Tomorrow Magazine Spring 2002 - UAW-Chrysler.com

WINTER 2001 

SPRING 2002 

LOOKING AHEAD AT THE UAW-DAIMLERCHRYSLER NATIONAL TRAINING CENTER 

www.uaw-daimlerchryslerntc.org 

RAM 

ROCKS 

St. Louis North 

and Warren Truck 

workers launch 

pickup of the year 

Marcus Glenn, Talent on Display 

PAGE 19 

The Future of Tech Training Is Here 

PAGE 14

Side by Side 

Working Safer and Smarter 

UAW Vice President Nate Gooden (left) 

and DaimlerChrysler Senior Vice 

President John Franciosi. 

OF ALL THE AREAS WHERE THE UAW AND 

DaimlerChrysler cooperate, none has a greater sense 

of urgency than making our facilities safer. We have 

made an unprecedented commitment to change attitudes 

about safety, monitor potential hazards and 

implement a new process for preventing injuries. 

And our combined efforts are paying off. The rate 

of accidents and lost workdays due to injury or illness 

now stand at their lowest levels in company history. 

We’re proud of those accomplishments and the contributions 

made by our joint Health and Safety Program, 

based at the National Training Center. Our plant 

safety audits, conducted by union-management teams, 

have played a major role in the recent gains. 

Our ultimate aim is to have the best health and 

safety record in the auto industry, and we still have work to do to achieve that goal. The 

key to being No. 1 is creating new attitudes among managers and employees about 

safety. We’re making progress in that area, too, through B.E.S.T. (Bringing 

Excellence to Safety Teams). 

B.E.S.T. is designed to standardize safety policies and practices at all UAW-represented 

DaimlerChrysler locations (see page 8). Our process incorporates successful safety practices 

followed at benchmarked companies around the country. 

Under the B.E.S.T. philosophy, everyone becomes a safety advocate — not just our 

health and safety specialists. Further improvements in our safety record hinge on greater 

employee involvement in identifying potential hazards and preventing injuries. 

We hope you will join us in this effort. It goes beyond improving statistics. It’s really 

about protecting our most valuable resource at UAW-DaimlerChrysler — our people. 

This issue also features another joint program that’s on a roll (see page 14). Our new 

Technology Training Center represents a milestone in providing world-class job training 

for production workers as well as skilled trades apprentices and journeymen. 

Since it opened last fall, the 235,000-square-foot complex in suburban Detroit has 

drawn rave reviews. It’s state-of-the-art in every respect and the most comprehensive training 

facility of its kind in the U.S. automotive industry. 

The new TTC reflects our joint commitment to continuous upgrading of workers’ skills 

as a key to remaining competitive in a business where keeping pace with rapid technological 

change is one of our toughest challenges. 

And speaking of continuous education, we salute winners of the 2001 Co-Chairs’ 

Awards (see page 9). These individuals and Local Joint Training Committees reflect the 

highest ideals of our joint training mission. The individual winners have improved themselves 

through education and set a great example for the rest of us to follow. Congratulations! 

UAW-DAIMLERCHRYSLER 

NATIONAL TRAINING CENTER 

2211 East Jefferson Avenue 

Detroit, MI 48207 

313-567-3300 

Fax: 313-567-4971 

E-mail: rrussell@ucntc.org 


JOINT ACTIVITIES BOARD 

NATE GOODEN 

VICE PRESIDENT, DIRECTOR 

DAIMLERCHRYSLER DEPARTMENT 

UAW, CO-CHAIRMAN 

JOHN S. FRANCIOSI 

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, EMPLOYEE 

RELATIONS DAIMLERCHRYSLER 

CO-CHAIRMAN 

DAVE MCALLISTER 

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT TO 

VICE PRESIDENT, DIRECTOR 

DAIMLERCHRYSLER DEPARTMENT UAW 

KEN MCCARTER 

VICE PRESIDENT, UNION RELATIONS AND 

SECURITY OPERATIONS DAIMLERCHRYSLER 

JAMES DAVIS 

CO-DIRECTOR UAW-DAIMLERCHRYSLER 


FRANK L. SLAUGHTER 

CO-DIRECTOR UAW-DAIMLERCHRYSLER 


RON RUSSELL 

COMMUNICATIONS ADMINISTRATOR 

BOB ERICKSON 

COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST 

TANISHA DAVIS 

STAFF WRITER 

TERESA LOCKHART 

COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT 

MICHAEL BULLER 

EDITOR 

JENNIFER DOLL 

MANAGING EDITOR 

KAREN ENGLISH 

SENIOR EDITOR 

KEVIN CAVANAUGH 

ACCOUNT MANAGER 

KEVIN MILLER 

VICE PRESIDENT, CREATIVE SERVICES 

KRISTIN BRADETICH 

ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR 

JOHN HEFFERNAN 

DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION & OPERATIONS 

CATHERINE SINGER 

PRODUCTION MANAGER 

Nate Gooden 

John Franciosi 

This magazine is printed by a union 

printer on union-made recycled paper. 

2 www.uaw-daimlerchryslerntc.org

LOOKING AHEAD AT THE UAW-DAIMLERCHRYSLER NATIONAL TRAINING CENTER 

Volume 6 • Number 2 


Features 

Spring 2002 

10 

14 

17 

Ram Rocks 

COVER 

STORY 

Congratulations to Dodge Ram, Four Wheeler magazine’s 2002 

Pickup Truck of the Year. It’s the hardworking launch teams from 

St. Louis North Assembly and Warren Truck that made it all happen. 

by Nancy Shepherdson 

Meet the Future 

The new UAW-DaimlerChrysler Technology Training Center 

combines cutting-edge facilities with good, old-fashioned learning. 

by Mike Martindale 

Revoydia Slide Picks the Winners 

Check out some of the best and brightest on this tour of the exciting 

DaimlerChrysler vehicles at the 2002 Detroit Auto Show. 

by Steve Perlstein 

10 

14 

Departments 

2 Side by Side 

Working safer and smarter 

4 Backfire 

Your letters and feedback 

5 Nuts & Bolts 

Meet the toughest new police 

car around, take a historical 

road trip and more. 

7 Sign Up 

Child Care Network, B.E.S.T. 

Worker Safety and more 

cover 

2002 Dodge Ram 

1500 Quad Cab 

page 10 

cover photo by 

Jay Baker 

Off the Clock 

19 Our People 

Talent on display, a heritage of dance, 

pride in public service and more 

22 Surf City 

Find out what’s new on the NTC’s 

Web sites. 

24 Lifelong Learning 

Back to school help for adults 

25 Your Money Matters 

Tax planning tips that will work 

for you in 2002 

26 For Your Health 

How to ease your stress 

27 From the Archives 

17 

19 

Tomorrow (ISSN: 1096-1429) is published quarterly with two special issues in spring and fall for the UAW-DaimlerChrysler National Training Center by Pohly & Partners, Inc., 

27 Melcher Street, 2nd floor, Boston, MA 02210, 800-383-0888. Periodicals postage rates paid at Boston, Mass. and additional entry offices. POSTMASTER: Send address 

changes to Tomorrow, 2211 East Jefferson Ave., Detroit, MI 48207. © 2002 by UAW-DaimlerChrysler National Training Center. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or 

in part of any text, photograph or illustration without prior written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited.

Backfire 

LETTERS 

A Gift of Pride 

I am writing to thank the UAW- 

DaimlerChrysler National Training 

Center’s Joint Activities Board for 

publishing Tomorrow magazine. It is 

a gift of pride to all UAW-Daimler- 

Chrysler employees and their families. 

As I read the articles and looked at the 

proud faces of my coworkers and their 

families throughout this great nation, I 

realized that Tomorrow magazine has 

made it possible to share their triumphs 

and to enjoy and recognize the 

achievements of our UAW-Daimler- 

Chrysler family. 

Willistine Williams 

UAW Local 136 

PQI Trainer 

St. Louis North Assembly 

Remembering Veterans 

I just had the chance to read the 

[2001] Veterans Day Special Issue of 

Tomorrow. I had only planned to scan 

it this morning, but I ended up reading 

the whole thing cover to cover. No one 

in my family has been part of the 

armed forces since my dad enlisted 

back in ’45. So much of what goes on 

(on our behalf) gets overlooked! I 

appreciate the copy. 

Rick McHenry 

Vice President 

of Sales and Marketing 

WIT (Web support for the NTC) 

A Driving Issue 

Just a note to tell you how much I 

appreciate the 2002 Special Racing 

Issue of Tomorrow magazine. The 

only thing more 

exciting than 

Dodge getting 

back into the 

racing business 

is NTC getting 

back into the 

magazine business. 

