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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 2006)
Whirlpool buys Maytag, closes union facilities Changes at King Louie apparel prove power of union-made Soon after Whirlpool Corp., the world’s largest appliance maker, ac- quired Maytag for $1.7 billion, it an- nounced it would close Maytag’s unionized plants in Newton, Iowa, and Herrin, Illinois, effectively killing off more than 1,800 union jobs — and 4,500 jobs nationwide. One thousand Maytag employees in Newton, a small town east of Des Moines, are represented by the United Auto Workers. Another 800 in Herrin, located southeast of St. Louis, are mem- bers of the Machinists Union. The 113-year-old Maytag main- tained its headquarters and research and development facilities in Newton, all of which are scheduled for closure at the end of the year. A nonunion plant with 700 employ- ees in Searcy, Arkansas, will close Dec. 31, and Whirlpool said it plans to sell the Hoover vacuum division. Hoover employees in Canton, Ohio, are repre- sented by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Whirlpool said it planned to create about 1,500 jobs at Whirlpool locations, resulting in a net loss of about 3,000 po- sitions after the closures are complete. Machinists Union Midwest Territory Vice President James Brown laid the job losses at the feet of Congress and the White House. “Lousy trade policies and a complete lack of enforcement of anti-trust and other measures to protect jobs and con- sumers leave American communities devastated,” Brown told Label Letter, a publication of the AFL-CIO’s Union La- bel & Service Trades Department. “Congress must act to stop the stampede of jobs to Mexico and other nations and enact an industrial policy that encour- ages manufacturers to keep good jobs in the United States. Manufacturing jobs are the key to a strong middle class, sta- ble families and vibrant communities. We cannot afford to lose them.” Whirlpool employs about 80,000 workers — both union and nonunion — nationwide. On Dec. 4, 500 union workers at a refrigerator facility in Evansville, Indiana, will be laid off. In a major change that signals the strong demand for union-made-in-North America clothing, King Louie is now King Louie American. The company, known for its stylish sports clothes, had been suffering from a split personality, with both an import and a domestic division. Internal analysis revealed that the bulk of King Louie customers demanded U.S.-union-made clothing, precipitating the change. Timothy Fitzpatrick of the United Food and Commercial Workers Textile and Garment Council, said the domestic division, which was only 30 percent of the company’s capacity, had been propping up the entire operation. In March 2006, King Louie went up for sale. The domestic operation was immediately snapped up by Michael Lerner, son of Morris Lerner, who co- founded King Louie in 1937. All King Louie American products will be union made in the United States. Moreover, Fitzpatrick said company officials have assured the union employees will not experience any reduction in wages or benefits as a result of the transi- tion. Communications Workers promote Cingular Wireless Cancer caused by asbestos exposure • Shipyards* • Refineries • Steel and Paper Mills • Powerhouses • Construction • Home Remodel • Brake Repair • Railroads *32% of 3,000 Americans diagnosed every year with Mesothelioma were exposed during Navy service or working in Navy shipyards. Find out more by calling: For information on treatment options, settlements and verdicts, asbestos products and patient profiles, please visit www.mesothel.com The Communications Workers of America is reminding union members that Cingular is the only unionized wireless company in the United States. Last summer the union ran online and radio advertisements urging the public to switch their wireless phone service to Cingular. CWA’s Web ads appeared on the blogs Salon.com, DailyKos.com and Atrios.blogsport.com, as well as on Ya- hoo and Google. Radio ads ran on Air America stations in the Northeast. Union members can go to www.CingularSwitch.com for information about making the switch to “the company that cares about workers’ rights,” or to regis- ter for follow-up information if they are still under contract to another carrier. CWA’s commercial message pointed out that customers can support a so- cially-responsible wireless company and get great deals on phones and service, as well as Cingular’s exclusive Rollover Minutes and access to the nation’s largest wireless network. Some 40,000 Cingular workers are represented by CWA and work under union contracts providing regular wage increases, good benefits and a voice on the job. USA Coffee donates portion of sales to IAM’s Guide Dogs Every time you purchase coffee from the all-union USA Coffee Company, a portion of your purchase will go to assist the Machinist Union-sponsored Guide Dogs of America program. Donating will add nothing to your purchase price. Guide Dogs of America is a non-profit operation that trains and supplies guide dogs to the blind free of charge anywhere in the U.S. and Canada. Guide Dogs of America President Jay Boormann is a former secretary-treasurer of Ma- chinists District Lodge 24. Ted Masinello, who heads USA Coffee, said the alliance is a win-win for coffee lovers who prefer union-grown and processed coffee and want to help a most worthwhile union-supported institution. Purchase USA Coffee online at www.usacoffeecompany.com. Follow the “Corporate Gifts” link to the icon to designate part of your purchase to assist Guide Dogs of America. Gradine Storms Since 2000, Roger G. Worthington, P.C. has donated over $2,500,000 towards medical research into finding a cure for mesothelioma. See: www.phlbi.org Offices in Los Angeles, Orange County and Dallas, Texas. Lawyers licensed in California, Oregon and Texas. PAGE 4 NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS Happy Holidays and a Peaceful 2007 E-Mail: gstorms@equitygroup.com www.equitygroup.com/gstorms Real Estate Broker 7886 SE 13th Ave. Portland, Oregon 97202 Direct: 503-495-4932 Branch: 503-233-8883 Each Office Independently Owned and Operated DECEMBER 1, 2006
