Maytag employees have paid insurance costs for years

Maytag employees have paid insurance costs for years
Date March 25, 2004
Section(s) Opinion

To the Editor:

I have been a Maytag employee for over 17 years. I find it interesting watching our corporate officers spread their propaganda across this community. They have spoken at every civic group and organization in Jasper County.

The main topic of conversation seems to be our insurance. The general public has a right to know the truth concerning this matter. We have diverted a share of our cost of living raises toward our insurance costs since the early 1980s. The hourly total now stands at $2.58 an hour. If you take $2.58 an hour times 2,080 hours worked a year, it equals $5,366.40 a year. If you take that dollar figure times 1,650 employees that are currently working, it equals $8,854,560 dollars every year that we have given back to the company to pay for our insurance!

The company needs to tell the whole truth when it comes to our insurance. Our union has a long history of honest bargaining with the Maytag Company. It is unfortunate that our current corporate leadership feels that telling half-truths and spreading false propaganda to the public is the proper way to handle negotiations.

Vickie Hewitt

Colfax

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