UAW Local 716
479-646-1071
Home Stand Together Stand United Solidarity
Membership meetings are the first Thursday of each month unless otherwise designated.
3rd shift: 6:45am
2nd shift: 1pm
1st shift: 2:45pm
Your Executive Board
President Scott Klomfas
Vice-President Sylvester Hampton
Recording Secretary Irene Holmes
Financial Secretary Cliff Boyd
Trustee Bryan Odom
Trustee Carl Jones
Trustee Elizabeth Woods
Sargent at Arms Rod Gibson
Guide Tammy Oxford
Arkansas Department of Workforce Services
10/06/2016
The cost for Medical Insurance for 2017 is as follows.
Active Employees increased 13.1% for single and 15.8% for Employee and Family
- Single Monthly $111.24 Weekly $25.67
- Employee & Child(ren) Monthly $286.14 Weekly $66.03
- Employee & Family Monthly $328.16 Weekly $75.37
Retiree Medical cost who were 55 before March 20, 2005 Monthly cost increased 13.1% across all tiers
- Single $111.24
- Surviving Spouse $209.13
- Retiree & Family $320.37
Retiree Medical Cost who were under 55 after March 20, 2005 Monthly cost. Rates unchanged from 2016
Retiree $211.90
Retiree & Spouse $423.80
Retiree & Family $508.56
01/06/2017
Members wanting to opt out of the Caremark Maintenance choice program can do so January 1st. Just call Caremark 1-888-769-9030. You opt out for each medication. Everyone has been placed in the maintenance choice program and must opt if they don’t want to participate. Members wanting to continue to use their local pharmacies and not CVS/Target pharmacy must opt out. Members can choose to opt the entire program or choose which prescriptions that want to stay in the program.
01/18/2017
The Union has submitted the following information request to the Company regarding Lynn Haven rate increase to 300 and Fort Smith reduced to 85 units a day.
• Is this a permanent transfer of work from Fort Smith, Arkansas to Lynn Haven, Florida
• What are the plans for 2017 (January - December) for Fort Smith production of i2 product and/or what is the forecasted production (rate per day) of the i2 product in Fort Smith
• Are there any plans for discussions with the Union about any opportunities to retain this work in Fort Smith
• Will this transfer of production of i2 units from Fort Smith to Lynn Haven eventually lead to loss of jobs at Fort Smith
• Are there any other plans for transfer of any other product or production from Fort Smith that would be loss of jobs or create movement in the plant
• Has the agreement with Lynn Haven to run i2 product changed/been modify and if so, please provide the details
02/13/2017 to 2/22/2017
The company announcing plant closing in a couple of months. More to come.
The current plan is for the Bargaining Committee to meet with the Company February 14th to discuss the Severance language in the Collective Bargaining Agreement and how this affects the membership. We will also discuss the plans for the upcoming negotiations that have been previously agreed to in December to begin February 20th. We will communicate all information as soon as possible and keep the membership updated.
The Company communicated there will be no layoffs until the end of April of 2017. At that time all assembly production lines in Fort Smith will end and will move to other Trane plants in the United States (Tyler Texas, Lynn Haven Florida, Vidalia Georgia, Columbia South Carolina). All remaining production in the Fabrication (Sheetmetal) area should end in sometime in the 3rd quarter of 2017.
02/14/2017
Had discussions with the Company today on the Severance language, Job Placement assistance, employee assistance program, and education and retraining assistance in the Collective Bargaining Agreement. We have great Severance language in our contract. The Discussions on the language all went well. We discussed putting information out to the membership on the different options available to assistance members in making their choice. We have agreed to meet again Tuesday February 21st.
The Company communicated they will give WARN notice in February, that Friday April 28th, would be last worked for those members affected by the 1st wave of reductions of around 130 (rough numbers could change).
The Company and Union are in agreement that employees with less than 4 years of service will receive a minimum of 4 weeks of pay in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement.
02/21/2017
The Company communicated today the plan is to have two waves of reductions. The first wave will be around 118 employees on April 28th, 2017. The second wave would be all remaining employees including skilled trades on July 28th, 2017.
2/22/2017
The Company and Union have discussed a 2 year extension to our Collective Bargaining Agreement, final seniority list for employees eligible for severance pay and benefits. The Union has submitted questions to the Company related to Severance, retirement and benefits based on age and years of service. The Company will be working on document for the contract extension and answering our questions. The plan is meet back Tuesday February 28th. The meetings are going good at this time. All discussions are to extend the contract and pay the Severance in accordance with our Collective Bargaining Agreement.
03/08/2017
Below is the Memorandum of Agreement and Final Severance Pay and Benefits agreed to today between the Union and the Company. We will still meet April 1st at Ben Geren Park Safe Shelter Building, 7200 Zero Street, for questions and answers and to vote on this package. Meeting starts at 9am.
03/29/2017
The Company notified the Union in writing concerning the 15 employees that were notified their last day was April 28, they have been extended to July 28th. The Company will work with those 15 employees that may have accepted a job. If any of the 15 accepted a job, please provide proof to the Company by April 4th. After April 4th the 15 employees are expected to be at work until July 28th.
04/21/2017
For members being displaced to another shift on May 1st, the Company will be updating the staffing sheet and be granting shift preference to those members who choose to submit their request by Friday April 21 and make such changes affective for May 1st. All other shift preferences submitted after April 21 and for 2 weeks after such placement will be the possible staffing sheet May 15 or May 22nd should any member submit a request.
Reminder for those members that their last day is April 28th.
All payments will be direct deposit and pay stubs for the following will be mailed (allow 2-5 days after deposit) to their homes as follows;
May 5th (Friday) payroll check for last week worked (April 23 - 28).
May 12 (Friday) All remaining vacation and sick pay (personnel time).
May 19 (Friday) if selected Severance Lump Sum.
The Bargaining Committee will be discussing with the UAW International Rep. Friday the Unions options and plans for all disagreements with severance pay options and how this affects members pensions, members being informed if they choose to retire early prior to 60 and were told they would not be eligible for the 60-62 supplement, vacation eligibility, and all pension eligibility issues. The Bargaining Committee will be addressing these issues quickly but members need to understand these issues may take time to resolve and whatever election members choose the Union will ask for all members to made whole.
Reminder: Flexible Spending Account money needs to spent by the day you leave the plant. This money maybe spent on prescription glasses, contacts, medicine, medical bills, dental bills, and other qualified expenses. Listed below is a link to all covered expenses. The Flexible Spending card will be deactivated after your last day but members can submit expenses that occurred prior to last day for reimbursement by mail.
Very important Proof of Employment for Ingersoll Rand, as well as information concerning 401k withdraws. Please read these documents.