The layout 

was crisp and exciting, and the articles 

were fresh and informative. Both your 

writers and your photographers are 

top notch, and I enjoyed every square 

inch of the magazine. This is just the 

type of professionalism I have come to 

expect from your organization. 

Doran Gwyn 


PQI Trainer 

Kokomo Casting 

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? 

Still the Music Man 

Original story by Steve Knopper 

Tomorrow 

SUMMER 

2001 

When we caught up with 

Gregg Mathis, the Mc- 

Graw Glass hi-lo driver 

and moonlight trumpeter, he 

lamented that there hasn’t been 

too much excitement on the musical 

front since we last spoke to 

him for our Summer 2001 issue 

(“Blowin’ the Hi-Lo Blues”). 

Mathis’ music often takes him to 

the far corners of the world, but the 

events of Sept. 11 forced him to 

cancel plans to perform in North 

Africa on New Year’s Eve. Instead, 

he opted to trumpet in the New 

Year at the Roostertail restaurant in 

Detroit. “I did play at Aretha 

Franklin’s Christmas party with 

Jimmy McKee and the Upsetters,” 

he casually mentions. 

In addition to holding court for the 

Queen of Soul, Mathis is still working 

with the funk, rhythm and blues 

band TFO. The group’s second 

album, released overseas, has struggled, 

but Mathis hopes to sign to a 

label and produce a successful 

album. He’s continuing to play with 

Jimmy McKee and the Upsetters and 

producing his original work, though 

lately music has taken a backseat to 

his personal life. Mathis and his 

family just moved into a new home 

at the Gateway Golf Community in 

Romulus, Mich. But Mathis won’t 

blow his own horn when it comes to 

his golf game. “I bought clubs three 

years ago,” he says. “I just haven’t 

gotten the dust off them yet.” 

— By Betsy Tranquilli 

STEVEN BENSON/MPG 

UAW-DaimlerChrysler Joint Activities Board Mission Statement: “In a spirit of cooperation, mutual dedication and joint effort, the mission of the Joint Activities Board 

is to improve DaimlerChrysler’s competitive position by implementing mutually agreed upon training programs and projects to increase product quality, employee job 

security and employee satisfaction from work.” 


Nuts&Bolts 

Bad Boys, 

Bad Boys, 

Whatcha Gonna Do? 

The big news in 2001 was Dodge’s return to NASCAR 

Winston Cup racing. This year, there’s another monumental 

return. After a 12-year break from the force, Dodge is back to 

keeping the peace, this time with a shiny new 2002 Dodge 

Intrepid police car package. 

The special vehicle package is available to police departments 

only and is based on the powerful 2002 Dodge 

Intrepid R/T. It features a high-output 3.5-liter SOHC V-6 

engine that delivers 244 horsepower at 6,400 rpm and 250 

ft. lb. of torque at 3,950 rpm. There’s also a high-performance 

suspension, heavy-duty four-wheel antilock brakes and 

a severe-duty cooling system for those high-speed chases. 

Production of the police vehicle began in January at the 

Brampton, Ontario, assembly plant, where the Dodge 

Intrepid, Chrysler 300M and Chrysler Concorde also are built. 

County, city and state police departments can purchase the 

police package for $23,800. 

2002 Dodge Intrepid police car 

NOTABLE PATROLS 

DaimlerChrysler-made 

police cars are popular 

on more than just the 

streets. These cop cars 

have also played major 

roles in TV and film. 

The Plymouth Belvedere, 

Plymouth Satellite and AMC 

Matador, in Adam-12 

The Dodge Monaco, in The 

Blues Brothers. The Royal 

Monaco also appeared in 

the film, performing chase 

scenes at speeds of over 

100 mph. 

The DeSoto, in Car 54, 

Where Are You? 

The Volare, in Strange Brew 

The Dodge St. Regis, in Hill 

Street Blues 

The Dodge Dart GTS convertible, 

in Mannix 

The Plymouth Fury, Dodge 

Monaco and AMC Matador 

in The Dukes of Hazzard. 

Of course, the main star of 

the show was the Duke 

brothers’ Dodge Charger. It’s 

believed that more than 120 

Chargers were destroyed 

during filming over 

the years. 

Written and 

compiled by 

Jennifer Doll 

COURTESY DAIMLERCHRYSLER 

TOMORROW SPRING 2002 5

Nuts&Bolts 

Match the Music 

It’s spring again. The sun is out, 

the birds are chirping and music’s in the air. 

Here’s a list of song titles that feature 

UAW-DaimlerChrysler plant locations. 

See if you can match the songs to their 

artists. It’s a must-have compilation for 

any music or geography buff. 

1. “Kokomo” 

2. “Huntsville” 

3. “Walking in Memphis” 

4. “Toledo” 

5. “Denver” 

6. “Detroit Rock City” 

7. “Indianapolis” 

a. Willie Nelson 

b. Marc Cohn 

c. Kiss 

d. Beach Boys 

e. Merle Haggard 

f . Elvis Costello 

g. Menudo 

answer key: 1. d 2. e 3. b 4. f 5. a 6. c 7. g 

THEY SAID IT 

“Which decade — including the current 

one — has been the best for cars and why?” 

“The 1940s, 

for the chrome, the flashiness 

and the two-tone interiors.” 

— Joyce Mosley-Davis, retired pick packer, UAW Local 1248, 

Center Line National Parts Distribution Center 

“The best cars are from the 1960s. 

They had styling and power, 

and they were also easy to work on.” 

— Michael Whitney, warehouse manager, UAW Local 422, 

Boston Parts Distribution Center 

“The new millennium, 

because cars are becoming fun again, 

and engineering and quality 

are at an all-time high.” 

— Jerome Lund, ISD Team, UAW Local 1268, 

Belvidere Assembly 

ALICE HUYLER RAMSEY, at the time a 

22-year-old housewife and mother from 

Hackensack, N.J., was the first woman ever 

to drive from coast to coast. Ramsey 

journeyed from Manhattan to San Francisco 

in 1909, just six years after the first man, 

Dr. H. Nelson Jackson, made the trek. 

Ramsey drove a Maxwell the whole way. 

(Eleven years later, Chrysler would assume 

control of the company manufacturing the 

Maxwell and reinforce the vehicle’s axles, 

something that Ramsey might have appreciated 

on her drive.) The 3,800-mile trip took 

her 59 days, which was faster than any of 

the men who’d driven before her. Today, that 

trip would take approximately 50 hours, 

without stopping, and the most direct route 

covers about 2,900 miles. 

TOP LEFT: NEAL PRESTON/CORBIS 

6 uaw-daimlerchryslerntc.org

Sign Up 

A Head Start 

By Lia D’Amico 

Child care tuition discounts are a great benefit for UAW-represented workers 

father of a special needs 

child, Joseph Ledbetter 

Asthe 

knows the importance of 

finding quality child care. And with the 

difficulty of juggling work and raising 

his son, Ledbetter couldn’t pass up the 

new child care tuition discount program 

offered through the National 

Training Center. It’s called the UAW- 

DaimlerChrysler National Child Care 

Network, and it also conducts regular 

monitoring of program quality at participating 

child care centers. 

Ledbetter, a floater in the chassis 

department at St. Louis South Assembly, 

needed day care for his 4-year-old 

son, Jonathan, who has Pervasive 

Developmental Disorder and Attention 

Deficit Disorder. 

Since November, Jonathan has 

attended La Petite Academy, taking 

advantage of a 10 percent tuition 

discount for UAW-represented DaimlerChrysler 

workers. The National 

Child Care Network arranges the 

discount and reserves priority slots 

for children 3 to 12 years old. Participating 

child care centers are located 

in most communities with Daimler- 

Chrysler facilities. 

“It’s been a great benefit for my 

son,” says Ledbetter, a UAW Local 

110 member. “He’s an only child. His 

association with kids in the day care is 

great. He’s made some good friends.” 

A national chain, La Petite Academy 

is one of more than 1,600 child 

care centers around the United States 

included in the network. Jonathan 

attends the center in Arnold, Mo., 

conveniently located only two miles 

from Ledbetter’s house and 18 miles 

from the plant. At the center, Jonathan 

learns communication and interactivity 

skills through activities like 

singing, dramatic play and storytelling. 

