President Phone: 972-647-1282 E-mail: enriquesrvflores@aol.com |
PRESIDENT’S UPDATE UAW LOCAL 276: UAW Local 276 will be closed the week of June 29 - July 3, 2009. UAW-GM Local Union Benefit Representatives will not be available. Please see President’s Report June 22, 2009, for Local 276 schedule. SUB BENEFITS: For members who file individual weekly SUB claims, the SUB claims for the week of June 29, 2009, will be processed in the normal manner and dated July 2, 2009. Visit www.layoffbenefits.com/gm to check SUB claim status. SPECIAL ATTRITION PROGRAM: General Motors will continue to have
personnel available to sign Retirement
Forms A & B, and also Buy-Out Forms during
the week of June 29 - July 3, 2009. SHREVEPORT GM PLANT: General Motors announced the Shreveport, Louisiana, facility will be closing by June 2012. We have many friends and family there. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers. REMINDERS: UAW 218 – Bell Helicopter Strike (See
President’s Report June 22, 2009). SAFEHAVEN WOMEN’S SHELTER: Please remember, if your travel includes a
hotel stay, we collect unused soaps,
shampoos, and toiletries for our adopted
charity. These items are packaged and
distributed to victims fleeing domestic
violent situations. Please bring these items
to UAW Local 276 for delivery to SafeHaven. IMPORTANT INFORMATION
|
PRESIDENT’S UPDATE SUB BENEFITS – TEXAS FILERS: The UAW-GM Local Union Benefit Representatives and I have been in daily contact with both the TWC and SUB representatives. We were advised during today’s conference call that Fidelity has received the TWC’s file on those employees who were paid unemployment compensation. If you filed a Texas unemployment claim, your SUB claim is being processed. The SUB representatives stated our SUB Benefit information should start appearing on their website www.layoffbenefits.com/gm this afternoon, if it is not showing at this time. Please check your information again later this afternoon. |
PRESIDENT’S UPDATE AUGUST MEMBERSHIP MEETING: Due to the mandatory downtime August 3 – 14, 2009, the August 9, 2009, Membership Meeting has been canceled. AUGUST RETIREE CHAPTER MEETING: The August 4, 2009, Retiree Chapter Meeting has been canceled per the Chairperson of the UAW Local 276 Retired Workers Chapter. UAW LOCAL 276: UAW Local 276 will be closed the weeks of June 29, 2009, August 3, 2009, and August 10, 2009. The Union Hall will operate under regular office hours the weeks of July 6, 2009, July 13, 2009, July 20, 2009, and July 27, 2009. Regular continuous office hours will begin again Monday, August 17, 2009. If you have questions about the Union Hall’s scheduled operations between now and August 17, 2009, please feel free to call us at 972-647-1282 between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM. JULY 4TH PARADE: The July 4th Parade Committee is asking for volunteers to help with our part in the parade. Interested volunteers should contact Bennie Escobar at 817-468-3510 for information. UAW LOCAL 218 STRIKE: Negotiations have resumed between the UAW and
Bell Helicopter. The main issues continue to
be Health Care and Outsourcing. The strike
has entered its second week. |
SHOP CHAIRPERSON’S REPORT VACATION DOWNTIME: I have been notified that the General Motors Assembly Plant in Arlington will be down for the designated vacation shut down time during the following two (2) weeks: August 3 – 7, 2009 (You must take vacation) As I get additional information, I will get it out to you as soon as possible. GM ARLINGTON HOTLINE: Remember to continue to monitor the GM Arlington hotline (1-877-571-3453) as well as this website for updated and additional information. |
PRESIDENT’S UPDATE UAW LOCAL 218 - BELL STRIKE: Our UAW Sisters and Brothers at Bell Helicopter went on strike at 12:01 AM, Monday, June 15, 2009, over contractual issues. These Sisters and Brothers enthusiastically supported us during our strike against General Motors. If you wish to show your support, call UAW Local 218 at 817-282-0294, or visit Local 218 at 98 West Hurst Boulevard, Hurst Texas. BENEFIT REPRESENTATIVES: The UAW-GM Benefit Representatives are available at the UAW Local 276 Union Hall 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday June 16 – 26, 2009, and again 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday July 6 – 10, 2009. Due to the high volume of calls the Benefit Representatives are experiencing, if you are placed on hold when you call, please remain on the line and your call will be answered in the order it is received. Hanging up and calling back will only place you at the bottom of the list. UAW LOCAL 276: UAW Local 276 will be closed Monday through Friday, June 29 – July 3, 2009. The Benefit Representatives will not be available that week. WE HAVE RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE “The Texas Workforce Commission is experiencing extremely high call volume. Many states across the nation are facing the same challenges due to recent federal extensions of unemployment insurance benefits. Due to the increased calls and workload, and the difficulties that customers are having reaching staff, the TWC will not penalize claimants when they are unable to reach us in a timely manner.
TO RESET PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (PIN): You can find TWC phone numbers to get help
with PIN Numbers by clicking on the “Texas
Workforce Centers and Services” link on the
TWC website. Type in your ZIP Code and the
nearest TWC location will be displayed. SUB BENEFITS: Members filing Texas Unemployment claims
will have their SUB claims processed by
General Motors and Fidelity on the week of
June 22, 2009. |
PRESIDENT’S UPDATE SPECIAL ATTRITION PROGRAM (SAP – PHASE II): The UAW/GM Benefit Representatives will be available at the UAW Local 276 Union Hall to assist with the Special Attrition Program – Phase II from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM Monday through Friday until we return to work. If you are going to take the Special Attrition Program – Phase II before we return to work in July:
RETURN TO WORK: Despite the many rumors floating around, we have no new information pertaining to our schedule. Therefore, as of today, we are still scheduled to return to production the week of July 13, 2009. As usual, this information is subject to change; so, be sure to check the Arlington hotline (1-877-571-3453) and our website for updates. |
SHOP CHAIRPERSON’S REPORT REFERALS: In the next few weeks, we will be giving out information on referrals for summer help and flex employees. Monitor the Arlington hotline number 1-877-571-3453 and this website for additional referral information in the upcoming weeks. |
PRESIDENT’S UPDATE SPECIAL ATTRITION PROGRAM (SAP – PHASE II): The UAW/GM Benefit Representatives will be available at the UAW Local 276 Union Hall to assist with the Special Attrition Program – Phase II from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM Monday through Friday until we return to work. If you are going to take the Special Attrition Program – Phase II before we return to work in July:
RETURN TO WORK: Despite the many rumors floating around, we have no new information pertaining to our schedule. Therefore, as of today, we are still scheduled to return to production the week of July 13, 2009. As usual, this information is subject to change; so, be sure to check the Arlington hotline (1-877-571-3453) and our website for updates. |
PRESIDENT’S UPDATE PAYROLL ISSUES: We have been advised by General Motors that
the paychecks for the week of May 25 - 29,
2009, will be made by direct deposit to the
employee’s financial institution of record. RETURN TO WORK INFORMATION: General Motors has stated it is reviewing
production plans and may schedule additional
downtime for some facilities. As of today,
we have not been notified of any changes to
our schedule. GENERAL MOTORS BANKRUPTCY: GM will continue to operate during the bankruptcy procedure and we will be operating under the 2007 UAW-GM National Agreement, including the recently ratified UAW General Motors Modifications to the 2007 Agreement and the Addendum to the VEBA Agreement, unless ordered otherwise by the bankruptcy judge. UAW Local 276 members and retirees in good standing can obtain copies of this agreement in person at the union hall. UNEMPLOYMENT: The Texas Workforce Commission is mailing information packets to laid-off members. If you do not receive a packet in the mail by Monday, June 8, 2009, contact the TWC at: Outside Dallas/Fort Worth Area: 1-800-939-6631 Members filing in other states should have contacted their state’s unemployment agency to file a claim. SPECIAL ATTRITION PROGRAM: We are awaiting details from the Corporation on the “Roll-Out Plan” for the 2009 Special Attrition Program”. Details will be provided to the membership as we receive and verify them. LOCAL 276 FAMILY PICNIC: If you have not called to register for the UAW Local 276 Family Picnic June 6, 2009, please do so today. We need to know how many people to plan for. |
PRESIDENT’S UPDATE International President Ronald Gettelfinger announced this afternoon the results of the ratification of the modifications to the 2007 UAW/GM National Agreement. Those national results are: Production – 74% for the changes The results of the ratification vote for UAW Local 276 are: Production – 76% for the changes |
PRESIDENT’S UPDATE ATTENTION *** ATTENTION Today, May 28, 2009, we were notified that employees who were laid-off Friday, May 15, 2009, will receive a paper payroll check (for the week ending May 24, 2009) in the mail due to a computer glitch at the payroll processing center. Please deposit or cash your check immediately to avoid any overdraft issues. Your check will come in a blue envelope. Any questions, please call 1-866-245-5957. |
PRESIDENT’S UPDATE – UNIT 1 (GM) ABSENTEE VOTING: The use of absentee ballots is not permitted
in Local Union elections, except as allowed
by a uniform policy established by the
International Executive Board, Article 38,
Section 10 (b) page 206. |
PRESIDENT’S UPDATE – UNIT 1 (GM) Today, May 21, 2009, at 12:12 PM, we were
notified of a tentative agreement between
General Motors and the UAW. All UAW
Presidents and Shop Chairpersons have been
ordered to report to Detroit on Tuesday, May
26, 2009, at which time we will receive the
details of the tentative agreement and
forward that information to the membership
as soon as possible. An Informational
Meeting, conducted by International
Representative Randy Lentz, will be held at
2:00 PM, Wednesday, May 27, 2009. Polls
will open for the Ratification Vote at 9:00
AM, Wednesday, May 27, 2009, and the polls
will close at 12:00 AM (midnight) Wednesday,
May 27, 2009. Only active members
in good standing of UAW Local 276
will be allowed to cast a ballot. Both the
Informational Meeting and Voting will be at
the UAW Local 276 Union Hall, 2505 W. E.
