Inside This Issue...

Shop Chairman’s Report 2

President’s Report ........... 3

President’s Report Cont’d.& Union Label ................ 4

Recording Secretary& Veteran ....................... 5

Bulletin Board ........... 6 & 7

Benefit Hotline& Trustee Report ............ 8

Chaplain ......................... 9

Retiree ...........................10

Retiree Cont’d.& Easter Program ......... 11

Calendar ........................ 12

UAW Local 292Children’s Easter

ProgramSun., Mar. 20, 2005

@ 2:00 p.m.

@ UAW Local 2921201 W. Alto Rd.,

Kokomo

Easter eggs, prizes, candy& snacks

with the Easter Bunny!!

Sunday, March 20, 2005 at 1 p.m.at UAW Local 292 Union Hall, 1201 W. Alto Road, Kokomo, IN

Nominations & Election forElection Committee

NOMINATIONSSunday, March 6, 2005 at 2 p.m.

at UAW Local 292 Union Hall

ELECTIONThursday, March 17, 2005 from 5 a.m. - 9 p.m.

at UAW Local 292 Union Hall

RUN OFF ELECTION (if necessary)Tuesday, March 29, 2005 from 5 a.m. - 9 p.m.

at UAW Local 292 Union Hall

Special Election forVice President

Volume 54 - Number 3 Kokomo, Indiana March 2005

2

Grievances submitted by Zone Committeemen - Broken down by Step - February 1, 2005

Committeeman Zone # 1st Step 1 1/2 Step 2nd Step 3rd Step 4th Step

George Anthony Zone #1 0 35 130 2 0

Dennis Marcum Zone #2 0 12 43 1 0

Jay Brown Zone #3 0 20 30 2 0

Jim Justice Zone #4 0 8 35 5 1

Total Grievances at Each Step 0 75 238 10 1

U.A.W.Local 292

1201 W. Alto Rd., P.O. Box B, Kokomo, IN 46904Ph. (765) 453-4600 or (800) 347-4254

Office Hours 7:30 a.m.—4:30 p.m.

EXECUTIVE BOARD OFFICERSPRESIDENT ................................................................ Midge Collett

VICE PRESIDENT ........................................................... Sona Camp

RECORDING SECRETARY .................................... Jill Quackenbush

FINANCIAL SECRETARY/TREASURER .................. Stephen Newton

TRUSTEES .............. Kenny Fisher, Jim Shelton & Chris McTaggart

SGT-AT-ARMS ................................................................ Mike Valdez

GUIDE ..................................................................... Marietta Wright

RETIREE CHAIRPERSON ............................................... Sue Conner

SKILLED TRADE UNIT OFFICERSCHAIRMAN ................................................................. Vince Powell

VICE CHAIRMAN ............................................................... Ed Raska

RECORDING SECRETARY .............................................. Liz Stevens

SGT-AT-ARMS .................................................................. Travis Witt

UNIT CHAIRPERSONSDELPHI-DELCO ELECTRONICS ..................................... Rich Mince

RESTAURA ................................................................. Joni Ramseyer

SHOP COMMITTEEZONE #1 ................................................................ George Anthony

ZONE #2 ................................................................. Dennis Marcum

ZONE #3 ........................................................................... Jay Brown

ZONE #4 .......................................................................... Jim Justice

BENEFITS REPRESENTATIVESPhil Caraco, Billy Cantu, Anna Ward,

Nick Kodrea & Georgia ZeiglerAlternate-Mark McAlpin

APPRENTICESHIP COMMITTEEDanny Nelson & Gary Shaw

JOINT ACTIVITIES REPRESENTATIVELewis Hall

JOINT TRAINING REPRESENTATIVESLana Puterbaugh & Francis Van Camp

A.D.A.P.T.Mike Whiteman

SERVICE REPRESENTATIVESCIVIL RIGHTS CHAIRPERSON .................................. Petra Jameson

HEALTH & SAFETY..Mickey Atkisson, Mike Thomas & Francis Call

HEALTH & SAFETY ALTERNATE .................................... Larry Bailey

ERGONOMICS ......................................................... Diana Coomer

WORK FAMILY REPRESENTATIVE ........................ Larry Etherington

VETERANS AFFAIRS CHAIRPERSON ........................... Ralph Coulter

COMMUNITY SERVICE CHAIRPERSON ................ Diana Coomer

COMMUNITY SERVICE CO-CHAIRPERSON ............ Mark McAlpin

CHAPLAINCY CHAIRPERSON .................................. Thelma Corbit

C.A.P. CHAIRPERSON .......................................... Chris McTaggart

CONSERVATION CHAIRPERSON .............................. Charlie Skoog

UNION LABEL CHAIRPERSON ..................................... Sarah Drake

WOMEN’S COMMIT TEE CHAIRPERSON ............. Georgia Zeigler

YOUTH CHAIRPERSON ............................................. Dianna Jones

RECREATION CHAIRPERSON ...........................................................