“The teachers are great,” says 

Ledbetter. “They can attend to his 

special needs.” Ledbetter is especially 

pleased that the teachers are knowledgeable 

about his son’s conditions 

and how to interact with him. 

To find a center in the National 

Child Care Network, call 800-809- 

4996 or visit www.uaw-daimlerchryslerntc.org. 

Click on Work-Life, 

then click on Child Care Network. 

You can search by state to find the 

location and phone number of a center 

near you. Many of the centers are 

affiliated with national chains and 

have their own Web sites that provide 

curriculum and other information. ■ 

JOSEPH LEDBETTER 

with his son, Jonathan 

JAY BAKER 


Sign Up 

The B.E.S.T. Way to Work 

By Karen English 

Changing attitudes about health and safety begin to show results 

V.C.L/FPG 

It’s the plant floor equivalent of 

mom and apple pie: everyone is in 

favor of health and safety. But for 

many workers, that’s as far as it goes. 

Sure, you learn the rules and follow 

them, but responsibility for individual 

work areas has been left largely 

to people with specialized training. 

Until now. 

A joint initiative called B.E.S.T. 

(Bringing Excellence to Safety Teams) 

was unveiled two years ago to get 

everyone involved in health and safety. 

B.E.S.T. is creating a systematic 

way to make safety processes part 

of everybody’s workday. And the 

safety push is paying dividends. In 

2001, DaimlerChrysler’s job-related 

incident rate, as measured by injuries 

or illnesses, and the lost workdays 

rate fell to all-time lows — a decline 

of more than 50 percent since 1995. 

What’s changing at UAW-Daimler- 

Chrysler is the way we think about 

responsibility for health and safety. 

Powering the change is the realization 

that to achieve the best possible workplace, 

health and safety must be top 

of mind for everyone — every day. 

Making this happen will involve 

changes not only in the way people 

think about safety but also in the way 

they work — and that won’t happen 

quickly. Transforming workplace culture 

requires a well-planned process 

and a lot of commitment. 

B.E.S.T. is implementing its process 

in phases over the next few years. The 

first phase, now wrapping up, involved 

training for plant and union leaders as 

well as assignments at each facility. Initiated 

at the plant level by joint leaders 

were weekly safety inspections of work 

areas, weekly meetings to discuss any 

incidents and plan corrective 

action, and monthly 

safety review meetings attended 

by the local union 

president and plant manager. 

Underlying it all is an 

effort to integrate health 

and safety into the Joint 

Operating Principles. 

Because the focus of 

the B.E.S.T. initiative is 

people on the plant floor, 

the program is building 

toward its most ambitious 

goal: training every 

worker in health and safety 

awareness, which is 

slated to roll out next year. 

But B.E.S.T. is already 

Workers’ Memorial Day 

Each year, UAW-Daimler- 

Chrysler joins workers around 

the world in observing Workers’ 

Memorial Day. First observed on 

April 28, 1989, the occasion 

coincides with the anniversary of 

the U.S. Occupational Safety and 

Health Act. In all, workers in 

more than 30 countries mark this 

day of remembering those killed 

or seriously injured on the job. 

Memorial events for this year’s 

observance on April 28 might 

include tree-planting ceremonies, 

candlelight vigils or discussion of 

health and safety issues. Each 

annual memorial serves not only 

as a way to remember coworkers, 

but also as a call to action. 

At UAW-DaimlerChrysler, the 

response to that call is heard 

companywide. Flags are flown 

at half-staff at both plants and 

local union halls to honor the 

memory of fallen workers. A 

video promoting workplace 

safety, produced by the UAW- 

DaimlerChrysler National Training 

Center, is shown during 

breaks or at times designated 

by local union-management 

leadership. To learn more about 

Workers’ Memorial Day activities 

at your location, contact your 

health and safety representative. 

— By Pete Dulin 

inspiring improvements in the work 

environment — which translate 

into enhanced health and safety 

for everyone. ■ 


Sign Up 

Artists at Work Returns 

Let your creative juices flow! 

The popular employee art competition 

and exhibition sponsored 

by the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 

National Training Center resumes this 

spring after a one-year absence. 

UAW-represented and non-bargaining 

unit DaimlerChrysler employees in 

the United States have another opportunity 

to show off their creativity in 

painting, sculpture, photography, textiles 

and other visual arts. 

Initial judging for the 2002-2003 

Artists at Work will be based on 

slides or other photographs of artwork 

submitted by employees. The 

deadline for entries is July 5, 2002. 

Art selected for the new exhibition 

will be unveiled at a Nov. 12 Opening 

Reception at the NTC, attended by 

the artists and invited guests. First-, 

Co-Chairs’ Awards 

Three individuals and three plant training committees 

have received 2001 Co-Chairs’ Awards for outstanding 

educational achievements. The awards from the 

National Training Center were presented in March at 

the UAW-DaimlerChrysler Annual Meeting and Joint 

Conferences in Las Vegas. 

The individual honors, which recognize UAW-represented 

workers who have used the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 

Tuition Assistance Program or other joint programs to 

improve themselves, went to: 

■ Larry Eugene Adams, GSO cleanup dept., UAW Local 

136, St. Louis North Assembly 

■ Gregory J. Dudzinski, local joint training facilitator, UAW 

Local 375, Marysville Parts Distribution Center 

second- and third-place 

winners and honorable 

mentions will be chosen. 

The art will be on display 

for a year. 

Top prizewinners, 

along with one guest 

per winner, will be 

awarded an expensepaid 

trip to the 2003 

UAW-DaimlerChrysler 

Annual Meeting. 

Returning as Artists 

at Work coordinator is 

Marilyn Finkel, an art history professor 

at Oakland Community College in 

suburban Detroit. 

The National Training Center 

sponsored Artists at Work competitions 

in 1999 and 2000. From nearly 

Congratulations to our educational stand-outs 

By Ron Russell 

1,100 entries submitted in 2000, 

Judges selected 119 pieces by 56 

employees for the exhibition. 

(For more about a previous year’s 

participant, see page 19.) 

To obtain contest rules and entry 

forms, contact Marilyn Finkel & 

Associates, 248-358-3555, or e-mail 

ConsultMFA@aol.com. ■ 

■ Maria Roman, spot welder, UAW Local 869, 

Warren Stamping 

The 2001 Co-Chairs’ Awards for Local Joint Training 

Committees went to: 

■ Chelsea Proving Grounds, first place, UAW Local 1284 

■ Sterling Heights Assembly, second place, UAW Locals 

1700, 889 and 412 

■ Cleveland Parts Distribution Center, third place, 


CLOCKWISE: 

Artwork from 

2000 exhibit by 

Marie Stone, 

Claude F. McKee, 

Tomas Diaz, and 

Stan Giles 

To learn more about the Co-Chairs’ Awards, visit www.uawdaimlerchryslerntc.org 

and check the Summer 2002 issue 

of Tomorrow magazine for more about the winners. 

— By Ron Russell 


Plant 

WINNING THE PICKUP GAME ISN’T EASY. You have to be quick and 

smooth, with just the right amount of style. But most of all, you have to perform, to be able to 

pull out all the stops even if the going gets tough. All those qualities 

combined helped the Dodge Ram 4x4 become Four 

Wheeler magazine’s “2002 Pickup Truck of 

the Year.” It’s no coincidence that those 

qualities also define the launch teams 

from the St. Louis North and Warren 

Truck plants that worked together to 

fine-tune the champion Ram. 

Working 

together 

to launch the 

pickup of 

the year 

To be named best pickup, the 2002 

Dodge Ram 1500 Quad Cab beat out 

five other leading pickups in four 

grueling days of road tests. The Ram 

was performance-tested on a California 

drag strip, driven hard in the desert and 

subjected to rocky off-road trails, sand 

dunes and rough terrain. And when the 

scores were added up, the Ram reigned. 

“We take this very seriously,” 

says Jon Thompson, editor of Four 

Wheeler. “Our readers expect us 

to approach these tests with 

thoroughness and precision, and 

we do.” He notes that the completely 

redesigned Ram scored 

especially well on trail perform- 

ance and on exterior and interior 

quality. Judges loved the more 

“aerodynamic styling” of the new 

body and the inches added to 

interior roominess. But the deciding 

factor was the capability over both 

trails and highways that made the 

Ram “a great ride.” 

TEAMWORK PAYS 

When the tough Four Wheeler 

judges tapped the Ram, they 

didn’t take anyone at Warren Truck 

or St. Louis North by surprise. After 

all, they had been planning and 

working toward a blazing launch of 

the 2002 Ram since January 2000. 

