The barganing unit folks who were laid off/terminated/ whatever? have the same COBRA rights to 18 months of insurance. Mueller IS still required to pay the first 90 days after the date of termination for you guys. The only ones who suddenly "lost" their coverage were those non-barganing folks currently on the 90 days who found out suddenly as of Dec 10 they had no insurance...until fixing it with Med-Pay.
Actually that 2 tired plan is *exactly* what Mueller set up for the few machinists positions now left that are to be transfered Jan1 to the MEC subsidiery. In fact before the machinist layoffs they were all told the advantage of taking a pay cut to keep their job in the new subisidary is that they would be the only tier 1. Anyone else, even re-hired folks could never qualify for the top tier. Kind of pitted the machanists against each other when they all were asked to *interview* for their chance to take new positions in MEC in Jan or face termination.
You're so right. The problem right now at PMC is that it's not clear if those people told suddenly to leave on Th are "terminated" as in Fired/Laid Off or on extended Christmas holiday (as usual) with a few days "temporary" unimployment. Its the same issue with their insurance...if they are "terminated" they qualify for COBRA, if not, the company should still be paying for their insurance...and they dont really know right now what their status Is, and since they didn't get a final severance pay with vacation check (as is normal when job terminated), before they were escorted out of the buildings.This situation is not the normal seasonal extended holiday situation of past years. On the other hand, the *Union* people, should not have ever had any non-competes that I've ever heard of, just *other* workers (non union) who are still working who are also being adversely affected by this strange situation.
Mueller doesn't own the employees? Have you ever heard of "non compete agreements?" Check our the Missouri courts web site and review the suit Mueller filled here in Greene County against one of its former employees recently who tried to just take a job with one of Muellers competetors. It's all in the public records.
You're all right. In over 30 years that I know of, plant holiday shutdowns were common, pre posted and friendly Merry Christmas until Jan. This year the holiday shutdown was pre-posted as usual, than a day early everyone was told to stop work and be escorted out and go home. You should see, perhaps have, the personal posts on facebook, on how actual production workers were stopped in their tracks at work. PMC wanted workers to think "terminated" and then when they actually went to file unemployemnt PMC said "temporary lay off." to MO unemployement office and their shareholders via press release.
I noticed on their website, this is the first "temporary layoff" press release for shareholders ever given by PMC.
There's 2 plans.Different $. Yes are charging for dependents. NO Med-Pay on Battfield Road Sgf not Healthcare. That 90 day deal is un-real. PMC just said on Dec 10 "we changed our mind" But some of those terminated in Dec may qualify for fed Cobra subsidy without the 90 day help. Really bad for those escorted out Th. They were told no job, then PMC issued press saying "temporary holiday shutdown" not "terminated" PMC tells workers one thing, and stockholders something different. That 90 day deal that was suddenly eliminated on Dec 10 has left people suddently without verification of insurance until Med-Pay can get PMC's mess straigntened out. My heart goes out for the people that got suddenly laid off Thursday. I don't know what they'll do trying to get the insurance figured out, but I did hear that the phones' been ringing off the hook in HR at PMC over the insurance issue.
I'm not a lawyer, and we were off the 90 day's before going to COBRA so we were'nt affected, really don't know why we even got the letter, but I kept it as reminder how reliable PMC agreements are.
You've got it figured out. Tell everyone they have no job just before Christmas and escort them out of the plant. Don't let them take their tools.Then the next day issue a news press release saying the layoffs were "temporary" until Jan 11. Now you've got a month to try to lowball wages to decide who gets to come back.
Yes, that letter was sent to anyone on their insurance. Our letter was dated Dec 10, effective immediately. On a facebook post of current/former Mueller workers a laid off worker who went to pick up a prescription was told his insurance was canceled. The Med-Pay office on Battfield across from the mall is now handeling cobra insurance (for unemployed workers). Cobra is the right to have the insurance for 18 months after layoff. But...it's the weekend, and can't do anything about insurance/cobra until monday.
After reading this news article, I learned that Mueller *will* be paying the workers for the rest of the day's unworked hours after they were told to leave, but told not to clock out.
Yes, and until dividends were suspended earlier this year, the top officers with their own preferred stock and earlier stock options made more in dividend earnings than the production workers earned for actually working.
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