​Brothers and Sisters,
           

            I want to welcome our new plant manager back to Mt. Holly. We have had
conversations about the union and company working together. He is committed to
listening to workers’ concerns on the shop floor. Together we want to address the issues in our plant and work to improve the quality of our trucks. We must focus on building the best quality truck and build it right the first time.

           I hear this quote quite often “one team best team”. The one team should be company management team and local union team working together to resolve issues to better our plant. We should thrive so everyone at this plant will have an opportunity to retire. By working together to address our quality issues, man the jobs properly, and address the safety issues will guarantee our success. Then we can truly live up to the quote “one team best team”. No one person can do it by themselves. It will take all of us to work together in this partnership for the betterment of our plant. This is why we must take more ownership on every truck we build. When we build good quality trucks for our customers, this means more return purchases from our customers and longevity for our plant. When the company makes profits, you the members receive part of those profits. Since ratification of this contract, we have received $9,200 in profit-sharing payments.

            I encourage you to let us know how we can make your job better. Share your ideas on how to improve the process, because your feedback is very important. I want to thank all of you for your hard work and dedication to our union and our company. Thank you for all you do. None of this would be possible without your hard work on the shop floor.
           

           Once again, I want to thank you for allowing me to serve as your president.
We win only when we stand together.
 
In Solidarity,
Ricky McDowell
President UAW local 5285