Common Goals, New Beginnings

Working Group Fine-Tunes Plan for I.P. Union Conference

Building on the two-day regional meetings held over the summer for union members working at International Paper, nine representatives from our new Union Conference at IP met as a working group" in Pittsburgh to discuss the challenges ahead and map out a strategy to improve communication, build solidarity and increase our capacity for mobilization within and between IP locals. This group of nine, who were recruited from this summer’s regional meetings, represents IP mills and converters, as well as both officers and members.

With reports from several of our top table negotiators, the working group outlined specific goals for the next several months. The group first discussed the union’s strengths and weaknesses compared to those of the company, then formulated the plan to build our solidarity at every level on shop floors throughout the country.

Their recommendations for the future of the conference include a regular monthly newsletter, expanded mobilization and communication training and bringing together the locals for another round of regional meetings, which will hopefully include participants from locals that did not send delegates to the summer meetings. The conference will be committed to providing guidance and education for any local that seeks to engage more of its members and improve participation in other union activities.

As the Union Conference at I.P. continues to strengthen in solidarity, more locals will also have the opportunity to participate in the USW’s "Building Power" training. In short, Building Power helps local unions establish stronger mobilization and communications power within the local.

Back to the Table: Converter Bargaining to Begin

Now that the IP mills are under a master agreement for the first time since Ronald Reagan was President, the time has come to start working toward a similar breakthrough contract for brothers and sisters at the converter plants.

Formal talks began on October 12th with our top table committee and IP’s corporate bargainers. The converter bargaining goals are largely the same as they were for the mills – namely, that the union will be fighting for a master agreement that provides fairness and justice for our members on the shop floor and retirement with dignity.