Looking For TROUBLE - UAW-Chrysler.com

LOOKING AHEAD AT THE UAW-DAIMLERCHRYSLER NATIONAL TRAINING CENTER 

FALL 2003 

www.uawdcx.com 

Looking for 

TROUBLE 

SHVTC workers 

keep an eye on quality 

Opportunity Knocks at Black Lake 

A Chrysler Family Collector 

PAGE 14 PAGE 18

Side by Side 

Get With the Programs 

UAW Vice President Nate Gooden (left) 

and DaimlerChrysler Senior Vice 

President John Franciosi 

WE’RE VERY PROUD OF OUR JOINT PROGRAMS AND OF 

workers who better themselves — and our partnership 

— by taking advantage of them. Whether it’s tuition 

assistance or help with child care, the programs run by 

the National Training Center enhance quality of life 

for participants; they also promote teamwork and give 

UAW-DaimlerChrysler a competitive edge. 

The real value of joint programs is their great 

potential to bring out the best in our people. The 

recent experience of Mary Caffey, a member of 

UAW Local 597 at St. Louis South Assembly, offers 

a case in point. “It broadens your scope and makes 

you think outside the box about what you can do to 

make a difference when you get back to the plant” is how she sums up the benefit of 

attending an Employee Participation Conference. 

Mary was among about 50 UAW members who spent five days at the Walter and May 

Reuther UAW Family Education Center in July, learning more about their union, the 

automotive business and each other. Getting away from it all at Black Lake provides an 

energizing change of pace (see article on page 14) and a perfect setting for several of our 

joint programs. “The atmosphere at Black Lake is unbelievable,” says Mary. 

Whether they’re held in northern Michigan, at the NTC or in the nation’s capital, 

joint programs like Employee Participation offer workers new experiences away from 

their jobs. They provide a rare opportunity to exchange viewpoints and share ideas with 

workers at various DaimlerChrysler facilities. “I enjoyed getting to know some of my 

coworkers from other parts of the country,” says Mary, a human resources assistant. 

“We were from car plants, van plants, truck plants, stamping plants and parts distribution 

centers. Within the week, we had developed friendships to last a lifetime.” 

The Paid Educational Leave Program (PEL) provides a similar opportunity, while giving 

participants an in-depth understanding of political and other issues that help to define 

the challenges we face as a company and a union (see article on page 8). The program 

includes a week in Washington, D.C., where participants meet with their elected representatives 

to share their concerns and receive an update on pending legislation. 

Employee Participation and PEL are only two of more than 30 joint programs available 

to UAW-represented DaimlerChrysler workers. Others include the Employee 

Assistance Program, which comes to the aid of those with personal or family problems, 

and the Circle of Life Programs, which provide a safety net for families with issues from 

child care to elder care (see stories on pages 6 and 7). 

For a complete rundown of all joint programs, visit the NTC Web site at its new 

address, www.uawdcx.com. Check them out. They can make a difference in your life, just 

as they did in Mary Caffey’s. 

UAW-DAIMLERCHRYSLER 

NATIONAL TRAINING CENTER 

2211 East Jefferson Avenue 

Detroit, MI 48207 

313.567.3300 

Fax: 313.567.4971 

E-mail: rrussell@ucntc.org 

www.uaw-daimlerchryslerntc.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-PEREZ 

STAFF WRITER 

MICHAEL BULLER 

EDITOR 

KAREN ENGLISH 

SENIOR EDITOR 

MEGHAN LITTLE 

MANAGING EDITOR 

SUSAN CASSIDY 

COPY EDITOR 

KRISTIN BRADETICH 

ART DIRECTOR 

CATHERINE KORN 

PRODUCTION MANAGER 

MARTY SMITH 

SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER 

Nate Gooden 

John Franciosi 

This magazine is printed by a union 

printer on union-made recycled paper. 

2 www.uawdcx.com

LOOKING AHEAD AT THE UAW-DAIMLERCHRYSLER NATIONAL TRAINING CENTER 

Volume 7 • Number 4 


Features 

Fall 2003 

10 

14 

At Your Service 

COVER 

STORY 

The mechanics at Sterling Heights Vehicle Test Center 

are always looking for trouble. 

By Nancy Shepherdson 

A Source for Solidarity 

Walter Reuther’s dream comes true at Black Lake. 

By Ron Russell 

6 

18 

Field of Dreams 

A family project that began in the 1950s has morphed into a 

30-car collection for Ed Hanish. 

By Michael J. McDermott 

18 

Departments 

2 Side by Side 

A program for everyone. 

4 Backfire 

Reader feedback on past issues. 

5 Nuts & Bolts 

A roundup of DaimlerChrysler 

news and trivia. 

6 Sign Up 

Child and elder care; Paid 

Educational Leave Program; 

preventing violence. 

20 Our People 

Woman mechanic; addicted to 

helping; magical ministry; 

cycling for dollars. 

COVER PHOTO: MARK STEELE 

THIS ISSUE ONLINE: 

Putting Our Best Cars Forward 

Vehicles bound for the press must first pass 

the SHVTC test. 

Golfing with Nature 

UAW’s Black Lake course combines shotmaking 

challenge with picturesque landscape. 

Road Fever 

Chicago PDC pedal pushers are on a roll. 

Flexing His Muscle Cars 

Rare are the vehicles of Butch Buono. 

EXTRA 


23 Surf City 

Virtual professional sports 

let you be a real player. 

24 Lifelong Learning 

Curl up with a book from 

your home library. 

25 Your Money Matters 

Tips to decrease debt. 

26 For Your Health 

Massage therapy offers relief. 

27 From the Archives 

14 

20 

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

Center. 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. © 2003 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 

On Target Online 

Just wanted to let you know I liked 

the story in Tomorrow online [Summer 

2003 Tomorrow Extra]. I’ve received 

lots of positive feedback. It puts 

Trenton Engine in a good light, and 

that’s needed right now. 

Daryl Scanland 

PQI Communicator 

Trenton Engine 

Artists at Work — 

and in Retirement? 

Thanks for the Artists at Work displays 

[see also “Focus on Talent,” 

Spring 2003]; they were fantastic. It 

would be great to also include retired 

DC employees. They have the time to 

really develop their artistic expressions, 

and it would be nice to see 

what can be accomplished after the 

working career is over. 

I wish the NTC continued success 

with Artists at Work. It is interesting 

to appreciate the “other” 

talents of our fellow workers. You 

might consider a small picture of 

each artist. It’s a shame that we pass 

“X” Marks the Spot 

people daily and never know who 

they are. There are a few I would 

like to thank for sharing their work. 

Ross Good 

Sr. Manager Pollution Prevention 

DaimlerChrysler Technology Center 

First in Line? 

Kenosha was not the first one to install 

a new line [Summer 2003]. Mound 

Road Engine was. I was on the crew 

that installed it. Our skilled trades put 

the line in and got it running. That line 

was the 3.9 flex line. 

Donald B. Watkins 

Mound Road Engine 

Editor’s Note: Mound Road Engine did 

implement the installation of one line, 

the 3.9 flex line. But Kenosha Engine 

Plant was the first to handle the launch 

of an entire product line, which included 

the installation of five separate 

lines, without an outside contractor. 

Team DaimlerChrysler Grows 

Kelly [Povilaitis, Family Vehicle Product 

Team] and I want to thank everyone 

who participated in the 2003 

Getting to the UAW-DaimlerChrysler National Training Center’s Web site just 

got faster. The new Internet address — www.uawdcx.com — is compact 

and easy to remember. It’s also easy to enter — you can skip typing in 

http://, and even if you type www.uawdcx.org by mistake, you’ll still pull 

up the site. What’s more, you don’t have to change your bookmark. The 

old address will stay active, but the new address is a lot shorter and does 

a better job of conveying the close, one-to-one partnership between the 

UAW and DaimlerChrysler. 

Editor’s Note: A digital version of Tomorrow magazine is now accessible 

via a link on Dashboard Anywhere’s “Scoop” page. Visit the site at 

https://dashboardanywhere.chrysler.com. You’ll also be linked to 

special Tomorrow Extra online content. 

Corporate Cup Relays. We had 93 participants 

this year — an improvement 

over last year’s 44. The articles in 

Tomorrow have gone a long way in 

helping our recruiting effort! 

This year we finished third behind 

GM and Ford. We are hoping that this 

will inspire everyone to train and 

recruit a little harder for next year. 

