The Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers (AWPPW) is a

trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...

in the

western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

affiliated with the

United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America The United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, often simply the United Brotherhood of Carpenters (UBC), was formed in 1881 by Peter J. McGuire and Gustav Luebkert. It has become one of the largest trade unions in the United State ...

. It was established in September 1964, when

West Coast West Coast or west coast may refer to: Geography Australia * Western Australia *Regions of South Australia#Weather forecasting, West Coast of South Australia * West Coast, Tasmania **West Coast Range, mountain range in the region Canada * Britis ...

rank-and-file members of the

International Brotherhood of Pulp, Sulphite, and Paper Mill Workers The International Brotherhood of Pulp, Sulphite, and Paper Mill Workers (IBPSPMW) was a labor union representing workers involved in making paper in the United States and Canada. The union was founded on January 6, 1906, as a split from the Intern ...

became dissatisfied with the conduct of wage negotiations by international vice-presidents and those of another international union, the

United Papermakers and Paperworkers The United Papermakers and Paperworkers (UPP) was a labor union representing workers involved in manufacturing paper in the United States and Canada. The union was established on March 6, 1957, when the International Brotherhood of Paper Makers mer ...

, with whom a Uniform Labor Agreement had been negotiated. The dissatisfaction was a result of the international Vice Presidents announcing that they were taking over the United Labor Association bargaining session. They established a new union, the Association of Western Pulp and Paper Mill Workers. Litigation followed, a NLRB election was conducted in October 1964, and the Western organization was certified as the Uniform Labor Agreement bargaining agent. In 1994, it affiliated with the

Culture and symbolism

The AWPPW places a premium on democracy and independence. This is not surprising, given the conditions under which it was founded. For instance, its newsletter, in publication since 1964 is called ''The Rebel''. Its seal is a

gavel A gavel is a small ceremonial mallet commonly made of hardwood, typically fashioned with a handle. It can be used to call for attention or to punctuate rulings and proclamations and is a symbol of the authority and right to act officially in the ...

surrounded by the slogan "Guard Well the Democratic Rights of Your Members." The seal and slogan were created by Bill and Lucille Riggs, inspired by Bill's study of ''

Robert's Rules of Order ''Robert's Rules of Order'', often simply referred to as ''Robert's Rules'', is a manual of parliamentary procedure by U.S. Army officer Henry Martyn Robert. "The object of Rules of Order is to assist an assembly to accomplish the work for which ...

''. Bill "saw the chairman's gavel as a tangible symbol of a member's rights.""Bill, Lucille Riggs Gave AWPPW Its Seal, Slogan." (September 23, 1974). The Rebel, Special Edition AWPPW Tenth Anniversary, p.17.

Governance

The AWPPW was born out of the perceived dictatorial practices of the International Brotherhood of Pulp, Sulphite and Paper Mill Workers and the United Papermakers and Paperworkers unions. Consequently, it proclaims itself to be "the most democratic union in the world." The structure of union governance according to the 2006 AWPPW constitution is as follows: *President *Vice-president *Secretary Treasurer *Union Organizer *Area Reps **Northern Washington **Southern Washington **Oregon, Idaho, Utah **California *Relief Area Reps **Northern Washington **Southern Washington **Oregon, Idaho, Utah **California *Trustees **Northern Washington **Southern Washington **Oregon, Idaho, Utah **California *Lobbyists **Washington **Oregon, Idaho, Utah *Staff - Accounting *Staff - Member Services

Elections and conventions

The Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers use a directly democratic process for election of their officers. Nominations for association officers are done at the convention by seated delegates. Once nominations are accepted, voting for officers is done on a local level by each member in good standing. Every member in good standing is eligible to vote and run for all offices. Conventions happen every five years, the length of the officers' terms. Special conventions can be called by a 40% call from members in good standing. The members of the executive board (president, vice president, secretary-treasurer, and four elected trustees) do not have power to overrule votes by delegates at convention. Local contracts are bargained by local officers. Strike votes and contract ratification votes are of a simple majority by the local members in good standing. The number of delegates from each local is based on the number of members of that local. Delegates, along with all other local officials, are elected locally by members in good standing at that local. Provisions exist in the constitution for recall of all elected officials.