CONSUMER AFFAIRS ...................................................... Pat Harden

INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE TECHNICIAN ....................... Kathy Wilson

EDITORDianna Jones

PUBLICATION POLICY— The deadline for submitting articles for The Antenna will be the5th of the month.The Antenna shall be the voice of UAW members. No articles will be accepted which tend to ridicule orhold up to contempt any local union officer or member or policy of UAW Local 292. All articles mustbe signed. All articles must be approved by the Executive Board of Local 292 prior to publication.Opinions expressed here in are the opinions of the writers and not necessarily the opinions of theEditor of UAW Local 292.

“Were it not for the labor press, the labor movement would not be what it is today, andany man who tries to injure a labor paper is a traitor to the cause.” — Samuel Gompers

Shop Chairman’s ReportRich Mince, Shop ChairmanI will begin with the monthly S.E.L. report for February 1,2005. The benchmark in production is 2,425, in skilled 853for a total of 3,278. Actual S.E.L. protected in production is1,764, skilled 780 for a total of 2,544. The current activeworkforce in production is 1,675, in skilled 767 for a total of2,442. On leave of absence there are 92 in production and

12 in skilled for a total of 104 bringing our total employment level to 2,546. Thehiring requirements that we continue to monitor are 98 in skilled trades and inproduction 570.

In the area of Quality, the total PRR’s issued for 2004 were 60. In January therewere 4 PRR’s and as of this date in February there are none.

In Health and Safety, for the entire year of 2004 there were 34 recordables and2 lost workday cases.

There was no sourcing activity this month at our Jobs Committee meeting butwe are continuing talks in the area of potential new work for our plant. RecentlyHarley Davidson toured areas in our plant and hopefully we will be able toannounce new work for their company.

We have received a report of 3 new plant additions to the Automotive HoldingsGroup under Delphi Corp. A holding group plant’s status is due to loss of theircurrent business or the potential loss due to the lack of profitability. Thefollowing plants are on this list and are all UAW represented –- Athens, Alabama1,972 members; Tuscaloosa, Alabama 182; Fitzgerald, Georgia 305; Anderson,Indiana 946; Olathe, Kansas 128; Flint East (former Delco) 660; Flint East (formerE/C) 2,233; Flint West 15; Laurel, Mississippi 79; Dayton-Wisconsin/NeedmoreRd, Ohio 1,481. This reflects a total of 8,001 UAW represented members employedin these plants. The GM Muncie Manual Transmission plant was placed in a“closed plant” status which allows their employees eligible for transfer beforeother plants that are not in that status. Our division continues to operate at aprofitable level, which is a positive for us as many plants in Delphi are not.

Our Shop Committee will be attending the Delphi Sub-council Meeting in Marchto be held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We will meet with the Delphi Chairmen,Shop Committees and International Union to share reports and return withany new information we may have.

In Solidarity,

3

Irresponsible use of anecdotal cases by “tort reform”proponents is nothing new. The case of Charles Bigbeewas the “McDonald’s coffee case” of the 1980’s. RonaldReagan described Bigbee’s case in a 1986 speech asfollows: “In California, a man was using a publictelephone booth to place a call. An alleged drunk drivercareened down the street, lost control of his car, andcrashed into a phone booth. Now, it’s no surprise thatthe injured man sued. But you might be startled tohear whom he sued: the telephone company andassociated firms!” In fact, Bigbee’s leg was severed aftera car hit the phone booth in which he had been trapped.The door jammed after he saw the car coming, he triedto flee but could not. The accident left him unable towalk, severely depressed and unable to work. Becausethe phone company had placed the booth near a knownhazardous intersection, and because the door wasdefective, keeping him trapped inside, he sued thephone company for compensation.3 Bigbee wasbrought to Congress to testify. He said, “I believe itwould be very helpful if I could talk briefly about mycase and show how it has been distorted not only bythe President, but by the media as well. That is probablythe best was to show people who are injured due tothe fault of others should be justly compensated for thedamages they have to live with the rest of their lives.4

Charles Bigbee died in 1994 at age 52.

Anecdotal descriptions of a few atypical lawsuitsintended to shock or amuse the public have been thecornerstone of the business community’s anti-juryadvertising and public relations campaign since the1980’s Focusing on a few rare anecdotal cases, insteadof the majority of cases that pass through the courtseach year, feeds into a false and dangerous perceptionthat the system is overflowing with frivolous lawsuits.Often such verdicts have either been thrown out orsubstantially reduced by trial judges or appellate courts,which is exactly how the system is supposed to work.Yet the public is given the false impression that a plaintiffreceived a windfall, a defendant was financially ruined,or the system failed. This is particularly irresponsiblewhen, as is typical, cases are not cited by name or evenby date so they can be checked for accuracy. Whenjournalists or researchers do track them down, they findin virtually every situation that such cases have beenmis-reported and misused.

