Vol. 76, No. 4
Portland, Oregon
Fall 2013
CIC Executive Secretary Mike Pieti Retires
Mike Pieti, CIC Executive Secretary, announced at the August 8th CIC Executive
Board meeting that he would retire effective
October 1, 2013.
He noted this is the right time to transition to younger leaders who will bring new
perspectives. Pieti has headed the CIC since
its formation in 2006 when four area councils merged into one large national council
to represent industrial workers within the
Carpenters Union. Pieti led the fledging
council through the early consolidation
years and then had to deal with the impacts
of the worst depression the country has experienced in seventy years. The organization was hit hard by long term layoffs, plant
closures and a decline in membership. To
stay on a sound financial footing efficiencies were implemented such as closing area
offices, reducing the size of the service staff
and changing the areas served by those
Representatives. The consolidations were
made possible with the computer, by integrating all systems and through instant
messaging/website technology available in
this new era. The phase-in of a per capita
equalization formula was approved by delegates to a special convention in 2010.
“Emerging from the depression, a sound
foundation and a defined direction has
been laid out for the new leadership,” said
Pieti. “Instead of being consumed by closures and downsizing the leadership will be
able to focus on what our union should be
doing all along — organizing, growing and
doing the best representational work for our
WHAT’S
INSIDE?
members.”
Tony Hadley, President of the CIC, was
appointed to fill Pieti’s unfinished term.
Pieti joined the union when he went to
work for Boise Cascade in Yakima, Washington in 1972. He worked on the green chain,
operated every saw in the sawmill and then
moved to the power house. There, he
worked as boiler operator and a pipefitter.
Both his grandfather and father worked in
the mill before him.
In 1977 the Western Council of Industrial
Workers received an organizing grant from
the International Brotherhood of Carpenters and Pieti was one of four members selected to come out of their mills and organize nonunion workers. The team was made
up of Ralph Kellogg, Dave Bigby, Lee Smith
and Pieti. “We were all green as grass and
after our initial training at the George
Meany Center in Silver Spring, Maryland,
we thought organizing would only be a matter of presenting workers with the facts and
they would logically see the benefits of voting for union representation,” said Pieti.
“Boy, were we in for a shock. We lost the first
vote at Pine Products in Redmond, Oregon
by one vote and like they say, it is easier to
lose by four touchdowns than a single
point.”
“We learned that fear was the biggest factor for nonunion workers who were making
a decision about being union — fear of the
boss, fear of change, fear of retribution, fear
of the unknown,” said Pieti. “This is a very
powerful thing to overcome.”
These organizing years were formative
years for Pieti and for the rookie organizing
team. “We became very close and learned a
lot and were able to win a few campaigns as
we got more experienced,” Pieti reflected.
When Mike Pieti’s father, Hank, retired as
the Business Representative of the Yakima
local union in 1987, Mike was appointed to
fill the vacancy. “The toughest thing about
that job was following my dad,” said Pieti.
“He had amazing instincts, street smarts
and was aggressive in representing people.
He had this talent for breaking down what
seemed like complex problems into simple
terms so a clear action could be charted.”
Mike Pieti had to learn fast because region-wide contract negotiations began
shortly after he stepped into the Business
Representatives job. There had been concessions in 1986 and the union was determined to start the process of recovering
those take-aways in 1988 bargaining. The
Boise Cascade plants all across the west
were struck less than a year after Pieti
stepped in as Business Representative.
He learned how to manage a strike,
spread pickets to other Boise Cascade
plants to maximize leverage and how to
bring the membership together around a
positive outcome. “We were fairly successful in that strike because we recaptured our
self respect with the employers and we
made important gains to recover what was
taken in 1986. That strike established a tone
that carried us through the next several contract negotiations and we were ultimately
able to win back all of the concessions of
1986.”
In 1991 Pieti moved to Portland and went
to work for Jim Bledsoe, EST of the Western
Council of Industrial Workers. I learned a
great deal from Jim,” noted Pieti. “He had
an intellectual approach to bargaining strategy and he was very good at reading people.
Between my dad and Jim I learned from two
of the very best in the labor movement.”
Pieti did a short stint with the International Brotherhood of Carpenters, returning
to his roots in organizing. From 1994 to
1996 Pieti worked with Paul Marks and organized a good number of bargaining units.
He was called into service to lead the
Western Council in February 1996 and was
looking down the barrel of contract negotiations set to open in April. The International Woodworkers of America had settled
early with Weyerhaeuser so the advantage
of joint coordinated bargaining utilized in
the past was gone. The fight was over employer contributions to the Health and Welfare Trust and the bonus week of vacation
after 20 years of service, the last 1986 con-
(Turn to Page 2 )
Regional Reports
• Eastern
See Page 3
• Western
See Page 5
• Midwestern See Pages 8-9
• Southern
See Page 10
CIC Offers Education Grants
See Page 3
Safety Program in Oregon
Plywood
See Page 7
History of OSHA
See Page 7
Higher Stress in Workplace
See Page 12
Update on Joe Bell’s Walk
See Page 12
Florida Municipal Workers Join CIC
Local Union 2120 is situated on
the Atlantic Ocean in the northeast corner of Florida. This area
was first settled by the Spanish in
the 1670s, is the home of the
country’s oldest city, St. Augustine,
and was frequented by pirates in
its earliest days.
Local 2120 is the newest affiliate
of the Carpenters Industrial
Council (CIC). It represents public
employees who work in several
municipal and county jurisdictions. They are:
St. Johns County
Putnam County
Baker County
City of Crystal River
City of St. Augustine
City of Fernandina
Previously, this group was
represented by a kind of hybrid
Carpenters council that represented workers at Disney World,
the Jacksonville Airport, and other
places spread around
have much contact
the state. That council
with others doing
was reorganized by the
industrial work,”
United Brotherhood of
said Givens.
Carpenters and it was
Local 2120 is
determined that these
spread out over a
municipal workers have
large geographic
a closer community of
area, so it is difficult
interest with the
for members of the
industrial council than
local to get together
with the construction
—
even for union
JOHN LONG
section of the union.
meetings. One thing
The group was transferred to Givens would like to see is more
the CIC in May 2013.
connection with members
Vickey Givens works as a throughout the local.
supervisor in the solid waste
“After all,” she said, “we all work
disposal section of the Baker for counties and cities that are in a
County Road Department. She financial bind. I think we might be
has been employed by Baker able to help one another if we start
County for 25 years and serves as a meeting regularly.”
steward. Givens is hoping the
Baker County is now pressing
affiliation with the CIC will bring Local 2120 to extend the contract
about a good working relationship with no wage increases. “We really
with other industrial workers in need our officers and CIC
the union.
Representative to step in and find
“We were independent and a better solution because we
floating out there alone and didn’t haven’t had a raise in six years,”
added Givens.
John Long, a leader in Local
2120 and currently serving as the
Financial Secretary, sees great
potential for reorganizing and
strengthening the local under the
CIC. The first challenge is to
recruit a full complement of welltrained officers.
“Jason Weitzel, the CIC Rep, has
been down here on a regular basis
and he’s been a great help with
meetings and recruiting members
to serve in the vacant officers
spots,” said Long. “He has also
helped us focus on signing up new
members.”
One of the largest groups works
in the Facilities Maintenance
Department of St. Johns County.
This facility provides maintenance
and repair services for everything
the county owns — libraries, fire
houses, parks, public buildings. In
order to do this varied and skilled
(Turn to Page 4)
UNION REGISTER
2 • FALL 2013
Tony Hadley appointed to Executive Secretary Post
Tony Hadley, President of the
Carpenters Industrial Council, was
appointed to step in as the
Executive Secretary-Treasurer
effective October 1st. He will fill
the unexpired term of Mike Pieti
who announced his retirement
effective October 1, 2013.
Hadley joined Local 2086 when
he went to work in the Taylorsville,
Mississippi plywood mill in 1987.
“I had a young family and this was
my first union job,” said Hadley.
“The wages and benefits were the
best in the area and I grew to
understand how those benefits
were achieved through collective
bargaining.”
Hadley attended union
meetings on a regular basis and
within a year was asked to serve as
a steward. “From there unionism
just got into my system,”
commented Hadley. He describes
his first grievance case as a
member who got fired and stayed
fired despite his best effort to get
him back to work. “The offense
was just too severe to overcome,”
said Hadley. “But my record did
improve as I got more experience
under my belt.”
Hadley has served as Vice
President and President of his
local union, as a delegate to the
Southern Council of Industrial
Workers
and
the
UBC
conventions. He was the Vice
President of the Southern Council
Executive Board when the
Southern Council merged with
councils from the midwest, east
and the west to form the
Carpenters Industrial Council in
2006.
When several representatives in
the south retired Hadley was hired
as an Area Representative in 2008.
Hadley sees his primary
mission as EST to build on the
solid foundation set by Mike Pieti
and the CIC Executive Board.
Hadley said, “Mike got us through
an extremely difficult period
connected to the drawn out
recession and reconfigured the
council to be leaner and more
efficient. Now, we will be able to
turn our attention to growth,
organizing and making sure the
working class is well represented
with these companies that have
amassed such great profits. I also
see my job,” Hadley continued, “as
one of rebuilding pride and
recognition for what organized
labor has accomplished. Some
people have forgotten how the
gains they enjoy today were made
and don’t realize what they have to
lose without a strong voice across
the table from employers.”
Dan Walbrun Retires After 29 Years
Long-time union leader Dan Walbrun
retired in July after 29 years of service as a
full-time union representative.
