## Page 001
Uni Royal CHEM-TEXTS
Vol. 4, 1970 PUBLISHED FOR THE PEOPLE OF UNIROYAL CHEMICAL No. 1
Uniroyal Benefits Help Cover Today’s Staggering Hospital Costs
Joe Scullin and his wife, Elizabeth, look proudly at their 6 day old baby girl held by nurse of the Waterbury General Hospital. Uniroyal Benefits covered the hospital expenses of $250.
Our Unseen Income Benefits include $75 a day for a 1 room, $150 to $1,000 for an operation, $75 for a sick visit, and $125 weekly Supplemental disability. While these benefits are having a significant effect on the families enrolled, hospital and surgical cost are mounting up to one, two or three weeks in the hospital and you get a real picture of how important Uniroyal’s Benefit Plans are to you.
Uniroyal in the area consider Uniroyal’s Hospital and Surgical plan one of the most comprehensive and extensive in coverage of hospital and surgical costs.
Man Slips Off Truck
While attempting to unload a truckload of tires, an employee slipped and fell backwards off the truck. He head barely missing a steel prong on a conveyor belt. The truck was fully loaded to its rear edge with tires giving the employee little space for loading. Old tires lie outside and pick up water until collected by the scrap dealer. When they arrive at the plant, they are taken together and stacked, often three high. With a thin layer of ice, it creates a safety hazard.
The accident was an unusual and unfortunate incident, as the employee had requested to leave work early to visit his wife in the hospital in the afternoon.
George Aspell, right, shows hospital and surgical bills for $1,100 to George Aquino, left. George had a serious contract operation performed during the recent illness and recovery period of $450, the operation cost $650. During the 3-1/2 months of recovery, George received Sickness and Accident benefits of $70 weekly. All costs were covered by Uniroyal’s Benefits plans.
3 Accidents In December
The truck-slip accident resulted in a compression fracture from the fall. The accident resulted in a pain in the lumbo-sacral area when an employee moved a 200 lb. pallet. A third employee hurt his back moving a heavy motor.
There were four serious injuries suffered by employees during the month.
55 Work Days Lost
As a result of the 3 accidents, 55 work days were lost in December. The individual’s health and safety is the first concern of the plant. Everything possible is being done to protect employees from accidents and health hazards.
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## Page 002
FROM THE FACTORY MANAGER
DEAR FELLOW EMPLOYEE:
During most of the 1950’s, in fact until about mid-1969, our plant has operated in what Jim Cronin has called an “oversold” position. In other words, we were operating all out to produce every pound we could, to meet our customers’ requirements.
In 1969 the situation changed to what can be called an “undersold” position, which means we can produce more than the customer needs. This fairly abrupt change from what had become an established way of operating has affected the way all of us do our jobs. Basically, under these conditions all of us have to make better decisions faster in order to be responsive to the customers’ needs at the moment. Considering the general decline in business activity in the markets we serve, the high cost of money, the “undersold” capacity of domestic competition and increasing foreign competition, I expect that these conditions will continue well into 1970. Therefore, it becomes even more important that we be as flexible to change as possible. Under these circumstances what we did yesterday isn’t important. What is important, is what we do right now to meet a new opportunity.
All of us have expressed individual pride in the flexibility of our plant – men and machinery alike – to do the job, whatever the requirements. Now if we really have this flexibility, and I believe we do, it seems to me that the economic climate of 1970 plays right into our hands.
I’m confident we can and will meet these demands regardless of how difficult they may be.
Sincerely,
John D. Evans
Jaroy Inc. Enjoys Brisk Sales
Jaroy, the officers sell stock to Uniroyal Chemical employees. From left to right are John Evans, Factory Manager; Jill Sabatino, President of Jaroy; Harry Witt, Synthetic Production Superintendent; Joe Ressatek, President URW Local 218; Ted Laines; Jim Brown; Ron Hutchinson, Industrial Relations Manager.
Jaroy, Junior Achievement of Uniroyal, is a small company with big goals. On its first day of sales, the company sold every product made during the past months. Jaroy is a Junior Achievement company sponsored by Uniroyal Chemical, and consists of Naugatuck High School students and one Achiever from Holy Cross High. The basic principle of the JA program is to give high school students real business experience and to help them develop an accurate understanding of the economic factors that make the free enterprise system work.
Issues Stock For Capital
The company issues and sells stock for its operating capital. This money is used to buy raw materials, tools, pay rent, heat, and light bills, and other expenditures to operate the business. Jaroy pays regular salaries, and taxes, carries insurance, and pays dividends to stockholders from any profits made.
Trucks Get Safety Belts
Safety belts are being installed in all plant trucks for safety protection for plant drivers as a result of Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory study at Cornell University.
