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Appleton Paper’s Illegal Maneuvers Outrage Union
Steelworkers to File Unfair Labor Practice Charges
For Immediate Release April 15, 2008
PITTSBURGH – The United Steelworkers (USW) today condemned the management of Appleton Paper for illegally implementing the terms and conditions of the company’s “last, best and final” contract offer on the approximately 400 members of USW Local 10-0422 at Appleton’s Roaring Spring, Pennsylvania facility.
The union says it will file unfair labor practice charges with Region 6 of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against the company over this incident later this week.
“After its drive to bully Appleton’s employee-owners into accepting major health care concessions failed, management has broken the law in its recklessness,” said USW Vice President Jon Geenen. “We are absolutely stunned by how far this company has gone to avoid bargaining in good faith.”
Geenen reiterated that the company’s insistence on gutting employee and retiree health care programs puts the physical and economic health of Appleton employees and their families in peril.
Last week, the members of USW Local 10-0422 rejected the company’s contract proposal by a vote of 344 to one and called on management to resume good faith negotiations for a fair contract. Since then, however, the company’s representatives have refused to meet with the USW.
“We are still willing to meet and discuss these and other issues with management to try and resolve this contract reasonably and fairly,” he said. “I believe we can reach an agreement if the company stops breaking the law and negotiates, but unfortunately, it may require the NLRB to pursue a complaint before that happens.”
The USW represents more than 850,000 workers in a wide array of industries throughout the United States and Canada, including approximately 1,500 hourly production and maintenance employees at Appleton Paper facilities in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin and Kansas.
Contact: Ed Kemick, USW (724) 698-3585
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2008 RELEASES AND ADVISORIES