“Our organization is not better off by Dan
Walbrun’s departure. He brought so much
talent and leadership. He will be missed,”
says Executive Secretary-Treasurer Mike
Pieti. “Fortunately, he has agreed to
continue to help out by continuing the
innovative on-line local union officer
training, and other trainings.”
Brother Walbrun joined Carpenters Local
Union 2832 in October 1974 at Eggers
Industries in Neenah, Wisconsin. He started
out at the Eggers door mill running a rip
saw, and later moved on to trim saw
operator, then expediter. His involvement in
the union began early on in his working
career.
“We did not have a steward in my
department, so I volunteered to give it a try,”
explains Walbrun. He served as union
steward for many years, eventually being
elected Chief Steward of Local Union 2832.
He also served his local union as Warden
and as a delegate to Regional Councils and
delegate to UBC Conventions.
At an early 1980s Midwestern Council
convention Walbrun was a vocal proponent
of putting seventy-five cents per member
per month into the Strike Fund. As a rankand-file leader, Dan argued persuasively
that, “If you want a strong organization, you
support it.” Delegates voted to phase in the
75 cent increase and it turned out to be a
good decision as strike benefits were
needed to bargain effectively with
employers as the economy improved after
the recession.
Walbrun was hired by the UBC in 1984
and has served as an organizer, a
representative and as an EST for three
different industrial councils. He was
pension and benefit improvements the
union sought. Some retirees saw their
pension checks more than double.
“It was a proud moment for all of us,”
remembers Walbrun.
“A good part of my career has been
consolidating councils to create stronger
organizations,” explains Walbrun. “Forming
a national Industrial Council in 2006 was
not something the UBC told us to do. The
leaders of the different councils came
together, recognizing that industrial
members would be better served and
stronger in one industrial council.” After
creation of the Carpenters Industrial
Council in 2006 Walbrun moved back to the
UBC as an International Representative.
“There are a number of union leaders I
have worked with over the years who
inspired me. Mike Fishman, Mike Pieti and
Denny Scott all played a huge role in
developing my knowledge and
understanding of the labor movement. The
list also includes local leaders like Larry
Pelot, Richard Doctor, Ken Koenig, and the
leaders of a local union in Beatrice,
Nebraska who stood up to their employer
against all odds, and fought for their
principles. I believe that each of us can
...Pieti Retires
(From Page 1)
cession not yet recovered.
“Jim Bledsoe came out of retirement and was with me virtually every day during those negotiations,” said Pieti. “The
employers had immense respect
for Jim’s knowledge and his cunning and his advice to me was extremely helpful to get through
this sticky and messy negotiations. In the end we were able to
stabilize the H& W Trust Fund to
provide our members with a high
quality health care package and
we won back the bonus week of
vacation.”
When the four UBC-affiliated
industrial councils merged in
2006 Pieti was elected Executive
Secretary-Treasurer.
Pieti retires after 41 years of
dedicated service to the industrial members of the Carpenters
Union.
In retirement he plans to travel
a bit and to handle occasional
special assignments from Doug
McCarron, President of the Carpenters Union.
make a difference. I’ve seen that in local
union after local union. I’ve met so many
dedicated, principled local union leaders
who inspire their co-workers and make the
union strong.”
“I’ve always felt my trade union values fit
in with my religious faith. I feel we have a
moral obligation to protect the
underprivileged and serve others. We have
an obligation to look out for each other. It’s
just common sense. As a collective group,
we can accomplish great things. We can do
more together. ”
“You can’t do this kind of work yourself.
Kudos to my wife Mickey. Her support and
trust made it possible for me to do this
work. I’ve loved it. Working in the labor
movement has been exciting and
rewarding.”
In retirement Walbrun plans to spend
more time with his family. He and his wife
Mickey share a hobby collecting thimbles.
He also hopes to visit national parks in the
west and is planning a trip to Norway and
the rest of Scandinavia in 2014 or 2015.
Brother Walbrun is also active in his church
and is making preparations to become a
licensed minister, to be able to take an even
more active role in retirement.
instrumental in the formation of the Great
Lakes Regional Industrial Council which
handled bargaining over a seven state
region of the Midwest. It was an attempt to
duplicate the pattern bargaining that had
occurred on the West
Coast for years.
One assignment
STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT AND CIRCULATION, (Required by 39 U.S.C. 3685) the Union Register Date of Filing:
included assisting the
September 17, 2013.
Frequency of issue: Quarterly (4 issues published annually) annual subscription price $9.00
local he’d come from,
Complete mailing address of known office of publication: 12788 S.E. Stark Street, Portland, Oregon 97233
leading contract negotiaComplete mailing address of headquarters or general business office of the publishers: 12788 S.E. Stark Street, Portland, Oregon 97233
tions with Eggers
Names and addresses of publisher, editor, and managing editors: Publisher, The Union Register Co., an Oregon Corp., 12788 S.E. Stark Street,
Portland, Oregon 97233; Editor: Denny Scott, 12788 S.E. Stark Street, Portland, Oregon 97233; Managing Editor, Angela Richardson, 12788 SE
Industries. In those
Stark St., Portland OR 97233.
negotiations pensions
were the central issue,
OWNER: The Union Register Company, An Oregon Corporation,
12788 S.E. Stark Street, Portland, Oregon 97233, stockholders in which are
past service credits in
Carpenters Industrial Council, UBC&J, 12788 S.E. Stark Street,
particular. Even at just 7
Portland, Oregon 97233, (a Labor Union Council, not incorporated)
Tony Hadley, 12788 SE Stark Street, Portland, Oregon 97233
cents per hour it took a
Miles Cook, 12788 SE Stark St, Portland, OR 97233
strike to achieve the
Dan O’Donnell, 1267 SCR 79, Mize, MS 39116
Known bondholders, mortgages, and other security holders owning or holding 1 percent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages or other securities: none
The purpose, function, and nonprofit status of the organization and the exempt status for Federal income tax purposes have not changed during preceding 12 months.
Average No. Copies
Each Issue During
Preceding 12 Months
A. TOTAL NO. COPIES PRINTED (Net Press Run)............................................
B. PAID CIRCULATION
1. MAILED OUTSIDE-COUNTY PAID
SUBSCRIPTIONS STATED ON PS FORM 3541.....................................
2. MAILED IN-COUNTY PAID
SUBSCRIPTIONS STATED ON PS FORM 3541 ....................................
3. OUTSIDE THE MAILS INCLUDING SALES THROUGH DEALERS
AND CARRIERS,STREET VENDORS AND COUNTER SALES ............
4. OTHER CLASSES MAILED THROUGH THE USPS ...............................
C. TOTAL PAID DISTRIBUTION
(Sum of 15b(1), (2), (3) AND (4)....................................................................
D. FREE OR NOMINAL RATE DISTRIBUTION ................................................
(By mail and outside the mail) .......................................................................
4. FREE OR NOMINAL RATE DISTRIBUTION.............................................
OUTSIDE THE MAIL (Carriers and other means)......................................
E. TOTAL FREE OR NOMINAL RATE DISTRIBUTION ...................................
F. TOTAL DISTRIBUTION ...............................................................................
G. COPIES NOT DISTRIBUTED ......................................................................
I. PERCENT PAID .........................................................................................
Single Issue
Nearest to
Filing Date
13,043
13,282
12,743
12,982
0
0
0
0
0
0
12,743
12,982
0
0
100
100
12,843
200
99%
100
100
13,082
200
99%
Publication of Statement of Ownership: October 2013
I certify that the statements made by the above are correct and complete.
(Signed) Angela Richardson, Managing Editor
UNION REGISTER
FALL 2013 • 3
Carpenters Industrial Council Creates Education
Foundation for Members and Their Children
A charitable foundation was
established by the Carpenters
Industrial Council in October 2012
for the purpose of awarding grants
to members and their children
who are advancing their education
through college, trade schools or
other recognized training
institutions.
The first round of educational
grants will be awarded in JanuaryFebruary 2014. The Carpenters
Industrial Council Educational
Charitable Foundation will, in this
first round, award three $1,000
grants to children of members who
are attending college or a trade
school. Anyone interested in
applying for one of these grants
should contact Tami Johnston at
the CIC office in Portland (503228-0235 or [email protected]). An application form will
be supplied and must be returned
no later than December 31, 2013,
for eligibility. The student applying
must demonstrate passing grades,
show they are enrolled in a college
or trade school, outline their area
of study and write a short essay as
part of the application process.
The long-term plan is to expand
these grants to both children of
members and members.
This charitable education grant
program was made possible when
Well Card approached the CIC and
laid out their health care discount
program available to members
who use the Well Card. The
Council decided to participate in
the program and has been
distributing cards to members.
The record shows that just over 75
members have so far used the card
and saved hundreds of dollars on
prescription drugs, dental and
medical services. For every
prescription dispensed to a
member the Well Card company
will transmit a fee of 50 cents to the
scholarship fund.
The council leadership made
the decision to set up an education
grant program with the funds
returned under this plan.
“It is urgent that we do
everything possible to give our
members and their kids every
opportunity to advance their
education and their skills,” said
retired Executive SecretaryTreasurer Mike Pieti.
“The workplace is changing so
rapidly with new technology,
computer-driven machine centers
and even robotics that we must
find new ways to give our
members the tools and skills they
need to do those new jobs. This is
starting out small but it is our hope
that it grows to the point where we
can help hundreds.”
The grants awarded will be
called “R. Denny Scott” grants to
honor and remember Denny Scott
who worked with the industrial
council and industrial local unions
for nearly 30 years to educate
members.
