Auburn WAGE bulletin
Working @ GE
Auburn WAGE Committee, IUE-CWA Sept. 28, 2005
P.O. Box 1144, Auburn, ME 04211
Management scapegoats employees for its mistakes by telling us to get…“Back to Basics”
GE Auburn did not make its production quota in the third quarter. So management recently issued a memo reminding everyone about how important it is to keep breaks short, be at your workstation on time, not linger in the bathroom, etc. They called it “back to basics.”
Several WAGE members comment below on the fallacy of management’s thinking.
A short fable
Once upon a time there was a farmer who needed money to pay his mortgage. He hitched up his wagon and loaded it with fresh produce and headed out to the market. Along the way he decided to take a shortcut because he had heard it was faster that way.
However the road was treacherous and filled with potholes. As a result, much of his produce either bounced out or was damaged. Since the route was unfamiliar to him, the farmer got lost and wandered around aimlessly.
By the time the farmer finally arrived at the market, he didn’t have much produce left and didn’t earn enough money to meet the mortgage payment.
"How could this happen," the farmer cried. "I've always made enough money in the past!"
After some thought the farmer exclaimed, "I know who's to blame!"
Then the farmer whipped his horses!! "There," he said, "that will teach you to pull my wagon too slowly!"
The moral of this story is: "If you own the farm, you can blame anybody you want!"
One worker’s viewpoint
Jill Starbird, VMC set-up
The VMC dept. lost its Lead person to a temporary assignment. The setup people were to assume the scheduling duties and make commitments to customer service. But unfortunately, most had no prior training.
We were told that the tools would be in place to facilitate this transition. However, the arrival of tools was slow or nonexistent.
The dept. did manage to keep above water until the third quarter -- with its usual increase in orders. Every summer it is the same story: increased orders, decreased personnel, and the "have it your way, right away" sales pitch to customers.
This summer though, we did not have our Lead to direct us in the most efficient use of personnel and equipment, or coordination with other depts.
Customer service warranted that we run a few parts of an order, tear down the setup and run a few parts on another order, and so it would go. More time spent setting up a job than producing parts.
Eventually the Lead was returned to the dept. (perhaps to bail out a sinking ship?). Then lo and behold, the Auburn team did not "make their numbers" in the third quarter. An all employee meeting was held and "the team" was spanked.
Now we’re told it’s necessary to “get back to basics.” Start and stop times, break times. Too many conversations going on, no leaving work area outside of breaks without notifying the Lead. The message was loud and clear. The team missed its numbers -- not because of management's poor decisions -- but because the employees were the slacking off. Once again, management finds their scapegoat.
Another worker’s viewpoint
Steve Bean, second shift weld braze
Second shifters haven’t had too much to say about management -- until recently. But they aren’t happy now about being blamed for low output.
Management is jumping through hoops to meet production criteria in Saltillo.
Instead of the normal run over three shifts to make 30,000 pieces and then change over, it’s “Run 20 pieces of this.” That requires a one-hour change over. “Then run 35 pieces of that,” requiring another hour change over. “Now run 50 pieces of this.”
In May we were doing ok. But when June came around, the plant manager went to Saltillo and many managers went bye bye.
Most of our black eyes are dead load or lack of material due to the fact that while the top brass is away, management fails to obtain material we need to fill orders.
Common sense and hard work built GE. But management’s form of entitlement program will destroy it all.
Maine labor law fails to safeguard workers from management abuse of mandatory overtime…
Here is the current language of Maine’s laws regulating mandatory overtime.
§603. Limits on mandatory overtime
2. Limits on mandatory overtime. An employer may not require an employee to work more than 80 hours of overtime in any consecutive 2-week period. [1999, c. 750, §1 (new).]
Source: http://janus.state.me.us/legis/statutes
But the national union contract does!
Under the National Agreement, employees are expected to work a reasonable amount of overtime. The meaning of “reasonable” varies from shop to shop, but is subject to local union negotiations and the grievance procedure.
Contact WAGE at wage@local201iuecwa.org to obtain a copy of the General Electric - IUE-CWA National Agreement, Article V – Section 8, “Division of Overtime.”
