Standing up for families: Georgia Pacific warehouse worker and IBU member Travis McKinney brought his daughter to rally for good jobs on December 4th in Portland. “The company would rather we push toilet paper than take care of our families.”
On the cold afternoon of December 4th, fourth generation Georgia- Pacific (G-P) employee Travis McKinney raised his voice above the frigid wind as he stood with close to one hundred of his co-workers, union allies and community supporters in front of the office at the company’s largest distribution center for paper products in Portland, Oregon.
He described to an outraged crowd, management’s cold-blooded refusal to allow him to tend to his daughter’s health: “When I had to take my daughter to the hospital to be diagnosed, the company told me I had to stay and work overtime instead.” Travis was eventually able to get medical help for his daughter – despite G-P’s lack of support – and found that she was autistic.
Doug Stilwell, another G-P employee, spoke at the rally about management’s constant pressure to speed up forklift operations. “There is no safety… ever since they put this computer system in here [to automatically direct workers when to move loads], we’re all taking shortcuts trying to get this stuff down, pushing their paper out. It’s wrong,” said Stilwell.
Earlier in the year, production employee Cyrie Bellici had her leg severely injured and almost ripped off due to a common practice – condoned by management – that allowed cargo loads to be manually directed on the distribution center floor.
As members of the Inlandboatmen’s Union of the Pacific, ILWU’s Marine Division, Travis, Doug and Cyrie are part of a group of almost 80 G-P workers who have been fighting for safe jobs, healthy families and retirement security and bargaining for a fair collective bargaining agreement since February 2010.
IBU President Alan Coté pointed out “safety is more than a page in a manual, and there is no safety culture in here as far as I’m concerned—just a greed culture.”
Leaders from other unions whose members work at G-P in other locations, joined IBU members in denouncing G-P’s reckless approach of putting corporate profits before workers’ health.
Greg Pallesen, Vice-President of the Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers (AWPPW), said “they don’t care about anything other than profit. ‘Safety First’ is a line of you-know-what.” Bill Kerr, Recording Secretary of United Steelworkers (USW) Local 1097, concurred: “They will preach ‘Safety First’, and I honestly believe its ‘Production First.’”
After dozens of members and supporters picketed the company last May, subsequent months saw G-P repeatedly attempting to gut key protections and force drastic concessions on members.
But when management tried to intimidate workers in October with a supposedly “final” offer to eliminate members’ pension, render health benefits unaffordable and slant attendance rules such that more members would likely be disciplined and/or discharged, the company got a rude awakening. Every single member voted down the contract offer, slamming corporate managers with an unequivocal message of unity and militancy.
Speaking out for good jobs: L-R: Willie Adams, ILWU International Sec-Treasurer, Alan Coté, IBU President, and Dawn DeBrisay, President, ILWU Local 40 at the Georgia- Pacific rally.
In spite of record earnings as one of the largest multinational paper corporations, Georgia-Pacific is still clinging to its attempts to end retirement security, gouge families out of medical coverage and punish and/or fire more workers at managers’ discretion.
“Seven years ago,” said Doug, “I walked into this company and thought, ‘here’s G-P, one of the biggest paper companies in the world, with good benefits, pay and retirement’—now they want to take all that away from us.”
Travis added, “they want us to choose between taking care of our children and paying our mortgages… do you know how much of a financial burden [finding out my daughter is autistic] that’s going to cost me? And they tell me that’s none of their business.”
“We live in a country where every twelve minutes a worker dies for want of health care,” observed Oregon AFL-CIO President Tom Chamberlain.
“They’re challenging us to go where we really need to go,” emphasized Willie Adams, ILWU Secretary-Treasurer who spoke at the rally. “They did us a favor giving us a hard time, because it’s bringing us together…nothing is ever given without a struggle. We’re not entitled to anything unless we earn it, unless we fight for it.”
“We pledge that we stand with you in this struggle, because every time you get hurt, we get hurt,” explained Denny Scott of the Carpenters’ Industrial Council, which represents around 20,000 workers across the country including G-P workers in plants throughout the Southeastern United States. Similar pledges of solidarity were made from the AWPPW, USW Local 1097, the Oregon AFL-CIO, and ILWU Local 6 and ILWU Local 26 with members who do warehouse work at Georgia-Pacific in the Bay Area. Several of these sister unions are also currently bargaining with the company, while IBU members will likely head back to the negotiating table on March 3rd.
A spirited group of IBU members working inside the warehouse came out to join the action during their break, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with sisters and brothers from other unions and community groups.
After Doug thanked everyone for coming together in support, Travis sounded a note of resolve that resounded in the shouts and raised fists of the picketing crowd.
“I want respect. I’ve earned it. We’ve earned it! My grandfather died becoming union, and I’m willing to do it too. Not just for us, but for my daughter.”