We want to honor those teams that 

finished in first place: the 10K women’s 

and 10K men’s teams. Our “executive 

relay team” just about ran the other 

companies’ runners off the track. 

Kelly and I plan to be co-captains 

again next year. It was a lot of work 

but well worth it because of the great 

group of individuals who made up 

[our] team. We are proud of everyone’s 

effort, determination and team 

spirit. We are proud to be part of 

the DaimlerChrysler Corporate Cup 

Relay team. 

Ron Papke 

Door Handle Hardware Engineer 

DaimlerChrysler Technology Center 

Editor’s Note: For more information, 

go to www.eteamz.com/dccorpcup, or 

contact Ron Papke at 248.944.0978 

or rdp3@daimlerchrysler.com. 

Correction 

In the story “A Show of Promise” in 

the Summer 2003 issue, Greg Bridges’ 

gospel music program on WKPO-FM 

in Janesville, Wis., was incorrectly 

identified as “End of Spirit.” The 

correct name is “In the Spirit.” We 

apologize for the error. 

COURTESY JAMES COGDELL 


Nuts&Bolts 

Written & 

compiled by 

Meghan Little 

Need for Speed 

The new Dodge SRT-4 leaves Belvidere Assembly as the quickest 

production car in the United States that costs less than $20,000. 

But just in case 150 miles-per-hour isn’t fast 

enough for some owners, Mopar 

has launched a line of performance 

upgrades. Mopar’s stage 1 

turbo upgrade kit extends the 

SRT’s standard 2.4-liter turbocharged engine to 240 horsepower and 

260 lb. ft. of torque. Other enhancements for the SRT-4 include turbo 

blow-off valves, limited-slip differentials, short-throw shifters, special 

valve covers and intake manifolds. For more information 

and pricing, go to www.mopar.com or 

a local Dodge dealer. 

Road Warriors 

FORGET THE OSCARS AND THE GOLDEN GLOBES 

— six DaimlerChrysler vehicles recently have taken a 

ride down the red carpet. America Online’s Keyword Auto 

named the Dodge Viper SRT-10 the best sports car of 2003. 

Other online accolades came from Edmunds.com to the Dodge 

Dakota for being the most wanted compact truck for 2003. 

The Chrysler Voyager and Dodge Caravan were named the 

best in their class in the American Council for Energy- 

Efficient Economy’s 2003 Green Book: The 

Environmental Guide to Cars & Trucks. Best in class for 

large vans was the Dodge Ram Van. 

Also recognized for their environmentally sound features, 

the Chrysler Concorde and the Dodge Intrepid 

received above average scores for their classes. 

EXTRA 

UNDER THE HOOD 

There’s plenty of fresh excitement in Tomorrow Extra. Just look 

“Under the Hood.” This new section will introduce you to coworkers 

who don’t stop working with vehicles when they 

leave the plant. In this issue, we profile Butch Buono, 

a huge fan of muscle cars from the ’60s and 

’70s. He even owns a rare 1966 Plymouth 

Belvedere II convertible with a Hemi engine. 

To read the story, click on the Tomorrow 

Extra button at www.uawdcx.com. 

Q. What is the best DaimlerChrysler 

vehicle for a family vacation? Why? 

‘‘ 300M 

It is a luxury vehicle 

and has a classy look. 

It is good on gas, 

and you will get 

a smooth and 

comfortable ride. 

’’ 

EAT THEIR DUST 

Jackee Stephen, assembler, 

Jefferson North Assembly Plant 

Speed is always on car enthusiasts’ 

minds. Does “Atlas-rocket fast” 

describe your dream car? That’s how 

CarandDriver.com described the Dodge 

Viper Competition Coupe, a racecar 

that’s so fast it is not allowed on the 

highway. Only professional or semiprofessional 

racers can purchase 

the model, for a price, of course — 

$125,000. With acceleration of zero 

to 60 miles per hour in only 3.7 seconds, 

the Viper Competition Coupe 

has some people’s engines revving. 

Sixty power lovers have already bought 

the car for Viper club races. 

TOMORROW FALL 2003 5

Sign Up 

Kid Stuff 

NTC programs help 

locate quality child care 

hen Pam Misany was shopping 

for the best child care 

for her daughter, she turned 

to the UAW-DaimlerChrysler National 

Training Center. The NTC’s commitment 

to helping parents like Misany, a 

human resources assistant and UAW 

Local 212 member at Mount Elliott 

Tool and Die, find high-quality, affordable 

child care hasn’t been diminished 

by the recent closing of the Huntsville 

Child Development Center.` 

In fact, UAW-represented workers 

at all DaimlerChrysler facilities can 

rely on Circle of Life Programs such as 

Family Resource and Referral, which 

provides background materials and 

referrals to community resources for a 

wide range of situations; Dependent 

Care Assistance (see “Smart Saving” 

on page 7); and the National Child 

Care Network. 

When her 18-month-old daughter, 

Alexis, was an infant, Misany opted 

for a caregiver who came to her home 

and provided one-on-one attention. 

But as Alexis grew, Misany wanted her 

to interact with other children. She 

End of the Line 

Pam Misany and her daughter, Alexis. 

As a result of declining enrollment and shrinking 

resources, the UAW-DaimlerChrysler Child Development 

Center was closed effective August 29. 

Opened in 1992, the center had provided services 

for children and grandchildren of employees at 

Huntsville Electronics. It also served children of nonemployees, 

who composed a majority of the enrollment 

at the time of closing. 

says, “I decided that I’d prefer a learning 

center with a curriculum.” 

To find a list of preapproved 

centers, Misany and her husband 

turned to the National Child Care 

Network on the NTC’s Web site 

(www.uawdcx.com/worklife/child 

care.cfm). “I figured that if they’re 

sponsored by the NTC, they must meet 

all the requirements,” she explains. 

She pulled up the list for her area 

and located a center that offered what 

she wanted. “I found one that had 

the hours I needed and that met my 

daughter’s needs,” she says. “Now 

she’s in a classroom with other children 

her age.” 

The center Misany chose is part of a 

network of more than 1,600 approved 

child care centers nationwide. Many 

centers are operated by national chains, 

and all are regularly monitored. 

Priority slots are reserved for children, 

ages 3–12, of UAW-represented workers 

— and those spots come with a 

10 percent tuition discount. “The discount 

does make a difference,” says 

Misany. “It worked out great.” ■ 

— Karen English 

For more information on any Circle of 

Life Program or other child care programs, 

call Phyllis Johnson or Colleen 

McBrady at the National Training 

Center, 313.567.3300, or visit the 

NTC Web site, www.uawdcx.com. 

“We sincerely regret this decision, but felt we had no 

alternative in light of enrollment trends and steadily declining 

funding, with no prospect of a turnaround in the near 

future,” said National Training Center Co-Directors James 

Davis and Frank L. Slaughter in an official statement. 

The decision affected 201 children enrolled in infant, 

toddler, preschool, kindergarten and before- and afterschool 

programs. 

THIS PAGE: JOHN SOBCZAK/LORIEN STUDIOS; OPPOSITE PAGE: GETTY IMAGES 


Sign Up 

Caring for Our Elders 

Being a caregiver to an elderly 

loved one has many rewards, 

but it can be an exercise in 

endurance. With the UAW-Daimler- 

Chrysler National Training Center’s 

new Elder Care Geriatric Assessment 

Program, a Circle of Life Program, 

you don’t have to go it alone. Now 

UAW-represented workers can obtain 

a free consultation to determine an 

elderly family member’s needs — 

then get help finding solutions. 

The program works with Diversified 

Health Care Management 

Consultants Inc., a Detroit-based 

national network of elder care specialists. 

Through Diversified Health, the 

Elder Care Geriatric Assessment 

Program offers nationwide coverage, 

so you can use it even if your family 

member lives in a different city. In fact, 

no matter where in the country the 

person is, the program will send 

a specialist to them — at home, in a 

hospital or in a nursing home. 

To meet the daily needs of frail elders, 

the program offers resources to 

obtain a variety of services in areas 

such as transportation, homemaking, 

family conflict mediation and crisis 

intervention. From information about 

installing a ramp to obtaining power 

of attorney, the Elder Care Geriatric 

Assessment Program can help. 

If a nursing home is the best 

solution, care managers from the 

program will check out a few facilities 

and make recommendations, 

but the ultimate choice rests with 

you and your family. ■ 

— Carol Farash 

The DHCMC Elder Care Hotline is 

866.646.CARE (2273). 

