Monday Morning Minute: July 4, 2016

Monday Morning Minute – USW Paper Sector

Union Work – Collective Bargaining, Organizing, Arbitration, Worker Rights, Community Work, Political Work, Labor History

USW Welcomes Affirmative Preliminary Countervailing Duty Determination on Truck, Bus Tires from China – USW welcomed the June 28th U.S. Department of Commerce affirmative preliminary countervailing duty determination on truck and bus tire imports from China for trade petitions filed Jan. 29. Leo W. Gerard, USW International President, said: “Today’s federal determination confirms what our petitions alleged – that Chinese tire producers are receiving a wide array of government subsidies and exporting those subsidized tires to the United States. Our members can compete against any producer in the world, but it is simply unacceptable to ask us to compete against the deep pockets of the Chinese government’s state-owned enterprises.”

He added, “Unfair truck tire imports from China have denied our domestic industry the opportunity to share in production and job increases in a period of robust demand growth.  The United States imported over one billion dollars of truck tires from China last year, and each of those Chinese tires means one tire less made here in the U.S. by USW members.”

Following today’s preliminary determination, importers will need to start posting cash deposits, or bonds to offset the subsidies that Chinese tire producers have received, at margins ranging from 17.06 to 23.38 percent. A preliminary antidumping determination in the case is due on August 26, and final determinations are expected in January of 2017.

For more information, click HERE

From Contract to Permanent Employment – Fighting for Workers in the Supply Chain – Indonesian pulp and paper union FSP2KI has successfully reinstated dismissed contract workers, as well as turning them into directly employed permanent employees. The affiliate of IndustriALL represents 21,000 workers in the pulp and paper industry in Indonesia, including workers in Kaliguma’s and Tanjungenim Lestari’s supply chains.

Contract Company, West Point Security Agency, supplies Tanjungenim Lestari with security workers in the Lampung port. In May 2016, the company fired eight workers for joining the Port Tarahan Lampung Union (SPTT TL), affiliated to the FSP2KI. A further four workers were transferred to different positions. According to West Point management, security workers had no right to join the SPTT TL, a union which organizes both port and security workers.

The FSP2KI launched a rally on 15 June, calling for the reinstatement of the dismissed security workers. Following a meeting with the management of Kaliguma which manages the Lampung port (for Tanjungenim Lestari), all 12 workers were reinstated and are now employed directly by PT. Kaliguma. Muhammad Ikhsan Prajarani, FSP2KI general secretary, said that the FSP2KI’s aims to unionize all workers in the supply chains of the pulp and paper industry in Indonesia: “We will continue to fight for the workers’ human and labour rights, improve their working conditions and their human dignity. Our organizing campaigns will never stop.”

Safety

Consumer Product Safety Commission Recall Issued – 3M Hard Hats Due to Shock Hazard –

Recall Date: June 23, 2016

Recall Number: 16-201

Name of Product: Vented hard hats

Hazard: Hard hats sold online were marketed to protect against electric shock, but they do not provide this protection, posing a shock hazard to consumers.

Description: This recall involves 3M vented hard hats sold under the 3M™, 3M™ Tekk Protection™ and AOSafety™ brands. The hard hats are white, have eight, ¾-inch long ventilation slits along each side at the hat’s crown and have a ratchet adjustment for fit.  “3M” or “AOSafety” is molded into the white plastic on the top of the brim.  “XLR8 VENTED” is molded onto the bottom of the brim. “ANSI Z89.1” is printed on a sticker inside the hard hats. This recall only involves the 3M hard hats sold online.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported

For more information click HERE

Industry Update

USW Local 1303 – Glatfelter – Spring Grove, PA – The Company will Replace Three Coal-Fired Boilers with Two Natural Gas Boilers – As new environmental rules take effect January 1, 2017, Glatfelter is working to complete its $63 million renovations to convert from coal to natural gas boilers by the end of the year. The company began the process approximately three years ago to meet environmental compliance regulations. The two natural gas boilers replace three long-used coal-fired boilers, which will be retired once construction is complete. Numerous options were explored when deciding how to bring the facility within environmental compliance including installing scrubbers on the current coal-fired boilers or converting to biomass boilers.

Natural gas was ultimately the choice for reasons including lower emissions, increased efficiency, lower variable costs and supporting a resource critical to the state’s economic health, according. The Marcellus Shale has been a boon for the local natural gas market, with prices dropping rapidly and the volatility that was previously associated with the energy source dissipating.

Millions of Americans Prefer their Credit Card Statements on Paper – According to a new survey from CreditCards.com, 93 million credit card holders are still receiving their statements on paper instead of online, and 43 million of them prefer it that way. Nearly 50% of those who are receiving paper financial statements say they would be willing to pay to get those mailings if they had to. For those who are still receiving paper financial statements, 80% said they like having those pieces of paper for their records, while 74% like the tangible reminder that it’s time to make a payment.

While 67% of those getting mailed statements are just used to finding out what they owe the old-fashioned way, half say they pay their bills by checks and the mailed statements supply them with the payment envelopes. More than a quarter of those getting paper statements say that they didn’t have consistent access to the Internet.

For more information, click HERE

Remember to share Monday Morning Minute in your work place and share your stories with us.  Send your information to Laura Donovan at ldonovan@usw.org.

Download a PDF version for printing and distribution HERE.

 

 

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