Warren’s plant manager Tom Cera painted a positive 2012 during a recent quarterly employee informational meeting held within the plant on Tuesday, January 24, 2012. Considering the company’s hands were on the light switch, ready to shut it down for lack of cash flow, the new message was in sharp contrast to reality just a month ago.
Mahoning and Trumbull AFL-CIO Labor Council Endorsements
TRUMBULL COUNTY Clerk of Courts; Karen Infante Allen Coroner; Humphrey Germaniuk Engineer; Randy Smith Recorder; Dianne Marchese Prosecutor; Dennis Watkins Treasurer; Sam Lamancusa 32nd Senator; Capri Cafaro Judge Common Pleas; Andrew Logan Judge Common Pleas; Ronald Rice Judge Family Court; Rick James Sheriff; Tom Altiere 64th State Representative; Tom Letson 65th State Representative; Sean O'Brien State Supreme Court Justice; William O'Neal Judge Court of Appeals; Mary Jane Trapp
Mahoning County County Commissioner; Anthony Traficanti Mahoning County Engineer; Pat Gianetti State Representative; Ron Gerberry State Representative; Bob Hagan Treasurer; Dan Yemma Recorder; Nora Lynn Palermo Sheriff; Jerry Greene Commissioner; David Ditzler 7th Circuit Court of Appeals; Mary DeGenaro 11th Circuit Court of Appeals; Mary Jane Trapp
at the Fraternal Order of Eagles Hall 26 West Wilson Avenue Girard, Ohio
Donations are $6 per person, children under 5 FREE Delivery available on large carryout orders
Contact Cindy Michael at 330-883-0803
Basket and 50/50 Raffles!!
To RG Steel Bargained-For Employees
Effective January 1, 2012 The Health Plan will be the administrator of the sickness and accident benefits for all bargained-for RG Steel Warren employees. MetLife, the current administrator, will continue to process and pay claims only through December 31, 2011.
For those employees currently receiving sickness and accident benefits through MetLife, your claims information will pass automatically to The Health Plan. Unlike MetLife, who also processes the benefit checks, The Health Plan will send a file to RG Steel Warren's payroll department who will process, produce and send the benefit checks to employees. The sickness and accident payments will be processed every two weeks and will be generated with the regular payroll cycle.
The new application forms will be available through the HR department and at the Union Hall. If you have questions call Amy Tuscano 330-841-8284, Bill Williams 330-841-8239, EAP 330-373-6695, or Mike Rounsley 330-373-1377.
It's All About Their Money
Workers at RG Steel, from Baltimore, Maryland to Wheeling, West Virginia to Warren, Ohio all felt as though the company was struggling financially. The realization came front and center for those employees at the Sparrows Point facility just two days before Christmas when workers there were told of the company’s intention of shutting down the Blast Furnace, also known as the primary end.
ALERT! In this economy, every company is closely examining their bottom line, squeezing every dollar out of every corner and unfortunately even your pocket. YOU need to do your own examining as well!
First. If you get injured on the job, only report information pertaining to the accident. Second. CALL MIKE ROUNSLEY AT THE UNION HALL. He will then set you in the right direction. NEVER assume that a company has your interest at heart because unfortunately we know the right answer to that.
When talking with a company doctor for example, talk simple, don't elaborate on your condition. NO SMALL TALKING! Sadly, even talking about how your injury has effected your ability playing ball with your child can have adverse consequences when making a workers compensation claim.
When it comes to your family and getting the assistance you deserve, do the right thing. Call your union hall and get a representative working for YOU.
Problems with Blue Cross/Blue Shield benefits for RG Steel hourly employees
Now that we've been involved with Blue Cross Blue Shield for a while, members of RG Steel are discovering glitches with the new coverage. Mike Rounsley, our insurance and workers compensation chairman, has seen bargained for members slowly coming forward with issues he'd rather not see.
The Blast Furnace is scheduled for a down turn on December 14th. During that time, the company will be looking at the stack to determain how much time they have before the need to spray the liner. Estimates are within the first quarter of 2012. RG Steel will likely take the Blast Furnace down for 4 days for spraying the stack.
What you missed from last month.
