignment:
Make 96,000 265-mm torque converter
employees produce about 19,500 torque
converters per day. The 275,000-squarefoot facility is adjacent to the Civil War
battlefield where the Battle of Fredericksburg was fought in 1862.
The UAW-GM plant, however, is far
removed from any scene resembling a
skirmish. In 2003, UAW workers and
management came together to fully
implement the action strategies of the
UAW-GM Quality Network, in place
since the 1980s, realizing that such an
effort could lead to future work order
opportunities there.
“The Quality Network Problem
Solving Workshops address both the
concerns of product changes as well as
technology changes,” says Janet S.
Washington, who is the plant’s representative for both human resources and the
Quality Network. “The teams came up
harder to correct processes after changes
were implemented, as opposed to the
beginning of the process. “That’s what
we’re doing now,” Roberts says, “and it’s
made all the difference in the world.”
A Great Revival
Immediately, workers and management
reaped the dividends. Tool location saw
significant improvement after the first
series of meetings two years ago.
“Before, we’d always have to go to what
we call the ‘tool crib’ to get something
we’d need — whether it was wrenches,
gloves or a date stamp,” says UAW Local
2123 member George Holzworth, a synchronous operator and Quality Network Problem Solving team member.
“This would take 10 to 15 minutes away
from the job — that’s pretty significant.” Problem Solving team members
www.uaw-gm.org
23
jointefforts
brainstormed and developed “satellite
cribs” at locations throughout the plant.
Now it takes a minute for workers to
find what they need.
Workshop participants met nearly
every day for two or three months
straight, discovering changes that could
be implemented in as little as an afternoon. Other solutions took months to
devise but proved to be well worth it.
Participants noted that, for the first time,
input was gathered that represented the
full universe of the plant — all manufacturing sections and all shifts.
“You can’t just put 10 people in a room
at random and make good changes,”
“Quality Network cuts
to the chase and gets
everybody on board. As
a result, people can do
their best jobs in
a safe environment.”
— Wayne Moore,
UAW Local 2123 member
Sorrow says.“We made sure all shifts were
involved — that was new for us. But once
improvements could be seen in a particular section of the plant, we had workers
from other sections asking when we could
start improving operations in their area.”
To an outsider, some changes might
seem incremental. But to the UAW-GM
people on the floor, each one had a deep
impact. “Sometimes it was something as
minor as moving a machine to a new
position,” says Wayne Moore, a member
of UAW Local 2123 and the Quality
Network Problem Solving team, who
represents the third shift. “But that
change could make a big difference….
Quality Network cuts to the chase and
gets everybody on board. As a result,
people can do their best jobs in a safe
environment.” ■
24
UAW-GM PEOPLE
SPRING 2005
GM Changes to
Fidelity for
Employee Benefits
I
n January, General Motors changed benefit administrators from MetLife
and Electronic Data Systems (EDS) to Fidelity Investments. GM made the
move after carefully considering how to provide a simpler, more effective
and convenient way for employees to manage their GM benefits.
Prior to the change, GM had been relying on 12 outdated systems whose
capacity was increasingly constrained by the need to serve 1.2 million eligible
participants. In 2002, GM determined the delivery system needed updating to
meet today’s needs for enhanced customer-oriented service, as well as current legal and data privacy requirements.
During its review process, GM looked at 10 vendors, all leaders in the
field, and evaluated them for capability, capacity, state-of-the-art technology
and systems, and solutions to GM’s decades of data, records and complicated plan requirements. GM finally determined that Fidelity Investments,
which already had experience in handling GM employees’ and retirees’
401(k) and personal savings plan (PSP) accounts, was the only vendor
capable of taking on the immense responsibility.
The transition to Fidelity as the new benefit administrator via the GM
Benefits & Services Center (GM BSC) is underway. The January pension
checks were distributed to more than 450,000 retirees, and the disability payments were processed and mailed during the first week of the year. However,
as can be expected from a transition involving this many people and a
diverse number of benefits, there have been some problems. While healthcare records were transferred for more than 1.2 million employees, retirees
and their dependents, important data issues must be resolved for many
employees and retirees.