SMARTSAVING 

Sometimes it pays to plan 

ahead. If you can estimate how 

much you’ll spend in a year on 

care for your children, an ailing 

spouse or aging parents, you can 

take advantage of the Dependent 

Care Assistance Plan. A 

Circle of Life Program, the plan 

offers UAW-represented Daimler- 

Chrysler employees a great way 

to set aside money for child care 

or other qualifying expenses — 

tax free. 

Each year, a worker may 

deposit up to $5,000 in an 

account exempt from state, federal 

and Social Security taxes. This 

money can be used toward day 

care and before- and after-school 

programs as well as help with an 

ailing spouse or elderly relative. 

When you enroll in the program, 

the amount you anticipate 

spending annually on eligible 

care will be deducted in increments 

from your paycheck. That 

money is deposited directly into 

your Dependent Care Account. 

Each time you pay for an eligible 

service throughout the year, 

the provider will receive funds 

from the pretax dollars in your 

account. Just don’t overestimate 

your expenses, because any 

money remaining in the account 

at year’s end won’t be refunded. 

For more information, go to 

the Work-Life section of www 

.uawdcx.com. When enrollment 

for 2004 begins this fall, you may 

enroll online at www.resources 

.hewitt.com/daimlerchrysler. 

— Jennifer Beck 


Sign Up 

Working the System 

Through PEL, participation is powerful 

Kenney Prohm can’t name one 

thing he liked about the 

National Paid Educational 

Leave Program. “Everything about 

the program is great,” says the UAW 

Local 212 member. “I think it’s 

one of the best programs that 

DaimlerChrysler has to offer.” 

National PEL is a two-week program 

designed to encourage Daimler- 

Chrysler employees to learn more 

about the auto industry. The wideranging 

course covers technological, 

economic and historical factors that 

have shaped the industry, Daimler- 

Chrysler and the UAW. Topics like 

foreign trade, market fluctuations 

and the changing workplace are covered, 

along with current laws and 

pending legislation. 

“It showed us where we stand in 

the automotive industry versus the 

global market, and it showed us 

where we’re going in the future,” says 

Prohm, an EAP representative and 

local joint training facilitator at 

DaimlerChrysler Transport. 

PEL is open to employees in leadership 

positions, such as UAW local 

officials and plant-level managers. 

Four participating locations are chosen 

at a time, on a rotating basis. 

Once a location has been selected, 

the UAW local president and the 

plant manager invite eligible workers 

to participate. 

The first week of the two-week program 

is spent in a classroom setting at 

either the Walter and May Reuther 

UAW Family Education Center at 

Black Lake (see article on page 14) or 

the UAW-DaimlerChrysler National 

Training Center in Detroit. 

For the second week, the group 

travels to Washington, D.C., to visit a 

series of landmarks and key political 

locations, including the UAW and 

DaimlerChrysler Washington offices. 

Participants have the opportunity 

to express their views in meetings 

with their senators and representatives 

in Congress. 

Melvin Davis, recording secretary 

of UAW Local 372 at Trenton 

Engine, made the most of the opportunity 

to meet with his congressman, 

John Conyers Jr. “We talked to him 

about some issues with comp time,” 

says Davis. “It was great to [hear 

him say] that they’re keeping an eye 

Participants have the 

opportunity to express their 

views personally in meetings 

with their senators and 

representatives in Congress. 

on things to make sure that we reap 

the benefits.” 

Regional and Local PEL Programs 

are also available and open to all 

workers. These weeklong sessions 

focus on the same topics as the 

national program, but with emphasis 

on issues relating to the region. 

Participants in these programs have 

the opportunity to meet with locally 

elected officials and learn about legislation 

that touches their plants and 

their communities. ■ 

— Lisa Cervini 

To find out more about PEL, contact 

a Regional/Local PEL facilitator, call 

the NTC at 313.567.3300 or visit the 

NTC Web site at www.uawdcx.com. 


Sign Up 

Preventing Workplace Violence 

Joint training program raises awareness for all workers 

OPPOSITE PAGE: GETTY IMAGES; THIS PAGE: JON BRADLEY/GETTY IMAGES 

Facilities’ Local Response Teams help prevent workplace violence. 

It’s a program committed to peaceful 

resolutions. At one plant, the 

UAW-DaimlerChrysler National 

Training Center’s Workplace Violence 

Prevention Program helped steer a 

couple through a potentially explosive 

breakup. The pair lived together 

and worked together on the line. But 

when the relationship fell apart the 

woman became afraid of her male 

partner, and he began berating her in 

front of coworkers. 

Word quickly went back to the 

plant’s Local Response Team. 

Treating both members of the pair 

with confidentiality and respect, the 

team assigned them to different 

work areas and provided each with 

outside counseling. With support, 

the woman learned to make it on her 

own, and the man learned to cope 

with loss and anger. 

Preventing violent incidents in the 

workplace not only saves lives and 

jobs, but also heads off untold 

heartache by getting workers the 

help they need when problems seem 

overwhelming. Delivering that help 

in time to make a difference depends 

on information. The program’s catch 

phrase, “Early is good — late is 

bad,” reminds workers that timely 

intervention is crucial. 

The UAW and DaimlerChrysler are 

so committed to the program’s goal of 

ensuring a safe working environment 

that every employee is required to 

complete some level of Workplace 

Violence Prevention training. 

Most workers receive awareness 

training, which includes two components: 

Participants watch a video 

explaining the program and then 

participate in a question and answer 

discussion with two Employee Assistance 

Program (EAP) representatives. 

The training educates workers about 

conduct that might be a danger sign, 

such as inappropriate anger or irrational 

behavior. 

Workers learn that they can report 

troubling situations to people in plant 

leadership positions, who receive 

four hours of training, or to anyone 

on their Local Response Team. This 

joint team is drawn from management 

and union leaders, such as the 

UAW shop chair, EAP representatives 

and human resources managers. The 

entire Local Response Team must 

agree on any steps taken, and the 

group has no disciplinary role. 

Instead, team members receive two 

days of intensive training for their 

primary responsibility, which is to 

investigate information from workers 

and determine the best way to help. 

For more information about the 

Workplace Violence Prevention Program, 

contact your EAP representative; 

Darrell Motley, UAW; or 

Brian Dumas, DaimlerChrysler, at 

the National Training Center, 

313.567.3300. ■ 

— Kerry McManama 


Brenda Lindsay-Elam and Marlon M. Davis prepare 

DaimlerChrysler vehicles for the media spotlight. 

At 

Your 

SHVTC’S MASTER MECHANICS 

LOOK FOR TROUBLE

UAW SAFETY REPRESENTATIVE TODD JACOBS PEERS AT THE WHEEL WELL OF A 

Dodge Dakota, looking for air bubbles that aren’t there. The truck on the hoist under 

his thoughtful gaze has failed an emissions test, which means there must be a leak 

somewhere in its transmission system. The question is where. Jacobs, who specializes 

in emissions repair, was hoping that his pressure gauge would find it here, since 

he’s already looked in all the obvious places. Now, he’ll spend his time looking in 

places that are not so obvious until he finds the trouble, no matter how long it takes. 

In other words, it’s just a typical job at the Sterling Heights Vehicle Test 

Center, better known as SHVTC, or “Shevtech.” The 15 certified master mechanics 

and 34 other UAW employees who work here are the ultimate troubleshooters, 

STORY BY NANCY SHEPHERDSON | PHOTOS BY MARK STEELE 

dedicated to finding and fixing any 

problems put before them. Small but 

responsive, with a take-no-prisoners 

attitude, that’s SHVTC. 

Troubleshooting 

Cars and trucks come here for 

emissions testing, retrofitting in 

large batches from assembly plants 

or preparation for executives and the 

media. Wherever they come from, 

and whatever their condition, they 

go away in perfect working order. 

No exceptions. 

“We never give up on a car. If it 

comes in here, it has to be fixed and it 

has to be right,” says Jacobs, who is 

the health and safety officer of UAW 

Local 140, which represents SHVTC 

and Warren Truck. “In the 23 years 

this plant has been operating, no failures 

have been allowed out the door.” 

That kind of dedication to perfection 

convinced DaimlerChrysler to 

give SHVTC one of its most important 

new projects. The first “100,000 Mile 

Teardown” took place last winter and 

gave mountains of competitive information 

to engineering that will be used 

to improve upcoming models. That’s 

what happens when certified master 

mechanics tear down four highmileage 

Toyota minivans and seven 


Fred Pidgeon troubleshoots dashboard lights. 

similar Dodge Caravans for side-byside 

comparisons. 

