"PACE International Union and Louisiana-Pacific Corp. met on
Thursday, September 14 for five hours in Escanaba.
It certainly is time for elected officials, who bent over backwards
to make "the deal" happen, to demand accountability for the
taxpayer-funded job subsidies. The entire K.I. Sawyer development
effort needs guidelines that only employers strictly upholding the
law and providing good jobs need apply. PACE and its allies pounded
this message home with letters to the editor, television news and
appearances before the Marquette County Commission.
A snapshot of public subsidies at the
sawmill
Summary of commitments" letter from state
to Dave Holli
Many businesses are tempted to cut corners on safety because of
money pressures. But down the road this can be very costly, too.
With a union contract, and the more cooperative relationship that
often comes with it, we as workers could have a lot of input on
safety issues.
We are glad there is a strong labor movement in Michigan to fight
for legislation and regulations that protect workers statewide. And
we look forward to doing our part to keep the movement strong by
being an affiliated local union of PACE.
For further information, e-mail PACE Representative Dick
LaCosse at
rlacosse@bresnanlink.net .
The following joint statement was issued September 14 by union
and L-P negotiators. It was signed by Richard LaCosse, PACE
International Representative, and Bruce Mallory, Louisiana-Pacific
Corp. Lumber Business Director, and posted at the plant:
"We're sure that many people are wondering how the negotiations
went. We are pleased to jointly state that it was a very productive
day. A total of 27 items were presented and discussed. The
atmosphere was very positive.
"We've scheduled our next meeting for Thursday, October 12 and
we look forward to another successful meeting."
PACE Temporary Organizer Kurt Marjonen, assisted by Mike Hansen,
is visiting sawmill workers at home to enlist their support by
signing union membership cards. Kurt is very pleased to report the
sign-up rate of those visited has been 90 percent.
Now that the sense of conflict is diminished, we have the freedom
to build our union from the ground up. Your membership is your
voice in a PACE-organized workplace!
The union announced in late June it is preparing for negotiations
with Louisiana- Pacific, and credited the "staying power" of
workers at the K.I. Sawyer facility. "This is good news," said
Representative Richard LaCosse. "We are working with our members to
prepare an agenda, and look forward to good-faith bargaining." L-P
purchased the former Sawyer Lumber sawmill June 16, and immediately
informed PACE President Boyd Young it would abide by a recent
decision of the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upholding the
union's win in a March 1998 election. Full details in
Press Releases .
As rumors of a tidy profit for Dave Holli and Ed Nagel upon sale of
the high-tech mill to Louisiana-Pacific Corp. spread, an outcry for
"payback" was heard locally. Public subsidies, the most important
centering on conveyance of former Air Force Base land for the
sawmill's use, were instrumental in starting the sawmill. Now,
after just over three years in operation, Holli and Nagel are
turning over these assets to an Oregon-based corporation.
The recent distribution of Michigan AFL-CIO booklets on the workers
comp system was a great success. There are a great number of
potential hazards in any sawmill, so it's helpful to know how the
system for injured workers operates.
Unions are the way regular people gain fairness on the job and make
sure the wealth they create is shared around. And that's something
that benefits the whole community.