The International Union, UAW and GM benefit staffs and local union
benefit representatives are working diligently to identify the issues and bring
them to the attention of Fidelity for resolution as quickly as possible. Your
assistance and patience is greatly appreciated as GM ramps up services and
as GM BSC customer service associates gain experience.
We encourage all employees and retirees to use the new benefit administration Web site, www.gmbenefits.com, to review their personal information.
Ultimately, once all the bugs are worked out, the system will provide a much
greater degree of service and convenience to UAW-GM people. The single,
consolidated Web site will allow you to access and manage your GM benefits. You will also be able to manage your savings, PSP, retirement program,
health-care plan, health- and dependent-care spending accounts, life insurance and more through a single source.
If you have questions on your benefit eligibility, please call the GM
Benefits & Services Center at 800.489.4646.
Everyday Heroes
W
hen it comes to saving lives,
the UAW Local 549 members at Mansfield Metal
Center in Ohio know how to spring
into action. In fact, the facility’s
Emergency Response Team (ERT) can
respond to any emergency anywhere
on site within two minutes.
Workers at the plant recently won
GM’s 2004 Lifesaving Award for rescuing
an employee who dropped to the ground
and was unresponsive. As part of the
plant’s First Responder Program, the ERT
was immediately called to the scene.
Team members couldn’t detect a pulse on
David Crace, a UAW Local 549 member
and mechanical device skilled tradesman.
After performing CPR, the ERT set up a
defibrillator and restarted Crace’s heart.
Follow-up care at a nearby hospital verified that he had suffered a heart attack.
“If he would have been anywhere else,
Mansfield Metal Center saves a life, thanks
to its emergency response program
By Lia D’Amico
he probably wouldn’t be alive
today,” says David’s wife,
Shelly Crace, a UAW Local
549 member and a fork truck
driver in shipping. “At home,
or anywhere outside of here,
it would have taken longer to
get him the help he needed.”
For that reason, Mansfield
Safety Supervisor Paul Keske Manufacturing Manager Gerald Johnson (center)
stresses the importance of an recognizes Mansfield’s Emergency Response Team,
on-site team. “Minutes can which helped save David Crace’s life. Left to right:
mean the difference between Craig Byron, Russ Harvey, Curtis Henry, Tim Durbin,
someone living and dying,” Johnson, Eric Colby, Randy Haldeman and Keith Wilson.
Not pictured: Doug Whatman and Steve Browning.
he says.
The program started in 1996 when About 10 people are on call every shift.
workers raised the concern about need“They’re absolutely great,” Shelly Crace
ing an organized rescue system. The says of the ERT, noting that they don’t
employee-driven group elects its own consider themselves heroes.“They tell me
leaders and has routine training ses- that they were just doing what they were
sions. Of the 36 current ERT members, trained to do, but they’re my heroes.”
35 are also UAW Local 549 members.
Ready for Anything
Remembering the Fallen
In this year’s UAW-GM Worker Memorial Day video, families, coworkers
and friends of those lost through fatal accidents discussed the impact of the
tragedies. But the underlying message was one of hope: Studies of fatal accidents reveal that these tragedies are preventable through pre-task planning
that assesses potential risks.
Worker Memorial Day, April 28, was a nationwide observance of workers
who have lost their lives on the job. On this day, efforts were made to heighten
safety awareness in the workplace. “Back-To-Basics-Safety First,” the 2005
UAW-GM-Delphi Health and Safety Conference, was held in Detroit, Mich.,
May 9-12 for UAW-GM, and May 16-19 for UAW-Delphi. With 66 training
classes covering 37 health and safety topics, the conference was aimed at
UAW-GM-Delphi health and safety representatives and salaried employees
responsible for plant-level health and safety. The conference took place at
the UAW-GM Center for Human Resources and at the Detroit Marriott
Renaissance Center. The CHR’s facility offers excellent hands-on training
components, such as the Fall Hazard Control Training Tower and the Robotic
Manufacturing Cell. For more information on the training, talk to your supervisor or health and safety representative.