Roberts Street, Grand Prairie, Texas. As always we will do our best to keep you informed. |
CHAIRPERSON’S REPORT – UNIT 1 (GM) HOTLINE NUMBER: In case there are any changes to the plant’s return to work schedule or any extension to the current layoff, that information will be provided on the plant’s hotline number. So, please call 1-877-571-3453 to get updated information. CONTRACT MODIFICATION INFORMATION: As soon as the International Union provides us with information on the modifications to the 2007 UAW-GM National Agreement, I will get it out to you on our website. Therefore, please monitor the website. Remember that information will only be updated on the website when I receive information from the International Union. TIME OFF: I want everyone to enjoy their time off and take the time to enjoy your family and friends. I want to see everyone safely return to the plant in July. |
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT As we prepare to leave for the down weeks,
it is very important that everyone take
advantage of all the information we have
provided for you. Keep all this information
where you can access it when needed. It is
very important that everyone open and read
all letters from GM, UAW, Fidelity, and your
state unemployment agency. Please follow any
instructions contained in the letters. This
will help avoid possible delays receiving
your unemployment (and SUB Benefits if you
qualify). IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Following is the most current contact
information we were able to gather from the
various state unemployment agencies.
|
PRESIDENT’S REPORT SUB-COUNCIL MEETINGS UAW-GM SUB-COUNCIL MEETINGS: During our meetings, we discussed individual Local Union Reports from across the country. It is very apparent that we are facing the same contractual and economic problems as the rest of the Locals in the Car and Truck Assembly Groups. A very sad and sobering fact was the low number of attendees at our meetings. Several Locals who attended last year’s meetings are in closed plant status and not able to send delegates. Other Locals reported they have been told they will close and this will be their last SUB-COUNCIL. They urged any of us who are left to stay united and keep fighting. UAW-GM NATIONAL COUNCIL: UAW Vice President and Director of the
General Motors Department Cal Rapson addressed
the delegates about the ongoing UAW-GM
negotiations. The UAW and General Motors have
not reached an agreement on modifications to
the 2007 UAW-GM National Agreement. We
covered the Ford and Chrysler Agreements and
their possible impact on our negotiations.
Vice President Rapson stated that, when we
get an agreement, we will be called to
Detroit to review the agreement. The details
will be presented to the membership for a
ratification vote. We are still under a June
1, 2009, deadline to come to an agreement
with GM. Vice President Rapson stressed that
we are still operating under the 2007
UAW-GM National Agreement.
GM SUBCOUNCIL LEGAL SERVICES: Please remember the UAW-GM Legal Services
Plan is available to help with many services
including mortgage and consumer issues. If
you feel you are heading for or are in a
financial or mortgage crisis, please contact
the Legal Service at 817-640-0393 early to
explore possible assistance. |
PRESIDENT’S REPORT MEMBERSHIP MEETING REMINDER: We will have our scheduled Membership Meeting on Sunday, May 17, 2009, at 2:00 PM. SPECIAL MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS: The June and July Membership Meetings have been canceled due to the downtime. If it becomes necessary to have a meeting during the downtime, we will notify the membership by phone and web site. Again, we must have your correct address and phone number(s) at the UAW Local 276 Union Hall. Without the correct information, you will not be notified. UNEMPLOYMENT INFORMATION: The most current information we have received will be available for you tomorrow at the plant exits and the UAW-GM Benefits Offices. Please take a second to take all the information available to you. SUPPLEMENTAL UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT (SUB) APPLICATION INFORMATION: A recent plant communication stated that employees must apply for SUB benefits themselves. This applies to Out-of-State claimants. GM employees who file claims with the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) [Texas] are not required to file individual SUB Benefit applications. Please check with your benefit representatives if you have questions about SUB. TIER-TWO EMPLOYEES HOLIDAY PAY: When filing for unemployment, Tier-Two employees must claim Holiday Pay for Friday, May 22, 2009, and Monday, May 25, 2009. The amount claimed, per GM Payroll, will be:. First Shift employees - $120.48 and Second Shift employees - $126.50 BENEFIT REPRESENTATIVE: We will have a UAW-GM Benefit Representative available to serve our members during the downtime. The Benefit Representative will be available during Local 276 business hours. UAW LOCAL 276: UAW Local 276’s hours of operation are 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday. You may call the Union Hall at 972-647-1282 during those hours. Should you need to send a fax to the Union Hall, the fax number is 972-602-0553. The fax machine operates 24/7. However, if you need to send a fax, you will only be able to do so during normal business hours. REMINDERS: FAMILY OUTING: Information on the The UAW Local 276 Family Outing and Fishing Tournament is running on the monitors and fliers are on the bulletin boards. UAW REGION 5 SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT: We have been notified by UAW Region 5 that the 2009 Annual Region 5 Softball Tournament has been canceled. SAFEHAVEN WOMEN’S SHELTER: Please remember the Women’s Shelter if you stay at a hotel during the downtime. This is our Local’s adopted charity and we collect soaps, shampoos, and toiletries for the shelter. These are packaged as emergency kits for victims of abuse and their children. You can drop these items off at the Union Hall. FOURTH OF JULY PARADE: Please come out and support UAW and GM-Arlington at the July 4th Parade. The parade will be in downtown Arlington on the Fourth. UAW-GM RELOCATION SERVICES: Information regarding relocation guidelines, allowances, and support services can be obtained by calling the UAW-GM Relocation Service at 1-866-256-8105. You are encouraged to use this UAW-negotiated service to assist with your relocation needs. HEALTH CARE AUDIT DEADLINE – GM EMPLOYEES/RETIREES ONLY: The deadline for GM
Active and Retired enrollees to submit
dependent documentation has been extended
until May 26, 2009. Failure to send in all
required documentation will result in
dependents being dropped from your health
care policy. Ineligible or unverified
dependent(s) will be dropped from GM’s
health care effective June 1, 2009. UNION MEETING SCHEDULE FOR 2009 – GM AND PREMIER MEMBERS: Following is a tentative schedule of Membership Meeting dates for the remainder of 2009: May 17; August 9th; September 13th; October 11; November 8th; and December 13th. These dates are subject to change due to production and holiday scheduling. |
CHAIRPERSON’S REPORT – UNIT 1 (GM) FATHER’S DAY: Fathers – such an integral part to a family;
yet, for some reason a father doesn’t seem
to receive the recognition for his place in
the family that he deserves – he just seems
to be taken for granted. Has your Dad asked
you to give him a call and you respond to
him that you will call tomorrow? Then,
tomorrow comes and you don’t call. Has your
Dad asked you to come see him and you
respond that you will see him tomorrow?
Then, tomorrow comes and you don’t go see
him. Has your Dad asked you to go fishing,
play golf, play dominoes, or just hang out
with him and you respond, “Sure, we can do
that tomorrow”. Then, tomorrow comes and
somehow you just don’t get around to fishing,
playing golf, playing dominoes, or just
hanging out. But, then, “I’m sure Dad won’t
mind – he knows how busy I am.” Well, Dad
may not say anything; Dad may not show that
he’s just a little bit hurt; but, you can
bet that hurt feeling is deep down in his
heart. Of course, that hurt feeling will
not come to you as a Dad until you experience
those times with your own children. So,
don’t wait: Make that call; go see your
Dad unannounced; do something special for
him without telling him; tell him how he
made a difference in your life; let him know
that he is special – that he’s not just the
person who comes home tired and late from a
hard day’s work. Tell him you don’t just
take him for granted. Tell him he means
everything to you. HAPPY FATHER’S DAY to all our members who are Father’s. SUB-COUNCIL MEETINGS: I am currently out of the plant attending the UAW-GM Sub-Council Meetings. I will fax back any information we are given so that we can get it out to you before you leave the plant Friday, May 15, 2009. LAYOFF: To everyone who will be laid-off during the next eight weeks, I would like to wish you well and hope you take the opportunity to enjoy spending time with family and friends during the time off. Be safe – we want to see everyone return in good health in July. JUNE AND JULY RETIREMENTS: Again, I would like to extend congratulations to all our members who will be retiring either June 1st or July 1st. We are going to miss you. Be sure to take the time to enjoy your retirement and most of all don’t forget to attend the monthly Retirees’ Meeting at 10:30 AM on the first Tuesday each month – there will not be a Retiree Meeting in July. Happy Retirement. CALL YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE NOW AND ASK HIM OR HER TO SUPPORT SB 1569: The bill delivers $555 million to Texans
who have lost their jobs through no fault of
their own; expands unemployment insurance
eligibility to cover 45,000 more jobless
Texans, mainly those who are low-wage or
part-time workers; and will cut taxes for
employers who are struggling in the
recession. |
CHAIRPERSON’S REPORT – UNIT 1 (GM) MOTHER’S DAY: “Mother’s Day” – one of the important days
of the year that is set aside to specifically
honor Mothers across the country. Have you
asked yourself what you would be or where
you would be today without the gentle touch
and love given to you by your Mother? Have
you taken the time to tell your Mother how
special she is to you? Have you taken the
time to tell your Mother how much you love
her? Have you taken the time to do something
special for your Mother without it being a
special occasion but “just because”? If the
answer to any one of these questions is “Yes”,
then treat your Mother to an extra special
day on Sunday, May 10, 2009 – give her a
special card; give her flowers; take her to
lunch or dinner; give her a special gift
that she will cherish. Don’t take your
Mother for granted – she has always stood
by you and supported you in your endeavors. TEAM MEETINGS 5/13/09: The 5/13/09 Team Meetings will be combined with lunch providing an hour long period to allow everyone the ability to celebrate all upcoming occasions: Retirements, Juneteenth, July 4th, and any other special occasions. SUB-COUNCIL MEETINGS: I will be out of the plant next week (May 11 – 15, 2009) attending the UAW-GM Sub-Council Meetings. I will fax back any information we are given so that we can get it out to you before you leave the plant Friday, May 15, 2009. JUNE AND JULY RETIREMENTS: Congratulations to all our members who will be retiring either June 1st or July 1st. We are going to miss you. Be sure to take the time to enjoy your retirement and most of all don’t forget to attend the monthly Retirees’ Meeting at 10:30 AM on the first Tuesday each month – there will not be a Retiree Meeting in July. Happy Retirement. CALL YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE NOW AND ASK HIM OR HER TO SUPPORT SB 1569: The bill delivers $555 million to Texans
