Victory! Gov. Nixon Signs Jobs Bill at Local 249  

Gov. Jay Nixon came to UAW Local 249 July 15 to sign legislation approving $150 million in tax incentives designed to keep Ford Motor Co.'s assembly plant in Claycomo when the Escape moves to Kentucky next year. The incentive package will save thousands of auto related jobs in Missouri .

After a tortured, four-week process that culminated in a 20-hour filibuster, by Tea Party senate candidate Chuck Pergason, Missouri lawmakers finally approved the jobs bill Wednesday.

"With the sharper, stronger economic tools provided by this jobs bill, Missouri can make sure that our automotive industry remains vibrant for generations to come," said Nixon.

A Nixon spokesman said Wednesday that the governor had a "positive and productive" conversation with Ford CEO Alan Mulally following the bill's passage. In the telephone call, Nixon reiterated the importance of Ford and its supplier network to Missouri 's economy.

Local 249 President Jeff Wright , who has been in Jefferson City fighting for passage of the bill, was elated. “Ford has no more excuses,” he said.

“We fought hard for passage of the tax incentive package,” Wright said, “and we won. Our members build the highest quality vehicles, and we’re the most efficient auto assembly plant in North America . We believe the company will live up to the promises it made when UAW members voted for concessions to keep the company afloat.”

Wright thanked all the members of Local 249 who called or wrote letters urging passage of the act. “Our members understood how critical this bill was,” said Wright. “Their activism was a crucial factor in getting the special legislative session called and the bill passed.” 

KANSAS CITY VACATION SHUTDOWN INFORMATION
ATTENTION:  SENIORITY EMPLOYEES ONLY  

TRUCK SYSTEM
#2 shift Production and Supporting Depts.  

Pay for hrs worked PE 6/27/10                                   Direct Deposit - 7/2/10
80 hrs Vacation Pay (in advance)       
Pay for hrs worked PE 7/4/10                                     Direct Deposit - 7/9/10  

SUV SYSTEM
A Crew Production and Supporting Depts.  

Pay for hrs worked PE 6/27/10                                   Direct Deposit – 7/2/10
80 hrs Vacation Pay (in advance)                                
Pay for hrs worked PE 7/4/10                                     Direct Deposit - 7/9/10  

B Crew Production and Supporting Depts.  

Pay for hrs worked PE 6/27/10                                   Direct Deposit – 7/2/10
80 hrs Vacation Pay (in advance)                     
Pay for hrs worked PE 7/4/10                                     Direct Deposit  - 7/9/10  

C Crew Production and Supporting Depts.  

Pay for hrs worked PE 6/27/10                                   Direct Deposit – 7/2/10
80 hrs Vacation Pay (in advance)         
Pay for hrs worked PE 7/4/10                                     Direct Deposit  -  7/9/10  

ALL START TIMES REMAIN UNCHANGED
July 4^th Holiday Pay  

Holiday pay for Monday, July 5, 2010 will automatically be converted to Excused Absence Allowance (EAA - paid personal)  

Trucks #2 Shift                                    8 hrs holiday pay converts to 8 hrs EAA
SUV A-Crew                                        10 hrs holiday pay converts to 10 hrs EAA
SUV B-Crew*                                      8 hrs holiday pay converts to 8 hrs EAA
SUV C-Crew                                       10 hrs holiday pay converts to 10 hrs EAA  

*Mondays are not part of B-Crews normal work week  

Requests for receiving holiday pay rather than converting to EAA (paid personal) must be made in writing in Labor Relations prior to shutdown.

Seniority employees who have 40 hours or less vacation entitlement may be required to file for UC benefits for the second shutdown week.  To obtain information regarding the need to file a UC benefits claim, see Wes Edwards in the plant Hourly Personnel office as soon as possible after returning from the vacation shut down period.  UC benefit claims must be made within 14 calendar days of the state’s week ending date for the week in which the layoff occurs.   

TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES ONLY  

Temporary employees do not have vacation hours entitlement and must file claims for Unemployment Compensation Benefits.  Temp employees assigned to C-Crew must report their earnings for Sunday, June 27 and Monday, June 28, 2010 when filing their claims for state benefit claim week of 7/3/10.  To calculate your earnings multiply your hourly pay rate times the number of hours you worked on 6/27/10 and 6/28/10.  Multiply that amount by .10 to determine your shift premium and add two totals together to determine total earnings you must report.  

EXAMPLE
$15.24 hourly rate x 10 hours worked = 152.40
$150.24 x .10 C-Crew shift premium (10%) = 15.0240
$150.24 (daily rate) + $15.02 (shift premium) = $167.24
$167.24 would be the total amount you report.  

