jennings
Registered: 01/10/09
Posts: 11
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| | 03/11/09 at 06:47 PM | Reply with quote | #1 |
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It was excellent today to have all the mills represented on the conference call today. Gurvey it was great to have you on and I hope Esky and Luke did not take up to much time discussing contract issues. I believe it is important for all of us to hear first hand from the local union presidents as to what is happening at each location. I admit I was surprised by some of the revelations at today's call but it should give Wickliffe an idea of how NewPage and the USW work. This is a new experience for us in the paper sector dealing with both a new company and a new international union. 2010 is right around the corner and Wickliffe, Rumford and all of the Wisconsin Mills contracts are coming up. If we can provide Wickliffe with any information concerning our trials and tribulations please feel free to ask, we will be happy to oblige. We look forward to your continued participation in the upcoming conference calls.
Jennings
Luke Local 676
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Bryon
Registered: 01/10/09
Posts: 25
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| | 03/12/09 at 04:12 PM | Reply with quote | #2 |
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I couldn't agree more. Jennings was right on the money when he said it was great to have the Wickliffe mill represented on the call again. It's always good to hear Gurvey's report of the mill. You have a great group of guys down there, thanks for being on the call.
__________________
Bryon Branstrom
President Local 2-21
Escanaba, Michigan |
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wick680
Site Administrator
Registered: 05/25/07
Posts: 131
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| | 03/13/09 at 01:44 AM | Reply with quote | #3 |
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Glad to hear every mill was represented in the Conference call yesterday. Thats a big plus for the Union.
Unity is what its all about, without it you have nothing. We must show our support to those going thru Contract Negotiations. They are going to need every
bit of support we can muster up plus some. These are hard times to be trying to deal with a new Contract. Corp. won't want to give you anything but grief.
The next step after all the Contract Negotiations are over is to get all the sister mills involved in websites and message boards to keep everyone updated on what is not only going on in their mill but in all the sister mills. Then we must try and get ALL the top Exec. Board members invloved in them also. They should show their support in the websites and message boards if its going to work as it does at the Esky mill. Lots of participation from board members and membership. A++++ job.
Thanks
David
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jennings
Registered: 01/10/09
Posts: 11
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| | 03/18/09 at 06:21 PM | Reply with quote | #4 |
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There was another conference call today to discuss in detail insurance, strategies, etc... Of course we cannot discuss these items on a public message board but your Staff Rep Ron Spann has attended many of the recent calls and should be able to update your local on these events. Escanaba and Luke are both still negotiating. Escanaba has had several dated during the month of March and is still negotiating with more dates available this month. Refer to their message board under contract updates. Luke has the following dates in April: 7,8, and 9 set for negotiations. Make no mistake these are difficult negotiations with a lot of work yet to be done!
Jennings
Luke Local 676 |
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wick680
Site Administrator
Registered: 05/25/07
Posts: 131
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| | 03/19/09 at 05:02 AM | Reply with quote | #5 |
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Jennings,
So how has things been going for you. Great I hope. I just want to thank you for giving us the updates on the sister mills. Hopefully I will get a full update from someone here....things are getting pretty rough at Escanaba from what I am reading on their message board. I just hope that members will wake up and realize they are in a dog fight to keep what they have.
Thanks again
David
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jennings
Registered: 01/10/09
Posts: 11
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| | 04/02/09 at 06:40 PM | Reply with quote | #6 |
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There will be another conference call April 8th. Escanaba has been through a heavy round of negotiations and may be able to present some insight during this call. Luke will be in the middle of negotiations but we plan to attend the call before heading back into negotiations later the same day. Quite frankly folks we are in real battle to maintain our healthcare. I cannot stress enough to the Wickliffe membership that we have a plan similar to yours and the company will not hear of us maintaining it.
Luke has and does have a good working relationship with management but the current trend in negotiations and the possibility of a concessionary contract will no doubt result in a negative impact to this relationship? How could it not? We feel we have done a tremendous about of work to develop a positive relationship with management and they are choosing to ignore our hard work and ask us to go backwards.
I will compare our total benefit package to any mill in the company and except for insurance we our in an inferior position yet the company is asking us to take more cuts. Wickliffe should be paying close attention to these negotiations you will be up in just over a year.
Hope to hear from you on the call, and we hope you have a good turnout for your elections.
