Workers at G-P mulling contract Union may opt to strike Monday

OLD TOWN – Members of a papermakers union at the Georgia-Pacific mill could vote to strike as early as Monday.

A federal mediator from Portland was called in to act as an outside third party and assist in negotiations between G-P’s management and members of PACE Local 80 earlier this week. No agreement was reached.

“We feel this is a fair contract,” G-P spokesman Robert Burns said Friday of what the company termed its last, best and final offer completed Wednesday.

Union members will vote on the proposed contract on Monday.

If union members choose to accept the offer, there will be no strike. Should the offer be rejected, a vote on whether or not to strike will be conducted immediately. Two-thirds of the union members have to agree for a strike to take place and the mill must be given 10-days’ notice before the strike. G-P has given union members until Nov. 27 to accept their first offer. Otherwise, the company said the original offer will be taken off the table and a contract with fewer benefits will be implemented. The major differences between the two contracts is a decrease in the pension benefit level and changes to early retiree medical coverage.

After the voting booths close, the votes regarding the contract will be counted. If the contract offer is rejected, the strike votes will then be tallied.

Daniel Bird, vice president of the PACE Local 80, previously stated he would not be surprised if union members voted to strike.

If a strike were to occur, the mill would continue to operate utilizing salaried G-P employees from across the organization, Burns said.

“The company has intimated to us that striking employees will possibly be permanently replaced,” read a statement on the union’s Web site.

“It’s totally up to the company,” Paul Randall, president of PACE Local 80, said. “With a company like G-P, I wouldn’t put anything by them. They’re about as un-American as you can get.”

Burns did not wish to elaborate on that statement.

“I don’t want to speculate on repercussions for employees on strike,” Burns said, not wanting to assume there would be a vote to strike.

“If they strike and come back to work, they would be accepting [the reduced offer] in the end,” Burns said.

The spokesman was hopeful that union members would approve the initial offer in the best interest of their families, the mill and the whole Penobscot region.

In addition to medical benefits, the subject of Sunday premium pay has been a large factor in stalled contract negotiations. With the new contract, employees who previously received double-time pay for Sunday shifts are being offered a $3,675 lump-sum buyout, along with a 25-cent wage adjustment.

“It’s not even coming close to what the loss is,” Randall said.

The union president noted that union workers were not at all pleased with the negotiation offers.

“We’re not denying those individuals who work on Sundays are impacted,” Burns said. He noted that the contract changes are necessary in order for the mill to be a competitive operation and continue to operate.

“We want to keep [G-P] alive and well,” Burns said.

Monday’s meetings will take place at 7 a.m., 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. at 80 Union Hall, 137 South Main St. The voting booths will be open from 7 a.m. to the conclusion of the final meeting.

Randall expects an announcement to be made regarding the contracts late Monday night. The decision as to whether or not a strike will occur may not be released until Tuesday.