Document 3Qgqb28Rj0DZDj09VO7mmk7xn

Monsanto Monsanto Chemical Company 800 N. Lindbergh Boulevard St. Louis, Missouri 63167 Phone: (314) 694-1000 FAX NO. 314-694-1585 TRANSMITTAL PA November 8, 1990 MESSAGE FOR: M. L. Schannon 7M TELEPHONE NUMBER: LOCATION: A2SP NUMBER OF PAGES BEING SENT: 11 (excluding transmittal page) PLEASE CALL/DELIVER TO ABOVE INDIVIDUAL UPON RECEIPT MESSAGE FROM: Loren Wassell TELEPHONE NUMBER: 4-7002 LOCATION: Monsanto - G4WF DSW 135237 STLCOPCB4035210 Monsanto from (name-location-phone) L. W. Wassell -- G4WF -- 4~7002 DATE: SUBJECT: November 8, 1990 OUEENY DOWNSIZING REFERENCE: TO: R. G. Potter D. L. Sliney cc: D. G. Bartolanzo C. B. Beckmann W. J. Boyle Jr.. G. F. Fort J. F. Keliher V. T. Matteucci S. R. Robinson R. F. Sackett The St. Louis Post-Dispatch plans to do a story in Friday's editions on the downsizing at J. F. Queeny Plant, based on the notices issued to the union and others, as required by federal law. This downsizing, in Lasso/CAC, TCC, and other departments, represents 168 jobs. Remaining headcount will be about 206 when the reductions are completed over 18 months (most in IQ '91). Plant employees have been aware of the pending action for months. The Post-Dispatch also plans to run a large feature on Sunday, tracing Monsanto's declining presence in St. Louis since 1980. We did not solicit this coverage. However, we have made substantial efforts over several weeks to present the facts in a favorable context. During the process, we arranged: An interview with Steve Robinson, discussing safety and other criteria used in manufacturing decisions and describing how W. G. Krummrich's safety, quality and productivity won the new Santoflex unit there. An interview with Bill Boyle on empowerment, morale and conditions at the plant, an upbeat message that received an ~ impromptu endorsement from union leadership. At our suggestion, corporate arranged for Bob Fields to describe Ag's decision to consolidate Lasso/CAC at Muscatine. For MCC, we have stressed: MCC has a smaller presence, but with stronger, healthier and more productive businesses. We have made plant downsizing as painless as possible with early retirement and voluntary separation packages. Empowerment and quality improvement teams have played a major role in repositioning plants for future success. Safety and environmental controls remain top priorities. Monsanto continues to invest in St. Louis (PDCB crystallizer at WGK, wastewater pretreatment, Provox controls) We- remain committed to St. xc: A. F. Fitzgerald D. B. Price Jr. M. W. Winkel STLCOPCB4035211 Monsanto FROM (NAME-LOCATION-PHONE) L. W. WaSSell -- G4WF " 4--7002 DATE: SUBJECT: November 8, 1990 OUEENY MATERIAL REFERENCE: TO: A. F. Fitzgerald D. B. Price Jr. R. F. Sackett cc: D. G. Bartolanzo V. L. Bozarth D. L. DeGraff G. F. Fort S. L. Foster J. P. Kaminski J. F. Keliher V. T. Matteucci M. L. Schannon FYI, attached are final versions of the formal notification letters and preparedness Q&A material on the forthcoming production changes at J. F. Queeny Plant. These documents reflect corrected language on TCC as well as the other material reviewed earlier. They have been reviewed and approved by John Keliher and Vince Matteucci, Verne Bozarth, and the plant. Verne also obtained legal approval from Joe Wollenberger and Michael Gewin. Deborah DeGraff of Monsanto Agricultural Company PR coordinated reviews within Ag, and Ed Jurevic has also approved it there. This information is also being shared with European contacts in case they receive inquries: . Rick Olszewski, Colin Butterworth, John Elias and Michael Scharf. Loren W. WasseH DSW 135239 STLCOPCB4035212 Monsanto from (name-location-phone) L. W. Wassell -- G4WF -- 4--7002 DATE: SUBJECT: November 8, 1990 TCC AT J.F. OUEENY PLANT REFERENCE: TO: Colin Butterworth Brussels John Elias Ruabon Rick Olszewski Brussels Michael Scharf Brussels cc: G. F. Fort J. F. Keliher The St. Louis newspaper will likely reference the idling of the TCC unit at the J. F. Queeny Plant in St. Louis in an upcoming article. This may trigger queries in Europe about production at Ruabon. To help you respond, attached are copies of formal notifications concerning the Queeny activity, as " redness materials for media inquiries. Loren W. Wassell DS 1352A0 STLCOPCB4035213 BROADCAST INFORMATION SERVICES, INC. NEW YORK PHILADELPHIA ST. LOUIS DENVER 7838 Big Bend Boulevard, St. Loiis, Missouri 63119 (314)961-4113 CLIENT: Monsanto Company PROGRAM: KMOX Radio News DATE: 7/31/88 station: KMOX Radio time: 5:06 P.M. city: St. Louis BOB HAMILTON: "More than 90 people have been given first aid at hospitals in Metro East following a chemical leak at the Monsanto plant at Saugeti Illinoisi this morning. Monsanto spokesmen tell KMOX nearly three gallons of phosphorous trichloride vapor escaped. It drifted over nearby communities shortly before 8:00 this morning. "Hospital spokesmen say eye, nose and throat irritation were reported by those seeking treatment." DSW 136319 Material supplied by BIS, Inc. may be used for file and reference purposes only. It may not be reproduced, sold or publicly demonstrated or exhibited. The above transcript has been edited for readability eliminating verbal hesitations. Unintelligible phrases are enclosed in parentheses. Proper names are spelled phonetically, eigas. BIS. Inc. STLCOPCB4035214 BROADCAST INFORMATION SERVICES, INC. NEW YORK PHILADELPHIA ST. LOUIS DENVER 7838 Big Bend Boulevard, St. Louis, Missouri 63119 (314) 961-4113 CLIENT: Mons anto Company PROGRAM: KMOX Radio News DATE: 8/1 / 88 STATION: KMOX Radio TIME: 4:34 P.M. CITY: St. Louis CHARLIE BROWN: "Investigations have begun into yesterday's chemcial spill at Monsanto's plant in Sauget, Illinois, that sent about 250 residents to local hospitals. of those residents have been treated and released for minor nesses, " Most ill *36^s Material supplied by BIS, Inc. may be used for file and reference purposes only. It may not be reproduced, sold or publicly demonstrated or exhibited. The above transcript has been edited for readability eliminating verbal hesitations. Unintelligible phrases are enclosed in parentheses. Proper names are spelled phonetically. % 1985. BIS, Inc. * STLCOPCB4035215 Queeny Talking Points Monsanto will consolidate production of Lasso herbicide and chloroacetyl chloride, a Lasso ingredient, at its Muscatine, Iowa, plant. Under this plan, production of Lasso at Monsanto's John F. Queeny Plant near downtown St. Louis would cease. Currently, less than 20 percent of the company's U.S. manufacturing volume of Lasso is produced by the Queeny plant. Production of Lasso will continue at the Muscatine plant which has produced Lasso since 1968. This plant is expanding to permit this consolidation. Production of Lasso at the Muscatine site will be handled with the present staff. This consolidation will have no effect on Monsanto customers; the same product will be available to meet the market demand. Consolidating production of CAC and Lasso at the Muscatine facility will have little impact on air and water emissions at that site due to more efficient waste management processes and by-product recovery systems in use, and reduction projects currently being installed. Production at J. F. Queeny of trichlorocarbanilide (TCC), a bacteriostat used in soaps, will continue through January 1991, and then be indefinitely idled. Monsanto currently is in the process of consolidating TCC production at its Ruabon, Wales, plant. Q and A Ql. Why is Monsanto considering shutting down production of Lasso at the Queeny plant? A. In order to consolidate production at one site. The Muscatine plant already produces 80 percent of the Lasso manufactured in the United States and is currently undergoing an expansion. The consolidation would allow Monsanto to achieve savings in production arid future environmental protection costs. The company is following through on its pledge to reduce air and water emissions and is currently installing new equipment at the Muscatine plant to achieve that goal. These improvements are costly; therefore it is more beneficial to make.the improvements at one plant instead of two. . ~- DSW 135241 STLCOPCB4035216 Why is Monsanto indefinitely idling production of the trichlorocarbanilide (TCC) unit? We are consolidating at one plant to achieve manufacturing savings as capacity exceeds demand. We anticipate capacity at Ruabon is sufficient to match our global demand. When will the company make a definite decision on TCC at J. F. Queeny Plant? We are in the early stages of consolidating at Ruabon but we must fully demonstrate our capacity to supply quality product to our global customers before making a final decision. We must qualify the Ruabon TCC product with each of our U.S. customers to insure its acceptability. Could a final decision about TCC at the