Welcome to e-Connections, the weekly AFS email newsletter. In this March 10, 2009, edition:
Card Check Legislation Hits Today, AFS Calls for Action
The debate over card check legislation heats up this week, with the reintroduction of the Employee Free Choice Act bill today by U.S. Congressman George Miller (D-Calif.) and U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.). The legislation that could overturn nearly 70 years of federally supervised secret ballot representation in union elections is organized labor’s number one issue and President Obama has indicated that he will sign the bill into law if it reaches his desk.
AFS supports the basic rights of all employees to decide freely whether or not to join a union, however, we strongly believe that a federally-supervised, private ballot election is the best way for employees to make this decision. Additionally, we believe that the mandatory binding arbitration included under EFCA would impose unwanted employment conditions on both employees and employers.
For more information on the Employee Free Choice Act, click here for the National Association of Manufacturers toolkit.
To convey your opposition to your elected officials about this legislation, AFS is calling its members to take action in the form of letter submission. To submit these letters, follow these steps:
- create a letter utilizing the AFS sample letters (letters to the U.S. Senate can be downloaded by clicking here, letters to the U.S. House of Representatives can be downloaded by clicking here), insert your letterhead and/or company logo. If you have a non-union shop, include information on the excellent health benefits, wages and leave time that you already offer your employees.
- fax or email the revised letters to your U.S. Congressmen. To obtain email and fax addresses, visit www.congress.org or email Caroline Mojonnier, AFS Washington office, at cm@afsinc.org. If you have a staff contact in the member office, copy that person on the letter.
For more information, contact Alicia Oman, AFS Washington Office, at aoman@afsinc.org or 202/842-4864 .
Lockout/Tagout Webinar Focuses on Primary Energy Sources, OSHA Requirements
AFS is producing a webinar on March 19 at 11:00 a.m. EST for its corporate members on lockout/tagout in a metalcasting facility. Topics will include primary and secondary energy sources, transfer of lockout/tagout responsibilities and OSHA requirements.
To register for this webinar, click here. For more information, contact Dave Krugman, AFS PR and marketing coordinator, at dkrugman@afsinc.org or 800/537-4237.
Take the Aluminum Casting Process Survey
The AFS Aluminum Div. (2) is sponsoring an interactive panel discussion at the 113th Metalcasting Congress. Spearheaded by the Permanent Mold Committee, the panel will discuss methodologies for metal handling and mold filling for all aluminum casting processes. This will be not just a presentation, but a discussion by all participating on site. In order to provide input for this panel, we’re inviting you to participate in a brief survey on how your metalcasting operation performs.
Whether or not you are able to participate at the Congress, your input with this survey is vital to the success of our program and we request that you take a few minutes to respond. Your answers will be kept strictly confidential, and all participants will receive a copy of the results. To take the survey, click here.
For more information, contact Rebecca Erickson, AFS technical assistant, at rebecca@afsinc.org or 800/537-4237 x 246.
AFS Chapters, 8-C Committee Co-Sponsor Induction Melting Seminar
The AFS Coreless Induction Furnace Committee (8-C), the AFS Mo-Kan, Plain States and Tri-State Chapters, and the AFS Pittsburg State Univ. Student Chapter are offering an Induction Melting Seminar May 8 at Pittsburg State University's Kansas Technology Center, Pittsburg, Kan.
Topics will include an introduction to coreless furnace operations, furnace water cooling systems, furnace ground detection systems, coreless furnace maintenance, lining selection, procedures & improving lining life and safety issues relating to coreless furnaces. A question and answer panel discussion will round out the event.
For more information, contact Russell Rosmait, Pittsburg State Univ., at rrosmait@pitstate.edu or 620/234-4375.
AFS Texas Regional Conference Focuses on Wind Energy, Digital Mold & Core Production
The AFS Texas Regional Conference will be held April 23-25 at the Dallas Fort Worth Marriott Hotel & Golf Club at Champions Circle, Fort Worth, Texas.
Conference presentations will include "Cad to Core Technology, Patternless and
Digital Production of Molds and Cores,” Daniel J. Maas, ProMetal RCT, "Wind Casting Market and Metallurgy,” Gene Muratore, Rio Tinto Iron & Titanium America, "Casting Market Trends,"Alfred Spada, AFS, "Globalization," Raymond Monroe, Steel Founders Society of America, "The Use of Solidification Simulation in Vendor Approval," Malcolm Blair, Steel Foundry Society of America, .
Breakout sessions at the conference will include “Casting Defects Effected by Sand and or Resin,” Mark Ziegler, Unimin & Randy Sandstrom, Ashland Casting Solutions, “Cast Gas Defects in Iron Castings,” Charlie Bates, Alchem and “Insulated Riser Sleeves,” Gavin Moffa, Foseco.
For more information, or to register for the AFS Texas Regional Conference, visit http://www.afs-tx.org/events/regional_2009.htm.
New Casting Design Webinar at MetalcastingDesign.com
A new multi-media, web-based seminar describing the major metalcasting processes is now available at www.metalcastingdesign.com.
The webinar, featuring AFS Director of Marketing Al Spada, takes attendees through an overview of the numerous metalcasting processes that can be used to produce the physical and mechanical properties they need in their metal component. Using visual aids and streaming audio, the webinar is a user-friendly way to learn about the metalcasting processes.
The new webinar has been added to the website’s growing list of interactive teaching sessions. The library also includes a primer on the basics of casting design, from types of alloys and processes to basic steps taken during the design process to ensure you are receiving the most out of your cast part.
Check out the existing webinars on MetalcastingDesign.com, and be sure to come back as the library of information grows.
