This is your old "union brother" Dale Stinnett. I have been "surfing" your web pages, and I see that the problems that were there when I left are still there. This is very unfortunate. As a union member I can say that the problems you folks are enduring are completely normal. Without a union presence in a company, management has free reign to do as they please, say as they please, and act as they please. It doesn't really matter to them because, in the end, they know that there is nothing any employee can do about it. Let me state that in a union shop, all the problems that you are having right now would be impossible to have. In a union shop, management does NOT have free reign to harass, embarrass, judge, "single out", or otherwise frustrate any employee!. "WHY YOU ASK?" Because they know that the UNION will not tolerate it and will deal with this kind of behavior in a very harsh manner. And they also know that their superiors will find out how they are treating their workers. Here is how it works: If any problem arises that an employee files a grievance on, a lot of people "up" the corporate ladder are given a courtesy copy, but the actual grievance gets to the top. In most cases, I've learned, the top brass doesn't know about any wrongful treatment or practices in any given plant. But are usually embarrassed when they find out about them in this manner. It's only because of union involvement do they find out. The plant that you men and women work so hard in is only a very small part of IP. Without a union, there is virtually no way for the corporate office leaders to know what your actual working environment is. I will go on to say that you aren't having problems with IP so much as you are having problems with the managers of your particular plant. Having said that, try exploiting the good of the company and look for ways that you all can add to the quality of products and services the company offers. Let me finish by saying that I know first hand about how Don, Bill, Joel, and their lawyers act about union talks. They all can get quite out of hand at times. I ask all of you employees to take the "HIGH ROAD" and to not fall into the trap they are setting, which is to argue with them, causing production and quality problems. This only gives them fuel against your quest for a united work force. Don't be fooled, they want all the tension and animosity they can create during this time so they can drive a wedge between those who want a union and those who are scared of the unknown or change. If anyone in the plant has questions about how a union can help you, please feel free to e-mail me anytime and I will do my level best to give you the information you need. But I won't sugar-coat it to try make you believe that the union is a cure-all. It really takes a lot of effort and understanding from both the employees and company to make a good working relationship, but it is a definite "must have" tool in this day and age My e-mail address is dmstinnett95@msn.com Yours Truly...
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