50 years on the job!

Over the past decade our industry has seen a significant amount of worker turnover. From retirements, to layoffs our industry has seen a significant percentage of seasoned workers depart our industry. On one recent plant visit the APSB was told that 70% of their workers in one department have less than 2 years’ experience. Another plant told us that they have an annual turnover of over 18%. Many in our industry acknowledge that new workers entering our industry lack not only experience, but education, and work ethic too. Unfortunately, we think some in our industry fail to acknowledge the value of seasoned workers. Here is a recent story:

Ed Miller moves briskly down a long hallway at Mid-States Aluminum Corp. His movements are smooth as he deftly swings silver crutches and plants his right leg.

But not his left.

At the age of 17, Miller was in a serious car accident. Among his injuries was a crushed left leg. Doctors amputated the leg above the knee.

Since then, he's worked 50 years at Mid-States Aluminum Corp. in Fond du Lac as a metal fabrication worker. He's used various prosthetics over the years and he's saving up for a re-fit. He's currently getting around on crutches with nearly the ease of a well-fitted prosthetic.

"They use the word handicapped, but I always hated that word, because everybody is handicapped in some way," Miller said.

Miller has no intention of being treated differently because of his lost limb, and at work he claims he isn't, even by workers of younger generations.

He has done a number of different tasks with the company over the decades, including repairing and setting dies, which are tools that extrusion workers push aluminum through to form different shapes.

Three years after joining the company, he became supervisor of the extrusion operation. He runs the saws, the machine presses and has done a lot of deburring, or smoothing out the rough edges of different metal pieces.

"I'm happy with what I'm doing," Miller said. "It keeps me active and I'm working. The company's been good to me, too."

After his accident, Miller said he tried to find work, but employers turned him away. They assumed he couldn't perform the necessary job tasks, Miller said.

"At least (Mid-States) gave me an opportunity," he said. "At other companies (they said), you've got one leg and you can't do this and you can't do that."

Miller has made many friends at Mid-States, including Joe Colwin, the corporation's chairman of the board.

Since Miller can't drive, Colwin has driven him many time to Green Bay for prosthetic refitting. They got to know each other, talking about their wives and other aspects of their personal lives.

"It gave me an opportunity to learn more about Ed outside of Mid-States," Colwin said. "Pushing buttons is one thing, hanging parts on a rack is one thing, but to find out what that person is all about is really important to me."

The APSB visits many plants and have been honored to meet many of industries finest. We truly enjoy the opportunity that we are offered to speak to workers with decades of experience. Seasoned workers in general view safety in a personal way. Meaning that safety is in their DNA. Because they either have experienced an incident themselves or knew of a coworker or loved one who was injured at work. Whereas young workers in general view safety impersonally. Young workers worked safely because “their boss told them to”. Plants would rather have workers who view safety personally then impersonally. The challenge is transforming how the young workers view safety. We have been invited to talk to many plants about the importance of safety around the globe. We find that when you can bring specific incidents which a worker can relate to it makes it easier for the inexperienced to finally get it.

Get what?

That they simply matter.

They matter not only to themselves but to their loved ones. They matter to their coworkers, friends, etc. When a worker realizes the big picture that they matter many realize the importance of working safely.

The Aluminium Plant Safety Blog is simply in awe of the longevity of Ed Miller in our industry. We can assure Ed that his story, and the story of Mid-States will be retold around the globe as inspiration to others. Not only his longevity but the kindness of Mid States to assist in the transportation of Ed to and from work is simply humbling. For as much Ed has received from Mid States over the past 50 years, MidStates has received even more from Ed. Keep up the good work!