Importance of Adhering to USW National Paper Bargaining Policy

There have been several incidents of "slippage" away from the mandatory National Paper Bargaining policy goals that were unanimously adopted at the 2016 Paper Bargaining Conference. These policy goals are not merely advisory. Every time that a non-standard offer is accepted, the industry attempts to further exploit that weakness across companies and the industry. It shows weakness, disorganization and a lack of discipline. For good reason it makes the industry believe that if an offer is a supported by USW members and staff at one site, it should be acceptable at all sites. This leads very quickly to an industry wide race to the lowest common denominator. Please review the attached goals and please keep them close as you prepare to enter bargaining.

Bargaining Tip - Prepare. If you wait until 60 days before a contract opens to consider what your objectives are, you are already at least 9 months behind your opponent. Victories are not won at the bargaining table; they are collected there, based on a company’s assessment of the solidarity at your site, demonstrations of activism and clear signals about your local priorities. Follow the Building Power model, train, research and educate at least a year before you begin bargaining.

See the link to a PDF for a review of the 2016 Foundational and Mandatory Goals of the Paper Bargaining Policy and strategies for negotiating within the Sector.

Overview of Bargaining in Paper Sector