ERT members go through 200 hours of
initial training and about eight hours
of refresher training a month. Training
requirements encompass various types
of rescue, including incipient stage firefighting, emergency medical response,
confined space entry rescue and rescue
from heights.
“It creates a sense of security when
you walk into the plant,” says Larry
Swain, UAW Local 549 shop chairman.
“You know that if something happens
to you here, there are people on site who
have the training and equipment they
need to help you.”
That level of support from UAW and
GM leadership, notes Keske, is a large
part of what has made the ERT program
so successful. “The one life we know
that we saved is worth every penny that
was spent on this program,” he says. ■
www.uaw-gm.org
25
familymatters
>>> money
Today, Tomorrow and Beyond
S
ince Jack Richardson retired from
GM MFD Lansing Metal Fabrication in Lansing, Mich., in 2001,
he’s been busy with his favorite hobby —
keeping up with his nine grandkids. But
when he had a chance to take early
retirement in 1991, one thing nearly
stopped him cold: He had not yet done
any retirement planning.
“I had 28 years in, and it took that long
to really click into thinking about all
those things that get you ready, financially and mentally, for retirement,” says
the UAW Local 652 member and former
union representative. “People think that
they’ll get their years in and then retire,
but it doesn’t always work that way.”
To begin planning, Richardson and
his wife, Kathleen, signed up for a foursession workshop called “Design Your
Successful Tomorrow,” a joint program
for pre-retirees offered to UAW-GM
workers through the UAW-GM Center
for Human Resources (CHR). Over a
four-week period, they evaluated their
finances, calculated the amount of
their Social Security and other retirement benefits, and reviewed their
changing legal needs. They gained
peace of mind by devising a solid
financial plan and drawing up a will.
In addition to “Design Your Successful
Tomorrow,” the CHR also advises workers with “The Informed Retiree,” a retire-
QUICK TIP
Evaluate the feasibility
of your future retirement
budget today by living
off of the allotment for
two months.
26
UAW-GM PEOPLE
SPRING 2005
ment program that provides updates on
benefits, continued legal and financial
services, and other important news.
Plan It Out
Taking advantage of the CHR programs
helped the Richardsons explore what
retirement looked like for them. “We
talked about travel and other things we
Save money today so you can have fun
and enjoy life work-free tomorrow.
wanted to do, but the reality was, what we
wanted most was to invest in our children
and grandchildren,” Jack says. “Planning
helped with that, because not having
enough money causes issues you can’t get
past. We didn’t have to go into retirement
with the thought of financial burden.
“Going through the program was fun,”
he adds.“Kathleen and I both came out of
it saying, ‘We should have done this years
ago.’ We wouldn’t have the lifestyle we live
today if we hadn’t had this opportunity.”
Meanwhile, Chris Krebiehl, a UAW
Local 602 member and production
By Molly Rose Teuke
worker at Lansing Car Assembly (LCA),
has been saving money all her life, but
when she saw a retirement workshop
advertised in her local union paper in
1999, she was scared to attend. “I
thought, ‘No way I’m ever going to have
enough money to retire and do what I
want to do,’” she recalls.
However, with just a modest
increase in her monthly savings, she
and her husband, Karl, were able to get
on track. Karl, also a UAW Local 652
member, will retire this year from
LCA, and Chris plans to retire by 2010.
Chris’ retirement dream is to spoil her
granddaughter and buy a place down
South. Thanks to her lifelong habit of
saving and recent tweaking to their
financial plan, she and Karl will be able
to do both.
“When people say they can’t afford to
save money in their PSP [personal savings plan], I want to tell them they can’t
afford not to,” Chris says. “They can
spend that money on taxes or save it —
it’s a no-brainer if you ask me.”
