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FROM THE FACTORY MANAGER
DEAR FELLOW EMPLOYEE:
All of us are aware of the importance of producing quality products in an efficient and safe manner. We are also aware of the importance of providing service to our customers, not only through the sale of the results of our effort can we be paid for this effort. I am convinced that each of us tries to do his job in the best way.
But how do we see our jobs? Is our particular job over, when we feel that somebody other than ourselves can be blamed for poor performance?
For example, is it justifiable to blame our injury on someone else if, indeed, it was an unsafe act on our part? Or, is it reasonable to blame lost production on the shortage of raw materials if we didn’t do something about it? Maybe we are all too quick to place the blame on someone else, before we accept all of our responsibilities.
Together, we operate a very complex operation where each employee bears a great deal of responsibility for his personal efforts, and if we are fully successful a great deal of responsibility for the efforts of others.
Sincerely,
John D. Evans
Flood, Disaster Plan Revised
The Naugatuck River became the “mad river” in August 1955 and flooded the plant. Having a plan for action got the plant back into operation in two days.
The purpose of the revised Plan, which has been distributed to involved employees, is to minimize delay and confusion if an unusual or serious incident occurs, such as the August flood of 1955, and to delegate responsibilities to assigned personnel. It also delegates to Ron Kitchison, Fred Winsch, Bob Krantz, and Bill Lavelle the responsibility and authority, as the plant’s public information representatives, to provide information to the press. All employees should feel free to give information on the information of the emergency to the plant’s public information representatives to prevent damaging rumors and maintain confidence of the workforce.
Explorers Offer Students Career Insight
by Bob Smith
The Explorers offer high school boys, 14 to 18 years old, the opportunity to explore and learn about careers in science, chemistry, and industry. The group, sponsored by the Chemical plant, was the first Explorer Post in Uncaval.
The Explorers conduct laboratory experiments in the plant’s laboratory facilities, take tours of industrial plants in the area to see first hand the manufacturing operation of a large company; and make weekend trips to universities, military installations and other places of interest to high school students. By exploring scientific operations and observing chemistry in action, and studying the engineering complexity of a synthetic rubber plant, a high school student obtains an actual insight into the type of career to pursue in life.
This year the group visited Scovill’s, Mallory Battery, Sikorsky Aircraft, Uniroyal Chemical’s Agricultural Research Center, the E.M.I.C. Computer Center, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
If your son is interested in a career in science, chemistry or industry, and would like to join the Explorers, Bob Smith, Ext. 674, will be glad to give you more details on the group’s activities.
Safety Shows Small Improvement Over ’68
by Sal Aloise
The plant’s safety record for the first four months of 1969 shows that 7 lost time accidents and 14 serious injuries took place. Although a slight improvement over 1968, the record indicates that a greater safety awareness by every employee is required to make the plant a safer place to work.
By not taking chances: by stopping unsafe acts; accidents can be prevented and the plant made safer for work. In 1968 we worked 1,000,000 manhours without a lost time accident. With every employee’s effort, we can reach 2,000,000 manhours again . . . and even 3,000,000!
LOST TIME ACCIDENTS AND SERIOUS INJURIES
Month 1969 1968
Lost Serious Total Lost Serious Total
Time Injuries Time Injuries
January 2 2 4 2 2 4
February 2 5 7 3 5 8
March 2 3 5 2 6 8
April 1 4 5 2 6 8
TOTAL 7 14 21 9 19 28
Dividend Declared
Uniroyal declared a dividend of 17 1/2 cents a share on the common stock. A $2 dividend on the 8% first preferred stock was also announced. Both are payable June 25 to stockholders of record May 26.
Dr. Williams Leaves
Dr. Edward E. Williams will leave us as plant physician at the end of May. Dr. John P. Elger will assume the duties of plant physician on June 1.
Dr. Williams has been associated with the Chemical Industry for the past 35 years. He plans to continue his private practice in Naugatuck.
SAFETY IS MY RESPONSIBILITY
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KNOW YOUR BENEFITS:
Some Questions and Answers On Supplemental Unemployment Benefits (SUB)
The SUB plan provides additional income security to wage employees during periods of involuntary unemployment. The benefits are payable to eligible employees as established by the Company and is financed by contributions by the Company.