Each SHVTC mechanic was responsible 

for taking apart a single vehicle 

down to the shell and analyzing each 

component as it came off. All the parts 

were spread out on tables near the 

vans and detailed daily logs and 

photographs were kept of findings. 

“It was interesting how quickly a sort 

of competition arose to discover the 

source of problems that were uncovered,” 

says Shop Chairman Joe 

Oswald. “The guys came up with a 

lot of ideas about how things could 

be done better.” And that’s the kind of 

quality improvement that could drive 

the competition insane. 

Among the problems that came to 

light in the 100,000 mile Toyotas was a 

severe case of spaghetti wiring (wires 

reminiscent of a plate of pasta), as well 

as a great deal more rust than the 

Dodges showed. “Our cars came apart 

so much easier than theirs did,” 

remembers master mechanic Chuck 

Kimbel. On the other hand, the 

Caravans were found to have an 

“enormous” number of bolts compared 

to the Toyota models, some of 

which were inadequately plated by the 

vendors and didn’t stand up to exposure 

— or were plated when they didn’t 

have to be because the bolts were not 

exposed. Those vendor 

specifications — and many 

more — have already been 

changed, directly as a result 

of the Teardown. 

“Prior to this, engineers 

took apart one car at a 

time,” explains Mark Palus, 

also a master mechanic who 

worked on the Teardown. 

“We did almost a dozen, 

probably in less time than it 

took them to do one. They 

looked to our expertise and 

listened to us when it came 

to recommendations for change. The 

engineers always wanted our input, 

which gave a lot of meaning to what 

we were doing.” 

Tearing Into Teardowns 

At 

the end of the project, the 

results of the Teardown were 

presented to DaimlerChrysler COO 

Wolfgang Bernhard and a large group 

of engineers. Team members were 

given Certificates of Recognition by 

Plant Manager Sandra Bouckley. But 

the most satisfying recognition was 

still to come: In June, SHVTC learned 

that another 100,000 Mile Teardown 

would begin there in the fall of 2003 

— right about now. Exactly which 

competitive models will be involved 

this time has been a closely guarded 

competitive secret. 

It is a given, however, that the 

mechanics of SHVTC will learn a lot 

about whatever vehicles they are 

asked to tear apart. “This is a talented 

workforce and they are passionate 

about whatever they do,” 

says UAW Local 140 Vice President 

Bob Moriarty, who represents the 

plant in the union. 

That passion has infected Mechanic 

Apprentice Chris Carter, who works 

with a different master mechanic each 

month. “I love it here and like the 

atmosphere,” says Carter. “There’s not 

someone barking over your shoulder 

all the time, but there’s help when 

you need it. Everybody helps everyone 

else.” He especially liked the privilege 

of working on the Teardown. “I 

learned Toyotas are not as good as 

they’re cracked up to be. That gave me 

a lot of ammo for when people talk 

about buying Japanese cars.” 

Rescue Squad 

D 

uring the Teardown, mechanics 

working on the project also did 

their “regular” jobs. But unlike workers 

at most plants, SHVTC mechanics 

and techs could be working on something 

new every day. A lot of the work 

the mechanics do is retrofitting. That 

is, if a number of vehicles are damaged 

by a glitch at a plant or a part problem, 

they can be sent to SHVTC for 

repair. Retrofitting prevents these 

defective cars from piling up on the 

plant floor or in lots. Engineers simply 

call and describe the problem. The 

mechanics love to come to the rescue. 

The mechanics and other workers 

help with launches worldwide and 

have traveled as far away as Brazil, 

China and Germany to repair and 

retrofit vehicles coming through the 

first phases of launch. In addition, 

many team members get involved in 

perfecting cars inside and out for their 

moments in the spotlight. Absolutely 

Todd Jacobs (left) 

and Mark Palus 


Vehicles receive a final inspection under 

even more brilliant lights on the “dance floor,” 

a specially designed white reflective surface. 

nothing must be overlooked before test 

drives by reporters who write about 

the newest model for newspapers and 

auto magazines, or on cars about to 

land starring roles at auto shows. 

Brenda Lindsay-Elam and Marlon 

M. Davis are responsible for making 

sure that the media vehicles going out 

of SHVTC gleam. They spend two to 

three hours detailing both the exterior 

and interior of the cars, sometimes 

with a toothbrush. This is especially 

hard work when the cars have spent a 

day at an auto show. “You have to be 

really careful to go over every inch of 

a car after a show because some people 

are filthy,” says Davis. “I’ve even 

found used diapers in cars.” 

Test and Retest 

O 

ther kinds of work are also tucked 

into this tiny place; SHVTC covers 

a mere 152,000 square feet, compared 

to millions at some DaimlerChrysler 

plants. Much of the space is taken up 

by the “soak” room, a controlled 

environment required for accurate 

emissions testing. In fact, emissions 

testing is the reason SHVTC exists at 

all — in 1980, the facility opened to 

test for California emissions standards. 

A recent law change eliminated 

some of those tests, though, and 

SHVTC has been looking for more 

projects that will get its hands dirty. 

“We’re basically firemen whose only 

customer is DaimlerChrysler.” 

— Greg Hudzik 

One of those challenges is on-board 

diagnostics (OBD) testing, which 

involves trying to make the dashboard 

“idiot lights” light up. Technicians like 

Fred Pidgeon intentionally disable a 

system, then test it with an “interrogator 

box” (or I-box). If the box (and 

Pidgeon) are doing their jobs right, 

the proper warning light will come 

on. Pidgeon is among the few people 

in the building who actually want 

a vehicle to fail. 

Everyone else wants to fix what’s 

wrong with whatever comes in. On any 

given day, SHVTC mechanics may be 

working on Jeeps, Dakotas or any of 

the other Chrysler Group product lines. 

“We can never plan in advance what 

we do,” notes Greg Hudzik, supervisor 

of special vehicle services. “We’re basically 

firemen whose only customer is 

DaimlerChrysler. Whenever there’s a 

difficulty anywhere, we want to help.” 

Plant Manager Sandra Bouckley 

has confidence that the success of the 

first Teardown will inspire more 

projects of that kind. In fact, SHVTC 

will soon begin a third Teardown 

for DaimlerChrysler’s Center for Excellence 

engineering group. This one will 

focus on reviewing the latest technology 

in auto interiors. “I’m glad this 

project is coming to us because we are 

a very professional operation, with car 

knowledge across all vehicles,” says 

Bouckley. “Our people provide a service 

that is unique in the company.” 

Indeed. SHVTC is all repair — and 

testing — all the time. 

Still, the workers at SHVTC are 

hungry to do more for the company, 

if only more people knew about 

the services they offer. Most Daimler- 

Chrysler people don’t even know 

where SHVTC is, hidden under an 

overpass between Sterling Heights 

Assembly and Sterling Stamping. “I 

lived here for years and never noticed 

this place until I started working 

here,” says Janice Bramwell, UAW 

PQI facilitator. The success of the 

100,000 Mile Teardown, and the 

other Teardowns about to start, is 

likely to change all that forever. Are 

you ready to be famous, SHVTC? ■ 

CLICK FOR MORE 

EXTRA 



The UAW family comes 

home to Black Lake 

SOLIDARITY 

TOM LAUNDROCHE 

A SOURCE FOR 


The interior and exterior of Black Lake offer places 

to both get away and join in the spirit of solidarity. 

STORY BY RON RUSSELL 

PHOTOS BY TOM LAUNDROCHE 

WWARMED BY THE MID-MORNING SUN OUTSIDE HIS MOTOR HOME, AL RICKERT SETTLES 

INTO HIS LAWN CHAIR AND SURVEYS THE PINE, MAPLE AND CEDAR FOREST THAT 

SURROUNDS HIS NORTHERN MICHIGAN CAMPSITE. HE RECALLS HIS FIRST VISIT HERE 

MORE THAN A QUARTER CENTURY AGO, AND MANY OTHERS SINCE THEN, THAT HAVE 

KEPT DRAWING HIM BACK — AND DRAWING HIM CLOSER TO HIS UNION. 


Al and Judy Rickert relax at their campsite. 

“I’m a Joe union guy all the way,” 

says Rickert, “but it’s almost like 

belonging to a private club where no 

one is any better than anybody else. 

Everybody’s on the same level. Isn’t 

that what unionism is all about? You 

feel a part of it because it’s UAW.” 