Like the Richardsons, the Krebiehls
took advantage of free legal services,
creating a will and granting each other
health-care power of attorney. They also
learned what benefits to expect and how
to apply for them at retirement. Now
that they are informed, they are looking
forward to when they can become
informed retirees. ■
For more information about “Design
Your Successful Tomorrow” and “The
Informed Retiree,” visit www.uaw-gm
.org/work_family/retirement.html, or
contact your UAW local union or a Joint
Activities representative at your plant.
CORBIS
The best retirement plan begins while you’re still on the job
>>> health
The Stages of Alzheimer’s
Identifying advancements in the disease
T
he first stage of Alzheimer’s disease can last anywhere from two
to four years. During this time,
patients begin to take a little longer to
respond to questions. They exhibit problems with their vocabulary, such as not
being able to find the right word, and they
may have trouble with numbers, ranging
from finances to telephone numbers and
appointments. Patients also may start to
withdraw and become anxious.
The second, or middle, stage of the
disease can last anywhere from two to 10
years. During this period the dementia
worsens. Patients may overreact to
something that is very minor, and they
may begin to act impulsively. Their
problems with language and speech may
become much more noticeable, and they
may begin to have difficulty writing.
During this stage, they may also begin
to have trouble monitoring their physical
appearance. It could be the dead of summer and a person in the second stage of
Alzheimer’s might wear four shirts and a
wool hat. At this stage, supervision by
another adult becomes necessary.
The final stage of the disease, also
called the terminal stage, can last anywhere from one to three years. During
this time, patients may not be able to
communicate or recognize themselves or
family members. Eventually, they become
immobile and completely withdrawn.
By Jean Barnas, Alzheimer’s Association
Early diagnosis can provide afflicted
people with the opportunity to organize
their affairs and make sure their family
knows their wishes for the future. There
are also new medications on the market
that can slow down the progression of
the disease during both the first and second stages.
Caring for an Alzheimer’s patient is a
24/7 job. Caregivers should seek out assistance when they need it, or risk burning
out and becoming sick themselves.
Right now, there is no cure for
Alzheimer’s disease, but there is hope.
Medical researchers have made many
incredible strides in recent years. It is only
a matter of time before a cure is found. ■
There Is Help
Although the people who suffer from
Alzheimer’s pay the ultimate price, it is
difficult for family members and friends
to stand by helplessly and watch someone they love forget them. But help is
available. A number of different organizations are willing and able to help family members and friends cope. Support
groups and educational workshops can
be wonderful tools because they let people know that they are not alone, and
explain the disease and what to expect.
Counseling and care management
services are available to help with problems in caring for a person who has
Alzheimer’s disease. In-home respite
professionals are available during
the daytime or overnight to help
take the load off of primary caregivers. Caregivers can also look into
adult day-care programs
in their area.
This is the second section of a threepart series on Alzheimer’s disease, provided to UAW-GM People by the Greater
Michigan Chapter of the Alzheimer’s
Association. For more information, consult the “Diseases and Conditions” link
on the UAW-GM LifeSteps Web site
(www.lifesteps.com). Or contact the
Alzheimer’s Association’s 24-hour Contact Center at 800.337.3827.
CORBIS
Early Diagnosis
The average person with Alzheimer’s
will live for 10 years after the initial
diagnosis, and most of this time will be
spent in stages one and two of the
disease. Recognizing the signs of the disease as early as possible is important.
www.uaw-gm.org
27
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].
Story
FROM BISON SNACKS TO
SKULLS, John English
sells all things buffalo
on his Indiana farm.
28
UAW-GM PEOPLE
SPRING 2005
timeout
By Brion O’Connor
Home on the
Range
John English is at home
where the buffalo roam
LARRY LADIG
U
AW Local 933 member John
English doesn’t have much time
for sleep these days, not with a
full-time maintenance job at Allison
Transmission in Indianapolis and almost
100 bison waiting for him when he comes
home to his Bainbridge, Ind., farm.
