Page 2 CHEM-TEXTS Vol. 7, 1973
Running the plant is not much different than running your own home.
Most of us own a house; have a family; and have an awful lot of bills to pay: a mortgage every month; income taxes and property taxes; clothing; food; college; electric; fuel oil; water; car installments; gasoline; doctor and dentist bills; house repairs; appliances; insurance; contributions; recreation; and many others.
We all know that often our pay check doesn’t cover the expenses that we have incurred. For instance if our pay check is $150 and our bills are $175, we soon look for ways to reduce our expenses: 1) we can buy on credit; 2) borrow money from a bank; or 3) cut them down by doing away with the frills, buying wisely, and saving on fuel oil, water, and electricity, and other things.
The same money problems exist in the plant. Instead of $20 or $100 costs, our bills run $500,000 or $1,000,000. For example our utility bill for one year in this plant—fuel oil, electricity, and city water—is about $3,000,000. About two years ago this combined bill was about $2,000,000.
If it costs the plant $1,000,000 to make a product and we receive $750,000 for it, something has to give. We are losing $250,000 each time we make it. It’s the same situation as running your home.
It’s obvious that you can’t continue to do business this way. The alternatives are: to 1) to increase prices; 2) eliminate major items; 3) close down the production unit; 4) or to control our expenses, reduce waste, and to improve our productivity to get our costs down.
In the chemical industry selling prices have not been going up very fast so that approach is limited. Alternative 4)—controlling expenses—is the road we want to take but our success depends on everyone’s determination to resolve the problems.
At the present time the costs of operating some of our production units are higher than the financial return for their products. As you know—just from running your own home and paying your own bills—something has to be done to improve the situation. If it continues it could put these two units so deep in the red that it would affect all production units and manufacturing services. Each one of us has a stake in this plant. It sinks or swims depending on the efforts of each one of us.
I am asking everyone to reveal the same personal interest in the plant that you would if it were your own home, so that we can help resolve the problems and improve the financial situations of all of its units.
Jan Crane [signature]
Receives $6,000 Award
[PHOTO: Group photo of four people]
Judith Dayner, daughter of John Dayner, Lotol Dept., received the $1500 Uniroyal Foundation scholarship which is awarded to a high school senior and resident of Naugatuck. The total value of the scholarship is $6000. Winners of the scholarship are selected on the basis of intellectual achievement, leadership, and participation in community activities. Judith plans to pursue a doctorate degree in Philosophy. In the photo from left, are her mother Julia; Fred Wintsch; Judy; her father, John; and her sister Katherine.
Unions…
(Cont’d from page 1)
with accidental death and dismemberment insurance increased to the same amount. Survivor income benefits (transition and bridge) were increased from $150 to $175 per month.
Medical Benefits
Improvements also were negotiated in the area of hospital, surgical, and in-hospital medical benefits, the most notable of which is an increased allowance of $10 per day to cover daily charges for doctors’ visits in the hospital.
Accident and Sickness
These benefits have been increased to a $95 weekly amount. In the event of layoff, coverage under the plan will be extended for 90 days.
Benefits for Retirees
Also, certain benefits will now be extended to certain retired employees covered by the new contracts. These include those benefits in areas of survivor income and prescription drugs.
Benefits Among Finest In Industry
The negotiations, leading to the signing of agreements on June 11, has resulted in an overall benefits program among the finest and most comprehensive in all industry today. This is good news but must be accompanied by a sobering thought—the cost of benefits has to be paid for. It now becomes our responsibility —all of us as individuals and also as a group—to perform to maximum ability in order to make this possible. Without our maximum efforts, benefits become a real burden rather than something to be enjoyed.
Water Use Jumps 20%
Increased consumption of water at the Chemical and Synthetic plants in 1973 has exceeded the 1972 consumption by 20%.
Aside from the fact that this extra water is costly, the added input could very probably cause problems in the operation of the liquid waste Pretreatment Plant.
All department heads have been informed to commence a water conservation program to prevent waste and to look at methods to reduce this consumption. All employees are urged to participate in this program by turning off hoses running excessively or shutting down cooling systems when not being used.
[PHOTO: Person near water/equipment]
Trades…
(Cont’d from page 1)
courses are offered free to the participants.
Interested personnel should send their names and job location to Victor Anderson, Engineering Dept.
Stock Plan Ends Aug. 30
The Employee Stock Purchase Plan which began on August 10, 1971 will end with a final deduction on August 30, 1973.
Participants will have until September 28, 1973 to decide whether to accept the stock or request their money back. In either case the employee will receive 5% interest on the money paid into the plan.
Further information on the Plan will be posted on the Bulletin Boards throughout the plant as it becomes available, probably in early September.
Geismar Plant To Expand
The Chemical Division will expand the existing Flexzone and intermediates facility in Geismar, Louisiana by sixty percent to meet increasing customer demands.
The Flexzones are antiozonants used extensively in the manufacture of tires, weather stripping, wire and cable, hose and footwear.
Construction is expected to commence in August. Upon completion it will bring the Chemical Division’s investment in the Geismar operation to more than 120 million dollars.
Flexzone is a registered trademark of Uniroyal Chemical.
Other companies competing in the manufacture of this type antiozonant chemical are Monsanto, Goodyear, Universal Oil and Tennessee Eastman.
SAFETY IS MY RESPONSIBILITY
Environmental Program Costs Over $7,000,000
The Naugatuck Chemical plant has spent or committed over $7,000,000 for environmental improvement of the air and water.
The new $3,000,000 liquid waste pretreatment plant, which is now complete and undergoing trial runs, will cost another estimated $1,000,000 a year to operate.
The conversion of the plant’s power house from coal to a low-sulfur fuel oil at a cost of $500,000, eliminated the discharge of 2½ tons of flyash dust into the atmosphere each day and was a major improvement in cleaner air.
At a cost of several million dollars, over 37 air pollution abatement devices and systems were installed to control the discharge of obnoxious fumes and odors, and plans are underway to control remaining odors.
These multi-million dollar costs have been borne primarily by the plant and not by increased prices passed on to the customer, and as a result have increased plant operating expenses.
Water Good For Burns
The ancient treatment of simply plunging burned skin in cold or ice water is still the quickest way to relieve pain. The cold water does not damage burned skin, but actually helps prevent blistering and aids healing. Keep the burned area submerged until the pain disappears, or apply towels that have been soaked in cold or ice water.
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