Q. When am I eligible?
A. You must have at least 10% months of seniority at the time of layoff and be laid off for at least a year of seniority at the time you apply for SUB benefits to be eligible to receive a benefit.
TYPES OF BENEFITS
Q. What type of benefits are there?
A. 1. Regular benefit: payable to employees on one or more complete weeks of total layoff from the Company.
2. Special short week benefit: payable to employees who did some work for the Company during the week or otherwise compensated for a scheduled work day but who are still considered unemployed by the State because of low earnings.
3. Automatic short week benefit: payable to employees who worked for the Company during the week or otherwise compensated for a scheduled work day and are considered employed by the State but whose hours worked or made available to them were less than the normal work week.
4. Separation payments: payable to employees on long term (usually at least one year) layoff in return for the surrender of their benefit and recall rights.
Q. How many benefits am I eligible for?
A. You may receive as many as 52 benefits in a benefit year if you have sufficient credit units. Furthermore, benefits can extend for periods beyond a year depending on your seniority and credit units. You accrue one-fifth of a credit unit for each work week for which you receive company pay.
UNIROY AL STORES OFFER DISCOUNTS
PROCEDURES AND CONDITIONS
A. These are the procedures and conditions which must be met in order to qualify for SUB payments during long or short term layoffs:
1. Regular benefits: employees must report to the Industrial Relations Dept. and the State Unemployment Compensation office for each week that benefits are claimed. You must have your State check recorded at the Industrial Relations Dept. where the amount will be recorded on your SUB application form and sent to the Control Dept. to process your SUB check.
2. Automatic short work week: SUB is payable without reporting to the State Unemployment Compensation office only if the employee’s earnings, or possible earnings (available hours) exceed $104.50 and he has had less than 40 hours work available to him for the week.
3. Special short week benefit: an employee earning less than $104.50 and having less than 40 hours work available to him in a given week, must report to the Industrial Relations Dept. and the State Unemployment Compensation office in order to qualify for SUB.
If you have any further questions on SUB benefits, your foreman or supervisor will be glad to help provide answers to them. Feel free to call on him if you need an explanation of the SUB benefits.
NOTE: The next issue of CHEM-TEXTS will contain an article on SUB benefits.
Report Address Changes
If you have changed your name or address recently, it is important that you notify Molly Cohbel, Industrial Relations Dept. Ext. 218. In this way you will be certain that your personnel records are kept up to date.
You will also be sure to receive Uniroyal World, CHEM-TEXTS, the plant newspaper, dividend checks, Benefit statements, and other important messages from Uniroyal, Inc., and the Chemical Plant.
UNIROY AL STORES OFFER DISCOUNTS
Four Uniroyal stores and radio and TV sets, home appliances, power tools, lawn mowers, bicycles, tires, batteries, accessories, and a complete line of automobile service work.
Merchandise includes the full line of Admiral TV sets; AM and FM radios; Frigidaire appliances from refrigerators to air conditioners; Ram power tools; Murray lawn mowers; and Uniroyal bicycles.
Stores are located in the Bristol Plaza, Rte. 6, Norwalk, Rte. 1, Boston Post Shopping Center, Rte. 1, Boston Post Road, and the Amity Shopping Center, Rte. 63.
Shopping center rules restrict the merchandise of some stores, so it is advisable to check the store first before your visit.
Foremen’s Club Awards $250 Scholarship
School is the daughter of Joe Kelly in the Distribution/ Scheduling Department. Phil Paul was chairman of the scholarship committee, with Tom Dowling and Jim Phelan serving as committee members. The scholarship is awarded annually to a son or daughter of a Uniroyal Chemical employee. Miss Kelly won the award for her excellent scholastic record and her participation in school and church activities. Kathleen intends to attend Emmanuel College, majoring in mathematics and plans a teaching career after graduation.
She was named a Connecticut State Scholar, an honor based upon rank in her class, college board scores and her four year scholastic record.
Safety Belts Save Lives
Kay Dowling, a secretary in Chemical Production, fastens safety belt to demonstrate safety. With vacation time here, drivers will be on the road. Protect your life and your family’s life with safety belts.
