2002 Summer Issue - UAW-Chrysler.com

SUMMER 2002 

LOOKING AHEAD AT THE UAW-DAIMLERCHRYSLER NATIONAL TRAINING CENTER 

www.uaw-daimlerchryslerntc.org 

Detroit Axle workers 

are pumped for PQI 

The Magic in Orlando 

PAGE 16 

A Hands-Down Champion 

PAGE 19

Side by Side 

Working Together for Quality 

UAW Vice President Nate Gooden (left) and 

DaimlerChrysler Senior Vice President John Franciosi. 

WE ARE LISTENING TO THE VOICES OF PQI: 

• Jenson Dye II, Jefferson North 

Assembly – “I have a new fire to go 

back and make changes. Everybody will 

have faith in PQI when I get finished.” 

• Mary Carver, St. Louis South 

Assembly – “It’s more than the leadership 

saying what direction we’re 

going; it was placed more on us to 

take the bull by the horns and move 

forward as one.” 

• Mike Tarter, Warren Stamping – 

“PQI was a great program but it kind 

of fell out of favor a little bit. Now, I think a sleeping giant has awakened.” 

The people behind the UAW-DaimlerChrysler Product Quality Improvement Partnership 

are on a mission to pump up PQI. The program’s history of success has been overshadowed 

recently by a loss of the focus and energy that made it an engine of change — 

a force that helped rescue Chrysler from the brink of bankruptcy in the early ’80s. 

Jenson, Mary and Mike were among the PQI facilitators, trainers and communicators 

who attended a conference this spring designed to jump-start a PQI revitalization. 

And it worked. The PQI representatives and Joint Activities Operating Principles facilitators 

present returned to their locations with a new sense of purpose. 

We hope the flame of passion ignited at the conference doesn’t flicker as they get 

down to the business of implementing a PQI Refocus Initiative. It represents a return 

to PQI’s core values that stress genuine union-management cooperation, meaningful 

worker involvement and measurable quality improvement. 

Without doubt, our quality partnership is the flagship of Joint Programs. We’re committed 

to PQI and to providing the support and resources required to get it back on 

track. We applaud the team at Detroit Axle for previewing PQI’s wave of the future 

through its Refocus Initiative pilot program. It has helped to spark a stunning turnaround 

at a plant with many problems (see page 10). 

As the UAW and DaimlerChrysler work together to restore the Chrysler Group to 

profitability (and profit-sharing checks for UAW members), the need for a potent PQI is 

greater than ever. As it must, the quality of our vehicles is getting better. As it must, productivity 

is improving. And as it must, cost-cutting is making us more competitive. But 

to catch and surpass the GMs and Toyotas of the world, we must make more dramatic 

progress across the board. 

And to do that, PQI must be a major player. It’s time for the sleeping giant to awaken 

and rise to the challenge once again. 

TIMOTHY SCOTT PHOTOGRAPHY 

UAW-DAIMLERCHRYSLER 

NATIONAL TRAINING CENTER 

2211 East Jefferson Avenue 

Detroit, MI 48207 

313.567.3300 

Fax: 313.567.4971 

E-mail: rrussell@ucntc.org 


JOINT ACTIVITIES BOARD 

NATE GOODEN 

VICE PRESIDENT, DIRECTOR 

DAIMLERCHRYSLER DEPARTMENT 

UAW, CO-CHAIRMAN 

JOHN S. FRANCIOSI 

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, EMPLOYEE 

RELATIONS DAIMLERCHRYSLER 

CO-CHAIRMAN 

DAVE MCALLISTER 

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT TO 

VICE PRESIDENT, DIRECTOR 

DAIMLERCHRYSLER DEPARTMENT UAW 

KEN MCCARTER 

VICE PRESIDENT, UNION RELATIONS AND 

SECURITY OPERATIONS DAIMLERCHRYSLER 

JAMES DAVIS 

CO-DIRECTOR UAW-DAIMLERCHRYSLER 


FRANK L. SLAUGHTER 

CO-DIRECTOR UAW-DAIMLERCHRYSLER 


RON RUSSELL 

COMMUNICATIONS ADMINISTRATOR 

BOB ERICKSON 

COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST 

TANISHA DAVIS 

STAFF WRITER 

MICHAEL BULLER 

EDITOR 

KAREN ENGLISH 

SENIOR EDITOR 

JENNIFER DOLL 

ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR 

SUSAN CASSIDY 

COPY EDITOR 

KRISTIN BRADETICH 

ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR 

CATHERINE KORN 

PRODUCTION MANAGER 

KEVIN CAVANAUGH 

ACCOUNT MANAGER 

Nate Gooden 

John Franciosi 

This magazine is printed by a union 

printer on union-made recycled paper. 

2 www.uaw-daimlerchryslerntc.org

LOOKING AHEAD AT THE UAW-DAIMLERCHRYSLER NATIONAL TRAINING CENTER 

Volume 6 • Number 3 


Features 

Summer 2002 

10 

14 

16 

Comeback Kids 

COVER 

STORY 

With the help of PQI, workers at Detroit Axle are reclaiming their 

quality edge, saving jobs and bringing their historic plant into the 

21st century. 

By Ron Russell 

Living and Learning 

Congratulations to the 2002 Co-Chairs’ Award winners! Larry 

Adams, Maria Roman and Greg Dudzinski are three class acts. 

By S. C. Biemesderfer 

Parts Power 

Welcome to the wonderful world of Orlando’s new Parts Distribution 

Center. Workers at Boggy Creek use innovation, integration and information 

to keep the facility running smoothly and productively. 

By Nancy Shepherdson 

5 

7 

Departments 

2 Side by Side 

Working together for quality 

4 Backfire 

Your feedback 

5 Nuts & Bolts 

Who’s who of summer cars 

and summer stars 

7 Sign Up 

Family Fitness Centers, 

Child Care and the 

Friends Program 

cover 

Detroit Axle 

employees Charles 

Eaglin (left) and 

Darin Darby 

page 10 

cover photo by 

Bill Schwab, 

type illustration 

by Kenny Hansen 

Off the Clock 

19 Our People 

Strong arms, bee farms and how 

one worker acts “Civil” 

22 Surf City 

Shop on the Internet, worry-free. 

24 Lifelong Learning 

Summer school can be cool ... 

we promise! 

25 Your Money Matters 

Ease your credit card confusion 

with these helpful tips. 

26 For Your Health 

Don’t get bugged this summer. 

27 From the Archives 

10 

19 

Tomorrow (ISSN: 1096-1429) is published quarterly with two special issues in spring and fall for the UAW-DaimlerChrysler National Training Center by Pohly & Partners, Inc., 

27 Melcher Street, 2nd floor, Boston, MA 02210, 800.383.0888. Periodicals postage rates paid at Boston, Mass. and additional entry offices. POSTMASTER: Send address 

changes to Tomorrow, 2211 East Jefferson Ave., Detroit, MI 48207. © 2002 by UAW-DaimlerChrysler National Training Center. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or 

in part of any text, photograph or illustration without prior written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited.

Backfire 

FEEDBACK 

Ram Keeps on Rockin’ 

The “Ram Rocks” feature article in 

the Spring 2002 issue of Tomorrow 

brought a truckload of positive 

comments about the teamwork, the 

plants and of course the Ram 4x4 

itself — “Pickup of the Year.” Two 

insiders with a unique perspective 

had this to say: 

“The Ram has always been a 

good truck and it’s just going to get 

better. It is solidly built, and you 

feel secure and safe when you drive 

it. From the workers’ point of view, 

the Ram means a good future for 

everyone involved. We are focused 

on building a quality truck and that 

keeps us working. Like anything 

you do, when you step back and 

look at it and see the quality, that’s 

where the pride comes in. And 

we are a part of it. The Ram is here 

to stay.” 

Jim Betty 

President, UAW Local 140 

Warren Truck 

“At St. Louis North, we are very 

positive about the Ram. In fact, 

we’re really excited about it. It’s a 

well-built, quality vehicle. We take 

pride in building the truck and 

everyone in the workforce is very 

conscientious about the way we 

build in the quality. With its smooth 

ride and styling, I think the Ram can 

compete with any truck out there.” 

Tony Candela 

President, UAW Local 136 

St. Louis North Assembly 

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? 

Vanna Nou’s Contagious 

American Dream 

Tomorrow 

WINTER 

2001 

It’s been a long time 

since rumors of “streets 

paved with gold” motivated 

throngs of idealistic immigrants 

to seek a better life in the 

United States. But today’s version 

of the American Dream lives on for 

many, like Indianapolis Foundry’s 

Vanna Nou. 

