“In a global economy, we cannot have a local approach to bargaining,” International vice president Jon Geenen told members of the GP union council in Pittsburgh on April 28. As part of the USW’s continuing efforts to share information on the working conditions at GP locations in other countries, Craig Foster, an assistant operator and union rep in a de-ink plant in Manchester, England spoke with GP local union leaders.
“We have the same problems in the United Kingdom (UK) as you have,” said Foster, a member of Unite the Union. “GP has 1,260 employees at four manufacturing sites in the UK.” After shutting down a part of one plant, the company is bringing paper into the UK from a GP mill in Spain, he reported.
Working 12-hour shifts, Unite members at GP sites work 1,776 hours a year, meaning that they are off work one-half of the year. Earnings average £27,000 ($54,000) a year but the cost-of-living keeps raising. While a gallon of gas is nearing $4 in the U.S.,it is cost the equivalent of $2.18 a liter or $8 a gallon in the UK.
During recent wage talks Foster said, “The company offered a zero wage increase. We told them we would strike.
“Then the company offered two percent,” he said. “We explained how prices were going up but we took the offer to the membership for a vote. It was rejected by 77 percent.
“Finally, the company came back with a three percent offer and we are recommending acceptance to our members,” Foster said.
Unite’s members vote on the offer on May 7.
The USW and Unite the Union of the UK and Ireland are in discussions to merge. If the merger succeeds, it will create the largest industrial union in the world.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Geenen reports and looks to future
Meeting with GP local union representatives in Pittsburgh prior to the USW Paper Bargaining Conference, International Vice President Jon Geenen gave an overview of bargaining and peered into the future.
“What happens at one local affects what happens in another local – no matter what union.”Geenen said.
“After 25 years of bargaining concessions,” he said, “We’ve made progress in paper. “We can’t simply look at bargaining as setting a date 60 days before contract expiration and scheduling a meeting,” he said. “That’s not how bargaining occurs. It is an exercise of building power.
He gave major credit to locations that were out in front in bargaining, with their memberships fully engaged and standing in Solidarity. “Building Power from the ranks below with full commitment of resources from the top is what it takes to achieve victory,” he said.
“We were losing the right to bargain collectively over health care,” he said. “Now we do not sign contracts where we do not have that right.
“In 2004 we had less than 50 successorship contracts and now we have 500.
“Where we had 75/25 on health care, we got employees backup to 80/20.
“Attacks on our defined benefit pensions have stopped.
“The frameworks (broad parameters of allowable agreements) are not the end game,” Geenen said. “As we develop the GP Council, it calls for rank & file leadership.
“Our biggest victory is that we’ve influenced the process,” he said. “We’ve changed the way GP bargains.”
Looking to the future, Geenen reiterated, “We will rebuild this council, coming out stronger. There’s enough leadership roles to go around for many rank & file members to get involved.”
“What happens at one local affects what happens in another local – no matter what union.”Geenen said.
“After 25 years of bargaining concessions,” he said, “We’ve made progress in paper. “We can’t simply look at bargaining as setting a date 60 days before contract expiration and scheduling a meeting,” he said. “That’s not how bargaining occurs. It is an exercise of building power.
He gave major credit to locations that were out in front in bargaining, with their memberships fully engaged and standing in Solidarity. “Building Power from the ranks below with full commitment of resources from the top is what it takes to achieve victory,” he said.
“We were losing the right to bargain collectively over health care,” he said. “Now we do not sign contracts where we do not have that right.
“In 2004 we had less than 50 successorship contracts and now we have 500.
“Where we had 75/25 on health care, we got employees backup to 80/20.
“Attacks on our defined benefit pensions have stopped.
“The frameworks (broad parameters of allowable agreements) are not the end game,” Geenen said. “As we develop the GP Council, it calls for rank & file leadership.
“Our biggest victory is that we’ve influenced the process,” he said. “We’ve changed the way GP bargains.”
Looking to the future, Geenen reiterated, “We will rebuild this council, coming out stronger. There’s enough leadership roles to go around for many rank & file members to get involved.”
GP Union Conference delegates discuss regional meetings, building local union strength
Union delegates from Georgia Pacific-owned facilities spent the first morning of the conference in Pittsburgh April 28-29 talking about issues raised at the regional GP meetings earlier in the year around the country to get a clearer understanding of issues facing hourly workers.
Reports back from these regional meetings talked about the most serious problems now facing workers at GP. Union workers also came up with a united plan to begin address these issues as a group. With assistance from USW Strategic Campaigns staff, breakout groups discussed various ways we are building stronger communications networks so no one is left in the dark about union-company relations at any facility.
