NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS | September 18 , 2015 | PAGE 7
Longview mill workers end strike without a contract
The strike is over at the Kap-
Stone paper mill and box plant
in Longview, Washington. Asso-
ciation of Western Pulp and Pa-
per Workers (AWPPW) Local
153 made an unconditional offer
to return to work on Sept. 3 —
Day 7 of the strike — and the
company accepted the following
day. Union President Kurt Gal-
low said members began return-
ing to work on Labor Day. All
775 were back on the job by
Sept. 10, except five who the
company accuses of picket-line
misconduct.
If KapStone had rejected the
return-to-work offer, the strike
would have become a lockout,
making workers eligible for un-
employment insurance benefits.
KapStone Paper and Packag-
ing, headquartered in Illinois, has
four paper mills and 6,200 em-
ployees. It’s the largest kraft pa-
per producer in the United States.
After acquiring Longview Fibre
in 2013, it proposed concessions
from Local 153, a division of
United Brotherhood of Carpen-
ters. Union members gave up
their defined benefit pension and
retiree health benefits in their last
contract with Longview Fibre,
and were in no mood to accept
further cuts.
KapStone declared an impasse
in bargaining, and on Aug. 10
imposed its final contract offer.
That offer includes raises of 2
percent a year for eight years, but
also cuts in health benefits, re-
placing its current full-family
health plans with high-deductible
versions as of Jan. 1.
On Aug. 27, union workers
walked off the job.
The strike initially shut down
operations. KapStone said it
would use the time to perform
maintenance. But on Aug. 31 it
restarted the largest of five paper
machines using scabs. A second
machine started on Sept. 4.
The company brought in se-
curity guards to video the picket
line. Cowlitz County sheriff’s
deputies maintained a presence
at the mill entrance during shift
changes. On Aug. 30, a scab
drove his SUV into a picketer.
The picketer was taken to a hos-
pital but was unhurt. [See the
video at http://bit.ly/1fTukYQ ]
Gallow said the strike was
called to protest unfair labor
practices—violations of the Na-
tional Labor Relations Act. It’s
unlawful to hire permanent re-
placements in an unfair labor
practice strike. On Aug. 30, the
National Labor Relations Board
found merit to several charges
filed by the union, including re-
fusal to bargain in good faith and
making unilateral changes to
working conditions without talk-
ing to the union. The charges are
scheduled to go before a federal
administrative law judge Dec. 8.
The return to work doesn’t
mean workers have agreed to the
company offer. They still have
the right to strike again later.
... Locked-out Steelworkers seek support
From Page 1
Sept. 4, in a convoy of five 18-
passenger vans with tinted win-
dows. Trucks are also arriving at
the plant from ATI’s other Al-
bany facility, though not driven
by union members.
As the lockout lengthens,
USW Local 7150 has begun to
reach out to other Oregon unions
asking for support. Locked-out
workers are entitled to unem-
ployment benefits, but that’s far
below the income they earn on
the job. The international union
is providing strike/lockout ben-
efits that amount to $200 per
member per week; those funds
are pooled by the local and dis-
tributed on the basis of need.
Leading up to the start of the
school year, donations from
union and community members
provided backpacks and school
supplies to 67 children of
locked-out workers.
Local elected officials have
also been turning up at the picket
line to show support, including
Congressman Peter DeFazio,
Labor Commissioner Brad
Avakian, State Sen. Sara Gelser,
and Albany Mayor Sharon
Konopa (who’s married to
Teamsters Local 305 business
agent Steve Konopa). Konopa
also asked Albany City Council
to pass a resolution of support
for the workers, but the other
council members preferred a
neutral statement urging both
sides to resolve the dispute.
Rodgers said one of the
biggest things supporters can do
is just stop by the picket line and
say hello. “We appreciate all the
support we’ve been getting,”
Rodgers said. “That means a lot
to the members, and helps keep
them inspired.”
HOW TO HELP
■ Drop by the picket line at 530 SW
34th Ave., Albany.
■ Send a check for any amount to
the USW 7150 Strike and Defense
Fund, 1400 Salem Ave., Albany,
Oregon, 97321.
WASHINGTON
Union coalition reaches
agreements at Clark County
VANCOUVER, Wash.—Clark
County has reached agreement
on contracts with four unions
covering 700 workers. The three-
year agreements provide for
across-the-board wage increases
of 1.75, 2, and 2 percent and run
from July 1, 2015 through June
30, 2018.
The contracts largely maintain
existing terms, including health
insurance, for which workers pay
7 percent of premiums, a com-
posite rate that covers employees
and dependents.
The four unions bargained in a
coalition. Office and Professional
Employees International Union
(OPEIU) Local 11 represents 298
members at several agencies; AF-
SCME Local 307 represents 200
employees in public works; Pro-
fessional & Technical Employees
Local 17 represents 155 engi-
neers; and Laborers Local 335
represents 54 workers in the
county health department.
OPEIU Local 11 representa-
tive Maureen Colvin says the Lo-
cal 11 contract also fixed a source
of inequity between new hires
and more senior employees over
paid time off.
Clark County’s sometimes po-
larized politics played little role in
the negotiations. There was an
early push to make bargaining
sessions open to the public,
something Colvin said would
have been unproductive, but that
was scuttled.
Members of all the unions
have ratified the deals. They now
await approval of the Board of
County Councilors, which could
vote on them as early as Sept. 29.
Apprenticeship Opening
GLAZIERS
The Oregon & SW Washington Glaziers
Joint Apprenticeship & Journeyman
Training Program will be open to
accept applications to create a pool of
eligible applicants. Applicants must
be at least 18 years old. Must apply in
person and furnish a copy of a high
school diploma and grade transcript or
GED and test scores at time of
application.
Applications will be taken
Oct. 19 thru Oct. 30, 2015
Monday thru Friday,
9 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 3 p.m.
Glaziers Training Center
Mt. Hood Community College
26000 SE Stark St., Gresham, OR
Women and minorities are encouraged to apply.
Veterans GI Benefits may apply