Scott, who has been retired for
almost six years, has agreed to
serve as the Chair and President of
the Board of Directors. The Board
is filled out with Dan Walbrun,
recently retired UBC Representative; Angela Richardson, Systems
Director for the CIC; Jerry King,
President of Log Scalers Local
2197; and Barbara Byrd, a staff
member of the University of
Oregon Labor Education and
Research Center.
The charitable foundation is a
registered non-profit organization
in the state of Oregon and application has been made to the Internal
Revenue Service for tax exempt
status that will enable persons
making a contribution to take a tax
deduction.
From left to right, Local
2780 Trustee Willie Green,
Local 2780 Steward Noe
Rojas, and Local 1136
Steward Bronwyn Gumm
study their contracts during a practice session on
grievance processing at
CIC trainings held in Kennewick, Washington in
July.
Wrongful Termination Overturned for Local 2799 Member
CIC Provides Training in Kennewick,
Washington and Indianapolis, Indiana
The CIC provided local union officer and basic
stewards trainings in Kennewick, Washington, July
26th-27th, and in Indianapolis, Indiana, August 15th16th. Members from Locals 1136 (Kettle Falls,
Washington), 2767 (Morton, Washington), and 2780
(Elgin, Oregon) attended the Kennewick training.
Members from Locals 684 (Dayton, Ohio), 8093
(Bedford, Indiana), 1155 (Columbus, Indiana), 2077
(Columbus, Ohio), and 1123 (Detroit, Michigan and
Cleveland, Ohio) attended the Indianapolis trainings.
Topics covered included: UBC Constitutional
Duties of Local Union officers, Planning & Conducting
Union Meetings, filing the required Financial Reports,
recording keeping, goal-setting for local union
leaders, as well as additional trainings on recruiting
volunteers, improving communications with
members, and successfully mentoring newer activists.
Steward training included information on
grievance investigation, requests for information, how
to write grievances, note taking, possible basis for a
grievance beyond the contract, the seven tests of just
cause in discipline cases, time limits on grievances,
and communicating about grievances, as well as
practical exercises using example grievances.
“I was impressed by the number of young officers
and stewards, folks in the 20s and 30s who are getting
involved in their local unions,” noted Council
Attention Children of Members
If you are attending or plan to
attend college or a trade school
and wish to apply to the
Carpenters Industrial Council
Education Charitable Foundation
for a scholarship grant of $1,000 to
help with education expenses call
or email the Foundation for an
application:
503-228-0235
[email protected]
Representative Ray Calica.
“It’s clear that experienced, long-term stewards
and officers at these locals are serious about recruiting
and mentoring that younger generation,” added
Council Representative Todd Gorham. “They should
be proud of the work they have done to reach out to
younger members to get them involved.”
“The shop steward has the most important job in
the union. Workers need someone on the shop floor
making sure their rights are protected. Stewards
enforce the contract for them,” says retiring CIC
Executive Secretary Treasurer Mike Pieti. “Stewards
are critically important. You are the face of the union.
What members think about ‘the union’ is based on
how their steward handles grievances on the shop
floor of their worksite.”
“Stewards have the power to make the union
stronger. Be a pro-active communicator. Don’t just
wait for members to come to you,” advises retiring
UBC Representative Dan Walbrun. “Start a
conversation with them about union activities, the
contract, bargaining, grievance cases, asking that coworker to get involved in union actions,” “Be that
respectful person saying, ‘How can I help? How are
you doing?’ Listen. Explain their rights and how union
members together can make things better. Your work
is so important.”
Eric Landis works as a journeyman utility technician for UGI
Utilities, Inc., a natural gas and electric utility company headquartered in Reading, Pennsylvania. Landis is happy to be a
member of Local Union 2799. Landis works out of the Port Allegany/Coudersport, Pennsylvania work station.
In August, the union won a grievance settlement for Landis
over his wrongful termination. Eric had made a joke to friends
at work, which management claimed was a threat of workplace
violence.
At the arbitration hearing there were eight co-workers waiting and ready to testify on Eric’s behalf. During the arbitration
proceedings, union representatives pointed out the company’s
failure to do a complete investigation before issuing discipline.
After the grievance settlement in August, Landis was returned
to work with back pay for a total sum of $15,000 net. He also received pension credit for his time off and pro-rated vacation
benefits. He returned to work to his old job with no loss in his
seniority.
As part of this grievance settlement, a last chance agreement
will continue until June 1, 2014.
“I will be careful what I say at work to avoid any misunderstandings,” says Landis. “I am going to use this chance and not
give the company any reason to discipline me. I am thankful to
my co-workers for their support. I love my job and, because of
the union, I am back to work. Thanks to my steward Todd Kio
and to everyone in the union.”
“This shows union members that there is real strength in
unity. Without a union contract, there is no grievance procedure. If the company were to fire you without just cause, without a union, you would be out the door,” says Council Representative Dottie Shoff.
UNION REGISTER
4 • FALL 2013
... Florida
(From Page 1)
work every member of the crew
has a license as a Building
Maintenance Contractor. Then
those with specialty skills in
electrical, plumbing, AC, HVAC,
roofing and painting must have an
additional license in their respective trade.
The collective bargaining
agreement covering the St. Johns
County members expires in 2016
but it contains a unique feature
that allows the union to select one
item each year prior to the
expiration and bargain over that
single issue.
Long reports that there are
currently two key issues the
members would like to address.
The first involves a desire of the
members to bargain over moving
to a four day-ten hour day shift
arrangement. The other issue is
the fact that the county took away
the trade titles for the skilled
employees. The loss of trade
workers status occurred January 1,
2013 then when raises were given
out in February the county used
this “name change” to deny pay
raises to the highly trained group.
Small raises were awarded to less
skilled workers.
This move to strip away trades
status was backed up by a socalled study of pay rates for
comparable work performed in
other Florida counties (called the
CONDRA study). The local plans
to dissect that study to determine
whether the wage rates used to
justify a zero wage increase for the
skilled group were, indeed, for
comparable jobs.
“With the help of the CIC we’ll
take this rebuilding process one
step at a time so we can become
more effective in dealing with the
county,” said Long. “We certainly
want to have a strong, unified
membership and a plan in place
when we enter contract negotiations in 2016. If we don’t, I expect
the county will continue to
devalue and dilute the status of
the trades workers.
Plumbers Joe Licari (l) and Matt Padgett install a urinal in a public
restroom in a St. Johns County public park.
Steve Fellis, an AC tradesman, is part of the crew remodeling the
interior of a tax collectors office in St. Johns County, Florida.
David Ashton, a cabinet maker at the St. Johns County, FL,
maintenance facility is shown applying the county seal to EMT
backboards he handcrafted.
Member of Local 2120 in St. Johns County, FL, Robert Johnson is a
licensed painter. He is standing next to the paint truck used to
transport paint supplies to county buildings when they are scheduled
for painting.
Chuck Willoughby, former President of Local 2120 and a certified
mason, completes cement work on a St. Johns County public
restroom.
George Harrigan is shown pressure washing pipe racks at the St Johns
County maintenance facility, preparing them for paint.
U.S. Manufacturing
Continues to
Gain Traction
The order backlog and production for U.S. manufacturing
factories reached a two year high
in July 2013. This marked the
third consecutive month these
numbers have grown. This is attributed to improvements in both
domestic and international sales.
This survey also monitors employment in manufacturing and
while job growth has increased
the last two months, it lags behind the solid growth seen in orders and production. Generally,
employment gains lag behind
improvements in orders and output because companies use the
existing workforce working
longer hours with more automated equipment to achieve the
increased output for their product. As demand shows consistent
month to month growth companies will hang more “we’re hiring” signs.
Among the industries reporting growth in new orders and
production were wood products
and furniture.
Wage Inequality a National Scandal
Compensation for America’s
corporate chieftains grew by 876 %
between 1978 and 2012, according
to a recent study by the Keystone
Research Center. If that number is
too large to comprehend, contrast
it with the rise in wages for hourly
workers. Over that same 32 years,
worker pay rose by only 5.4%.
It is clear that one factor contributing to this widening disparity in earnings between the middle
class and the wealthy is the decline in the percentage of workers
who are in a union. In 1973, 24%
of U.S. workers were unionized
and, thus, entered into collective
bargaining to determine wage levels and benefits. Today, the percentage is half that at 12%. Obviously, being a union member
makes a difference in earnings.
To illustrate the growing gap
between CEOs’ earnings and the
earnings of their employees it is
instructive to take a look at the fast
food industry — where the industry is fighting hard against minimum wage increases. CEOs in the
restaurant industry earn $12 million per year on average. That is
788 times more than the $15,080
minimum wage for restaurant
workers.
And this gap is growing despite
the growth in the economy. The
so-called recovery has seen production and profits increase but
employment still lags behind. It is
shocking to consider that half the
U.S. population is now considered
poor or low income and the income once enjoyed by the middle
class has shifted over to the very
rich. This widening gap has been
occurring under the George W.
Bush administration and the
Obama administration.
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UNION REGISTER
FALL 2013 • 5
Members of Local 3074
came together for the first
annual picnic on Sept. 7th
at Greenville Park in
Chester, CA. Barbecued
tri-tip was on the menu
and the kids had water
slides, wading pools and
inflatable bouncing toys
to play on. The picnic
drew many retirees who
had a good time swapping
stories about one another.
They came from the mill
in Quincy and the mill in
Chester.
Good times at Union Local 3074 Picnic
Union members, retirees, and their families enjoyed a beautiful warm day at the Local 3074 picnic held under the tall shady pines of Greenville Park on September 7th. Greenville is nestled in a high mountain valley
in Northeastern California where the north end of the Sierra Nevada meets Mt. Lassen, the southern most volcano of the Cascade Range that continues north to Canada.
