Over 100 Nippon Union Workers Walk Off Job
About 130 Nippon union workers have walked off their jobs over the stalling of contract talks. Workers will be setting up informational pickets. On Monday, Nippon imposed a contract that union members had already rejected.
Greg Pallesen, vice president of the Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers, told the PDN:
“We'll take whatever action we need to do and go from there. The focus is this, to help this community with security and jobs in the long term.”
Greg Pallesen, vice president of the Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers, told the PDN:
“We'll take whatever action we need to do and go from there. The focus is this, to help this community with security and jobs in the long term.”
posted by Tom Harper at 1:12 PM
25 Comments:
The place needs to close, and then we can have our waterfront back - but will take fucking forever to clean up. What a mess. Hopefully this is all setting the stage for Nippon getting the fuck out of town.
Good for them.
It looks like the anti-union propaganda machine is already going full-speed ahead over at the PDN comments.
I bet Nippon's management is surprised by this development. Norland sounded pretty cocky in his statements to the PDN earlier this week.
Congrats to union workers who have the guts to stand together and stand up to corporate bullies. Many in the community are on your side.
But, but...Mayor McMoonbeam McKidd says that Handsome Harold Norlund told her that Nippon really, really CARES about Port Angeles, and the people therein. So how could they possibly have anything but what is best for Port Angeles in mind? I mean, really, who knows what's best for our little town - duly elected local good ol' boys, or Japanese executives in Tokyo? Clearly one one those groups is more worldly and wise, so I'm betting that Nippon is doing all this to bring about truth, justice and the Japmerican way here in Port Angeles.
Thank you, kind corporate overlords! Don't forget to give Mayor McMarblemouth her talking points! And remember - keep 'em simple!
Lets hope many in the community who are on the side of the 'union workers who the guts to stand together' will themselves also have the guts to stand WITH them. No line-crossers or scabs.
We know it is people with low incomes and no benefits that have the disposable wealth that keeps communities growing and prosperous. They are the ones that are able to buy TVs, clothes and other things our stores sell. Right?
Greedy SOBs, those union folks!
Seriously though. Good luck to the people out on the lines.
It's a perfect time to compare air quality data readings - with the boiler on and with the boiler off. Wagering any bets if there's a difference?
How sad is it that it seems to be almost impossible for folks to offer comments about issues of the day without sarcasim, vulgar insults and threats? :(
What a wonderful opportunity for Occupy Port Angeles to get involved in ways to support these workers who are our neighbors and friends and family members. What an opportunity, Occupy P.A. - can you/will you walk the talk you have been claiming to be. Now is the time.
I think they make more than decent wages now, I know some of them and see what they have and do.
But let me put it this way, the paper the PDN uses comes from that mill so if want to pay a buck a day for the daily fishwrap get out there and support them.
I don't think it's worth 50 cents a day let alone the 75 they are charging.
Once the applications start flowing in for these jobs and they are filled, we will see how many want to continue walking a picket line when paper is going out the back door.
Good comment about gathering air monitoring data now, if the mill's stacks are truly shut off for awhile. If the mill gets up and running again after the strike, watch out though for some pretty dirty air pollution. They'll have to burn diesel fuel at first to get the boilers hot enough to run on wet wood chips and hog fuel.
Take some good deep breaths while you can!
Goodbye bio-mess boiler! Goodbye polluted waterfront! Goodbye Mayor korporate Kidd-bot!
Maybe those knuckledragging mouthbreathers who work at the mill can get jobs at McDonalds or somewhere.
If I wuz a union member I wouldn't stand in a picket line, I'd go camping or fishing.
It's storming right now, I'll bet they're having a ball out there.
Anon 1:22 That is the kind of thinking that makes Port Angeles such a great and prosperous town.
What a loser.
Nippon doesn't pollute. Stop spreading fear and lies.
So ---- who will the Mayor, the PABA and the Chamber of Commerce types support now?
To the Mayor, who writes letters to the Japanese corporate leadership, gushing over how much Port Angeles loves the mill: does the love stem from the love of money from utility taxes, or does it stem from a love for your constituents who work at the mill and contribute economic and social stability to the community?