J. F. Queeny Plant occur in 1991? Possibly. First, we need to qualify the Ruabon TCC product with U. S. customers. How many employees will be affected by these shutdowns at the Queeny Plant? _ Approximately 168 Monsanto employees will be affected, 108 hourly, 60 salaried, and non exempt. A generous separation package will be provided, including 52 weeks of severance, academic or vocational training and job placement assistance. How long has the Queeny plant been manufacturing Lasso? The Queeny plant has produced Lasso since 1970. The Muscatine plant has been manufacturing Lasso since 1968. Will the laid-off employees be offered employment at the Muscatine plant or elsewhere within Monsanto? It is my understanding that there is no (significant) hiring planned at Muscatine, and thus they will not be offered employment at the Muscatine site. I can't comment on whether they would be offered employment anywhere else within Monsanto Chemical Company. . DSW 135242 STLCOPCB4035217 Q8. A. -3 - Will employment numbers be increased at the Muscatine plant? At this time it is anticipated that the present staffing level will be sufficient to handle the consolidated and expanded production of Lasso at the site. Q9. A. What other products are made at the Queeny and Muscatine plants? Key products manufactured at the Queeny plant include: L-aspartic Acid, hydraulic and heat transfer fluids, and specialty chemicals. Key products manufactured at the Muscatine plant include: Lasso, Machete herbicide and ABS plastics. Q10. How long have the Queeny and Muscatine plants been operating? A. The Queeny plant has been operating since 1901; the Muscatine plant has been operating since 1961. Qll. Is Monsanto getting out of the Lasso business? A. - Absolutely not. Lasso is still a leading herbicide for corn and soybean growers. Monsanto is fully committed to Lasso, as well as other formulations of alachlor, the active ingredient in Lasso, currently produced at Muscatine. Q12. Is shutting down the Lasso unit at the Queeny plant the first step to closing down the entire plant? A. No. The Queeny plant is taking strategic steps to function as a small manufacturer of specialty chemicals. Q13. What about acetochlor production at the Queeny plant? A. Acetochlor, a new Monsanto herbicide, is not yet registered in the United States, although it is being evaluated by the Environmental Protection Agency. It is registered in several countries, however. No U.S. manufacturing is planned until U.S. registration is obtained. DSW 135243 STLCOPCB4035218 4 Q14. Is this consolidation tied to Lasso being declared a restricted-use herbicide? A. No. This consolidation will allow Monsanto to achieve savings in production and environmental protection spending. DSW 135244 STLCOPCB4035219 HO V -- T -- <3 & WED 1 5 I 5& "hho r= . a 3 * FIA AF2? A AF3A AF4A AF5A AF6A Dear AF7A: November 8, 1990 In compliance with the Federal WARN Act, this is to notify you that two production units at Monsanto's John F. Queeny Plant located at 1700 So. Second Street, St. Louis, Missouri, will permanently discontinue operations and a third unit will be indefinitely idled. As a result, approximately 108 hourly workers comprised of chemical processors, maintenance, service and warehouse employees will, be affected. Likewise, about 60 salaried positions comprised of professional, supervisory and non-technical personnel will also be affected. The units discontinuing operations are:' Lasso - A crop herbicide that will now be manufactured _ entirely at our Muscatine Iowa facilities. The Iowa Plant already produces 80% of our needs and has recently expanded. This unit is expected to operate through December 20, 1990, at J. F. Queeny Plant. CAC (Chloroacetylchloride) - An ingredient in the manufacturing process of Lasso. This is also already produced at the Muscatine facility. This unit is expected - to operate at our site through November 30, 1990. The unit being indefinitely idled is: TCC (Trichlorocarbanilide) - A bacteriostat used in soaps. This unit is expected to operate through January 1991 at the Queeny Plant and then be indefinitely idled. We are in the early stages of consolidating TCC operations at the Ruabon, Wales, Plant. DSW l*5245 STLCOPCB4035220 MOV-- --90 WED 1 S : 57 F* . & ** Employee separations are anticipated to occur throughout the first quarter of 1991 as operations permit. We are providing affected employees with an attractive