The Chester, California local served excellent tri-tip BBQ with all the fixings. The
cotton candy, popcorn and snow cones
were a hit with the kids. Retirees told stories about each other and comingled with
members and their spouses from the
Collins Pine mill in Chester and the Sierra
Pacific mill in Quincy.
The kids kept busy between the
bounce houses, water slide, a large wading pool, and a climbing wall for adventure. There were games for adults and
children. Mike Helt from Quincy took 1st
place in the racquetball-golf-pitching
contest for the 18 and older group.
This was the first picnic the local has
put on and it was a big success. Special
guest Ted Raburn, who represents Regence Health and handles problems that
members at Collins Pine have with insurance claims, came down from Oregon to join the festivities.
President of the local, Mike Delizio, gave a special thanks to retiree John and Paula Johnson for manning the
sign-in table, retirees J.D. Abney and Richard Kinsey for helping clean up afterward, Josh Powers for heading
up the games, and the Executive Committee for all their help and support. President Delizio also got a big
round of applause when he thanked Anthony Kinsey and his family for catering the barbecue, and Luke Kinsey and friends for providing the inflatable attractions.
UBC-CIC Local 3074 was first chartered with the United Brotherhood of Carpenters in 1942 and has a long
history representing Union sawmill workers throughout Northeastern California.
Labor Day
Picnic in
Coquille
There was a big turnout
of members, families,
and retirees of Local 2784
for the 8th Annual Labor
Day picnic in Coquille,
Oregon. Member Greg
Marshal was responsible
for delicious barbecue.
There was a hard-fought
horseshoe tournament, Local 2784 provided lots of fun for the kids, with a water
and many prizes were slide, games, and, pictured above, a scavenger hunt in a
pile of straw for candy.
raffled off.
Washington Locals Working Together
to Improve Record Keeping Practices
When the Department of Labor conducted an audit of the
record keeping practices and procedures in Local Union
2767 in Morton, Washington, they called on their sister local
union just 75 miles away for some help and guidance.
Local 2761 in McCleary had been through a similar audit
two years earlier and had modified the way records were
kept to meet federal requirements and to add efficiencies to
the system. On June 29th Steve Legacy, Violet Legacy and
Vincelle Calica from Local 2761 met with officers from Local
2767, President John Nelson, Fin. Sec. Barb Perkins and
Trustee Scott Mays.
Local 2761 shared different forms they had created and
went through how they use Quick Books for ease of financial
record keeping. The value of Quick Books is seen especially
at year end when the computer program is able to compile
various reports needed for reporting to the membership and
the Department of Labor.
Barb Perkins, Local 2767 (l) met with financial officers
of nearby Local 2761 in McCleary, Washington to
review the financial reporting system put in place by
the McCleary local. Also pictured is Violet Legacy
(center) and Vincelle Calica, President of Local 2761.
LOCAL 2949 ANNUAL RETIREE PICNIC IN ROSEBURG
The Local 2949 Annual Retiree Picnic was held August 15 at Stewart Park in
Roseburg, Oregon. Over 300 retirees and their family members attended. Officers of
the local cooked, served and handed out new retiree hats and visors. This is a “thank
you” for all the years of service these retired members gave to the local. Members saw
people they worked with years ago and caught up on stories and activities people take
up when retiring.
6 • FALL 2013
UNION REGISTER
Innovative Member Communications Network Builds
Strength in Log Scalers #2197 for Contract Bargaining
remain loyal to the Columbia River Bureau due to
By Jerry King
the quality of services they receive. However, each
Sometimes you can pick the time to negotiate
of the five company representatives serving on the
and sometimes you can’t. CIC Local 2197, the
negotiating committee was fully aware that
Columbia River Log Scalers, hit a perfect storm of
alternative scaling organizations were available.
unfortunate timing in May of 2009 when their
At the opening bargaining session the union
contract expired. Lumber prices had fallen to lows
took a firm position on recovering the previously
not seen for decades. The housing bubble had
given concessions. The two sides were very far
burst, the stock market was tanking, and layoffs
apart when that meeting ended. The Bureau was
were escalating in all sorts of industries. On top of
proposing some improvements but the
this several of companies in the employer group
committee knew from the member surveys that
began to hire log scalers from two non-union log
these offers were not enough.
scaling companies, nearly halving the ranks of our
The union had delivered a strong message as
men.
to the critical needs of the membership as
The Columbia River Log Scalers employer, “the
identified in the survey work. One example was
Bureau”, had several years earlier teamed with the
that wages for some low seniority scalers had
local to survive an unfunded pension liability crisis
been left far behind relative to other
through concessions by the local and financial
classifications. The Bureau was listening. An offer
commitments by the company. This and
was placed on the table that increased the salary
decisions by the Bureau left the company treasury
schedule for those young scalers.
at near zero. The cuts in the 2009 contract
The rest of their wage offer was encouraging
included a 10% wage rollback, loss of a fifth week
but insufficient. We had given up so much in 2009
of vacation, a new 10% insurance premium share,
and numerous work rule changes. The contract Log Scalers Local 2197 introduced some unique member survey work and there was a lot of ground to make up in many
did include a profit sharing provision. No one ramped up communication to members to get fast feedback to build the areas. Importantly, we identified areas in which
could predict how the contract changes would strength needed to achieve a fair contract and win back some earlier the Bureau would not move and other areas that
affect the Bureau financially or when the industry concessions. Leading this effort was the negotiating committee (l to rt) held real promise for expanding their offer.
Rocky Heywood, Jason Norton and Jerry King.
At the second bargaining session it was pointed
would come out of its economic depression.
out that Weyerhaeuser stock and national
The new contract term was for one year as both
homebuilding company’s stock prices had
sides understood the severity of the concessions
the expectations and the resolve of the members. With
increased substantially as investors saw profit growth in
and the hope for better times when the parties returned
nearly half the members present, they were asked to
the future. Housing starts were predicted to rise above 1
to the bargaining table. With little change in the
respond to categorical areas such as wages, health &
million.
economy the contract was renewed annually for the next
welfare, personal / sick leave policies, vacations and
three years.
holidays, along these three viewpoints:
As lumber prices began to respond to increased
Membership Meetings Unify Local
What changes to the working agreement would
housing starts in the fall of 2012 and the volume of logs
During this round of bargaining membership
represent:
being scaled and working hours were growing the
meetings were held — a major departure from past
1) A settlement superior to your expectation?
advantages of bargaining for a multi-year agreement
procedures. This allowed the members, and there were a
2) An acceptable settlement?
became clear. It was time to make a big effort to claw
lot of new members, to hear progress reports and to ask
3) An unacceptable offer which could cause strike
back some of the concessions given previously during the
questions. Again, the committee heard the concerns of
action?
recession.
the members and some new ideas. Meetings of the local
In an early meeting with the employer’s committee
during negotiations have been rare over the decades of
Negotiation committeemen Jerry King, Rocky
chairman, local union president Jerry King set the tone,
bargaining. A unity and solidarity formed around
Heywood, and Jason Norton were stationed among the
“We are looking at opening the contract and expect
recovering the concessions granted in 2009.
three small groups. Each committeeman was able to
substantial gains to our working agreement in a multiDuring the third bargaining session the committee
interact directly with rank-and-file members, follow up
year package”.
sensed the Bureau was close to what they considered to
on their questions, and better grasp the members
be their maximum offer. At this point our committee
concerns and goals. The committee heard some great
pushed hard again on wages and other important areas
Member Input and Communications Build
new ideas from the members.
citing past concessions and competitive wage and
Foundation for Bargaining
After the April meeting the local mailed a survey to its
benefits at other Bureaus. After more discussion and a
The local began its internal communication
members. Armed with these survey responses and some
few caucuses the employer group made additional
procedure to inform the members that this will be the
good research on the company’s actual scaling cost in
adjustments and a tentative agreement was finalized.
year to work on improving our compensation.
2013 versus 2009, the committee was ready to bargain.
On June 1, 2013 the local ratified a new four year
In that log scalers are spread out through SW
contract with a large first year increase to the Junior
Washington and NW Oregon, letters were sent and
Scalar category of 18%. The remainder received a 4%
Makeup of the Columbia River
meetings arranged to determine our focus and gather our
increase. Across the board increases of 4%, 2% and 2%
Log Scaling Bureau
strength. The members of Local 2197 met in April to
are scheduled for the second, third and fourth years of
The employer, Columbia River Log Scaling Bureau, has
discuss contract issues, as lumber prices reached 5-year
the contract. Senior scalers who had given up their fifth
been operating for over 100 years. The business is
highs. The local used a small group exercise to determine
week of vacation gained a week’s bonus pay when they
structured as a not-for-profit corporation designed to
take their vacation. Everyone got two new floating
provide subcontracted services to its subscribing
holidays, elimination of insurance premium sharing, and
companies. In effect, the subscribing companies set their
some minor changes to the sick leave policy.
scaling cost through the negotiations with no direct
The negotiation committee took a comprehensive
incentive to make the scaling business itself highly
approach towards research, outreach and the
profitable. Weyerhaeuser is the largest subscribing
involvement of the members and then carried a
company on the board of directors and the only one with
determined, frank message to the Bureau at the
a union workforce. All the other subscribers employ nonbargaining table. This strategy and the good fortune of
union workers. For these companies Local 2197 log
improving wood products market provided the
scalers are the only group of workers that they bargain
opportunity to secure a better contract and to win back a
with. Each subscribing business has a differing product
good deal of the concessions given up in 2009.
line, commercial size, resources, and profitability. Some
The hazards associated with breathing very small parbarely squeaked by during the downturn while others
ticles of crystalline silica have been well known for sevJerry King is the President of Log Scalers Local Union
survived with positive cash flows. These “subscribers”
enty five years. Silica puts workers at risk of silicosis, lung
2197.
cancer, pulmonary disease and kidney disease. Francis
Perkins, the first Secretary of Labor under Franklin D. Roosevelt, in 1938 issued a thick report outlining the hazards
of silica dust and called on employers to limit exposure
through engineering controls and personal protection
equipment.
