CEO No Show for Meeting

now thats funny, lets hold up the CEO that you are going sit to across the table from in a couple hours, that will make him want to deal with you! Way to stick to your guns boys that will teach them! Have fun buying your kids xmas presents with your strike pay, lucky for you guys they are calling for a mild winter because keep this up and thats how long youll be out on the lines.

Anyone else see some additions to unemployment coming to the area when they close tyco?

“ Tyco Thermal Controls
Mark M. Smith
Chief Operating Officer

Tyco Thermal Controls
307 Constitution Drive
Menlo Park, Ca
94025

August 16, 2010
Dear Member:

Tyco Thermal Controls is writing directly to you so that you have a clear understanding of the Company’s position on some of the issues in this dispute. We are also concerned that the terms of the Company’s proposal have been reported inaccurately and want to make sure there are no misunderstandings about the Company’s proposal.

There are many non-monetary items, some of which were proposed by the CEP and some by the Company, that were discussed by the parties and we believe addressed through the hard work of the negotiating committees. The parties have attempted to resolve the other differences through the conciliation process. Unfortunately, the conciliation process was not successful.

Tyco Thermal Controls remains committed to two objectives: treat our employees fairly and manage our cost structures in a competitive environment. The Company’s proposal allows union members to continue to receive a wage and benefit package that is among the highest in all of the Trenton area.

With respect to certain of the monetary issues, the Company’s proposal is summarized below:

Wages: Wage rates are remaining the same with no reduction. Employees hired before May 1, 2007 will continue to receive $22.55 per hour and employees hired after May 1, 2007 will continue to receive $18.00 per hour

Pension There is no reduction in the pension. Tyco Thermal Controls’ contribution continues at the same rate of $38/month times years of service with a two year vesting period.

Benefits, Medical and Dental: Tyco Thermal Controls’ proposal, after discussion between the negotiating committees, is that the Company will continue to pay 100% of the medical and basic dental coverage in the first year, 95% in the second year and 90% in the third year of the collective agreement. This level of contribution from the Company is above the level of contribution provided to other Tyco Thermal Controls employees at other locations.

Vacation: The vacation entitlement will continue to accrue with a maximum cap of five (5) weeks per year. All employees who have already accrued more than five (5) weeks per year of vacation are grandfathered at their current vacation rate and do not lose the vacation time they have earned with the past collective agreement.

Overtime: Tyco Thermal Controls needs flexibility to staff production operations according to work flow and process constraints. The overtime threshold under the past collective agreement restricts the Company’s ability to manage the flow of materials, and thereby prevents the Company from keeping costs under control and customer service levels at the appropriate levels. Therefore, the overtime earning threshold has been changed to begin overtime earnings at forty four (44) hours per work week, which complies with local law.

We value you as a dedicated employee of Tyco Thermal Controls, and want to have you back to work as soon as we can resolve the outstanding issues with the bargaining unit. We remain open to discussions with your representatives and the bargaining committee.

Should you have any questions, please direct them to your union representatives

Thank you,
(Mark M. Smith’s Handwritten Signature)
Mark M Smith
Vice President, COO.

The company does not consent to partial reproduction of this letter. If reproduced anywhere, it must be reproduced in its entirety.
MBDOCS_5173406.2”

Above is a copy of a letter arriving to Tyco employees a couple of days before Mark Smith’s trip to Trenton’s Tyco Thermal Controls (Pyrotenax). (It has been reproduced in its entirety, I cant put a photocopy on this blog or I would have done so). The above letter seems to imply the Company doesn’t understand what the Union is upset about.

Mark Smith told the employees to sign the last contract or he would see them in October. He also told them if they held him for the full 6 minutes the meeting wouldn’t take place. The employees had the right to hold him for the full 6 minutes so they did. On the day of the lockout the employees were told to go to their Union meeting then to return to work. They returned to work to find them selves locked out of work. They had to wait 3 weeks to get a response from the Tyco COO. Mr. Smith. Just to basically be told sign the contract we already gave you, and if you hold me for the extra 4 minutes I’m not going to meet with the Union. This is a wonderful example of showing how much value the dedicated employees have don’t you think? This is remaining open to discussions?

This is a breakdown of what the Union is upset about:

Wages- yes the actual wage rates don’t change. However, the shift premium will be changed from 1.14 to 1.12 for the Weekend Shifts. The Second Shift premium will go from $1.00 to $0.50 per hour (affecting Weekday Shift). The Third Shift premium will go from $1.00 to $0.75 per hour (affecting Weekday Night Shift and the Weekend Night Shift). These changes cause every employee to lose pay per hour except the weekday day shift, and hit the weekend second shift employees twice. Employees already decreased their shift premium at the last contract signing, and agreed to the two tier wage system where the new hires receive $4.55 less then the person they work beside.

Pension – the Union isn’t fighting about this because nothing changed.

Benefits, Medical and Dental: The Company has always paid 100% of the benefits…that’s what helped attract a lot of the valued employees to work for Tyco. The employees want to keep what they have, the Union fought to keep this benefit package the way it is and still are fighting. It may be one of the highest benefit packages in the area, but that is due to the Unions sacrifices in other areas, in the years before to keep the benefits the way they are.