THIS PAGE: COURTESY DAIMLERCHRYSLER, OPPOSITE PAGE: BILL SCHWAB 

BY NANCY SHEPHERDSON 


WARREN TRUCK TEAM MEMBERS 

From left: Shafton Crosson, Tommy Franks and Mike Saad 


That’s when launch teams from the 

two plants met at Jeep Truck Engineering 

and the Tech Center in 

the Detroit area to begin the first 

phase of the launch. For the members 

of the St. Louis North team, that 

meant leaving their families behind for 

eight long months. They returned 

home only on weekends, after each 

week of building pilots of Rams completely 

by hand. 

Phyllis Stanfill was happy to be 

chosen for the project, even though it 

meant she would spend a lot of time 

away from her husband and grandchildren. 

In fact, several operators in 

her area had turned down the opportunity 

offered by UAW Local 136, 

feeling that the time and travel commitment 

was too great. “I thought it 

would be a change of pace,” says 

Stanfill, a 29-year St. Louis North 

operator then working on final assembly 

in chassis. “And it was amazing 

to find out what it was like to build 

a truck — I had no idea that so much 

went into it.” The whole experience, 

she says, helps her in her new job as 

an inspector. “It has helped me 

understand the processes a lot better.” 

COMMUNICATION IS KEY for 

Phyllis Stanfill and James E. Catt. 

The eight months in 

the Detroit area were no 

problem for James E. Catt, 

another veteran operator and 

UAW Local 136 member at 

St. Louis North. The only 

drawback, he says, was all 

the time he spent in airports 

traveling between the two 

cities. Otherwise, he enjoyed 

working with the engineers 

to make the trucks easier 

to build and to ensure higher 

final quality. For instance, 

Catt suggested moving 

several bolt holes slightly, 

including where the door 

glass bolts to the regulator. “I 

knew it would cause trouble for the 

operators — either it would be a hard 

twist or you wouldn’t be able to see it 

very well.” 

In fact, Catt enjoyed the process so 

much that he volunteered to be a 

member of the 2003 pickup launch 

team that’s now hard at work. This 

team will spend only eight weeks in 

Detroit, because there are fewer design 

changes than on the 2002 model. 

Warren Truck launch team members 

spent eight months shoulderto-shoulder 

with the St. Louis North 

people building trucks, and they 

looked just as hard for improvements. 

“We made sure that each job could be 

done easily in the plant — we wanted 

to know that more speed on the line 

wouldn’t cause problems for the operators,” 

says Daryl Drew, a metal shop 

worker on the launch team who is 

now an inspector. 

MEANWHILE, 

BACK AT THE PLANTS 

While the launch teams were handbuilding 

vehicles in Detroit, both 

A HEAD ABOVE THE REST: The ram in its place of pride on 

the winning 2002 pickup. 

St. Louis North and Warren Truck 

added to their floor space. The plants 

also began Early Opportunity work 

when they could, retooling the line 

and workstations. The next phase of 

the launch then began at St. Louis 

North, which was serving as the lead 

plant in the effort. 

This time, it was the Warren Truck 

launch team members who had to do 

the traveling. On a rotating basis, they 

worked alongside St. Louis North 

launch team members doing whatever 

was necessary to build the pilot 2002 

models on the line while 2001 production 

continued around them. “This is a 

great opportunity for training,” notes 

Jim Freeman, who was the launch 

manager for the Ram at Warren Truck. 

“Everyone gets a first look and a first 

build much earlier than with previous 

launches.” It was, in fact, the first time 

in a major launch that all pilots were 

directly built on the main line. 

In the case of the Ram, on-line 

building started six months before 

the official launch of the vehicle at 

both St. Louis North and Warren 

THIS PAGE: JAY BAKER, OPPOSITE PAGE: ABOVE: JAY BAKER, BELOW: BILL SCHWAB 


Truck, as opposed to the traditional 

two months — or total shutdown — 

for conversion. “St. Louis was a test 

pad for all of us,” says Warren 

Truck Plant Manager Fred Martino- 

DiCicco. “We had a lot of folks 

down there, so we were able to do a 

lot of best-practices sharing. We were 

able to avoid some of the snags [St. 

Louis] ran into during our launch 

two months later.” 

Warren Truck PQI Communicator 

and UAW Local 140 member Shafton 

Crosson even filmed the process 

at Warren Truck to use in training. 

Crosson later bought a 2002 

Ram, which he says is great for 

hauling kids, riding mowers and 

mountain bikes. 

Once the on-line build was well in 

hand, every St. Louis North operator 

was scheduled for training on the new 

model in the plant’s Simulation 

Room. (This stage began two months 

later at Warren Truck.) Launch team 

members guided the training and 

made sure everyone gained experience 

with their job on the new vehicle. 

A center track in each Simulation 

Room moves the practice vehicles at 

the same speed and height operators 

will see them on the line. And that 

paid off: “We have found that workers 

on the line have a better relationship 

with the product after training in 

the Simulation Room,” notes Tommy 

Franks, a member of the Warren 

Truck launch team. “That made a 

real difference in their comfort level 

on the line.” 

Throughout the process, ideas for 

improvements were continually being 

implemented. With just two small 

changes to a switch and a windshield 

covering, the Warren Truck launch 

team saved almost $5 million across 

“The people I worked with 

were great. We made suggestions 

together that will 

make things better 

for everyone.” — RON GEORGER 

the plants. Team leader Mike Saad 

appreciates the contribution that savings 

always make, but he has another 

important reason for wanting to find 

as many improvements as possible, as 

early as possible. “It makes my job so 

much easier to make these changes 

before launch,” he says. 

The cooperation between the 

plants made the launch that much 

more successful. “The people I 

worked with were great,” notes Ron 

Georger, launch team and UAW Local 

136 member from St. Louis North. 

“We made suggestions together that 

will make things better for everyone.” 

DOWN THE LINE: 

Ram production rolls out a winner. 

All of this extra cooperating, training 

and improving produced a milestone 

for St. Louis North Plant Manager 

Jim Nihls. “This was the most 

successful launch I’ve been associated 

with in my 30 years at Daimler- 

Chrysler,” he declares. Both plants far 

exceeded their build goals for the 

launch, and warranty conditions are 

down by more than a third over the 

previous model’s figures. “This launch 

was unique because we helped each 

other, we benchmarked each other,” 

adds Nihls. “We had no doubt that 

this truck would win awards. The 

only question was, how many?” ■ 


MEET 

THE 

BY MIKE MARTINDALE 

PHOTOS BY TOM LAUNDROCHE 

FUTUR 

New Technology Training Center is state of the art 

THE 

future of the auto industry — or at least an exciting part of it — is in Warren, Mich. Look for it behind 

the chalky-white exterior of the new UAW-DaimlerChrysler Technology Training Center. The modernistic 

complex contrasts sharply with the aging tool and die shops that share Nine Mile Road. In fact, it’s as much 

out-of-character with those stark, post–World War II cinderblock structures as the high-tech activity you’ll find 

inside the TTC classrooms and laboratories, where theory is applied through hands-on experience. 

At the new TTC, even veteran UAW-DaimlerChrysler 

workers will find a lot to learn, whether they want to 

enhance their current skills or develop cutting-edge new 

ones. Birchen Godwyn, a UAW Local 51 member from 

Mound Road Engine attending a robotics class, is one 

of the many impressed. “I want to start in robotics,” says 

Godwyn, an electrician, looking at several robots contained 

within bright-yellow metal fenced cells for safety. 

“This [new facility] gives me an opportunity to keep up 

with the latest technology.” 

basically gutted the building. The outside walls remain 

and the sewer system, but just about everything else — 

the electrical, heating, plumbing — is all new.” 

The former technology center, which was located on 

the second floor of the Mt. Elliott Tool and Die facility, 

IN TRAINING FOR EXCELLENCE 

The new TTC, with 235,000 square feet and 

plenty of room for expansion, arose from 

a pre-existing structure that the UAW-Daimler- 

Chrysler National Training Center had 

purchased, along with its 55-acre site, in 1999. 

“We’ve made a major investment in this 

facility,” says Leon Klea, assistant director of 

the UAW’s DaimlerChrysler Department. “We 

TECH-SAVVY: A view of the TTC’s dramatic, pillared entrance. 


TAKING THE PLUNGE: 

Health and safety 

trainer Al Clos 

demonstrates fall 

protection with 

training participant 

James Butler. 

Program 

Get in training! 

Local Technical Training 

Committee (LTTC) members 

can provide registration forms. 