Temps assigned to C-Crew may make UC benefits claims for state benefit W.E. 7/3/10 after 1:00 pm on Sunday 7/4/10.  

Temporary employees, regardless of where they are assigned, will need to file UC benefits claims for state benefit weeks ending 7/10/10 and 7/17/10.  Since C-Crew will return to work on 7/16/10 they will be required to calculate and report their earnings from Friday 7/16 and Saturday 7/17.  Some temporary employees will be eligible for holiday pay.  This year, July 5, 2010 is the negotiated paid holiday for the 4^th of July.  Those assigned to C-Crew who are eligible for holiday pay will receive 10 hours plus 10% shift premium and temps assigned to other areas/shifts will require 8 hours holiday pay plus 5% shift premium.  Temporary employees who are unsure of their rate whether or not they will receive holiday pay or have any questions regarding earning they must report when filing for UC benefits may call Labor Relations at 816-459-1768 or 816-459-1567 M-F before 4:30 p.m. (except Monday July 5^th) and a Labor Relations representative can provide them with this information.   

  Claims can be filed after 1:00 p.m. on Sundays following the layoff week by calling 816-889-3101 or if that’s not a local call,  call, 1-800-320-2519.  24 hours a day until 5 p.m. on Fridays. 

Production Saturdays Scheduled for Truck System

 Company recently informed us 8 hours production has now been scheduled for the following Saturdays:
 July 24, August 7, August 21, September 11, September 25, October 16, 2010.  

Members of Local Union leadership encourage everybody to be safe and have a well deserved vacation.     

Worker to Worker
If you are interested in receiving informational e-mails from the Union Hall, please stop by and sign up.   Also, members interested in walking an informational picket line at a Toyota dealership can sign up at the Union Hall.  We will have a banner that says Toyota = Profit over People.  We want to remind people of the problems Toyota is having.

The UAW’s National Ford Department has recently informed us that although they continue to pursue settlement of the mass grievances associated with monetary compensation, they were successful at negotiating the reinstatement of the Employee Tuition Assistance Plan (ETAP) benefits for UAW-Ford hourly employees. This grievance settlement provides for ETAP benefits to be reinstated effective on June 1, 2010.  Qualified tuition paid prior to the effective date for the upcoming semester/term may be reimbursable pending proper application as of the June 1^st effective date.  We have been told that in the next few weeks more information and details will be communicated to each location.  Any questions regarding the implementation of the above plan may be directed to the National Program Center ETAP dept. at (313-392-7162).

Scholarship Program Now Funded
Bill Ford has announced that his charitable donations in recent years have provided sufficient funding to continue the Scholarship Program which provides up to $1,500 tuition assistance for children of eligible U.S. Ford employees.  Students must be classified undergraduate sophomores for the 2010 fall term.  Details regarding the 2010 William Clay Ford, Jr. Scholarship Program are provided online at www.hronline.ford.com under Policies and Programs.

Distribution of Pay Stubs Ends June 6
Although the volume of pay errors we were experiencing a few months ago has been significantly reduced, the potential for these errors continuing to be an issue for our members still exists.  Since the Company has notified us that the plant will no longer receive paper pay stubs to provide its employees each week, we strongly encourage our members to get themselves logged into the Pay Stub-Online website prior to this date.  KCAP employees will have no other way to verify accuracy of their weekly pay beyond this date.  Without access to this information via Pay Stub Online, our ability to get these pay errors corrected is limited jeopardizing our ability to recover earnings owed to those members.

Disability Pay at Unicare
As many of you know the disability process changed with Unicare.  To start a medical claim, you must now contact Unicare first at 877-475-9652.  This call not only initiates application for accident and sickness pay, but also Unicare contacts the Medical Department at KCAP to start a conditional leave which helps protect your employment at Ford.  At the conclusion of this call to Unicare, you must request a claim number; Unicare will not give one without you asking and it is proof that your claim was processed.  We encourage ALL members to request this claim number, protect it, it could save your job and your disability pay.

Employee Discounts  
Employee Network has moved to a new home! The new www.at.ford.com website is now a central location for information including daily updated news and discount marketplace, benefits and more.

This web site lists information about all the employee discounts that are available to both active and retired members.

Worlds of Fun Discounted Tickets 2010 - UNION WEEKEND JULY 23-25th!

Just follow the instruction below. 
1.    Visit: worldsoffun.com/union to purchase online $24.49 + tax for Worlds of Fun and $21.99 + tax for Oceans of Fun
2.    If you would like to purchase tickets at the park for the union weekend, you can purchase up to 6 tickets per Union ID card.  

3.    Shop and save on tickets and season passes from the convenience of you home or office. The best part is that when you purchase season passes and tickets online, you print them instantly from your home or office.