For this third generation UAW 

member, a visit to the Walter and May 

Reuther UAW Family Education Center 

at Black Lake is like coming home. 

Along with legions of his brothers 

and sisters, the retired millwright from 

Local 1435 at Toledo Machining considers 

Black Lake hallowed ground. 

“Look at this beautiful place,” says 

Rickert. “I’ve spent some of the best 

times of my life up here with family 

and friends.” The heavily wooded 

1,000-acre enclave, hugging the sandy 

shore of Hongore Bay, embodies former 

UAW President Walter Reuther’s 

concern for the environment and his 

commitment to worker education. 

The peaceful, campus-like setting 

strikes a delicate balance between 

modern amenities, including an 

Olympic-sized swimming pool and 

nearby championship golf course, and 

a rustic retreat where visitors may be 

serenaded by a chorus of birds at sunrise 

or soothed by the warm orange 

glow of sunset over Black Lake. 

“This is the most unique union 

training facility in the world,” says 

Bob Reidt, Family Education Center 

director. “Nobody else can compare to 

the setting, the architecture and the 

thought that went into creating a place 

like this that fits in the middle of the 

woods like it belongs here. It’s the perfect 

place to train and educate our 

young people, to tell them about the 

history of this great union and what 

needs to be done to keep its proud 

legacy alive.” 

More than 10,000 UAW members 

make a pilgrimage to Black Lake each 

year for a variety of classes, conferences 

and other activities designed to 

stimulate union awareness and train 

UAW members in elected or appointed 

leadership positions. During the summer, 

the campus becomes a family 

haven as children and spouses of 

union members join in educational 

and recreational activities. 

It is also a regular meeting ground 

for workers who take part in several 

joint programs run by the UAW- 

DaimlerChrysler National Training 

Center, including Employee Participation 

and Paid Educational Leave 

(see “Working the System” on page 8). 

Nestled near Onaway, Mich., 

about a four-hour drive north of 

Detroit, Black Lake 

opened in 1970 and 

seems light years from 

the assembly line or 

realities of urban America. 

Just ask Nick and 

Carmen Brown, members 

of Local 1183 at 

Newark Assembly. 

The Browns and 

their daughter, Kennedy, 

3, and son, Nicqi, 

6, spent nearly a week 

at the Family Education 

Center in July, 

participating in the 

2003 Walter and May 

Reuther Family Scholarship 

enjoy a restful 

Program. 

From left: Nick, Nicqi, 

Carmen and Kennedy Brown 

retreat at Black Lake. 

“It’s not like we’re here lounging 

around — not this trip,” says Carmen, 

a team coordinator in the paint shop, 

between classes in the Leadership 

Studies Center. She and Nick attended 

classes from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m., learning 

more about the UAW’s history, 

structure and role, with emphasis on 

its community services activities such 

as combating adult illiteracy. 

The Browns understand the need 

for such activism back home in 

Wilmington, Del. “In our community, 

we see the same problems we deal 

with in class,” explains Nick, a tech II 

assembler. “We live in the inner city, 

and we hear the police sirens and 

the gunshots and [see] how drugs 

affect our community.” 

Energized by their experience, the 

couple says they’ll help their neighborhood 

through activities of Local 1183’s 

community services committee. 

But Black Lake, known for its 

friendly staff and warm hospitality, 

also was a family affair for the Browns. 

While mom and dad were in class, the 

kids enjoyed organized activities supervised 

by certified teachers. 

“The Scholarship Program involves 


THE WALTER AND MAY 

REUTHER UAW FAMILY 

EDUCATION CENTER complex 

of educational, living and 

recreational facilities includes: 

the whole family and the opportunity 

to learn some things together,” says 

Carmen. “The kids are never too young 

to learn about the union and what we 

mean when we talk about solidarity.” 

Walter Reuther, who served 24 

years as UAW president, had families 

like the Browns in mind when he 

spearheaded the UAW effort to develop 

the Black Lake property, which 

was purchased in 1967. The previous 

owner was a Detroit advertising executive 

who had built a summer home 

and retreat for entertaining clients. 

Among his guests were Desi Arnaz 

and Lucille Ball, who spent their 

honeymoon there. 

Reuther added his personal touch to 

every detail of the planning and construction 

of the new facilities. He 

examined and tagged nearly every tree 

on the property; no tree could be cut 

down or moved without his permission. 

The principal architect was Oskar 

Stonorov, Reuther’s longtime friend 

and protégé of Frank Lloyd Wright. 

Tragically, while en route to Black 

Lake for a final inspection prior to the 

center’s opening, Reuther was killed 

along with his wife, May, Stonorov 

and three others in a May 9, 1970, 

plane crash in nearby Pellston, Mich. 

In many respects, the Family 

Education Center is a shrine that helps 

to preserve the memories and contributions 

of Walter and May as well as 

Reuther’s brothers, Roy and Victor, 

now 91, who were also instrumental 

in building the UAW. The ashes of 

Bill Boone (front, left) attends an Employee Participation Conference. 

Walter and May were scattered on a 

lush hilltop overlooking the much 

photographed Main Lodge lobby. An 

unpretentious plaque marks the area. 

Nearby, another plaque shows the 

spot where the ashes of Roy Reuther 

were spread. 

As a further tribute, new bronze 

busts of all three Reuther brothers 

stand close by in the Japanese Garden 

of the Reuther Natural Sanctuary. 

Throughout the campus, the unhurried 

pace of life encourages a visitor 

like Robert Bishop, a Local 2149 member 

at New Process Gear, to catch his 

breath and collect his thoughts. “I consider 

myself blessed to be here,” says 

Bishop, who attended a National 

Training Center–sponsored Employee 

Participation Conference this summer. 

“It’s a fantastic environment to listen 

and share and learn. This is our Camp 

David; this is our think tank.” 

It’s also a place for UAW members 

to connect with their roots as 

trade unionists. 

“You really feel you’re part of something 

much bigger when you come to 

Black Lake,” says Bill Boone, a UAW 

Local 422 member at the Boston Parts 

Distribution Center. “You feel like 

you’re a member of a national organization, 

and that we’re all working for 

the same goals — we are all one.” 

Walter Reuther himself couldn’t 

have said it any better. ■ 


EXTRA 


• Lodging for up to 400 

people and a dining room 

that seats 300. 

• Leadership Studies Center, 

the hub for educational and 

training programs, includes 

classrooms and a library. 

• A 300-seat lecture hall 

equipped for sound, slide 

and video presentations. 

• A gymnasium with two fullsized 

basketball courts and 

seating for up to 1,200 when 

set up as an auditorium. 

• An Olympic-sized indoor 

swimming pool with saunas. 

• The Inn, a horse stableturned-tavern, 

where only 

beer brewed by UAW members 

flows and karaoke is 

king. Dubbed “Mazey’s,” 

after former UAW Secretary- 

Treasurer Emil Mazey. 

• A 51-site campground open to 

UAW members and retirees. 

• Black Lake Golf Club, an 

award-winning, 18-hole 

championship course, the 

newest addition to the recreational 

facilities. It’s open 

to the general public, with 

reduced rates for active 

UAW members and retirees. 

To learn more about the Walter 

and May Reuther Family 

Scholarship Program, contact 

your UAW local. For further 

information about Black Lake, 

call 989.733.6311. 


A family project became Ed Hanish’s 

“Chrysler Family” collection 

Dreams 

FIELD OF 

There probably aren’t many car collections 

hatched in a chicken coop. 

But that makes the collection owned by 

Ed Hanish, the DaimlerChrysler PQI and Joint Operating Principles facilitator at 

Huntsville Electronics, all the more unusual. His assemblage of some 30 vintage 

cars — all associated with the Chrysler brand — started with a single vehicle that 

became a part of his family’s shared experience for half a century. 

In 1953, Hanish’s great-uncle 

Johnny, who lived with the Hanish 

family, found a 1923 Willys-Knight 

rusting in a chicken coop. The vehicle 

— the ancestor of today’s Jeep — was 

manufactured by Willys-Overland, 

whose president in 1923 was Walter P. 

Chrysler. Eventually, with the acquisition 

of American Motors in 1987, 

Willys-Overland became part of what 

today is DaimlerChrysler. 

Vehicle bodies of that era were 

made of wood covered with a steel 

skin. As Hanish’s great-uncle began 

STORY BY MICHAEL J. MCDERMOTT 

restoring the old Willys, his father 

pitched in to redo the wooden body 

frame. Hanish’s other uncles lent a 

hand, with one rebuilding the engine 

and another painting the vehicle. The 

result was a nicely restored — and eminently 

drivable — 1923 Willys-Knight. 

