USW Union sign sticks out of the grass along the highway in the early morning hours as lights and smoke ominously illuminate the front of the Graphic Packaging paper mill in Domino. The sign says “Coming Soon” with images of picketers coming together
Graphic Packaging strike may be imminent
A strike may be imminent, according to local workers at the Domino papermill, Graphic Packaging.
The contract between Graphic Packaging and the workers expired in late April. Union sources said the company has been slow to negotiate.
Local USW Unions 1148 & 1149 voted in favor of a strike on June 15 if negotiations fail or stall. There are more than 400 members of the local union working with Graphic Packaging and many said there may be no other choice but to strike.
“We need as much support as we can get,” one anonymous worker said. “”A lot of us with families can’t afford to go on strike but we have to make this sacrifice for the future employees and our children and livelihood. They are wanting to take our pension and make us pay more for our health insurance. We have not received an inflation raise while the company has gone up 30 percent on their products to their customers. The list goes on.”
Another anonymous source with close ties to the union workers said the company broke off negotiations a few days ago.
“They gave the company a ten-day notice they are going to strike and they’ve already marked off the boundaries of the company property so that the picketers won’t be trespassing,” the source said.
USW Local 1148 said the union does not have an official statement at this time, but said they would contact Journal-Sun staff when they do.