Jennings
Luke Local 676 |
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wick680
Site Administrator
Registered: 05/25/07
Posts: 131
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| | 04/02/09 at 08:30 PM | Reply with quote | #7 |
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Good to hear from you. I have been passing the word about the insurance to the members here. 2 mills and both having lots of BIG issues over the insurance. Most I have talked to feel the same as I do, we will have to stand together if we are going to be successful in this fight over the insurance if we are to keep it. They just are not going to say I'm sorry for all the hassles we have cause, you can keep everything you have.....ain't gonna happen.
I imagine Gurvey will handle the conference call again as he did last month. It would just be nice to have the information so I can post it on the website as to what is going on. So far I have only gotten 1 email nothing more. Can't post it if I don't have it 
I'm just going to be glad when all the sister mills has a website and message board. Talk about getting information quick....
As far as the turnout for the voting....already screwed. I got a couple of phone calls today from the machine. Seems they are having a shutdown today and the crews had to come in at 5am and leaving at 8pm. Polls open up at 6am and closing at 7pm...hummmm. So I was told they were not coming all the way back here to vote of their off days. Guess we'll see Saturday.
I hope that the talks will go better for everyone going thru it now. Everyone needs to show these mills that we ALL support them during these times.As Jennings has stated our will be here before we know it. And we will indeed need their support when we do.
I just want to thank Jennings for taking the time out of his schedule to give us an update on how things are going there at Luke. Same goes for Byron and Mike (Millfreak)
Thanks
David Bramlett
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Bryon
Registered: 01/10/09
Posts: 25
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| | 04/03/09 at 09:24 PM | Reply with quote | #8 |
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Just a quick update; we just finished 10 days of negotiating in March and currently have the following dates scheduled; April 20, 21, 22, 27, 28, and May 1.
The current value of the economic offer is a negative number and will not be acceptable. Insurance and flexibility language continue to be a big issue. We are 306 days past our expiration date and all of a sudden the chief negotiator for the company wants to hurry up. Should get interesting real quick. I'll try to do better at keeping you all informed. Take care.
__________________
Bryon Branstrom
President Local 2-21
Escanaba, Michigan |
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MillFreak
Registered: 12/25/08
Posts: 28
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| | 04/03/09 at 09:33 PM | Reply with quote | #9 |
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Dave,
Keep up the fight. Luke and Escanaba are in constant contact with each other. We call and email almost daily. It is proving to be an asset to both of us, especially during these negotiations. Wickliffe I hope your listening to Luke... you are both on 1st dollar insurance. NewPage is going after it. You really need to stay in contact with Luke. We want to raise the bar for all of us. I know if I was in Wickliffe I'd be calling and asking questions and offering assistance to Luke.
Peace out,
Mike Nantelle
Insurance Advocate
Local-21 Escanaba, Mi.
__________________
If you can find money to kill people, you can find money to help people. Tony Benn |
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wick680
Site Administrator
Registered: 05/25/07
Posts: 131
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| | 04/04/09 at 05:04 AM | Reply with quote | #10 |
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Bryon & Millfreak
I strongly believe with the help both of you, Jennings, and the rest of you that have been keeping us updated on our site is going to have a big impact on folks here. I have been going around the mill and letting the people know about the fight both mills are having over the insurance. Most of the people knew it was coming but just not of that rate.
When you start talking about taking money away they start to listen. It all goes back to that communication word....if we continue with the websites and message boards I think we will have more members on the bandwagon.
Some could not get over how long you have been without a Contract.
All we have to do now is get the rest of our sister mills fixed up with websites then lookout. The NewPage Council would be a good resource to get this completed.
Anyway I will keep everyone updated and I am hoping that the members here are looking at your website to see what is going on.
Take care and hope to see everyone soon. Keep up the fight, you are doing one hell of a job in my book.
Friend and Brother
David Bramlett
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wick680
Site Administrator
Registered: 05/25/07
Posts: 131
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| | 05/15/09 at 10:38 PM | Reply with quote | #11 |
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I'm sorry for any issues that some of the members of the conference call had with me, but I'm here now saying that I NEVER said that Gurvey sold this Union out. The only thing that was said by me was that he signed the agreement on the seniority of the instrument guys. I do not know why some would try and start some shit, but that is just plain wrong and I'm here to say this to everyone who is willing to read it. We have enough shit started by the company and we sure as hell don't need it from the Union......