Hanish inherited the Willys in 1993, 

stirring his interest in collecting. About 

two years later, he heard about a 1949 

Chrysler Imperial that was for sale. 

Only 50 Imperials had been built in 

that model year, and the car Hanish 

bought was said to have been provided 

| PHOTOS BY MARC BONDARENKO 

to President Harry S. Truman for unofficial 

forays from the White House. It 

was also said to be the car General 

Douglas MacArthur was using when 

he was relieved of command. 

While Hanish has not been able to 

document either claim, the rare vehicle 

— which sports a leather-and-wool 

interior designed by Ray Dietrich, a 

protégé of Walter Chrysler — is still 

historically significant. 

The Imperial turned Hanish’s interest 

in collecting into a passion. Among 

the other vehicles in his collection are 

a 1919 Dodge Brothers touring model, 

a 1929 Willys-Knight sedan, a number 


Can you name 

these cars? 

Check your answers online. 


EXTRA 


Ed Hanish with part 

of his collection of vintage 

Chrysler vehicles. 

of mid-1950s vintage Chryslers and 

several Mopar muscle cars from the 

late 1960s and early 1970s. 

Hanish houses the collection at a 

3,200-square-foot storage facility he 

built just across the Alabama state line 

in Tennessee. Most of the cars are 

projects in progress, found through 

word of mouth and classified ads. 

One, a 1982 Dodge Mirada in pristine 

condition, he literally stumbled onto 

while driving to work. Unfortunately 

a tree has since fallen on the vehicle, 

but he’s working to salvage it. 

“It was about 5 a.m., and I was 

taking a route I don’t normally take,” 

Hanish recalls. “I spotted the Mirada 

grille, which is very distinctive, out of 

the corner of my eye. The car had a 

for-sale sign in the window. I called the 

owner, met him at lunchtime and 

bought the car.” 

Hanish describes his wife as “neutral” 

about his hobby. “She knows I 

have a lot of cars, she knows where I 

am and what I’m doing when I’m out 

working on them, and she knows what 

I’m spending my money on,” he says. 

“She also knows that I could recover 

the investment.” 

With retirement coming up later 

this year, Hanish is looking forward 

to spending more time on his hobby. 

“Cars and grandkids,” he chuckles. 

“That’s what my retirement’s going 

to be about.” ■ 


Our 

People 

Off the Clock 

Wired for Cars 

This woman’s place is 

under the hood 

Robbyn Taylor-Higgs would 

rather talk about cars than 

how she made history at 

Newark Assembly. Ask her 

about her job, and she’ll 

steer the conversation to the Viper 

she’d love to have or the latest glitch 

she fixed. But her first choice would 

be to skip the talk, grab her test light 

and power meter, and troubleshoot a 

wiring short or connection problem. 

Without even meaning to, Taylor- 

Higgs has changed the face of 

Newark’s day shift forever. In 2001, 

the UAW Local 1183 member became 

one of two women on her shift to earn 

a Tech 1 Repair job. 

“I didn’t know that I was the 

first,” says Taylor-Higgs, a 47-year-old 

mother of three. “I applied for the job 

because I wanted to be a repair person, 

not because I was trying to be a trailblazer. 

But if I’ve helped open some 

doors, that’s great.” 

Truth be told, Taylor-Higgs made a 

name for herself at Newark long 

before taking on her new job. “I actually 

used to get myself in a little bit of 

trouble,” she recalls. “I’d be doing my 

designated job on something like a 

seatbelt, but I’d see some loose wires 

and I’d jump right in and connect 

them, even though that wasn’t my job. 

That’s just how I am.” 

That seems to be the consensus. Ask 

any of the guys who work alongside 

her — or her son Tim, 27, who works 

nearby in Newark’s Body Shop — and 

they’ll tell you that Taylor-Higgs has 

“When I got 

the job, I cried, 

I was so happy. 

This is where I was 

meant to be.” 

the instincts for repair work. “I’ve 

always loved cars and trucks,” she 

says. “My father was an excavating 

contractor, and whenever there was a 

broken-down truck or bulldozer, I 

was right there watching him fix it. It 

became second nature to me.” 

That same second nature brought 

Taylor-Higgs to UAW-DaimlerChrysler 

in the first place. Back in 1980, when 

she heard that Newark Assembly 

was hiring, she drove to Newark 

from her home in Maryland and 

waited in line for five hours to apply. 

Robbyn Taylor-Higgs 

Since then, she’s worked on a long 

line of DaimlerChrysler vehicles, 

from the K cars of the 1980s to the 

2004 Durango. 

Taylor-Higgs — now married but a 

single mother for many years — has, 

at times, taken her work home with 

her. “All three kids, when they turned 

16, had to be able to change the oil 

and a tire before they could drive,” 

she says. Tim adds, “We didn’t just 

learn to change tires, she timed us 

doing it.” 

Over the years, when she wasn’t 

working or raising children or watching 

NASCAR races or taking community 

college courses, Taylor-Higgs kept 

her eye out for repair job openings. 

When about half a dozen vacancies 

came up in 2001, she applied for all of 

them. “When I got the job, I cried, I 

was so happy,” she says. “This is 

where I was meant to be.” ■ 

— S.C. Biemesderfer 

CHRIS HARTLOVE 


Our OurPeople 

Off the Clock 

Paying It Forward 

Dedicated volunteer feels most at home when giving back 

ABOVE RIGHT: BILL SCHWAB, BELOW: CHRIS VOLK 

From left: Roger Eklove Jr., Earl Black and 

Dwayne Martinez cycle for a cause. 

Terrence Horton never imagined 

he’d be where he is 

today. Nearly two decades 

ago, he was struggling with 

a drug addiction. 

“My life was in shambles,” says the 

47-year-old Detroit Axle job setter and 

member of UAW Local 961. 

But in spring 2003, Horton received 

the Bernie Firestone Labor Volunteer 

Award from United Way Community 

Services for his dedication to volunteerism. 

The 20 years in between were 

a tough journey for Horton, but also a 

rewarding one. 

In the late 1980s, Horton entered a 

drug rehabilitation program at SHAR 

(Self Help Addiction Rehabilitation) 

House in Detroit. Once he was clean, 

he worked there — first on staff, then 

as a volunteer. In 1995, he started 

working at Chrysler but continued to 

volunteer at SHAR, faithfully, in addition 

to serving on the recreation and 

community service committees of 

UAW Local 961. “SHAR was instrumental 

in turning my life around,” 

Horton says, “and I wanted to give 

others what was freely given to me.” 

Horton works the midnight shift at 

Detroit Axle and volunteers as often as 

he can at SHAR, usually three or four 

days each week, for several hours at a 

time. He coaches and plays basketball 

and baseball, trains residents for their 

on-site responsibilities, gives seminars 

on relapse and recovery, and organizes 

events. And there’s always a message: 

“You don’t have to have drugs or alcohol 

to laugh,” Horton says. 

“Terrence is known by clients as the 

‘tough love guy,’” says Curtis Jennings, 

deputy executive director of SHAR 

House. “He has no difficulty confronting 

clients … and suggesting what 

the consequences might be, not only 

in treatment, but on the street too.” 

Jennings says he’s seen Horton persuade 

more than one client wanting to 

leave treatment early to stick it out. 

“Terrence knows when to be tough, 

and he knows when to be nurturing.” 

Easy Riders 

Terrence Horton 

The nurturing goes both ways. 

“This is my family,” says Horton of 

the staff and clients of SHAR House. 

Receiving the Bernie Firestone Award, 

which includes a $1,000 donation 

to the volunteer’s organization, and 

meeting the mayor and other community 

leaders at the awards ceremony 

was “unbelievable,” Horton says. 

“But it doesn’t make a difference — 

I’m still going to SHAR House.” ■ 

— Kimberlee Roth 

Like most autoworkers, these three picker/packers at the Chicago Parts 

Distribution Center love a good road trip. But when UAW Local 1178 members 

Dwayne Martinez, Earl Black and Roger Eklove Jr. get out on the highway, 

they’re probably pushing bicycle pedals. 

It started with Martinez, who took up cycling as a way to combine fitness 

with fundraising. Black and Eklove did more than open their wallets — they 

hopped on their bikes and joined the rides for good causes. With support from 

their coworkers, these Chicago 

cyclists are literally on a roll. 