Chamber of Commerce: Will we next see you taking out full page ads in the PDN supporting your darling friends in corporate management at the mill and vilifying the strikers? That would be typical. But your small business members risk much by being seen as opposed to treating workers fairly. To whom do you pledge your allegiance?
PABA: Your true colors as community boosters (NOT!) were outed many years ago in your unwavering support for Rayonier's actions in pulling out of town and leaving behind a toxic stew that it steadfastly works to avoid cleaning up. It seems hopeless that your leadership will ever be anything more corporate shills.
What is this town truly made of? Where is its true moral compass? Do organizations like the C of C and PABA represent the views of the majority? Or is it painfully plain now that the community has been ill-served by these mouthpieces?
It is time for the ordinarily quiet people to shout out their support for their neighbors who are protesting and striking against the unfair and unjust practices of their corporate employer. Raise your voices now!
Anonymous 8:42 AM is Max.
"Phonebook Fan Club" is Max.
Trying to kickstart a "March Revolution", Max?
A former Nippon employee's comments from the PDN article includes the following:
I can say without hesitation that Harold Norlund has less regard, concern and compassion for the workers than any previous mill manager I worked with. He is Canadian, with no ties to the community or the country. His salary is nearly twice that of any former manager, and he receives bonuses based on cost reduction and profit increases. The well-being of Nippon Paper is a... secondary concern, his primary objective is to line his pockets with as many American dollars as he can before going back to Canada.
So let me get this straight. You previously worked for a foriegn-owned mill and had no problem lining your own pockets with the salary recieved there? Then, in what appears to be a jealous rant, criticize the current Manager for receiving bonuses for cost reductions and profitability maximization. I can't think of a single Manager in the history of business who hasn't been given that same mandate. Nippon is not a social club, nor a philanthropy. It's a major employer in our community that can only continue to operate if their finances remain sustainable. If not, no more mill - no more jobs.
Every striking employee has the choice to do so, but you should be ashamed if you threaten your family's livelihood as a result, or dare to chastise another person who is less arrogant than you and has the moral fortitude to support themselves and their family by picking up where you slacked off. Your repugnant entitlement is not welcome in this community - and remember, it's a small town (to use your own threatening words).
Anon 1:22 - I know! Don't you love all the fake anti-scab rhetoric?!
The only reason that place still exists is because IT IS a polluter! 50.01% or more of PA wants it! It is the "good old boy", or TEABAGGER "darling" and is a leading contributor to keeping Port Angeles from becomming the true, model, prosperous, thriving, gateway to one of the most "user friendly" wildernessess in the entire world.
Now, even while the rest of the world is waking up to climate change dangers, the dangers of particulates from wood smoke, and, RISING SEA LEVELS BECAUSE of carbon being released into the atmosphere, we allow them to burn our forests! AT our nice waterfront! In a scheme! For nothing! Except to piss people off. It's not even a moneymaker but was financed, so who cares anyway? It's what their knuckledragging base wants. Piss people off, ruin the environment (and stick people who haven't even been born or moved here yet) for the cleanup, later), spend and deplete resources NOW NOW NOW...get that shit into the air as fast as possible....so we can all touch it, see it, taste it....rub it in their faces. Because we can.
Washington State DNR closes an entire campground area, the Lyre River camp, because of two, 2, TWO picnic tables are damaged.
We are doomed. Teabagger bullshit. Punish us. Make us hate government even more.
I love the picture accompaning the insightful PDN article. Raging "creek" in the background. A deathtrap. With the KILLER picnic table in the foreground. What is that, blood on it??
Oh, no, perhaps it's just ketchup. Someone possibly could have been eating french fries on it, not realizing the table top was gone.
You see, the state knows we are all FUCKING MORONS out here in the boonies and are just getting used to fucking using SILVERWARE, so tables are new to us....being so awkward, reaching for the french fry on the tiny, little, sharp metal "table" they slipped on some moss, and knocked the french fries on the metal part, thus the ketchup.
Which will take time to clean off, as it might be blood, and we can't be too careful.
I hate assholes that fuck up campgrounds, I camp there at times.
And you wonder why Port Angeles continues into decline, when the rest of the world moves ahead?
Go back to work dam
Hey you all make good money buy your own insurance and if you weren't smart enough to be management to bad your a bunch of dummies some people make min wage.
Post a Comment
<< Home