608                             TABLE TALK                   712

    2009   Issue #5                                                                             Sept.

Arkansas Contract Information

 Many rumors regarding the contract ratified by Clearwater & USW locals in Arkansas are making the rounds. We will try to put out real information as we receive it & print excerpts as space permits. The proposal dated 7/23/09 is the latest proposal we have received to date.

The contract is to run three years to 7/31/2012 .

The following are excerpts regarding wages, Sunday premium & pension:

Article 12, Wages:

a.               The following wage rate schedule is effective on August 1, 2009 :

Effective                           Effective                           Effective

8/1/2009                           8/1/2010                           8/1/2011

12 cents                            24 cents                            48 cents

Arkansas received across the board wage increases which translate to percent increases of .6%, 1.2%, & 2.4% for a person working at a $20 per hour average rate.

Article 14 - Overtime  A.  Time and one half shall be paid for the following:

(5) All hours worked on Sunday prior to August 1, 2011 . Effective August 1, 2011 , Sunday premium shall be eliminated.

The Company will pay a wage increase of $0.27 an hour to all employees effective Aug. 1, 2011 in exchange for the Sunday premium.”

 How would this affect someone working in Lewiston ?

27 cents per hour equals $594 dollars per year at 2200 hours worked per year.

Our Sunday premium is worth $2752 per year based on $20 per hour on a compressed wage. Over a 3 year contract this is an $8256 loss per employee. Over a 20 year career this is $55,040.

If we concede this benefit, it is worth over 3 million dollars a year to the company based on 1100 employees!

The company will go after this as they did in 2006. This was on the Company’s agenda to eliminate our Sunday premium for the lump sum of $2000.

Article 23  Pension Plans

1.     Pension:

The Company will maintain the pension program subject to the terms and conditions of the Pension Plan. The benefit level will be $50 per month per year of credited service through July 31, 2009 . The benefit level will be $45 per month per year of credited service beginning August 1, 2009 .

Currently our earnings are being bolstered by the Black liquor tax credits as outlined in the SEC 8K filings. The Company is receiving a refundable tax credit of $.50 per gallon of black liquor burned in it’s recovery boilers. The Company anticipates using 300 to 400 million gallons of black liquor.

This announcement means an extra 150 to 200 million dollars per year the Company expects to reap. It should be said that this tax credit is expected to expire at the end of 2009, although there is the possibility that Congress may extend this in some form. You can read the 8K filings here: www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1441236/000119312509104302/d8k.htm

MONTH OF GUNS

  The Idaho State AFL-CIO is  sponsoring a raffle  to raise operating  expenses.  Tickets  will be sold until September 25. Drawings will be held every day in October and each day the winner will receive a gun. In addition, a drawing for a $300 sporting goods store gift card will be held each Friday.

Winners will have their ticket returned to the raffle, so you could win more than once.

The tickets cost $20 each or $100 for six. Contact Dennis Lebold or Jerry Enyeart @ 791-5238 if you'd like to participate in the raffle.  Visit http://www.idaflcio.org for more information.

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