— S.C. Biemesderfer 


EXTRA 



Our 

People 

Off the Clock 

Magic at 

Trenton 

When Ken Wade waves his 

wand, fun is in the cards 

Ken Wade wasn’t born a 

wizard. He didn’t spend 

his youth shooting fireballs 

out of his fingers 

or levitating people. He 

didn’t attend Hogwarts. But he 

learned how to make a coin disappear 

after just two weeks of practice. 

Since he started dabbling in magic 

five years ago, Wade has learned some 

more impressive tricks that not only 

amaze people but also make them 

think. At a UAW-DaimlerChrysler PQI 

Conference earlier this year, Wade 

asked participants to drop different 

colored silks into a bag — and he 

pulled out a 33-foot rainbow-colored 

streamer. “It tied in the theme that we 

all work together, and no one person is 

more important than the other,” says 

Wade, 28, a member of UAW Local 

372 who works in video communications 

at Trenton Engine. 

A theater lover who picked up 

prestidigitation from masters like Las 

Vegas hero Lance Burton and magic 

Ken Wade 

book author John Luka, Wade had 

an interest in the subject as a kid. But 

he didn’t get into it until a UAW 

gospel festival introduced him to 

“gospel magic,” which uses illusions 

as metaphors for religious ideas, like 

tying ropes together to symbolize a 

spiritual connection. 

“It started off with a simple trick, 

then buying a video,” Wade recalls. 

“And it just grew.” Still, Wade’s wand 

has kept its amateur status. “As far as 

major illusions — like cutting a lady in 

half — I don’t have any,” he says. 

Instead, his most-often applied 

genre is “close-up,” a sleight-of-hand 

illusion that usually involves cards or 

coins. (Like all good magicians, he 

won’t give away his secrets.) In one 

popular illusion, he asks someone in 

the audience to pick a card, which he 

immediately “changes” from blue to 

red, and from ace of spades to king 

of clubs. 

Wade, a father of three, enjoys 

giving performances at kids’ parties, 

schools and churches. He says that the 

presentation, not the trick itself, is the 

hardest part of the act. “It’s the opportunity 

not so much to fool people or 

make them feel stupid, but to entertain 

them and make them say, ‘Wow, 

that was cool,’” says Wade, who has 

worked at Trenton Engine since 1996. 

“It’s just the sheer, ‘Man! How’d he 

do that?’” ■ — Steve Knopper 

Editor’s Note: Ken Wade is taking an 

educational leave-of-absence to enter a 

pastoral studies program at Arlington 

Baptist College in Arlington, Texas. 

He plans to use magic in his ministry. 

JOHN SOBCZAK/LORIEN STUDIOS 


Surf City 

Off the Clock 

mong the many frustrations 

of being a football fan is 

knowing so much more than 

your favorite team’s owner. But you 

don’t have to be stuck in your La-Z- 

Boy, ranting at the TV. There’s online 

fantasy football, where armchair 

quarterbacks get to be virtual bosses 

of real-life players. 

Sports fantasy games have evolved 

along with the Internet boom. You 

can join fantasy leagues in just about 

any sport — they all work basically 

the same way — but fall is prime 

time for virtual football. 

Just as the speeds of home computers 

and online networks have 

accelerated, so has the ease 

of managing a bunch of beefy 

gridiron greats from the comfort 

of your keyboard. In the 

early days, league participants 

had to scour stacks of 

newspapers and magazines for 

statistics. Now there’s so much 

instant information available 

online, you’re lucky to find time 

to actually watch the games. 

In the Game 

Fantasy football on the Internet 

allows you to join a league, draft one 

or more teams of current NFL players 

and accumulate points based on 

their individual performances in each 

game. You compete against other 

managers in your league for the highest 

score weekly and at the end of the 

17-week season. If your picks don’t 

pan out or someone gets injured, you 

BOB WOODS 

So You Wanna Manage 

an NFL Team? 

Join an online football fantasy league, and the job’s all yours 

can drop players, sign free agents or 

make trades with other owners. Some 

leagues are free to join, so the final 

reward is bragging rights, but the 

ones that charge a membership fee 

sometimes dangle cash prizes. 

To get started, team up with other 

wannabe owners to form a league. 

Enlist friends at work, bond with 

family members or find other players 

online. Then choose a fantasy football 

Web site. There are dozens to 

consider — just type “fantasy football 

leagues” into any search engine 

for a list — and various bells, whistles 

and prize structures to scroll 

through. Unless you’re a savvy veteran, 

however, it’s wise to start with 

the basics and brand names. 

Sports fantasy 

games have evolved 

along with the 

Internet boom. 

Virtual Stadiums 

For the biggest brand name, look 

no further than the NFL itself 

(www.nfl.com). NFL Fantasy 2003 

is free and turnkey. NFL.com offers 

live drafts, where team owners 

assemble face-to-face or online, or 

automated drafts, where you submit 

“rank lists” of your player preferences 

and NFL.com makes the 

picks for you. The site lets you set 

up a scoring system, then tracks 

how your players perform. 

In conjunction with the NFL, CBS 

SportsLine.com (www.sportsline.com) 

runs the more flexible Football 

Commissioner. For a fee of $159.95 

(to be divided among the players in 

your league), you are the commish 

of a 12-team league and you customize 

its operation. 

ESPN’s pay-for League Manager 

(basic league fee is $99.95) 

is similarly adaptable to your 

pigskin whims. For a few extra 

bucks, they’ll throw in a draft board 

and a championship trophy. 

The all-sports network’s Fantasy 

Football 2003 (http://games.espn 

.go.com) is cheaper ($29.95 for one 

team), but has fewer options. 

The Sporting News operates 

Ultimate Fantasy Football (www 

.sportingnews.com), in which owners 

receive a $50 million “payroll” to 

buy and sell players whose values 

rise and fall based on trade activity 

($19.99 for one team). You can even 

trash talk with leaguemates during 

games in a real-time chat room. ■ 

The NTC does not endorse any Web sites listed in Tomorrow magazine except its own. 

All URL addresses were accurate at the time of printing, but are subject to change. 


Our Lifelong 

People Learning 

Off the Clock 

Booking 

Success 

A home reference library 

gives you easy answers 

Quick. What’s the tallest 

building in the world? 

How do you build a birdhouse? 

What’s the best 

way to treat poison ivy? 

A good home library would have 

instant answers. With a few hints from 

the experts, you can put together a reference 

collection that will satisfy the 

entire family. 

But before you start, ask yourself, 

“Why have a library?” advises Michael 

Wells, coordinator at the Douglass 

Branch Library and president of UAW 

Local 2200, Metropolitan Detroit 

Professionals. Think about who will 

use the books and what kind of information 

they will be looking for. That 

will help you build a collection to suit 

your family’s needs. 

Book Recommendations 

DICTIONARY: 

Webster’s Third New International 

Dictionary 

MEDICAL HANDBOOK: 

Merck Manual of Medical Information: 

Home Edition, or Mayo Clinic Family 

Health Book 

STATISTICS/FACTS: 

The World Almanac and Book of Facts 

2003, by Ken Park 

HISTORY: 

Timetables of History: A Horizontal 

Linkage of People and Events, 

by Bernard Grun 

To choose from books on the market, 

suggests Wells, jot down reference 

questions as they come up. With list in 

hand, ask your librarian to help sort 

them into categories and find books. 

Consider the ages of readers and 

your lifestyle, including hobbies and 

interests, when choosing categories 

and books. For example, if you’re an 

armchair traveler, you might choose 

National Geographic Family Reference 

Atlas of the World. If you prefer 

to get behind the wheel, you might opt 

for a Rand McNally road atlas. 

“There’s absolutely nothing wrong 

with [etiquette books by] either Emily 

Post or Miss Manners, but one may be 

more appropriate to the way you live,” 

says Wells. Browse through a book to 

see whether its style appeals to you. 

Here’s a selection of reference categories — with our experts’ 

recommendations for books. 

GAMES: 

The New Complete Hoyle Revised: 

The Authoritative Guide to the Official 

Rules of All Popular Games of Skill 

and Chance, edited by Edmond Hoyle 

SPECTATOR SPORTS: 

Rules of the Game: The Complete 

Illustrated Encyclopedia of All the Sports 

of the World, by Diagram Group 

HOME AND GARDEN: 

Reader’s Digest New Illustrated Guide to 

Gardening and New Complete Do-It- 

Yourself Manual, by Reader’s Digest 

Reference books can cost from $10 

to well over $100. Once you’ve made a 

list of the books you want, budget for 

them and allow time to build your 

library. To make sure you’re choosing 

books that are right for you, browse 

the bookstores and your local library. 

