GP Union News July 2009

GP Union Conference meeting shaping up

Early numbers indicate that our upcoming meeting of GP local unions in Pittsburgh August 4-5 will be well attended. Aug. 4th is the day for our GP council meeting and the 5th will be a plenary meeting of other attending paper industry councils. We will move our Workers Uniting agenda forward where we have a joint presence in the paper sector with our United Kingdom counterpart UNITE. July 20 is the deadline for hotel reservations. For more information on arrangements or your local union, contact Dolly at the USW at 412-562-2382.

Labor Taking the Offense on the Political Front

After a long struggle since their government supervised vote to organize a union with the United Steelworkers, workers at the GP gypsum plant in Wheatfield, Ind., voted to accept the terms of their first union contract. USW members there will receive 2% wage increases in each of the succeeding years of the contract and other improvements.

Union negotiators say management finally got off a few issues that were unacceptable to union members, thereby providing an opportunity to present the proposed contract to hourly workers for discussion and a vote.

Members of the USW GP Union Conference extend congratulations and solidarity to brothers and sisters in Wheatfield for this important accomplishment. Also, a reminder that although some union proposals were not accepted this time around, with the union you have a vehicle to make important changes in the future, not just to accept whatever management is willing to give.

SUCCESS: Union workers at GP help nail down ‘black liquor’ tax credit

USW-represented workers from GP and other paper plants have successfully lobbied for continuation of the tax credits to the paper industry for alternative byproduct energy known as ‘black liquor.’ Rank-and-file union lobbyists said congressional representatives needed to be educated that this tax credit was not just a giveaway to companies, but an important tool to keep paper plants open during hard times and also promote bio-mass fuels. GP worker and USW member Melvin Dixon from GP-Naheola said, “I felt our lobbying effort went very well. It was well organized and people listened to what we had to say, especially those who had a lot of paper industry in their states. I think our efforts helped extend the tax credit until the end of the year.”