Vacation: before the cap> 25 years of service = 5 weeks of vacation, 30 years of service = 6 years of vacation, 35+ years of vacation = 7 weeks of vacation

Overtime – Time and a half starts after 44 hours of work, that means 4 hours extra to be worked to achieve time and a half for the week shift, and 8 hours extra to be worked to achieve time and a half for weekend shift. On AVERAGE there is overtime forced bi-weekly for the work year. (This average is taking into account both slow times and busy times for the year). The Company has reported in their 3rd quarter report a 16% increase for the Thermal Control division of Tyco. Which implies there will be even more required forced overtime to come.

How much money is the Company spending to pay for the replacement workers, plus their food, travel and lodging? How much money was wasted for Mr. Smith to come to Trenton just to turn around and leave again? How much money is being used to have security guards watching the picketers 24/7? How much money is being lost daily by not having Tyco’s employees working? Wouldn’t it be more cost effective just to get things settled so employees can get back to work and the Company can get back to production?

~My personal opinion is that I hope the Company and the Union come together and work things through. The “petty games” being played are just wasting everyone’s time, causing mistrust and allowing too many egos to run wild. The Company says they want the employees back to work, and the Union says they want to go back to work, shouldn’t everyone be looking for that middle ground? …. Just my thoughts…. Thanks. ~

The day before Mark Smith came to visit Trenton, Four parties attended a meeting. One from Tyco, one from the C.E.P., one from the security firm guarding the site, and the O.P.P.. All four parties agreed that a 6 min. delay was acceptable. Yes, Tyco did agree to the 6 min.. The following day, as Mark Smith showed up to the picket line, he jumped on his phone and called the C.E.P. rep (who was out of town on business) to complain. We had not even made 2 min. at that point. If this was his determining factor to the meeting, why did he not just roll down his window and speak his mind. In my opinion, I think he had no intention of meeting with the C.E.P.. Did he not expect a picket line. Remember, it was Mark Smith that made the call to lock us out from work. We are there every day, waiting to talk. This is all just an attempt to break down the union. And as a side note. I agree with “reallife”, the CEO of Tyco most likely has no idea where Trenton is, or Canada. They seem to have little care for the people who earn their multi million dollar paychecks.

If Mark Smith felt inconvenienced by the 6 minutes. Need I remind him that he and his Tyco bullies have locked us out for close to a month now.

Sick and tired of complaints from those who earn about 25 percent more than the average area factory wage. Look around, do you see any other options at what Tyco is offering. The gravy train of the 90′s crashed a few years ago and they better climb aboard the Y2k or they’ll be left at the station. I wish I had 90% medical coverage with no premiums. Truth be known the company did lock them out but at the same time the workers we’re having a meeting to organize picket duty for the WALKOUT which was to take place on the Tuesday following the Civic holiday. The Lockout signs are a cloak to mask the truth.
Careful what you wish for since it appears that the Company was more prepared for this work stoppage than the Union was.
Wise Up
Take the offer and stop the madness.

Bystander the committee was trying their best to negotiate an acceptable agreement for their members and like a democracy we met to discuss options.

It doesn’t take a lot of brains to realize that a small change in a contract would entice locked out workers to accept and return to work in a hurry. Where is the common – sense? Apparently it’s not common for everyone!!!!!

You all (Tyco workers who voted “NO”) should be ashamed of yourselves! You should be thankful for the wage and benefits you recieve. Have you forgotten where you live? If you keep it up Tyco Thermal Control will be the next business in the long list of Trenton factories to close!
Get off your “high-horses” and come back down to reality! You have a job….check, you make a good wage….check, you have benefits….check, you have a pension….check! Be careful what you wish for, soon enough it’ll blow up in your faces and there’ll be no more “checks” for you…except the ones that come from UI.
You need to stop thinking about yourselves for once – what about your other co-workers? You know…the ones that have morgages, car loans, student loans and young families. Think about what you’re putting them through right now. Strike pay will not keep them afloat!
Take the package that’s being offered ya bunch of free-loaders!

Suffer for a few months? Only if you’re lucky! What if they close up shop? Think about how long you’ll be suffering then! There’s nothing I want more than to see everyone go back to work (don’t get me wrong), but if you could see into the future and the company decided to close it’s Trenton plant, I can only assume that most people would have wished they would have just votes “yes”.

Lets say all the employees just jump on the wagon and say yeah lets go back to work. They all make less money again and in 3 years when the contracts up and the Company decides they need to make more pay cuts to the workers, (while office staff and management continues to get raises and bonus) then what? Should the workers just bend over again for fear of the plant leaving Trenton? Why not make the stand now? How much is everyone willing to lose? How many years in a row should the employees take pay drops and pay freezes until they say stop? Its not like Tyco is the only place to work that pays 18.00 an hour. If the plant shuts down…who does that effect, the workers who are out on the line already? the office staff? the management team? It will effect all the “little guys” that the employees,staff and management pay for to do things for them. Everyone can get another job though right…Why does it have to be one side giving in, or the other side givin in? I thought it was supposed to be co operation. I mean the Company has said it wants the workers back, just as much as the Union has said they want to go back to work… so why arent the two sides spitting out contracts to eachother until they both find one that appeases everyone? Maybe you should spend your time actually helping resolve this then bashing the people who are stuck on the line….

I’m not sure who you’re directing that to but I have no ties to Tyco other than knowing a few employees (on both sides)