CHEM-TEXTS
Vol. 4. No. 7 Page 3
KNOW YOUR BENEFITS:
Some Questions And Answers On Uniroyal’s Tuition Aid Program
by Marion Hutt
About seventy-three Uniroyal Chemical employees improved their education and their opportunities for advancement in their jobs by taking job related courses during the 1968-69 academic year with the help of Uniroyal’s Tuition Aid Program. (1969-70 figures were unavailable for this issue)
For those of you who are not familiar with the plan, here is some helpful information on the program which is available to all employees.
Q. What Is It?
A. To encourage self-development and education of all employees, Uniroyal will reimburse you for the full tuition cost and lab fees necessary in any course taken which is related to your current job or will be of value, as determined by the Company, in future promotional areas.
All Employees Eligible
Q. Is the program available to wage and salary personnel?
A. Yes, it is available to all full-time employees.
Q. Do I have to notify the Company of the course I wish to take?
A. Yes, prior approval has to be obtained to qualify.
Q. How many courses can I take?
A. The number of allowed courses per semester cannot exceed two.
Q. Do I take these courses on Uniroyal’s time or my time?
A. Your own time.
Q. I’d like to take a course in mechanical drawing. Am I reimbursed for any instruments I must purchase?
A. No. Books, library fees, instruments and transportation are not reimbursable.
Q. When am I reimbursed?
A. Reimbursement will be made by Uniroyal after satisfactory completion of the course has been documented by the school or institution which administered it.
Q. Is every school or institution offering courses acceptable?
A. Only fully accredited institutions or professionally recognized associations are approved.
Schools In Area
Q. What schools qualify in the area?
A. University of Connecticut (Waterbury Branch), Fairfield University, University of Hartford, University of Bridgeport, Sacred Heart University, Trinity College, Mattatuck Community College, West Connecticut State College, Central Connecticut State College, Southern Connecticut State College, RPI (Hartford Branch), Waterbury State Technical College, Kaynor
Technical, H. C. Wilcox Technical-Vocational School, New Haven College, Quinnipiac College, Post Junior College and other specialized educational institutes.
Q. Do you have any facts about people using this plan?
A. During 67-68, sixty employees were enrolled in degree programs and were reimbursed an average of $275 by Uniroyal. In 69, five employees received M.B.A. degrees. In 1970 about 70 employees attended courses, with several receiving degrees.
Q. Where do I find out the procedure I must follow to qualify?
A. Your foreman or supervisor will be glad to assist you in obtaining and processing the forms for approval. Tuition aid is another of Uniroyal’s programs for the benefit of all employees to assist them in the development of their talents and capabilities.
[IMAGE CAPTION: Marty Cherkus, right, tells Charlie Dierling about course he plans to take under Tuition Aid program.]
Three Story Glass Tube Reduces Water Pollution
[IMAGE CAPTION: Julius Cohen, right, shows Phil De Pasquale new $32,000 liquid-liquid extractor installed in chemical pilot plant as part of the plant’s environmental quality program.]
by Gary Arndt
The Chemical pilot plant recently installed a new $32,000, three story high, liquid-liquid extractor that looks like a giant test tube. The extractor removes small amounts of “oxide” from the process waste water which had been previously discharged into the river. The extractor is probably the only one of its kind in the company.
The new equipment is part of the plant’s environmental quality program to eliminate pollution by installation of new devices and systems with built in pollution control factors.
Environmental Economics
By recovery of the product, a 5% to 10% yield increase will be obtained from former waste material, proving that a sound environmental quality program can be economical as well as improving the quality of the air and water. All new equipment for manufacturing operations will contain pollution control devices and systems to control fumes, odors, and dust.
Collects Pollution Data
With the completion of the cyclohexene oxide program, the huge glass column will be used by process development engineers to collect pollution control data on newly developed processes which will be transferred to the Naugatuck plant for manufacturing.
Zawacki Gets Hole-In-One
No Slip; No Tires
To purchase tires at a Uniroyal store or tire dealer, an employee purchase slip is required. Without the slip for identification, you will not be able to purchase the tires. Slips may be obtained in advance only from the Industrial Relations Department, EMIC, and the Synthetic Plant Hospital.
[IMAGE CAPTION: Chet Zawacki shot a hole-in-one with a Uniroyal golf ball and Uniroyal club.]
Unions Ratify Contracts
URW Local 218 which represents wage employees in the Chemical plant and URW Local 308, which represents wage employees in the Synthetic plant, ratified the 3 year contract between Uniroyal and the United Rubber Workers.
The new contract represents a wage and benefit package costing an average of $1.41 an hour, over the 3 year period.
Participating in the 4 months negotiations in New York from our plant were Ron Mitchinson, Industrial Relations Manager; Joe Rzeszutek, President, Local 218; and Leon Raskauskas, President, Local 308.
Other features of the new contract are five weeks vacation after 20 years; one additional holiday decided on a local basis, and improved pension and insurance benefits.
Longer Weekends In 1971
Last year Congress passed the Monday Holidays Law, which assigns certain holidays to specified Mondays, instead of being celebrated on calendar dates. For example, Memorial Day which has traditionally been celebrated on May 30 will now be celebrated on the last Monday in May.
At the plant two holidays will be observed in 1971 on Mondays: Memorial Day, the last Monday in May for chemical and reclaim; and Columbus Day, the 2nd Monday in October for the Synthetic plant.
The basic idea behind the longer weekend is to give “short vacations”; provide more time at home; and planned recreation activities with the family. Perhaps it means more work around the house, fixing and repairing the long list of things to be done.
Long weekends have one somber aspect. Experience has shown that the death rate from accidents on highways and at home hit a high mark of 500–600 deaths. Hopefully, statistics will prove otherwise and more safety will be observed on the roads and at home.
Drivers under 20 years old make up only 10.2% of the driving population, but were involved in 16.9% of all accidents. Drivers age 20-24 had the worst record with 10.7% of the driving population, they were involved in 17.7% of all accidents and 18.9% of fatal accidents.