who have lost their jobs through no fault of
their own; expands unemployment insurance
eligibility to cover 45,000 more jobless
Texans, mainly those who are low-wage or
part-time workers; and will cut taxes for
employers who are struggling in the
recession. |
PRESIDENT’S REPORT – UNIT 1 (GM) MEMBERSHIP MEETING: Our May Membership Meeting has been moved back one week due to the Mother’s Day Holiday. Therefore, we will have our May Membership Meeting at 2:00 PM, Sunday, May 17, 2009, at the UAW Local 276 Union Hall. UAW-GM SUB-COUNCIL MEETINGS: Chairperson Belinda Langley and I will be attending the UAW–GM Sub-Council Meetings Monday through Friday the week of May 11 - 15, 2009. We will report details of the meetings to the membership at the May 17, 2009, Membership Meeting. Skilled Trades Representative Ricardo Baltrell will attend the UAW-GM Skilled Trades segment of the Sub-Council Meetings. TEXAS WORKFORCE COMMISSION (TWC): Representatives from the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) will be in the People Center on Tuesday, May 12, 2009, between shifts. These Representatives will also be available on Wednesday, May 13, 2009, between shifts in the Body Shop Cafeteria. Information on filing unemployment claims with the State of Texas will be presented at these sessions. OUT- OF-STATE UNEMPLOYMENT INFORMATION: We are collecting as much contact information as possible on as many state unemployment agencies as we can for our members who have transferred to GM Arlington. This information will be distributed over the next two weeks for you. SHORT WORK WEEK BENEFITS: The UAW-GM Benefit Representatives have
received numerous questions about qualifying
for Short Work Week Benefits. The 2007 UAW-GM
National Agreement, Exhibit D to Agreement,
Article I Eligibility for Benefits, Section
1. (d), states the following: DISTRICT SHOP SPECIAL ELECTION: The results of the Special Election for Shop Committee ordered by the International Union are posted on the Union’s bulletin boards. By winning the Special Election for Shop Committee, Ed Amie (who was on the ballot representing District 3A) will now become the District 3A Committeeperson. Therefore, there will not be an election for a District 3A Committeeperson. TARRANT COUNTY POLL WORKERS: In an effort to assist GM workers where they can, the Tarrant County Election office is asking that any of our members who would be interested in working on Tarrant County Election Day, May 9, 2009, call 817-831-8683. You must be a Tarrant County resident, already registered to vote, and the pay is $9 per hour. The hours are from 6:30 AM to approximately 7:30 or later. You will not be allowed to leave during those hours. If you are interested, call the above number. FAMILY PICNIC: Check the bulletin boards and monitors for information on the Family Picnic on June 6, 2009. |
SHOP CHAIRPERSON’S REPORT – UNIT 1 (GM) Based on the announcement that was made this morning by the Plant Manager, the Arlington Assembly Plant will be operating the week of May 11, 2009. The week of May 18, 2009, and the week of May 25, 2009, we will not be working but we will qualify for Short Work Week and Holiday pay. This qualification is because we will have worked the week before per the National Agreement. Therefore, the first week of unemployment will begin the week of June 1, 2009. When I get anymore information, I will get it out to you. |
PRESIDENT’S REPORT – UNIT 1 (GM) UNEMPLOYMENT INFORMATION - GENERAL MOTORS - UNIT 1: We are in contact with the Texas Workforce
Commission (TWC) and will be delivering more
information between now and May 8, 2009.
For now, here are some basic Unemployment
facts to remember: * You do not need to
visit the UAW-GM Benefit offices to learn
how to file a claim. Simply read the
following information and also any materials
you receive from the Texas Workforce
Commission. GM TRANSFEREES – UNIT 1: * Transferees who have
worked less than one year in Texas will file
unemployment claims in their former state.
Check with your former state and the State
of Texas to see what unemployment benefits
are available. PREMIER EMPLOYEES - UNIT 2: We have contacted Premier management offering assistance with passing along information to Premier employees. As of today, we have not received any lay-off information from Premier Management. Official lay-off notices will be delivered by Premier Management. If we receive any lay-off or recall information, we will pass it along to you as a courtesy. TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES: You may qualify for unemployment compensation depending on your past work history. We recommend you contact the Texas Workforce Commission and inquire about unemployment compensation benefits. ALL EMPLOYEES: Even though General Motors will notify the
Texas Workforce Commission of your layoff
status, it is the position of General Motors,
Fidelity and your state unemployment agency
that it is your ultimate responsibility to
make sure your claim is processed. You can
do this by reading all materials mailed or
delivered to you and following the
instructions presented.
|
SHOP CHAIRPERSON’S REPORT – UNIT 1 (GM) DOWNTIME: As announced yesterday, the General Motors Arlington Assembly Plant will be on a nine-week shutdown beginning May 11, 2009, and employees will return to work on Monday, July 13, 2009. As always these dates are subject to change. Due to the fact that you will be on layoff and changes could arise during that period of time, the only way we will be able to get the information to you is through our website: www.uaw276tx.org Be sure that you monitor that site frequently. Remember when you do look at the website: If there is no new information on it, it is because we have not received any new information. The messages on the website will not be changed on a daily basis; it will only be changed when we have new information. UNEMPLOYMENT: During the shutdown you will be required to
file for unemployment. IT IS
MANDATORY THAT MANAGEMENT AND THE UNION
HALL HAVE YOUR CORRECT ADDRESS.
Even if you think GM and the UAW have your
correct address that may not be a valid
assumption. Get hold of Management and the
Union Hall (972-647-1282) immediately.
GM will be sending the layoff information
along with the address of record they have
for you to Austin. Austin will in turn mail
your layoff packet to that address. As we
have experienced in the past, members call
us because they have not received their
packet; and, when we check, it’s because of
a bad address. Additionally, open
the packet the day you get it and read the
entire documentation. If you do
not file on the date instructed, you will
be denied unemployment. LUNCH/TEAM MEETINGS: On Wednesday lunch will be combined with the
Team Meetings so that we can celebrate the
rest of the Retirees who are leaving. There
will be an hour lunch. Be sure to attend at least a few minutes of
the Wednesday lunch/Team Meeting because
free Texas Rangers tickets will be handed
out to everyone at the lunch/Team Meetings.
These tickets are for the Ranger game on
Sunday, May 3, 2009. Any child under the
age of 13 that you bring will get a free
ticket to Six Flags. MEMORIAL DAYS: Workers Memorial Day is Tuesday, April 28, 2009, and National Prayer Day is on May 7, 2009. WE MUST ALL PULL TOGETHER: We fully understand that the next few months are going to be a strain on everyone. But, we must, as we have in the past, stick together and know that we will pull through. The best things we can do are to help each other out. The best we can do is not be a party to spreading rumors – if you do not get the information from Local 276 or the Plant Manager, it is a rumor – don’t spread it around. The best we can do is to keep our faith; spend quality time with our loved ones and friends and be ready to go back to work on Monday, July 13, 2009. |
PRESIDENT'S REPORT HEALTH CARE AUDIT DEADLINE – GM EMPLOYEES/RETIREES ONLY: The deadline for GM
Active and Retired enrollees to submit
dependent documentation has been extended
until May 26, 2009. Failure to send in all
required documentation will result in
dependents being dropped from your health
care policy. Ineligible or unverified
dependent(s) will be dropped from GM’s
health care effective June 1, 2009. UAW-GM RELOCATION SERVICES: Information regarding relocation guidelines, allowances, and support services can be obtained by calling the UAW-GM Relocation Service at 1-866-256-8105. You are encouraged to use this UAW-negotiated service to assist with your relocation needs. STANDING COMMITTEES – GM AND PREMIER MEMBERS: Local 276 will be accepting applications beginning 8:00 AM Monday, April 20, 2009, for the following Standing Committee positions: Constitution and Bylaws Committee:
Chairperson and Alternate Chairperson Application deadline is 4:00 PM, Friday May 1, 2009. Applicants must pick up an application form at the UAW Local 276 Union Hall. Applications must be turned in at the UAW Local 276 Union Hall before the deadline at 4:00 PM Friday, May 1, 2009. Applications submitted after the 4:00 PM deadline will not be considered. All GM and Premier members in good standing are encouraged to apply. UNION MEETING SCHEDULE FOR 2009 – GM AND PREMIER MEMBERS: Following is a tentative schedule of Membership Meeting dates for the remainder of 2009: May 17th; June 14th; August 9th; September 13th; November 8th; and December 13th. Dates are subject to change due to production and holiday scheduling. |
PRESIDENT'S REPORT SPECIAL ATTRITION DEADLINE: The deadline to sign-up for the Special Attrition Program is tomorrow, Tuesday March 24, 2009. You must go to the Personnel Office and sign your Forms A & B, before going to the Benefits Office to sign retirement papers. No applications will be processed after the March 24, 2009, deadline. HEALTH CARE AUDIT DEADLINE: All dependent health care documentation must be received by Budco before the April 14, 2009 deadline. Failure to send in all required documentation will result in dependents being dropped from your health care policy. If you have any questions call Fidelity at 1-800- 489-4646. PREMIER RATIFICATION: The employees of Premier Manufacturing Services ratified their first contract on Friday, March 20, 2009. Premier employees working at the GM-Arlington facility now have the opportunity to sign union cards to become members of UAW Local 276. The members from Premier Manufacturing Services will be recognized as Unit number 2 of Local 276 and have their own Chairperson, Committeepersons and Alternates. GM employees will be recognized as Unit number 1 of Local 276. NEW OFFICERS SWEARING-IN: The winners of the March 3-4, 2009 Special Election and March 10 – 11, 2009, Special Election Run-Off were sworn-in Thursday March 19, 2009, as per orders from the UAW International Union. We are awaiting a ruling from the UAW International Union in reference to the “Eligibility Election District 3A” and the District Shop Committee Election. APRIL MEMERSHIP MEETING: Just a reminder: The April Membership Meeting has been changed to April 5, 2009, due to the Easter Holiday. EASTER PARTY: Saturday, April 4, 2009, from 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM at the UAW Local 276 Union Hall, 2505 W. E. Roberts Street, Grand Prairie, Texas 75051. |
PRESIDENT'S REPORT COLA: On Wednesday, March 11, 2009, we received
the following Cost of Living Allowance
notice in the afternoon mail and it states
the following: COST-OF-LIVING ALLOWANCE The 2007 UAW General Motors collective
bargaining agreement provides for adjustments
based on changes in the three-month average
of the CPI-W for all items, less medical care,
United States city average 1982 – 1984 = 100.
