news letter

January, 2005 Bedford, IN 47421 Phone #279-1113 Home Page http://dmrtc.net/~iue907 LOCAL INTERNATIONAL NEWS UNION MEETING Our next regularly scheduled Union meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 5th at the U.A.W. Hall in Bedford. Meeting Times: Night Shift: 1:00 am (TUESDAY, after work) Day Shift: 4:00 pm IN MEMORY OF ROGER KING Last worked in Hose Harness Hired in: 7/16/84 Date of death: 11/7/04 FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT… During our holiday shutdown many of us were giving thanks and words of appreciation to our military personnel who are working hard and putting themselves in dangerous positions every day so that we may have our freedom. Sadly, one of our own members’ son paid the ultimate price for this freedom. Lance Corporal Eric D. Hillenburg of the United States Marine Corps was killed by enemy fire while stationed in Iraq on December 23, 2004. He was the 21 year-old son of Pam and Jerry Hillenburg. Pam has been an employee here for several years. Services were held on December 30, 2004. We all want to express our deepest sympathies to the Hillenburg family and our prayers are with them at this most difficult and tragic time. Earl Wilson President IUE-CWA Local 907 FROM THE DESK OF THE VICE PRESIDENT… If you would like to know what the most asked questions were at the benefit fair on November 17, 2004, you may pick up a copy from your Shop Steward or in my office. Your payroll deduction form should have been sent to Visteon in December so that your insurance premiums may be deducted from your paycheck each month. Most of you have received your new insurance and prescription drug cards by now. If you have not received them, you should call the Visteon Benefits Center at 1-800-242-2400. If you have not received your prescription card and need to get a prescription filled, you can give the pharmacy the following information and the prescription will be filled. Group Number: 200113346 and your Social Security number. Your prescription drug coverage is provided by Eckerd Health Services. (EHS.) To obtain medical coverage without your card you may provide the following information: Group Number 73150 and Contract Number: IVP and your Social Security number. (Example: IVP111-22-3333.) If you declined insurance coverage, you are still entitled to other benefits. The premium you pay each month is for your medical and prescription drug coverage only. The Summary Plan Descriptions that describe your coverages, such as Medical, Dental, Vision, etc. should be in soon. The Summary Plan Description books for the Pension Plans should be back from the printer within a few weeks. Tom Jones Vice President IUE-CWA Local 907 1099 FORMS Each employee receiving at least $600 from the strike fund will be issued a 1099 form. These will be mailed to your home address at least by the end of January. IF YOU HAVE HAD A CHANGE OF ADDRESS and have NOT reported it to the union, PLEASE contact Dave Baker at 1175 in order for him to update your records. Also, report any change of address to Debbie Daughrity to be sure to have your correct address on file with IUE-CWA International. When you receive your form, if you have any questions or if any information is incorrect, contact Dave for assistance. WINTER WOES Due to the inclement weather prior to our holiday shutdown, we have had some problems develop because of the plant being closed during the day shift. These issues are being addressed at this time. If you came into the plant on Thursday, December 23 and DID NOT sign in OR were NOT allowed to sign in by the guards, please contact your shop steward to be included in a blanket grievance for the Local. If you were allowed to come into the plant and then told by a supervisor to leave, you should have signed OUT when you left. If you did not, contact your Shop Steward. As a reminder, you need to sign in anytime you are coming into the plant at a time different than your normal start time or in the circumstances where you have come to work, but were told the plant or your department were closed. INFO ABOUT TARDIES If you have been negatively impacted by a tardy prior to a holiday and have not used any or all of your three (3) allowed tardies under the contract, please contact your shop steward. THEY ARE FINALLY DONE!!! The contract books have been proofread, printed and should be in our hands within a couple of days. It has not been determined how they will be distributed at this time. However, they will be passed out to the membership just as soon as possible! INSURANCE NOTES….. There has been quite a bit of confusion concerning the transition from UniCare to Blue Cross Blue Shield/Anthem. Following is some information that may answer some of your questions. If you have other questions, you should contact Tom Jones at 279-6079 or Dave Baker at 279-1175. Determining the Order of Payment When benefits coordinate, the plans determine which plan pays benefits first (the Primary Plan), second (the Secondary Plan), etc. Here are guidelines for determining which plan is Primary. If one plan has no Coordination-of-Benefits provision it automatically is Primary. The plan covering the patient as the employee or former employee is the Primary Plan and pays benefits first. In the case of a divorce or separation, the plan of the