FW
NOATS
TEXTILES
COMPANY
I
I
Gastonia
North Carolifui
JUNE • 1977
Bennettsvilk Bowling Green
South Carolina Kentucky
Tuition Refund
CONTINUING
EDUCATION
Medical Expenses 1976
Would you like to get a
$37.5-million medical bill?
That’s what Firestone paid in
medical expense costs for its
domestic employees in fiscal
1976.
If the employee had to pay
for comparable hospital, surgi
cal, major medical insurance, it
would probably cost him or her
between $60 and $70 per month.
The cost may vary greatly de
pending on the specific level of
benefits provided, the extent of
use, hospital-medical costs in the
area served and other factors.
But an annual cost of $750 is not
unrealistic for a program similar
to Firestone’s, providing nearly
full hospital and surgical bene
fits as well as such additional
items as diagnostic services,
post-hospitalization care and
other major-type comprehensive
benefits.
THIS BROAD medical cover
age should give employees
peace-of-mind because in time
of illness, protection is there to
ease the financial burden and
help provide care and treatment.
The Firestone medical ex
pense program also protects em
ployees against the rapidly-ris-
ing cost of medical and hospital
care, which in many areas runs
twice as much as it did just five
years ago.
many
Ronald E. Dyer, tape bonder
in TC Twisting, was among
many Firestone men with
whiskers during Gastonia's Cen
tennial observance in May.
Three others; page 2.
The Firestone Tuition Re
fund Program helps employ
ees to keep on learning.
Company management be
lieves that continuing education
for employees can be mutually
beneficial in bringing into har
mony the employee’s personal
goals and Firestone’s objectives.
And it recognizes that Fire
stone’s future growth greatly
depends on having a well-
trained reserve of capable man
agement personnel.
So, Firestone encourages its
people to strive for greater pro
ductivity through use of new
knowledge.
BENEFITS of the Tuition Re
fund Program are available to
permanent fulltime employees
working in corporate offices, at
domestic plants, or on home of
fice payroll. They must be on
the payroll before the first day
of their school term and actively
at work on the day the school
term ends.
What and where to study?
You may take credit or non
credit courses at public, voca
tional, or technical schools ac
credited by the State Board of
Education, or colleges and uni
versities accredited by the six
nationally-recognized regular ac
crediting associations.
Since what you study should
be related directly to Firestone’s
needs and goals, you’ll have to
get approval of the courses you
take.
Firestone people within five
years of normal retirement age
may be reimbursed for courses
more on page 4
School Tour
People touring the North Car
olina Vocational School at Bel
mont May 12, saw as much in
one hour as they would see in
one visit to five different textile
plants. The self-guided tours
were a part of the school’s third
annual Textiles Technicians
Fair.
Students demonstrated vari
ous textile operations from fiber
to garment—yarn preparation,
weaving & designing, knitting &
designing, dyeing & finishing
and apparel manufacturing.
^Taking The Extra Step ... ’
Firestone at Bowling Green is
in a special campaign to control
injuries at work, with the theme
“Take the extra step” (for
safety.)
“ ‘Taking the extra step’
means staying clear of chances
and having nothing to do with
shortcuts that so often mean in
juries,” said G.T. Shields, Bowl
ing Green safety engineer.
He lists some of the injuries
for April as examples: Cut fing
ers when one man was victim
of a pinch-point while lowering
the cage of a work platform, an
other fell and injured an ankle
and arm while pushing a pin-
rack truck (slipped on a travel
ler on the floor), a cut hand
when another employee was
placing a beam tension rope
over beam rim when the tension
spring broke loose. Another was
using a utility knife to cut poly
propylene wrapping on a roll of
fabric and the knife caught in
the material, causing lacerations
on hand.
“Can you think of ways these
injuries could have been pre
vented,” asked Shields. ‘ “Tak
ing the extra step’ to expect the
unexpected could have reduced
these injuries—and all others
before them.”
Toward 4,000,000 Hours
• • As of June 1, the Firestone Textiles (Gastonia)
plant passed the 3,320,000 people hours-in-production
figure without a disabling injury. For this accom*
plishmenl in at-work safely, counting began January
1 of 1976, said safety engineer E. H. (Bill) Passmore.
$1.19
Billion
For Work
Thirty per cent of the Fire
stone company’s total sales
in 1976 went for wages, sala
ries and benefits to its
113,000 employees around the
world. The people were paid
$1.19 billion for their work-
services from the total sales
revenue of nearly $4 billion.
These are some of the fundamental economic facts
about Firestone explained in the company’s annual
report to employees distributed last month. The
booklet breaks down company revenue into the areas
of materials and fuel costs, wages and salaries, equip
ment depreciation, interest on loans, taxes and profit.
In the six-page report, employees see how their
efforts have contributed to the company’s success and
how the company spends its money.
The record 1976 sales of $3.94 billion place Fire
stone among the top 40 largest companies in the
United States, the report shows. Of total revenue,
more than $2.21 billion went for raw materials and
fuel costs and $1.19 billion was spent on employees’
wages, salaries and benefits. These two categories
accounted for the spending of almost 87 cents out of
every dollar of revenue.
I
house
save
• P & PD secretary Nova
Lowe with model of energy-sav
ing house.
USING ENERGY
EFFICIENTLY
• •An exhibit on saving energy at home through insula
tion and other ways of conservation was in the main mill
entrance of Firestone, Gastonia, during May. A house skele
tal model showing ways of efficient use of energy was on
loan from Gaston Community College.
Another part of the exhibit from Lowe’s store showed
insulation materials and equipment for energy efficiency.
The plant Process & Product Development arranged the
exhibit.