Therefore, effective March 2, 2009, the COLA
float for the March quarter will be $0.00. UAW/GM NEGOTIATIONS: UAW Local 276 has not received any official notification of a change of status in the negotiations. UAW Local 276 will only publish information received from and verified by the International Union, UAW. FORD RATIFICATION: Ford has completed their ratification process. The modifications and changes to their agreement were passed by a majority of the voting membership. UAW TEXAS STATE CAP: The UAW Texas State CAP Executive Board members were in Austin, Texas, on Tuesday and Wednesday to testify before the Texas Senate and the Texas Voter Identification Bill. The Texas Senate voted along party lines to approve the measure and refer it to the Texas House of Representatives. UAW UNEMPLOYMENT BILL: Texas is the only state that still denies unemployment compensation to union members who are laid off as a result of a strike being held at another facility. UAW Texas State CAP and the AFL-CIO have worked for years to change this law. During this session, State Representative Kirk England (D-Grand Prairie) will file HB-1564 on our behalf – a bill to modify the current language so that union members would be able to receive unemployment compensation if they are laid off as a result of a strike held at another facility. STIMULUS PACKAGE/UNEMPLOYMENT TOWN HALL: State Representative J. Dunnam (D-Waco) will have a Town Hall type meeting this Saturday, March 14, 2009, at the University of Texas – Arlington. Under the United States Stimulus Bill that was recently passed, Texas has the opportunity to receive up to 550 million dollars to assist with the Texas Unemployment Compensation system. Governor Rick Perry has stated he may not ask for that money even though Texas faces a multi-million dollar short fall in the account to pay unemployment claims. In order to receive these monies, Texas must modernize their current Texas Unemployment Compensation laws (see above). I am an invited speaker to give testimony during these hearings. This is a good opportunity for those who wish to speak to elected officials about our current problems with the Texas Workforce Commission system. The meeting will be at 10:30 AM Saturday, March 14, 2009, in the Hereford Center Rio Grande Room at UT-Arlington, 30 West 1st Street, Arlington, Texas. Everyone is encouraged to attend and participate. APRIL MEMERSHIP MEETING: Just a reminder: The April Membership Meeting has been changed to April 5, 2009, due to the Easter Holiday. WEB SITE UPDATES: I have received many phone calls and e-mails asking for updates on the web site: www.uaw276tx.org. Currently, the International UAW and General Motors are still in negotiations concerning the VEBA. Our web site will be updated when any current information changes or when we receive information we need to pass on to the membership. All information displayed on our web site must first be verified by our UAW International Leadership. Also, please take time to visit the International UAW web site at www.uaw.org to stay informed and to use as a resource for accurate information to counter the untrue facts being written or spoken to the general public. |
PRESIDENT'S REPORT While I was out of town on union business
last week, two letters to the membership
were distributed. I received many calls and
e-mails concerning these two letters and will
respond to them now. MESSAGE FROM GM PAYROLL: W-2 Timing - As a part of payroll's year-end processing, W-2s for the year 2008 were mailed to GM employees during the week of January 26. Employees should expect to receive their documents during or before the week of February 9. Employees who have not received their W-2s by February 13 can contact the Customer Care Center at 1-866-875-2793 (salaried) or the Timekeeping Center at 1-866-245-5957 (hourly). W-2 FORMS FROM LOCAL 276: For members who functioned on union business and were paid by UAW Local 276 in 2008, their 2008 W-2s were mailed out on January 29, 2009. The documents were mailed to the address on the member’s W-4 on file with UAW Local 276. The postal service will not forward these documents. If you do not receive yours by Monday, February 9, 2009, please contact UAW Local 276 at 972-647-1282 between the hours of 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday. MEMBER INFORMATION SECURITY: UAW Local 276 receives many requests for member addresses or mailing lists. Article 37, Section 9, of the UAW International Constitution states: “A Local Union shall not make its membership list available to anyone except for the performance of official Union business or to satisfy the requirements of law.” Under no circumstances will our Local allow any person or business access to our member information. If a person or business has acquired any information pertaining to our membership, they did so without the assistance or permission of UAW Local 276. STANDING COMMITTEES: UAW Local 276 will hold a training session for Standing Committees on Saturday, February 28, 2009. The program begins promptly at 11:00 AM. This training is MANDATORY for all Standing Committee Chairpersons and Alternates. Standing Committee members and other members, who are interested in joining a standing Committee, are encouraged to attend. The program will be brief and refreshments will be provided. MEMBERSHIP MEETING: The February membership meeting will be held this Sunday, February 8, 2009, at 2:00 PM. ELECTION COMMITTEE MEETING: There will be a MANDATORY meeting of the Election Committee this Saturday, February 7, 2009, at UAW Local 276. This Mandatory meeting will begin PROMPTLY at 11:00 AM. You must attend this meeting in order to work the March 3-4, 2009, Special Election. CUSTOM BIKE & CHOPPER CLASS: Date: February 21 & 22, 2009 Time: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM Location: UAW Local 276 Union Hall Information: ETC, Inc.;
Phone 1-888-576-6153; or website:
www.etcracingprograms.com WHITE SHIRT DAY: Remember to wear a white shirt Wednesday,
February 11, 2009, in remembrance of the
1937 Sit-Down strike. |
CHAIRPERSON'S REPORT With all the negative news we are constantly
bombarded with, it becomes a struggle for
each of us to get up, get dressed, and head
for the plant. In the back of our minds, we
are wondering what is going to happen with
General Motors and more importantly to the
Arlington plant. It’s just plain hard to
keep a positive attitude; and that fact is
being reflected in the plant on a daily
basis. Therefore, I have been meeting with
the Plant Manager, the Shop Committee and
the Area Managers to let me go back and
empower the membership - our most valuable
asset. Keep up the good work and be sure to give us your suggestions BELINDA LANGLEY - SHOP CHAIRPERSON WILL LANGSTON - COMMITTEEPERSON-AT-LARGE ANTHONY HOUSTON - DISTRICT 1 SHOP COMMITTEEPERSON |
CHAIRPERSON'S REPORT OVERTIME: The Bargaining Committee has been advised that overtime that was previously scheduled for the two Saturdays in February has been cancelled. Additionally, the week of March 2 – 6, 2009, we will be working – we will not be laid off. LINE SPEED: Effective March 9, 2009, our line speed will increase by 1.5 jobs per hour. JULY DOWNTIME: The International UAW advised us today that Arlington has been approved to work the week of July 6 – 10, 2009. If you have questions about us working that week, contact your Committeeperson. PARAGRAPH 78s: Please get with your Committeeperson so that we can process all paragraph (78)s as soon as possible. There should be no job in the plant that is overloaded. After talking with the leadership of this plant, it was decided that we are going to ask the Teams to propose ideas on how to resolve paragraph 78 issues within the Teams. Therefore, we are asking all Teams for their input. We understand that the Teams are our most valuable resource and should be the ones we go to for these types of issues. So, put your thinking caps on to help resolve job overload (paragraph 78) issues. Only the Teams know the problems that are occurring within their Teams. SUB AND UNEMPLOYMENT: [See January 26, 2009, Shop Chairperson's Report located in the boxes at the plant. The Shop Chairperson cannot get involved with SUB and/or Unemployment - must be addressed by the Local's President per the International UAW.] BREAKDOWNS: I had a talk with the Plant Manager about the numerous breakdowns that we are having. She informed me that she is working on trying to resolve those issues. Hopefully, our Skilled Tradespersons can successfully get this done. MISSION STATEMENT FOR ARLINGTON: We are asking that all Arlington GM employees get involved in submitting language that should be included in a “Mission Statement” for Arlington. To encourage participation for a “Mission Statement”, we are holding a contest that started last Friday, January 23, 2009, and will end on February 4, 2009. The prize to be handed out is to be determined. HAPPENINGS AT OTHER PLANTS: The Delta plant in Lansing as well as
Lordstown and Pontiac are losing their 2nd
shifts. We wish all of those employees well.
These are shaky times for all GM employees. US JOB LOSSES: As we have all been hearing in the news,
more and more Americans are losing their jobs
as the economy continues its downward spiral.
Just today GM announced plans to eliminate
shifts in the second quarter at plants in
Ohio and Michigan, shedding about 2,000 jobs.
Sprint Nextel Corporation plans to cut 8,000
jobs and those cuts will not the end of cost
cutting for them. Microsoft will be laying
off 15,000 employees by the end of January.