The split

On April 23, 1964, a majority of 21,000 workers from forty-nine

paper mill A paper mill is a factory devoted to making paper from vegetable fibres such as wood pulp, old rags, and other ingredients. Prior to the invention and adoption of the Fourdrinier machine and other types of paper machine that use an endless belt, ...

s, owned by eighteen companies, rebelled against the two oldest established unions that had been representing them. The International Brotherhood of Pulp, Sulphite, and Paper Mill Workers (IBPS&PMW) and the United Papermakers and Paperworkers (UPP), along with affiliate Pacific Coast Pulp and Paper Mill Employees Association (PCPPMEA), bargained collectively with twenty-nine manufacturers. The PCPPMEA had always negotiated with a certain amount of autonomy. Various issues had arisen over the years that created dissension. Significantly, it was the matter of secrecy and lack of democratic rule that was most chafing. The International unions elected their VPs by a majority of votes cast at the convention. Even 100% of the PCPPMEA delegates were not enough to choose their own representation. Rank and file members of the PCPPMEA didn't believe the Internationals were giving sufficient effort to settle their grievances. During pre-wage negotiations the Internationals were seen to have thrown out thirty years of negotiating practice when they replaced PCPPMEA delegates with International VPs. It was this act that prompted Bill Perrin, acknowledged leader of the PCPPMEA, to walk out. He said he just planned "to go do a little fishing." He was astonished to find that he had been followed by seventy-three of the 138 delegates. The two International unions appointed replacement delegates and continued to negotiate without the PCPPMEA. Pacific Coast delegates were denied admittance when they attempted to return. Legal action before the

Oregon Circuit Court Oregon's circuit courts are general jurisdiction trial courts of the U.S. state of Oregon. These courts hear civil and criminal court cases. The state has 27 circuit court districts, most of which correspond to the boundaries of Oregon's 36 coun ...

sought to reinstate Pacific Coast delegates. The court ruled against the PCPPMEA and a peace committee was proposed but not well received by any of the parties. An attorney for the International unions argued before the court that

NLRB The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is an independent agency of the federal government of the United States with responsibilities for enforcing U.S. labor law in relation to collective bargaining and unfair labor practices. Under the Natio ...

action, rather than a court hearing, was the appropriate venue to decide the issue. It was this statement that sparked the idea to establish a new union. On May 9, 1964, several leaders of the rebellion met in

Olympia, Washington Olympia is the capital of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat and largest city of Thurston County. It is southwest of the state's most populous city, Seattle, and is a cultural center of the southern Puget Sound region. European ...

, to form the AWPPW. Bargaining between the International unions and the companies had concluded on May 5. They had received an offer of about $0.16¾ an hour. This represented the best offer labor had ever received. The fledgling union was faced with two tasks simultaneously: it had to convince the membership to reject this offer and get enough cards signed to demand NLRB recognition. 9,500 northwest pulp and paper workers, well above the 30% necessary, signed cards requesting representation by the AWPPW. The contract was rejected and nearly 15,000 members had refused to vote. These vote totals represented a serious embarrassment and threat to the International unions. The International unions moved quickly to issue a second referendum offering members an opportunity to reconsider the offer. They asked Pacific Coast mill owners to implement the contract. The employers refused, citing the pending NLRB ruling on the representation petition by the AWPPW. On July 12, the NLRB's Regional Director granted the AWPPW request for a bargaining rights election. The election was held during the week of September 14 and forty-nine mills gave the AWPPW a victory over the Internationals 10,653 to 8,130. The AWPPW was certified as the exclusive bargaining agent for Pacific Coast pulp and paper workers on October 1, 1964.

The first contract

The first order of business for the new union was to negotiate a contract with the manufacturers' association. The untested, inexperienced AWPPW faced an array of forces. They were unsure how vigorously their membership would back them. Taking the membership out on a strike would not be the most auspicious beginning. President William Burnell of the IBPS&PMW and President Paul L. Phillips of the UPP issued a joint statement declaring the intention of their unions to fight to regain bargaining rights for all the mills they had lost. George Meany of the

AFL–CIO The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL–CIO) is the largest federation of unions in the United States. It is made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 12 million ac ...

denounced the AWPPW and gave his support to the Internationals. However, the new union had support as well. The national AFL–CIO may not have supported them but the Oregon State AFL–CIO named Bill Perrin, President of the AWPPW, Oregon Labor Leader of the Year. The AWPPW received support and pledges of financial assistance from the

International Longshore and Warehouse Union The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) is a labor union which primarily represents dock workers on the West Coast of the United States, Hawaii, and in British Columbia, Canada. The union was established in 1937 after the 1934 Wes ...

, the

Teamsters The International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), also known as the Teamsters Union, is a labor union in the United States and Canada. Formed in 1903 by the merger of The Team Drivers International Union and The Teamsters National Union, the u ...

, the

International Woodworkers of America International Woodworkers of America (IWA) was an industrial union of lumbermen, sawmill workers, timber transportation workers and others formed in 1937. History The IWA was formed when members of the Sawmill and Timber Workers’ Union divis ...

