Bad News & Current Happenings

[Too Trusting]

I am a retiree, but have a family member currently working at the plant here in the northeast.  Within the last 24 hrs the UAW has come back with the corporate offers for the new contract.  They're not good and no one here will have a Merry Christmas thanks to Burns and company.

Here are some of the highlights - copied from another message board, but all are in fact true.  There may be a few smaller items missing, but this is the basic run down of the high points:

1.) $4.85/hr wage cut for all production (Tier 1) & office.  Skilled Trades cut $1/hr, Tier 2 - cut $2.00/hr
2.) Large $ increase for their healthcare benefits, plus higher deductible. For example - a single policy holder who now pays $25/mo qill pay $175 plus have a $1750 deductible per yr.
3.) NO guarantee of future employment even if the contract is accepted.
4.) Freeze current workers pensions
5.) Dump retiree healthcare & pensions
6. No double time -- time and a half after 40 hrs. only
7. Loss of 1 weeks vacation.
8. No COLA.
9. No dental or eye coverage with insurance.
10. No insurance after retiring for current workers.
11. Only straight benefit for future retirement ... no supplement to
pension.
12. No present negotiations.

Contract expires Sunday night.

 As though that's all not bad enough, when I was still working there, we were promised in exchange for low wages ($12/hr) and many other things passed over that we would have lifelong healthcare and benefits WITHOUT EXCEPTION!  What happened to that?  I'm infuriated that the company can do this to all the elderly retirees that gave their whole life to that company in good times.  When they take my pension where do they expect me (and many others like me) to turn? To my family whom they are taking their wages (and maybe even their job) as well.    

Well at least Burns & Company will have a Merry Christmas now that their bonuses have been granted through the courts.

[SPICEROLDIE]

If you truly receiver promises in writing, the retiree attorneys would like to see it.

Contact them at info@stahlcowen.com

[SPICEROLDIE]

Too trusting:

If you haven't done it already, you might bookmark www.danaretirees.com.

It's a website that helps pass on good information

[canman]

two more hours to go and still no word. as of 4:00 pm today, the burns and co. still won't budge. if this is what they have in store for us. just think about all the other plants that are under labor contracts!!!!!!!!!  i think it would be great if all the north america dana facilities would walk out together to take a stand and get burns and all his cronies out of here. at one time i was more than just a clock number. somewhere I went from being an asset to a liability.

[dockdabber]

This has happened so many time before to the workers as Dana and we have always done the day by day crap.  I feel if we dont stand firm this time we may as well give  up on ever being respected by Dana in the future.  Since Burns got his money, I am not willing to give one damn penny to them.  WE either have a contract even if its a extension  to get them out of trouble or shut them down.  I have seen nothing from them that indicates to me there is a true effort on there part to bring this corporation back to what it once was.  The people really do have the power but they wont take the risk to use it.  If all plants union and non union would just stick together we could send a real message to the Board to the corporation and to all their world wide stockholders and this would for sure make them respond.  We should be seen on Dorr St , at Solidarity house in Detroit, and show up at the annual stockholders meeting.   Bad things only continue to happen, when good people sit back and do nothing.  What do we have to loose?

[Sal]

The problem at Dana is the members of the board.  They make all of the decisions and having Burns as Chairman of the Board, President, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer is akin to having a fox guard the henhouse.  

A solution to the problem is to get a new board that understands what it means to run a respectable business.  

The way to bring forth that type of change is to find good people that are willing to serve on the board.  

Once the people are in place, the stockholders force a meeting, have a vote and the problem is history.

[black day]

i think maybe we should let the jugde decide our fate.look what mr. burns got.how can he get those bonuses and take all from us and the retirees?i dont think he would do it.mr. burns is the only i know that would do that.we are going to loose everything if we dont take a stand.its just a matter of time till he shut down one by one each of our plants. hes taking taking away everything for some people that their spouses have died.lets give him a merry xmas and say, we will let the judge tell us,like he told you, hes banking on us running scare,and who in the hell isnt scare, i know iam,lets stop and think,what is best for us and not for mr. burns.lets give him a merry xmas like he gave us.lets cook his ass good

[1114 guys]

Please keep responding.  We are getting the ammunition we need to make a strong case.  Anything having to do with benefit guarantees or "lifetime" or "annuity" should come to us.  We also need people to contact us on plans that weren't originally Dana plans.  

We can't guarantee what will happen in the end, but we can guarantee that we and the Committee are fighting nonstop to protect your benefits, from every angle possible.  We will soon put out requests for any gaps we have in the plans, so please keep on the look-out on our website www.danaretirees.com.  Thank you, Trent Cornell

[SPICEROLDIE]

Listen to Trent.
He is fighting for us.
Send him everything you can that was ever printed by management...especially if it talks, or even insinuates, about benefits that will be there forever.

[danaworker]

its a bunch of #x@# that the ceo get his millions while we  the workers get screwed. im a tier 1 and it sucks that  they what to cut our pay and our benifits. an the tier 2 wont get #x@# hell they can make just as much flipping burgers.  We at all the dana plants need to pick a date and everyone call in a sick day, e-vac day or something.  to give a message to burns to quit trying to screw the workers.  We are the ones who put the money in his pockets.  If it wasnt for us he would be homeless!!!!!!!!
All I can say its a bunch of #x@#  and burns can kiss my  

all you fellow dana workers let stick together and pick a date to call in and let see how the  big 3 reacts if we shut them down!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

one piss off dana worker

[dockdabber]

Hey Dana worker on top of the Bull #x@# Dana is giving us The UAW is also screwing us again.  I am retired but in the past 33 years have always voted to strike if no contract.  Never has the UAW allowed us to walk.  Yes we did get contracts but after the fact that are strike vote went to waste.  The real kicker is the last 5 contracts have been full of concessions and we still never were given the chance to stand up to Dana.  Now the situtation is a disgrace and the company knows the Uaw is only looking after there own good.  As long as they keep you in the plant, you will be sending roughly 18,000.00 per month to the International union.  See the UAW is no different than Dana  and Burns boys.  Lets keep the money comming in , even if it means pissing off the employees and rank an file.  Even with a job at Dana , its not a good job.

                                         STRIKE      

[black day]

talking dosent cut it. action is what its going to take.the more we put mr. burns pictures in the papers on the t.v.the better off we are.everyone needs to call their papers and tv stations and tell their stories on how mr. burns is playing with everyone livies.the stocksholders will get very upset about all the bad press about him.then maybe they will replace him,in other words we have to out fox the fox.the truth has to be told.

[DanaEmployee#45]

Too Trusting, What message board did you get that information from I would like to check it out if you are willing to share with us.
_________________
I would like to talk to other Dana employees from any facility within the U.S. and Canada. You may contact me via my e-mail or PM.

[Too Trusting]

Sorry I don't have regular access as I use a public computer so it's hard to be consistent on here so I try to keep informed through current employees.

The message board I was referred to was http://messages.yahoo.com, then type in Dana Corporation.  There is alot of other stuff on there to some useful, some not.

For the previous message requests - I'm not sure where the paperwork is if there is any regarding our benefit promises.  Sorry it's been many, many years.  It was part of our ongoing union contracts from back in the 80s at the Pottstown PA location.  Maybe one of the attorneys can get ahold of the old contracts perhaps?  At this point I wish I had been more diligent about filing any papers received.  

[Too Trusting]

Forgot to mention that I will try to locate something that may be able to help.  Maybe there are others out there from this location?