Additional ways of building power were discussed. More details will be discussed in future issues of this publication.
Reports back from these regional meetings talked about the most serious problems now facing workers at GP. Union workers also came up with a united plan to begin address these issues as a group. With assistance from USW Strategic Campaigns staff, breakout groups discussed various ways we are building stronger communications networks so no one is left in the dark about union-company relations at any facility.
Additional ways of building power were discussed. More details will be discussed in future issues of this publication.
Monday, February 25, 2008
GP/Dixie Workers in Easton Accept 4-year Deal with Retro Pay
GP/Dixie Local 412 in Easton, Pa., ratified a 4-year contract by a 282 to 37 vote after walking a labor agreement that expired Aug. 2, 2007. The settlement improves wages and benefits while limiting employees’ cost for health care and dental benefits to 25% of the premiums.
Workers are receiving a 2% wage increase retroactive back to Aug. 1, 2007 and three more 2% general wage increases each Aug. 1, through 2010.
Employee life insurance is increased to $29,000 with the entire cost paid by the company. Additional supplemental employee life insurance up to $50,000 (in increments of $10,000) may be purchased by employees. Dependent term life insurance is also available for spouses and
dependent children with costs paid by employees and premiums subject to change on an annual basis. This may be an important benefit for those unable to qualify for life insurance under general underwriting guidelines.
Weekly S&A benefits are increased to 60% of the employee’s regular straight time rate times 40 hours.
Pensions are increased to $25 per month per year of service, and increase $1 a year until the multiplier reaches $28 in the final year. The company also agreed to add 10% to the employer’s cost of maintaining present pension levels that would have otherwise faced reductions.
The safety shoe allowance is increased from $75 to $85 per calendar year, and smoking in the workplace ends Jan. 1, 2011.
Workers are receiving a 2% wage increase retroactive back to Aug. 1, 2007 and three more 2% general wage increases each Aug. 1, through 2010.
Employee life insurance is increased to $29,000 with the entire cost paid by the company. Additional supplemental employee life insurance up to $50,000 (in increments of $10,000) may be purchased by employees. Dependent term life insurance is also available for spouses and
dependent children with costs paid by employees and premiums subject to change on an annual basis. This may be an important benefit for those unable to qualify for life insurance under general underwriting guidelines.
Weekly S&A benefits are increased to 60% of the employee’s regular straight time rate times 40 hours.
Pensions are increased to $25 per month per year of service, and increase $1 a year until the multiplier reaches $28 in the final year. The company also agreed to add 10% to the employer’s cost of maintaining present pension levels that would have otherwise faced reductions.
The safety shoe allowance is increased from $75 to $85 per calendar year, and smoking in the workplace ends Jan. 1, 2011.
GP Fires Shift Worker for Safety Violation
A worker in Dubuque, Iowa, was fired a few weeks ago for his second violation of the lock out/tag out procedure over the previous 12 months.
He was a second shift worker who worked a lot of 12 hour shifts during his tenure.
According to company work rules in Dubuque, a one-year time frame is important because, “discipline steps become inactive after one year…”
GP employees who are written up for safety violations must be especially cautious to follow the rules, especially during the 12 months following the infraction.
While it may seem like a cloud hanging over your head, representatives of Local 1861-5 warn that discharge may result and these cases can be difficult to overturn. In this case, the worker left without asking any help from the union in regaining his job.
As all of our sites continue or go through “rapid transformation,” we need to be aware that working long hours can subject us to being disciplined for committing unintentional safety violations.
He was a second shift worker who worked a lot of 12 hour shifts during his tenure.
According to company work rules in Dubuque, a one-year time frame is important because, “discipline steps become inactive after one year…”
GP employees who are written up for safety violations must be especially cautious to follow the rules, especially during the 12 months following the infraction.
While it may seem like a cloud hanging over your head, representatives of Local 1861-5 warn that discharge may result and these cases can be difficult to overturn. In this case, the worker left without asking any help from the union in regaining his job.
As all of our sites continue or go through “rapid transformation,” we need to be aware that working long hours can subject us to being disciplined for committing unintentional safety violations.
Shutdowns Upset Workers, Spotlights Need For Job Security
Union workers are increasingly concerned about the wave of shutdowns announced by GP, and responding for now by fighting for the best deal possible for workers affected by the loss of jobs.
More news has arrived about GP’s plan to shut down the plant in Franklin, Mass. On Tuesday, Feb. 19, a union delegation visited state officials to nail down additional shutdown benefits, retraining and rehiring assistance for the 30 GP workers who have already been laid off and the remaining 60 workers who will be laid off in April. The Union negotiated severance pay and family health insurance until at least June and more.
