Early numbers indicate that our upcoming meeting of IP local unions in Pittsburgh August 4-5 will be well attended. Aug. 4th is the day for our IP council meeting and the 5th will be a plenary meeting of other attending paper industry councils. We will move our Workers Uniting agenda forward where we have a joint presence in the paper sector with our United Kingdom counterpart, UNITE. July 20 is the deadline for hotel reservations. For more information on arrangements for your local union, contact Dolly at the USW at 412-562-2382.
SUCCESS: Union workers at IP help nail down “black liquor’ tax credit
USW represented workers from IP and other paper plants have successfully lobbied for continuation of the tax credits to the paper industry for alternative byproduct energy known as ‘black liquor.’ Carroll Story from Franklin, VA, one of the rank-and-file union members who successfully lobbied for the bill, said, “It was a chance for the congressmen to hear from workers from the plants. We educated them about how this wasn’t just a corporate giveaway, but a way to keep fellow workers on the job during downturns. It was a very strong effort by our union, and we were successful.” Other IP workers lobbying for the bill in Washington, D.C., included: Ingrid Wallace, Pensacola, Fla., Joe Whalen, Ticonderoga, N.Y., Kevin Dorn, Pineville, La., Nick Brewbaker, Pineville, La., Jimmy Melton, ¬¬Vicksburg, Miss., and Leroy Hendrix, Vicksburg, Miss.
Labor Taking the Offense on the Political Front
Organized workers and our allies across the country are reacting to the changing political winds in Washington, D.C., and making a ‘full court press’ to change labor laws that have been weakened by corporate interests through the decades since they were enacted.
The name of the proposed law we want Congress to pass is the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA). President Obama pledged to sign it if it passes through Congress. As expected, many employers are desperately fighting it. Passage of this law would help non-union workers get organized with us, earn similar amounts and eliminate any artificial competitive disadvantages.
Strength Through
Unity at IP!
Unity at IP!
For more information about the IP Union Conference – seeking to strengthen, unite and advance the interests of union workers at International Paper – check out the conference web site: http://www.solidarityatip.org/
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