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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 18, 2017)
NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS | August 18, 2017 | PAGE 23 Labor Day Is Our Day! Be Union! Be Proud! From the Officers, Representatives Office Staff and Members of Machinists District W24 • Lodge 63 in Gladstone • Lodge 1005 in Gladstone • Lodge 1432 in Gladstone • W12 in Klamath Falls • W246 in Springfield • W261 in Central Point W38 in Shelton, WA • W130 in Aberdeen, WA • W536 in Longview, WA • W98 in Arcata, CA • W364 in Lewiston, ID • Local 88 in Butte, MT International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers 25 Cornell Ave., Gladstone, OR/503-656-1475 or 503-238-5550 AWPPW rejects Georgia Pacific/ Koch Industries contract offer The Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers (AW- PPW) Local 5 and Georgia Pa- cific (GP), wholly owned by Koch Industries, have been in contract negotiations for over three years, as the labor agree- ment expired May 31, 2014. AWPPW Local 5, located in Camas Washington, over- whelmingly rejected a contract offer that was voted on by the members, simultaneously giv- ing strike authorization. It is likely that customers such as Walmart, Costco, Staples, and Kroger’s would have supplies affected should a labor dispute arise at the GP facility. The company offer proposed that employees hired after ratifi- cation would come under a new wage rate scale that reduces wages an average of 20 percent. New hires would not be eligible for any general wage increases. New employees would not be eligible for the defined benefit pension plan, they would have fewer holidays, and vacation pay would be reduced. As part of GP’s proposal, cur- rent employees would receive general wage increases on aver- age 1 percent per year, which is far less than the 2.5 percent in- dustry average. The company’s proposal also contains language that allows for contracting out of all work, maintenance as well as produc- tion. The proposal replaces current health care plans with plans that reduce benefits and have high deductibles. This shifts the bur- den to the employees to cover their health care, the union said. Additionally, the proposal es- tablishes a two-tier wage system that would cut wages and bene- fits for the workers, while Geor- gia Pacific continues to make record profits for parent com- pany Koch Industries. The union and the company were scheduled to meet again on Aug. 16 (after this issue went to press). AWPPW is affiliated with the United Brotherhood of the Car- penters & Joiners of America.
