Akebono Union Meeting

[former union member]

What are the details?

[ABE]

How did the meeting go today?

[Matter of Time]

Management should be on top of it by now. I'm sure there are some that went lickety split running to tell them. Everyone wanted to be nice. We just wanted concerns heard. And we'd just like the company to tell us the truth. When you lie to employees.... well there is no reason to lie about profits. Hard, dedicated workers are being beaten and driven to work even harder and longer hours. It all boils down to it's a Japanese thing. If they cared about their employees, none of this would be necessary. A union was discussed before and the employees voted it down. Then things got worse over the years and it might be time to revisit that vote. We want a voice. A union might get us that voice. It's not about the pay, it's about the mandatory overtime. They will work you to death----LITERALLY!!!

[Gabe]

Shame it has to get to this point. I mean I know people that work really hard there and was happy to get overtime. But, man, after a while that overtime eats at ya and your family and money isn't everything in life. Reminds me of the old farmer that kept beating the old mule until one day the muled just keeled over and died and then the old farmer had another problem on his hands. No mule and now I have to do something with this one. It all boils down to the almighty dollar. How many millions of dollars of profit is this company making and how many big upity upshots are getting big bonuses becasue of the backbreaking work the little peons are doing?

[whateverwhoever]

I don't remember ever voting for or against a union, when was this supposed to have happen. It's going to be very interesting next week at our plant meeting!!!!

[whateverwhoever]

It's pretty sad when HR even lies to ya, they have said for over a month they would talk to us about certain concerns but they have yet to do so, they are just SO BUSY.I think they need to send the whole bunch in HR out the door.

[duh]

akebono japan does not want akebono north america to make a profit.No other reason needed than to look at aluminum and drum...losing money yet making them around the clock!

Im guessing if they hire the hell out of people then when it slows down enough will volunteer to take layoff with a call back date allowing them to use the $10 an hour person instead of the $18 one.

[shame]

shame to hear hr lies. when that happens, plant is pretty well doomed. there should be a law over the 10$ temp and the 18$ employee. America has gone to hell. No protection for it's employees. Bring on the union. That's the only protection an employee can have when you have shit in HR.

[Bruce Tony]

Don't you guys at Akebono have 20 vacations days a year? If you take off on Friday or Monday don't you get the weekend off. That's the way it is in my department. Wouldn't that be 20 weekends off a year?
If I get tired, I just take a Friday off and rest up for 3 days in a row. Maybe you guys should try it.

[not]

Bruce Tony wrote:

Don't you guys at Akebono have 20 vacations days a year? If you take off on Friday or Monday don't you get the weekend off. That's the way it is in my department. Wouldn't that be 20 weekends off a year?
If I get tired, I just take a Friday off and rest up for 3 days in a row. Maybe you guys should try it.

my husband got 4 days his first year and ten the second year and all years after

[bali]

shame wrote:

shame to hear hr lies. when that happens, plant is pretty well doomed. there should be a law over the 10$ temp and the 18$ employee. America has gone to hell. No protection for it's employees. Bring on the union. That's the only protection an employee can have when you have shit in HR.

just saying the temps at the etown plant dont make but 7.25hr even on over time.My friends daugther wrks there wrks all that over time for 7.25 straight pay thats sad, this was just a comment on the temps pay.

[The way it works]

Bruce Tony wrote:

Don't you guys at Akebono have 20 vacations days a year? If you take off on Friday or Monday don't you get the weekend off. That's the way it is in my department. Wouldn't that be 20 weekends off a year?
If I get tired, I just take a Friday off and rest up for 3 days in a row. Maybe you guys should try it.

Well, that's all and good, but who works when you take off to REST????? Ever give it a thought who has to pull the weight of the team when you chose to TAKE OFF? Sounds good, but not for the ones left pulling your load. Tell it like it really is. You're the weakest link or management.

[why]

duh wrote:

akebono japan does not want akebono north america to make a profit.No other reason needed than to look at aluminum and drum...losing money yet making them around the clock!
Im guessing if they hire the hell out of people then when it slows down enough will volunteer to take layoff with a call back date allowing them to use the $10 an hour person instead of the $18 one.

I work in Disc 3, we have only been working overtime to cover LOA's and vacations. Last weekend was the first time two of the lines worked a Saturday this year. The line that supplies to Mexico is working the most because they have raised their numbers before they shut down for a month in August. So don't drag us into the drum mess. And yes the aluminum business is moving to South Caroline, but there are models coming to take its place

[Bankster]

That's the Free Market. Don't like it? Start your own factory!

You Socialist Union Thugs need to quit whining. Get to work!

[Funny]

Bankster wrote:

That's the Free Market. Don't like it? Start your own factory!
You Socialist Union Thugs need to quit whining. Get to work!

and thank you HR! Hahahahaha.

[curious]

why wrote:

<quoted text>
I work in Disc 3, we have only been working overtime to cover LOA's and vacations. Last weekend was the first time two of the lines worked a Saturday this year. The line that supplies to Mexico is working the most because they have raised their numbers before they shut down for a month in August. So don't drag us into the drum mess. And yes the aluminum business is moving to South Caroline, but there are models coming to take its place

So is drum the only ones working so much? What mess are you talking about?

[why]

curious wrote:

<quoted text>So is drum the only ones working so much? What mess are you talking about?

Was just referring to their overtime, and having to stand around waiting on parts on the weekends because components can't keep up. You would think that the teamleaders and managers over there would look at how long a line would be down while waiting on parts and how many parts would be used up before the next shift starts. If it looks like both shifts would be waiting for a majority of their time, why not go ahead and release the shift that is there and allow components to build up for a couple of hours rather than keeping everyone there just waiting?

[Now shooter]

My whole family is union and I love the the union so I say bring it on in

[E-Town Boy]

We all need to read Topix; "Do you approve of Harry Berry". Everybody in Hardin County pocketbook is in jeapordy. We need more money for taxes, lower home values and sewer/water bills. Just what we need, right?

[John]

bali wrote:

<quoted text>just saying the temps at the etown plant dont make but 7.25hr even on over time.My friends daugther wrks there wrks all that over time for 7.25 straight pay thats sad, this was just a comment on the temps pay.

You need to talk to Express Temp Service about the pay. Temps get 1 1/2 time on Saturday and 1 1/2 time on Sunday. They don't get straight time for Saturday and Sunday work. You have been mislead on this by your friends daughter. I do think that temps should make more than minimum wage for the work they do. Akebono pays the temp service a lot more than the 7.25 per hour they make. The temp service pockets the rest. This has nothing to do with Akebono. Complain to the Temp service.