Silica dust is created when cutting or grinding granite,
stone, rock, concrete, brick and block.
Despite the modest recovery of the U.S. economy the for a job opening. Many of the jobless get discouraged and
Now, some 40 years after OSHA set permissible expolong term jobless have not been able to get back into the stop applying for jobs and many lack the skills needed.
sure limits (pels) for silica, the federal agency finds them
workforce. More than four years after the recession “offi- Others are disabled and work opportunities are limited.
to be inadequate. In August 2013 OSHA issued a new procially” ended, 11.5 million Americans are unemployed,
For those without a high school diploma the unemployposed rule that would cut the exposure limit of silica in
many for years — not months.
ment rate is 11%. For African-Americans it is 12.6% and
half for general industry and maritime and by 80% in conThe housing market is rebounding, corporate profits are for teenagers it is 23.7%. This compares to an overall unstruction. All industries would be required to limit expostrong and the balance sheets of households are improv- employment rate of 7.4%.
sure to 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air averaged
ing. But the long slow recovery isn’t reaching many of the
It is expected that as the economy continues to recover
over an eight hour workday.
most vulnerable. The reasons are numerous. Employers many of those who have become discouraged and
Business groups were quick to call the proposed rules
have a bias against hiring someone who has been unem- dropped out will return to active job search activities — es“unnecessary.”
ployed for a long time even if they exhibit the skills needed pecially those in their 20s and 30s.
OSHA Proposes Silica
Dust Exposure Rules
Long-Term Unemployed Left Out of Recovery
UNION REGISTER
FALL 2013 • 7
Effective Safety Program Takes Hard Work and Perseverance
It is very hard work to make an in-plant safety and
by a millwright or an electrician. “If we see a hazard
health program effective — very hard work.
we are not required to get approval for a fix from a suJust ask Tammy McCool, the chair of the Safety
pervisor,” said McCool. “The plant manager sees the
Committee in the Roseburg Forest Products plant in
value of eliminating hazards when they are identified
Riddle, Oregon. As Tammy explains, the plant has
rather than worrying about who in the pecking order
600 workers under one roof and the safety program
needs to make the decision to fix it.”
must reach into all sections and departments to preWhen a worker reports a hazard a member of the
vent accidents and illnesses related to workplace hazcommittee will take a photo, type up the problem and
ards.
turn it over the supervisor. “We have a changing plant
McCool got involved with the Safety Committee
culture around keeping everyone safe so most of the
when she first started in the mill 24 years ago. “I was
supervisors get these problems fixed without delay,”
asked and I had an interest in seeing that everyone
commented McCool. “If they don’t the issue comes
goes home everyday without injury, so I said I would
up in the monthly safety meeting with the company
do it,” said McCool. Now, it is a passion. “Someone
safety director and the plant manager present.”
has to be working every day to make sure we are
eliminating hazards and it isn’t always easy.”
MONTHLY SAFETY MEETINGS FOR THE CREW
Over the last six years there have been four differEvery crew member is in a safety meeting every
ent plant managers and four different company
month to get information on some aspect of safety.
safety directors. It’s been a challenge to keep the proThe meeting held last month dealt with the emergram on track because every plant manager and
gency evacuation plant — how to exit, who to call in
company safety manager have their own way of dothe event of an accident, and who is responsible for
ing things. “But through all the changes, different di- Tammy McCool has served as the chair of the Safety Committee in the the head count to insure everyone exits the plant.
rection and personalities we endeavor to persevere,” Roseburg Forest Products plywood plant in Riddle, Oregon, for 24
added McCool. “I almost quit a few times but then I years. She is pictured in front of the layup line where she works.
PROCEDURES CONSTANTLY REVIEWED
thought, if not me who?”
name the chair of the committee. “It is truly a workerThere
was
some
confusion over the Lockout/Tag out polAll that dogged perseverance has paid dividends for the
driven committee and we try to develop a high level of trust icy so a subcommittee took a look at the instructions on
members of Local 2949 who work in this plant. Ten years
with the crew,” said McCool. “We just did not want even the where each piece of equipment must be locked out before
ago the accident frequency rate was at an unacceptably
slightest appearance that the company was controlling the working on it. Revisions were made to make it crystal clear
high rate but through a systematic program the rate has
committee. The plant manager agreed with us and we where the lock out was to be done since the lockouts are
been brought down very significantly. “We really see our
elected our own chair as we had in the past. I think this not always right next to the equipment being repaired. Picgoal as zero accidents,” said McCool.
helped maintain credibility with the crew the committee tures will be included to eliminate confusion. For example
has been built up over the last few years.”
when a steam valve needs to be turned off, a picture of that
KEYS TO AN EFFECTIVE PROGRAM
valve and it’s location is included in the new instructions.
The Riddle program starts on the foundation of OSHA.
REGULAR MEETINGS AND WALK-THROUGHS
“Our goal is to make it simpler and make it clear what exThere are legal codes with respect to eliminating hazards
The committee, now with eleven members, meets every actly must be done to safely lock out,” McCool indicated.
and a requirement in Oregon that employee committees be
month and works from a very specific agenda prepared by Names are on the locks so if a lock is left in place by mistake
formed and be paid for the time they spend on safety and
McCool. It covers pending safety problems (have they been the person who placed it there must be contacted and
health issues, meetings, writing new procedures, etc.
fixed), a review of accident incident rates and the number of asked to remove it. If that person is unavailable, approval of
McCool describes other keys to building an effective prorecordable incidents, suggestions for eliminating hazards three supervisors is needed before the lock can be cut off.
gram. “One is to have a plant manager who is dedicated to
and reports from eleven subcommittees.
Tammy’s full time job is on the lay-up line. She is paid
safety in a real way and not just going through the motions.
The subcommittees are assigned specific areas. For ex- her regular rate for time in safety meetings, preparing for
We are very fortunate with our current plant manager. He is
ample one subcommittee deals with the Material Safety meetings, doing inspections, writing new procedures (like
very serious about putting the health and safety of the crew
Data Sheets which are required by OSHA. This subcom- lock/tag out) but invariably she puts in many unpaid volahead of production. It hasn’t always been that way.”
mittee makes sure the notebooks listing the potentially dan- unteer hours because she is so committed to her work. “I
Another key for the Riddle program is that the worker
gerous chemicals is kept up to date and that employees in have a wonderful, supportive and expert committee,” said
committee is elected by members from the various departthose areas are trained on what to do in case of an exposure McCool. “Every person on the committee takes their job
ments and these committee members determine, by a vote,
or a spill.
seriously and it makes for good discussions and getting the
who the chairperson will be. McCool has served as chair
Each quarter a safety inspection, or walk-through, is work done. In fact,” she added, “we are now recruiting for 7for six years and has been elected three times by worker
done in one of the six areas of the large plant (they are color- 8 new committee members to make sure every shift and
members of the committee. This tradition was nearly decoded). Hazards are identified and many are quickly fixed every department is covered.”
railed recently when two middle managers attempted to
No Easy Path to Enact and Strengthen Workplace Safety and Health Laws
By Erik Loomis
For most of American history, workers
have worked in workplaces that made them
sick and unsafe. In the timber industry, loggers died by the hundreds in the woods
from unsafe machines. In the mills, workers
suffered from unsafe saws, wood dust, hearing loss, chemical exposure, and poorly designed workstations that hurt their backs
and muscles, and many other problems. In
the late 1960s, unions, in alliance with environmental organizations, fought to pass a
law that would improve government oversight of workplaces.
They succeeded on December 29, 1970
when President Richard Nixon signed the
Occupational Safety and Health Act. Although Nixon opposed the law, he faced
overwhelming support for it from Congress
and so signed it after forcing compromises
on some details. On April 28, 1971, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration opened its doors. The creation of OSHA
proved to be one the greatest victories in
American history for workplace health.
LONG HISTORY OF WORKPLACE HAZARDS
Unsafe and unhealthy working conditions had long plagued American workers.
Beginning in the 1840s, the courts said
workers had responsibility for their own
safety at work. By the 1890s, this broke
down after workers successfully sued corporations for injury and death. Employer
supported worker compensation plans began passing at the state level in the 1910s,
allowing corporations to avoid expensive
every safety and health advance. That said,
OSHA has done a tremendous amount to
improve workers’ lives. During the 1970s,
the agency fought for new regulations to
protect workers, including reducing dust in
the air, reducing noise exposure, and fighting for workers’ right to know what chemicals they are using on the job.
The turning point in OSHA history was
the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980. In
many ways, OSHA was barely up and running by the early 1980s and its positive effects had just begun. Reagan gutted the
OSHA budget in 1982. Reagan’s OSHA director, Thorne Auchter, a Florida real estate
developer, signaled a switch in OSHA policies when he reversed a regulation that allowed construction workers to view their
own medical records for information on
toxic exposure. Funding for OSHA declined
and then flattened out, even though more
workplace inspectors were needed for the
growing population and economy.
lawsuits, while giving little to workers who
got hurt. In the 1960s workplace safety again
became a priority. Workers were increasingly unsatisfied with the exposures they
faced on the job, the rising environmental
movement focused on improving the workplace environment, and President Lyndon
Johnson wanted to pass a major piece of
legislation for American workers. Even
though he did not run for reelection in 1968,
the momentum for a worker safety bill was
unstoppable.
