July 14, 2006

Committees representing Local Lodges W349, W401 and W475 met with the G-P negotiating team three days this week. The three days negotiations were spent dealing with local issues that had been referred to the big table. Considerable progress was made in getting these issues resolved at all three locations.

Please see your Local Union bargaining committee with specific questions. The week could have been better spent dealing with the serious financial proposals. The failure of Crossett management to work to resolve these matters when local negotiations were held in April caused the delay and the necessity to spend three days in Memphis dealing with them. Work done this week clears the way to negotiate on economic matters when negotiations resume.

Negotiations are set to continue on August 22, 23 and 24. Georgia Pacific staffing problems continue to plague timely progress of negotiations. Previously scheduled negotiations in other places by the G-P laborrelations staff forces delay in the next meetings. This is made worse by the several vacancies in the G-P labor relations team caused by at least four people leaving and the illness of one of G-P’s chief negotiators.Please be patient as we work to get the IAMAW members the best contract possible. Further updates will be communicated as available.