David Bramlett
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jennings
Registered: 01/10/09
Posts: 11
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| | 05/16/09 at 07:40 AM | Reply with quote | #12 |
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Unfortunately I was having a great deal of phone trouble. We have an old analog phone system and old phones and the last month they are all falling apart therefore I missed some of the content from Esky, Wickliffe and some of the other mills. Hopefully I will have everything upgraded to digital next week and I can eliminate this problem. However Dave when you brought this topic up I thought your question was: Where was the International during this agreement and did they advise the Local on how to bring the new folks into your Local? I think that is a fair question. I personally didn't feel you attacked Gurvey and I find it difficult to believe others may have perceived it this way. However one must be careful when your an Union Officer because suddenly your words are more scrutinized and folks may interpret them differently. I hope we will see both Gurvey and you in Pittsburgh this August for the paper conference and hear from both of you on the next conference call.
Jennings
Luke Local 676 |
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wick680
Site Administrator
Registered: 05/25/07
Posts: 131
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| | 05/17/09 at 10:00 AM | Reply with quote | #13 |
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I know what you mean about watching what you say. Something how words gets all twisted around. Guess people have to stir it up somehow. Most things don't really bother me, this issue did. Gurvey really thinks I said he sold this out. That bothers me, I hope that eventually things will blow over but until then I guess I will just have to watch what I say so it won't be taken out of context.
I have been passing the word about the issues at hand over the insurance. We all know that if they get what they want at the Luke mill, we WILL be next. Its a shame after all the fighting all these years the company is trying to take everything we have left. This new company we work for don't care about nothing except money, we are just a number to them and they are proving this time and time again. I hope the best for Luke and the Escanaba mills in their fight for a good Contract. Keep up the fight.
David
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mbmonkey
Registered: 05/15/09
Posts: 7
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| | 05/17/09 at 07:46 PM | Reply with quote | #14 |
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Quote: Originally Posted by wick680
I know what you mean about watching what you say. Something how words gets all twisted around. Guess people have to stir it up somehow. Most things don't really bother me, this issue did. Gurvey really thinks I said he sold this out. That bothers me, I hope that eventually things will blow over but until then I guess I will just have to watch what I say so it won't be taken out of context.
I have been passing the word about the issues at hand over the insurance. We all know that if they get what they want at the Luke mill, we WILL be next. Its a shame after all the fighting all these years the company is trying to take everything we have left. This new company we work for don't care about nothing except money, we are just a number to them and they are proving this time and time again. I hope the best for Luke and the Escanaba mills in their fight for a good Contract. Keep up the fight.
David
I'm not trying to start anything, i just keep hearing this same thing over and over again from lots of union ppl, and i am wondering if it is true or not true.
Could you shed some light on this?
I guess it is not overly important, since I am about to be laid off anyway, but for the sake of the ones who aren't laid off yet, for their morale and to settle some of the confusion and anxiety going around the mill . Thank you, and keep up the fight !
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Bryon
Registered: 01/10/09
Posts: 25
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| | 05/18/09 at 07:27 AM | Reply with quote | #15 |
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David, I was on that conference call and believe me, you don't owe anyone an apology. You didn't sell anyone out! You simply explained what was going on at your mill. Gurvey is a good man and would never intentionally hurt a member, I believe that with all my heart. As the leader of the Local, he is expected to make decisions every day that affect your members. Hell, I screwed up on a decision last week that I had to go back and fix because it affected a member but I hadn't thought of his situation. We always try to do what's best and sometimes it comes around to bite us in the ass....that happens.
Even though you didn't say it, I find myself wondering if your International rep is one of the people scolding you. If that's the case, he needs to be reminded that he works for you, you don't work for him. They sometimes forget how that works.
All I wanted to say in this post is for you to keep your chin up. I've known you for years and I know you are a rock solid union person and will be a valuable asset to your committee, especially during your up coming negotiations. You're a good man David and you're on a committee with good people. Every committee has some growing pains but your going to do a great job representing your members and their damn lucky to have you step up to the plate. Best of luck to all of you....now go get em!!
__________________
Bryon Branstrom
President Local 2-21
Escanaba, Michigan |
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