608              TABLE TALK                   712

   2010  Issue #12                                                                                                                       March

Countdown to Contract – 184 days

USW Locals Website

   The website for all things 608 & 712 contains a lot of information you may need, if you need to contact your officers, they’re phone numbers are there. Need to know who is on the Pension Committee? It’s there. Look it up at:  http://usw-608.com/

The Importance of Unity

   Now that the surveys have been filled out what next? The Bargaining Committees will use them to form the agenda from which they will negotiate the upcoming labor contract.

Our best tool for getting the contract we deserve is to be a unified voice asking for the wages & benefits befitting a world class workforce. The products we produce are of the highest quality produced in the world & our management is very proud of these accomplishments that we have been so instrumental in producing.

We feel that such a world class workforce deserves a world class contract!!

Every time we fill the parking lot at the Union hall we strengthen our Bargaining Committee.

Every time we get involved with our Unions we are helping our own cause. Don’t think for a moment that these types of actions go unnoticed. They are noticed, and that’s the best way to show our resolve.

September 1. 2010, is an important date for most of us that are currently employed at Clearwater Paper and for many who are retired. September 1 is the date that our current contract expires and our negotiating teams meet with company officials to hammer out a new one.

Negotiations are nothing new at this site; they have been going on for 55 years when we were International Brotherhood of Pulp, Sulfite & Paper Mill Workers.

Many of you are unaware of the history the unions have at this mill, but your wages, medical benefits, vacations and overtime all came from negotiations between the union and management.

In the Labor Agreement dated November 1, 1951, a Machine Tender was paid $2.71 and a Digester Cook, $2.10. There are many more examples I could put down, but most of you get the point why we negotiate.

Another part of the contract date November 1, 1951, is the rate of time-and-one-half that will be paid for all work performed on Sunday.

In the last couple of negotiations, the company would have loved to do away with this last paragraph. I can almost guarantee you that on September 1, 2010, when Clearwater Paper and the Locals trade agendas, the company will be asking you the membership to give this up.

I’m not sure what reason, if any, they will give other than it costs too much or restricts too much on how they manage or whatever – they are going to want your Sunday premium. Each of you has to calculate what that is worth to you.

Again, history plays an important part of contract negotiations. In the lean times, the unions have conceded to the company giving up wages, vacations and other benefits. When the company makes money, we should all benefit. Look at the records that have and are being set all over the plant from safe days to record-breaking output in all departments.

Thanks for all your hard work and remember to tell your union officers thanks and make sure you fill out your questionnaires for negotiations. Last, but not least, get involved. Together we can get a fair contract

More Gordon Info

   From January 2001 to June 2008, Mr. Jones served as the President and Managing Member of Jones Investment Group LLC, an investment company.

Prior to that, Mr. Jones served from May 1999 to November 2000 as President, Chief Executive Officer, and Director for Blue Ridge Paper Products, Inc.

(http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/companyOfficers?symbol=CLW)

In October of 1997, Champion announced the sale of its Canton, NC, paper mill, its neighboring Waynesville, NC, extrusion coating operation, and five of its DairyPak converting plants located in Athens, GA. But Champion wasn't satisfied with the offers, so it remained for sale.

An employee group decided to try and take control of the mill and plants, so supported by the union, the group formed an ESOP committee, (Employee stock ownership plan).

They were introduced to a group called the KPS Special Situations Fund' located in New York.

When the ESOP committee met with the KPS people, together they determined what the ownership plan would look like: The investment fund owns 55 percent of the company, 5 percent of the company is reserved for senior management ownership, and 40 percent of the company is owned by the employees.

Along with the special ownership program, employees are members of the board--4 of the 11 board positions are held by employees, 3 of which are hourly--and employees also participate in what the company calls "workplace-culture committees."

The new company selected Gordon L Jones as the new CEO.

http://pffc-online.com/mag/paper_employees_become_ownersa/

The Table Talk will be archived at www.usw-608.com. If you have any ideas for future issues, please feel free to send them to our e-mail address: catoffice@cableone.net If you would like the Table Talk sent to your home computer, email the CAT office with your home email address.