Common Goals New Beginnings
IP delegates to National Paper Bargaining Conference earlier this year agreed on multi-year plan to build a stronger union conference at IP. All agree that it is more important than ever to coordinate our activities and use our strength in numbers at IP for the benefit of all. As the old labor slogan goes: United We Stand, Divided We Fall!
Conference Website is UP!
Your online place to get news about the IP union conference is now up and running. Here’s how to get there: www.SolidarityatIP.org. It included conference newsletters since last summer. You can hit the site, read the news, make comments and discuss with your union brother and sisters. But remember, the internet is no substitute for face to face contact. IP Conference members are encouraged to continue having newsletter distributed by CAT Team or local union leaders at work!
Membership Training
As requested by local union activists at the National Paper Bargaining Conference, the International union is now preparing a comprehensive publication outlining all training programs offered by the USW. As soon as it’s completed, this publication will be made available to all IP Conference members.
Conference Communication and Action Team Organized
As per requests from IP union members, all “Conference CAT” positions are initially being filled by USW staff, but interested activists are being identified in each part of the country. As soon as possible, the transition will be made to a more member-driven structure. This Conference CAT plan was a major component of the program to build union power at IP that was developed at the Common Goals, New Beginning Conference. For more information, check the conference website.
Weyerhaeuser Plants Now Under IP Ownership
Since the announcement was made March 17 that Weyerhaeuser was selling containerboard, packaging and recycling facilities to IP, union-represented workers from Weyerhaeuser have been preparing for a seamless transition which was completed August 4th. The Weyerhaeuser Council had only 8 months earlier worked to successfully negotiate a contract protection clause (successorship). A special meeting has now been called by USW Vice President Jon Geenen for representatives of Weyerhaeuser local unions on Sept. 17-18 in Nashville. More on this in upcoming issues of this newsletter.
