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July, 2006
Bedford, IN 47421
Phone #279-1113
Home Page
http://www.iue-cwalocal84907.com
LOCAL IUE-CWA
REPORTS
Union Meeting
The next regularly scheduled Union meeting will be held Wednesday,
July 19th, at the UAW Hall in Bedford. Meeting times are:
Day Shift: 4:00 pm
Night Shift: 1:00 am (Tuesday after work)
Midnight Shift may attend either of the above meetings.
New retirees
We have a couple of young ladies who have decided to “hit the road” and are planning to have a fun-filled summer, fall, winter, etc., etc. Yep, that’s right, they are leaving us and going on to the retirement status. They both have had great parties, wonderful gifts and lots of good-byes. Girls, have a great time and have kind thoughts for us, as we will for you!
Marcia Rose is shown with her cake at her retirement party. Marcia hired in on 09/05/1978 and worked in department 302 on day shift. Marcia’s retirement date is July 1st, 2006. We wish her all
the best as she joins the ranks of the retirees.
Brenda Elliott gives the photographer a smile at her retirement party. Brenda hired in on 09/10/1978 and she worked in Fuel Pressure Regulator on day shift. Her retirement date is July 1, 2006. Brenda plans to take a missionary trip with members of her church, take a few bus trips with friends and would like to visit Hawaii just one time. She plans to take up bowling, an exercise program and other activities to keep her busy. Good luck, Brenda!
Mock disaster drill could use improvements
The mock disaster drill that was held on June 28th went fairly well, but could be improved upon. We have not held a mock disaster drill since 2003. We also have several new RA’s and people who have moved to different departments, so some people did not know where they were supposed to go. On the positive side, the building was evacuated within 3 1/2 minutes on both shifts.
Business meetings will be used to re-train employees on the evacuation process. We need to be sure everyone knows where to go and what to do in the event of a fire or other disaster.
Another mock disaster is being planned and should be held in about 1 year. Thank you to all the Emergency Response Team members and all the victims for your participation.
Health and Safety Committee
Health Alert
USDA rule to allow chicken from China
WASHINGTON, D.C. – A new USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service rule, which took effect May 24, adds The People’s Republic of China to the list of countries approved to export certain processed poultry products to the United States.
Given the Bush Administration’s multi-billion-dollar initiative to prepare against avian influenza, one might wonder at such a rule. But economic benefits for U.S. companies may be at the root of this approval.
The rule states initially, only “fully cooked, shelf-stable” product will be imported from China. Richard Lobb, communications director for the National Chicken Council, a nonprofit trade association for the chicken industry—which has not taken a position on the rule—explained these products are mostly canned or in vacuum-sealed pouches or dried.
FSIS estimates during the first four years, imports from China will range from 1,134 to 2,835 metric tons annually—representing, at most, less than one-fifth of 1 percent of total U.S. poultry products production—then level off. (FSIS notes U.S. companies selling duck and geese products may face “short-run difficulty” from Chinese competition.)
In contrast, data from the U.S. Department of Commerce and the International Trade Commission show U.S. companies exported more than 3,796 metric tons of prepared poultry meats to China in 2003 alone. This was even down by more than half from the two previous years, though total poultry exported to China doubled between 2001 and 2003, mostly in the form of fresh/frozen chicken.
Hypotheses vary why USDA would approve a rule with such small impact on the U.S. market.
“You’re not going to replace the U.S. production,” said Paul Brennan, executive vice president of the Indiana State Poultry Assoc. “You’re not going to produce poultry more effectively than we do in the U.S.”
The rule itself gives a clue by acknowledging the Chinese market “is experiencing a major growth in demand for poultry that is unlikely to abate for some time”. The July 2000 issue of Changing Times, published by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) center for Emerging Issues, listed U.S. poultry companies with holdings in China, including Tyson Foods, Perdue Farms Inc. and Continental Grain (Wayne Farms, LLC). “There’s billions of people there to be fed,” Brennan said. “And their population is still booming. This could be a real opportunity for our poultry industry.”
Lobb agreed, noting as countries become more affluent—as China is—their citizens tend to eat more meat and poultry. “There’s room for a lot of different players there,” he said.
In addition, FSIS notes the main prospective growth area for Chinese exports are markets in eastern Asia, not North America. Presumably, U.S. companies positioned to sell from China need only meet the health regulations of China and the importing country, not USDA.
Representatives of Tyson and Perdue stated neither company has taken a position on the new rule, nor does either plan to import poultry products for sale in the U.S. Perdue spokeswoman Julie DeYoung added the company slaughters birds in China for Chinese consumption only.
Practically speaking, there is probably not a vast U.S. market for canned or pouch chicken, said F. Ann Draughon, co-director of the University of Tennessee Food Safety Center of Excellence. The flavor isn’t as good as from frozen chicken, and canned meat is just an additional step in meal preparation more easily satisfied by a finished product.
Though allowing China to sell a nominal amount of poultry here may open the door wider for American businesses overseas, one may still wonder why the U.S. has to accept any products—especially since it is such small volume.