The “McDonald’s coffee” case. We have all heard it: awoman spills McDonald’s cof fee, sues and gets $3million. Here are the facts of this widely mis-reportedand misunderstood case:

Stella Liebeck, 79 years old, wassitting in the passenger seat of hergrandson’s car having purchaseda cup of McDonald’s coffee. Afterthe car stopped, she tried to holdthe cup securely between her knees while removingthe lid. However, the cup tipped over, pouring scaldinghot coffee onto her. She received third-degree burnsover 16 percent of her body, necessitating hospitalizationfor eight days, whirlpool treatment for debridement ofher wounds, skin grafting, scarring, and disability formore than two years. Morgan, The Recorder, September30, 1994. Despite these extensive injuries, she offeredto settle with McDonald’s for $20,000. However,McDonald’s refused to settle. The jury awarded Liebeck$200,000 in compensatory damages – reduced to$160,000 because the jury found her 20 percent at fault– and $2.7 million in punitive damages for McDonald’scallous conduct. (To put this in perspective, McDonald’srevenue from coffee sales alone is in excess of $1.3million a day.) The trial judge reduced the punitivedamages to $480,000. Subsequently, the partiesentered a post-verdict settlement. According to StellaLiebeck’s attorney, S. Reed Morgan, the jury heard thefollowing evidence in the case:1

1. By corporate specifications, McDonald’s sells itscoffee at 180 to 190 degrees Fahrenheit;

2. Coffee at that temperature, if spilled, causesthird-degree burns (the skin is burned awaydown to the muscle/fatty-tissue layer) in two toseven seconds;

3. Third-degree burns do not heal without skingrafting, debridement and whirlpool treatmentsthat cost tens of thousands of dollars and resultin permanent disfigurement, extreme pain anddisability of the victim for many months, and insome cases, years;

4. The chairman of the department of mechanicalengineering and bio-mechanical engineeringat the University of Texas testified that this riskof harm is unacceptable, as did a widelyrecognized expert on burns, the editor in chiefof the leading scholarly publication in thespecialty, the Journal of Burn Care andRehabilitation;

5. McDonald’s admitted that it has known aboutthe risk of serious burns from its scalding hotcof fee for more than 10 years – the risk wasbrought to its attention through numerous other

The “McDonald’s Coffee Case” and Other Fictions

President’s ReportMidge Collett, President

(Continued on page 4)

4

Union Label ReportSubmitted by Sarah Drake, Union Label Chairperson

Knowledge is Power:Get Yours Online

As union members, we are calledupon by our leadership to, in part,improve working conditions, andmaintain and protect the interests

of workers under the jurisdiction of the InternationalUnion. To unite in one organization, regardless ofreligion, race, creed, color, sex, political af filiation,nationality, age, disability, marital status or sexualorientation, all members under this union. To improvethe sanitary and working conditions of employmentwithin the workplace.

We also have a responsibility, not only to our union, butalso to ourselves, to be educated in the history of theLabor Movement and maintain an intelligent anddignified membership.

We as Americans and as union members, also have theprivilege and a social responsibility to engage inlegislative, political, educational, civic, welfare, etc.which further improve, directly or indirectly, the generaleconomic and social conditions for all workers.

Local union standing committees are made up ofindividuals who possess a strength or an interest in aparticular area or they may want to learn more about asubject or f ind a way to contribute to the labormovement. Supporting American workers makesAmerica stronger.

Regardless of whether you’re interests lie as an “armchairactivist”, “smart shopper” or “vivacious voter”, there issomething in these pages that will be useful to you.Many of these websites have free e-mail updating andlinks to related topics.

Buy America . . . It Benefits Everyone

The following sites provide news, information and linkson buying American-made goods and services . . .

www.shopunionmade.orgwww.unionjeanco.comwww.howtobuyamerican.comwww.bac-america.orgwww.uniteunion.org -- click on buy unionwww.unionlabel.orgwww.unionpriv.org

claims and suits, to no avail;6. From 1982 to 1992, McDonald’s coffee burned

more than 700 people, many receiving severeburns to the genital area, perineum, inner thighsand buttocks;

7. Not only men and women, but also children andinfants, have been burned by McDonald’sscalding hot coffee, in some instances due toinadvertent spillage by McDonald’s employees;

8. At least one woman had coffee dropped in herlap through the service window, causing third-degree burns to her inner thighs and othersensitive areas, which resulted in disability foryears.