, and the Lumber and Sawmill Workers. On October 25, 1964, the AWPPW engaged in its first pre-wage conference. They elected a bargaining board, established procedures, and drafted the demands they would present at the joint wage conference. Present were 140 delegates from fifty-eight locals in Washington, Oregon, and California. It was important to bring back a contract competitive with those signed by the International unions. The AWPPW felt it was important to settle a contract quickly. Negotiations began on October 28, 1964. They followed procedures that had been established in the past. The first critical issue to be negotiated was language stipulating that all employees would be represented by the AWPPW. The manufacturers' association resisted this demand. The bargain reached an impasse on the very first issue. On November 3, the management called for the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS). On November 11, the AWPPW called for the first strike Pacific coast mills had seen in thirty years. Some employees who remained loyal to the old International unions crossed the picket lines. Employers claimed that thirty-three of the mills continued to operate. Emotions ran high and there was some violence. Contempt of court proceedings were started. Restraining orders were issued and charges of unfair labor practices were lodged. The FMCS in Washington D.C. monitored continued negotiations. With their aid, an agreement was reached on November 23 and the strike came to an end.

The Constitution

February, 1965 saw the first constitutional convention of the AWPPW. The primary constitutional consideration was democratic rule. History of democracy in unions made it clear that a certain amount of authority needed to be vested in the AWPPW to make decisions in the best interest of the membership. The balance fashioned into the Constitution presented concerns to both rank and file and officers of the AWPPW. The balance that was struck provided that all representatives and officers had to stand for election. Officers would be permitted to attend and give voice at committee meetings but only the elected regional representatives were allowed to vote. Addressing the issue of equal voice for small locals, it was decided that locals would be provided elected representation that balanced all locals. Thus, smaller unions would be granted more delegates to be given equal voice. Bill Perrin, who had led the original rebellion, became the first constitutionally elected president of the AWPPW. Regional representatives had to be re-elected by the membership of their region. The Constitution provided for recall of any elected official. Each region elected a trustee plus one trustee at large whose job it was to monitor the Secretary-Treasurers reports and to make certain that the elected officials were fulfilling their obligations. A ten-person executive board, consisting of the trustees, the president, two vice presidents and the secretary-treasurer, was formed. Rank-and-file members comprised a majority of the board, so they were able to control board action. They acted as a trial and appeals board. They oversaw charges brought against members under rules of the constitution. Therefore, a member charged with an infraction could appeal to a board that was made of by a majority of rank and file members. This was a distinctly democratic feature of the AWPPW. A member had one more step beyond this board. The decision of the executive board could be appealed to a three-member board called the Public Review Board. It was composed of people not associated with the AWPPW. The Public Review Board had the power to reverse, modify or uphold executive board decisions. The AWPPW created another distinctly unique, democratic constitutional regulation concerning dues. A modest $2 a month per capita was charged to each local to maintain the management of the union and pay legal bills incurred by the union. If the local, for any reason lost its charter, even by voluntary resignation, all funds and properties would remain with the local. This represented a significant difference from the 'reverter' clauses by which the international unions punished locals if they considered withdrawing. The AWPPW viewed these reverter clauses as blackmail. Numerous problems faced the new union. The authors of ''The Pulp and Paper Rebellion: A New Pacific Coast Union'' offer the opinion that there is little doubt that the AWPPW will continue to operate in a democratic manner. The major concern facing the AWPPW is that it might be too democratic.

Women in the AWPPW

The 1968 agreement between the AWPPW and west coast pulp and paper mills was historic according to Clifford Alexander Jr., Chairman of the federal

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is a federal agency that was established via the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to administer and enforce civil rights laws against workplace discrimination. The EEOC investigates discrimination ...

(EEOC). The union had been pressing since 1966 for

equal pay for women Equal pay for equal work is the concept of labour rights that individuals in the same workplace be given equal pay. It is most commonly used in the context of sexual discrimination, in relation to the gender pay gap. Equal pay relates to the full ...

performing the same jobs as men. This language represented the first time equal pay language was included in a major contract in the paper industry. Locals 183 and 644 had won this concession in a thirty-six-day strike of the Scott Paper mills in

Everett, Washington Everett is the county seat and largest city of Snohomish County, Washington, United States. It is north of Seattle and is one of the main cities in the metropolitan area and the Puget Sound region. Everett is the seventh-largest city in the ...

. It brought women's pay up by 7% and set the standard for the equal pay demand throughout the industry. The membership approved this one issue resolution with a vote of 5,568 to 1,150. It represented an increase in the base rate of $0.13½ per hour for 2,000 women. Manufacturers would say it represented a wage increase over $500,000 per year. This marked the beginning but certainly not the end of the crusade by AWPPW women for redress and reform of various discriminations against women. In 1969 Nancy Weber of Local 672 began an action against

Kimberly-Clark Kimberly-Clark Corporation is an American multinational personal care corporation that produces mostly paper-based consumer products. The company manufactures sanitary paper products and surgical & medical instruments. Kimberly-Clark brand n ...

that went on as a class action suit all the way to

Federal District Court The United States district courts are the trial courts of the U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each federal judicial district, which each cover one U.S. state or, in some cases, a portion of a state. Each district cou ...

