| Conoco Group NEGOTIATION UPDATES |
| January 14, 2002 This will be a busy week for your Committee. We spent Monday the 14th at the Union Hall sifting through volumes of Company proposals and notes trying to figure out what issues the Company really finds important. If we can somehow get past the point where Management is posturing for position and convince them to tell us what they consider to be specific issues needing addressed, we believe real progress can be made toward making this a better place to work. Wish us gobs of luck! We will meet with Management at the Union Hall on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday and at the Sheridan on Thursday. This could prove to be a pivotal week if we can somehow get past the “gut the contract” mentality and get on to the business of addressing issues. To this point, other than our presentation of our proposals, virtually all talk across the table has been addressing Company issues. We intend to address some of our issues this week. |
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| January 14-22, 2002 |
| January 14-22 |
| January 19, 2002 There has been quite a disparity in the stories circulating concerning the progress of the negotiations. Word from the front-line supervisors in the plant has it that things are going “very well”. Evidently, the front-line supervisors are getting this word at meetings held by their bosses. This leaves us with one of two options to consider… either the people telling them things are going “very well” have never been involved in negotiations before and, therefore, don’t understand “very well”… or the people telling them things are going “very well” are lying! Let’s examine the latter option… Your Committee is spending long days (and nights) bogged down with a complete re-write of our Collective Bargaining Agreement aimed at destroying 50-plus years of cooperative efforts by both the Union and Management to develop and secure a harmonious relationship. Management has enlisted the services of a corporate hatchet man that has a long history of attempting to circumvent amicable labor-management relations. He carries his distaste for us, and for what we stand, like a trophy. His presence has only served to insert an air of distrust to the process. Thus far, the Company has made one feeble attempt at a counter-proposal that, among several pages of other abominations, grants them the right to disrupt the schedule of a maintenance worker in the middle of the week with no penalty to the company! Huge issues, such as the Company’s attempts to throw out decades of ‘letters of agreement” such as the Health and Safety Representative, the “ER” agreement and virtually dozens of other items already negotiated and signed by folks acting in good faith haven’t even been discussed. Has it dawned on anyone besides us that time is running very short? BIG MEETING ON TUESDAY! STRIKE AUTHORIZATION VOTE!! Don’t forget to attend the weekly meeting this Tuesday night at 4:30PM. We will be voting to give our Committee the right to call a strike if the Company continues on its current self-destructive course. The vote will be by secret ballot and will be held at the meeting. A ballot box will be taken to the refinery to allow those in operations on day shift an opportunity to vote. A ballot box will not be taken to the refinery for night shift, so if you are going in on Midnights, you must vote at the Union Hall during the meeting! As you all know, the meeting last Tuesday was standing room only. Come early to secure a seat! |
| January 22, 2002 Tuesday night was a phenomenal event! We had another standing room only crowd of folks making it very clear that they will settle for nothing less than respect and dignity in the workplace. By the end of the night, 140 people had voted by secret ballot and 138 of them voted to give their Negotiating Committee authorization to call a strike in order to obtain a fair and equitable Labor Agreement. Each and every one of you should be very proud of your commitment and resolve! Decent working conditions and a voice in our working lives have never been given to us; they are something we have earned through the willingness to stand together and demand fair treatment. As far removed as the current Refinery Leadership Team is from reality, we have to believe that even they must see that this membership intends to have a fair working agreement, and will settle for no less. One other item that must be addressed is the real concern many of us have surrounding the volatile situation in the refinery. We are seeing increased occurrences of front line supervisors attempting to “bait” our co-workers into situations that could result in serious disciplinary consequences for our members. We are asking that you all step back and assess the situation in the plant. This Company would like nothing better than to find a way to throttle some of our people in an attempt to put a damper on your attempts to get a fair and equitable contract. Don’t let them suck you into a confrontation that will result in our message being lost. Even though many of them have spent very little effort showing any respect for us, we need to rise above their game and present our message in a respectful manner. Don’t get drawn into their game! Be careful out there! |