G-P, USW Reach Agreement for 13-Mill Labor Contracts

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Georgia-Pacific, Atlanta, Ga., USA, and the United Steelworkers (USW), Pittsburg, Pa., have reached an agreement setting terms that will be offered in USW labor contracts as they are renewed at 13 of G-P’s pulp and paper mills between 2011 and 2014.

The Master Economic Agreement ratified by USW members at the 13 mills establishes terms for wage increases, health care benefits, and employee pension benefits over the four years, continuing local bargaining on all other issues. The agreement also allows G-P to institute incentives at these mills, consistent with its ongoing companywide employee wellness efforts.

The four-year deal will be applied to mill agreements in Brunswick, Ga., Naheola, Ala., Brewton, Ala., Big Island, Va., Halsey, Ore., Green Bay, Wis., Palatka, Fla., Monticello, Miss., Cedar Springs, Ga., Pt. Hudson, La., Plattsburg, N.Y., Crossett, Ark., and Wauna, Ore.

"We appreciate the United Steelworkers' efforts to reach this agreement, which we believe will provide greater efficiency in contract negotiations at our USW-represented pulp and paper mills during the next four years," said Jim Hannan, Georgia-Pacific CEO and president. "We also believe this gives us a foundation from which to continue working with our employees on making our operations more competitive in an increasingly challenging global market."

USW International VP Jon Geenen, who heads the USW paper sector collective bargaining program, added that "because Georgia-Pacific is such a prominent employer in the industry and our members made great strides in bargaining, this agreement represents another historic milestone in the paper sector. This deal provides security and stability for both our members and the company."