Caterpillar is shedding 5,000 jobs on top of
the 6,500 employees already laid off which
is in addition to about 8,000 contract
workers. Add to these the number of banking
industry employees who will be receiving
pink slips before Friday, and you can see
the massive number of employees who are
joining the ranks of the unemployed each
month – with no slow down in sight. Keep up the good work |
PRESIDENT'S REPORT PRESIDENT OBAMA: President Barack Obama ordered a review of all of President Bush’s Executive Orders. I’m sure our UAW representatives in Washington, DC, will ask his administration to review some of the executive orders pertaining to working people. George W. Bush’s first act as a new president was to repeal repetitive injury safeguards and other organized labor sponsored work place protections. We are hopeful that these union-won protections are reinstated. U.S. CONGRESS: The U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senators were sworn-in on January 6, 2009, in Washington, DC. In the House of Representatives, Democrats hold a 256 to 178 seat majority over Republicans. Democrats also hold a 56 to 41 majority over Senate Republicans. This lead is just a couple of votes shy of the 60 vote majority needed to stop filibusters and require a vote on legislation. TEXAS LEGISLATURE: Texas State Representatives and Senators were sworn-in on January 13, 2009, in Austin, Texas. The first order of business was electing a new Speaker of the House - Representative Joe Straus, III, (R-San Antonio) was elected by a unanimous voice vote. The House is made up of 76 Republicans and 74 Democrats. The Senate consists of 19 Republicans and 12 Democrats. U.S. LABOR SECRETARY: U.S. Congresswoman Hilda Solis (D-California) was nominated to serve as Labor Secretary in the Obama administration. Congresswoman Solis was re-elected to a fourth term. Her mother was an assembly line worker and her father was a union steward for the Teamsters Union. This is a very positive development for organized labor. BRIDGE LOAN DEADLINE: Terms of the bridge loans given to GM and Chrysler include a February 17, 2009, deadline for the UAW, GM and Chrysler to present their restructuring changes. U.S. Representative Barney Frank, (D-Mass.) has written legislation removing the conditions President Bush put on the UAW and its members. The bill is unlikely to pass in the Senate. UNEMPLOYMENT/SUB: We have been in constant communications with the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) and SUB regarding all the problems we are experiencing with them. Overpayments, PIN numbers, and long waits on phone lines are issues being worked on. TWC UNEMPLOYMENT FUND: The fund Texas uses to pay unemployment claims is facing a $447 million deficit. State officials are looking at different measures to replenish the fund and say all claims will be paid. Many states are facing the same situation. TEXAS STATE CAP: I will be travelling to Austin this week to attend an AFL-CIO, State CAP Legislative Conference. While in Austin, I plan to meet with the TWC representatives as well as State Representatives about our issues. CHILD CAR SEAT CHECK: UAW local 276, GM-Arlington, Cooke’s Children Hospital, and Tarrant County Safe Kids are conducting a free child safety seat check. The date is Sunday, February 18, 2009, from 1:00 – 5:00 PM at the GM-Arlington plant. To make an appointment, call 682-885-2634. Please participate and protect your little loved ones. UNION MEETINGS SCHEDULED FOR 2009: The following is a tentative schedule of Membership Meeting dates for 2009: February 8th; March 8th; April 5th; May 17th;
June 14th; The July meeting is always cancelled due to the July shut-down period. Dates are subject to change due to production scheduling. SPECIAL ELECTION DATES: [See 1/26/09 President's Report in the boxes at the plant.] POCKET CALENDARS: UAW Local 276 pocket calendars will be ordered after the results from the UAW International ordered Special Election are certified. This decision was made in order to avoid added expense. COMMITTEE-ROOM PHONE NUMBER: If you need to call the Committee Room from outside the plant, you must call Plant Security at 817-652-2200. They will transfer your call. Please remember there is no voice-mail for that phone line. WHITE SHIRT DAY: In observance of the 1937 Sit-Down Strike, UAW Local 276 is asking all members to wear a white shirt to work on Wednesday, February 11, 2009. Also, watch the boxes next week for historical information on the 1937 Sit-Down Strike. EMPLOYEE FREE CHOICE ACT: The Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) is the most important Labor legislation since the Wagner Act and the right to organize was won. This law would allow workers to sign a card indicating they wanted to form or join a union. This process often called “Card Check” would give workers a quicker and binding process to become a unionized workforce. We will be presenting you with information about the proposed legislation and its progress in future reports and flyers. |
PRESIDENT'S REPORT HEALTH CARE AUDIT DEADLINE REMINDER: If you have dependents on your health care plan, you should have already received a letter from GM/Fidelity asking you to confirm these dependents. The letter also asks you to send documentation for each dependent. If Fidelity does not receive your documentation before February 13, 2009, your dependents will be dropped from your policy - NO EXCEPTIONS. Do not hesitate. Send in your documentation now. If you have not received this letter or have questions regarding this audit, call Fidelity at 1-800-489-4646. TWC OVERPAYMENTS: We have been working with TWC over the holiday period about the Notice of Overpayment Letters. TWC, Fidelity, and SUB have been working through their reporting procedures. If you have received a Notice of Overpayment Letter, please read it carefully. Check your records and verify whether you were on a lay-off or if you worked on the week listed in the letter. You can check if you were paid by GM that week by looking at the “Pay Stub” screen on the General Motors Socrates web site. If TWC paid you for the week in question, you should have a statement of account letter or check stub for that week. In either case, you must call TWC at the number on your letter to prevent further problems with your unemployment compensation payments. If you received a “Notice of Overpayment” and have not called TWC and resolved the issue, TWC may withhold the overpayment amount from your unemployment check. MESSAGE FROM PAYROLL DEPARTMENT: Vacation payout for hourly employees will be
paid on 1/30/09 (Roll 05 w/e 1-25-09). Questions
regarding vacation pay, call Timekeeping at
1-866-245-5957. TO VIEW YOUR GM PAY STUB INFORMATION ONLINE (CURRENT & PRIOR PAY PERIODS) 1. Go to: socrates.gm.com 2. Select “Enter mySocrates” 3. Enter GMID and Password (If you are a first time user follow steps under the “First Time User” link) 4. Select “myServices” 5. Select “Personal” option 6. Select Pay Stub link under
“My Personal Information” JANUARY MEMBERSHIP MEETING: The January membership meeting has been rescheduled for Sunday, January 25, 2009. We will be electing additional members for the Election Committee. You must be present to be elected to the Election Committee. |
PRESIDENT'S REPORT HEALTH CARE AUDIT DEADLINE REMINDER: If you have dependents on your health care plan, you should have already received a letter from GM/Fidelity asking you to confirm these dependents. The letter also asks you to send documentation for each dependent. If Fidelity does not receive your documentation before February 13, 2009, your dependents will be dropped from your policy - NO EXCEPTIONS. Do not hesitate. Send in your documentation now. If you have not received this letter or have questions regarding this audit, call Fidelity at 1-800-489-4646. |
PRESIDENT'S REPORT WEB SITE UPDATES: I received many phone calls and e-mails during the holiday period asking for updates on the web site. We have not received, nor did we anticipate any new information during the holidays. Rest assured our UAW International Leadership and National Bargaining Committees are working very long hours on our behalf. The web site will only be updated if any current information changes or if we receive important information we need to pass on to the membership. Also, please take time to visit the International UAW web site at www.uaw.org to stay informed and to use as a resource for accurate information to counter the untrue facts being written or spoken to the general public. MEDCO PRESCRIPTIONS: During the holiday downtime, a computer error caused many Retirees to be dropped from the MedCo eligibility list. The UAW Local 276 Benefit Representatives and I worked with Fidelity and MedCo to remedy this situation. All Retirees who were dropped have been reinstated. If you are one of the affected Retirees and paid for a prescription, you will receive a refund. You may take your receipts back to your drug store and ask them to resubmit them to MedCo for payment and get a refund from the store. Also, you can take your receipts to the UAW Benefits Office and have them submitted for reimbursement. If you still have problems getting prescriptions filled, call Fidelity at 1-800-489-4646. TWC OVERPAYMENTS: We have been working with the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) over the holiday period about the “Notice of Overpayment” letters. The TWC, Fidelity, and SUB have been working through their reporting procedures. If you have received a “Notice of Overpayment” letter, please read it carefully. Check your records and verify whether you were on a lay-off or if you worked on the week listed in the letter. You can check if you were paid by GM that week by looking at the “Pay Stub” screen on the General Motors Socrates web site. If the TWC paid you for the week in question, you should have a statement of account letter or check stub for that week. In either case, you must call the TWC at the number on your letter to prevent further problems with your claim during this downtime. Do not delay taking action if you received a letter. BENEFIT REPRESENTATIVES: UAW 276 Benefit Representatives are available in the plant Monday-Friday, 6:00 AM - 4:00 PM. We were only allowed to work two Representatives during the January downtime. Also, we still do not have voice-mail in the Benefit Offices. Please be patient and keep trying the phone lines at 817-652-2485 and 817-652-2486. TEXAS WORKFORCE COMMISSION: If you are filing a Texas Unemployment claim
and have not received an information packet
from the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC),
please call them at 817-420-1600 or
972-339-6200 and notify them of your
situation. OUT OF STATE CLAIMS: If you are filing unemployment claims in states other than Texas, you should have already contacted that state’s Unemployment Agency. Your last day worked (compensated by GM), if asked is January 2, 2009. |
