Chairman's Report
By Tom Kanitz

There will be a .18 cent increase to the COLA bringing the amount of COLA paid to $1.46 per hour. This increase is in effect June 3, 2002.

As of August 1, 2002 all employees with under 10 years will fall under the Local agreement for the 10 to 20 year employees for attendance procedure. You may find this on page 33 of the Local Agreement.

We would like to welcome 50 new UAW employees to the Saline Visteon Plant.

Vacation shutdown will be the weeks of July 1, 2002 and July 8, 2002. This is a well-deserved break for our member's hard work and commitment. Have a safe and happy shutdown. If you wish to pick up your check for the previous week you may do so on July 5 from 8am to noon in Conference room A. Employees will enter through the front lobby. Hope you have a nice fourth of July.

Ford Motor Company has discontinued the Continental and Mazda Villager thus causing a loss in product for Saline. The employees involved in the eliminations of the two product lines will be absorbed in the system. We will continue to push for new products at Saline like the 17 new jobs on the 222/228 and new truck panel (221) coming in 2003.quality is an important part of this task. We must continue to build a quality product safely.

The grievance Software (Grievance Maker) has come a long way from its birth. It is my goal to see this program through its completion. This program has great potential and will provide our committee with state of the art technology. This technology at its maturity will allow your committee to produce grievances with more effiency. Status information will be readily available to all Committee, Bargaining and Chairpersons.

The 2002 Education and Health fair will be held in the Training Center on August 28, 2002 from 6am to 6pm, hope to see you there.

Don't forget the Pete Pestillo Family Service & Learning Center will be having a grand opening on July 21st at 850 S.Hewitt Rd. in Ypsilanti from 2pm-7pm.

The American Red Cross will be holding a blood drive August 21st and August 22nd. I encourage the members to donate blood and the supervision to work with the employees to ensure that everyone has a chance to donate.

Preparing For a Strike!
This is a reality we may all face and we need to be prepared financially. The collective bargaining process gives workers power in decisions that affect their every-day lives on the job as well as the economic security of their families. However when that process fails we must revert to a more aggressive strategy, "STRIKE". Ford and the UAW have had a good working relationship for some time and we hope to continue this relation.