9. Witnesses for McDonald’s admitted in court thatconsumers are unaware of the extent of the riskof serious burns from spilled coffee served atMcDonald’s required temperature;

10. McDonald’s admitted that it did not warncustomers of the nature and extent of this riskan could offer no explanation as to why it didnot;

11. McDonald’s witnesses testified that it did notintend to turn down the heat – As one witnessput it: “No, there is no current plan to change

the procedure that we’re using in that regardright now;”

12. McDonald’s admitted that its coffee is “not fitfor consumption” when sold because it causessevere scalds if spilled or drunk;

13. Liebeck’s treating physician testified that herinjury was one of the worst scald burns he hadever seen.

Moreover, the Shriner’s Burn Institute in Cincinnati hadpublished warnings to the franchise food industry thatits members were unnecessarily causing serious scaldburns by ser ving beverages above 130 degreesFahrenheit.

In refusing to grant a new trial in the case, Judge RobertScott called McDonald’s behavior “Callous.” Moreover,“the day after the verdict, the news media documentedthat coffee at the McDonald’s in Albuquerque (whereLiebeck was burned) is now sold at 158 degrees. Thiswill cause third-degree burns in about 60 seconds,rather than in two to seven seconds (so that), the marginof safety has been increased as a direct consequence ofthis verdict.”2

(President’s Report Continued from page 3)

1 Morgan, The Recorder, Sept. 30, 1994.2 Ibid.3 Nader & Smith, No Contest: Corporate Lawyers and the perversion of Justice in America (1996).4 House Committee on Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs, July 23, 1986.

5

Recording Secretary’s ReportJill Quackenbush, Recording Secretary

“They keep talking about drafting aConstitution for Iraq. Why don’t wejust give them ours? It was writtenby a lot of really smart guys, it’s

worked for more than 200 years and besides that, wedon’t use it anymore.”

In 1993 President Clinton signed the FMLA into law afterbeing vetoed twice by George Bush Senior.

Studies estimate more than 50 million working peoplehave taken ‘Family Medical Leave’. It has enabledmillions of Americans time off their jobs to care forseriously or terminally ill loved ones, bond with theirnew born babies or to recuperate from one’s own illness.

FMLA is federally mandated and state regulated.

The law is vague enough for it to be often misconstruedby employers to purposely fit their own agenda. At thistime, we do know the law doesn’t go far enough -- FMLAdoes not cover all workers, and the leave is unpaid. Infact, among workers who needed FMLA leave but didnot take it, more than three in four said they could notafford to take it. They cannot afford to miss a paycheck.To make matters even more dif ficult, nearly half ofprivate sector workers aren’t entitled to sick leave.

Instead of expanding family medical leave, the Bushadministration will try to put new limits on the Family

CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA“By the People for the People”

Medical Leave Act, as early as March 2005. The changeswill be to gut the law. For example, one proposed ideahas been contemplated to deny time off work for anyillness that affects you the worker (or a child out ofschool) for less than ten days, rather than three or morerequired by the existing law. So a worker with anemergency appendectomy, treatments, etc. who missesa few days of work or a working mother who needs tocare for a child with a life-threatening bout of asthmacould be disciplined or fired since their leave wouldn’tbe covered by FMLA.

Save FMLA -- Call, e-mail and write your representativesas soon as possible.

Call Congress Toll Free -- 1-888-355-3588Capitol Switchboard -- 202-224-3121Web address - www.in.gov

www.house.govwww.senate.gov

Indiana Senator Evan BayhFax -- 202-228-1377 or Phone-- 202-224-5623

Senator Richard LugarFax -- 202-228-0360 or Phone-- 202-224-4814

Source: AFL-CIOworkingwomen.com

Veteran AffairsFebruary 2005 Veteran of the Month

The Veteran’s Committee

Isaac B. Tharp

Isaac was sworn into the service at Ft.Benjamin Harrison Jan. 9, 1940. He wentfrom there to Langley AFB VA. He servedin the 36th squadron 8th Pursuit Groupuntil June 9, 1941 when he sailed for BritishGiana until his health failed. He was a BuckSgt. until Aug. 1, 1942 commissioned to StaffSgt.

Isaac worked reclamation Salvage and alsobrought back planes that crashed in thejungle. He worked on 10 Martin Bombers,P36, P38, P51, B17 Amphibian Planes. He

received citations from several TechSchools B17-B29. Isaac also receivedseveral commendations from hiscommanding officer at Atkinson.

He served on several bases in the U.S.(ALA, VA, FLA and IND.

Isaac was discharged on September 20,1945. His service disability is ThromboPhlebitis - 20% award, life member DAV.