CHAIRPERSON'S REPORT Shortly after US President George Bush made his announcement about the Bridge Loan to the auto industry, Plant Manager Alicia Boler-Davis, Local 276 President “JR” Flores, and I had a meeting with Congressman Joe Barton about President Bush’s announcement. In that meeting, he provided us with the following plan designed to help the auto industry: “PURPOSE: The terms and conditions of the financing provided by the Treasury Department will facilitate restructuring of our domestic auto industry, prevent disorderly bankruptcies during a time of economic difficulty, and protect the taxpayer by ensuring that only financially viable firms receive financing. “AMOUNT: Auto manufacturers will be provided with $13.4 billion in short-term financing from the TARP, with an additional $4 billion available in February, contingent upon drawing down the second tranche of TARP funds. “VIABILITY REQUIREMENT: The firms must use these funds to become financially viable. Taxpayers will not be asked to provide financing for firms that do not become viable. If the firms have not attained viability by March 31, 2009, the loan will be called and all funds returned to the Treasury. “DEFINITION OF VIABILITY: A firm will only be deemed viable if it has a positive net present value, taking into account all current and future costs, and can fully repay the government loan. “BINDING TERMS AND CONDITIONS: The binding terms and conditions established by the Treasury will mirror those that were voted favorably by a majority of both Houses of Congress, including: • Firms must provide warrants for non-voting stock. • Firms must accept limits on executive compensation and eliminate perks such as corporate jets. • Debt owed to the government would be senior to other debts, to the extent permitted by law. • Firms must allow the government to examine their books and records. • Firms must report and the government has the power to block any large transactions (>$100 million). • Firms must comply with applicable Federal fuel efficiency and emissions requirements. • Firms must not issue new dividends while they owe government debt. “TARGETS: The terms and conditions established by Treasury will include additional targets that were the subject of Congressional negotiations but did not come to a vote, including: • Reduce debts by 2/3 via a debt for equity exchange. • Make one-half of VEBA payments in the form of stock. • Eliminate the jobs (sic) bank. • Work rules that are competitive with transplant auto manufacturers by 12/31/09. • Wages that are competitive with those of transplant auto manufacturers by 12/31/09. “These terms and conditions would be non-binding in the sense that negotiations can deviate from the quantitative targets above, providing that the firm reports the reasons for these deviations and makes the business case to achieve long-term viability in spite of the deviations. “In addition, the firm will be required to conclude new agreements with its other major stakeholders, including dealers and suppliers, by March 31, 2009.” In conclusion, we are still facing a tough road ahead; however, if we all work together, keep building the quality products we are known for, and get out and talk-up General Motors and its products, we will survive. Don’t sit back and wait for your co-workers to take the necessary steps to keep us profitable, you must take the first step. We will survive. As soon as we get clarification of the International Union (Detroit is shutdown today due to snow), we will get it out to you. Therefore, it is very important that you monitor our website to get the latest update. INFORMATION WILL NOT BE PUT ON THE WEBSITE UNTIL WE GET IT FROM THE INTERNATIONAL UNION – THIS WILL NOT OCCUR EVERYDAY. Additionally, we may not hear anything from the International until after the holidays – we just do not know at the moment. So, be patient. Again, enjoy your holidays; make sure you file your unemployment claim on the date you are assigned (NO EXCEPTIONS); and be safe. Standing in Solidarity |
PRESIDENT'S REPORT AUTO INDUSTRY LOANS: President Bush announced this morning that the Treasury Department will make emergency loans available to keep General Motors and Chrysler out of Bankruptcy Court. The funds will come out of the TARP Fund which Congress approved to save the US Financial Industry. Emergency loans equaling $13.4 billion will be issued for immediate help and $4 billion will be made available in February. We are pleased that the administration reviewed all options available. WHAT’S NEXT: Even though these temporary loans have been approved, this does not mean all is fixed. The strict restrictions and conditions associated with the loans are non-negotiable and must be met by the stated deadline. We will be required to make some very unpopular sacrifices. What those sacrifices will be will be communicated to us by our UAW International leadership. As we receive information, Chairperson Belinda Langley and I will pass it on to the membership. KEEP TALKING IT UP: As you have seen and heard, a majority of the American public opposes any help for us and wants us to fail. We must keep talking to family, friends, and neighbors about what we contribute to our communities and our country. The most important point we need to make is that this issue is not about us or Detroit, rather this is about everyone in the USA. We need to let those we talk to know that our failure will affect them and their families, too. It is up to all of us to save ourselves. We are not safe yet. UNEMPLOYMENT & SUB INFORMATION: For important information as well as addresses, phone and fax numbers, in addition to websites for the various state unemployment agenices, pick up the December 19, 2008, President's Report in the plant. The information in that report has information for employees who have been at the Arlington plant for more than 12 months and information for members who have transferred to Arlington during the past 12 months. If you have questions about filing for unemployment, contact the Benefit Representatives. They will be in the Benefit Office during the layoff. IT IS MANDATORY THAT YOU FILE YOUR UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIM ON THE DATE YOU ARE TO FILE - NOT DOING SO MAY CAUSE YOU TO BE DENIED UNEMPLOYMENT. DON'T TAKE THE CHANCE. STAY INFORMED: During the downtime, please check our web site for any important information if any becomes available. The web site will only be updated if any current information changes or if we receive important information we need to pass on to the membership. Also, please take time to visit the International UAW web site at www.uaw.org to stay informed and to use as a resource for accurate information to counter the untrue facts being written or spoken to the general public. I would like to thank each and every one of you who stood up for us during these last few weeks. We have truly shown Solidarity at the time we needed to the most. Please keep up the good work and have a safe and happy holiday season. |
CHAIRPERSON'S REPORT As we prepare for the end of our work year, I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We should all celebrate the true meaning of Christmas - not the excuse to spend more than we can afford but the reason to share our home and friendship with those who may be less fortunate. This holiday season, take the time to mend old wounds - take the time to regain lost friendships. The love and respect of family and friends are the best gifts we could ever ask for. Don’t give those gifts away because of bad feelings or because of a misunderstanding. Hopefully, everyone will be able to spend time with family and friends as well as having the time to get things done that you have been putting off. For our transferred members, I hope you will be able to travel home to be with your loved ones. I know that this holiday season is going to be a tough time for all of us with the uncertainty of the economy and not knowing what the outcome for GM will be in 2009. We just have to remember to be strong, to stand together as one, and to not let the things we are hearing in the news media get us down. When friends, neighbors, and family ask why we are not doing anything to help General Motors, remind them of the concessions we have already made and more importantly remind them that, if the auto industry determines they can require their workers to give in to anything they want, that trend will follow to other businesses. Remind them that the 40-hour week they enjoy is a direct result of actions by labor unions. Remind them that their vacation and holiday pay are also a direct action of labor unions. Remind them that their health care is a direct result of negotiations of labor unions with organized companies which was in turn picked up by non-organized businesses. Remind them that there are many other employment benefits they get as a direct result of organized labor. If we give those things up, so will they. SENIORITY LIST: For information regarding the seniority list, pick up the Shop Chairperson's Report dated December 17, 2008, in the plant. TWO-TIER MEMBERS: For information regarding Two-Tier members, pick up the Shop Chairperson's Report dated December 17, 2008, in the plant. I look forward to seeing everyone back on
January 20, 2009 |
PRESIDENT'S REPORT ADULT CHRISTMAS PARTY: The membership has voted to cancel the Adult Christmas Party. Members discussed the following reasons for cancelling the party: • Increased costs of paying for the party due to higher venue, food and related charges • Uncertainty of our job situation • Costs of the UAW International Union ordered Election related to the Irene Polito Appeal decision • Negative publicity of holding an expensive party while we are asking for loans to survive Refunds for tickets purchased will be processed at the Union Hall by check only - tickets must be turned in for a refund to be paid. UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMS: Members who recently relocated to Texas will have to file unemployment claims in their previous state. We strongly recommend that members filing unemployment claims in Texas use the online option to file their claims online. This option is quick and simple and will result in getting your payment faster. The TWC web site is www.twc.org SUB PAY BENEFITS: Members who qualify for unemployment compensation will also be eligible for SUB Pay during the lay-off weeks. HEALTH CARE AUDIT: If you received a letter from General Motors asking for dependent verification, you must send in the requested documentation prior to February 13, 2009. For further explanations or questions about dependent eligibility, call Fidelity at 1-800-489-4646. FAILURE TO SUBMIT YOUR DOCUMENTATION PRIOR TO FEBRUARY 13, 2009, WILL RESULT IN YOUR DEPENDENTS BEING REMOVED FROM YOUR INSURANCE. AUTO INDUSTRY LOANS: We are still awaiting word from the Bush White House on a possible automotive loan package. Please continue with phone calls to Senators and Representatives at 1-877-331-1223 and the White House at 1-202-456-1111, or send emails to www.comments@whitehouse.gov to the White House asking for support. UAW-GM NATIONAL NEGOTIATIONS: As reported in the previous Chairperson and President’s Reports, our National Negotiating Committee is reviewing the 2007 UAW-GM National Agreement for possible modifications and changes. Our Chairperson and I will inform everyone when we get Information from our UAW International leadership. Any information will have to be verified before it is published. UAW PRESIDENT GETTLEFINGER’S MESSAGE: If you were not able to see President Gettelfinger’s press conference last Friday, it is available on the UAW web site at www.uaw.org. Our President did a great job of explaining the truth about our pay, benefits and the real reasons the Senate voted against Auto Industry loans. THE NEWS MEDIA: While we do not discourage our members from speaking to the media, we ask that you remember two important facts: We are not asking for a “Bail-Out”, we are asking for a “BRIDGE LOAN” that will be repaid. Also, we have already made big sacrifices, and are asking that further sacrifices be fair and shared equally by all stakeholders. KIDS CHRISTMAS PARTY: Check the monitors and bulletin boards for times and location. ELECTION COMMITTEE MEETING: The Election Committee will meet Wednesday, December 17, 2008, in the People Center at 3:30 PM. UAW LOCAL 276 WEB SITE: Please visit our Local’s web site for the most current information during the Holidays and January downtime. Updates will only be made if there are any changes we need to communicate to the membership. |
CHAIRPERSON'S AND PRESIDENT'S REPORT It is very disappointing to all of us that not only our Senators from Texas but other Senators voted to deny the Bridge Loan to the Big Three. As a result of that the denial, we here at Arlington are going to be negatively impacted. I am sad to give you the news that follows: • When we leave for the
Christmas holiday December 23, 2008, we will
not return to work until Tuesday, • We will be laid off the week of March 2, 2009 • Management is going to cut production by 30% As of right now, we are making all the sacrifices we can. Do not listen to the negative comments that are being made by the media or the general public. Each of you knows that you are doing the very best that you can to build a quality product. Each of you knows that you have no control over the purchasing decisions of the public. Each of you knows that you have no control over the banks and whether or not they will loan customers money to buy the products we produce. Just remember that our International UAW representatives are working hard to keep us employed and working in our best interests. To that end, the International is looking at different options as to what can be done; however, we don’t know what those options are. We must all have faith in them. As we get information from International and the plant, we will keep you posted and updated. We have just received information from the Associated Press: “Aboard Air Force One – The White House says it is considering using the $700-billion (U.S.) Wall Street rescue fund to prevent U.S. automakers from failing. “President George W. Bush’s press secretary Dana Perino said Friday it will be ‘irresponsible’ to further weaken the economy by letting the Detroit car companies fail. “Separately, the U.S. Treasury also said it stands ready to ‘prevent an imminent failure’ of auto companies.” If you want to make comments about this decision or the auto industry in general, go to whitehouse.gov – do it today. |
