2006 Fall Issue - UAW-Chrysler.com

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Real People BY MEGHAN LITTLE Father Knows Best For Local 372’s Maurice Graves, company loyalty is all in the family If you passed by a home with a fleet of Chrysler Group vehicles parked outside, you might think you had happened on a commercial shoot. But not if it’s the home of Maurice Graves. A DaimlerChrysler worker for 34 years, Graves is proud to buy his company’s vehicles — and he insists that his family members do the same. Buying what he builds is very important to this UAW Local 372 member from Trenton Engine. “I want my friends and neighbors to know that I support the company I work for,” Graves says. Though the sentiment is not unique to Graves, it does warrant regular reinforcement, as evidenced by the occasional competitor-built vehicles that turn up in the plant’s employee parking lot. Graves is happy to oblige. Recognizing that people have the right to buy whatever car they like, Graves wants his co-workers to look closely at the sleek, quality cars made by the Chrysler Group. As a PQI trainer, he takes advantage of his classroom time with workers. “I tell them to think about their retirement,” Graves says. “Every time they spend money on a Toyota, they’re providing profits for Toyota to take back to Japan.” When explained in a way that shows the effect on their own future, Graves says, employees can understand the importance of supporting their company. Outside the classroom, Graves works Maurice Graves poses proudly in front of his Dodge Ram 1500. hard to keep workers up-to-date on all Chrysler Group vehicles. One important step in achieving this was getting the P3 (People, Pride and Product) Team into Trenton Engine (see “Making Conquests,” on page 7). During P3 open houses, workers learn about various Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep models by speaking with the P3 sales ambassadors. But Graves says it’s not enough to look at a vehicle’s exterior and peer through the windows. “We have an open-door policy during the P3 visits,” he says. “Workers can sit in the vehicles, look at the features and really take it all in.” Instilling brand loyalty among Trenton Engine workers is one thing, but how did Graves get his family to pledge the same loyalty? He admits it took the threat of withdrawing college tuition from his daughter, Tiffany, whose friends were encouraging her to buy a foreign car. But that’s just how important loyalty is to him — and it worked. “Tiffany drove a Plymouth Horizon during college, and she discovered it was a good, reliable car,” Graves says. Once he convinced the first child, the others followed suit. Now his three kids are on their own — and still driving Chrysler Group vehicles. “Right now they seem to like Jeeps and Durangos most,” he says. “I have no regrets buying what I build,” adds Graves, who has driven a Plymouth Reliant, Jeep Wrangler, Chrysler Sebring, Dodge Spirit, and clocked 160,000 miles on “I tell [the workers] to think about their retirement. Every time they spend money on a Toyota, they’re providing profits for Toyota to take back to Japan.” — MAURICE GRAVES LEFT: DWIGHT CENDROWSKI; TOP RIGHT: JOHN SOBCZAK 6 TOMORROW FALL 2006 www.uawdcx.com
Real People Making Conquests Everybody’s favorite team is P3 BY JEFF KLINEMAN his 1987 Dodge minivan. So what’s next on his DaimlerChrysler wish list? “I really like the 300.” ■ On the Road Among Friends Maurice Graves’ family fleet is a rolling billboard for the Chrysler Group. Graves helped put them behind the wheel through the Friends Program, and you can do the same. For more information on that and other Employee Advantage vehicle purchase programs, call 800.756.2886 or visit www.dc-employeeadvantage.com. Check out the Graves caravan of DaimlerChrysler vehicles: Maurice: Dodge Ram 1500 Wife, Linda: Chrysler Town & Country Daughter, Tiffany Dowdell: Durango >> Son, Maurice Jr.: Durango Son, Brian: Jeep Cherokee Son-in-law, Mike Dowdell: Mercedes-Benz C 240 Daughter-in-law, Chandra: Chrysler Pacifica Sister, Zettie Prince: Chrysler Town & Country Brother, Louis:
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Page 3 and 4: General Holiefi eld comes to his ne
Page 5: Cruise Control Call the Homework Ho
Page 9 and 10: BY RON RUSSELL Real People Mack Ave
Page 11 and 12: SOLUTION PDCs pack more productivit
Page 13 and 14: Training UP WOM PHASE 1 HELPS TEAMS
Page 15 and 16: final inspector to find as many pro

2006 Fall Issue - UAW-Chrysler.com

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