MARCH 2010

 

                                                         

 

 

2009 INCENTIVE COMPENSATION

 

Tentatively speaking, it looks as if we exceeded the threshold, hovering just under the plan's cap in core cash flow for 2009. Core

 

cash flow is influenced by three factors: (1) operating income, (2) change in inventory (3) capital spending. The Variable

 

Compensation portion of the plan ended 2009 at a -5%, the same as the previous year. Variable comp performance modifiers are the

 

sum of Delivery Performance, Claims Rate, Total Case Incident Rate, and Lost Time Accidents. In the past three years the

 

Company has paid the Incentive Bonus around the middle of March. At the time of this article, I haven't heard when this year's pay-

 

out will take place, but by contract the pay-out should take place by the end of May. If you are a 401(k) participant you may want

 

to adjust your contribution to deduct more or less depending on what you plan to do with the bonus. If you want to make deduction

 

changes you can do so by contacting Fidelity by phone at 800-835-5095 or go on line at the Fidelity web site www.401k.com. If

 

you do make deduction changes, it is always advisable to verify those changes by contacting Jan Perez at 6312.

 

 

SOLDIERS AMONG US

 

Did you know there are members among us who are currently serving in the United States Armed Forces? These are fellow

 

Steelworkers who have been called to active duty. At the present time, Kaiser-Trentwood has three hourly employees who are on

 

military leave: Kyle McGuire from the Hotline, Brian Daubel from Casting, and Richard Harrison from Maintenance. Some of these

 

employees have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. Local 338 is in the process of sending care packages to each of these

 

members. If you would like to help by making a cash donation you can do so by stopping at the Union Hall during business hours.

 

Wishing each of our members who are deployed, Godspeed and a safe return home.

 

 

WORK RELATED STRESS? - DON'T STRESS

 

 In the past few months I've spoken with members who've openly expressed their frustration over conditions at Trentwood. The

 

most common complaints I hear are concerns over a lack of adequate manpower, poor equipment condition, and what appears to be

 

a deteriorating infrastructure. Most of our members are cognizant of the economy and the negative impact it has had on operations

 

at Trentwood. I believe there is a legitimate level of anxiety among our members with the challenge of getting quality metal to the

 

customers on time with the current conditions. Factoring in safety as it relates to reduced manning, and there is the potential for a

 

serious incident. Recent frustration on the floor has manifested itself in several heated verbal confrontations which under normal

 

circumstances would never have happened. As a word of caution, don't let your emotions escalate into something that results in

 

discipline or termination. It just isn't worth jeopardizing your job over. From time to time we need to remind ourselves that safety is

 

always a priority. Here are a few recommended guidelines on how we should conduct ourselves during stressful and not so stressful

 

situations; (1) Follow all of the safety rules and don't take short cuts that could lead to an accident or injury. (2) Follow all Standard

 

Operating Procedures which meet the requirements of your job. Avoid shortcuts within established processes, especially those that

 

could lead to a quality excursion. At Trentwood our members have a "can do" attitude. We have a long standing reputation for

 

finding ways to get the work done no matter what. We need to temper that ability with the reality that Safety and Quality are

 

trademarks and attributes that should be observed by our members at all times. Work safe, work smart!

 

 

 Dan Wilson, President  -  Local 338