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Union Management Meetings

March 7, 2006

Also I will give you the update from the Union Management meeting.   CPD made 3.28 million dollars last month and was ahead of budget in most if not all categories.  This is also good news in that the company budget had an anticipated 600,00.00 profit budget for the month .  Brent Jensen reported on Safety and Tom Nielson gave the report on POWER.  Tom and the leadership of the locals will be looking at an interview process for the new POWER facilitator sometime in the fall.  Negotiations first and all other things in a prioritized fashion after that.  We also asked for the plans in the coming year and those since they deal with issues directly concerning the business will be discussed at the Union Meetings.  The future at this time seems to be growing for the consumer side of the business and the challenges we face in other business segments are being taken on aggressively by our brothers and sisters in the IPPD segment and as soon as the pricing index for that segment takes off on firm ground we expect the same results.  There are many things that drive the potential in our areas of operation.  We as members of the USW take our jobs and responsibilities very seriously we are hoping that we will be doing it in cooperative environment and not one of the 1960's and or 1970's.  We will see how the new CEO approaches his new job.  It was encouraging and or a shock to see that the Board of directors realize the value of its employees and does not want us to suffer economically when we work for the corporation. 

Remember we are the ones whom will be the leaders of our industry when it comes to Clean Air, Clean Water and Healthy Forests.  The USW has been holding meetings across the United States with leaders and activists from locals that are involved in industries that are resource based, and it is the intention of our International President that we will continue to strive to protect the Family Living Wage jobs of those industries while protecting the recourses that provide those jobs for our Children and Grandchildren so that they, have the same opportunities if not more than we do today to raise their children.  These challenges may change some of the names, (FTTP, CPPT, TREE) you have heard from in the past, however the faces for the most part should not change.  There is a renewed determination and drive across the faces of the USW and its members since the merger and I believe it is going to be the best thing to happen in the organized Labor movement in the Last Twenty Years.  Our District 12 Director Terry Bonds wants to visit with us this Spring or late Summer and we look forward to showing off our part of heaven in Idaho.  Also our International President and part of his family are planning a return trip sometime in the early fall and we will try to plan something for them then.  We will be seeing more of each other in the future and remember to give the area coordinators and shift communicators your thoughts and comments.  In a moment of recognition I would like to take this opportunity to inform you that our past Regional Director and Vice President Roger Heiser has announced his retirement and we will be holding a recognition of years of service at the upcoming Region XI conference in April.  Also President Jim Kidder has been asked to serve on the Board of Trustees for our Pension Benefit Plan and as a Trustee for our HRA plan.  He will be going to formalized training for this new responsibility in April and we thank him for taking his time from his family and his other duties to do this for us, remember the leaders in the USW work for the members.  As Always Fraternally Yours,  Rain--Pres. USW #608