Vol. 3 No. 7 | CHEM-TEXTS | Page 3
KNOW YOUR BENEFITS: by W. Kirkendall
Some Questions And Answers On Bereavement Pay Benefits
The bereavement pay benefit is one of the many different benefits which Uniroyal gives to people employed at a plant where a United Rubber Workers Union exist. At the Naugatuck plant there are two URW locals: Local 218 covers the Chemical and Reclaim plants; and Local 308 covers the Synthetic plant. This benefit applies only to the wage members of the two Locals.
In 1968 Uniroyal contributed $318,303 in Bereavement Pay Benefits to employees working in plants covered by the United Rubber Workers Union contract.
Q. When am I eligible for bereavement pay?
A. An employee who is absent from work after 30 days from date of hire because of the death of a member of his immediate family, or a dependent who lives in the household, shall be paid his straight time average hourly earnings, if an incentive worker or his current hourly rate if on day work for time lost from his regularly scheduled shift.
Q. How many days’ pay do I receive?
A. You shall be paid (3) consecutive working days. It is understood the 3 days of paid bereavement pay shall be related in time to the death for which such payment is made.
Applies To Your Immediate Family
Q. Who is immediate family?
A. Immediate family is defined to mean husband, wife, father, mother, grandfather, grandmother, brother, sister, or the employee’s children. The foregoing intended to cover legal as well as blood relationships.
Q. Are uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews and cousins covered under bereavement pay?
A. No. They are not members of the immediate family.
Q. What happens if death occurs while I am on vacation?
A. Your vacation will be extended and payment will be made, provided the employee notifies a designated member of management.
Legal Relatives
Q. What does legal relationship mean?
A. The term legal relationship is interpreted to mean father-in-law, mother-in-law, brother-in-law and sister-in-law, the spouse’s grandparents and legally adopted children. A brother-in-law or sister-in-law is the employee’s spouse’s brother or sister. Although by custom or practice the spouse of an employee’s spouse’s brother or sister is referred to as a brother-in-law or sister-in-law to the employee, such relationship is not contemplated by reference to brother-in-law or sister-in-law for eligibility for bereavement pay.
Q. Must I attend the funeral to be eligible?
A. No. While it is not necessary that the employee actually attend the funeral, as in the case of a relative who dies in some distant place, the time off must be related in time to the death and cannot be arbitrarily deferred to some later time, such as an addition to a vacation or the like.
How To Apply
Q. What must I do as an employee in case of bereavement?
A. You should contact your supervisor or foreman and make sure you are eligible for bereavement pay. You must then bring in a clipping from the newspaper when you return to work and your supervisor will turn in a bereavement pay form to the Industrial Relations department.
Consult Foreman
Q. Who can inform me on bereavement pay benefits?
A. For further information on bereavement pay benefits, speak to your foreman or supervisor. He will be glad to answer any questions you have on this benefit or other benefits provided by Uniroyal. If he doesn’t have the answer, he will obtain the proper information for you.
Appointments Announced
Ken Stewart has been named Sales Manager for Kralastic ABS plastics, the Chemical division’s leading plastic product.
John Murray assumes the position of Acting Credit Manager for Uniroyal Chemical.
SAFETY IS MY RESPONSIBILITY
Safety Contest Winner Named
[IMAGE: Group photo showing people with “SEND HELP” signs]
Cliff German distributes litter bags to the Plastics Compounding and Physical Testing groups for winning the Safety Contest in June. Left to right are Fernando Gagne, Betty Kopp, German, Manny Andrade, Joyce Lockwood, Nick Tiscione, and John Kankel. 300 employees in Research & Development received the award for no-lost time accidents or serious injuries in June.
by Bob Shortt
The Safety Department announced the winner in the new plant Safety Contest. The contest is similar to last year’s “free coffee” cards which were distributed to members of a department completing a full month without a lost-time accident or a serious injury.
In this new Safety Prize program there is an added incentive, in that each successive month a department continues its record intact (no lost-time accident or serious injury) all members become eligible for a more valuable prize.
Several weeks ago, everyone in the plant was given Uniroyal pocket protectors which automatically placed them on the first step of the Safety program. The prize which was won by the Research and Development department was a handy litter container and Help sign for automobiles.
The contest will continue through 1969, with a new contest starting in January 1970.
The breakdown of departments is as follows: Chemical Production; Reclaim Production (including Dispersions and Raw Stock); Materials Handling at Chemical and Synthetic (including Small Packaging, Parcel Post and Janitors); Synthetic Production; Research and Development (Pilot Plants and Laboratories); Mechanical Departments (Synthetic and Chemical).
The winners for the first month’s contest were all persons in Research and Development, including the Pilot Plants and Laboratory sections.
Other prizes included in the Safety Contest are key chains, pocket memo pads, change purses, bottle and can openers, ash trays and coffee mugs.
33 Join U.S. Bond Plan
[IMAGE: Two people at desk with bonds]
Marge Lasky, left, of Reclaim R & D signs herself and Rufus Lydem to purchase U.S. Savings Bonds.
The annual U.S. Savings Bond and Freedom Share drive which was recently concluded saw 33 employees purchase Bonds and Shares through the thrifty, systematic payroll plan. Twenty-one increased their participation in the plan. The total number now enrolled in the plan is 595 or 35% of the plant employees. Company-wide participation in the U.S. Savings Bond plan is approximately 52% with some Uniroyal plants participating 100%.
A committee of seventy-three canvassers, organized in different sections of the plant and sales headquarters, contacted all employees during the drive.
Two departments deserve special recognition for increased employee participation during the drive: Reclaim Production and Reclaim Research and Development.
Anyone may still join the payroll deduction plan anytime during the year by contacting his foreman or supervisor.
No July Accidents
For the first time this year, no lost time accidents or serious injuries took place in the plant. Hopefully, July is the beginning of another 1,000,000 manhours worked without a lost time accident which was achieved in 1968.
With every employee’s personal involvement in following the safety rules required in the different plant areas and in his particular job, a 1,000,000 manhours can be reached again.
The most important person in continuing this encouraging trend is YOU. Only YOU can help prevent accidents to yourself and the people you work with in your area. Your daily concern for working safe will make the Naugatuck plant a better, safer place to work.
LATE FLASH
A Chemical operator, not wearing his safety goggles, was splashed with caustic acid for a serious injury, marring our August record.