CORPORATE AMERICA’S AGENDA
TO WEAKEN OSHA
But the story of OSHA is not one of total
victory for workers. OSHA could never live
up to its potential to revolutionize the workplace due to the organized resistance of corporations, right-wing attacks on unions,
and corporations pushing to have people
from business lead the regulation and to
only very lightly enforce the laws. Employers soon recovered from their defeat in seeing OSHA passed and worked to contest
MANDATED WORKPLACE SAFETY PROGRAMS
REDUCE INJURIES/FATALITIES
Despite Reagan’s defunding of OSHA
programs, overall workplace safety has improved significantly in the United States
since 1971. In 1970, there were 18 workplace
fatalities for every 100,000 workers. By 2006,
that fell to 4.1 deaths per 100,000 workers.
Occupational injury and illness rates fell by
40% over the same years.
As we have seen in recent months, with
(Turn to Page 12)
UNION REGISTER
8 • FALL 2013
New Member of Local 8093 Coaches
Junior Varsity Basketball Team
Online Stewards’ Course
Being Completed
Nearly all stewards in Midwestern local unions have competed the
new on-line stewards training course.
For those stewards who may not be familiar with computers special
sessions are set up to
go through the course
as a group.
Terry Schumacher
of Local 1349 in Two
Rivers, Wisconsin
volunteered to
conduct the course for
two members of his
local, George (Bucky)
Schimulunas and
Keith Schwahert.
Schumacher made
arrangements to use
the Community
Keith Schwahert and George (Bucky) SchimuluRoom in the Lester
nas of Local 1349 view the CIC on-line stewards
Public Library on
training course at the public library in Two
September 11th.
Rivers, WI. Terry Schumacher, also of Local
The library made
available a projector, 1349, volunteered to put the course on for stewards that were not familiar with computers. The
screen and the
library provided the projector, screen and the
sound system.
sound system.
Schumacher used
his own personal
computer.
“It is interesting when a couple of people are going through the
course together,” said Schumacher. “There is more back and forth
discussion and questions. For example a question came up on
grievance investigation (the 6 Ws) and I was able to click to Section 12 to
answer that particular question.”
“The course is packed with good information and it gets to the point,”
commented Schumacher. “I find that if an issue comes up in the plant
that I’m uncertain about I can go back into the course very easily and get
an answer.”
Stewards in Local 2794, Mattoon, Wisconsin worked through the
course on September 7 and that completed training for all but two locals
in Wisconsin. The goal is to try to get the other local’s done by the
middle of October which will give the service area 90% coverage for its
stewards. Then it is a matter of getting the on-line course in front of
new stewards after they come on board.
Rudie Crane doesn’t shy away from big
challenges. Part of the independent union at
Indiana Limestone in Bedford, IN that
represents cutters and planermen workers,
Crane took the lead when CIC Local 8093 was
on strike in 2011. It took courage for
members of the independent union to
respect Local 8093 picket lines and miss work
— but they did it. Crane visited the picket
line almost every day to show his support for
the striking limestone workers.
After the strike Crane took every labor and
steward training class that was offered by the
Carpenters Industrial Council. “I always
considered myself a proud working man, to
put out quality work and to be treated fairly
for my skills and effort.”
Seeing the value of sticking together,
members in that independent union at
Indiana Limestone,voted to merge with the
CIC and Crane stepped up immediately to be
a job steward.
Crane took on an even bigger challenge
when he agreed in 2010 to coach the Medora
High School Jr Varsity basketball team.
Medora basketball received national
headlines for having 44 consecutive losses in
a state that takes its basketball very seriously.
The New York Times pointed out in a 2009
article that this is one of the fallout
consequences when small towns lose their
industrial base. “Medora, with 16 members
in the senior class, is the fifth-smallest public
high school in Indiana. It is slowly shrinking,
like the town of about 500 itself. Two of the
three feed mills are gone. An automotive
plastics factory employed several hundred
until it closed in 1988. A brick plant on the
edge of town died in 1992.”
Poverty rates are high in Medora and
players have taken the court wearing work
boots because their families could not afford
basketball shoes. Two–thirds of students
receive subsidized lunches and an estimated
10 percent have drug problems. Most smoke
cigarettes and all but a few are from broken
homes.
The varsity coach sees wins and losses
differently than most coaches. “If they’re in
the gym two hours a day, then I know they’re
not in trouble.”
Crane has been coaching the JV team for
two years. The team won 2 games in 2011
and 8 games in 2012. “I always wanted to be
a mentor for young people,” said Crane. As
much as teaching basketball skills, the pick
and roll and offensive plays, Crane pays
special attention to building the skills needed
for coping with everyday life. He asks his
Rudie Crane is pictured in front of limestone being cut at the Indiana Limestone
plant in Bedford, IN. He is part of the cutters and planermen independent union that
is in the process of merging with CIC Local
8093 in the same plant. Crane immediately
stepped forward to be a steward for his
group.
players to be responsible, to be on time for
practice and to keep their grades up. He also
teaches morals. “I’m teaching way more than
basketball and giving a sympathetic ear when
needed,” concluded Crane.
During the season the company allows
Crane to come into work early so he can
make the 30 minute drive to Medora in time
for practice.
A New York City film company read the
New York Times article about the difficulties
faced by the Medora basketball team and
decided to do a documentary film. A film
crew followed the down-but-not-out Medora
Hornets varsity and Jr. Varsity basketball
teams through the 2011 season, capturing
the players’ stories both on and off the court.
The film is called “Medora” and is an indepth look at small town life struggling with
poverty. It is a community, however, that
refuses to give up hope despite the brutal
odds against them. On a larger scale it is a
film about thousands of small towns in
America. It will be released for general
audiences in October 2013 and will be shown
on the PBS series Independent Lens in 2014.
Local 684 Contract Settled at Ted Bolle Millwork
Ted Bolle Millwork is a shop in
Yellow Springs, Ohio, where
members of Local 684 make
cabinets and countertops, doors,
and moldings.
In July, Local 684 members
ratified a new three-year contract. Terms of the agreement
include a 3% wage increase in
year one, 2% in year two, and 2%
in year three. In addition, the
new contract increases the
company contribution to the
401(k) by up to an additional
$500 per year. Under new
contract language, employees
can earn up to an additional five
days of vacation, based on
overtime worked in a year.
The Bargaining Committee
included Chris Tacket and Rich
Freilach.
“I think it was a pretty
reasonable and fair deal,” says
Steward Chris Tackett. “I tell nonunion millworkers we know
about the benefits of being in the
union. With a union, we have the
power to negotiate. And with the
contract, you know exactly what
pay increases are going to come.
And with the union, you are
going to get better benefits.”
“The committee did a good
job,” says CIC representative Gig
Christensen. “Negotiations are all
about union members pushing
in the same direction. When
everyone sticks together, they
can get a fair contract.”
Crane will be coaching the Medora High School Jr. varsity basketball team for his third year in 201314. He is shown above in a team meeting. Hit hard by plant closures, Medora has a high rate of
poverty and the town has lost population — down to less than 500. The Medora basketball teams
have suffered with a 0-44 win loss record. Crane is a mentor and teaches life skills as much as he
teaches basketball skills.
UNION REGISTER
FALL 2013 • 9
Brad Knieriem, a member of Local 2133 in Corydon, Indiana, organized a 60 mile quad run
through the back roads of Crawford and Orange Counties to
raise funds to help a friend pay
for cancer treatments. Members
and friends responded with generosity, had a great time riding
and raised $510 towards Dayton
Austin’s chemo treatments.
Local 2133 Member Leads
4-Wheeler Fund Raiser
When hearing that his long-time friend
had been diagnosed with cancer Brad
Knieriem knew he had to do something. His
friend, Dayton Austin, was 18 years old and
entering his senior year of high school when
he received the devastating news.
Knieriem, a six-year member of Local
2133 and the Local’s Conductor in Corydon,
Indiana, is an avid four-wheeler rider so he
decided to organize a 60-mile benefit ride
through the back roads of Crawford and
Orange Counties. He started by talking to his
brother and sister members in the Daramic
battery plant and then got the word out in
the wider community.
Nervous about getting a good turnout,
Knieriem was overjoyed when twenty one
quads and 35 riders appeared at staging area
near Milltown, Indiana. ”You could hear all
those quads all over the county,” said
Knieriem. “It was the noise of a successful
fund raiser for Dayton.”
Each participant and people who did not
ride made contributions to help Dayton’s
family with the cost of chemo treatments. A
total of $510 was raised.
“It was a great experience to see all the
support come together in the union for such
a good cause,” said Knieriem. “Our local
union is special. When they see someone in
a bad way they are really generous. It shows
that great things are possible when working
people stand together. And Dayton could
hardly believe that so many would turn out
to help him in his battle against cancer. It
helped lift his spirits.”
Contract Settled for Local 1123
Members at GM Parma Stamping Plant
At the end of August, members of Local
1123 who perform both building
maintenance and skilled trades
maintenance at the GM Parma Stamping
Plant in Parma, Ohio voted to ratify an
agreement with employer Malice Facilities
Maintenance.
Economic improvements include 2.4%
increases in each year of the three-year
contract. The economic increases will be
applied to both wages and benefits.
Maintenance Tech 1 skilled trades
maintenance employees chose to put the
money towards health care in year one,
reducing their premium share for family
medical coverage. Lower paid Maintenance
Tech II employees who work with Tech 1
employees as helpers and do building
maintenance work chose to put most of the
money towards pay increases, rather than
medical.
