CHEM-TEXTS
Vol. 4, No. 1 | Page 3
UNIROYAL, INC.
EMPLOYEE BENEFIT COSTS—1968
U.R.W. PLANTS
| Total Dollars | Cents Per Hr. | |
|---|---|---|
| Social Security | $ 6,638,454 | $ .1629 |
| Unemployment Compensation Taxes | 1,553,264 | .0375 |
| State Disability Insurance | 182,749 | .0044 |
| Workmen’s Compensation | 1,171,334 | .0283 |
| Vacations | 11,898,799 | .2877 |
| Holidays | 5,157,970 | .1247 |
| Overtime | 8,771,526 | .2121 |
| Night Shift Bonus | 1,172,040 | .0283 |
| Hospital, Surgical, In-Hospital Medical Insurance | 7,470,680 | .1806 |
| Sickness & Accident Insurance | 2,266,966 | .0548 |
| Life Insurance | 2,222,114 | .0535 |
| Severance Pay | 54,076 | .0013 |
| Grievance Meetings | 111,513 | .0027 |
| Pensions | 15,090,989 | 3648 |
| Supplemental Unemployment Benefits | 2,691,057 | .0651 |
| Funeral Pay | 318,303 | .0077 |
| Military Training Pay | 32,801 | .0008 |
| Jury Pay | 73,024 | .0018 |
| Union Time Study | 67,988 | .0016 |
| Safety Committee | 9,651 | .0002 |
| Workmen’s Compensation Make-up | 101,124 | .0024 |
| TOTAL | $67,146,422 | $1.6232 |
Above are various benefits employees receive and their cost per wage hour. At $1.62 an hour they add up to $64.80 for each 40 hour week or a total of more than $3,200 a year.
UNIROYAL, INC.
EMPLOYEE BENEFIT COSTS-IN CENTS PER HOUR
U.R.W. PLANTS 1953-1968
[THIS IS CHART: Bar graph showing increasing employee benefit costs from 1953 to 1968, starting at around $0.41 in 1953 and reaching $1.62 in 1968, with data points for each year showing gradual increase: .41, .42, .53, .57, .62, .76, .82, .91, .93, .97, 1.09, 1.23, 1.35, 1.62, 1.76]
The chart shows the increased cost of employee benefits. They have gone up from 41 cents an hour in 1953 to $1.62 in 1968. On August 1, 1969 Uniroyal absorbed the 20% increase in the Hospitalization, Surgical and In-Hospital medical benefits. For 12 months this benefit now amounts to $364.44 per employee.
Sales Highest; Profits Drop
Estimated 1969 sales hit a record high of $1,550,000,000, an 8% increase over 1968.
But 1969 profits were about $46,500,000 or 18% below the record of $56,900,000 in 1968.
Tire, Footwear Profits Affected
Although foreign operations showed good gains, along with industrial and most other U.S. products, the gains were offset by lower profits in U.S. Tires and Footwear operations.
Footwear was hurt by lower demands for its products, low cost foreign imports, and the higher number of lower cost U.S. manufacturers paying wages below Uniroyal wages.
Tires faced sharply higher costs and lower productivity from the introduction of the new bias belted tires and heavy start-up expenses for expanding tire capacity at Opelika.
Fourth Quarter Sales, Profits
Fourth quarter sales were about 5% above the same period in 1968 but profits for the fourth quarter of 1969 were approximately $8,500,000 compared to profits of $14,300,000 in 1968. This represents a $5,800,000 drop in profits for the last quarter of 1969.
Three Employees Avert Fire
[THIS IS PHOTO: Group photo of four men in work attire]
From left, Phil DePasquale, plant protection group leader, congratulates Fred Sargeant, fire inspector, and Gene Lantieri, mechanic, is congratulated by Bill Rek, foreman, for their quick action to avert fire. Missing from photo is Oliver Leduc.
by Ed Weaving
The alert action of Eugene Lantieri and Oliver LeDuc of the Mechanical Department and Fred Sargent, a Fire Inspector, prevented a possible serious fire in Building 16 of the Reclaim Plant.
Lantieri and LeDuc were working in the area when they discovered flames from an accumulation of rubber. They immediately ran to the nearby hoselines and used them to extinguish the fire. The hose operation automatically turn in the sprinkler alarm, which is an important part of our plant protection system. Responding to the alarm which rings in the Firehouse, Fred Sargent entered the smoke-filled area and assisted Lantieri and LeDuc in putting out the fire.
Quick Action Stops Damage
Had it not been for the quick action of the three men and knowing what to do in an emergency, several sprinkler heads would have opened up and flooded the area with water and damage would have resulted from both the fire and water.
Several other employees took part in fighting the fire and helped in controlling it.
Overheating Ignites Rubber Accumulation
The fire resulted from a broken greaseline leading to the mechanical shoe on a screen, causing the overheating of the shoe and ignition of rubber accumulation around the screen.
Due to the nature of this operation, fires will occur and serious damage result unless the mechanical equipment is kept in good operating condition and every employee in the area pays particular attention to good housekeeping and reports possible fire hazards to the foreman of the department.
Snow Plow Hits Car
While driving to work recently, an employee’s car was sideswiped by a snow plow truck.
The truck, approaching in the opposite two lane highway, made a left turn at an intersection separated by a median strip, and ripped into the front left side of the car. The driver was slightly injured but severely shaken up by the unexpected turn of the truck. Another two feet, and the four foot high plow would have crushed the car and the driver.
No matter how careful you are, you can never be sure what the other driver will do. Expect the unexpected happening, especially during the winter months when icy roads make driving more hazardous.
Mattress Bargain Sale On
A special low price sale on Uniroyal’s Koylon foam mattresses is now in progress at the Footwear Employee’s salesroom. Only the firm type is being offered in the sale.
Savings of $47 can be realized on the sale price depending on the size.
The special sale ends Feb. 28. So place your order with the Salesroom now. Orders may be placed by telephone to George O’Donnell, Ext. 17-259 at the Footwear Salesroom.
Mattresses will be delivered to the Salesroom to save you transportation costs.
9 out of 10 of all auto accidents happened in the driver’s own state.
You Couldn’t Afford . . .
Continued from page 1
everyone’s responsibility to keep these benefits secure. They have increased nearly four times what they were 15 years ago.
Competition, imports, price cuts, and higher costs can affect the extent, cost, and value of benefit programs.
Our challenge is to find methods to improve production, reduce costs and waste, work safer, suggest ideas to improve jobs, and to show a real concern for producing quality products to keep our customers.
Every employee holds an important role in the plant’s operations . . . and with 65% holding stock in Uniroyal, everyone’s fullest effort is needed to protect our interests and benefits.
Trucks . . .
Continued from page 2
that seat belts are as important in truck cabs as in automobiles, notwithstanding the added problem of load shift and fire.
With respect to injuries, on the average, injured truck drivers have 32% more injuries than automobile drivers. The most frequent contributor to this discrepancy is the abdominal area. The frequency of head injuries is essentially the same for both.
Among injured truck drivers, the frequency of dangerous or fatal injury is nearly twice as high as among injured automobile drivers. The results of the survey indicate that safety belts and the use of other restraint systems reduce injuries to truck drivers.
Automobile drivers should always drive with their safety belts on. Statistics prove conclusively that they have prevented millions of serious injuries when worn properly. However, it is estimated that only 40% of the drivers with seat belts in their automobiles use them.
SAFETY IS MY RESPONSIBILITY