Since we last wrote about 35- 

year-old Nou (“American Dream,” 

Winter 2001), his personal American 

odyssey has entered a new 

phase — passing along his adopted 

country’s hope and opportunity to 

his family. Nou is now focused on 

helping his nephew Visal Kith 

achieve his own American success 

story. Kith recently moved from the 

family’s homeland of Cambodia to 

Nou’s home in Indiana to attend 

Purdue University. 

“I keep telling him he’s much 

luckier than I was when I came,” 

says Nou, an electrical plant 

engineer and member of UAW 

Local 361. 

Then again, few people have 

had it harder than Nou. After a 

communist military coup in 

Cambodia in 1975, Nou was 

exiled to work camps at age 9 

and orphaned by age 11. He spent 

three years surviving in the jungle, 

nourished by leeches and bugs, 

before escaping into Thailand. 

When he secured sponsorship 

from a YWCA in Alton, Ill., in 

1983, Nou had no money, no 

education and didn’t speak a 

word of English. Now, less than 

20 years after first arriving in the 

United States, he has completed 

his associate’s and bachelor’s 

degrees in electrical engineering, 

has worked at Indianapolis 

Foundry for five years and just 

celebrated his daughter’s second 

birthday while aboard a Disney 

Cruise. Today, it’s up to Nou to 

help guide his nephew onto the 

same path of success. 

Considering the epic proportions 

of Nou’s life journey, his advice 

to Kith is simple: Americanize. 

“I tell my nephew to open his 

eyes and really learn about this 

country and realize the freedoms 

you have here. It’s the most 

important thing.”— Betsy Tranquilli 

TOM CASALINI 

UAW-DaimlerChrysler Joint Activities Board Mission Statement: “In a spirit of cooperation, mutual dedication and joint effort, the mission of the Joint Activities Board 

is to improve DaimlerChrysler’s competitive position by implementing mutually agreed upon training programs and projects to increase product quality, employee job 

security and employee satisfaction from work.” 


Nuts&Bolts 

Written and 

compiled by 

Jennifer Doll 

COURTESY DAIMLERCHRYSLER 

CORBIS 

The Cure for Your 

Summertime Blues 

Meet some new and up-and-coming DaimlerChrysler vehicles 

that are guaranteed to put a smile on your face. 

2002 Viper GTS Final Edition 2003 Dodge SRT-4 

This coupe will represent the last 360 cars built on 

the 2002 Dodge Viper platform. Red with a dual 

white-striped paint scheme, this ultra-cool vehicle 

is expected to have a special appeal to sports car 

enthusiasts and Viper collectors. 

Production began in May at 

Connor Avenue Assembly 

and will run until the 

start of 2003 Dodge 

Viper SRT-10 production 

this summer. 

2003 Dodge Ram Heavy Duty 

This tough truck combines the styling of the all-new 

2002 Dodge Ram 1500 with the new heavy-duty 

chassis of the Ram 2500 and 3500. Production 

begins on the Heavy Duty this 

summer at St. 

Louis North 

Assembly. 

Happy Birthday, America! 

Q: Who was the president of the 

Continental Congress that passed the 

Declaration of Independence? 

A: John Hancock, also known for his 

space-hogging signature. 

Q: Where was the first national 

capital located? 

A: New York City. Detroit wasn’t 

around yet! 

Combining performance with features 

inspired by the street 

racing scene, this speedy, 

compact vehicle accelerates 

from 0 to 60 mph in 

just 5.9 seconds. It’s the 

quickest production car 

available in the United 

States for under $20,000, and the second fastest car 

in the Dodge lineup, after the Viper SRT-10. Production 

began this spring at Belvidere Assembly. 

2004 Chrysler Pacifica 

Representing the new 

“sports tourer” segment, 

this sleek sixpassenger 

vehicle handles 

like a car and features low step-in height, 

first-class seating and three rows of seats. Production 

will begin in early 2003 at the Windsor Assembly 

Plant. The Pacifica will be built on its own unique 

platform but will use existing corporate components, 

including the 3.5-liter V6 engine that powers the 

award-winning Chrysler 300M. 

This year on July 4, the United States reaches the ripe old age of 226. 

Test your Independence Day knowledge with our mini-quiz. 

Q: Who was ruling Britain during the 

American War of Independence? 

A: King George III, who by many accounts 

was certifiably insane. Lucky for us! 

Q: How did the Liberty Bell get 

its crack? 

A: It cracked when it was first rung. 

PQI might have come in handy for 

those metalworkers. 

TOMORROW SUMMER 2002 5

Nuts&Bolts 

Roughing It Jeep Style 

Don’t miss Camp Jeep 2002, an action-packed threeday 

event for Jeep owners and their 

guests. This eighth annual Jeep celebration 

takes place from July 25 

to July 27 in the scenic Ozark 

Mountains near Branson, Mo. 

Camp Jeep includes four-wheeling, 

mountain biking, free outdoor concerts, 

activities for the kids, vehicle 

displays, engineering roundtables 

and more. Great prizes will be 

available, including a two-year 

lease on a new Jeep! Registration is 

$295 per Jeep vehicle. For more 

information, check out www.jeep 

.com or call 1.800.789.JEEP. 

THEY SAID IT 

“What’s your favorite DaimlerChrysler-made 

recreational vehicle and why?” 

“My 2000 Dodge Ram 4x4 

does it all. I work with it and then 

take it out and get rowdy. 

We can even play in the snow with it 

and never worry about getting stuck.” 

COURTESY DAIMLERCHRYSLER 

Stars of Summer 

It’s summertime! The heat, the sun, the 

never-ending fun … And when you’ve 

had enough of the great outdoors, 

what’s better than a summer movie 

watched in the air-conditioned comfort 

of your own home? Match the star to 

the movie in which he or she appears, 

then take a trip to your local video 

store and pick one up for your viewing 

pleasure. Don’t forget the popcorn! 

1. One Crazy Summer 

2. The Long, Hot Summer 

3. Wet Hot American Summer 

4. Summer’s End 

5. Suddenly, Last Summer 

6. I Know What You Did Last Summer 

7. Christmas in July 

a. James Earl Jones 

b. Jennifer Love Hewitt 

c. Paul Newman 

d. John Cusack 

e. Janeane Garofalo 

f. Elizabeth Taylor 

g. Dick Powell 

Answers: 1.d 2.c 3.e 4.a 5.f 6.b 7.g 

— Ken Mullett, operator, dept. 9300, Kokomo Transmission 

“My Durango. It makes me feel 

like a big fish in a little pond 

in any environment.” 

— Greg Wix, loader, McGraw Glass 

“The Dodge Ram 1500. 

It has a great engine and smooth ride. 

Mine has over 160,000 miles 

and is still running strong.” 

— David Martinez, hi-lo driver, Warren Stamping 

CORBIS 

6 uaw-daimlerchryslerntc.org

Sign Up 

Summer Shape-Up 

Your plant’s fitness center is a great place to start 

When Eugene Richards joined 

the National Guard 20 years 

ago, he was tested for physical 

endurance. One test required him 

to run 2 miles within a set period of 

time. “I struggled,” he admits. Now a 

Tech III at Huntsville Electronics, 

Richards runs 14 miles a week — without 

groaning. The UAW Local 1413 

member, who is nearly 54, credits his 

improvement to workouts at the 

UAW-DaimlerChrysler Huntsville 

Regional Family Fitness Center. 

The equipment and programs 

at Huntsville’s 

3,000-square-foot gym 

are similar to those you’ll 

find at other UAW-Daimler- 

Chrysler facilities. It offers a whole 

line of cardiovascular machines — 

treadmill, stationary bike, steppers — 

Facilities listed in the first two columns, below left, offer a professional staff and 

the latest equipment. In addition, the National Training Center has its own stateof-the-art 

fitness center. Facilities listed in the column on the right offer memberships 

at a local fitness club. For more information, contact your Local Joint 

Training Facilitator. 

ON-SITE PROFESSIONAL STAFF 

AND FACILITIES 

Sterling Stamping 

Mt. Elliott Tool & Die 

Toledo Jeep 

Warren Truck Assembly 

New Process Gear 

Toledo Machining 

Huntsville Electronics 

Conner Avenue Assembly 

DaimlerChrysler Transport 

Chelsea Proving Grounds 

Newark Assembly 

Kenosha Engine 

We’ll Pump You Up 

Jefferson North Assembly 

Sterling Heights Assembly 

Twinsburg Stamping 

Warren Stamping 

Plymouth Road Office Complex 

Mack Avenue Engine I 

McGraw Glass 

MEMBERSHIPS AT OFF- 

SITE FITNESS CLUBS 

Denver PDC 

Dallas PDC 

Los Angeles PDC 

Marysville National PDC 

Milwaukee PDC 

Minneapolis PDC 

Portland PDC 

Arizona Proving Grounds 

Atlanta PDC 

Chicago PDC 

New York PDC 

Orlando PDC 

Centerline National PDC 

Cleveland PDC 

New Castle Machining & Forge 

UAW Local 889 is 

in Great Shape at 60 

Many trained staff people at 

the fitness centers are members 

of UAW Local 889 (many 

others are members of UAW Local 

892). Founded back in 1941 as 

the union’s first Technical, Office 

and Professional unit, UAW Local 

889 celebrated its 60th anniversary 

last summer. 

as well as weight machines and free 

weights. There is also space for classes 

like aerobics, kickboxing and yoga. 

