On Sunday, newspapers throughout the northeast began running an advertisement campaign from a paper mill in upstate New York. The mill is offering permanent replacement positions in all areas of employment. The openings are the result of strike that dates back to June 16. NHPR's Dan Gorenstein has more.
On Sunday, newspapers throughout the northeast began running an advertisement campaign from a paper mill in upstate New York. The mill is offering permanent replacement positions in all areas of employment. The openings are the result of strike that dates back to June 16. NHPR?s Dan Gorenstein has more.
TAPE: Phone
That?s the message you hear when you call the number listed in Finch Pruyn?s quarter page ad in Monday?s Concord Monitor. The ad reads:
FULL-TIME JOBS NOW AVAILABLE AT UPSTATE N.Y. PAPER MILL.
PERMANENT REPLACEMENT POSITIONS PAYING $15-$20.48, PLUS BENEFITS
Mill spokesperson John Brat declined to disclose the number of calls received, but says the response to the advertisements is very pleasing. Brat says the company ran ads in newspapers where large populations of experienced paper mill workers live. Including New Hampshire.
1:35 it is our understanding there are a number of paper makers who may be out of work and are looking for an opportunity to look for employment. We thought there may be some interest in that area for these jobs.
The Berlin and Gorham pulp and paper mill closed their doors back in August and just last week the parent company announced they weren?t going to reopen them. Many North Country workers are still looking for full-time employment. Brat says Finch Pruyn wants to prevent that type of situation from happening in Glens Falls New York. But he says the union?s demands have made it difficult to stay competitive in an increasingly competitive industry. Several locals of the paper workers union, known by the acronym PACE have been on strike against Finch Pruyn since June.
While labor and management continue to meet, two sticking points are over health benefits and Sunday and holiday pay. And as the strike has dragged on, the company decided to pursue another track.
4:56 Twice last month advised employees, if they were not willing to return to work, they were going to have ot look at replacement workers in order to keep mill running, and protect these jobs for the future. We began that last week.
PACE International Union spokesperson Lynn Baker says the move to hire permanent replacement workers is a breach of a century old social contract says. But the pin-point targeting of unemployed unionized mill workers, says Baker, is bad enough to have its own name. Whipsawing.
5:53 a company that does that doesn not really care about it?s employees. It?s disheartening to hear, that Finch is advertising in NH, and is trying to pit those workers against their brothers and sisters in New York?to see this kind of thing is unconscionable.
As far as union president Eddie Debluar is concerned, the Pulp and Paper of America union workers have no intention of going anywhere.
:27 I think it is absolutely crazy that anybody would ocnsider taking these jobs, trying to negotiate fair jobs, and wages from the company. We denouce anybody who would do that. We would hope that nobody from our area would consider taking that job.
With the recent call back of 34 workers, Debluar says membership is waiting for the issues at home to be resolved. Not suffering from a grass-is-greener syndrome.
Paul Robitie, a Pulp and Paper employee for 28 years has been out of work for eight weeks. He says he?s got leads, but that?s about it right now. Robitie says belonging to the union has offered him a sense of pride, and there is a strong loyalty to the union. And Finch Pruyn?s tactics don?t agree with him.
4:20 I would be surprised if there were very many who left for New York. I think it is a shame that we are in trouble and they are taking advantage. How can they take advantage of that.
For NHPR News, I?m DG
