UNIROYAL CHEM-TEXTS

Vol. 5, 1971 | PUBLISHED FOR THE PEOPLE OF UNIROYAL CHEMICAL | No. 1

$8,900 Awarded For Ideas

Fuel Costs Doubled For 1971

Save Steam Plan Started In Plant

by Al Manzi

Total fuel costs for 1971 will be approximately double over 1970. $1,143,000 has been budgeted to operate the plant during the year against actual costs of $638,000 for last year.

The $505,000 increased cost of fuel is primarily due to escalating residual oil prices which are a result of the Mid-East crisis, tanker shortages and pollution abatement conversions to oil. An added cost is the premium we will pay for low sulfur oil after Sept. 1, 1971.

(con’t on page 4)

Safety Equipment Program

by Bob Shortt

As part of the plant’s continuous concern for the safety of all employees, a new safety equipment program has been initiated.

The program is based on a section of the 1970 Uniroyal-URW Master Agreement which emphasizes that all employees are expected to cooperate in the prevention of accidents to themselves and their fellow workmen and shall be required to utilize such protective devices and equipment prescribed by the Company at no cost to the employee.

Areas Under Review

Under the program, supervi-

(con’t on page 4)

Profits Off $4,100,000

Uniroyal showed a $4,100,000 loss for the 4th quarter of 1970 compared to a profit of $8,400,000 in 1969.

Sales for the same quarter were $371,000,000, a decrease of $17,000,000 from the same period last year.

1970 sales of the company were $1.554 billion, almost the exact amount as the prior year. Net income for 1970 was $23,800,000 compared to a net income of $46,600,000 in the year of 1969.

The decrease in 1970 profits and sales were attributed to the GM strike, the general softness in the economy, high interest charges, sharply higher employment costs, higher transportation charges and other costs not fully absorbed by price increases or productivity improvements.

Plant Business Down

During the year production of reclaimed rubber, latex and rubber chemicals was affected by the slackness in the automotive industry, home construction and the shutdown of several Uniroyal tire plants.

The plant’s business shows scarcely any improvement according to present sales forecasts for the first quarter of 1971.

Every effort needs to be made at this critical time in our economy to prevent off grade production, improve productivity and quality, and to keep customers satisfied.

Dividend Declared

Uniroyal declared a quarterly dividend of 17½ cents a share on the company’s common stock. The dividend is payable March 25 to stockholders of record on February 22.

The Company also declared two dividends of $2 each on Uniroyal’s preferred stock. One will be paid March 25 to stockholders of record February 22 and the other payable June 25 to stockholders of record on May 24.

Elephant Tests Chair

[IMAGE: Photo of an elephant named Elsie testing a plastic chair]

Elsie, a 5,000 pound elephant, torture tests a molded urethane plastic chair made by a new process developed by Rubicon Chemicals, a Company jointly owned by Uniroyal Chemical and Imperial Chemical Industries, Ltd. The liquid urethane chemicals are poured into special chair molds and react into a rigid foam to create furniture that has fantastic strength, is lightweight and easily movable. The shells are then filled with flexible foam for deep seating comfort and upholstered with Naugahyde® vinyl.

Research work on the new process was done in Bldg. 75 by Tom Haggerty, Group Leader; John Chapman; Don Zalewa; Ken Ferreira and Jim McGinn.

[IMAGE: Photo of Al Urban receiving award from Bob Foltz with Art Nauges]

Al Urban, center, a finisher operator in Reclaim Production, receives $426 Idea Plan check from Bob Foltz, general foreman. At right is Art Nauges, area foreman. Al suggested to reuse the butyl tuber heads, previously discarded, and to reclaim, finish and sell the butyl. He received an initial $50 award.

Lost Time Accidents Drop To 6

By Sal Aloise

The incidence of lost time accidents showed a major improvement in 1970. The plant had only 6 compared to the 23 in 1969. Two of the accidents occurred in December in an odd situation.

An employee fell on ice and fractured two ribs. A few days later he visited Dr. Jelley at the Chemical plant hospital prior to his return to work. After his checkup, Tom Doran, a plant driver, drove him home. When Doran stopped for a stop sign, a trailer truck skidded into the station wagon, injuring Doran who suffered a severe neck strain. One of the safest, most experienced drivers in the plant, Tom lost a month of work when the “unexpected happened“.

Accidents Cost $150,507

The 6 lost time accidents and 66 serious injuries cost the plant $150,507 in 1970. The outside medical bills for hospitalization, X-rays, specialists, medicines and doctors’ visits were $49,214. The money paid out for Work-

(con’t on page 2)

by Mitch Mazur

257 employees received $8,900 for Ideas in 1970. A high award of $476 was made to Al Urban for his idea to reuse butyl tuber heads which were previously discarded after short use. The butyl is now reclaimed; finished; and sold, saving materials cost and scrap haulage charges. It took six months to evaluate the idea for which Urban received an initial award of $50 and a subsequent award of $426.

The $8,900 was one of the highest amounts ever awarded to