Richards credits Lori McFadden, 

the fitness center’s assistant director 

and a member of UAW Local 892, 

with his exercise program. He runs 4 

miles on Mondays and Wednesdays 

and 6 miles on Fridays; on other days, 

he works on the exercise machines. 

Sticking with it has paid dividends 

off the clock and on the job, where 

Richards assembles electronic boards 

for transmissions. “I handle the mind 

work better because my body is in 

good physical shape,” he says. 

Plus, the physical exercise relieves 

his tension: “Since I’ve been working 

out, I’m not so stressed,” he says. 

Richards retired from the Guard two 

years ago and now depends on the 

Family Fitness Center to help him 

stay in shape. The 30-year UAW- 

DaimlerChrysler veteran plans to 

keep going after he retires. “Walking 

into that gym,” he says, “is like taking 

a preventive medicine pill.” ■ 

— By Martha K. Baker 


Sign Up 

Peace of Mind for Parents 

New program helps meet individual child care needs 

Swapping babies in the parking 

lot of Toledo Machining was 

an everyday event for Stephanie 

and Christopher Duling. Of course, it 

had its drawbacks. While it was less 

draining on the pocketbook than paying 

for child care, it was more work 

and extra drive time for the couple. 

The 30-minute window between 

the time Stephanie got off work and 

Christopher started second shift was 

just enough for Christopher to hand 

off 2-year-old Madelyn while the 

couple rushed to share as much 

information as time would allow. 

Had Madelyn eaten? How was 

traffic? Stephanie and Madelyn 

would then drive the 40 miles home 

to wait for the school bus to drop off 

7-year-old Austin. 

Until the Dulings discovered 

UAW-DaimlerChrysler’s new child 

care program for Toledo-area workers, 

finding convenient care for 

Austin and Madelyn was a nightmare 

on wheels. The NTC-sponsored program 

is designed to help UAW-represented 

workers like the Dulings find 

the coverage they need. 

In fact, things might have worsened 

for the Dulings when Stephanie 

enrolled in college classes last summer 

and she and Christopher both 

worked second shift. 

“We just couldn’t find anyone who 

would do second-shift day care, or 

who would take both kids,” says 

Stephanie, a machine operator and 

UAW Local 1435 member. 

To ease some of the stress of finding 

convenient, reasonably priced child 

care, the program is offered in cooperation 

with The Gathering Place, which 

arranges child care both at its site and 

in home. It provides extended hour 

coverage as well as emergency backup 

care for UAW members when special 

circumstances arise, such as working 

CHRISTOPHER AND 

STEPHANIE DULING 

with their kids, Austin 

and Madelyn 

“It’s awesome that she [the caregiver] 

comes to our home and 

the kids are comfortable. 

That’s most important.” 

— STEPHANIE DULING 

8 uaw-daimlerchryslerntc.org

Sign Up 

JOHN SOBCZAK/LORIEN STUDIOS 

Safe • At • Home 

UAW-REPRESENTED EMPLOYEES in southeastern Michigan 

can take advantage of an emergency backup care program, 

Safe•At•Home. It is available through the Alliance for Children and 

Working Families, a consortium consisting of UAW-DaimlerChrysler, 

UAW-Ford and UAW-GM. 

For information, please contact Phyllis Johnson or Colleen McBrady 

at the National Training Center, 313.567.3300. 

odd hours, having a mildly ill child or 

being called out of town on short 

notice. Coverage is available 24 hours 

a day, 7 days a week for children six 

weeks to 12 years old. 

The $900 per month the Dulings 

used to spend on second-shift day care 

for two children is another thing of the 

past. “The National Training Center 

pays 80 percent of child care expenses, 

with the parents picking up the 

remaining 20 percent,” says Colleen 

McBrady, DaimlerChrysler personnel 

programs administrator at the NTC. 

The program requires at least a 

four-hour minimum child care session 

and pre-registration. Each parent is eligible 

for a maximum of 80 hours per 

year of emergency child care, or 160 

hours if both parents are UAW- 

DaimlerChrysler workers. 

And to alleviate the stress of finding 

a qualified provider, the program 

carefully screens caregivers through 

extensive reference checks that cover 

previous employment, health, driving 

record and criminal background. 

Fully licensed, professional caregivers 

are bonded, trained in infant/child 

CPR and graduates of an intense child 

care training course. “One of the 

great qualities of the program is we 

take all the worry out of the decision,” 

says Phyllis Johnson, UAW 

international representative at 

the NTC. “The program is 

there for employees, with prescreened, 

highly trained, loving 

caregivers.” 

For Stephanie, the most 

important benefit is peace of 

mind. “It’s awesome that she 

[the caregiver] comes to our 

home and the kids are comfortable. 

That’s most important,” 

she explains. “She 

brings a huge bag of toys, she 

makes dinner, she does projects 

with the kids, she puts 

them to bed. They love her.” 

Stephanie credits the program 

with giving her the chance 

to finish her schooling and to graduate 

on time. And, thanks to the 

child care program, Stephanie and 

Christopher can now swap kisses in 

the parking lot — instead of kids. ■ 

— By Tanisha Davis 

For further information, contact 

Kristine L. Keiser at The Gathering 

Place, 419.691.6313. 

Friends Program 

Give your friends and family 

the green light on a new 

Chrysler brand vehicle 

participating in the Friends 

By Program, you can help put a 

buddy or relative in the driver’s seat 

of a new Chrysler brand vehicle — 

with a good deal — at a time when 

every sale makes a difference. The 

program, for UAW-represented and 

non-bargaining unit DaimlerChrysler 

employees and retirees, continues 

through December. 

The Friends Program gives 

participants a chance to 

sponsor the sale or lease of 

up to four Chrysler brand 

vehicles a year to friends, 

neighbors or extended family 

members. They get a Preferred 

Price that’s 1 percent 

below factory invoice plus a 

$25 administration fee. 

The discount applies to 

any 2001 or 2002 Chrysler 

Group vehicle except the 

Dodge Viper, Chrysler/ 

Plymouth Prowler, Chrysler 

Town & Country EX and 

Dodge Grand Caravan EX 

minivans, as well as all Mercedes- 

Benz models. 

To participate, call the Program 

Headquarters Hotline, 800.756.2886, 

and select option 4. You will receive a 

personalized control number for the 

intended buyer. That number, which is 

valid through 2002, will be accepted 

at any participating DaimlerChrysler 

dealership in the United States. ■ 

— By Ron Russell 


Program 

COME 

PQI helps 

Detroit Axle 

refocus on a 

bright future 

THIS PAGE: Charles Eaglin 

OPPOSITE PAGE, TOP: Bob Bowers 

(left) and Rich Boyer 

BOTTOM: Melinda Crawford and 

Rick DeClaire 


ACK 

KIDS 

Looking back two years, machine operator Jim Asquith figured that Detroit Axle’s days were 

STORY BY numbered. It was a plant headed in the wrong direction, plagued by high 

RON RUSSELL absenteeism, poor productivity and shoddy quality. Worse yet was the 

PHOTOGRAPHS BY entrenched apathy among workers that held out little hope of change. 

BILL SCHWAB 

“No one knew whether this plant 

would close or not, but it’s fair to say 

that we were in a lot of trouble,” 

recalls the UAW Local 961 member. 

“That’s when union and management 

challenged us to improve the way we 

did things, and to turn this place 

around. And we have. Today, we have 

turned around 180 degrees.” 

Although it hasn’t happened overnight, 

the 85-year-old plant built to 

make parts for the 155-millimeter rifle 

during World War I is meeting that 

challenge. Apathy has been replaced 

by a sense of urgency about the need 

to change. Costs are declining and 

quality is on the rise. And fears of losing 

jobs have been replaced by the 

promise of new business that will 

expand the workforce. 

Focus on Quality 

a remarkable reversal of fortune, 

Detroit Axle has a new 

IN 

lease on life thanks in large part 

to revival of its Product Quality 

Improvement Partnership. 

A PQI Refocus Initiative took 

shape late last year as the result of 

a new joint venture with Daimler- 

Chrysler’s Corporate Quality Department. 

Spearheaded by PQI teams, a 

pilot project targets elimination of 

product defects that cause high warranty 

costs, as well as improvements 

in manufacturing processes that boost 

productivity and save money. 