“New books are constantly coming 

out,” notes Wells. “The publisher will 

give you a glossy cover and marketing 

hype. Your librarian will give you an 

unbiased view.” ■ 

— Molly Rose Teuke 

Link to Learn 

www.refdesk.com 

Want to know how NASCAR racecars 

work? What goes on inside a volcano? 

Refdesk.com lives up to its 

motto, “Reference, news and facts, 

fast and family-friendly.” If the home 

page is too cluttered for your taste, 

go to www.refdesk.com/essentl.html 

for essential reference links, or head 

straight to www.refdesk.com/toc.html 

for an easy-to-read listing of what’s 

on the site. 

www.scholastic.ca/titles 

/reference/reflib.htm, and for teachers 

http://teacher.scholastic.com 

/BookUpdate/reference/reflib1.htm 

All kids ask questions, and good 

books can encourage curiosity and 

reading. Scholastic, a children’s 

publishing and media company, 

offers advice on how to select and 

evaluate reference books for kids. 

JOSÉ ORTEGA/SIS 


Your 

Money Our People 

Matters 

Off the Clock 

Digging Out of Debt 

Credit counseling can help restore your financial freedom 

BRYAN LEISTER 

Many Americans are 

sinking deeper into 

debt. Some even use 

credit cards to buy 

necessities like food or 

to pay monthly utility bills. If this 

sounds familiar, it’s probably time to 

get help from a good credit counselor. 

But not all the country’s more than 

1,000 credit and debt management 

services are alike. To separate the good 

from the not so good, make sure counselors 

are asking the right questions. 

Focus on Education 

Good counselors help you learn to 

manage your money. They should first 

find out why your finances got out of 

control, then help you get organized so 

you don’t slip back into trouble. They 

might help devise a budget, identify 

areas where you can save money and 

work with creditors to lower interest 

rates and set up a payment plan. 

“Not only will we help you get out 

of debt,” explains Candy Lamb, a certified 

credit counselor at GreenPath 

Debt Solutions in Detroit, “we’ll help 

you prevent it from happening again. ” 

Credit Counseling Caveats 

Here are some things to watch out for 

when shopping for a credit counselor. 

Debt Consolidation. Beware of counselors 

who skimp on getting to the root of 

your problem and instead pressure you 

to sign up for a program that pools 

your debts and makes payments to 

your creditors — for a hefty fee. 

“If the first thing an organization 

does is try to offer you a debt consolidation 

plan, then they probably 

don’t have your best 

interests in mind,” says 

Mike Hall, president and 

CEO of Take Charge America, 

a Phoenix-based credit 

counseling service. 

Instead, a good agency 

offers debt consolidation as 

just one of their services. 

Often, once you enter a 

program, you surrender your credit 

cards and pledge not to seek additional 

credit while paying off debt. You 

also make monthly payments to your 

credit organization, which in turn pays 

off the balances due to your creditors. 

Warning Signs 

of Financial Trouble 

• You have little or no savings 

• You aren’t putting money in a 

retirement account 

• You receive regular utility 

shut-off notices 

• Your credit card balances increase 

every month 

• Your credit cards are maxed out 

• You’ve recently been denied credit 

Link to Learn 

www.consumerfed.org 

Consumer Federation of America: 

Click on the finance page for information 

on credit and credit counseling. 

www.nfcc.org 

National Foundation for Credit 

Counseling: Use this site to locate 

NFCC member agencies and advice. 

Cash Flow. A good consumer credit 

service will tell you it charges a small 

fee to help you manage your money 

and pay off your creditors. Asking for 

a sizable up-front fee to set up an 

account would be a red flag. Although 

funding for agencies also comes from 

the credit card issuers themselves, there 

should be no official affiliation. 

Once you find a counselor you’re 

comfortable with, you can work 

together to build a financially sound 

future. Most people stay in a program 

for two to four years and end up with 

a rebuilt credit rating, freedom from 

crushing debt and the confidence that 

they (not credit card companies) are in 

control of their financial destiny. ■ 

— Chris Anderson 

www.takecharge.org 

Take Charge America: Check this 

agency’s “What We Do” page for a 

benchmark of counseling services. 

www.greenpath.com 

GreenPath Debt Solutions: This site 

offers resources and links on credit 

and money management. 


People Health 

Our For Your 

Off the Clock 

Who Kneads It? 

Massage therapy may offer relief — and relaxation 

hen Bob McDonald 

was having back pain 

a couple of years 

ago, he decided to try 

a massage. Now he 

wouldn’t miss his weekly floor massage 

at the fitness center at Twinsburg 

Stamping, where he’s a welder 

repair facilitator and UAW Local 

122 member. 

At the fitness center, opportunities 

for both chair and floor massages are 

offered for a nominal fee through 

StayWell. “It’s wonderful,” says 

McDonald. “I look forward to it all 

week long.” 

McDonald is among a growing 

number of people who are taking 

advantage of massage therapy — 18 

percent of adult Americans had a massage 

in 2002, up from 8 percent in 

1997. “I think it’s going to be expanding 

more,” he says, “as more people 

discover the benefits.” 

If it sounds touchy-feely, that’s 

because it is. Massage is the use of 

touch for healing. Hundreds of 

different techniques — from acupressure 

to movement therapy to 

Zen shiatsu — squeeze under the 

massage therapy umbrella. And the 

range of problems they are said to 

address is equally broad, from 

elevated blood pressure to joint 

dysfunction, from stress to carpal 

tunnel syndrome, from limited 

mobility to depression. 

The Touch Research Institutes, 

which conduct scientific studies of 

the effects of massage therapy, have 

found that massage can reduce pain, 

decrease adolescent aggression, enhance 

the immune system, encourage 

growth in preterm infants and 

relieve asthma. 

While it will not cure any serious 

conditions, massage may provide 

relief by increasing circulation, releasing 

anti-stress hormones (endorphins) 

and strengthening the immune 

system. “I’ve gained flexibility,” says 

McDonald, “and I believe my overall 

health is much better. I don’t have 

the aches and pains I used to have.” 

You might want to start by reading 

up on the different approaches to 

touch healing (see “Link to Learn”). 

The UAW-DaimlerChrysler Family 

Training Centers in Ohio, Syracuse 

and Newark also offer courses in 

therapeutic massage. 

Make sure the practitioner is properly 

qualified for whatever form of 

massage you choose. If 

your state doesn’t license 

massage therapists, look for 

membership in a professional 

organization, such 

as the American Massage 

Therapy Association, which 

makes available a national 

list of trained members. 

Once you’ve found a 

qualified therapist, you 

may discover that if you’ve 

got some pain or stress, 

massage therapy is one 

way to rub it out. “I get a 

massage before work,” 

says McDonald, “and I 

feel invigorated all day.” ■ 

— Rachel Eugster 

Link to Learn 

www.amtamassage.org 

The Web site of the American 

Massage Therapy Association, 

which promotes massage therapy 

as integral to good health. 

www.aboutmassage.com 

A comprehensive site listing 

benefits, techniques, schools 

and associations. 

www.massagetherapy.com 

A site that lists more than 200 

techniques, as well as information 

on looking for a therapist 

and massage therapy training. 

www.miami.edu/touch-research 

The site of the Touch Research 

Institutes, which sponsor 

studies of massage therapy 

by researchers at universities 

such as Duke and Harvard. 

JULIE TOY/GETTY IMAGES 


From the Archives 

Off the Clock 

COURTESY DAIMLERCHRYSLER ARCHIVES 

It's dismissal time at this classic rural schoolhouse, 

with orderly pupils eager to ride home in their 

equally classic 1952 Dodge school bus. 


WANNA GET THERE 

FAST? 

The UAW-DaimlerChrysler National Training Center’s 

new Web address www.uawdcx.com 

is shorter, faster and easier to remember. 

But it’s long on information. Click 

on www.uawdcx.com for a direct 

route to the latest on NTC programs, 

training opportunities and 

work-life news. 

And while you’re visiting 

www.uawdcx.com check 

out Tomorrow Extra. 

The online supplement to 

Tomorrow magazine has even 

more stories about the plants, 

people and programs behind 

Chrysler Group vehicles. 

www.uawdcx.com Think of it as 

your faster on-ramp to the information 

highway. 

EXTRA 

www.uawdcx.com

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