Robert Harris, Wally Hannaford, and
John Sullivan all served as the rank-and-file
members of the negotiating committee,
chaired by Council Representative Darrell
Robertson.
“They were tough negotiations,” explains
Robertson. “The company showed that
they were in a hard spot in that they had
not been able to increase their billable rate
from the contractor above them in this
multi-tier employer arrangement. But
regardless, the union negotiating
committee stood tall and did a good job,
winning some economic increases for all,
despite difficult negotiations.”
Members of Local 2133
Ratify 5-Year Contract
Members of Local 2133 ratified a
five-year contract August 21 with
their employer, Daramic LLC in
Corydon, Indiana. This was the first
contract negotiations for Local 2133
since the passage of the anti-union,
free rider “right-to-work” law in
Indiana in November of 2011.
“We to try to keep members
informed through the whole
negotiations process,” says President
Brandon McQueen. “When members
had the facts about what the
company was trying to do, they were
happy to let management know what
they thought of certain company
proposals and that pressure on the
shop floor really made a difference for
us at the negotiating table.”
Union members fought off
company proposals to make deep
cuts in medical insurance, with
higher premium share and
dramatically reduced benefits.
Negotiations over the company’s
self-insured medical plan were very
contentious. In the end, both sides
reached a compromise with some
changes in medical, including going
to an 80-20 plan, and a possible
increase in employee premium share
by the end of the contract.
One big improvement was new
language limiting mandatory
overtime. Mandatory weekend work
was limited to a 50% rule, so
members cannot be required to work
more than half their scheduled days
off in any given month. This
addressed a major concern employees had expressed on bargaining surveys.
Under the terms of the agreement, wages will increase across the
board by 55 cents per hour for each
year of the 5-year agreement — a
$2.75 per hour increase over the life
of the contract.
The company agreed that if the
“right-to-work” law is overturned,
the contract will go back to the
strongest union security allowed by
law. In addition, language agreed to
in negotiations gives the local union
President the right to attend newhire orientations to greet those new
hires and explain the benefits of
unionism.
Local 1155 Fills Communications Gap with Newsletter
Communications is always a problem
for local unions. Good and
current information is
vital to keeping a
membership active and
feeling personally
connected to the union’s
daily work.
When Local 1155 in
Columbus, Indiana, settled
their new contract with Dorel
Juvenile Furniture Group,
they were dealing with the
new open-shop under
Indiana’s right-to-work law.
The leadership felt it was more
important than ever to keep the
membership informed about
what the union was doing in the
sprawling plant.
The local decided to put out a one-
page monthly
newsletter. It has been
a big success. Threeyear member Crystal
Hockersmith, who
assembles infant car
seats, said, “It is
really nice to learn
about grievances
going on in other
parts of the plant. I
feel more
informed than
before and there
is a lot of talk at
break time and
at lunch over
what’s in the
latest newsletter. It gives you
the feeling that the union is active and
doing a good job for members.”
Local 2133 Vice President Ken Engleman, UBC Rep Dan O’Donnell, 2133
Financial Secretary and second shift Steward Troy Hill, Council Representative Cliff Kerce, 2133 President Brandon McQueen, 2133 Conductor Brad
Knierium.
The newsletter, by design, is
kept brief and to the point. In
addition to covering pending
grievances and grievances
settled, it some-times addresses
rumors, future plans the
company may have, and
informational columns to help
workers understand the labor
contract.
A Solidarity Committee made
up of Judy Anderson, Jeremy
Goodin and Jason Craig put
together the articles that go into
each newsletter. It is
distributed at the plant gate at
the beginning of each shift and
copies are hung up on the
bulletin boards throughout the
plant.
UNION REGISTER
10 • FALL 2013
New Officers in Vicksburg Face Big Challenges
Right to Vacation Protected
at Local Union 2019
The union has won a grievance settlement for Local 2019
member Gloria Turner, and contract language improvements
to help protect vacation rights for all union members employed by Klipsch Group, Inc. in Hope, Arkansas. Turner and
her co-workers at the Klipsch plant manufacture stereo speakers, home entertainment systems, and other audio components.
Gloria has worked at the plant in Hope for over 17 years and
she is also a union activist.
The grievance began when management denied Turner the
hours of vacation that she believed she had earned. The contract contains language pro-rating vacation hours based on
hours worked the previous year. If certain thresholds of hours
are not reached because of layoff, or other absence, an employee may receive only 75%, 50% or 25% of their normal vacation hours they would have been entitled to. Turner had
been off work during the year because of FMLA and layoff.
First, the company explained to Gloria that she would still
receive 75% (90 hours) of her normal vacation. But it didn’t end
there.
Then, a week or so later, management came back to tell
Turner that she would only receive 50% of her vacation (60
hours).
Finally, the company approached Turner a third time, and
told her they had reconsidered again and had decided to reduce her vacation pay to 25% (only 30 hours) of her normal
vacation.
Turner was not happy about the company’s inconsistency.
She went to her union steward, Barbara Clark, and the union
filed a grievance on Gloria’s behalf. The union filed a grievance
and at the 3rd step grievance meeting, the union representative asked the company Human Resources Director why the
company kept changing Gloria’s vacation entitlement.
The H.R. Director claimed it was “just a mistake.”
That answer was not satisfactory to the union. Turner serves
as President of the local union and felt that her union activism
was a factor and the company may have denied the vacation
entitlement she deserved to punish her for her participation
in the union. The grievance was appealed to arbitration.
In an effort to uncover the truth, the union requested information from the company to determine the past practice of
similar cases. After several information requests, the company
offered to settle the grievance before going to arbitration. On a
non-precedent setting basis, they offered Turner the original
75% of her vacation as they had initially promised her, and the
company extended the time for her to take vacation. The union
accepted the offer as fair.
“During the recent contract negotiations, this grievance
played a huge part in negotiating changes, reducing the required accrual numbers to reach the various vacation entitlements. It is now much easier for employees to reach the accrual threshold to get more of their vacation, even if they have
been out sick or on lay-off,” explains Council Representative
Greg Carter.
“We face non-union people every day who ask what does
the union do and why should they join the union? Here’s a
good example. Just look what the company tried to do to me.
And because we have a union, we had the power to make it
right,” explains Mrs. Turner.
“I am happy with the grievance settlement. Every worker in
our plant should join and pay their fair share to support the
union. We all benefit from the contract and we should all do
our part to support the union.”
“The union protects our rights,” she explains. “If we didn’t
have the union at that Klipsch, it would be a lot worse. I encourage people: don’t be afraid to file a grievance. If there is a
problem, talk to your steward or representative right away.”
As the new officers of Local 2285 in Vicksburg, Mississippi take office — many for the first time — they are
faced with learning their duties while also taking on
some big challenges to prevent further downsizing and
even the possibility of a shutdown.
As Buzz Lightyear said in Toy Story, “We’re going to
infinity and beyond.”
“That’s the way it is for Local 2285,” noted Pearldene
Williams, Financial Secretary for the local. “I see big
challenges ahead for the local. A lot of the new officers
have never held office before and they seriously wanted
to be involved in decisionmaking. It is heartwarming to
see this group of dedicated people step forward to plan
and manage the future for the local — from finances to
the next picnic to inviting those running for public office
to address the members.”
Pearldene has been an officer of Local 2285 for over
30 years and she will be helping the new officers learn
their duties and be close by when they seek advice. She
sees this election as passing the torch to the younger
members of the crew and doing everything in her power
to help them succeed as she approaches retirement.
The most serious challenge involves dealing with a
company that is expanding through acquisition and
cutting back the workforce at the Vicksburg plant. The
plant is down to about 120 hourly workers from 200 just
two years ago. The plant went from a two-shift operation to one shift and this has caused discomfort and
concern among the members.
“The challenge is to bring the crew together to make
this plant efficient,” said Williams. “We’ve already seen
our work shipped out to plants in Batesville, MS, and
Chihuahua, Mexico. We’ve actually been saved by the
excellent reputation of the Batesville name. Many funeral directors know and trust Batesville and do not
want to substitute other brand names,” said Williams.
Phillip Griffin, Vice President, sees the need to improve communication with members and those who
are not yet members.
“We can make things better if we stay at it every day,”
said Griffin. “It is a two-way street. We need to do some
education as to what the contract means and we need
good feedback from everyone who works here. It’s all
about dialogue.”
Griffin would like to see a series of small monthly
workshops where members would invite non-members
to talk about the contract, current issues in the plant
and the protections under the contract. “I think this
process will help people see the value of being a union
member.”
Griffin pointed out that just over 80 percent of the
workers at Batesville Casket are members of the union.
“I would like to have it at 100 percent,” said Griffin.
“And I think we can get there if we work hard at having
conversations with people and answering their questions.”
Glenn Gaston is the newly elected Secretary for the
local. She sees a vital need to give workers in the
Batesville Casket plant more confidence in the union.
“We will be looking for ways to get more people involved. I really think involvement is the key. And I mean
involvement on all shifts and in all departments talking
to members and soon-to-be members alike about the
contract, grievances, union events and what’s on the
agenda at the next union meeting,” said Gaston.
RONNIE STORKS – President
PEARL WILLIAMS – Financial Secretary
PHILLIP GRIFFIN – Vice President
PEARLIE TURNER – Warden and GLENN
GASTON – Secretary
DENNIS TARLTON - Trustee
SHEILA THOMAS – Conductor
GERTRUDE THOMAS - Trustee
WENDELL “TURK” LYNCH - Trustee
UNION REGISTER
FALL 2013 • 11
Pictured (l to rt) are Indiana State Representative Lloyd Arnold, CIC
Executive Secretary Mike Pieti, and Cliff Kerce, CIC Rep for Indiana and Ohio,
before starting the Warrior Dash obstacle course in Crawfordsville, IN. It was
a benefit run for St Jude Children’s Hospital.
