Today, once again, management of this facility showed a total lack of respect for its represented workforce. At about 3PM today, Jay Churchill “faxed” your Committee his response to our offer to get back to the bargaining table to work out a fair and equitable contract. In his response, he reiterated his demand that the Company would only return to the bargaining table if the Union would show up with our best and final offer. Your Committee Chairman had already explained to Jay Churchill on February 18th, 2002 that we could not meet his demand due to the fact that the Union has virtually dozens of items still needing discussion. In addition, the Company still has not met its legal obligation to supply information required by the Union that allows the Union to address the Company’s contract proposals.
Your Chairman told Jay Churchill that, even though the Union could not come to the bargaining table with a best and final offer, we would come with a host of counterproposals and a desire to reach a fair and equitable agreement with the Company. Evidently, that sort of a common sense approach is only feasible if both parties desire to bargain in good faith. This afternoon, Jay Churchill notified your Committee “by fax” that the Company was not willing to meet unless the Union would meet its unreasonable demands. While he was at it, he informed us that the Company did not intend to supply us with the information we have requested that would allow us to represent the membership of this Local.
As you have figured out, this is just the latest in a series of actions from a management team that continually demonstrates that the concept of “Core Values and Valuing All People” is merely so much dribble meant only as a public relations gimmick, and has no real application within the Corporation. We can only hope that someone further up the Corporate ladder who does believe in the principals of “Core Values and Valuing All People” will see what is happening here and step in to put an end to this madness.
Stay together and stay tuned. We will try to keep you updated as things develop. |