“There’s always something to do, that’s
for sure,” said 54-year-old English one
day in January. “Just this morning, it was
zero degrees, but we’re weaning about 30
calves, so my dad and I had to go feed
them. Then we’ve got 20 bulls that we
keep in a feedlot, so I fed them, then put
out hay for the main herd. I’d guess we
put in about three hours. It’s pretty much
a seven-day-a-week thing. It doesn’t make
any difference what the weather is —
you’ve got to take care of them.”
Life was a little less complicated when
Sheila and John English first moved from
the west side of Indianapolis to a logcabin-style home in Cloverdale in 1992.
The couple first dabbled in livestock
when they bought their son a calf shortly
after the move. They considered what
they would do for retirement, possibly
tending elk, bison or even ostrich. But
the bison bug bit English especially hard
in 1994, after he’d visited a buffalo farm
in nearby Ellettsville.
“Everybody raises cattle, but raising
bison is something unique. It’s our
American heritage, for one thing,” said
English, a 29-year veteran at Allison
Transmission. “And we just liked them.
They’re fantastic animals. They’re also
more dangerous and harder to handle
[than cattle]. They can run about 30
miles an hour and outrace a horse in the
long run. They’re agile, can turn on a
dime, and they’re not dumb. And the
meat is great. The fat content and cholesterol is less than chicken.”
Herd Mentality
The Englishes decided there was a market for bison. By March 1995, the couple
had bought three heifers — Cherokee,
Dakota and Cheyenne — and that
August added a young bull, Chester. A
year later, they doubled their herd and
“Everybody raises cattle,
but raising bison is
something unique.”
— John English, UAW Local 933 member
realized that their Cloverdale property,
even with 26 acres, wasn’t going to be big
enough. The family decided to purchase
102 acres in Bainbridge, off U.S.
Highway 231 in western Indiana.
“There wasn’t anything here — no
fences, no buildings, nothing,” English
recalled. “So we started by cleaning
fence rows. In the winter of 1997, we
were sitting out here on a picnic table,
eating hot dogs on Christmas Day
because we were working. I was working
a lot of hours [at Allison], and every
other available hour, we were here.”
In 1998, with the shell of a new 100-by54-foot Morton building in place on the
Bainbridge land, the Englishes moved
from Cloverdale. They live on one end of
the building; at the opposite end they
opened a trading post, which is run by
Sheila and offers everything from bison
steaks and burgers to cookbooks and
hides and even bleached bison skulls.
“We had a couple of fellows come in
and buy a bunch of roasts,” English said.
“They were digging a pit, and they even
wanted the bison pies [the equivalent of
a cow patty], the hard ones, so they
could put them down in the pit because
that’s how they used to cook them years
ago. I tell you, people are fascinated by
these animals.”
Three years ago, English switched to
Allison’s housekeeping department,
which allowed him to work the midnight shift and cut back on his overtime.
He tends to his farm chores as soon as
he gets home, often with the help of his
retired father. If time permits, he grabs a
few winks afterward.
So what preoccupies English during
that 50-minute commute to and from
Allison — bison or maintenance work?
“I’m thinking about sleeping,” he said
with a chuckle. ■
www.uaw-gm.org
29
timeout
TOM LEIB gives his
customers natural
remedies and plenty
of choices.
essential oils, one of his passions.
“Essential oils are extracted out of plants,
and if they’re properly distilled, you can
use them for healing,” he explains.
Man
Natural
Tom Leib turns to herbs and essential oils to help his
clients feel better By Susannah Clark
T
om Leib is the first to admit that
when it comes to natural health,
he was once the biggest skeptic
on the block. Today, however, he enthusiastically declares that his main goal is
to become a full-time practitioner in
the field.
What seems like a big leap for the conveyor engineer at the Warren Tech
Center in Michigan was taken in small
steps.“A friend of my former wife got her
involved in natural health for a condition
she was having,” Leib recalls. “At first, I
didn’t want anything to do with it — I
thought it was the most ludicrous thing
I’d ever heard of. But 18 months later,
I looked at her and said, ‘What a change!’