. The court ruling levied $66,800 plus legal fees against

. That was the largest

Title VII The Civil Rights Act of 1964 () is a landmark civil rights and labor law in the United States that outlaws discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin. It prohibits unequal application of voter registration requir ...

settlement to date but, more importantly, Kimberly was forced to amend its policy. A group of AWPPW women banded together into a group called Women Inc. to fight the

pulp and paper industry The pulp and paper industry comprises companies that use wood as raw material and produce pulp, paper, paperboard and other cellulose-based products. Manufacturing process The pulp is fed to a paper machine where it is formed as a paper web an ...

on many

issues. They filed thirty to thirty-five cases of discrimination with the EEOC. The manufacturers defended themselves by citing antiquated laws that permitted their discriminatory behavior. In 1969 Women, Inc., with the aid of other women's groups, struck the San Francisco fiberboard plants. They forced the management of these plants to go beyond the strict, legal language to examine all company policies in light of Title VII of the

1964 Civil Rights Act The Civil Rights Act of 1964 () is a landmark civil rights and labor law in the United States that outlaws discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin. It prohibits unequal application of voter registration requir ...

. The burden of proof fell upon the state. This historic legal victory by AWPPW women changed not only the shape of pulp and paper manufacturers' behavior, but set the standard for industrial adherence to Title VII of the EEOC across the country.

The AWPPW and politics

The AWPPW has two primary political interests: preserving jobs, and protecting both current and retired workers."O'Sullivan Urges Members to Vote." (September 26, 2008). The Rebel. p. 5. Key issues recently have been environmental measures, international trade agreements, and the

Employee Free Choice Act The Employee Free Choice Act is the name for several legislative bills on US labor law (, , , , , , , , .) which have been proposed and sometimes introduced into one or both chambers of the U.S. Congress. The bill's purpose, as taken from the 200 ...

. In the 2008 presidential election, the union wholeheartedly endorsed

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

for his stance on labor issues ranging from minimum wage to the Central American Trade Agreement.John Rhodes, "A Few Words from Your Officers." (September 26, 2008). The Rebel. p. 2. In the early 1970s the AWPPW fought for—and won—improved safety codes for the pulp and paper industry in Washington and Oregon, but was not so successful in trying to enact log export bans."Decade of AWPPW History Detailed." (September 23, 1974). The Rebel, Special Edition AWPPW Tenth Anniversary, p. 24.

Organizing

The constitution mandates that the executive board of the association must create an organizing plan to "maintain the strength of this organization". The president of the association has the ability to hire one or more organizer. The local area representatives can also be utilized to do organizing work.

Wages

Listed below are current and real AWPPW wages of a journeyman mechanic from 1964 to present. The current wage information for 1964 to 1984 has been reproduced from the special 20th Anniversary edition of the Rebel,"1964-74-84 AWPPW Contract Comparison." (September 28, 1984). The Rebel, Special 20th Anniversary Edition, p. 24. while current wage information from 1994 to present has been compiled from AWPPW contracts. The real wage (in bold) was calculated using the inflation calculator at the Bureau of Labor Statistics website.Inflation calculator
Bureau of Labor Statistics. 1964 Wage: 3.49 -> 24.01 1974 Wage (Low): 6.43 -> 27.81
1974 Wage (High): 7.46 -> 32.27 1984 Wage (Low): 12.325 -> 25.30
1984 Wage (High): 17.205 ->35.31 1994 Wage (Low): 19.265 – > 27.72
1994 Wage (High): 21.525 -> 30.97 2004 Wage (Low): 21.83 -> 24.64
2004 Wage (High): 29.35 -> 33.13 2009 Wage (Low): 19.94
2009 Wage (High): 31.865 Historically workers in the pulp and paper industry have enjoyed relatively high wages. According to the

Bureau of Labor Statistics The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is a unit of the United States Department of Labor. It is the principal fact-finding agency for the U.S. government in the broad field of labor economics and statistics and serves as a principal agency of t ...

, this is due both to "the many skilled workers in both production and maintenance occupations" and to an unusually high union density: at the time of the 1982 survey, 96% of pulp and paper production workers were employed by union mills.David Larson. "Wages in the paper industries among highest in manufacturing." Monthly Labor Review (March 1984). p. 52.

References

External links

* https://web.archive.org/web/20090107015657/http://www.awppw.com/ * http://www.awppw.org {{DEFAULTSORT:Association Of Western Pulp And Paper Workers United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America Trade unions in the United States Paper industry trade unions Trade unions established in 1964 1964 establishments in Oregon Breakaway trade unions