| Conoco Group NEGOTIATION UPDATES |
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| February 7-11, 2002 |
| February 7, 2002 |
| February 7-11 |
| At 10:20AM this morning, while your committee still had questions, issues, Proposals and Counter Proposals on the bargaining table waiting to be addressed, the Company broke off talks by handing the Union Committee what the Company termed their Final Package. The Committee will be reviewing their Final Package and will be available to address your concerns at an informational meeting at 4:30PM tomorrow, Friday, at the Union hall. Due to this event and a similar situation in Denver, PACE International Union Administrative Vice-President, James Pannell, has called an Emergency Nationwide Conoco Council meeting in Denver. Your President will attend. See you at the meeting Friday. |
| Informational Meeting Friday, February 8, 2002 4:30pm at the HALL Come early if you want a chair! |
| February 9, 2002 |
| Friday night, once again, saw a packed house at the Hall. Two themes seemed to rule the evening; virtually everyone is very disappointed with the total lack of respect from a company that professes “valuing all people” as a core value while wining and dining the South Side Task Force. Yet this same company doesn’t even value the represented workforce enough to offer them the same severance package the other 90% of Conoco employees get. They say this is because it would represent a possible high cost item. The other theme surfacing Friday night was anger from a crowd realizing that the same company that tried to blackmail us last year with our Challenge money (Remember? Agree to any demands they would make during these negotiations by January 31st, or forfeit your money) was now offering us $600 dollars to accept their current demands. Your demand that any zipper clause must include 53 years of our history was heard loud and clear. Your Committee will take that message to the Company. (If we can get them to fulfill their obligation to bargain in good faith!) |
| February 10, 2002 |
| We couldn’t help but notice that the goodhearted fun some people were having using the Guestbook section of this web site has taken a turn for the worse. Some of the entries have shown a lack of taste while others appear to be leaning toward personal attacks. For this reason, we are asking the web master to try to find a way to screen the entrees while removing the current distasteful submissions. Though we understand the frustration many of you feel, we ask that you rise above this situation and remember that this is public domain. That means that your children or your grandmother has access to this sight. Please treat others with the respect that you would want them to show your grandmother. |
| February 11, 2002 |
| Your Committee feels it’s time you look closely at a few of the claims made by Mr. Churchill in his email, sent to you on February 7th, 2002. Mr. Churchill states, “In summary, this is a good contract.” When was the last time you were offered a “signing bonus” for a “good” contract? The National Oil Policy or “Pattern” language, submitted by the Company in their final offer, must be approved by the International Union. So far, it has not been approved. Quoting Mr. Churchill, “Fundamentally, the Contract is intact, the changes made to clarify. It has NOT been gutted.” When fifty years of grievance resolutions, letters of agreement and past practice are thrown out of the Contract, against the will of the represented employees, what would you call it? Fundamentally, the Company says “Clarified”, We say “Gutted”. You are being told the Exclusive Agreement (Zipper Clause) zips up the Contract for both management and the Union, but if you look at the document “Company Responses to Union’s LOA’s and Past Practices and Concerns” dated 2/5/02, that has been circulating around the plant, you will see the Company’s true intention. They intend to retain their right to continue, discontinue, or modify any practices that are not included in the Contract. Which practices are these? The same ones Your Committee is trying to include in the final agreement, that reflect fifty years of history. It should be obvious that the Union is the one being zipped up, not the Company. In the Company’s final proposal, Funeral Leave has been adjusted to match the corporate policy. Likewise, they have given you the Corporate Substance Abuse Policy, which results in mandatory termination for a positive “random” drug test (even though the policy says “discipline up to and including termination”). Ask them to explain that one, we did and we’re still confused. The Voluntary Physical language is to be removed from the Contract so that the Company can adjust the Corporate Policy for the good of all employees in Conoco. Do any of you REALLY believe that? Did we already mention the Company does not want you to have the same Severance benefit as the corporate policy? Your Committee wants you to understand the true implications of these negotiations. These are just a few of them. Stay tuned for further updates. Tell the Company you want a fair and equitable contract. Tell them to finish what they’ve started and get back to the table with YOUR Committee! A word to the wise …..The Company has provided you a link to a web site with information and the opportunity for you to ask questions. We urge you to be careful! You do not have the ability to ask questions or make comments anonymously. The Company’s website is on the Conoco Intranet, they have control of who gets in to read and write. In other words, they will know who you are; they will know what you’ve said. Is there some reason they don’t want their web site open to the Public? This web site is open to the public. Anyone who wishes to read or make comments (as long as they are tasteful) is welcome to do so. |