Workplace Restructuring Begins
Restructuring. It’s meant to strengthen the bottom line for RG Steel but it’s a tough situation for an older workforce to swallow. Contractually, “the Parties agree to jointly undertake a program that reflects their broad, mutual commitment to significantly change work systems, work culture, work practices, and local working conditions and agreements.” Union leaders wonder what happened to the “jointly” portion of it. “There’s language in the contract that calls for process in order to get to that part,” Darryl Parker, Vice President of Local 1375, says. “They have not done that.”
A Blast at Work They'll Never Forget The night had been smooth and routine, the kind of night you want if you’re working midnight turn at the Blast Furnace. Even the night sky was calm except for some passing clouds. But for the modest sized group working in and around the furnace during the early morning hours of October 17, 2011, all that would change - with a bang.
At approximately 1:45 a.m., without warning, the #4 Stove blew its top off sending a shower of red hot fire brick to about a 50 yard radius. Four by four inch and a touch over one foot long, cherry red from the heat of the stove, the brick pummeled on roof tops and grounds of the stove area.
Old Familiar Buildings Coming Down They’ve been fixtures in this plant for generations. Now decades of steel making history are slowly being dismantled as the cash strapped RG Steel looks for all means of economic stability. The company is about finished with the demolition of the Blooming Mill, which was taken out of service in 1991. According to Tom Cera, Plant Manager, the company is making $400,000 based on scrap value. Another building on its way to the scrap pile is the Electric Furnace. Long out of service since the mid-1960s, proceeds from the demolition are expected to reach one million dollars. Cera also noted that the plagued Acid Regeneration Plant is also planned to come down. At this time, no other departments are facing the wrecking ball, but Cera says other idled departments in the finishing end will be discussed. Company officials have been clear from the start that the cold roll and finishing departments are not likely to restart. In addition to the buildings being scrapped, excess rolls from the Tandem Mill were sold at a value of $400,000.
Electric Furnace
Weakened Stove "Deemed Usable" Before Explosion Workers at the Blast Furnace were praised by Tom Cera, Plant Manager, during an employee informational meeting, for their performance in preventing further damage to the furnace after the explosion of #4 Stove on October 17, 2011. Earlier this year in April, the #4 Stove was “deemed” usable but to be used as a spare only. But on October 12, the decision was made to put it back online temporarily in order to expedite repairs to #1 Stove. The plan called for #4 to be taken down permanently and never used again in its current condition until #1 Stove was repaired.
Please disregard any correspondents from any employees that are not authorized by the USW or Local 1375 to distribute information. (Go to Fact or Fiction tab for accurate information or corrections to rumors.) We are committed to informing the membership with correct and timley information.
USW Local 1375 684 N. Park. Ave. Warren, Ohio 44483 330-373-1375 fax: 330-393-7161
Meetings are held the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month at 7:30pm.
January Newsletter Available
GLOBAL FITNESS
Elm Road, Warren Ohio 330-372-3601
For our membership, Global Fitness is offering a year membership at only $19 a month! Get access to all the new cardio equipment, free weights, weight resistance machines! Join your friends that are already there. Mention Local 1375 and receive the discount. Need more information? Call Global Fitness at 330-372-3601.
Optiview Vision Center is offering RG Steel employees a FREE eye glasses frame on the off year! All extras will be discounted at 20% off! Stop in and Check out their eye wear! They have two locations: Niles @ 330-544-9434 and Austintown @ 330-797-3120.
No Weapons Allowed As a reminder, firearms are not permitted inside the workplace. Even a compound bow can cause an issue. So save yourself some grief by leaving them at home.
Ohio Lottery Ticket Raffle!
Tickets are $1 each or 6 for $5.
Win a snowman covered in $100 worth of Ohio Instant Lottery tickets. Grand prize is up to $5 million!
ALL PROCEEDS TO LOCAL 1375 & RG STEEL RELAY FOR LIFE TEAM Basket gratuitously donated by the Galgozy family.
The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a negotiated benefit for employees of RG Steel. The confidential program can help you with family issues, financial issues, and even substance abuse issues. Call Wanda 330-727-6783 or Barb 330-727-6663 to guide you in the right path.
Join Local 1375 on facebook
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This Web Page is organized by Dan Leihgeber and Ernie Galgozy. For comments please contact Dan by e-mail: dan@uswlocal1375.com
