INFORMATION BULLETIN - June 11, 2007

C.O.L.A. INFORMATION: The three-month average for March, April and May of 2007 is 194.29, yielding thirty-cents (30¢) per hour, following an eight-cent (8¢) diversion from our Collective Bargaining Agreement. Therefore, effective June 4, 2007, the total cost of living received in your paycheck will be two dollars and thirteen cents ($2.13) per hour.

JULY 4th CONVERSION: Sign up in Human Resources June 11th through June 15th at midnight.

WORKING THE 4th OF JULY?? – IMPORTANT NOTICE: Anyone scheduled to work July 4th still needs to sign up for the conversion in Human Resources, otherwise you will be paid holiday pay in your paycheck along with your weekly wage.

RICHARD T. GOSSER GOLF CLASSIC: Two foursomes are needed from our membership to golf in the Region 2-B Scholarship Invitational on July 29th at the Thunderbird Hills Golf Club in Huron, Ohio. The entry fee is prepaid. Those interested must come to the union hall with a list of their team members Monday June 11th through Friday June 15th between the hours of 8:30 AM to noon and 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM. A random drawing will be held for the two teams to represent Local 2000 at 4:00 PM in the main cafeteria on Monday June 18th. No lost time will be paid for those attending.

INVERSE SENIORITY SIGN UP for periods of temporary layoff will take place for Skilled Trades, Plant Services, Material Handling and Executive Board members beginning Monday July 16th at 8:00 AM through Friday July 20th until midnight. This list becomes effective August 6th through January of 2008.

SUPPLEMENTAL OPT OFF POOL: Sign up in Human Resources now through June 29th if you have the qualifications.

PAYCHECK INFORMATION: Paychecks for the week ending July 1st will be distributed on Friday July 6th by the main cafeteria between 9:00 AM and 1:00 PM, along with unemployment information (if needed). Paychecks for the week ending July 8th (4th of July holiday pay if you did NOT convert or you were not eligible to convert your holiday to a personal day) will be distributed on Friday July 13th by the main cafeteria between 9:00 AM and 1:00 PM. Please bring your Ford identification card or another form of picture identification with you.

UNEMPLOYMENT INFORMATION FOR VACATION SHUTDOWN: Members with less than 80 hours of vacation MUST file for unemployment (if eligible) by calling 1.877.644.6562 or by filing online at unemployment.ohio.gov. Important Information for filing your claim is listed below and further instructions are available in Human Resources and on our web site at www.uawlocal2000.org. Please follow the instructions carefully.

1. You must use claim number 700274 for any layoff during the vacation shutdown.

2. If you have forty (40) hours of vacation, but less than eighty (80) hours, claim the second week.

3. Anyone with less than forty (40) hours must sign up for both weeks.

4. Holiday pay is to be claimed the first week (only if you are receiving unemployment for that week).

SUB PAY: You may sign up in Human Resources during normal business hours: 8:00 AM through 3:00 PM, Monday through Friday ONLY IF IT IS A WAITING WEEK or if you are paid 10 or 20 hours for the second week of vacation. You must bring your denial slip from the state to sign up for sub. Once you start getting an unemployment check, your SUB pay will be automatic (no signing up necessary). You must be a seniority employee and have at least one year and one day of service to be eligible for sub pay. Human Resources will be closed Wednesday July 4th.

WILLIAM C. FORD SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM: College sophomores who are dependent children may be eligible for a one-time $1500 scholarship. Forms may be picked up at Ray Berisko’s office or at the union hall. Applications must be postmarked by July 1st. Please call Ray at 933.1399 if you have any questions.

MEDICAL LEAVES: If your medical leave ends during the shutdown, you MUST CLEAR through Medical and Human Resources at that time and you will then be put on vacation. If your medical leave expires during the shutdown, you must provide continued medical leave coverage from your doctor to the plant Medical Department. If you DO NOT do so, you will be sent a five (5) day notice. Human Resources staff will be on duty from 8:00 AM through 3:00 PM during the shutdown, except for Wednesday July 4th.

LOCAL 2000 ANNUAL PICNIC: This year, Local 2000’s annual picnic will be held at Jacob’s Field on Saturday July 29th. The game is the Cleveland Indians versus the Minnesota Twins and the start time is 1:05 PM. Tickets will be sold in the plant on June 22nd and June 25th and Bob Mey, Sophie Langer, Tim Youngless, Sue Piscione and Tony Garcia of the Recreation Committee will also have tickets available for sale. Adult tickets are $20.00, children’s tickets are $10.00 (ages 3-10) and all children 2 and under do not need a ticket. The package includes your ticket and a 2 ½ hour all you can eat buffet. The picnic starts when the gates open at 11:30 AM.

The menu for our picnic this year will be BBQ chicken, BBQ pulled pork, hot dogs, rigatoni, baked beans, potato salad, cookies and assorted Pepsi products. All children 14 and under will receive a Slider Potato Head and will be allowed to run the bases post-game and 20 kids will win exclusive autograph session with selected Cleveland Indians players.

LOCAL 2000 VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR THE LABOR DAY CELEBRATION: This year’s event is already being planned. Volunteers are needed for setting up the day before the event, for working the food line the day of the event and for cleaning up the day after the event. If you are interested in volunteering for this year’s event, please contact Amy Jaynes-Brown, E.R.C., at 440.933.1244 or Linda Lynch, our secretary at the union hall, at 440.934.3151, extension 21 to sign up to be a volunteer. The first 100 volunteers will receive a commemorative Labor Day Celebration t-shirt.

13th ANNUAL LORAIN COUNTY ORGANIZED LABOR’S LABOR DAY CELEBRATION IS SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 2nd: Plan on attending our celebration in Lorain from noon until 8:00 PM. The event is the largest of its kind in the state of Ohio.

There will be continuous music, amusement rides, pony rides, 25¢ hot dogs, soda, bottled water and chips and thousands of dollars in free prizes given away (such as trips, grocery store gift certificates and much more), as well as a raffle to win a 2-year lease on a FORD F-150 SUPERCAB 4X4. The truck raffle tickets are $1 each or six for $5 and will soon be on sale in the plant and at the union hall. The drawing for prizes will begin promptly at 6:30 PM. We ask those planning to attend to please bring a non-perishable food donation to this year’s event.

UAW LEGAL SERVICES HAS MOVED. PLEASE MAKE NOTE OF THEIR NEW CONTACT INFORMATION. Their new phone number is 440-282-1392 and their new address is 5300 Baumhart Road, Lorain, Ohio 44053.

PRESIDENT AND CHAIRMEN: If needed during the shutdown, you can reach Tim Donovan, President, by calling the union hall at 934-3151 Extension 22 or by calling pager number 1-888-517-8256. Nick Gallogly, Chairman/Unit 1, can be reached by calling his office in the plant at 933-1321 or by calling pager number 1-888-780-3098. Chris Viscomi, Skilled Trades Chairman, can be reached by calling his office at 933-1424 or through the plant paging system at 933-1483, number 0231.

NEXT UNION MEETING: Due to the membership’s action at the May union meeting, the summer membership meetings have been cancelled. Our next membership meeting will be held at 2:30 PM on Sunday September 9th at U.A.W. Local 2000 Union Hall.

The Executive Board, Chairpersons, Bargaining and Committee Structures, Appointees, Office Staff and I would like to wish you and yours a safe and happy vacation and Fourth of July holiday.