|
|
DuPont Ordered to Restore Wages and Jobs to Workers in Western New York FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Jim Briggs – PACE International Representative Region I; 716.998.7556 (mobile) Gary Guralny – President PACE Local 1-6992; 716.207.3704 (mobile) Buffalo, NY- January 8, 2004- The New Year brought a significant labor victory to the workers represented by the Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical and Energy Workers International Union (PACE) and its Local 1-6992 at DuPont’s Corian manufacturing facility in Buffalo, New York. E. I. DuPont de Nemours Company (NYSE: DD) was found guilty by a federal administrative law judge of “serious unfair labor practices” in the course of bargaining a new agreement with PACE. After 15 days of hearings, the judge found that under federal labor law, the 53 workers who lost their jobs as a result of DuPont subcontracting the milling and finishing work in July of 2001 must be returned to work and paid for all lost wages and benefits. DuPont was also ordered to re-install the milling and finishing machinery that had been dismantled in 2001. In addition, DuPont must pay over 400 workers any lost time pay attributed to illegal changes to wages and health care benefits. The judge ordered that the employees’ share of the health care costs be rolled back to the 1996 level. The Judge found significant evidence that DuPont’s corporate headquarters directed local management to bargain in a manner that assured that PACE could not interfere with the subcontracting of the work. DuPont’s illegal tactics included refusing to provide necessary information and refusing to bargain on certain subjects. The judge concluded that DuPont’s illegal actions deprived PACE of the opportunity of bargaining a fair contract, stating, “The Respondent’s (DuPont) unilateral fragmentation of the bargaining issues, in conjunction with its self-imposed deadlines, put the Union in the unenviable position of being stuck between the proverbial “rock and a hard place.” This is not DuPont’s only illegal conduct at the Buffalo facility. Last January, PACE discovered that DuPont forged New York state documents and presented them to workers who had completed Electrician and Millwright Apprenticeship Programs. PACE Local Union President Gary Guralny said, “It’s the union’s job to represent workers to the fullest. It is unacceptable for DuPont to think it can violate the law and get away with it just because it is a big corporation. I am glad the State of New York and a federal judge agreed with us.” PACE International Representative James Briggs stated, “DuPont must be made accountable to the workers of this country. DuPont claims it’s a good corporate citizen but it has moved over 40,000 jobs out of the United States over the past several years. DuPont moves jobs to other countries to avoid federal labor laws, environmental regulations and other worker protections mandated here in the United States.” Gary Cook, PACE International Vice President said, “This is an important victory for all Unions as they negotiate with DuPont. The judge has validated our claims and now it’s time for DuPont to abide by the law.”
PACE represents 300,000 workers in the paper, oil, chemical, atomic
energy, auto parts, grain milling, cement, and industrial minerals industries.
For further information on PACE and DuPont see
www.dupontcouncil.org
|
|
For more information please e-mail Gary Guralny & Shawn Gilchrist |