THE MILL WHISTLE
Vol. 33
Eden, N. C., April 28, 1975
No. 19
CHARLIE ADAMS AND KATE
Kate and Mollie Bring
Fame To Charlie Adams
Charlie C. Adams still tends
! his garden and those of others
the old fashioned way — with his
mule Kate.
An employee at the Automatic
I, Blanket Plant at Smithfield, Mr.
Ip Adams also enters Kate in the
annual Mule Day Parade held at
- Benson each year. Kate has won
I the award for the best single
mule for two years. He also
enters Mollie, his 41-year-old
mule who is the oldest mule in
the parade.
People come to North Carolina
from as far away as Tennessee
to take pictures of Kate and
Mollie, Mr. Adams says.
Mr. Adams, a service operator
in the Components Department,
has worked at the Automatic
Blanket plant since 1973.
Employees Take Home More Pay
The Internal Revenue Service
'^has announced new tax
withholding tables which will
mean extra take-home pay for
Fieldcrest employees. The new
tables, now being mailed to
employers by the IRS, reflect
V I
Campaign Continues
m
Fieldcrest’s tetanus
immunization campaign
continues with excellent
participation from all
':i locations. Employees at the
Non-Woven and Sheet
Finishing Mills are leading
all other locations with 100
percent participation.
See page eight for a listing
of the locations where the
immunizations have been
given and the percentages
of employees participating.
Insurance Questions Are Answered
During the recent plant
closings and since that time, em
ployees have asked a number of
questions about insurance
coverage under tbe Fieldcrest
plan. In addition, the insurance
office has become aware of
certain misunderstandings from
employees regarding certain
provisions in the plan.
In an attempt to help clear up
the confusion. The Mill Whistle
interviewed Charles C. Wilson,
manager of employee benefits.
“In answering the following
questions, I have tried to be as
direct as possible, but due to the
complexity of group insurance,
some answers must be general.
Each claim is handled
individually to insure
consistency in spite of the many
variable factors involved,” Mr.
Wilson said.
Q. If I am laid off, can I be
covered under my wife’s family
plan if she continues to work?
A. We have had several
inquiries about this over the past
few weeks. No, you cannot be
covered as your wife’s
dependent if you are laid off
because you are still considered
to be an employee of the com
pany and therefore eligible to
accumulate pension benefits,
seniority rights, continuous
service, etc. You cannot be
covered as a dependent of
anyone else if you are eligible for
the insurance yourself.
Q. What happens if I get sick
after 1 am laid off? Does this
change my insurance status?
A. No, your status is
unchanged. If you are laid off,
you remain in a laid-off status
until you are recalled to your
job.
Q. If I am laid off, can I
continue my insurance
coverage?
A. Oh, by all means, yes. You
must, however, continue to pay
your portion of the insurance
premium on a regular basis as
you do when you are an. active
employee, just as the company
does.
Q. How long can I wait to pay
my part of the insurance
premium if I am laid off?
A. Employees are expected to
pay their part of the insurance
premiums as soon as they are
dropped from the active payroll
but in no case later than four
weeks from the last day worked.
The company, however, makes
every effort to avoid canceling
an employee’s insurance. (For
example, at the end of 1974, a
number of employees were sent
out because of plant closings.
For a period of several weeks
after they would have ordinarily
CHARLES C. WILSON
Administers Group Insurance
been dropped from the active
payroll, premiums were not
collected from these employees,
but their insurance was kept in
force.)
Q. How long can 1 continue my
insurance if 1 am laid ff?
A. The insurance may be
continued for one year while you
are laid off, provided you pay
your part of the premiums regu
larly. Like other beneifts at
Fieldcrest, your insurance can
not be carried for more than one
(Continued on Page Four)
Barber Honored For Attendance
the reduced amounts of income
tax withheld from employees’
wages after April 30.
The new tables, prescribed by
the Department of the Treasury,
are required by the Tax
Reduction Act of 1975, which was
enacted on March 29.
These new withholding tables
have not been received by the
Fieldcrest Payroll Department
as yet, but a copy will be made
available to each area personnel
manager as soon as they are
received and can be distributed.
Employees are urged by the
IRS to check their withholding
under these tables because even
under the new tables many em
ployees may continue to be
overwithheld and some may be
underwithheld. Adjustments to
withholding may be made by
filing a new Form W-4, which
(Continued on Page Three)
Johnnie R. Barber has
received additional recognition
from the company for his 13-
year record of perfect
attendance on the job.
Arthur L. Jackson, senior vice
president-manufacturing,
presented Mr. Barber with a $50
gift certificate for the purchase
of company merchandise in an
informal ceremony at the
Blanket Greige Mill April 17. Mr.
Barber earlier had received a
Savings Bond as an award from
the mill management.
Mr. Jackson congratulated
Mr. Barber and expressed the
company’s appreciation for his
faithfulness and dependability.
Also present for the ceremony
and adding his congratulations
and thanks was Giles H.
Runnings, division vice presi
dent-bed fashions manu
facturing.
A ring spinning fixer with over
32 years of continuous service,
Mr. Barber completed 13 years
of perfect attendance at the end
of December, 1974. His record
was broken in January when he
was ill with pneumonia.
Mr. Barber said there are
several things he considers as
Arthur Jackson presents award to Johnnie Barber for
13 years’ perfect attendance. At right is Giles Runnings.
having an effect on his
attendance record but that the
main reason he worked regu
larly was that “I liked every job
I ever had.”
He also thinks work is a habit.
“You get the habit of working or
the habit of laying out. My daddy
always told me to work the first
of the week because I might be
sick or something and not be
able to work the latter part of the
week. Usually if you work the
first three days, you’ll go ahead
and work the rest of the week,”
Mr. Barber said.