Your UAW local president and 

plant manager must sign your 

completed form. Enrollment is 

limited. For more information or 

an online course catalog, check 

www.uaw-daimlerchryslerntc.org. 


opened in April 1995 with 135,000 

square feet of instructional space. Its 

mission was clear: to equip workers 

to meet the challenges of rapidly 

changing technology. “The old facility 

was all right, but we outgrew it,” 

explains Klea. “Here we have an 

opportunity to do just about whatever 

is needed.” 

Construction on the new facility 

began in 2000, and the new TTC 

opened its doors in September 2001. 

For Jack Nelson, a UAW Local 110 

member from St. Louis South Assembly, 

the chance to learn new skills in 

this setting is worth the trip. “What’s 

important to me is that it’s quiet,” 

says Nelson, an electrician. “You 

don’t have all the distractions you 

have on the job, and it gives you a 

chance to take everything in.” 

Today, the new facility offers 

more than 96 classes. Although the 

TTC was initially planned to meet 

the needs of skilled trades journeymen 

and apprentices, course offerings 

have expanded to include 

training for production workers and 

salaried UAW employees, as well as 

an after-school program for Detroit area high school students. 

Uses for this state-of-the-art facility may not stop 

there. “We are considering making this center available 

for workers at outside UAW shops as well,” says Klea. 

Since 1995, more than 30,000 workers have participated 

in training. For new apprentices, the TTC is their 

introduction to the skilled trades at UAW-Daimler- 

Chrysler. Ron Manthey, TTC co-administrator, says 

apprentices attend classes at the center for their first five 

weeks of training before reporting to their assigned plants. 

Their classes include health and safety training, general 

skills overview and trade-specific training. 

Apprentices and other training participants, who come 

from almost every DaimlerChrysler location, collect their 

normal pay while attending classes. Expenses for travel, 

lodging and meals are covered by the NTC. Most courses 

qualify for transferable college credits, thanks to recommendation 

from the American Council of Education. 

ABOVE: A welder at work. BELOW: Hallways 

feature vaulted ceilings and recessed lighting. 

And what participants learn from 

their instructors is key. Thielas Alston, 

a MQAS facilitator at Jefferson North 

Assembly and a UAW Local 7 member, 

attended a class in product 

quality through measurement gauging, 

taught by Rose Solensky. “I’m in 

quality control, and I can take everything 

I learn here back with me to 

help put out the best,” Alston says. 

“Top notch” is how instructor Gary 

Kwiatkowski, of ABB, a robotics 

manufacturer, describes the center’s 

approach. “I’ve taught dozens of 

classes at DaimlerChrysler,” says 

Kwiatkowski. “But this — this is the 

way to go.” 

A CLASS ACT 

Everywhere, there are details that 

make this facility stand out. There’s 

a carpeted, theater-like auditorium that 

can accommodate up to 350 people. 

It’s equipped with a computerized control 

room, a stereophonic sound system, 

stage lighting, an elevated stage 

and a rear-projection screen. The first 

six rows are outfitted with plugs for 

personal computers. 

In the reference library, materials range from daily newspapers 

and trade magazines to technical manuals. Individual 

workstations are available where training participants 

can study or plug in laptop computers. Glass cases display 

photographs and special safety equipment. The center’s tiled 

floors — from its restaurant-style cafeteria to its apprenticeship 

and health and safety training areas — gleam. 

None of this attention to detail is lost on the students. 

“I’m quite impressed with the facility,” says Bob 

Nitkowski, a welder equipment repairman and UAW 

Local 869 member from Warren Stamping. “Especially 

how clean and up to date it is.” 

The bottom-line benefit is obvious to Dale Pitney, 

an electrician and UAW Local 1435 member at Toledo 

Machining. “Time is money,” he says. “If I learn one thing 

that helps me troubleshoot and shorten downtime, it more 

than pays to have me here for a week. They should send 

everybody here.” ■ 


Picking the 

Winners 

BY 

STEVE PERLSTEIN 

Profile 

REVOYDIA SLIDE MAY BE A CUSTODIAN AT DETROIT AXLE, but she’s just as 

enthusiastic about the vehicles her plant helps produce as anyone on the line. 

One of her favorite pastimes is checking out the latest models and trying to 

predict which design features customers will go for. With her 28 years of following 

Chrysler brand vehicles, Slide is a perfect candidate for sizing up the 

concept cars and gauging auto show visitors’ excitement. 

LEFT: REBECCA COOK, RIGHT: COURTESY DAIMLERCHRYSLER 

Revoydia 

Slide’s 

favorite 

stops at the 

2002 Auto 

Show 

Slide started her career in 1973 

at the old Jefferson Avenue 

Assembly plant, where they made 

Chrysler New Yorkers and Imperials. 

She is still so excited about 

DaimlerChrysler vehicles that she 

volunteered to greet visitors to 

the UAW-DaimlerChrysler National 

Training Center exhibit at Detroit’s 

2002 North American International 

Auto Show in January. 

The show is an event Slide looks 

forward to every year. Mostly, the 

UAW Local 961 member likes to see 

which rumors floating around the 

plant about future products turn out 

to be true — and what consumers are 

saying about what’s new. 

“The auto show is like a big dealership,” 

she says. “People come 

from all over to look at the cars, and 

it’s a lot of fun to hear what their 

honest opinions are. If you really 

ABOVE: The cool Compass is quite a concept. 

LEFT: Revoydia and the Pacifica concept car. 


“People come from all over to look at the cars, and 

it’s a lot of fun to hear what their honest opinions are. 

If you really listen, you can learn whether a car 

is going to be successful or not.” — REVOYDIA SLIDE 

listen, you can learn whether a car is 

going to be successful or not.” 

At the Jeep concept cars display, 

both Slide and potential customers 

find a lot to like. Slide heads for 

the Compass, which features neonrimmed 

headlights, ventilated seats 

and flush exhaust. When she starts 

chatting with a show visitor who is 

looking over the same car, she finds 

they both were admiring the dashboard 

— for the same reason. The 

instruments remind them of gauges 

on heavy machinery. Agreeing with 

the visitor, Slide says, “I really like that 

industrial look.” 

Slide has a special place in her 

heart for cool headlights. The Willys 

2 concept car not only has sharp 

headlights, but the taillights — an 

array of five dots of light — are eyecatching 

as well. “I just love all of 

these concept cars,” says Slide. “The 

lights are so different on all of them.” 

Slide had heard a lot about the 

Pacifica concept car. Seeing it for herself, 

with its glass roof and sharp lines, 

is more impressive than the rumors. 

“That’s very sleek,” she says, circling 

the car amid a sea of visitors who 

agree that this is a car worth admiring. 

A fan of pickup trucks, since her 

plant produces axles for them, Slide 

spends a lot of time at the Dodge section 

of the exhibit. She hopes for runaway 

success if the Dodge M80 pickup 

concept reaches production. With 

its sleek lines and unique features like 

built-in beach chairs, Slide says, 

“We’re going to sell a lot of these.” 

Other than the vehicles, the most 

eye-catching element of the Chrysler 

Group section of the show 

floor — and maybe of the entire 

event — is the Jeep waterfall. 

Made to look like it was set 

in a 30-foot-high rock formation, 

a wall of water falls 

NOT SO MELLOW YELLOW: 

The Dodge M80 pickup concept is both strong and sleek. 

at intervals to a pool below. But this is 

not an ordinary sheet of water. The 

flow of the drops is mechanically 

manipulated to form words and 

shapes: “Jeep 4 x 4,” “United We 

Stand” and a waving American flag. 

The display attracts a steady throng, 

and it is impressive enough to make 

even this crowd forget about cars for 

a while. “That is really something,” 

Slide says, entranced by the display 

along with everyone else. 

Revoydia Slide has seen a lot 

of new cars come and go in her 28 

years with the company. Over that 

time, the vehicles have changed, the 

company has changed and the world 

has changed. “I’ve been through the 

lean times and through the good 

times,” she says. “It’s been a good 

career. I really do like what I do and 

where I work.” ■ 

LEAN, MEAN AND GREEN: The Willys 2 Jeep concept is ready for rugged action. 

COURTESY DAIMLERCHRYSLER 


Our OurPeople 

Off the Clock 

Dreaming in Color 

By Ron Russell 

Marcus Glenn’s artistic vision reaches more admirers 

BILL SCHWAB 

Marcus Glenn has achieved 

something most of us 

only dream about: he’s 

pursuing his passion, 

gaining recognition and 

getting paid for it. At 34, Glenn already 

has established himself as an up-andcomer 

in the art world, while working 

the midnight shift at McGraw Glass. 

