USW Cites Congressional Effort Asking Obama Administration to Address Chinese Subsidies of Paper Industry Threatening U.S. Jobs

(WASHINGTON) - The United Steelworkers (USW) has joined Appleton Coated LLC, NewPage Corporation and Sappi Fine Paper North America in applauding the efforts of more than 100 Members of Congress who wrote to President Obama - asking for action on Chinese subsidies to that Nation’s paper producers.

The letter to the U.S. President urges he “carefully examine the practices employed by the Chinese government to provide its paper industry an artificial and unfair advantage in the U.S. market, and determine the extent to which these practices cause or threaten to cause harm to American producers.” The letter was spurred by the devastating impact that Chinese unfairly-priced paper exports are having on the industry all across the country.

"We commend the action taken by this bipartisan group of U.S. Senators and Congressional members demanding that China obey international trade laws,” USW President Leo Gerard said.  “Too many jobs and too many companies are being destroyed because of how China subsidizes production and violates free trade principles in paper manufacturing as well as in other industries."

The letter points to a study recently released by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), which highlighted the continuing efforts of the Chinese government to promote the development of its paper producers at almost any expense.  The academic study, authored by Dr. Usha Haley, identified roughly $33 billion in subsidies provided to China’s paper producers in a variety of forms that have stimulated enormous capacity increases and jeopardized production and jobs in the U.S.

Jon Geenen, USW International Vice President at Large and Chair of the Union’s paper industry bargaining, observed that the congressional signatories come from thirty-one states representing more than half of the country where paper manufacturing is a critical industry and employer.  “Our industry has experienced capacity reductions resulting in the loss of jobs in communities all across the country. The petitions show that unfairly traded imports from China and Indonesia are a significant contributor to mill closures and resultant job losses,” Geenen said.

The companies and the USW filed unfair trade cases in September with the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) and the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) alleging that certain coated paper from China and Indonesia had been dumped and subsidized, resulting in injury to the domestic industry and its employees.

The three companies employ about 6,000 production workers represented by the USW at 20 paper mills operating in seven states.  The USW represents a total of 130,000 workers employed in the North American paper industry.

USW Congratulates Rubber Workers At Firestone In Liberia On New Contract/Heavy Loads Lifted From Tappers’ Backs

(PITTSBURGH) - The United Steelworkers (USW) is congratulating the Firestone Agricultural Workers Union of Liberia (FAWUL) on achieving a new collective bargaining agreement at the Firestone rubber plantation in Liberia.  The agreement contains a landmark provision to change the method of transporting latex to weigh stations.

“Since 1926, rubber tappers have carried a heavy load across their backs for miles,” said Fred Redmond., USW International Vice President for Human Affairs “FAWUL has achieved an historic change by negotiating a new motorized transport system.  It’s a milestone for its members and a major victory for human rights.  We need now to make sure that the agreement is enforced and extended to every corner of the plantation.”

In the new agreement, the union has negotiated a commitment to “change the current mode of transportation.”  For more than 80 years, rubber tappers were forced to carry two metal buckets, weighing up to 150 pounds, suspended from a stick across their shoulders.  Tappers carried these heavy loads to weigh stations which in some areas were miles away.  According to rubber tappers and human rights observers, this out-dated method of transportation took a severe toll on workers’ health, leading to a variety of debilitating injuries.

The new transport process has begun in several divisions of the plantation and is scheduled to be extended to other areas by the end of 2010.  The new system currently involves latex being collected in plastic buckets which are then picked up by a tractor trailer and hauled to weigh stations.  Recently, a delegation led by Redmond was able to witness implementation of the new transportation system.

“We want to congratulate FAWUL on its momentous achievement,” Redmond said. “At the same time, we know there is much work still to be done in improving working conditions and raising living standards at Firestone.”

Throughout the bargaining process and the earlier campaign to win Union Recognition, the USW has supported the members of FAWUL through training programs and solidarity actions, including research on how latex is transported at rubber plantations in Asia. 

“Tappers still work long, unpaid hours to complete their tasks and more needs to be done to address ongoing safety issues,” Redmond said. “While new housing and schools are under construction, the job is far from finished in ensuring that every child has access to education and that workers have access to electricity and other amenities that we take for granted.”

Workers and community members remained concerned with pollution emissions at the Firestone plantation which affects air and water in the surrounding area.  “The USW is committed to working closely with FAWUL in securing justice in all these areas,” said Redmond.

FAWUL, which represents more than 4,000 workers, has now negotiated two contracts with the company since establishing itself as the plantation’s first independent Union in 2007.