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25 October, 2012The United Steelworkers (USW) announced workers ratified an agreement about the integration of 1,400 workers at 18 former Temple Inland box plants into the union’s master economic agreement with International Paper (IP).
Overwhelming 90 per cent majority of workers voted in favour of the contract. The union represents about 4,000 workers at 61 IP box plants and some 6,000 hourly employees at 19 IP paper mills. This agreement is the second one recently negotiated at IP.
One month ago another agreement was concluded, aimed to integrate former Temple-Inland mills into the IP master agreement. It was ratified by nearly the same margin, bringing a total of 80 sites represented by 90 local unions into the IP master agreements. The necessity of changes has been triggered earlier this year when IP purchased its former competitor.
USW International President Leo W. Gerard praised solidarity between the members and shop floor activists both at and between the plants.
“Especially when bargaining with huge corporations like IP, our members understand that standing together in unity to fight for a fair contract gives us power at the bargaining table,” Gerard said.
On the occasion of ratification of agreements USW issued a press release available at the link: http://www.usw.org/media_center/releases_advisories?id=0629