6

Retirees of DeMarch 8 then April 12 @ Cra

Retirees and Active EmplMarch 30 @ Lincoln Sq

FAB III Get Together! RetireMarch 2 then April 6 @ Gold

Call Mary Welcher

Retirement Report:

Former Dept. 960 Plastic WMarch 31 @ Golden C

2005 RETIREE MEETINGSJANUARY 10 MAY 9 SEPTEMBER 12FEBRUARY 14 JUNE 13 OCTOBER 10MARCH 14 JULY 11 (Cancelled) NOVEMBER 14APRIL 11 AUGUST 8 *DECEMBER 10

ALL REGULAR MONTHLY DINNERS - 11:30 A. M. - PITCH-INALL MONTHLY MEETINGS - 12:30 P. M. - 2nd MONDAYAT UAW LOCAL 292, 1201 WEST ALTO ROAD, KOKOMO

*CHRISTMAS PARTY -- Sat., Dec. 10, 2005 - 12 noonCATERED -- Johanning Civic Center, 1500 N. Reed Rd., Kokomo

*(Meeting is tentatively scheduled and is subject to a datechange). Some meetings are also subject to cancellation by mem-bership motion and vote.

Clip and Save

2005 Regional PRegion

MONTHMarchAprilAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberOctoberDecember

Dept. 8436 Get March 16 then April 20 @ Go

Richard Read Charles L. Troupe,

UAW Local 292 ScholarshipApplications will be available Mar. 1, 2005

@ UAW Local 292 1201 W. Alto Rd., Kokomo, IN

Deadline for turning in Application: Fri., Apr. 15, 2005.

Applicant must be a dependent of UAW 292 member.

Howard County U$1000 Scholars

Applications will be a@ UAW Local 29

Mail application to: Howard CoP.O. Box 2528, Kokomo

Application must be postmar

Apprenticeship“Request for Information” forms

♦ Tues., April 19th in the Plant 7 break area from6:00 A.M. to 9:00 A.M. and 1:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M.

♦ Wed., April 20th in the Plant 8 Cafeteria from6:00 A.M. to 9:00 A.M. and 1:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M.

♦ Non-seniority applicants can come to UAW Local292 on Thurs., April 21 from 8:30 to 10:30 A.M. and12:30 to 2:30 P.M.

The testing will be scheduled some time in June, 2005.

If you have any questions, please contact DannyNelson at 451-9582 or Gary Shaw at 451-9578.

We will be taking “Request for Information” formsat the following times and locations:

7

HOOVER HEARING SERVICES1201 W. Alto Rd., Kokomo, IN 46902

(Use the front entrance)

As a special service to members and eligibledependents, during the month of March onMondays and Wednesdays from 8:30 a.m. to4:30 p.m., we are again offering free-of-charge:

Video Ostoscope of your ears -(Seethe inside of your ears on a col-ored TV monitor to look for earwax or other foreign objects) --Value $15.00.

Wax removal of both ears - (if needed) -- Value$40.00.

To avoid waiting, please call us at (765) 453-5741 or (800) 944-8485 to schedule your ap-pointment. We will also be happy to discussany hearing concerns or questions you mayhave. We look forward to seeing you!

2005 Retiree ChapterNominations & Election

NominationsMonday, April 11, 2005

ElectionMonday, May 9, 2005

Election Hours10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Election LocationUAW Local 292 Union Hall

1201 W. Alto Road, Kokomo, IN

Official Notice

Chairperson Recording Secretary

1st Vice Chairperson Financial Secretary

2nd Vice Chairperson Sgt.-At-Arms

8

BenefBenefBenefBenefBenefit Hotline . . .it Hotline . . .it Hotline . . .it Hotline . . .it Hotline . . . From your Benefit Section

Effective March 1, 2005 Walgreens will no longer be aparticipating pharmacy for enrollees who utilize MedcoHealth for their prescription drug coverage.

This change affects hourly enrollees who are enrolledin the following plans.

1. Traditional Care Network (TCN)2. Preferred providers organization (PPO)

This change does not affect enrollees who are enrolledin an HMO.

With over 40,000 stores in the retail network, finding aparticipating pharmacy near your home or office is easy.Chose among retail chains such as CVS, Sav-On, RiteAid, Eckerd, Brooks and Leader Net. Leadingsupermarket chains, including Albertsons, Osco, Sav-On and Kroger and thousands of independentcommunity pharmacies. These pharmacies are eagerto welcome you to their stores and promise to provideyou with the highest level of service.

It is easy to transfer to a new pharmacy. If you haverefills remaining for a prescription that you filled atWalgreens, just provide your prescription information(your medication bottle may be sufficient) to your newpharmacy. The pharmacist can transfer the prescriptionor obtain a new prescription for you from your doctor.

Additional information about nearby participatingpharmacies will be available on March 1, 2005. Youcan visit Medco on line at www.medco.com and click“Locate a Pharmacy” or call Medco Member ServicesToll Free at 1-800-711-3459.

Don’t Forget New Phone Numbers

Delphi Retirees &Active Hourly Employees

1. Lay off Benefits 1-877-389-23742. Retiree Assistance 1-877-389-2374 TDD 1-877-322-0706

For Your Information

America’s Health Care System --Not much change in 35 years: Oct. 27, 2003.