CHAIRPERSON'S REPORT OVERTIME: Overtime is scheduled to end on December 19, 2008. At the present time, there is no overtime scheduled for January 2009. The continued uncertainty of the US economy is having a negative impact on vehicle sales. Therefore, the start time for 2nd shift will move back to 3:30 PM beginning December 22, 2008. As always, things are subject to change. BRIDGE LOAN: Congress convened over the weekend to work out a compromise on the Bridge Loan for the auto industry. The next step in the process is that it must now be approved by the Senate and the House of Representatives. The compromise isn’t everything we wanted but hopefully it will be enough to last us until February 2009. RUMOR CONTROL: There has been NO mention in Detroit of reducing our wages by $10 an hour. If they decide to reduce our wages in any manner, I will truly, truly get you the information as soon as I get it. Additionally, there has been no talk of taking anything away from Retirees. If you have questions about what is going on with GM and the UAW as well as information about the Bridge Loan, talk to your Committeepersons; talk to your Committeeperson-at-Large; talk to me; and definitely come to the Union meetings. The International Union contacts the President and the Shop Chairperson with updates or information for us to provide to the membership. The updates and/or information do not come on a daily or weekly basis – only at times that the International releases the information to us. As soon as we get the information, we put it out in the plant through the President and Chairperson Reports. Therefore, if you have not received information from those listed above or gotten the information at our Union Meetings, what you are hearing is nothing but a rumor and should be ignored. |
PRESIDENT'S REPORT UAW-GENERAL MOTORS, FORD AND CHRYSLER On Wednesday, December 3, 2008, UAW International President Ron Gettelfinger convened a combined meeting of the National Councils of GM, Ford and Chrysler. President Gettelfinger stated that this is the first time all three National Councils have held a joint meeting to conduct UAW contractual business. This shows how serious our situation is and how important it is for all UAW members to be united. Delegates listened to a “State of the Big Three” presentation. For factual information on the Emergency Meeting and the "State of the Big Three" presentation, come to the Membership Meeting December 14, 2008, and/or see the President's Report UAW-GENERAL MOTORS, FORD AND CHRYSLER NATIONAL COUNCIL MEETING that was distributed in the plant October 4, 2008. |
CHAIRPERSON'S REPORT UAW EMERGENCY MEETING International President Ronald Gettelfinger summoned all Local Chairpersons and Presidents to a UAW Emergency Meeting on December 3, 2008, in Detroit. He told us to stay informed by going to the International website at uaw.org. He also informed us that the UAW is currently running advertisements in the New York Times and on youtube.com talking about the auto industry. For detailed information on the Emergency Meeting, see the Chairperson's Report UAW EMERGENCY MEETING 12/03/08 that was distributed in the plant. |
PRESIDENT'S REPORT VOTER REGISTRATION: Today is the last day you can register to vote in the 2008 US General Elections. Voter registration applications must be postmarked before midnight tonight. UNEMPLOYMENT (TWC) REMINDER: Members filing claims with Texas TWC no longer have to reset their PIN Numbers prior to requesting payment. Also we are on a one week reporting period. Please pay special attention to the dates in your TWC materials in order to avoid delays. TWC AND TEXAS STATE REPRESENTATIVES: We continue to communicate with our area state representatives to track concerns related to unemployment and the TWC filing systems. If you encounter any difficulties during this most recent lay-off with the TWC system, please notify the UAW-GM Benefit Representatives so we can document them accurately. SUB-PAY INFORMATION: For information about SUB pay, read the 10/06/08 President's Report handed out in the plant. UAW VETERANS: November 2, 2008, is the deadline for UAW Military Veterans to submit their information for recognition on Veterans’ Day. This information will also help us update our Veteran’s Wall to honor all who have sacrificed and served our country. Please see Texan Review for more details. LOCAL 276'S CHILDREN’S HALLOWEEN PARTY: For dates, times and location of the UAW Local 276 Children's Halloween Party, read the 10/06/08 President's Report handed out in the plant, check the monitors, and the Union's bulletin boards. |
CHAIRPERSON'S REPORT WELCOME BACK: On behalf of the Bargaining Committee and me, we would like to welcome back everyone who was on layoff last week. To those members who worked, thank you for your dedication and continuing to do a good job. It is taking all of us working together and doing what we need to in order to keep our plant in operation. OVERTIME: Management has notified the Shop Committee that we will be working overtime both in November and December. Just remember that everything is subject to change. But as of right now, that will be the schedule. Be sure to pay attention in Team Meetings, watch the monitors, pick up fliers put out by the Local; read the information on the bulletin boards, and check the Local’s website for information and updates. PERFORMANCE BONUS: For information on the Performance Bonus and when it will be paid, read the 10/06/08 Chairperson's Report handed out in the plant. CITY, COUNTY, STATE, AND FEDERAL ELECTIONS: Your application to register to vote must be post-marked prior to mid-night today, October 6, 2008, to be eligible to vote in the November elections. ECONOMY: Just a reminder: As we have mentioned in the past, with the economy in such turmoil, it is imperative that we all put money aside in case of emergency situations or layoffs. Ask yourself this question: During the layoffs we have had this year, was I able to pay my bills and get through the layoffs while waiting for my unemployment and SUB payments? If you answered “No”, then you should set up a budget and stick to it. Put money in an interest bearing account every pay check. Small amounts will add up over time. Don’t lose your apartment, house, or vehicle because you have not managed your money properly. Working for GM, we all know that layoffs are part of our work-life. Therefore, we need to save money. DISCIPLINE: For information about discipline, read the 10/06/08 Chairperson's Report handed out in the plant. GMS: For information about GMS, read the 10/06/08 Chairperson's Report handed out in the plant. NEW ATTENDANCE PROCEDURE: We have been trying to get all members to make sure they are familiar with the new attendance procedure. If you have not taken the time to do so, now would be a good time. For more information regarding current actions, read the 10/06/08 Chairperson's Report. PARAGRAPHS (63) (a) AND (63) (b) : For information about (63) (a) and (b) transfers, read the 10/06/08 Chairperson's Report handed out in the plant. |
PRESIDENT’S REPORT UNEMPLOYMENT: Members filing Texas Unemployment claims for the week of September 29, 2008, should read the President's Report handed out in the plant 9/24/08 for IMPORTANT information about filing for unemployment for the layoff week of September 29, 2008 TRANSFEREES: Members who file out-of state claims should continue with the procedures used during the previous lay-offs. BENEFIT REPRESENTATIVES: Benefit Representatives will be available in the plant during the lay-off week. UNION HALL: UAW Local 276 will be open during the down week Monday - Friday 8:00 AM -5:00 PM (972-647-1282). |
CHAIRPERSON'S REPORT LAYOFF SEPTEMBER 29 – OCTOBER 3, 2008: As we are all aware, we are scheduled for another layoff next week (September 29 – October 3, 2008). Hopefully, everyone has been setting aside money so that the layoff will not cause a financial hardship. The Local has been providing information about how to budget and set aside funds for these specific times. With the uncertainty in the national economy, we cannot urge you strongly enough to set money aside. Make sure that you open the packet you receive from the Texas Workforce Commission and that you file on the date assigned to you. COMMITTEEPERSON CALLS: If you are having questions or problems with your job, applying for job transfers, or other issues, be sure to contact your Committeeperson. You elected them to represent you in these areas. They are there to assist you. Contact them. Your Bargaining Committeepersons and the districts they represent are listed on the Bargaining Committee page of this website. |
PRESIDENT’S REPORT UNEMPLOYMENT: Members filing Texas Unemployment claims for the week of September 29, 2008, should read the President's Report handed out in the plant 9/24/08 for IMPORTANT information about filing for unemployment for the layoff week of September 29, 2008 TRANSFEREES: Members who file out-of state claims should continue with the procedures used during the previous lay-offs. BENEFIT REPRESENTATIVES: Benefit Representatives will be available in the plant during the lay-off week. UNION HALL: UAW Local 276 will be open during the down week Monday - Friday 8:00 AM -5:00 PM (972-647-1282). |
PRESIDENT’S REPORT LABOR DAY FESTIVITIES: Welcome back from the Labor Day holiday. Thank you to all who attended the UAW/AFL-CIO Labor Day Picnic. UNEMPLOYMENT REMINDER: Check the President's Report that will be in the plant Tuesday, 9/2/08, for important updates to unemployment. REGION 5 CONFERENCES: Information on upcoming Region 5 Conferences to be held in the DFW area will be in the President's Report that will be in the plant Tuesday, 9/2/08. DEADLINES: September 5, 2008, at 4:00 PM is the deadline to turn in applications for Local 276 appointed positions. Note: The Election Committee will be elected at the September 14, 2008, Membership Meeting – you must be present to be nominated and elected. 2008 US GENERAL ELECTIONS: We are less than 80 days away from Election Day. Our jobs and futures will be decided by those who go out and vote. Are you and your family registered to vote? Will you decide your future or will you allow others to decide it for you?
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PRESIDENT’S REPORT NEW UNEMPLOYMENT CHANGES: The TWC is changing our Call-In dates due to the fact that we will only be laid-off for a one week period. Laid off members with Texas claims will be allowed to call in on the week beginning Sunday, August 31, 2008. You may use the ONLINE option beginning Sunday, 31, 2008. If you use the PHONE-IN option, you must call-in on the date in your TWC information packet. YOU MUST RESET YOUR PIN NUMBER WHEN YOU RECEIVE YOUR INFORMATION TWC PACKET PRIOR TO CALLING TO REQUEST PAYMENT. TWC PIN PROCEDURE: The following information was provided to UAW Local 276 by the TWC: How Do I Set Up My PIN?
New Procedure for Personal Identification Number (PIN)
Fort Worth – 817-420-1600 If you need assistance, call TWC Customer
Service at: Fort Worth - 817-420-1600 North Texas - 972-339-6200 (New) Outside DFW 1-800-939-6631 TRANSFEREES Members who file out-of state claims should continue with the procedures used during the previous lay-offs. BENEFIT REPRESENTATIVES: Benefit Representatives will be available
in the plant during the lay-off week. UNION HALL: UAW Local 276 will be open during the down week Monday - Friday 8:00 AM -5:00 PM (972-647-1282). LABOR DAY PICNIC:
GM AND THE MEDIA: General Motors is kicking off an aggressive
media campaign to tell our story to the
press and dispel some of the misconceptions
about General Motors and the U. S. Auto
Industry. Rick Wagoner, Chairman and CEO of
General Motors, will be the next guest on
CEO, KERA-TV/Channel 13’s monthly business
program hosted by veteran journalist Lee
Cullum. The program will premiere in August
and an encore presentation will be in
September. Please note the broadcast dates
and times: 2008 UAW REGION 5 SPECIAL V-CAP CRUISE TICKET DRIVE: Purchase your tickets to support our CAP Program and possibly win an all expense paid cruise for two. Winners can choose from an Alaskan, Hawaiian, Mexican Riviera, or Caribbean Cruise. Members may purchase tickets from CAP Committee, Standing Committee, or Executive Board members. Tickets may also be purchased at the UAW Local 276 Union Hall. 2008 US GENERAL ELECTIONS: We are less than 80 days away from Election Day. Our jobs and futures will be decided by those who go out and vote. Are you and your family registered to vote? Will you decide your future or will you allow others to decide it for you?