Auburn WAGE Committee, IUE-CWA Sept. 28, 2005
P.O. Box 1144, Auburn, ME 04211
Management scapegoats employees for its mistakes by telling us to get…“Back to Basics”
GE Auburn did not make its production quota in the third quarter. So management recently issued a memo reminding everyone about how important it is to keep breaks short, be at your workstation on time, not linger in the bathroom, etc. They called it “back to basics.”
Several WAGE members comment below on the fallacy of management’s thinking.
A short fable
Once upon a time there was a farmer who needed money to pay his mortgage. He hitched up his wagon and loaded it with fresh produce and headed out to the market. Along the way he decided to take a shortcut because he had heard it was faster that way.
However the road was treacherous and filled with potholes. As a result, much of his produce either bounced out or was damaged. Since the route was unfamiliar to him, the farmer got lost and wandered around aimlessly.
By the time the farmer finally arrived at the market, he didn’t have much produce left and didn’t earn enough money to meet the mortgage payment.
"How could this happen," the farmer cried. "I've always made enough money in the past!"
After some thought the farmer exclaimed, "I know who's to blame!"
Then the farmer whipped his horses!! "There," he said, "that will teach you to pull my wagon too slowly!"
The moral of this story is: "If you own the farm, you can blame anybody you want!"
One worker’s viewpoint
Jill Starbird, VMC set-up
The VMC dept. lost its Lead person to a temporary assignment. The setup people were to assume the scheduling duties and make commitments to customer service. But unfortunately, most had no prior training.
We were told that the tools would be in place to facilitate this transition. However, the arrival of tools was slow or nonexistent.
The dept. did manage to keep above water until the third quarter -- with its usual increase in orders. Every summer it is the same story: increased orders, decreased personnel, and the "have it your way, right away" sales pitch to customers.
This summer though, we did not have our Lead to direct us in the most efficient use of personnel and equipment, or coordination with other depts.
Customer service warranted that we run a few parts of an order, tear down the setup and run a few parts on another order, and so it would go. More time spent setting up a job than producing parts.
Eventually the Lead was returned to the dept. (perhaps to bail out a sinking ship?). Then lo and behold, the Auburn team did not "make their numbers" in the third quarter. An all employee meeting was held and "the team" was spanked.
Now we’re told it’s necessary to “get back to basics.” Start and stop times, break times. Too many conversations going on, no leaving work area outside of breaks without notifying the Lead. The message was loud and clear. The team missed its numbers -- not because of management's poor decisions -- but because the employees were the slacking off. Once again, management finds their scapegoat.
Another worker’s viewpoint
Steve Bean, second shift weld braze
Second shifters haven’t had too much to say about management -- until recently. But they aren’t happy now about being blamed for low output.
Management is jumping through hoops to meet production criteria in Saltillo.
Instead of the normal run over three shifts to make 30,000 pieces and then change over, it’s “Run 20 pieces of this.” That requires a one-hour change over. “Then run 35 pieces of that,” requiring another hour change over. “Now run 50 pieces of this.”
In May we were doing ok. But when June came around, the plant manager went to Saltillo and many managers went bye bye.
Most of our black eyes are dead load or lack of material due to the fact that while the top brass is away, management fails to obtain material we need to fill orders.
Common sense and hard work built GE. But management’s form of entitlement program will destroy it all.
Maine labor law fails to safeguard workers from management abuse of mandatory overtime…
Here is the current language of Maine’s laws regulating mandatory overtime.
§603. Limits on mandatory overtime
2. Limits on mandatory overtime. An employer may not require an employee to work more than 80 hours of overtime in any consecutive 2-week period. [1999, c. 750, §1 (new).]
Source: http://janus.state.me.us/legis/statutes
But the national union contract does!
Under the National Agreement, employees are expected to work a reasonable amount of overtime. The meaning of “reasonable” varies from shop to shop, but is subject to local union negotiations and the grievance procedure.
Contact WAGE at wage@local201iuecwa.org to obtain a copy of the General Electric - IUE-CWA National Agreement, Article V – Section 8, “Division of Overtime.”
posted by Rand Wilson at 1:35 PM
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