The pilot serves as a model for 

other facilities to help restore 22-yearold 

PQI’s role as the primary catalyst 

for worker involvement and innovation 

at the Chrysler Group. The effort 

is designed to put PQI back in the 

mainstream of change by developing 

new plans that stress measurable vehicle 

quality gains and lower costs rather 

than participation levels. 

At Detroit Axle, the timing was just 

right, says Local 961 President Rich 

Boyer, whose commitment to making 

changes needed to save the plant 

paved the way for success. 

“We had struggled along for two 

years and this was an opportunity to 

get everyone involved,” he says. “We 

went from the bottom of the heap to 

near the top in a short period of time. 


ABOVE: Wayne Winkel (left), Jim Asquith 

RIGHT: On the floor 

You have to take care of your people, 

and the best way to do that is to see 

that they have a job and a future. You 

know what needs to be fixed, and you 

go out and fix it.” 

With that philosophy in mind, 

Detroit Axle’s Local Employee Participation 

Council endorsed the PQI 

Refocus Initiative last November, and 

implementation of the pilot program 

in Departments 72, 75 and 79 began 

by the end of January. 

Production workers joined with 

area managers, other supervisors, engineers 

and skilled trades representatives 

in workshops to pinpoint quality 

and process issues. They were supported 

by the plant’s PQI leadership 

team and Joint Activities Operating 

Principles facilitators from the UAW 

and management. Coaching by Ken 

Killen, DaimlerChrysler senior quality 

specialist, and UAW-DaimlerChrysler 

National Training Center staff helped 

to keep the project on track. 

“We took all of the tools we have 

and put them in a common-sense 

process that made it easy for the teams 

to understand why we measure 

SQDCM, and to identify opportunities 

and develop solutions that are 

process-focused,” says management 

JAOP Facilitator Charles Eaglin. 

The result was a standardized problem-solving 

structure based on plantspecific 

data. It allowed the pilot project 

to prioritize and target issues that 

have the greatest impact on improving 

productivity, cost and quality. 

Workshop participants focused on 

such measures as EPUS (Expense Per 

Unit Sold), FTC (First Time Capability), 

throughput, scrap rates and 

warranty performance. 

“The teams used data that hadn’t 

been shared organization-wide and 

some of it hadn’t even been compiled 

for PQI, so that the process owners 

could zero in on specific measurables,” 

explains Eaglin. 

Data In — Solutions Out 

Using that process, teams in the pilot 

departments tackled problems 

affecting three critical components — 

gear sets, differentials and carriers — 

used to build front and rear axles. 

In Department 75, the issue was 

eliminating a noise problem that 

results in warranty costs and hinders 

throughput. The solution was combining 

two work cells and adding a 

third operator to remove nicks that 

caused the noise. The outcome: a 50 

percent improvement in jobs per 

hour in the pilot Lap and Test cell. 

“As a team, we eliminated a bottleneck,” 

says Asquith, a Detroit Axle 

employee for more than seven years. 

“Everything came to the forefront in 

the workshop. As time goes on, you 

become blind to the small problems 

and the impact they can have on the 

overall process.” 

Department 79’s workshop took 

on problems with testing the differential 

assembly, caused when a 8.25 

Cross Lash Set machine didn’t 

operate within cycle time and rejected 

good parts. The solution was to 

reduce cycle time and begin operator 

awareness training. The outcome: 

eliminating two hours of unscheduled 

daily overtime. The PQI process also 

resulted in redeploying two workers 

assigned because the machine didn’t 

work properly. 

“Right now, they’re running within 

cycle time; there’s no reason, maintenance-wise, 

why [operators] can’t get 

their parts,” says toolmaker Lisa 

Woessner, who’s worked at the plant 

since 1995 but hadn’t been involved 

in PQI until the workshop. 

“The morale of people on the line is 

better. They’re building better parts 

and building more parts. I love knowing 

I will have a job tomorrow. I could 

not have said that six months ago.” 

And in Department 72, the challenge 

was to reduce scrap by 50 percent 

in machining 9.25 carriers, which 

are casings for the differential. The 

solution was to modify a drill used in 

the process and to implement a new 

pallet repair procedure. The outcome: 

“THE MORALE OF PEOPLE ON THE LINE IS BETTER. 

THEY’RE BUILDING BETTER PARTS 

AND BUILDING MORE PARTS.” 

— LISA WOESSNER 


less downtime, an improved product 

and reduced scrap. 

“The bottom line is that we’re putting 

PQI back on track,” says Melinda 

Crawford, PQI communicator from 

UAW Local 961. “We’re now all on 

the same page and there’s more support 

for PQI from key players. We still 

have a lot of work to do, but we’re 

already more competitive because we 

have a plan that’s getting results.” 

The message is spreading. PQI is 

on the rebound throughout the 

plant, after losing the momentum it 

once had as a means of joint problem-solving. 

There are about 30 PQI 

teams compared to 10 before the 

pilot project, according to PQI 

Trainer Barbara Jackson. 

“We have people stopping us and 

asking, ‘How can I join a team?’” she 

says. “Union and management have 

taken to this new initiative with smiles 

on their faces. We are all a team.” 

Measured in dollars and cents, payback 

from the PQI Refocus Initiative 

was almost immediate. During the 

first three months of the pilot, the 

Refocus Initiative produced nearly 

$5.4 million in projected annualized 

savings — about $2 million in reduced 

warranty costs alone. 

And Detroit Axle’s rate of defective 

parts per million plummeted from 

2,400 last year to 130 in the pilot. 

The dramatic turnaround triggered 

a strong vote of confidence from 

DaimlerChrysler, which selected the 

plant to manufacture front and rear 

axles for the next generation Jeep 

Grand Cherokee. 

The new business is a major coup 

for Detroit Axle and the 1,939 members 

of UAW Locals 961, 412 and 

889, since the corporation decided to 

keep the work in-house instead of 

outsourcing it. In fact, it paid a 

penalty to break a contract it had 

already signed with American Axle. 

As a result, DaimlerChrysler will 

invest $48 million in plant improvements 

and create 252 jobs to accommodate 

the new work. Production 

will increase from about 2.2 million 

axles a year to nearly 2.9 million. 

Gathering Steam 

his shows that any plant can 

“T turn it around,” says UAW 

Operating Principles Facilitator Rick 

DeClaire. “It feels good to get business 

back from our competitors. And 

it’s not just the PQI Refocus that’s 

making a difference. It’s the whole 

plant.” 

The Refocus Initiative coincides 

with other changes that bode well, 

including the arrival in March of new 

Plant Manager Bob Bowers. His hardnosed 

work ethic seems to be a good 

fit for a plant that has turned the corner 

but still faces difficult challenges. 

Bowers spends more time on the 

floor than in his office. “We don’t 

Kevin Fraser and 

Taniqua Carter 

build many axles through my office,” 

he says. He’s also tough on tardiness, 

absenteeism, poor housekeeping and 

safety violations. “You have to tell 

people the way it is — and you have to 

walk the talk.” 

Above all, Bowers sets high expectations 

for himself and those around 

him. “We are going to get better,” he 

says. “Less than 1 percent of the total 

workforce was involved in the first 

phase of the PQI Refocus, and look at 

the success we’ve had. What if we had 

5 percent, 10 percent or even 20 percent? 

It would be awesome!” 

There’s every reason to believe that 

the best is yet to come at Detroit Axle. 

Cutter grinder Mark Griffith thinks 

so. “People realize we can do this — 

all we need to do is pull together and 

make it happen.” ■ 

For more information about the PQI 

Refocus, go to www.uaw-daimler 

chryslerntc.org/new/worktog/pqip.cfm.

Profile 

Co-Chairs’ 

Awards honor 

educational 

achievements 

THERE ARE PLENTY OF GOOD REASONS WHY UAW-DaimlerChrysler 

gives such strong support to education and training initiatives 

like TAP (Tuition Assistance Program), Local Joint Training 

Committees and plant-based Learning Centers. Three of 

those reasons — Larry Eugene Adams, Maria Roman and 

Greg Dudzinski — were honored recently as Co-Chairs’ Award 

winners for their extraordinary achievements in 2001. 

Learni 

LIVING AND 

BY S.C. BIEMESDERFER 

PHOTOS BY TIMOTHY SCOTT PHOTOGRAPHY 

Larry Eugene Adams 

electronics inspector, St. Louis North 

Assembly, UAW Local 136 

Soon after Larry Adams enrolled 

in business college in 1968, his 

mother became ill and he dropped 

out of school to take care of her. He 

landed a job at St. Louis South 

Assembly and began a three-decade 

balancing act around work and 

family responsibilities. 