It may be a matter of quid pro quo Dr. Philip Paarlberg, professor and agricultural economist at Purdue University, explained. USDA might be trying to reach an even larger market than China by making a point of trusting that a country liked to animal disease (avian flu) can still meet U.S. food standards.
“What we’re trying to do with the China case is that we are trying to show we apply the rules fairly all around, that we would want used on our products,” he said.
Processing facilities must be certified. The Chinese government is required to renew certification each year, and FSIS is to be responsible for on-site inspections to ensure, for example, that processed poultry destined for the U.S. is kept separate from domestically-slaughtered birds.
Chinese poultry is required to be labeled as such, though F. Ann Draughon, said if it is imported and then mixed into prepared meals for sale such as soup or pot pies, those packages will not note that fact.
Bird flu epidemic precautions
Are you going to be prepared if an epidemic of the bird flu should hit the United States? Our Health and Safety Committee urges everyone to get on the internet, go to the library or other source of information and read up on what one should do to be prepared. The main thing is to have plenty of water and nonperishable food stored. If an epidemic happened, people could be locked down and unable to travel, even to a grocery store. While none of us wish for an epidemic, it is a very real possibility. Don’t be caught unprepared. READ, READ, READ!
Steps in the worker’s compensation process
Certain guidelines must be followed after a workplace accident. By following these steps, your claim will be in a better position to be accepted as an approved work accident claim. Following is an outline for the process to follow as set by the Act.
Reporting the injury
If you are involved in a work accident, you must provide a written notice of your injury to your employer within thirty (30) days of the accident, unless it is a situation where there is no question that your employer is aware of the accident. For instance, if an ambulance is called to the scene of the workplace accident, then your employer undeniably has knowledge of the incident. When in doubt, provide your employer with notice of the injury. The employer should then provide this information to either the Worker’s Compensation Board of Indiana or the employer’s worker’s compensation insurance carrier.
If an employee misses more than one (1) day of work because of a work accident, the employer must file a First Report of Employee Injury/Illness (Form 34401) (Appendix F) within seven (7) days either after learning of the accident from the employee, or after the accident actually happened if it is a situation where the employer was undeniably aware of the incident. This form will be sent by the employer to their worker’s compensation insurance carrier. The insurance carrier will then file it with the Board. If the employer is self-insured, the report will be filed directly with the Board.
Ideally, the injured worker should know thirty (30) days after giving notice of his or her work accident if the claim will be accepted or denied. However, the Board may grant extensions of an additional thirty (30) days to employers or insurance carriers to investigate a claim in order to make a determination about liability.
Employers are required to post the name, address and telephone number of their worker’s compensation insurance carrier in an obvious spot within the workplace (for example, the breakroom). You can also ask your employer for this information. You can contact the board to verify whether or not your employer has worker’s compensation insurance. Should your employer not have it, the Board will take action against them. The law allows penalties to be assessed against any employer who fails to carry worker’s compensation insurance in Indiana.
MORE WASHINGTON NEWS
Senate Republicans Blocked Minimum Wage Increase.
“Senate Republicans on Wednesday killed an effort to raise the minimum wage. The federal minimum wage has been $5.15 an hour since 1997. The federal minimum wage is the lowest it has been in more than 50 years relative to the cost of living, according to a study by the liberal Economic Policy Institute. The average full-time minimum wage worker earns $10,712 a year, about $900 more than the federal poverty level for one person and $2,500 less than the poverty level for a couple.” (Los Angeles Times, 6-22-06)
House GOP’s “Field Meetings” on Immigration Done for “Maximum Demagogic Effect in the Run-Up to the November Election.”
“How can you tell when a governing party is running out of steam? When it controls even the pretense of addressing an issue most members’ claim is a ‘crisis’. That is what the GOP-led House did Tuesday in announcing that discussions over reconciling its enforcement-centric immigration bill with the Senate’s legalization-focused version will be pushed back to September at the earliest, and only after completing more hearings. Instead of naming negotiators and attempting in good faith to bridge the chasm between the bills, House leaders are busy naming locations for ‘field meetings’ that can deliver maximum demagogic effect in the run-up to the November election.” (Los Angeles Times, Editorial, 6-21-06)
Minimum Wage and Women
According to the Center for Economic and Policy Research, women are twice as likely as men to be minimum wage earners. Minimum wage is now at its lowest level in 50 years making it nearly impossible for minimum wage working women to pay for basic necessities. It would take a full day’s pay at minimum wage to pay for one tank of gas, and most minimum wage workers are the major breadwinners within their families. (House Education and Workforce Committee)
Every day millions of American women work hard and play by the rules to try to ensure a better life for their families. The shameful realty is providing the basics on a minimum wage that amounts to $10,700 a year, struggling to make ends meet while health care costs, childcare costs and gas prices continue to increase. Women minimum wage workers deserve a decent wage they can live on, and the fact is that today’s minimum wage is indecent.
We’re back!!!
Vacation is over and here we are back to work again. We hope everyone had a safe, relaxing and enjoyable vacation.
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