NO STRIKE

Domino, Texas- Local United Steelworkers unions inked a revised contract with Graphic Packaging International after unions put the mill on a 10-day notice for strike.

A union representative who asked not to be identified said USW 1148 and 1149 chose to accept the new contract offered by the mill. There are more than 400 members of local unions currently working with the mill in Domino.

“No strike, We are working under a new contract,” he said. “We accepted the offer they came back with after the 10-day notice was put in.”

The previous contract expired a year ago in April.

Pickets were held by the unions outside the facility last fall in September as workers negotiated aspects of their contracts such as health insurance, pensions and the two-tier pay system, which some described as “quality of life issues.” KSLA’s Fred Gamble reported that a union representative said the new contract would not change work schedules for employees, but that the two-tier pay scale will gradually phase out over the five-year contract term. A two-tier payroll system gives one group of workers lower wages than another group. Details were unavailable at press time regarding the ins and outs of the new contract.

Sue Appleyard Graphic Packaging International’s Director of Corporate Communications told Journal-Sun staff they had no comment as of February 27, when USW locals were threatening a strike. On March 15th, after another request for comment, Appleyard said, “We can confirm a new collective bargaining agreement has been ratified, but we have no other comment.”