But for Adams, who hits the 

34-year mark with Daimler- 

Chrysler in November, the 

calling to higher education 

continued. In 1979, he began 

taking classes at Lael College 

in St. Louis. Ten years and 

many TAP-supported semesters later, 

he graduated with a bachelor’s 

degree in counseling and education. 

By 1991, he had earned his master’s 

degree in the same field — and by 

1996, his doctorate in education. In 

2000, he published his first book, 

Upon This Rock, a collection of 

inspirational writings. And all the 

while, he has been teaching martial 

arts, for the past 23 years at his own 

academy, the Wu Hsing Chuan 

School of Kung Fu in St. Louis. 

“I couldn’t go to college when I 

was younger, and part of my motivation 

for going back to school 

was to set a good example for my 

children,” says Adams, who has a

Co-Chairs’ Awards 

Salute Top Training 

Committees, Too 

In addition to the individual 

Co-Chairs’ Award recipients, 

outstanding Local Joint Training 

Committees are honored for their 

contributions to worker education 

and training. The winners for 2001 

also received monetary awards 

that have been donated to their 

training funds. 

CHELSEA PROVING GROUNDS 

UAW LOCAL 1284 $15,000 

STERLING HEIGHTS ASSEMBLY 

UAW LOCALS 1700, 889, 412 $10,000 

ng 

CLEVELAND PARTS 

DISTRIBUTION CENTER 

UAW LOCAL 573 $5,000 

son enrolled in junior college and 

a daughter who’s now a college 

English professor. “There’s nothing 

like living and learning.” 

Maria Roman 

press operator, Warren Stamping, 

UAW Local 869 

When she immigrated to Detroit 

from Guerrero, Mexico, in 

1970, Maria Roman hoped to find 

a good job and a better life for her 

young family. Her search led her 

to Warren Stamping, where she 

and her husband, Roberto, started 

working on the same day in 1971. 

Over the years, they built the life 

they had envisioned. Their oldest 

child, a daughter, grew up to become 

a doctor; their three sons pursued 

careers in business, criminal justice 

and computer science. There was 

just one thing missing from Maria 

Roman’s American dream: the language. 

She had learned enough 

English to do her job and get around 

the city, but when her youngest son 

moved out of the house three years 

ago, she realized how much she had 

relied on her children for the meaning 

of many words. 

So Roman got busy. She signed 

up for classes and tutoring at 

Warren Stamping’s Learning Center 

and began to grasp the language 

that had eluded her. The commitment 

— an hour and a half a day, 

four days a week, plus homework 

— has been big, but she 

says it has made all the difference. 

“It’s a lot of work, but it’s 

the best thing I could have 

ever done,” says Roman, who 

credits now-retired Roberto 

for encouraging her to continue 

with her studies. 

Greg Dudzinski 

sorter and Local Joint 

Training Committee 

facilitator, Marysville 

National Parts 

Distribution Center, 

UAW Local 375 

By all accounts, 

Greg Dudzinski 

had a good run at the St. 

Clair County Community 

College in Michigan. He 

was a baseball star on 

scholarship from 1986 

until 1988, when he graduated 

with an associate’s 

degree and went on to 

work at the Marysville 

National Parts Distribution 

Center. But it was only a 

matter of time before 

school and life would 

again intersect. 

By 1998, he was 

back in the classroom — 

this time at Rochester College in 

Rochester Hills, Mich., where he 

completed his undergraduate degree 

summa cum laude in counseling 

and behavioral science. A divorce 

at age 25 had left him with a great 

interest in interpersonal and family 

dynamics, which he pursued tenaciously. 

“I wanted to put myself in 

a position to help other people,” 

says Dudzinski. 

Now happily remarried, Dudzinski 

recently enrolled in a master’s 

program where he’ll earn a degree 

in clinical counseling with an 

emphasis on treating children and 

family dynamics. He’s also an active 

volunteer and mentor for two local 

family agencies. “The bottom line 

is, I’m getting a chance to pursue 

my dream.” ■ 


STORY BY NANCY SHEPHERDSON 

PHOTOGRAPHS BY GARY JOHN NORMAN 

LOCALS MIGHT PUT IT, 

NEW ORLANDO PARTS 

ASTHE 

DISTRIBUTION CENTER IS 

no Mickey Mouse operation. Instead, 

in their brand-new Boggy Creek, Fla., 

facility, a well-oiled team of workers 

takes great pride in doing the job 

right. In this state-of-the-art PDC, no 

carousel or conveyor belt dictates how 

fast the work is done. The workers set 

the pace as they ride — or walk — the 

aisles of the huge facility, equipped 

with handheld computers that guide 

them to just the right spot. 

Their handheld tracking devices, 

called RF (radio frequency) units, prevent 

most errors from even happening. 

“The scanner [RF unit] allows the 

picker to check himself,” says Jeff 

Allen, president of UAW Local 1649. 

“A glitch in the system is really the 

only way you can make a mistake.” 

All a stockkeeper needs to do is aim 

the RF at a part’s bin ticket and touch 

the screen; the computer tells the 

sorter exactly where to go to store the 

part. “I like the idea that you can fix 

at least 90 percent of the problems 

that occur right on the RF,” says V.L. 

White, stocker/checker and launch 

team leader. 

With the right equipment and 

training, just 98 members of Orlando’s 

UAW Local 1649 receive and 

ship almost $200 million in sales of 

replacement parts every year for dealers 

in Florida and the Caribbean. 

BERTHA THOMPSON 

Workers in 

Orlando are 

setting the 

pace for 

productivity 

16 www.uaw-daimlerchryslerntc.orgOWE 

P 

A 

R 

T 

S

Teaming Up 

And that huge number is going to 

increase very soon as the Orlando 

PDC integrates with the Mercedes 

PDC in Jacksonville, Fla. By December, 

the Jacksonville facility will be 

closed and all the parts formerly distributed 

from there — about 50,000 

different types of parts in all — will 

pass through Orlando, instead. 

“A part is a part,” says Jerry Ward, 

facility manager. “This is a moneysaving 

move for both divisions.” 

But the real beauty of this revamped 

operation is its potential to 

create jobs. Not only will some of the 

Mercedes employees be moving to 

Orlando as UAW-represented new 

hires, but also the Orlando PDC has 

the space to distribute parts for many 

more DaimlerChrysler divisions. In its 

huge warehouse, there are bins and 

racks for more than 200,000 different 

types of replacement parts, and even 

after the Mercedes integration, just 

over half of the bins will be in use. 

“If we work hard, we can grow this 

business,” declares Tom Marsch, Orlando’s 

UAW PQI facilitator, trainer 

and communicator. 

Plant 

V.L. WHITE shows off the tools of the trade. 

Working Smarter 

Doing those jobs right is all the 

easier now, since Orlando PDC 

workers adopted the D-View system 

(IBM’s Distribution View software). 

Along with D-View came the RF units 

that have streamlined the new PDC. 

When the stockkeeper arrives at a 

location and puts a part away, simply 

scanning the RF’s laser beam on a site 

code and touching the enter button 

again tells the computer that the part 


stockkeeping and making corrections 

so that we could start full bore when 

our old facility shut down,” he says. 

“We kept doing 

trial stockkeeping 

and MAKING CORRECTIONS 

so that we could 

START FULL BORE 

when our old facility 

shut down.” 

— CRAIG MCPHERSON (pictured) 

is stored and ready to sell. Or, the 

RF will honk like a flustered Donald 

Duck if it thinks a sorter is trying to 

put the part in the wrong place. Either 

way, workers have the information 

they need to make correct decisions 

without running to a supervisor. 

At the dealerships, D-View allows 

service departments to see immediately 

when they need to order parts. 

Then, when an order comes in from a 

dealership, each RF unit tells the closest 

picker where to find needed parts 

in his or her area. The RF also shows 

where to deliver each ordered part in 

the loading area so that it can be 

packed properly with other orders 

from the same dealer, then loaded 

onto the right truck. Result? Nextmorning 

delivery for the vast majority 

of replacement parts — and lots of 

satisfied dealers. 

Worker Input = Worker Output 

Things did not always run so 

smoothly in the old location. 

Many employee suggestions later, the 

design for the new facility set the stage 

for improved processes. Perhaps the 

biggest relief is that there’s no longer a 

thermometer on the wall. “The thermometer 

in the old place read at least 

90 degrees all the time,” says Herbert 

Gerou, a picker/packer. Boggy Creek 

is cool and dry — a real improvement 

in working conditions. 

Even more important, the move 

last October allowed employees to 

completely redo the storage system. 

“We used to just put things wherever 

we could fit them,” remembers Dave 

Buslepp, a picker/packer. “Now things 

are easy to find because they’re put 

away right.” 

As launch team leader, V.L. White 

did everything he could to make jobs 

at Boggy Creek easier. He and his team 

made sure that similar parts were 

placed near each other and that highdemand 

items were placed closest to 

the loading docks. 