parent (who hasn’t remarried) with custody of the dependent child usually pays benefits first. However, if there is a court order requiring a parent to take responsibility for health care coverage for the child, that parent’s plan is always Primary. If the parent with custody remarries, his or her plan pays benefits first, the stepparent’s plan pays second, and the plan of the parent without custody pays third. However, if there is a court order requiring a parent to take responsibility for health care coverage for the child, that parent’s plan is always Primary. If none of the situations above apply and if both parent’s plans cover a dependent, the plans use the birthday rule to determine which parent’s plan pays first. Under the birthday rule: The plan of the parent whose birthday comes earlier in the calendar year is the Primary Plan, and the other parent’s plan is Secondary. And if both parents have the same birthday, then the plan covering the patient longer is the Primary. If the other plan doesn’t follow the birthday rule, then the rules of that plan determine the order of benefits. The plan covering the individual (or dependent of such individual) as an employee who is neither laid off nor retired is the Primary Plan and pays benefits before the plan that covers the person (or dependent of such person) as a laid off or retired employee. However, if the other plan doesn’t have this rule, each plan determines its benefits after the other and this provision doesn’t apply. If a determination can’t be made as to the order of payment, the plan that has covered the patient longer is usually the Primary Plan. UPCOMING TRUSTEE ELECTION The time is near for the annual Trustee election. Randy Corbin has nearly completed his three-year term. The newsletter staff would like to thank you Randy, for a job well done. Nominations will be taken at the March membership meeting. Elections will take place at the April membership meeting and the elected member will take office immediately. REMINDER, AGAIN AND YET AGAIN We are continuing to have issues with medical leaves! Therefore, it is imperative that when you have faxed information to the Medical Department (fax--279-1116) that you CALL the medical department (279-1109) to verify the information was received, is correct and complete. Should you have any problems, it may be necessary to also fax the info to either the Shop Stewards’ fax at 279-6018 or to Tom Jones’ fax at 279-1188 in order for either of them to follow up for you. DO NOT fail to follow up anytime information is faxed into the Medical Department! NAME THE NEWSLETTER CONTEST Just a reminder that we are still taking suggestions for a new name for our Local newsletter. We will be taking suggestions through April 30th, 2005. The judging committee will choose the new name and we will start publishing under the new name in the May, 2005 issue. There is a nice prize for the winner, so put your thinking caps on and submit your ideas to Judy Harrison, dept. 316-3 or Debbie Daughrity, 348-3. You may also drop off your suggestions in the blue IUE-CWA box on the north wall at the west end of the vendeteria, or, have your Steward put your suggestions in the Newsletter mailbox in the Steward’s office. BENEFITS SERVICES DIRECTORY Listed below are the telephone numbers you may call for assistance with your benefits. For questions about: Eligibility; Adding or deleting dependant coverage—Visteon Benefit Center—1-800-242-2400 A BCBS PPO claim or benefit—Anthem BCBS—1-800-572-6860 Address change—Chere Howard—local plant--279-6088 BlueHealth Connection –1-800-775-2583 Prescription Drug Benefits—1-800-645-9303 Dental Coverage through MetLife—1-800-942-0854 Vision Coverage through UNICARE—1-800-843-8184 Life & AD&D through MetLife—1-888-478-3664 Accident & Sickness Benefits through UNICARE—1-800-635-2456 Making premiums payments or COBRA payments for continued health care while you are NOT actively at work—CONEXIS—1-877-722-2667 Health care deductions through your pension check—Visteon Benefit Center—1-800-242-2400 Retirement plan—Fidelity—1-877-310-7662 PPO network provider locations—Access: www.anthem.com and select Blue Access Plan or call 1-800-572-6860 UNIONPLUS HELPING HANDS The CWA Union Plus sponsors several different organizations, set up to assist union members. Some examples of their programs are as follows: Dreams do come true! You have dreams of purchasing a home. The CWA Union plus Mortgage & Real Estate program can help make them come true. A valuable mortgage assistance benefit helps you make your home payments if you become unemployed or disabled. Call 1-800-848-6466 www.unionplus.org/mortgage The Sound of Savings Bring music to your ears for less! All single CDs are just $9.99. Buy 2 CDs and get 1 free. Get free shipping on every order. The new Union Plus Music Discount Club features more than 15,000 titles for you to choose from. One low price. Free Shipping! That’s the sound of savings. www.unionplus.org/music Experience Debt Free Living The solution starts with us. Debt and credit problems can happen to anyone at anytime. Luckily, the CWA Union Plus credit Counseling Program, offered through the nation’s most trusted non-profit credit counseling agency, can help you regain your financial footing. 1-877-833-1745 or www.unionplus.org/creditcounseling