Please register now and vote early. Have a safe and happy Labor Day- It is our day! |
AUGUST DOWNTIME HOURLY PAYOFF During the down week of August 25 - 29, 2008, hourly paycheck distribution will be on Thursday, August 28, 2008, from 12:00 PM (noon) to 2:00 PM in the lobby area just north of the Security Office located at the southeast corner of the plant - enter Gate 6 from Abram Street. Paychecks not picked up by 2:00 PM will be mailed. All direct deposit stubs will be mailed to the employees’ address of record. For mailing address updates, please go to Hourly Personnel at Column A-14 to complete change of address forms. NOTE: Skilled Trades, GM Labor Maintenance, and other hourly employees working during the down week will be paid as usual by their Supervisors. Reminder: Per the UAW Local 276/GM Arlington 2007 Local Agreement, direct deposit is required for all employees effective September 15, 2008. Direct deposit forms and mailing envelopes are located in department Timekeeping Forms Centers for your completion and mailing for processing. Attach a voided personal check to the form. It takes approximately 3 weeks to get direct deposit initiated. Questions regarding paycheck issues, please call Timekeeping Center 1-866-245-5957. TO VIEW YOUR GM PAY STUB INFORMATION ONLINE (CURRENT & PRIOR PAY PERIODS) 1. Go to: http://socrates.gm.com/ 2. Select “Enter mySocrates” 3. Enter GMID and Password (If you are a first time user follow steps under the “First Time User” link) 4. Select “My Services” 5. Select “Personal” option 6. Select Pay Stub link under
“My Personal Information” |
FROM THE CHAIRPERSON LAYOFF AUGUST 25 – 29, 2008: On Friday, August 22, 2008, at the end of 1st Shift and the beginning of 2nd Shift, “JR” Flores and I will be at the gates to handout information about unemployment and SUB for the week of 8/25 – 29/08 regarding all employees including the two tier and temporary employees. Make sure that you take the time to take the information from us to help avoid the problems we have had in the past. This information does not replace the information you will be receiving from the Texas Workforce Commission. You will need to read and familiarize yourself with the information provided by the TWC as well as from the Union. If you are scheduled to be laid off during the week of August 25 – 29, 2008, remember that you must file for unemployment to be eligible to receive SUB pay. Members who will be filing with the State of Texas will receive an unemployment packet that will tell you what date you are to file on. REMEMBER – IF YOU FILE YOUR CLAIM BY TELEPHONE, YOU MUST RESET YOUR PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (PIN) PRIOR TO FILING YOUR CLAIM. Also, cell phones CANNOT be used to file your claim in the State of Texas. To save yourself time and headaches, file your claim online at www.twc.state.tx.us. By filing online, you can file on the Sunday of the week you are scheduled to file; you will receive your unemployment money faster; and you will receive your SUB pay faster. Additionally, you will not have to remember to reset your PIN each time. When you receive your unemployment packet, read the information about filing online – you’ll be glad you did. To our members who must file Louisiana unemployment claims, remember the State of Louisiana requires you to file the first day you are laid-off. Don’t delay – file on Monday August 25, 2008, with Louisiana. If you are laid off and must file other out of state claims, be sure that you file at the appropriate time and have the required documentation you need. If you have questions about filing out of state claims, check with the Benefit Representatives. UNION MEETING: Our next union meeting will be at 2:00 PM, Sunday, September 14, 2008, at the UAW Local 276 Union Hall, 2505 W. E. Roberts Street, Grand Prairie. If you have not attended a meeting or haven’t been to a meeting in a while, we encourage you to attend your union meetings. That is the place to get your questions answered and learn what is upcoming with the union. With all the rumors that are constantly on the floor, it is impossible to go to each individual member on the floor and answer their questions about what they are hearing. That’s one of the reasons we hold union meetings. We can provide members with the correct information and answer others that might arise when we give that information. FLIERS, HANDOUTS, AND THE LOCAL 276 WEBSITE: When was the last time you picked up a flier, handout or checked the UAW Local 276 website? Have you or any of your coworkers made the state, “Well, the union never tells us anything – they don’t keep us informed.” How we keep you informed is by placing fliers and handouts on the bulletin boards and in the boxes at the gates – have you picked one up lately? We also run information on the plant monitors – have you watched it? Additionally, we place the same information on the Local’s website: www.uaw276tx.org – have you gotten information from the website? We do all we can to get the information to but you must do your part to check for the information. Be proactive – look for the information. PROTECT OUR JOBS: We are encouraging all members to help protect our jobs. The next time you, your family or friends buy a new vehicle remember the products we build at Arlington. Our vehicles are top notch quality with good gas mileage – keep us working; sell our products; drive our products; promote our products. Have a safe and enjoyable time off next week |
ACT NOW! WEDNESDAY - AUGUST 20, 2008, all hourly Primary Enrollees (active employees, retirees, surviving spouses and COBRA enrollees) must CANCEL any ineligible dependents covered through the GM Health Care Program without penalty. Do not call if dependents continue to be eligible. September 1, 2008, is the effective date of cancellation for dependent(s) reported as no longer eligible. Primary Enrollees canceling dependents will be sent confirmation letters.IMPORTANT: Later in the year, Primary Enrollees will be asked to provide documentation for those remaining eligible dependents. Dependents found to be ineligible later may result in a financial penalty to the Primary Enrollee. Do not cause yourself a problem. Verify the new rules for dependent eligibility with Fidelity at 1-800-489-4646. Call TODAY if you are not sure about the eligibility for your dependents. |
IMMEDIATE ATTENTION ALL EMPLOYEES WHO FILE CLAIMS FOR UNEMPLOYMENT UNDER “MASS” LAYOFFS MUST RE-ESTABLISH THEIR PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS (PIN) EACH TIME THEY ARE LAID OFF. HOWEVER, YOU MAY USE THE SAME PIN EACH TIME. TO RESET YOUR PIN CALL: DALLAS (214-688-7088) - PRESS OPTION “4” WITH EACH NEW LAYOFF, PLEASE RE-ESTABLISH YOUR PIN AS SOON AS YOU RECEIVE YOUR TWC PACKET. IF YOU NEED ASSISTANCE, CALL TWC CUSTOMER SUPPORT AT: DALLAS (214-252-1200) |
ATTENTION THE TEXAS WORKFORCE COMMISSION (TWC) WILL BE IN THE PEOPLE CENTER TUESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2008 TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE UPCOMING LAYOFF AUGUST 25 – 29, 2008. |
PRESIDENT’S REPORT DEPENDENT HEALTH CARE VERIFICATION DEADLINE (DEPENDENT CANCELLATION): All hourly Primary Enrollees (active employees, retirees, surviving spouses and COBRA enrollees) must CANCEL any ineligible dependents covered through the GM Health Care Program without penalty BY AUGUST 20, 2008. Do not call if dependents continue to be eligible. September 1, 2008, is the effective date of cancellation for dependent(s) reported as no longer eligible. Primary Enrollees canceling dependents will be sent confirmation letters.IMPORTANT: Later in the year, Primary Enrollees will be asked to provide documentation for those remaining eligible dependents. Dependents found to be ineligible later may result in a financial penalty to the Primary Enrollee. Do not cause yourself a problem. Verify the new rules for dependent eligibility with Fidelity at 1-800-489-4646. Call immediately if you are not sure about the eligibility for your dependents. DIRECT DEPOSIT REMINDER: DIRECT DEPOSIT FORMS SHOULD BE COMPLETED AND MAILED NO LATER THAN FRIDAY, AUGUST 22, 2008. All GM Arlington hourly employees must have direct deposit for their weekly pay beginning the pay week ending September 21, 2008. Since it takes approximately three (3) weeks to get direct deposit started, a direct deposit application must be completed immediately. Please obtain a direct deposit form and mailing envelope in your Timekeeping Forms Center located in your respective department or at Hourly Personnel (Column A14). Complete the form, attach a personal voided check, and mail the direct deposit form with the voided check to ACS in El Paso, TX (in the envelope provided). It takes at least 3 weeks to get the direct deposit initiated. All direct deposit stubs will be mailed from the Print Center in Flint, Michigan, each week to the employee’s address of record. Please make sure your address is correct on your paycheck/stub. Address corrections can be completed in Hourly Personnel. Direct deposit stubs WILL NOT be distributed at the Arlington plant.ONLINE PAYROLL INFORMATION: Get your pay information earlier by checking your hours worked and wages before payday. To view your GM pay stub (Current and Prior Pay Periods) information online: 1. Go to: http://socrates.gm.com/ 2. Select “Enter mySocrates” 3. Enter GMID and Password (If you are a first time user follow steps under the “First Time User” link) 4. Select “My Services” 5. Select “Personal” option 6. Select Pay Stub link under
“My Personal Information” STANDING COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONS AND ALTERNATES: UAW Local 276 will be accepting applications for Chairpersons and Alternates for the following standing committees: Civil and Human Rights; Constitution and Bylaws; Community Services; Education; Legislative and Political Action; Recreation and Conservation; Union Label; Veteran’s; Women’s; Consumer Affairs. Deadline for acceptance of applications is 4:00 PM Friday, September 5, 2008. STANDING COMMITTEE APPLICANT VOLUNTARY INTERVIEWS: UAW Local 276 Executive board members will hold voluntary interviews for interested Standing Committee applicants. Interviews will be limited to 5-10 minutes per applicant.
SECOND SHIFT LOCAL UNION BENEFIT REPRESENTATIVE: UAW Local 276 will be accepting applications for one (1) 2nd Shift Local Union Benefit Representative. Applications are available at UAW Local 276. Deadline for acceptance of applications is 4:00 PM Friday, September 5, 2008. You must be working on second shift at the time you apply. All applications will be sent to the International Union September 8, 2008. 2008 – 2011 ELECTION COMMITTEE MEMBERS ELECTION: UAW Local 276 will have an election for members of the 2008- 2011 Election Committee. Nominations and voting will be held at the September 14, 2008, Membership Meeting. You must be a member in good standing to be nominated and elected. |
IMMEDIATE ATTENTION **************************************************************************** UAW LOCAL 276 JUST RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION FROM THE TEXAS WORKFORCE COMMISSION (TWC):
WITH EACH NEW LAYOFF, PLEASE RE-ESTABLISH YOUR PIN AS SOON AS YOU RECEIVE YOUR TWC PACKET. ADDITIONALLY, THE TWC HAS EXTENDED ITS HOURS TO: 7:30 AM – 6:30 PM. IF YOU NEED ASSISTANCE, CALL TWC CUSTOMER SUPPORT AT: DALLAS DALLAS (214-252-1200) |
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