And Orlando’s pre-launch team 

spent more than three months making 

sure everything would fit. During prelaunch 

testing, the team found that 

often the storage bins the computer 

said to put the parts in were a bit off. 

That problem has been solved, thanks 

to workers like Craig McPherson, a 

stocker/picker who’s better known as 

“the quality guru” at Orlando. 

McPherson was one of the 20 

employees who “pre-stocked” Boggy 

Creek, checking the dimensions of the 

parts against the bins and racks they 

were intended for. “We kept doing trial 

Looking Ahead 

Lots of training also made things 

go smoother at launch — and 

since. Each employee was given 40 

hours of combined problem-solving 

and hands-on training before being 

allowed to work independently on 

the PDC floor. That gave employees 

a feeling of ownership of their jobs. 

“I felt really comfortable with the RF 

right away,” says Mildred Rivers, a 

veteran stocker. 

When employees from the Mercedes 

PDC begin arriving in October 

for their own pre-launch, they will 

feel comfortable with D-View and RF 

units already. The two tools have been 

in use there for several years. They’ll 

also be familiar with the work environment. 

In July, the Orlando PDC 

implements a new system, patterned 

after Mercedes, that assigns each 

employee to a work group. 

“UAW members as teams will set 

the processes and run their own areas 

with even less supervision than 

before,” notes Tom Marsch. “This is 

how you bring up quality and productivity 

numbers.” 

Orlando PDC workers will embrace 

this new system of teamwork, doing 

whatever it takes to keep pushing parts 

out the door with amazing speed and 

accuracy. After all, this is Orlando, 

where people expect the fantastic. ■ 

AMANDA WHITE 


Our OurPeople 

Off the Clock 

BILL SCHWAB 

CHERI JO FIEBIG is an armed woman. 

Get a Grip 

Arm wrestler Cheri Jo Fiebig is world class 

It’s not a good idea to challenge 

Cheri Jo Fiebig to arm wrestle. 

She’s never lost. Ever. Fiebig, who 

works second shift in the Paint 

Shop at Marysville National Parts 

Distribution Center, is a nine-time 

national and world arm wrestling 

champion. The 5-foot-6-inch, 156- 

pound Fiebig holds the same streak of 

titles in wrist wrestling (similar sport, 

different grip). 

At age 40, Fiebig is no rookie. After 

dabbling in martial arts, bodybuilding 

and power lifting in high school, she 

set her course in women’s armsports in 

1979. She went to the nationals that 

year, where she was the youngest competitor 

ever to compete for a national 

title in both heavyweight and lightweight 

arm wrestling. She took a first 

in both classes. 

In a career spanning more than two 

decades, Fiebig has earned every title 

in women’s armsports. She’s the first 

female to set a record for the most 

pulls — most arms wrestled — in a 

national tournament, wrestling 21 

competitors in a day. In a fast sport, 

Fiebig strikes like lightning. Most 

contests run one or two minutes. 

Fiebig takes her opponents down in 

seconds — usually fewer than five. 

In 2001, Fiebig was slated to compete 

in Poland for the world title. That 

tournament was canceled in the aftermath 

of September 11, but Fiebig 

expects to compete this year for both 

national and world titles. 

She’s been interviewed on radio and 

TV — NBC, ESPN, ABC Wide World 

of Sports — and has competed in 

Brazil, India, Germany and across the 

United States. She’s put in dozens of 

celebrity appearances. One was the 

1980 Miss Olympia competition, 

where she met Arnold Schwarzenegger, 

with whom she’s been friends ever 

since. She met Sylvester Stallone when 

she appeared in his 1987 movie “Over 

the Top.” Rent it, and you’ll see her 

competing at the end of the movie. 

There’s more to being a champion 

than pride. For Fiebig, financial compensation 

can range from $1,000 to 

$8,000 a tournament. “I can pick and 

choose my tournaments,” she says. “I 

go where the purse is good.” She 

makes enough to fund the expenses of 

competition. She enjoyed early sponsorship 

— and may again — but it has 

to be the right sponsor. 

Fiebig has worked traditional jobs 

throughout her arm wrestling career. 

She’s been a police officer, construction 

worker, over-the-road trucker, and has 

ventured into the arts, including both 

painting and dance. 

She’s been at Marysville since 

August 2000, when her brother Chris 

Fiebig, who works at Warren Assembly, 

suggested she apply. “It’s the first 

job I’ve really settled at,” she says. 

In top form, she can curl 35 pounds 

with one arm. Still, she says, “It’s more 

mental than physical. I don’t study my 

competitor. I focus on the move. Once 

you hold that hand, you pretty much 

know what you’re going to do.” ■ 

— By Molly Rose Teuke 


Our 

People 

Off the Clock 

A League of His Own 

For Parham, softball was 

more than a pastime 

Former San Francisco Giants 

third baseman, Al Gallagher, 

once said, “There are three 

things in my life that I really 

love: God, my family and 

baseball. The only problem — once 

baseball season starts, I change the 

order around a bit.” 

For 32 years, that quote could have 

defined Delbert Parham’s devotion to 

fastpitch softball — a passion that 

earned him nomination and induction 

into the Indiana Amateur Softball 

Association Hall of Fame in 2000. 

While it isn’t Cooperstown, the distinction 

is just as meaningful for this 

Kokomo Casting training facilitator 

and UAW Local 1166 member. 

Parham began his softball career at 

16, when he played on both a baseball 

and a softball team. His baseball coach 

TROY HARDWAY has 

a honey of a hobby. 

DELBERT PARHAM reminisces about the Old Ball Game. 

gave him an ultimatum — choose one 

or the other. Parham stuck with softball, 

a decision that took him around 

the country to play in different ASA 

men’s national tournaments and eventually 

into the Hall as a third baseman 

with a .385 lifetime batting average. 

But the years of playing and the 

honor of the induction came at a price, 

namely the time it took from his wife, 

Shari, and three daughters Beth, 

Lindsay and Chelsea. 

Which is why, in 1991, he decided 

to hang up his glove and leave behind 

his playing days to make up for lost 

Busy as a Bee 

time with his family. Of course, he 

couldn’t give up his involvement in 

the sport completely. Parham stayed 

active in the softball community by 

serving as district commissioner for 

the Kokomo youth league for the next 

nine years and was instrumental in 

the league’s growth and development. 

Now that his playing days are over, 

the 25-year DaimlerChrysler veteran 

can appreciate the opportunities softball 

provided. “I got to travel and meet 

some great people,” Parham says. “It 

was a hell of a roll.” ■ 

— By Betsy Tranquilli 

LIKE ALMOST EVERY OTHER LITTLE KID IN THE WORLD, Troy Hardway fled 

in terror every time a bee floated near him on the playground. “I was afraid 

of bees — don’t get me wrong!” he says. “But you have to overcome that.” 

Hardway, a forklift driver and member of UAW Local 122 at Twinsburg 

Stamping, has been raising bees for the last decade on his 66-acre farm in 

Atwater, Ohio. Today, he’s up to 40 hives, which produce honey that he sells 

to customers throughout the United States. 

And yes, he gets stung. “Actually, a bee sting’s good for you,” says 

Hardway, a 34-year Twinsburg Stamping veteran who’s considering retirement 

to his farm. That’s if you believe recent studies (not yet endorsed by 

major medical associations) about arthritis, multiple sclerosis and certain 

types of cancer. But Hardway believes them, which is perhaps one reason he 

rarely wears a typical beekeeper’s veil. Some days, though, he puts on gloves: 

“The respect is still there.” ■ 

— By Steve Knopper 

ABOVE: LARRY LADIG, BELOW: AL FUCHS 


Our OurPeople 

Off the Clock 

Distant Replay 

Reenactors of our country’s conflicts keep history alive 

STEVE LAWLER, center, 

relives history. 

Like his great-great-grandfather 

before him, Steve Lawler, 

a receiving clerk at Atlanta 

Parts Distribution Center, is a 

Confederate soldier. During 

the Civil War, Lawler’s ancestor Issac 

Oglesby served with the Army of 

Northern Virginia, 7th Georgia 

Company C. Today, Lawler “serves” 

with two units as a Civil War reenactor. 

The UAW Local 868 member is an 

ordnance sergeant in the Cherokee 

Artillery, based in Rome, Ga., and a 

private with the Chatham Artillery, 

based near his home in Douglasville, 

Ga., 20 miles west of Atlanta. 

“I’m really just a ‘grunt,’” Lawler 

says. “You grunt a lot lugging around 

2,000-pound ordnance rifles.” The 

Cherokee unit owns two ordnance 

rifles; the Chatham unit fires a mountain 

howitzer weighing about 900 

pounds. Lawler is especially mindful 

of safety because Great-Great-Grandfather 

Oglesby lost his right arm in 

Virginia’s Wilderness Campaign. 