“If we are to act realistically and adequately to dealwith this health care crisis, then I believe that we mustfree ourselves of the illusion that we have a health caresystem in America. What we have, in fact, is adisorganized, disjointed, antiquated, obsolete non-system of health care.”

Walter Ruether - 1968

In 1968, there were 30 million Americans without healthinsurance.

In 2002 that number grew to 43.6 million.

Last month we asked if anyone wasinterested in planting a crop on the 5-acre field our Union Hall owns, southof our property at Park and Alto roads.We now have a commitment from alocal farmer to plant alfalfa, which willgive us additional income the next 5

to 6 years. This crop also has a more pleasantappearance than the rocky and weedy field we wererequired to maintain several times a year.

With our membership decreasing resulting in decreasedincome, we have the dilemma of our bills increasing.With the completion of our 2005 budget, we found itnecessary to look at ways to use our dues monies morecreatively. One example of this dilemma is with ournatural gas bills, which during the winter ran in excessof $2,000 per month. The Trustees are presently

attempting to deal with this situation by evaluating theinstallation of programmable thermostats for theassembly hall and of fice areas. We are constantlystriving to contain costs in other areas as well, but thiscontinues to be an uphill battle. One substantial ‘battle’we managed to win concerned our Property Insurance.We were fortunate to be able to locate an IndependentAgent who offered better insurance protection for about$5,000 less in annual premiums. This past year wemanaged to take substantial cost out of our monthlyphone bills and our officer’s pager contract as well. Withyour continued help, ideas and understanding, we cancome much closer to attaining our goal of holding downexpenses, while still delivering much needed servicesto you, our active and retired members.

Please attend your Union meetings and become a partof the process!

Trustees Report -- Submitted by Jim Shelton, Trustee

9

With Sympathy:We extend our sympathy to…The following members who havelost loved ones during the month:

William Gaither Duane LattaJudy Franklin Rosie DowdenYong Chung Cathy VanhooseSuzanne Ahnert Trent DunlapJaetta Hoaks Kent ActonTom Stitt Bridgette Renfro-YeakelVelma Clark Lemann DeaRoger Higgenbottom

In Memoriam: Chaplain’s ReportThelma Corbit, Chaplain

We live in a world of pain andheartache. We are weighed down withpressures upon pressures everyday.Peoples minds are distraught and

oppressed. We don’t have all the answers for the heartthat has been broken. We don’t understand the lifethat has to be scarred from hardship and grief.

We are losing our ability to identify and recognize realtruth on anything. We are told certain things in thenews and later hear something else, each one declaringit to be truth. Today’s truth can be tomorrow’s lies.People don’t know where to put their belief anymore.

What we believe can make all the dif ference in theworld. God has created within us a desire to believe.We can’t put our faith in man. We can only believe inGod and look unto him. He is the author and the finisherof our faith.

This is the time of year that our eyes are put on thecross and what was done upon it. That is our answer.This is what we need to think about when the pressureis on and no one around us seems to care.

Revelation 1:18 . . . I am He that liveth, and was dead;and, behold, I am alive for evermore . . .

Jesus is the cornerstone of everything we hold to betrue. He is the first, the last and everything in between.He is the reason that we can face this changing worldtoday. It is because he lives that we can keep believing.

The cross symbolizes the greatest victory of all time. Thecross is not what is to be esteemed. It is the personwho was on the cross. We serve a risen savior.

When the three Hebrews; Shadrach, Meshach andAbednego were thrown into a fiery furnace, their faithin God brought them out of the fire not burned.

Daniel 3:27 . . . And the satraps, the deputies, thegovernors and the king’s counselors gathered aroundtogether and saw these men that had been thrown into thisfire, the fire had no power upon their bodies, nor was thehair of their head singed; neither were their garmentsscorched or changed in color or condition, nor had even thesmell of smoke clung to them.

This is the kind of God that I want to believe in. If heever did it for anyone, he will do it again for us. Godcan and will help us with anything and everythingwhen we serve him.

Going through painful trials that give us a run for ourfaith will only make our testimony greater.

In this world of disbelief we can choose to believe inone that gave his life so that we could have life andhave it more abundantly.

Rex MedlenGerald Durham, Sr.Victor White

It’s hard to know how to help someone who is goingthrough a divorce. It takes a long time and a lot ofwork to heal the pain that comes with the breakupof a marriage.

DivorceCare is a special weekly seminar and supportgroup just for people who are separated or divorced.If you know someone going through a divorce, makesure they know about DivorceCare. It might just bethe best thing you could do to help.

Meetings are Mondays 6:30-8:30 p.m. @ CrossroadsChurch.

Call 453-4626 to register.

Call Shirley Rinehart for more info.

