Mark Mohn

Forge Plant Update
 

   Brothers and Sisters,                                                                                                                        6/5/14

     I would like to give you an update on the company’s “plans” to alter a majority of our lives and to better run the facility as a world class plant and their response is… Wait for it….. Wait for it….. Almost…. a second longer….  “We are still working on it”. This is all the company could respond to after working on this “plan” for months, and numerous questions from the Union Leadership and members. They came up with a plan but can’t figure out all the answers on how to implement. It’s pretty scary.  If this is how our competitors do it and we now want to be a follower and not a leader, let’s just call and ask them how they do it. Let’s take a look back at how job combinations have worked thus far at our location. First, Chip and Trim A & H plant separation, (1998). To do this let’s combine Small Aero Chip with Small Aero Final.  Cross training became a nightmare and how to schedule overtime when they only needed a few people, or only needed one department to work. Parts were getting scraped and numerous jobs needed reworked over and over, tools for both sides became too expensive, so then they needed to separate, (0-1). Second, the New Process Specialist Classification, (1999). This was needed to help push us to be a leader in the industry. Duties of Process Specialist: “Facilitate/coordinate problem solving activities and implement/communicate corrective action to appropriate resources and team members. Create and maintain standardized work, quality and safety standards. Coordinate crew members training and education (e.g., cross training on aspects of operation; problem identification and solving methods; improved process activities and standardized work”. This job only lasted about 3 years and everyone within that classification was reduced back to their last held job because it didn’t work out at all (0-2).  Third, the Chip and Trim and Final separation, (2003). This was to fix the cluster they created back in 1998.  This was a combination of repair operators, etchers, truck drivers, laborers and saw helpers to now be called Repair Operators. Final was combined of Bench Hand, Truck, and Etch to now be called Final Operators. Result, still waiting on a rotation and training on overhead cranes along with etching. The salary safety rank folks wanted to then change the rule of everyone in these new classifications from all  driving industrial trucks because of damage to the building, equipment and trucks sky rocketed, (0-3). Fourth, the Heat Treat and Straightener classification 2004. After 10 years 1 person was trained to do everything within this “NEW” classification because “we need it to run the business better and have flexibility.” Sound familiar? That 1 employee that was ultimately trained for “flexibility” recently bid out and is now a truck driver, (0-4). Next up, CNC and Production Machine, (2008). The company once again wanted “flexibility” to cross train all of the Production Machine Operators to be able to run all of the equipment. To date not all of these employees have been trained to run all the Machines, (0-5). A few years back they combined all the duties in HR to have everyone perform all of the everyday functions with the objective of being more “flexible.” We all know how that turned out, (0-6). A new classification was created in 2013 in the Test Lab Department and they still don’t have a training matrix on how to get FOUR people trained, (0-7). After all these combinations for “Flexibility“ and after 15 plus years of countless management changes to “improve the business, we do the same thing today that we did when we started. Now they want to take the biggest department in the plant with over 150 employees in and combine them into two classifications. That’s like taking a Football team and making everyone a Quarterback and a lineman and getting rid of all skill positions. What the company fails to understand is the flexibility they are looking for already exists in the contract, Its called the start up procedure on page 195 in the CBA. I feel they are putting quality and safety behind productivity, because as the company stated over and over, “We only make money when the presses are going up and down”.  So much for Human Performance at Cleveland Works. At this time we have information requests in to the company. When we get updates we will keep everyone posted.

     Another question I’m getting is regards to the new Production Trainees.  I have walked H.R. and Management through this process over and over again and like usual they are going to do it their way. The following is a summary of the process that I’ve been preaching to HR of how to manage the process of placing the new hires; (1) Release all the employees that have won the bid for other jobs over 2 months ago. (2) Back fill those jobs with the Production Trainees. (3) After the Production Trainees have their two weeks in, post for the open jobs in the plant therefore in 4 months you will still have clear and vacant openings to place trainees in after their 90 day probation period. (4) Once classified employees win the bids, release them and back fill the open spots with Production Trainees. If no one bids on a job you can back fill it with a Production Trainee by seniority in that opening, therefore when that employee has their 90 days in they can become classified in that position. See was that so hard?  What the company is doing is placing the new Production trainees in FSW, (one of the highest paying production jobs on the lot), S-plant (the highest seniority jobs on the lot), and CVW. Next after they get their 90 days of “training” in FSW, S-plant and CVW the company will then post the job. Now the employees that won the bid then will move over to FSW, S-plant and CVW. All the new employees that just were trained for 90 days will now need to be retrained in other areas they have never been in. Also the training in FSW, S-plant and CVW will need to start over with all the new bid winners. And that’s the training process at Cleveland Works. Gotta love it. Now with all the issues going on in the plant with posting, points, pay, Job combos, plant movement, untimely grievance meetings, training, swiping, overtime issues, on and on, the only priority of one member in H.R. is his locker room project. Does that now explain a lot?  

     In closing please keep an eye out for all our new Brother and Sisters across the lot. I’ll keep everyone posted on any new information that comes our way. Wishing you and your family a Safe and Healthy summer.

In Solidarity,

Mark Mohn

Forge Plant Chairperson