Steelworkers may file complaint against Appleton Papers

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2008/04/14/daily21.html

Tuesday, April 15, 2008 - 4:16 PM CDT

The United Steelworkers in Pennsylvania said Tuesday that it plans to file an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board against Appleton Papers regarding what the union called an illegal implementation of the terms of the company's "last, best and final" contract offer.

After the union membership rejected a contract offer last week, Appleton deemed contract negotiations at the mill at an impasse and, as a result, notified union officials and the mill's union employees that Appleton will implement its final contract offer beginning Monday, according to an Appleton press release last week. The former contract expired in November 2007, but both sides agreed to an extension.

The contract affects approximately 370 members of USW Local 10-0422 at Appleton's Roaring Spring, Pa., facility.

The members of USW Local 10-0422 last week rejected the Appleton-based company's contract proposal by a vote of 344-to-1 and called on management to resume good faith negotiations for a fair contract. Since then, however, the company's representatives have refused to meet with the USW, the union said.

"We are still willing to meet and discuss these and other issues with management to try and resolve this contract reasonably and fairly," said USW vice president Jon Geenen. "I believe we can reach an agreement if the company stops breaking the law and negotiates, but unfortunately, it may require the NLRB to pursue a complaint before that happens."

Geenen claimed the new contract being imposed by the company was "gutting employee and retiree health care programs."

FULL story at link.