CHEM-TEXTS
Page 2 | Vol. 7, 1973
What happened in September?….
[IMAGE: Headshot photo of a man in business attire]
Was it a letdown after the long, hot summer? Was it a relaxation of attitude because of our improved performance over last year? Was it a little anticipation of attaining rewards for goals that have not quite been reached, but were close?
What happened in September? Three lost time accidents in the month —our worst performance this year. Where did we go wrong?
The answer to that question lies not in history, but in the future. What’s done is done, but let us learn from this recent experience and firm up our attitudes on Safety. We must strengthen our resolve to think safe and anticipate the unexpected. And follow rules, procedures, and good common sense to even further levels of accomplishment. We must work closer together, and help each other to solve the accident problem.
The real goal, of course, is not numbers on a board or dollars on a cost report. It is the well being of all our employees. It hurts to have an accident. It hurts in many ways, but the worst hurt of all is that most accidents could have been avoided.
Of course we must not forget that substantial progress has been made this year. We are all proud of this performance. But we have seen in years past a good record take a disastrous turn overnight. A good performance means only that more hard work is needed to keep it that way.
The year is not over yet. I urge all, wage and salary, factory and office, inside and outside, to rebound from our September problems and take on the rest of 1973 in the safest possible manner.
Our 1973 goals are still attainable if we point our eyes and noses in the right direction.
The free lunch program…
The average American is familiar with the expression— “There’s no such things as a free lunch.” Because we are so familiar with the saying, perhaps the full understanding of the thought gets lost and we forget the humbling impact of its true meaning.
Put simply, it means you never get anything for nothing. Even though it may appear that there are free handouts, or that someone has beaten the system, in the long run and when all things are considered, everything has its price.
One of the most flagrant free lunch programs is some of the money Uncle Sam hands out like free lollypops. However, the intelligent home owner, tax payer and average consumer knows, particularly now, that the bill for these goodies comes back to haunt us in the form of higher taxes, and increasing inflation.
The other free lunch program we must be very aware of is our own job situation. Everything our Company provides for us must be paid for by somebody, somewhere. Part of it comes back, when we pay more for the things we have to buy, and part of it comes back when a plant somewhere—anywhere—is shut down because it can no longer support the burden imposed upon it by today’s economic situation.
In order to maintain the comforting benefits provided, the main beneficiaries, namely us, must contribute. Under our product-industrial oriented system, the most reasonable way is to improve productivity. This is by far the best way to generate wealth which subsequently supports our standard of living.
The Company has a commitment to this end by providing the money and management to purchase and properly utilize equipment and facilities. The employees—you and I—have an obligation to properly and fully convert this equipment into products in the most efficient and reasonable manner possible. This is how we pay for our “free lunches.” If wealth is not generated in this way, a deficit is generated. If this deficit is allowed to grow unchecked, it will eventually—to borrow a Russian term—bury our system. Once this occurs, a major adjustment must be made to pay that “due bill” or write it off. In either case the adjustment is painful. The history of man is full of such adjustments and no intelligent man wants to live through such a period. No one wants his children to endure such hardships, either.
We all want reasonable improvements in our standard of living. We also want the improvements to be enjoyed by our children. Therefore, we must balance our benefits and their costs—somewhere, somehow. But we all know where the burden ends up—right on us. If we understand this and know what we are doing, we can better adjust to it and keep our livelihood in a good, healthy balance. We can then honestly say that the “free lunch” has been earned and paid for.
Jim Cronin [signature]
92 Take “Life” Course
[IMAGE: Photo showing people in what appears to be a training session with someone lying down, presumably during CPR training]
Mario Pazzani, Heart Association instructor observes James Loman treat a heart attack victim with cardiopulmonary resuscitation in one of the 3 sessions attended by 92 people.
One out of every fifteen employees at the Naugatuck Chemical plant is now certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and mouth to mouth breathing. The overwhelming response of employees to the three courses sponsored by the Safety department is one of the highest among industrial plants in Connecticut.
Two recent heart attacks in the plant indicated the need for such a program to train people on the proper action in such emergencies. Besides the demonstrations, each person attending the courses practiced the life-saving techniques on two dummies equipped with inflatable lungs.
Only one session had been planned for the plant but due to the large number of employees who desired to attend the cardiac program, three sessions were held. The cardiopulmonary course was conducted by Mario Pazzani of the American Heart Association. James Loman, of the Safety Dept. who is a certified instructor in First Aid for the Red Cross, demonstrated the mouth to mouth resuscitation techniques.
Local 218 Talks Start
Negotiations between the United Rubber Workers, Local 218, and the Naugatuck plant management began on Wednesday, October 10. The purpose of the sessions is to negotiate a local supplement agreement which will supplement the 3 year master agreement signed on June 11, 1973 in Dayton, Ohio.
Heading the Local 218 union representatives is Joseph Rzeszutek, President of the Local. Jesse Crim, Manager of Industrial Relations, will be in charge of the Naugatuck plant group.
The discussions are being held in Bldg. 81 conference room, and will continue until negotiations are concluded.
Prior Approval For Tuition Aid
The Tuition Aid Program which encourages employees to continue their education requires that prior approval be obtained for a degree program or specific courses from a department supervisor.
Once approved the application authorizes tuition refunds for not more than 2 courses per semester.
Upon satisfactory completion of the courses, reimbursement is obtained by submitting a paid, itemized invoice from the school to the Accounting department.
GIVE THE UNITED WAY
$3500 In Silver Dollars
September Safety Record Poor
The Summer Safety program for the summer months ended on September 30 with over $3500 awarded to employees who worked safely during the July, August and September months when accidents increase.
People who worked without a Lost Time Accident or Serious Injury received a “silver dollar” for each month, unless they were members of a Group in which one person incurred either type of injury.
Extra Award
Each employee also received an extra “silver dollar” if he worked the full 3 months without an injury whether or not a member of his Group suffered one.
Employees who worked during the shutdown without an injury received an extra, special “silver dollar” when the thermometer soared to 98°F every day for one of the hottest summers in years and when accidents are more likely to happen.
As a special offer of the pro-
(Cont’d on page 4)
[LOGO: “give The United Way” with stylized hand design]
Don’t get a snow job on snow tires.
[IMAGE: Large snow tire]
Get Uniroyal Winterides
Wide 70 series 4-ply Nylon Cord
ADVANCE TIRE SERVICE
510 Meriden Rd.
Waterbury – 756-7205
FITZPATRICK’S, INC.
78 East Main St.
Ansonia – 734-3318
MEZZIO’S
792 New Haven Rd.
Naugatuck – 729-5988
POUST’S SERVICE STATION
144 Rubber Ave.
Naugatuck – 729-0433