USW Local 2-232

formerly PACE 7-232

Representing  employees at Briggs & Stratton Corp. and Strattec Security Corp. in Milwaukee, WI

Membership Meeting 

Sunday December 7, 2008

Frank Monreal's El Matador

9155 W. Bluemound Rd. Milwaukee 

9:30a.m.

   Members are urged to Attend this Meeting.

by Barb Schuller & Mike Merrill

 MED North

            On the Blue Line, production is anticipated to continue at a run rate of 700 engines per day until June 4th. Then it will be reduced to a run rate of 450 engines per day. The company expects to be back to its 700 run rate after shutdown. This is subject to change.

            Also, on the Blue Line, beginning April 23rd and continuing for the next 7 Fridays until June 4, the Company is only running production on the line for 4 hours. After the four hours, members are allowed to go home for lack of work or be placed on a job in another area.

            We feel this is not work spreading because the Company is offering work for those who choose not to leave.

            In M5, because of the cutbacks of production, the Company is allowing unlimited vacation days for Fridays.

            The Green Line runs Model 19's and is running at a rate of 200 engines per day.  The Company has told us they are going to re-evaluate this level of production in May.

            The Red Line runs Model 9's at a rate of 1000 units a day.  The Company will also re-evaluate this figure in June, with the possibility of going back to a 1200 run rate in August. As usual, this is subject to change.

            The deadline to put in transfers for the new Micro Line is June 29th. The Company still plans to begin production of this new smaller engine sometime in August.

Service - Menomonee Falls

            The new radio frequency controlled system is being installed now and they plan to go on line by June 25th. The thought behind this process is that this system will virtually eliminate all paper work from the order picking.

Die Cast

            There are positive signs of things picking up in Die Cast. We were told by the plant manager that last week was the first time in months that Die Cast poured over 100,000 pounds of metal in one day.

            The future of Die Cast is looking brighter than in other areas. In Department 197 there is demand for an increase in production demands of the climate control casting. This brought back 2 tenders on each shift. The Ford water pump (volcano) production is scheduled for 1.3 million pieces per year. The twin cylinder production is running at a 700 per day rate. The Company will evaluate this scheduld after the reduction on the Blue Line in June.

New products

            We were told recently today about  some of the future products soon to be in production in the Die Cast departments.

            A new connecting link with a projected volume of 3 million pieces has pre-product qualifications starting in May. 

            Four brand new piston dies are scheduled to arrive in May with a product launch sometime in July for Department 192. 

            These pistons are going to utilize approximately 1½ machines. 

            A new oil pump is in production with the Company seeking another die to accommodate the 1.1 million parts per year production level.

            In Department 191 there will be a replacement connecting rod for the Model 28, 31 and new 21's. The dies are scheduled to arrive in May and June.  The new connecting rod links will be incremental work. The old ones were used at a ratio of one per engine; now the engines will utilize 2 per engine.  This will use 1½ machines for production.  About 1/3 of a machine will be utilized for the new connecting rod and cap.

            Die Cast was successful in bidding to do the casting of the head for the new Micro engine.  Production will be starting July 1st with a limited volume the first year of 150,000.

MED South

            In Department 797 Component production in the Coil area has also slowed. Production of stators was reduced from 7,500 to 6,000 per day. The standard ignition coil production was cut from 24,000 to 11,000 per day. And the fixed ignition coil went from 20,500 to 11,500 per day. These cuts have caused the layoff of 8 pieceworkers.

            In Department 780, Punch Press, third shift was shut down on the automatics.

            In Department 716, Muffler Assembly, third shift shut down. After a short reduction on the 1st and 2nd shift, 4 labor grade 18's and one trucker were brought back between 1st and 2nd shift.

            In Department 238/715, 1 repair person and 1 janitor, along with 3 truckers, were laid off.