Vacation Special Fly To Bermuda
A vacation special to Bermuda from August 10-17 is offered employees, their families and friends.
For $399 the tour includes round trip fare via Eastern Airlines jet, air-conditioned twin-bedrooms with private bath at the beautiful Castle Harbor Hotel, full breakfasts and gourmet dinners daily, a sizzle party, and one round of golf on the hotel’s 18-hole course.
Fifty seats have been reserved on the August 10 flight leaving Kennedy at 10:15 A.M., and arriving in Bermuda at 1:45 P.M. Contact Barbara Stone, Footwear Plant, Ext. 18-469.
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Room Of Tomorrow Made From Urethane
Plastic Foam By Research And Development
The carved panels, rough
hewn walls, beams, and the
antique chest look like the
most expensive, hand-carved
woods. But they are made
from urethane plastic foam,
a unique plastic product developed by Rubicon Chemicals, a joint venture of Uniroyal Chemical and Imperial
Chemical Industries of England. The principle materials
used in making foam are
liquid isocyanate, an organic
isocyanate, catalysts, an emulsifier and a blowing agent.
TDI and MDI are produced
by the Chemical Division
sales department, with Walt
Cook in charge of sales.
Breaking into a new and highly competitive market, sales
started slowly but during the
past year have shown a steady
increase.
The Rubicon research
work is done in Building 75
where exciting new uses for
this product are being developed to open new markets
for Uniroyal Chemical. Urethane foam is a lightweight,
yet tough, abrasive-resistant
material. It is non-aging, odorless, non-allergenic, non-toxic,
mold and mildew proof.
It can be made into soft,
springy seat cushions or an
impact-absorbing crash pad
for automobile instrument
panels. With such versatile
physical properties, the foam
has found uses in many different industries including
furniture, automotive, appliance, textile, mattresses, carpeting, construction and packaging.
FLOOD DISASTER
(Continued from Page 2)
accurate reports on the situation.
For efficient execution of
the Plan, non-authorized employees (those without a silver
star on the pass) are requested
to remain away from the area
to prevent congestion of the
streets with cars and avoid
interference with emergency
equipment.
Employees should listen
to their local radio stations
to learn whether they should
report to work or not.
A trial run of the Plan
will be held in the Synthetic
and Chemical plants.
Mal Wilson And Jack Person Retire
Appointments
Announced
Ed Geise has been appointed Director of Marketing for the Chemical Division.
Bob Knapp heads the Research and Development
group for Plastics.
Bill Coughlin was appointed Manager of Market
Development for the division.
Joe Flannery is now General Product Manager.
Ed Saunders became Distribution/Scheduling Manager
for the division.
Alex Nole was made Customer Service Supervisor.
Allan Murray transferred
to the College Development
section as Senior Research
Scientist.
Lou Kaiser joined the
plant’s Engineering Pollution
Control group.
Urethane foam for seat cushioning being cut to size in the Rubicon
laboratory, Building 75.
The Room of Tomorrow conceived by the Research and Development department is made from urethane
plastic foam. This exciting new material opens new markets for the Chemical Division.
Mal Wilson, center, is congratulated on his retirement from the Materials Department after 25 years by (left to right) Lucy DiStefano, Michele DeBisso, Lorraine Grant and Jean Kelley.
Jack Person, left, is congratulated by Bob Van Allen, superintendent
of reclaim production on his retirement from the reclaimed rubber
group after 22 years’ service.
Long Weekend,
Drive Safely
This year, the Fourth of
July falls on Friday making it
a long weekend. It is estimated
that more than 600 people
will be killed on highways or
other accidents.
When driving, drive defensively, expect the other
driver to do something wrong;
use your seat belts; drive
slowly. Your life and your
family’s depend upon your
safe driving.
CHEM TEXTS
PUBLISHED BY THE INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS DEPARTMENT
UNIROYAL CHEMICAL, NAUGATUCK, CONN. 06770
EDITOR: W.F. Lavelle
UNIROYAL Chemical
Naugatuck, Connecticut 06770
U.S. Postage
PAID
Permit No. 1 0
Naugatuck, Conn. 06770
RETURN POSTAGE GUARANTEED
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