“There’s a half-pound of powder in 

each charge — one false move and I 

could lose an arm, too,” Lawler says. 

He joined DaimlerChrysler in 1970 

after his tour of duty in Vietnam with 

the U.S. Army’s 1st Infantry Division. 

A reenactor for seven years, he was 

drawn into the hobby by his interest in 

the military, in the Civil War and in his 

family’s genealogy. 

Lawler took a week’s vacation in 

1998 to join 30,000 troops for the 

135th anniversary of the Battle of 

Gettysburg. He has traveled as far 

south as Oluste, Fla., where one of the 

biggest battles in Florida took place, 

and as far west as Raymond, Miss. He 

has participated in weekend reenactments 

and dedications of memorials 

and in movies, such as the upcoming 

film “Sweet Home Alabama.” 

In his suitcase are both blue and 

gray uniforms, because his units are 

willing to “galvanize” at reenactments 

— that is, take roles as Yanks or Rebs, 

depending on which side needs them to 

make the battles as accurate as possible. 

“The guns are expensive, so artillery 

units will galvanize whereas infantry 

units pretty much ‘fight’ for one side,” 

Lawler says. His wife, Linda, dons a 

period costume and joins him in camp 

after the “battles” are over. “That’s my 

favorite part, the camaraderie around 

the campfire,” says Lawler. “That’s 

when we reminisce and talk history.” ■ 

— By Martha K. Baker 

BOB MAHONEY 


Off the Clock 

Surf City 

BY BOB ERICKSON 

LET YOUR MOUSE DO THE WALKING 

Shopping Online Is Simple, 

Speedy — and Secure 

Shopping online is quick, it’s 

easy, it’s secure (if you take 

simple precautions) and it 

can even be fun — compared to a 

trip to MonsterMall. 

The first concern that many people 

have about Internet shopping is 

security: Will “they” steal my credit 

card number? Will I be cheated in an 

online auction? How can I tell what’s 

safe and what isn’t? 

It’s often 

more secure 

to give out your 

card number over 

the Internet. 

In the real world, you often give 

your credit card to cashiers or 

waiters, and you give out your 

account number over the phone 

when placing a catalog order. 

Using your credit card number on 

the Internet is no more dangerous 

than these practices. In fact, it’s 

often more secure to give out your 

card number over the Internet, 

because many sites work with your 

browser software to encode your 

transaction so if outside parties 

intercept it, they won’t be able to 

read it. 

And remember, if you decide to 

use your credit or charge card to pay 

for goods and services online, your 

liability under federal law is limited 

to $50. 

Escrow services, such as PayPal 

(www.paypal.com), can provide 

protection, especially when 

you’re dealing with individuals 

or companies that can’t 

accept payment by credit card 

(as is often the case in online 

auctions). These services hold 

your money until you have confirmed 

that you received the product 

or service, and then release the 

payment to the seller. There is a 

small fee, depending on use, but 

the peace of mind may be worth it. 

It’s important to look for “real 

world” contact details, such as a 

telephone number and geographical 

address, when choosing a shopping 

site. Then keep a record of your 

transaction by printing out all communications 

to and from the seller. 

And remember, prices may vary 

greatly from one online seller to 

another. Look at several sites to 

compare prices. Make sure you 

know the full cost, including 

postage, possible taxes and so on. 

You can also use shopping agents 

that will check the price of goods for 

you. (See “Tech Tip” on page 23 for 

more information on comparison 

shopping online.) 

Of course, as with catalog 

shopping, there are some 

drawbacks to Internet shopping: 

You can’t touch the 

product or try it on as you can 

at MonsterMall, though you 

often can see a picture of it. 

And you can’t pick up your 

purchase instantly. Delivery 

can take anywhere from one 

or two days for express or 

local deliveries to 10 days 

for some cross-country UPS 

ground shipments. ■ 


Tech Tip 

How do I know if a site is secure? 

Look at its address (URL) in your browser window. 

An “s” added to the familiar “http” (to 

make “https”) indicates that security coding is 

in effect. In Netscape, the padlock symbol in 

the corner, usually open, is closed when you’re 

in secure mode. In Internet Explorer, a closed 

padlock appears when you’re in secure mode. 

AOL helps to protect you from transaction fraud 

by making sure that all its “Certified Merchants” 

provide secure credit card purchasing. AOL’s 

Web browser scrambles any information as 

you transmit it. 

How can I compare prices to get the best deal? 

About.com, an “Internet guide” site 

(websearch.about.com/cs/comparisonshop), 

lists several comparison shopping services, 

which make it easy for you to search for and 

compare prices across multiple sites. Sites 

such as mySimon.com, PricingCentral.com 

and Coolshopping.com offer reviews, pricing 

and other information on a range of product 

categories, from computers to clothing. 

A word of caution: Because they are businesses, 

many comparison sites have agreements with 

www.ebay.com 

sellers that 

prevent 

them from 

being purely 

unbiased and allencompassing. 

Experts have a message 

for undecided 

shoppers who think a single 

comparison Web site will give them all the 

information they need to choose from among a 

dizzying array of options: Keep looking. 

Where do I start shopping? 

The leader in online shopping is Amazon.com, 

which debuted in 1995 as an online bookstore 

and now does business in more than 220 countries. 

It boasts “Earth’s Biggest Selection” of 

products, including millions of books, CDs, 

videos, DVDs, toys and games, electronics, 

kitchenware, computers and more. It also 

hosts online auctions. 

Yahoo!, the well-known search engine, offers 

a broad array of shopping opportunities at 

shopping.yahoo.com. Purchases are backed 

by the free Yahoo! Buyer Protection Program, 

which covers transactions of up to $750 (or 

up to $1,000 when customers use Yahoo! 

Wallet). Complaints must be properly filed 

within 60 days of purchase. Yahoo! also 

offers its own tips for safe shopping online 

at docs.yahoo.com/docs/info/consumertips.html. 

Check out the About.com section on online auctions 

at collectibles.about.com/cs/auctionsonline. 

It provides links and descriptions of some of 

the most popular auction sites such as eBay 

(www.ebay.com) and Bidville (www.bidville.com) 

as well as more esoteric sites like WhatTheHeckis 

That (whattheheckisthat.com). About.com also links 

to WorthGuide (www.worthguide.com), a resource 

site that tracks online auction prices and trends. 

— Bob Erickson 


Our Lifelong 

People Learning 

Off the Clock 

Summer Session 

Vacation time can be prime learning time 

Summer may be filled with 

fresh air, sunshine and 

leisurely road trips, but 

there’s a lot to be learned 

along the way. Here are 

some ideas for combining fun with 

opportunities to broaden your mind, 

your skills and your boundaries. 

If you want to catch bigger fish — 

and tell better fish stories — head for 

a place that knows them well. One is 

Michigan’s Wolf Lake Fish Hatchery, 

near Kalamazoo, where you can 

check out workshops like “Characteristics 

of Your Catch,” or learn about 

the sport’s future in the hatchery’s 

many environmental courses. Located 

on 78 acres of fish-rearing ponds, the 

hatchery’s Visitor Center is open for 

extended hours all week long from 

April 1 to October 31, and offers free 

guided tours. 

To stay dry when you’re out on the 

water, don’t let summer go by without 

brushing up on boating safety. If you’re 

a boat owner, knowing how to properly 

operate and maintain your boat 

will help protect your investment. The 

U.S. Power Squadron and U.S. Coast 

Guard Auxiliary offer classes in many 

locations on rules and regulations, 

boat operation, engine troubleshooting, 

basic navigation and seamanship. 

There are also plenty of outdoor 

learning opportunities for landlubbers. 

Browse the learn-on-the-go 

options nationwide listed at www 

.classearch.com by typing “outdoors” 

in the search program. Pick any state 

or locale to find outdoor education 

experiences near where you live or 

plan to travel. 

Summer is the perfect time to work 

on your green thumb. Classes on gardening 

and related topics for adults 

and children are offered by park districts, 

garden clubs and even private 

nurseries. The Missouri Botanical 

Garden in St. Louis is one resource that 

offers single- and multi-session workshops 

in plant care, landscape 

design, art, cooking, 

botanical arts and crafts, 

photography and more. 

Call 314.577.9441 for 

more information. 

And don’t let your creative 

side wilt in the heat. 

Summer music, dance and 

theater programs that get 

the whole family involved 

can be found in many 

communities. The Detroit 

Opera House, for one, 

offers cultural-arts enrichment 

classes for all ages. 

