| Conoco Group NEGOTIATION UPDATES |
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| January 29, 2002 |
| January 29, 2002 |
| January 29 |
| Federal Mediator On The Way! It has not been a very good week. The stonewalling tactics that your Committee has been faced with since the outset of negotiations has slammed this membership right up against a deadline with contract expiration… with no settlement in sight! For this reason, your Committee has contacted the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) to request a Federal Mediator to help both parties through the process. This process will only work if both parties truly want an amicable conclusion to negotiations. The first step is getting both parties to agree to use the mediator. Management, after a day and a half of considering the offer, called Wade Johnson a few minutes after 7PM to give notice that they were willing to give a mediator a try. Currently, the level of trust is so low between the two sides that the Company is questioning what advantage we hope to gain by bringing in a mediator and we are wondering what advantage they hope to gain by agreeing with us. Hopefully, the mediator will help both sides get past all of the static brought to the bargaining table and help us get to a written understanding that will allow us to keep each other honest – with trust maybe coming a little bit later. The mediator will be arriving in Billings on Wednesday and is expected to be assisting in the efforts by Thursday. To learn more about the FMCS, go to http://www.fmcs.gov/aboutfmcs.htm Below, we have included an update from our International Union that was sent to Local Unions nationwide. Is there anyone wondering why we asked for a mediator? TO: National Oil Bargaining Groups FR: James E. Pannell, Administrative Vice President COPY: PACE International Executive Board National Oil Bargaining Committee Robert E. Wages, Attorney NOBP GENERAL MESSAGE #7 Please be advised that the National Oil Bargaining Policy Committee convened this morning. The Committee has reviewed the negotiating activity that has taken place throughout the industry. The Committee has taken note of the failure of the oil industry to address important issues covered by National Bargaining Policy. The Committee also took the opportunity to review the prospect of very serious local issues resulting in strikes involving several different employers, including Conoco, at its Billings, MT and Denver, CO refineries; San Francisco Bay Area refineries; and the BP-Amoco refinery in Toledo, OH. We will continue to monitor these situations as well as the ongoing negotiations addressing National Policy issues. Please keep this office advised of developments in your locations. We will continue to report negotiating activities and update all locations when appropriate. Questions have been raised about the possibility of extensions, the possibility of strike action, the status of benefits in the event of a strike, and all of these issues will be addressed in future general messages. |