CIC Represented at ‘Warrior
Dash’ Charity for Children’s
Cancer Research
The Warrior Dash was started in
2009 for people who wanted an
extreme challenge of running a 5
kilometer course with mud and water
obstacles. It has become immensely
popular with events now in over 30
cities throughout the U.S.
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
teamed up with the Warrior Dash to
raise money for doing research into
childhood cancers and other diseases
Cliff Kerce jumps over the fire obstacle during the Warrior Dash charity race. The course also had
rope climbs, walls to climb over, mud to crawl through and spraying water.
and for the treatment of children with
cancer. St. Jude, in Memphis, TN, has
a national reputation for making
medical breakthroughs for the
prevention and treatment of
childhood cancers.
When CIC Representative Cliff Kerce
saw that a Warrior Dash was scheduled
for August 17th in Crawfordsville,
Indiana he asked CIC Executive
Secretary Mike Pieti to participate with
him and raise funds for St. Jude
Children’s Hospital. Kerce was moved
to participate because a friend was
doing the event to celebrate his
comeback from a heart attack. Kerce
wanted to support his friend while also
raising money for children fighting
cancer. Kerce and Pieti solicited
charitable contributions for their
effort. “Some contributed because of
the great work St Jude is doing but
others just wanted to see if Mike and I
could complete the course” said Kerce.
It was a dual success. Both finished
the course wet, muddy and tired and
they raised money to further the work
at St. Jude.
The obstacle course had rope
structures to climb over, walls to climb,
water and mud to “run” through, fire
mounds to jump over and crawlthrough obstacles.
Members in Columbia, Mississippi, Hold
Reunion 18 Months After Mill Shutdown
When the Georgia Pacific sawmill in Columbia, Mississippi closed in December 2011 the
members of Local 1464 were distraught, angry,
sad and worried about their futures.
When they came together for a picnic eighteen months after the shutdown they were happy
to re- connect with dear friends and people they
had worked with for many years — some for as
many as thirty years. The feeling is hard to describe for people who’ve never experienced it
but working in a close-knit crew for so long is
something akin to family.
John Smith, former President of the local, was
the focal point for pulling this event together.
With a few other former members, Smith
worked to organize this reunion. He kept up
with addresses and let everyone know about the
reunion held June 17th at the Columbia Water
Park. It was a family event and many brought
their wives and kids to enjoy the water park.
“We had 30 to 40 former members show up
for the reunion and like mill workers everywhere
there was a lot of joking and fun going back and
forth,” said Smith. “When people work so closely
together for so many years close bonds are created. The reunion was special — beyond description. This was really a token of love for
everyone. We caught up with one another’s lives
and found that everyone was doing pretty well,
even after a difficult plant closure. Many had retired and others had found jobs. It was so nice to
learn that people had, for the most part, landed
on their feet.”
Smith had such a positive reaction that he
plans to organize another reunion in June 2014.
After the sawmill closed in December 2011, members of former Local Union
1464 in Columbia, MS came together for a reunion on June 17th at the
Columbia Water Park. Like family, they joked, told funny stories and supported
one another. As John Smith, President of the local said, “This was a token of
love shown by all of these union brothers.”
UNION REGISTER
12 • FALL 2013
As Companies Push for Higher Productivity
Stress and Fatigue Mount in the Workplace
( The following has been excerpted from an article appearing
in the Los Angeles Times on April 7,
2013.)
Companies are driving their
employees to achieve ever increasing improvements in productivity. This has created a new
harshness in the workplace. In
their zeal to make sure that not a
minute of time is wasted, companies are imposing rigorous performance quotas, forcing many
people to put in extra hours, paid
or not. Video cameras and software keep tabs on worker performance, tracking their computer
keystrokes and the time spent on
each customer service call.
The envelope factory where
Lisa Weber works is hot and noisy.
A fan she brought from home
helps her keep cool as she maneuvers around fast moving equip-
ment to make her quota: 750 envelopes an hour, up from 500 a few
years ago.
The drudgery of work at National Envelope Co used to be relieved by small perks---an annual
picnic, free hams and turkeys over
the holidays---but those have long
since been eliminated. Weber,
who has been working in the plant
for twenty eight years said, “It’s not
something I would wish on anybody. I’m worn out. I get home
and I can barely stand up.”
Employers once wanted longterm relationships with their workers. At many companies that is no
longer the case. Businesses are
asking employees to work harder
without providing the kinds of rewards, financial and psychological,
that were once routine.
“Wages are stagnant, jobs are
less secure, work is more intens —
ORGANIZING FROM THE INSIDE
Membership in open-shop settings has a direct impact on how
the company approaches problem-solving. Yet a recent survey
done by the CIC shows many local
unions in right-to-work states
have pools of workers who receive
all the benefits negotiated by the
union but have not yet decided to
become participating union
members. Why, when it has such
adverse effects on their work
place?
The best person to talk to a
non-member about what keeps
him/her from being a member is
a co-worker they know and trust.
Miles Cook, CIC Organizing Director, has announced a plan to support and assist local unions with
their “union building” programs.
“We feel the best approach is to
put our organizers and representatives together to help local
unions in several different areas,”
Cook said.
“First we can help identify and
build a wider core of leaders. The
goal would be to expand active
participation and then help the local assess what they are currently
doing to encourage growth in
membership. We might provide
advice or training on how to inten-
sify those efforts so they can be
more effective.” said Cook. “In one
local it may be noon-time talks
with free hot dogs. In another it
may be deciding how to overcome
an especially prickly issue nonmembers have. In another local it
might be a series of one-on-one or
small group meetings. The point
is, no single cookie-cutter approach works for all locals and our
staff can help locals adjust or even
create the best approach for their
unique circumstances.”
CIC Organizers will be teamed
with the Service Representative
when going into a local to assist
leadership build from within.
When 99% of the crew are union
members the company’s responses to grievances and contract proposals are vastly different
from a company with only 70 or
80% membership. Companies
clearly use union membership
percentages in open shops as a
barometer of the depth of resolve
in the crew when it comes to obtaining a fair and just contract.
“We want to enhance the opportunities for our membership in
open-shops to get a fair deal every
day of their working lives,” concluded Cook.
it’s a much tougher world,” said
Paul Osterman, co-director of the
MIT Sloan Institute for Work and
Employment Research.
Changes such as these began
decades ago and accelerated during the Great Recession, when
high unemployment enabled
companies to offer less and demand more.
These unpleasant events have
caused the emergence of a twotiered workforce in which fewer
people can expect the type of employment relationship that Americans aspired to in the past. “If
you’re a highly skilled employee
with highly marketable talents,
they’re going to pay dearly for you.
But if you’re a relatively fungible
person, with nothing that separates you from anybody else, the
risks and costs have been shifted
to you at a dramatic rate,” said Rita
Gunther McGrath, a management
professor at Columbia University.
This drive on worker productivity has caused the profit companies make per employee to increase from $14,600 in 2004 to
$19,500 in 2012 — an increase of
34 percent. It is clear employers
are not sharing the gains with their
employees.
It’s even more difficult for the
millions of Americans who lost the
security of a steady paycheck, as
companies rely more on temporary staffing agencies. Temp jobs
used to be a gateway to permanent employment but, increasingly, they have become a way of
life. About 25% of the workforce is
temporary, up from 17% in 2009.
Update on Joe Bell’s Walk to Prevent Bullying
Joe Bell, a member of Local Union 2780 in Elgin, Oregon, is
walking across the country to educate young people and adults
about preventing bullying. Bell lost his 15 year old son to suicide
after he was bullied at school for being openly gay. Bell started his
“Walk for Change” on April 20, 2013 and is now in Denver with plans
to start towards Wichita the last week of September. He reports that
the reception has been outstanding. He has been booked up with
speaking engagements at schools, churches, and service clubs. He
is also educating himself on suicide prevention by taking on-line
classes and talking to experts in the field in the communities where
he visits. “This journey is very taxing but it is always worth it when
people are so kind and want to do more to prevent bullying and
suicide,” said Bell.
Bell has released his phone number and invites union members
to call him and even join him for a speaking engagement or to walk
with him for a few miles. The number is 541-786-8299.
...Workplace Safety
(From Page 7)
the explosion that killed 15 people at a West, Texas
fertilizer plant, OSHA’s ability to protect workers has
severe limitations due to under funding. In 1980,
OSHA employed 2950 people. In 2006, it employed
only 2092 people, despite the near doubling of the
size of the workforce. There are so few OSHA inspectors that it would take 129 years to inspect every
workplace in the country at current staffing levels.
Punishment for OSHA violations are often weak and
employers have little fear of paying high penalties for
violations.
Still, OSHA provides the necessary foundation
footing upon which most successful accident prevention programs are built around. The force of law
really does make a difference on the health and injury rates of American workers.
Erik Loomis is a professor of history at the University of Rhode Island. He grew up in Springfield, Oregon and his father worked in a plywood mill. He is
currently working on a book which
details the historical relationships
between Northwest forest products
unions and the environmental
movement regarding forest manUnion Register is published quarterly. Deadline for acagement issues and occupational
ceptance of photos or news items for the next edition Jan.
health and safety.
ISSN 0274-970X
OFFICIAL LABOR NEWS PUBLICATION published quarterly
for the Carpenters Industrial Council UBC and its Affiliates
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