Link to Learn 

www.classearch.com 

Just type your special interest in 

the search area to start looking for 

a summer learning opportunity. 

www.naturecenter.org/education/ 

wolf.htm 

For schedules for fishing workshops 

at Wolf Lake Fish Hatchery. 

www.uscgboating.org/saf/saf_course 

.asp or www.cgaux.org/cgauxweb/ 

public/class.htm 

For boating safety classes offered 

by the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary 

and the U.S. Power Squadron. 

www.canoecountry.com/edu/. 

Find information about canoeing 

classes in various states. 

www.mobot.org 

For classes, events and even gardening 

help from the Missouri 

Botanical Garden. 

www.motopera.org 

To learn about music with the 

Michigan Opera Theatre programs 

at the Detroit Opera House. 

They range from an arts camp for 

children to performance opportunities 

for teenagers to lectures on Detroit art 

legends and the Harlem Renaissance, 

as well as writing courses, workshops 

and tours for adults. Some classes 

offer continuing education credits 

through Marygrove College. Call 

313.237.3270 for details. 

Special interest and recreational 

classes are everywhere — so whether 

you’re hitting the road or sticking close 

to home, summer is a great time to 

kick back and learn. ■ 

— By Pete Dulin 

VERA SIFFNER/SIS 


Your 

Money Our People 

Matters 

Off the Clock 

Give Yourself Credit 

Sort through the gimmicks and choose the right card 

like most Americans, 

can bet that a week’s 

worth of mail will turn up at 

least one tempting new credit 

card offer. Comparing one Ifyou’re 

offer to another can be baffling. But a 

little honest self-appraisal, combined 

with an understanding of basic terms, 

can make you a savvy credit consumer. 

Pay or Pass? 

At the end of the month there are two 

basic types of credit card holders: those 

who pay the entire balance and those 

who carry a balance. The key is to be 

honest about which one you are. Even 

if you pay off some larger balances in 

three or four months, you can pile up 

significant interest charges — and that 

affects the kind of card you’ll want. 

Credit card companies charge you for 

going over your credit limit and for 

making late payments. If you regularly 

do either of these things, compare 

these fees when shopping for a new 

credit card. 

Balancing Act 

If you carry a monthly balance on your 

card, you should focus on finding the 

lowest interest rate. It’s better to go 

with a fixed rate — it won’t change for 

the life of the balance on the card. If 

your credit is good, shoot for a fixed 

rate of 9.9 percent, which is about as 

low as consumers can expect right 

now. Compared to a typical higher-rate 

card charging 17.9 percent, you’ll save 

$400 a year on a $5,000 balance. 

It’s also a good idea to skip over 

offers with even lower “introductory” 

rates. These rates expire as soon 

as three months after you get 

your new card, often 

adjusting to rates in the 

high teens. 

Your current credit 

card company is often 

the best place to start 

looking for a lower 

rate. Simply call them 

up and ask, explaining 

that you have better 

offers from other credit 

card companies. Chances are, they’ll 

want to keep your business and will 

agree to lower your rate. 

If you decide to switch cards, make 

sure the new one offers the low rate on 

the amount you are transferring to it. 

And be sure to apply for a credit limit 

high enough to cover the entire 

amount you want to transfer. 

Link to Learn 

www.federalreserve.gov/pubs/shop/ 

The Federal Reserve Board site offers 

a comprehensive checklist on how to 

shop for a good credit card deal. 

www.creditcardgoodies.com/ 

Provides information on cashback 

and other rewards programs and lists 

annual fees for each card. 

Rewarding Reading 

If you pay off your balance in full every 

month, your selection of credit cards 

should focus on rewards programs. 

Using these cards, you can earn cashback 

bonuses, airline frequent flyer 

miles or cash vouchers to your favorite 

retailers, to name a few options. 

Once you’ve settled on the rewards 

you want, find out the annual fee for 

that card. If the dollar amount of your 

rewards, based on how much you’ll 

use the card, doesn’t exceed the annual 

fee, then look for another deal. 

Finally, pay attention to the “grace 

period” for your card. It’s the amount 

of time you have to pay your balance 

from the date your bill is issued before 

they’ll start charging interest. 

Once you’ve done a little comparison 

shopping, you’ll be able to sort 

through that mailbox clutter and find 

your personal “smart” card. ■ 

— By Chris Anderson 

www.bankrate.com 

Resource for finding good credit card 

deals from issuers around the country. 

www.fool.com 

Solid, general information and discussion 

boards on how to be a wise 

credit card consumer. 


People Health 

Our For Your 

Off the Clock 

Close Encounters of the Critter Kind 

When humans meet bugs, a little knowledge can be the best protection 

Along with sunny skies and 

balmy temperatures, summer 

brings irritants of the 

crawling and flying variety. 

From blackflies in 

northern regions to fire ants where it’s 

hotter, there are many reasons to treat 

nature’s smaller creatures with a little 

caution. Here are some tips to help 

you coexist with some of the more 

common creepy-crawlies. 

Mosquitoes. The threat from mosquitoes 

these days is more than itchy 

bumps — mosquito-borne West Nile 

virus can be serious. “It’s not something 

to panic about, but it is around, 

and it is here to stay,” says Jeanette 

A’psis of the Philadelphia Insectarium 

in Philadelphia. Prevention is the best 

protection, starting with a little basic 

yard cleaning. “Mosquitoes lay their 

eggs in stagnant water. So any water 

that’s been in the birdbath for a while 

is the perfect breeding place. Dump it 

out and change it every day. And if 

you’ve got saucers under your outdoor 

planters — bingo!” 

Ticks. Again, the Lyme disease that 

deer ticks can transmit is more of a 

problem than their bites. “Go for prevention,” 

says A’psis. “Always wear 

shoes and socks. And tuck your pants 

into your socks — the ticks won’t have 

a chance to get to your skin.” Don’t 

wear shorts and sandals in wooded 

areas, she warns. “And when you 

come back, check your dog, check 

yourself, check your head.” 

However, you’re more likely to pick 

up a wood tick than a deer tick. Ticks 

hang out in low-lying foliage, says 

A’psis. “They’re little opportunists.” 

Bees. “Nothing in nature is brightly 

colored just to be beautiful,” explains 

A’psis. “If you see bright yellow striped 

with black — as in a yellow jacket — 

it’s saying, ‘Danger!’” While a honeybee 

will sting you only to protect its life 

or its home, A’psis says, wasps and 

hornets are more aggressive. Because 

garbage is a feast for wasps, be especially 

careful around trash cans. 

Spiders. When it comes to humans, 

spiders just want to be left alone. 

“But a spider will bite if it’s cornered, 

threatened or stepped on,” 

she warns. Spiders like dark, 

hidden places. “When you haul 

your lawn chairs out of your shed 

this summer, you could put 

your hand on a spider,” 

A’psis says. 

Keeping safe. Start by 

having an all-around 

respect for nature. 

Your first defense is 

Link to Learn 

www.drkoop.com/conditions/ency/ 

article/000033.htm 

The Web site of the former U.S. 

surgeon general offers first aid 

advice for bites and stings, along 

with a photo gallery. 

www.scivolutions.com/fistaid/ 

Insect.htm 

Comprehensive first aid tips for 

insect bites and stings. 

www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/lyme/ 

All about Lyme disease, from 

the Centers for Disease Control 

and Prevention. 

www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/ 

Ditto, for West Nile virus. 

avoiding attack. “Wear gloves when 

you garden — you’re getting down 

and dirty where these things live,” 

A’psis advises. As for repellents, the 

most effective contain an active ingredient 

called DEET, but check with 

your doctor before using it. 

If you are bitten or stung, use common 

sense. There’s no need to worry 

if your only reaction is a small red 

bump with itching or a little pain. But 

if the swelling worsens, if the pain is 

severe or if you start showing signs 

of allergy, seek medical attention. 

Symptoms of an allergic reaction can 

include difficulty breathing or swallowing, 

swelling of the face, eyes or 

tongue, unconsciousness, dizziness, 

nausea and vomiting, abdominal 

cramps or pain and a flushed face. 

Stay calm, as anxiety makes things 

worse, but call your doctor. ■ 

— By Rachel Eugster 

AARON MESHON 


From the Archives 

Off the Clock 

Elvis Presley leans against a 1957 Chrysler Crown Imperial 

on the set of the movie “Loving You.” 

CORBIS 


LIFE HAPPENS 

7 days a week 

But with the UAW-DaimlerChrysler NTC 

Family Resource and Referral Program, 

it doesn’t have to be difficult. 

Free customized information and referrals for: 

• Child and Elder Care 

• Health and Wellness 

• Education — From Preschool Through Graduate School 

• Enrichment for You and Your Children 

• Community Resources 

• Parenting Skills 

Call 800.809.4996 

(800.628.5439 for hearing impaired) — and start making things easier. 

IT’S FREE. AND LIKE LIFE, IT’S THERE FOR YOU 24/7.

2002 Summer Issue - UAW-Chrysler.com

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