Glenn’s unique style and imagery — 

expressed in a mixed-media, twodimensional 

style he calls “flat life” — 

have spawned a second career, inspired 

coworkers and landed his paintings in 

the Midwest’s largest art gallery. His 

paintings were also a highlight of the 

Artists at Work exhibition sponsored 

by the UAW-DaimlerChrysler National 

Training Center. (For more information 

on Artists at Work, see page 9.) 

With his artistic success, Glenn 

finds himself balancing two jobs. 

“I’m a factory rat by night and an 

artist by day,” says the McGraw 

Glass furnace operator. 

On a typical workday, the UAW 

Local 227 member is back in his 

makeshift studio — in the basement of 

his sister’s suburban Detroit home — 

at around noon, after five hours of 

sleep. There, he paints until it’s time to 

get ready for his shift. 

Glenn has made a name for himself 

portraying jazz and blues musicians in 

striking abstract poses. His hallmarks 

are bright colors and combining paper 

and fabrics to create a textured collage. 

Glenn’s unique blending of 

painting with sculpture produces a 

bas-relief effect that gives a lifelike 

depth to his canvas. 

Glenn’s work also reflects great sensitivity. 

His “Love Song for New 

York” depicts a musician overcome 

with grief in the wake of the Sept. 11 

terrorist attack. “I tried to capture 

what I was feeling,” says Glenn. 

His emphasis on musical themes has 

prompted many fans to ask if Glenn is 

a musician himself. He’s not. In fact, 

Glenn recently began a new series of 

paintings that depict artists and the 

emotions they experience in pursuit of 

their creative vision. “It’s almost as if 

you’re sharing a piece of your soul 

with the public,” Glenn says. “Now, 

maybe people will stop asking me if 

I’m a musician.” 

Glenn’s big break came two years 

ago when he signed a contract with 

Park West Gallery in suburban Southfield, 

Mich., where he became one of 

the first African Americans to show his 

work. Earlier this year, Glenn signed a 

deal that gives Park West exclusive 

rights to market his paintings. 

“It’s put me in a position where I 

don’t need to hustle my paintings anymore,” 

Glenn says, referring to an earlier 

time when he made the rounds of 

Detroit-area art fairs. “All I have to do 

now is to focus on creating great art.” 

While “flat life” is his first love, 

Glenn also paints portraits. Last fall, 

he was commissioned by Local 227 to 

fashion a likeness of retired UAW 

President Douglas Fraser, a member 

of the local. “I learned a lot about 

Doug Fraser as a man and the struggles 

he fought on behalf of UAW 

members,” says Glenn. 

Local 227 President Naman Pettway 

believes that Glenn is a good role model 

for other younger workers. “He shows 

them that if you reach out for the stars, 

you can grab them,” says Pettway, 

“and be anything you want to be.” ■ 

MARCUS GLENN, at work in his studio 


Our 

People 

Off the Clock 

Cultural Identity in a Few Easy Steps 

Traditional dance connects one family with its Hispanic heritage 

By Steve Knopper 

Suzanne Contreras didn’t 

always plan to become a 

dancer. A couple of years 

ago, when she was 11 

years old, she saw another 

girl boxing and told her parents, 

“This is what I want to do.” So she 

joined a local boxing team in 

Pontiac, Mich. At Azteca Boxing 

Gym, Suzanne spars with any boy or 

girl willing to step into the ring. 

“Most of the time, she’s the one who 

hurts the boys,” says her mother, 

Manuela, an assembler on the motor 

line and UAW Local 1700 member 

at Sterling Heights Assembly. 

SUZANNE CONTRERAS, left, with her mother Manuela 

But a funny thing happened on 

the way to the ring. Suzanne’s coach 

convinced her to learn danza de 

Chichimecatl, a traditional dance of 

the Aztecs, the Mexican civilization 

conquered by the Spanish in the 

16th century. It would improve her 

footwork, he said. 

Almost two years later, Suzanne 

has performed the dance all over 

Michigan and once in Kansas City 

with her troupe, Aztec Ceremonial 

Dancers. A high point was her performance 

at Detroit’s Festival of Colors 

last summer, which helped mark 

the city’s 300th birthday. 

Manuela, whose grandparents lived 

in northern Mexico and whose parents 

were born in the United States, 

says she’d never heard of Aztec dances 

before Suzanne joined the troupe. But 

when she finally saw a performance, 

she was impressed. “It brought tears 

to my eyes,” she says. 

“It’s bringing back 

the culture that 

has been lost 

for a while, teaching 

kids the roots.” 

Lately, Manuela has become more 

attuned to her cultural heritage 

through supporting Suzanne’s dance 

troupe. She recently strung flowers 

together for the dancers’ hair, and she 

created the troupe’s ankle bracelets, 

designed to simulate the sound of a 

river flowing. 

It’s a heritage she’s happy to see her 

daughter take part in. “It’s bringing 

back the culture that has been lost for 

a while,” Manuela says, “teaching 

kids the roots.” 

Today, Suzanne spends four or five 

hours every evening at the gym — 

boxing and dancing. For the busy 

honor roll student at the Walton Charter 

Academy in Pontiac, Mich., dance 

is an opportunity to slow down and 

reflect. “Everything’s so complicated 

for kids nowadays,” her mother says. 

“But there’s a lot of meaning in this.” ■ 

BILL SCHWAB 


Our OurPeople 

Off the Clock 

ROBERT BEAN, ILLUSTRATION BY JULIA TALCOTT/LAUGHING STOCK 

Acting Locally 

On a recent Thursday morning, 

two TV news crews 

arrived at Bill Simmons’ 

office in Syracuse, N.Y. 

Late the night before, the 

Onondaga County Legislature had 

handed down a controversial vote 

about giving tax breaks to a developer. 

Simmons, majority leader of the 

Syracuse Common Council, was 

grilled for his reaction. 

When the clip aired on the evening 

news, Simmons was rooting for his 

son’s high school basketball team. 

Then he attended a meeting about a 

proposed waste-treatment plant. 

By the time the late news rolled at 

11 p.m., Simmons was clocking in as a 

furnace operator on the third shift at 

New Process Gear, where his work 

schedule gives him the time he needs 

for family and community service. 

This was not an unusual day for the 

UAW Local 624 member. Simmons is 

often on the go for 20 hours. Besides 

By Katy Benson 

BILL SIMMONS, 

common councilor 

For Bill Simmons, public service is community service 

his positions on the Common Council 

and in the plant, he studies law. “I have 

to juggle,” Simmons admits. 

Simmons, 44, grew up in the 

Bronx and was inspired to get 

involved in government by a congressman 

who visited his high school. 

In the early 1980s, after graduating 

from college, Simmons twice ran 

for the county legislature. He lost 

both races, but didn’t lose heart. 

In 1992, he began a term on the 

Syracuse school board. A year later, 

he hired on at New Process Gear. 

And in 1999, Simmons was elected 

to the Common Council, where he 

introduced anti–racial profiling legislation 

and worked on police 

accountability issues. 

Recently, Simmons was elected to 

his second term. “It’s my opportunity 

to affect the lives of people in the 

neighborhoods,” he says. “I want to 

make people feel good about political 

responsiveness on the local level.” ■ 

Together 

in Prayer 

By Martha K. Baker 

The organizer of 

New Castle’s Day of Prayer 

is with the people 

Nathan S. Brewington Jr. 

worked at New Castle 

Machining and Forge for 

more than 33 years, but 

some of his coworkers didn’t even 

know his name. They just called him 

“the chaplain.” And call him they did, 

day and night — to minister to their 

sick and dying, and to preach at their 

weddings and funerals. 

Brewington, 54, retired last fall as 

a quality checker and machine operator, 

but he remains chaplain for 

UAW Local 371, as he has for 15 

years. He accepted the company’s 

offer of a toll-free number but 

refused an office. “My ministry’s 

among the people,” he says. 

Brewington, a nondenominational 

minister, now works on the “outside” 

of the plant, mostly calling on 

retirees, while Jerry Hines serves as 

chaplain on the “inside.” Both will 

lead the plant’s celebration of the 

2002 National Day of Prayer, held 

the first Thursday of May. 

“I felt blessed when I was 

approached to lead the company’s 

participation in the first one in 

1995,” Brewington says. 

About 400 people participated 

that first year. Last year, says 

Brewington, the prayer service 

included returning retirees. 