For a long time, the trucking industry had questioned the value of safety belts in trucks because of the floating seat drivers used for comfort, but the survey results indicate otherwise.
A study of 243 truck accidents showed the frequency of door openings in trucks to be double the frequency of door openings in 1963 model automobiles. The frequency of driver ejection was double the frequency of driver ejections from recent model automobiles. The rate of dangerous or fatal injuries for ejected drivers was four times as high as for non-ejected truck drivers. Therefore, it is believed that the installation of safety belts on all plant trucks provides extra safety protection for our drivers.
Foremen’s Club Changes Name And By-Laws
By a high margin vote, the Uniroyal Chemical Foremen’s Club changed its name to the Uniroyal Chemical Management Club.
The new by-laws open membership to all male salaried personnel. Members of the Divisional staff are now eligible for the Club. Those not eligible for the Club are now eligible to hold office.
Dues were increased from $6 to $8 yearly.
Living Economics
Economics can be a difficult subject, especially when taught from a textbook and by lectures. In Junior Achievement, the student puts into practice what is taught in school about complicated business and theories. Because economics can be too abstract, the student learns firsthand from the business decisions made by the company.
Presley Jones, a driver for Synthetic Materials Handling, shows safety belt installed in new plant truck to John Metelky, right. Seat belts provide extra safety protection for our drivers.
Man Slips . . .
Continued from page 1
“In the final analysis, however, safety is the responsibility of every employee. Unless the has a safety attitude, performs his job safely, wears the proper safety clothing and equipment and avoids taking chances, accidents and injuries will continue to happen.”
55,200 persons were killed in motor vehicle accidents in 1969, an increase of 4% over 1967.
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## Page 003
UNIROYAL, INC.
EMPLOYEE BENEFIT COSTS-1968
U.S. PLANTS
Total Dollars
$7,638,854
4,517,784
182,746
1,171,354
1,958,999
1,010,971
8,771,926
1,172,080
7,470,680
2,596,965
232,114
84,079
15,989,989
2,981,007
118,305
92,801
77,824
22,993
9,651
101,124
$67,144,422
Cost Per Hour
$0.6287
0.3715
0.0151
0.0963
0.1615
0.0831
0.7216
0.0964
0.6148
0.2138
0.0191
0.0069
1.3148
0.2453
0.0097
0.0076
0.0064
0.0019
0.0008
0.0083
Social Security
Unemployment Compensation Taxes
State Disability Contributions
Workmen’s Compensation
Vacations
Holidays
Supplemental Unemployment Benefits
Pensions
Military Training Pay
Life Insurance
Sickness & Accident Insurance
Health Insurance
Workers’ Compensation Make up
TOTAL
UNIROYAL, INC.
EMPLOYEE BENEFIT COSTS PER HOUR
U.S.W PLANTS 1953-1968
SALES HIGHEST; PROFITS DROP
Estimated 1969 sales hit
a record level of $1,550,000,000,
a 8% increase over 1968.
But the profits were
about $46,500,000 or 18% below the record of $56,900,000
in 1968.
with industrial and most other U.S. products, the gains were
offset by lower profits in U.S.
tire and footwear operations.
The Footwear operation 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,
Alabama.
Although tire operations showed gains, along
with industrial operations,
Three Employees Avert Fire
From left, Phil DePasquale, plant protection group leader, congratulates
Fred Sargent, fire inspector, and Gene Lentini, mechanic, is congratulated
by Bill Ellis, foreman, for their quick action to avert fire.
Missing from photo is Oliver LeDuc.
by Ed Weaving
The alert action of Eugene
Lentini 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.
Lentini and LeDuc were
working in the area when they
discovered flames from an accumulation of rubber. They
immediately ran to the nearby
hydrants and used them to
extinguish the fire. The hose
operation automatically set
off the sprinkler alarm, which
is an important part of our
plant protection system. Responding to the alarm which
sounded in the Firehouse, Fred
Sargent entered the smokefilled area and assisted Lentini
and LeDuc in putting out the
fire.
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.
You Couldn’t Afford . . . Trucks . . .
(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 returns, 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.
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,
the average, injured truck
drivers have 125% more injuries
than automobile drivers. The
most frequent contributor to
this discrepancy is the inordinal 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
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
$14,200,000 in 1968. This represents a $5,800,000 drop in
profits for the last quarter of
1969.
Snow Plow
Hits Car
While driving to work recently, an employee’s car was
sideways by a snow plow
in the opposite two lane highway, made a left turn at an
intersection separated by a
median strip, and ripped into
the driver’s 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 Deluxe foam
mattresses is now in progress
at the Edgewater Employees’
Store. These high quality mattresses are being offered at this
savings of $17, as realized on the sale price pending 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.
Over 9 out of 10 all auto
accidents happened in the
driver’s own state.
SAFETY IS MY RESPONSIBILITY
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