At GP’s Suffolk, Va., saw mill, the temporary shutdown is to be made permanent, leaving approximately 15 workers laid off. The USW is bargaining with the company over this action and what it will mean for workers there.
A closing was also announced at the GP box plant in Batavia, Ohio. Union negotiations over effects bargaining are completed. The plant is scheduled to be shut down April 7, 2008
Union workers are seeking a way to discourage this corporate sell off of assets. It’s suspicious how the timing of these box plant closings coincides with hints that GP is buying Temple Inland,
which has 2 box plants not far from Batavia (Middletown and Marion, Ohio) and two box plants within 200 miles of the closing GP box plant in Franklin (Spotswood, N.J. and Scotia, N.Y.)
In the meantime, the USW and the GP Union Conference have made it a priority to assist those adversely affected to help them land on their feet. While the company goes through these business transformations, union workers want to have a seat at the table when decisions like this are being made. And while protecting workers rights in regards to seniority and other job security issues, we want to persuade the company into reinvesting in GP facilities for long-term viability.
More news has arrived about GP’s plan to shut down the plant in Franklin, Mass. On Tuesday, Feb. 19, a union delegation visited state officials to nail down additional shutdown benefits, retraining and rehiring assistance for the 30 GP workers who have already been laid off and the remaining 60 workers who will be laid off in April. The Union negotiated severance pay and family health insurance until at least June and more.
At GP’s Suffolk, Va., saw mill, the temporary shutdown is to be made permanent, leaving approximately 15 workers laid off. The USW is bargaining with the company over this action and what it will mean for workers there.
A closing was also announced at the GP box plant in Batavia, Ohio. Union negotiations over effects bargaining are completed. The plant is scheduled to be shut down April 7, 2008
Union workers are seeking a way to discourage this corporate sell off of assets. It’s suspicious how the timing of these box plant closings coincides with hints that GP is buying Temple Inland,
which has 2 box plants not far from Batavia (Middletown and Marion, Ohio) and two box plants within 200 miles of the closing GP box plant in Franklin (Spotswood, N.J. and Scotia, N.Y.)
In the meantime, the USW and the GP Union Conference have made it a priority to assist those adversely affected to help them land on their feet. While the company goes through these business transformations, union workers want to have a seat at the table when decisions like this are being made. And while protecting workers rights in regards to seniority and other job security issues, we want to persuade the company into reinvesting in GP facilities for long-term viability.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Naheola and Brunswick Reach Agreements
In light of the recent, unprecedented USW/GP framework agreement reached in large part to the ongoing solidarity at Naheola and Brunswick, the contracts at those two locations were recently settled. Here are some details -
USW Locals 950, 952 &966
NAHEOLA, ALABAMA
• Four year agreement
• Wages: two $1,000 payments for mill and converter, plus 2% and 2%
• Increases for mill job classifications
• Increase protective clothing and shoe allowance
• More retirement benefits, including full retirement at 60 years of age
• Funeral leave, add “step child” and great grandparents.
• Medical and dental plans converted to company plan 1/1/09, with employee contributions 25% of the premiums
USW Local 400
BRUNSWICK, GEORGIA
• Four year agreement
• 1st year, 2%, 2nd year $1,000, 3rd Naheola and Brunswick Reach Agreements year 2%, 4th year $1,000
• Wage adjustments up to $1.50/hour
• Family health care and dental insurance converting to company plan
• Pension improvements for both plans, up to $50 per month per year of service
• Red circled jobs continue at increased wage rates (USW maintenance workers put back in production during reduction in workforce at previous rates of pay)
February 8, 2008
SOLIDARITY!
USW Locals 950, 952 &966
NAHEOLA, ALABAMA
• Four year agreement
• Wages: two $1,000 payments for mill and converter, plus 2% and 2%
• Increases for mill job classifications
• Increase protective clothing and shoe allowance
• More retirement benefits, including full retirement at 60 years of age
• Funeral leave, add “step child” and great grandparents.
• Medical and dental plans converted to company plan 1/1/09, with employee contributions 25% of the premiums
USW Local 400
BRUNSWICK, GEORGIA
• Four year agreement
• 1st year, 2%, 2nd year $1,000, 3rd Naheola and Brunswick Reach Agreements year 2%, 4th year $1,000
• Wage adjustments up to $1.50/hour
• Family health care and dental insurance converting to company plan
• Pension improvements for both plans, up to $50 per month per year of service
• Red circled jobs continue at increased wage rates (USW maintenance workers put back in production during reduction in workforce at previous rates of pay)
February 8, 2008
SOLIDARITY!
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