“It’s not common for a company to 

let people off the job to pray,” says 

Brewington. “We need prayer. I believe 

God wants us to be together.” ■ 


Off the Clock 

Surf City 

BY BOB ERICKSON 

IT’S SHOWTIME ON THE NTC WEB SITE 

Lights, Camera, Action! 

The curtain’s going up on 

the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 

National Training Center’s 

Web site. The site, at www.uawdaimlerchryslerntc.org, 

is loaded 

with video files that you can play 

on your computer, whether you 

have a fast connection to the Internet, 

such as cable, a T1 line or DSL, 

or just a 56k dial-up connection. 

You’ll find videos throughout the 

NTC’s dynamic site. On the home 

page, full-screen photographs of 

workers on the job are linked to 

video testimonials about their experience 

with NTC programs. Those 

images rotate every half hour, so 

come back often to see them all. 

There’s also a home page link, in 

the Site Features box, to videos of 

important events and speeches 

from the recent UAW-Daimler- 

Chrysler Annual Meeting. Inside the 

site, check out videos of: 

■ UAW-DaimlerChrysler TV 

commercials, in the Product 

■ 

■ 

■ 

Quality Improvement (PQI) 

Partnership section 

Artists at Work receptions, in the 

section of the same name 

The Dodge Intrepid R/T NASCAR 

racing program, in the Motorsports 

section 

Workers’ Memorial Day, in the 

Health and Safety section 

Some files are longer than others, 

but “streaming video” makes downloading 

movie clips painless. All you 

need to view streaming video is 

Windows Media Player software 

(for PC or Mac). You can download 

the latest version by visiting 

Web Tools/Plug-ins within the NTC 

site’s Resources section. 

Of course, the faster your Internet 

connection, the shorter your 

download time will be for videos and 

everything else. But streaming video 

will help low-bandwidth users (those 

with telephone modems) view the 

clips very quickly, because it plays 

videos as they are downloading. 

You don’t have to wait for the entire 

file to download. 

If your Internet connection is very 

slow, there may be a “thinning” of 

the video during the playback. If you 

miss a section, you can scroll to the 

appropriate place and replay the 

stream. To minimize “thinning,” 

increase the buffering of your player 

to the highest setting (for Windows 

Media Player, while in “full” mode, 

go to Tools, then Options, then Performance 

and enter in 30 seconds 

for the buffer). 

You’ll find 

videos throughout 

the NTC’s 

dynamic site. 

If you can upgrade to a faster 

connection, you’ll be able to view 

the videos at a larger size (full 

screen, if you like), and they will be 

clearer. Speed is measured in kilobytes 

per second (kps), and highbandwidth 

connections can run at 

up to 1,000 kps, compared with 

56 kps or less for the average telephone 

modem. 

To find out how fast your Internet 

connection is, take the speed test 

on the Web Tools/Plug-ins page. To 

upgrade to a faster connection, 

such as a T1 line, cable or DSL, 

call your Internet service provider or 

local phone or cable company. ■ 


Tech Tip 

Fun for free 

Your home computer can become 

your own personal arcade, thanks 

to numerous Internet sites that 

offer games. You don’t have to 

buy software or an expensive 

gaming system to play video 

games — often it just requires 

a quick download or online registration. 

Some games even make 

it possible to play against other 

Internet users. Here are some 

places to start: 

• If you’ve ever dreamed of driving 

a Dodge racecar, you can 

live out your fantasy online 

playing Dodge Speedway 

(www.zone.msn.com/speedway). 

To play, your computer must 

meet some minimum requirements, 

and you will need a 3D 

accelerated graphics card with 

at least 4MB of video RAM. 

• On Station.com (www. 

station.com), you can play 

“Jeopardy!” or “Wheel 

of Fortune,” competing 

against other players online. 

• Yahoo! Games (games. 

yahoo.com) offers multiplayer 

card and board games, 

as well as Bingo, MahJong 

and others. There are also 

single-player games such as 

crossword and wordsearch, 

and fantasy sports. 

— by Naomi Lescohier 

THE LATEST AT LEARNNTC.COM 

Home Sweet Home Page 

More than 33,000 UAW-represented 

Daimler-Chrysler 

workers have a new place 

to call home on the Internet. 

Connect2Learn, a recently created 

section of the LearnNTC.com Web 

site, has been built exclusively for 

workers who received computers 

through the employE•connect program, 

which ended last fall. (For 

more information on the LearnNTC 

site, see page 24). 

Workers who selected personal 

computer Option 3, with access to 

the Internet, have admission to a 

wide array of educational and training 

information organized just for 

them. Their ticket is in the form of a 

password that, combined with 

their DaimlerChrysler Identification 

(DCID) number, opens up a world of 

information and entertainment that 

no other computer users can access. 

All they have to do is visit the 

NTC Web site, www.learnntc.com, 

click the Connect2Learn tab and 

follow the on-screen instructions. 

Inside Connect2Learn, there are 

discussion groups, colorful and 

action-packed UAW-DaimlerChrysler 

history and trivia games, a nutrition 

quiz and tons of links to all kinds of 

activities for the whole family. The 

Connect2Learn site also offers information 

and instruction on using 

your computer, accessing NTC programs, 

developing leadership skills, 

managing family affairs, utilizing 

union and company resources, finding 

educational Web sites for both 

BY BOB ERICKSON 

adults and children, and making the 

most of your retirement. Retirees 

seem especially interested in the 

new offering — they make up 

nearly 10 percent of all C2L users. 

By February, more than 1,400 

eligible users — representing every 

one of the 57 UAW-DaimlerChrysler 

facilities in the United States — had 

already joined the Connect2Learn 

community. Leading the stampede 

to C2L were Toledo Jeep Assembly, 

with more than 125 registered users, 

and Kokomo Transmission, where 

over 100 joined up. 

The virtual world is a reality, and 

the UAW-DaimlerChrysler National 

Training Center is committed to helping 

new users become comfortable 

“surfing the Web.” At the same time, 

the NTC will offer more experienced 

users access to educational and training 

information that will help them on 

and off the job. ■ 

EmployE•connect program participants 

who have questions 

about Connect2Learn can call 

877-682-3638. 


Our Lifelong 

People Learning 

Off the Clock 

School Success for Grownups 

Click to a wealth of resources designed for adult learners 

By Molly Rose Teuke 

It’s a shame, but many people never 

even try a college course because 

they wouldn’t know where to turn 

for help if they ran into a problem. 

But as Robert Maier, a stockman at 

Los Angeles Parts Distribution Center, 

has learned, everything you need to 

succeed is just a few keystrokes away. 

Two years ago, the 47-year-old 

launched a college career and, in spite 

of a mediocre-at-best high school 

record, he quickly established a 4.0 

average. When he needed help organizing 

a paper or tackling an assignment, 

the UAW Local 230 member turned to 

the Web. “There’s nothing you can’t 

learn on the Internet,” he says. The 

Web holds not only a wealth of information, 

but also a variety of interactive 

learning tools for adult students. 

Most adult students choose to 

brush up on the basics after being 

away from the study habit for a few 

years — or, like Maier, decades. Even 

if you’ve been to college before, that’s 

no guarantee you’ll have the study 

skills that spell success in today’s 

learning environment. The most common 

shortfalls, according to Rhonda 

Egidio, professor of education at 

Michigan State University and director 

of its VITAL (Virtual Interactive 

Teaching And Learning) program, 

are in writing, math, computer use 

and life organization skills. 

Think of Web browsing as a 

treasure hunt. One site might 

give you all you need to know; if 

not, drill deeper by clicking on 

links and search tools. 

A good first stop for a refresher is 

www.learnntc.com, which Egidio 

helped to develop as home base for the 

UAW-DaimlerChrysler National Training 

Center’s online learning program. 

From LearnNTC.com’s Online 

Learning Tools, you can link to pages 

on motivation, time management and 

Link to Learn 

These Web sites offer a wealth of tools for adult students. 

www.learnntc.com/learnntc/bktoschool.shtml 

Offers practical, easy to navigate back-to-school resources. Check out the 

link to www.learnntc.com/learnntc/tools.shtml. NTC is also introducing a series 

of free online study skills workshops. Don’t miss the first one, “Successful 

Strategies for Online Learning.” 

www.learnntc.com/connect2learn 

Good for computer skills but password protected — open only to UAW- 

DaimlerChrysler workers participating in the employE•connect program. 

www.learnthenet.com/ 

A thorough introduction that teaches how to get the most from the Web. 

http://owl.english.purdue.edu 

Includes a variety of resources from Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab. 

www.mathacademy.com/pr/minitext/anxiety/index.asp 

An exploration of math anxiety and strategies for managing it, from Math 

Academy Online. 

www.metamath.com//lsweb/dvclearn.htm 

Helps you figure out your particular learning style. 

basic study skills. You’ll also find steps 

to being a good student and links to 

pages on writing, using the Web and 

learning styles. (For more about Learn- 

NTC.com offerings, see page 23.) 

