Vol. 3 No. 5 CHEM-TEXTS Page 3

KNOW YOUR BENEFITS: by W. Kirkendall

Some Questions and Answers on Supplemental Unemployment Benefits (SUB)

This is a continuation of the SUB article which appeared in the last issue of Chem-Texts. The examples show how to estimate your SUB benefits based upon your earnings for a 40 hour week.

The benefits are payable to an eligible wage employee from a trust fund established by Uniroyal and is financed by the Company’s contribution of 6 cents per hour for each hour an employee receives pay from the Company.

Q. What are some examples of SUB payments?

A. REGULAR BENEFIT:
If an employee’s average straight time hourly earnings are $3.75, his weekly straight time earnings would be $150.00. 80% of his weekly straight time earnings are $120.00. Less the State Unemployment Compensation of $75.00 the SUB benefit due the employee is $45.00. The minimum regular benefit payable under all circumstances is $10.00. The minimum shall apply even when the calculation for benefit is zero.

EXAMPLES:
SPECIAL SHORT WEEK BENEFIT:
1. Employee’s normal work week:……………………40 hours
2. Total compensated and hours available:………….24 hours
3. Total short hours:…………………………16 hours
4. Total wages paid:………………………….$87.60
5. Employee’s ESSEL:…………………………$104.50

Special Benefit
80% x $3.65 x 16 = $46.72
Av. Hr. Earn. Short Hrs.
Less State U.C. check:…………………………11.00
Outside earnings:……………………………..0
Special benefit……………………………..$35.72

Regular Benefit
80% of gross pay $146.00……………………..= $116.80
Less State U.C………………………………11.00
Company earnings…………………………….87.60
Regular Benefit…………………………….$18.20

In this case the employee receives the larger amount of the special or regular benefit which in this example would be $35.72.

AUTOMATIC SHORT WEEK BENEFIT:
Employee’s Estimated State System Earning Limit (ESSEL) is $104.50 for a normal work week of 40 hours. His earnings for the week are $120. The number of compensated and available hours were 32; his short hours are 8.

Calculation: 80% x $3.75 x 8 = $24.00
A.H.E. Short Hrs. in SUB

Employee would receive $24.00.

As a general rule, with the exception of automatic short week benefit, SUB benefits will not be payable unless you apply for and receive State Unemployment Compensation. The employee must first report to his local Unemployment Compensation office with his layoff slip and make application for State Unemployment Compensation. When he receives his State check he brings it to Industrial Relations Dept. to apply for SUB. Employees must remember that in SUB each individual employee’s situation as to SUB payment may be different.

SUB benefits are part of Uniroyal’s overall benefits program for employees. For every dollar paid in wages to employees, an additional 37 cents is paid in employee benefits. If an employee paid for the many benefit plans provided by the Company, it would cost him approximately $1,000 a year.
NOTE: To be continued in next CHEM-TEXTS.

FOUR RECEIVE $931 FOR THEIR IDEAS. SUGGESTION AWARDS TOTAL $2263.

[PHOTO: John Evans, factory manager, right, presents $195 check to Ken Anderson, center. Left is Jack Tierney who received $208. Standing is Kirk Kirkendall, industrial relations.]

by W. Kirkendall

A. Ladyga, in TSSC, received $265, the highest award, for his suggestion to reduce the cleaning time of molds from 1 day to 4 hours.

F. San Angelo, of the Roylar pilot plant, got $263 by reducing the costs of belts used in the plant.

J. Tierney’s suggestion to change from drum handling to bulk storage brought him $208.

[PHOTO: Al Ladyga received $265, the top award.]

K. Anderson’s idea to improve safety conditions when working on machinery resulted in a $195 award.

At the last two Suggestion System Committee meetings, 77 employees received a total of $2263, one of the highest amounts awarded for suggestions. 135 employees turned in suggestions for consideration by the committee. More than one out of every two employees received a cash award for their suggestions.

[PHOTO: Fran San Angelo’s suggestion brought $263.]

Your experience on the job and your talents improve the plant’s operation by using the suggestion system. More important than the cash award is the challenge, personal satisfaction and feeling of involvement by helping the plant improve quality, packaging, handling of products, production savings, better working conditions, safety, prevention of waste which increases heavily the plant’s operating costs, and by improving the operation of equipment. WHY am I doing the job this way? will stimulate every employee’s creative ability to make the Naugatuck plant more efficient and provide greater job security.

Other high awards went to F. Miller, who got $50; A. Ladyga received $52 for another suggestion; L. Clark and A. Rebelo also received $50.

Awards of $35 and lower went to Synthetic Plant employees A. Happy, J. Lawton, F. Bendler, C. Miele, D. LaVorgna – D. Donato, R. Manulla, F. Phelan, R. Lockwood – V. Kloc, F. Simasek, H. Witkoski, A. Kazemekas, F. Henriques, F. Phillips, J. Gallucci, G. Poulin – F. Griffin, J. Sullivan, R. Lockwood, E. Root, F. Surmanek, D. Spina, A. Ferro, H. Shemanski, J. Butkus – J. Painter, W. Tabaka, R. Bell, and C. Roland.

Chemical Plant employees were: J. Slasienski, A. Lanouette, J. Hoey, G. Hennessey, N. Tiscione, J. Enamait, J. Banno, F. Gagne, L. De La Rosa, J. Kankel, E. Bazenas, D. Mennillo, J. Sickola, J. Schumacher, R. Harrison, W. Anderson, C. Moruska, C. Iannuzzi, R. Edmonds, M. Sweeney, D. Pratt.

Honorable Mentions were received by: A. Happy, A. Barber, J. Kenny, W. Fruin, J. Reardon, R. Meldrum, F. Mayo and J. Gandolfo.

Suggestion System forms are located throughout the plant, or you can obtain them from your foreman or supervisor. Pick one up today and return it to a Suggestion Box in the plant. Every suggestion is seriously considered by the Committee.

Foremen Plan Events

Lou Kaiser, president of the Foremen’s Club, announced the schedule of summer events. The dates are as follows: a family picnic on Thursday, July 17, at Holiday Hill in Prospect; a picnic on Wednesday, Sept. 3, at Noble’s Grove. Served at the picnics are steaks, clams, hamburgers, hot dogs, hot and cold beverages. Volunteers are needed to serve as cooks and bartenders for each of the picnics.

The Foremen’s Club will also sponsor a trip to either a Met or Yankee baseball game. If you have a preference as to which game you would like to see, be sure to return the form you recently received to the Foremen’s Club representative in your department.

Any male salaried employee is eligible to join the Foremen’s Club, which sponsors several interesting activities during the year. Contact Lou Kaiser for information on membership.

Employees Contribute

(cont’d. from page 2)

Charles Rinaldi, Frank Rodrigues, Joe Rotella, Mike Sansevero, Domingos Santos, J. Sauvageau, Steve Schwartz, Walt Scott, Ken Searles, Jim Shea, Alice Sherman, Dick Simoneau, Norman Smith, W. Stephenson, Frank Sterniak,

Jim Sullivan, Linda Taranovich, Jessie Thompson, Arthur Tidmarsh, Art Tobias, John Turner, John Vergosen, Tom Ward, Pete Welch, Fred Wintsch, Mike Yuchnyk and Alan Zimmerman.

Arriving too late for the Bloodmobile were Don Kirby, John Shephard and Wayne Vieira.

Blood Is Urgently Needed . . . Please Give.