DivorceCare .....Someone You Know Is Hurting

Thank You! Special Thank Yous . . .

A big thank you to all our Local 292 Hobby Clubladies that gave their time to make approx. 46 laprobes for Southern Care Hospice, SamaritanCaregivers and people at Howard Haven.Three cheers for all of you. You are great!

10

Sinking Social SecurityRetiree’s Corner -- Goldie Snavely, Financial Secretary/Treasurer

Social Security is not “heading for an iceberg.” Minor adjustments could fix the programwithout the risks inherent in the president’s privatization plan.

President Bushis planing an

election-style campaign to convinceAmericans they should “reform”Social Security by allowing workersto put some of their retirementmoney in the stock market. Criticsof his privatization plan say“dismantle” is a more accuratedescription of what Bush wants todo to the 70-year-old retirementprogram. What are Americansyoung and old to think?

It doesn’t help the campaign’scredibility that it is based on a faultypremise -- that Social Security is inimminent danger of financial failure.Actually, as government programsgo, Social Security is the picture ofstability. Yes, demographic changesin the coming decades -- moreretirees, fewer workers -- will strainthe system. Yet even the most soberprojections say payroll taxes alonewill sustain the program until 2018,and the accumulating trust fund,which is invested in treasury bonds,will support the current schedule ofpayments at least until 2042.Adjustments that are far moremodest than Bush is expected topropose could extend the solvencyof Social Security indefinitely.

So what’s the rush to replace aprogram that of fers predictable,steady retirement income with onethat is more speculative and basedon Wall Street’s boom-and-bustcycles? The answer is not clear, butthere is evidence that Bush’semphasis of the issue has more todo with ideology than economics.Two conser vative organizationsbacking the campaign -- theHeritage Foundation and CatoInstitute -- have long been hostileto Social Security. Along with theClub For Growth, whose fundraisingactivities usually help electconservative Republicans, they areputting their considerable resourcesinto the effort.

A recent memo on the subject fromPeter Wehner, Bush’s director ofstrategic initiatives, sets a partisantone. “I don’t need to tell you thatthis will be one of the mosti m p o r t a n t c o n s e r v a t i v eundertakings of modern times,” hewrote to selected supporters. Thememo also reveals the comingstrategy, including speeches “toestablish an important premise: thecurrent system is heading for aniceberg.”

Equating Social Security to theTitanic is uncalled-for hyperbole.Democrats are guilty of demagogingSocial Security, too, but mostAmericans probably care little aboutthe politics and a lot about theoutcome.

Smaller checks, bigger risks

While the campaign’s backers areplotting their strategy, Bush has yetto reveal important details of hisplan. However, there have beenselective leaks from the White Housethat are filling in some of the blanks.

Two key elements are at the core ofthe privatization plan: revision of thebenefit formula and creation ofindividual investment accounts.Both are dramatic changes thatwould fundamentally alter thecovenant between retired workersand their government.

Most important is the proposal tocalculate an individual’s SocialSecurity benefit using a dif ferentformula. Currently, the initialpayment (the amount a newrecipient gets before any cost-of-living adjustments are made) is tiedto the growth in wages. That makessense, because Americans measureprosperity by their paychecks. TheBush plan would use a “priceindex” instead. While that maysound like a harmless change, itisn’t. (Continued on page 11)

The benefits for future recipientswould be reduced from 10 to 50%the coming decades under thatproposed formula -- because priceinflation lags rising wages. Wouldworkers be able to make up thedifference by investing some of theirSocial Security money in the stockmarket?

There is no guarantee, and that isone of the shor tcomings ofprivatization. Workers 55 and olderwould stay in the traditionalretirement program, but thosebelow that age would be allowedto put a portion of their payroll taxesinto funds that would invest in stocksand corporate bonds -- probably nomore than $1,000 to $1,500 a year.That doesn’t give workers in theirearly 50s and late 40s much time tobuild up a substantial nest egg.And while historical gains in stockshave achieved a yearly average ofabout 7 percent (beforecommissions and fees), there is noguarantee over a period of years ordecades that returns will even stayin positive territory. And whenfaced with volatility in the stockmarket, many individual investorslet emotion rule their choices, whichis almost a guarantee for failure.

Rolling the dice

As the privatization plan has beenlaid out so far, the only certainty isthat retirement benefits would becut dramatically over time, while theability of workers to keep up wouldbe lef t to the vagaries of themarketplace. The likely outcome isthat some sophisticated investorswould do well while many otherswould come up short, and thatcould be a formula for disaster.

11

A third of all current retirees relyalmost entirely on Social Security.Another third count it as the largestcomponent of their income. Inother words, Social Security providesthe only guarantee of a comfortableretirement for tens of millions ofAmericans, a situation unlikely tochange in coming generationsconsidering the nation’s low savingsrate.