MSU’s Egidio recommends finding 

your way around the Web and practicing 

study skills before you enroll in a 

class. And don’t get discouraged. 

“Being a student is an ongoing 

process,” says Egidio. “Don’t expect to 

simply know how to study. Part of 

what you go to school for is to learn 

how to be a better learner — you’ll be 

learning all your life and applying the 

skills you develop today.” ■ 


Your 

Money Our People 

Matters 

Off the Clock 

Rethink That Refund 

By Chris Anderson 

Smart tax planning makes your money work harder 

ROBERT NEUBECKER 

You’re happy. You’re getting 

a refund on your 2001 

income tax — just like 70 

percent of your fellow taxpayers. 

Although your 

thoughts may be on that windfall, 

personal finance experts say that now 

is the time to plan for the 2002 tax 

year. Tops on your list, they say, 

should be adjusting the withholding 

on your paycheck so you don’t get a 

refund next year. 

Yes, you read that right. 

“People should not aim to get a 

refund every year,” says John W. 

Roth of CCH Inc., a provider of tax 

information in Riverwoods, Ill. 

“However, getting them to change is 

very difficult.” 

But change you should. Your tax 

refund isn’t “found” money. You’ve 

been giving it to Uncle Sam every 

paycheck. And when you get that 

money back, it’s without a single 

penny of interest. 

Adjust Your Withholding 

Here’s how to plan your withholding 

so that it covers your tax obligation 

without piling up a surplus to be refunded 

— interest free — months later. 

First, figure out how much you will 

owe in 2002. If your income will be 

about the same and you expect no 

major changes in your life, the best 

estimate is the amount you paid last 

year. Take last year’s total tax, divide it 

by the number of paychecks you’ll receive 

and you have the amount that 

should be withheld each pay cycle. 

If your tax situation is complicated, 

say, by interest income or capital gains, 

check the worksheets in IRS Publication 

919, “How do I adjust my tax 

withholding?” Then, using your estimate, 

file an amended W-4 so that 

what is withheld is closer to what 

you’ll owe. 

Put This Year’s Refund to Work 

If you received a refund, there are 

better ways to spend it than on a 

vacation. A good place to start 

is your credit cards. Putting a 

$1,000 refund toward your 

high-interest balances can 

save you up to nearly $200 

this year alone. Pay outstanding 

balances down with that 

extra money you’ll have 

after adjusting your withholding. 

This strategy will 

give your budget a bigger 

boost than you’d get from putting 

the dollars in savings. 

If you’re one of the few 

Americans who pay off credit 

Link to Learn 

www.irs.gov 

Comprehensive site that 

includes all IRS publications 

and forms. 

www.quicken.com 

Great site for individual taxpayers. 

www.fool.com 

Provides no-nonsense tax advice 

and financial information. 

www.bankrate.com 

Includes tax planning resources 

and downloadable tax forms. 

www.taxhawk.com 

Offers solid advice and an A-to-Z 

tax deduction dictionary. 

www.taxcut.com 

Easy-to-use site from the tax 

experts at H&R Block. 

cards every month, consider investing 

that refund. An Individual Retirement 

Account (IRA), a Roth IRA or 

your kids’ college funds are all good 

bets. If you maxed out IRA contributions 

in 2001, there’s good news. In 

2002 the annual allowable IRA contribution 

increases to $3,000 and 

those over 50 can stash away an extra 

$500 catch-up contribution. The limit 

for 401(k) plans also rises, with catchup 

contributions. 

If you still want a chunk of cash for 

something fun at the end of the year, 

set up an automatic transfer of the 

extra money you once paid Uncle Sam 

into a savings account. When you 

want it, you’ll have the money — only 

now you’ll have a little extra from the 

interest it earned. ■ 


People Health 

Our For Your 

Off the Clock 

Stress Busters 

By Rachel Eugster 

Exercise and self-care can relieve the pressures of modern life 

We all have it. It comes 

from having too much 

to do in too little time, 

bills too large and 

bank balances too 

small, more demands than we have 

resources. It intensifies as we juggle 

work and family, and ratchets up or 

down with the day’s news. It’s stress. 

For something that makes everyone 

suffer, stress is a remarkably vague 

condition. Unlike pneumonia or a 

broken bone, stress may not have 

an obvious origin. But while the 

causes may be hard to pin down, 

the effects can be concrete. 

Stress can make you irritable, 

cause depression, 

give you headaches. 

It can disturb 

your sleep, disrupt 

your immune system 

and trigger 

weight gain or loss. 

It can be a factor in 

high blood pressure, 

heart disease and arthritis, 

and may even be linked 

to cancer. 

Not that it’s all bad. We need a bit 

of stress to keep us ready for whatever 

life may throw our way. The reaction 

that allows us to swerve to avoid an 

accident is related to the one that helps 

us speak up when we spot a problem 

at work. Even life’s joyful turning 

points, like weddings, bring their own 

kind of stress. 

You can’t avoid stress, but you can 

reduce it. The tips below mirror most 

checklists of healthy habits, and with 

good reason: Being fit, rested and 

well nourished makes all the difference 

in meeting life’s challenges. 

• Get some exercise. This may be 

your most important stress buster. 

Regular exercise can relieve anxiety 

and depression; help you control 

weight, blood pressure and diabetes; 

improve your health; and increase 

your sense of well-being. You can 

start with something as simple as a 

daily walk around the block. 

• Get enough sleep. Being sleepdeprived 

saps your energy and 

impairs your concentration and 

ability to cope. 

• Eat properly. It’s 

tempting to grab a 

sugary pick-me-up 

when you’re in a 

rush, or to console 

yourself after 

a tough day with 

a cookie binge. 

Don’t! Avoid stressinduced 

weight fluctuations 

and increase 

your ability to handle stress 

by eating healthfully. Avoid alcohol, 

caffeine and tobacco, which can 

complicate the effects of stress. 

• Set limits. One short word can 

simplify your life: “No.” Prioritize 

what’s most important, and leave a 

few things off the must-do list. 

• Postpone what you can. When 

unexpected stress inducers are added 

to your life, evaluate your responsibilities 

and see what can be put off. 

An injury or the loss of a loved one is 

beyond your control. But if you get 

Link to Learn 

http://stress.about.com 

Offers a wealth of stress-related 

information. 

www.allwalking.com 

All about walking, one of the 

easiest ways to reduce your 

stress level, from the editors of 

the former Walking magazine. 

www.teachhealth.com/ 

The religious undercurrent may 

not appeal to everyone, but the 

thorough information on stress 

is well worth a look. 

www.drkoop.com/conditions/ 

Health information from our 

former surgeon general. Go to 

“Mental Health Center” and 

select “stress.” 

http://helping.apa.org/work/ 

stress3.html 

Includes the American Psychological 

Association’s list of myths 

about stress and an abundance 

of articles on the topic. 

www.well-connected.com/ 

report.cgi/fr31.html 

Provides a good overview of stress. 

This site is reviewed by Harvard 

Medical School and Massachusetts 

General Hospital physicians. 

an unexpected job promotion just 

when you’re embarking on a home 

renovation, can the repairs wait? 

• Have fun. Anything that relaxes 

you or takes your mind off your 

responsibilities can help relieve 

stress. Cultivate your friendships and 

reserve time for yourself and your 

own interests. You’ll be amazed at 

the difference it can make. ■ 

STANFORD KAY/LAUGHING STOCK 


From the Archives 

Off the Clock 

DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATE HISTORICAL COLLECTION 

A photo opportunity with our 1952 Chrysler C-200 


ARTISTS 

AT WORK 

Is Back! 

Employee art exhibit 

seeks entries for 2002 judging. 

Showcase your creativity 

at the NTC. 

Entry deadline: July 5, 2002. 

SEE STORY ON PAGE 9 FOR DETAILS. 

For contest rules and entry forms, contact Marilyn Finkel & Associates, contest coordinator, 

248-358-3555, or e-mail ConsultMFA@aol.com.

Tomorrow Magazine Spring 2002 - UAW-Chrysler.com

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?