30
UAW-GM PEOPLE
SPRING 2005
I put my tail between my legs and asked
her about the different herbs she was taking, and I started reading up on them
and taking them myself.”
That led to an extreme change in
direction for a man who has worked for
GM since 1979, including 14 years as a
member of UAW Local 1776 at the
Willow Run Assembly Plant in Ypsilanti,
Mich. Last June, at age 44, he received his
naturopathic doctorate from the Trinity
College of Natural Health in Warsaw,
Ind. Since then he’s split his time
between working at GM and consulting
with clients interested in improving their
health through natural medicine by
changing their diet and using herbs and
Leib points out that the philosophy
behind naturopathy is getting the attention of those in the traditional practice of
allopathic medicine. “The whole field of
natural health deals with supporting the
body, finding the weakness and finding a
treatment,” he says. “Medical doctors are
looking at it. People are reading about
the toxins and the side effects of traditional medications and are flocking to
natural health. It was here first, and now
people are coming full circle, coming
back to the basics.”
One disadvantage that natural health
may have, Leib notes, is that the research necessary to prove its benefits
to traditional physicians is expensive.
“One thing that herbs don’t have going
for them is they are not supported by
the big pharmaceutical companies,” he
says. “You can’t patent alfalfa, so they’re
not going to do a lot of research on it
because it’s not going to make them a
lot of money in the end.”
Leib contends that because natural
medicine doesn’t always have the backing of allopathic medicine, it doesn’t
always get the respect it deserves. The
pleasure he gets in working with his
clients and helping them feel better
keeps him going. “The goal is the excitement of being able to help people get
well,” he enthuses, noting that he spends
90 minutes in his initial consultation
with a client. “The medical field is not
structured so that doctors can spend
that amount of time with their patients.
When was the last time you sat with
your doctor for an hour and a half? My
clients feel they’re cared for if someone
is listening to them. The joy comes from
seeing someone get better.” ■
JON MURESAN
Not Yet Mainstream
my
wheels
NAME: Rick Wells, UAW Local 431
PLANT: Denver GM Service Parts
Operations
JOB: Clerk (retired)
YEARS WITH GM: 30
WHEELS: 1978 25th Anniversary
Edition Corvette
UNDER THE HOOD: 350-cubic-inch
Golen racing engine
MILES: 74,000
RICK WELLS and his ’78 Corvette
are always ready to race.
RAY NG
WHY IT’S HOT: Only 2,121 of my color
were made, and the ’78 was the first
Corvette with a fastback rear window
since 1967. With the stock V8, the
Corvette was 175 or 185 horsepower.
My stock engine — for NHRA racing —
pushes 400 horsepower. Oh, and it’s a
common misconception that only the
silver 1978s are anniversary edition;
all the 1978 Corvettes are 25th
Anniversary Corvettes.
THE RIDE: I bought this car in 1987, and it
was my work car for awhile, so it always
handled great. In 2003 I decided to take it
off the street and make it a race car only.
Corvettes are built for corners, and it
shows. Even though I only go in a straight
line down the drag strip with it, it’s still a
great ride. I run an MSD ignition (which
gives it a hotter spark to the cylinders),
a Q-Jet carburetor, and a five-gallon fuel
cell that pumps 20 pounds to the fuel
regulator and six pounds to the carburetor.
Adding all that extra stuff for NHRA racing,
this thing basically just slams you back
into the seat. It’s like being in a jet with
a roll bar and a racing suit.
THE BEST PART: The coolest thing is
definitely the fact that my wife, Patty
Wells, who has been working with
General Motors for 25 years, did all
the interior work — it’s covered with
all black leather, diamond stitched,
with black carpet.
— Justin Sorensen
Calling All Do you own a cool vehicle
Cars
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
31
UAW-GM
people
UAW-GM
Center for Human Resources
200 Walker St.
Detroit, MI 48207
The decision to produce the high-profile
HUMMER H3
in Shreveport is a strong testament to the
plant’s proven flexibility and the
can-do attitude of the workforce.
MICHAEL TERRANOVA
See story, page 14.