To All Brothers and Sisters of Local 88
The company announced yesterday another 2 week extension to the layoffs. This has been ongoing for quite sometime. Updates have been hard to come by as the semi conductor issue is controlled by suppliers and answers have not always been forthcoming nor timely. As of yesterday we now have much more information and I want to pass on what the remainder of the year will likely look like. This is not 100% but having no information is extremely stressful and the money situation is getting tight for many members.
GM is 99.9% confident that we WILL BE RETURNING TO WORK ON NOVEMBER 1. Once we go back up, they do not want us to go back down until it is time to retool. Trades as well as some paint and welding people will be needed the last week of October to get the plant re-started – those members will be contacted.
Parts are still an issue so we are likely only going to run 1 shift for the month of November. Please give us a few days to release details as meetings are ongoing. If you need the month of November off, for any reason; childcare, working somewhere else, your just not ready to return, watch for updates. We have 2 shifts of people and only need one shift so for the month of November certain exceptions will be made.
They intend to run 2 full shifts beginning in December, so there will be no more extended time off allowed after December 1.
New KUKA posting went up this week, more may be coming very soon. These postings are mainly to send more people to Michigan to help assist in the new BrightDrop program. It is likely shift work as they run 2 shifts there and they have been working overtime. GM provides a rental car to get you to Michigan and back. You can come home on weekends but they have also been offering overtime on weekends.
I hope that calms the waters a bit, and hopefully sheds some light on what is going on. It has been a very long stretch but hopefully there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
On behalf of Brent Tree and the entire Executive Board and the entire Inplant Committee, we want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. We hope you get to enjoy some family time. Make sure to let the dog take you for a walk and get those legs moving, it finally looks like were coming back to work!! Stay safe everyone!
In Solidarity,
Mike Van Boekel