Yet younger workers are most likelyto favor privatization. That could bebecause they have grown upduring a record bull market (whichmay not repeat any time soon) orbecause they’ve been led to believethat Social Security won’t be therewhen they need it. Breeding suchgenerational distrust is shamefuland should not be a part of any salescampaign.

Beyond that, there is a recklessnessto the administration’s agenda thatcould harm the entire economy. Thecost of conver ting to privateaccounts has been estimated at upto $2 trillion, a staggering amount

that would make the current $400billion budget def icit lookinsignificant by comparison. Bushhas yet to account for the additionalbillions it will take to fight the Iraqwar, make his tax cuts permanentand fund the Medicare prescriptiondrug program that begins next year.He has ruled out the most obvioussource of revenue for his plan --raising the salary cap on payrolltaxes, which tops out this year at$90,000. That means individualswith six-digit incomes pay no moreinto Social Security than thosemaking much less.

Even the White House memoacknowledges the potential threat,noting that if Social Security wereto borrow the money needed to offerinvestment accounts withoutreducing benefits, the result “couldeasily cause an economic chain-reaction: The markets go south,interest rates go up and theeconomy stalls out.”

A rational resolution

There is a better way. Smaller, less-

(Retiree’s Corner Cont’d. from page 10)

January 20 - Johanning Civic Center - Colonel Beebe - Commander Grissom Air Reserve BaseFebruary 17 - Johanning Civic Center - Rosemary Hammon - Boat Builder ExtraordinaireMarch 17 - Kokomo Country Club - Catherine Stout - “Everything About The Harp”April 21 - Johanning Civic Center - John VanNatta - Head of Miami Correctional FacilityMay 19 - Kokomo Country Club - Rosemary Shanks - Back by Popular DemandJune 16 - Johanning Civic Center - Drs. Murphy & Fantuzzo - Dentistry for the Ages

KOKOMO COUNTRY CLUB MEETINGS ARE BREAKFASTS AND REQUIRE A TICKET

CALL HUGUETTE LOVE @ 457-0718 -- ALL MEETINGS BEGIN AT 9:00 A.M.

**

*

Delphi-D Alumni Club Programs - 2005

wrenching adjustments to SocialSecurity that begin soon and arestretched out over many years wouldbring the program under controlwhile causing little pain. It couldbe accomplished with subtleadjustments to benefits that couldeven involve putting someretirement funds in safe but higher-yielding investments. If that laststep is taken, however, SocialSecurity should assume the risk andmake the investment decisions.

Those points are worthy of publicdebate. What we are likely to getinstead is a campaign that looks alot like the past presidential contest,where rhetoric and emotionelbowed out rational conversation.

Social Security may be a subject thatputs young workers to sleep andhelps older ones sleep moresoundly, but it is time for bothgroups to wake up. The retirementthey save may be their own.

Source: St. Pete Newspaper

UAW Local 292Children’s Easter Program

Sunday, March 20, 2005 -- at 2:00 p.m.

at UAW Local 2921201 W. Alto Rd., Kokomo

Easter eggs, prizes, candy & snackswith the Easter Bunny!!

12

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

27 28 29 30 31

MPI, 765.675.9556 ✝

Euchre ClubSenior Center

6:30 p.m.

Retiree Hobby Club9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Retiree Hobby Club9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

April 2005Calendar of Events

2 .... Veterans Committee Mtg.4 .... Chaplaincy Committee Mtg.8 .... Eucher Club

11 .... Nominations for Retiree Officers11 .... Retiree Dinner and Mtg.

www.uawlocal292.org

Notice: The deadline for submitting articles to be placed inthe Antenna is the 5th of the month.

Please submit articles to Beckie at UAW Local 292 or to DiannaJones, Editor.

UA

W L

OC

AL

292

1201

Wes

t A

lto R

oad

P.O

. Bo

x B

Koko

mo,

IN

469

04

Non

-Pro

fit O

rg.

US

POST

AGE

PAID

Perm

it #

125

Kok

omo,

IN

469

02

Executive Board

Del Ra Club 7 p.m.

ChaplaincyRetiree Hobby Club

9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Membership Mtg.7:30 a.m., 12:30

& 4:00 p.m.Skilled Trades Mtg. 8:30 &11:30 a.m. & 3 :15 p.m.Cafe/Vending 3:15 p.m.

Veterans10 a.m.

March 2005Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Retiree ExecutiveBoard 9:30 a.m.Retiree Dinner &Mtg. 11:30 a.m.

Retiree Hobby Club9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Retiree Hobby Club9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Good FridayUAW 292 Closed

EasterUAW 292 Closed

Election CommitteeNominations &

Election @ 1 p.m.

Easter Egg Hunt@ 2 p.m.

EASTER

Vice PresidentNominations

@ 2 p.m.

Vice Pres. Election@ 5 a.m. - 9 p.m.