voluntary benefits package to help them either retrain or find gainful employment once they leave the plant. The package includes up to 52 weeks of severance pay, retraining and tuition re-imbursement opportunities and job placement assistance. Employees in the bargaining unit also have seniority rights and can elect lay off status versus the severance packages. The International Chemical Workers Union, Local 16 is the collective bargaining agent for the affected wage employees. The President of the Local is William Benson. The Union's address is 2510 South Brentwood, Hoorn 321, St. Louis, MO 63144. We will be cooperating with the Union and the Metropolitan Re-Employment Project (MRP) during this transition period. We will continue to manufacture hydraulic and heat transfer fluids, specialty chemicals and ingredients for artificial sweeteners at this plant. Should you need any further information or assistance, please feel free to contact me at 622-1500. Sincerely, Russell F. Sackett Plant Manager SU 135246 STLCOPCB4035221 mov-- t -- = 0 wen l 5 : S S R. 01 November 8, 1990 Bill Benson President ICWU, Local 16 Dear Bill: I~regret to inform you that production in the Lasso and CAC units of our plant will be permanently discontinued in the near future. At this time I expect the CAC unit to completeoperations by November 30 followed by clean out and isolation activities. I expect Lasso to complete operations by December 20 followed by a period of clean out activity. A third unit, TCC, will operate through January 1991, after which it will be indefinitely idled. These actions will cause approximately 108 employes represented by your Union to lose their jobs. The following reductions are anticipated. D_eoartment / Group No. of Positions. TCC Lasso CAC Maintenance Distribution/Shipping Stores Plant Attendants Fire Department Utilities . Department 32 (00 Building)Clerks Others 10 21 12 35 4 2 7 3 8 2 1 3 DSW 135247 STLCOPCB4035222 Page 2 of k Q6. Will the participants be given their test results? A6. Yes. In fact, some results will be given verbally while the doctor is doing the examination. Participants will also be notified as soon as possible of the results of those tests which need several weeks to be analyzed. Q7. How long will it take to conduct the examinations? A7. A full day examination program for each participant. It will take about ten weeks to complete the group. Q8. Where will the examinations be conducted? A8. Northwestern's team of doctors and medical technicians will conduct all examinations at the plant. Appropriate exami nation and testing equipment needed will be brought into the plant by Northwestern. Q9. What do you expect to find? A9. We are going into this with an open mind and have not tried to define our expectations. Northwestern has been told "you tell us." Q10. The health questions associated with dioxins are not new. Why has it taken so long to start this study? AlO. The proven long term health effect of dioxin exposure is not new, namely a skin condition called chloracne. However, most experts agree that the state of scientific knowledge about dioxins' effects, or lack of effects in some instances, can be better understood by more detailed studies of groups such as those at Krummrich. Qll. Has anyone other than Monsanto and Northwestern reviewed the study plans? All. The study has been and will continue to be peer-reviewed by acknowledged experts from other universities, the National Institute on Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the U.S. Air Force (because of their dioxin experience with Agent Orange) and the physician consultant for the Interna tional Chemical Workers Union. - more - DSW 136389 STLCOPCB4035223 M O V -- '<' -- '9 0 WED i s : s e F . 0 2 since we have an existing Retention/Severance Plan it is not possible to identify exactly the people this reduction will affect. However, if no volunteers accepted the severance package the attached list of employees would be layed off. As you are aware, the State of Missouri has an agency to help eligible dislocated workers find new employment. The Metropolitant Re-Employment (MRP) is ready to assist us and will explain their programs. The plant will also commit resources to aid in job searches. Please contact me if you need further information or assistance. ' Russell F. Sackett Russell F. Sackett Plant Manager DSW 135248 STLCOPCB4035224 HOV-- T -- = 0 NED l 5 : 5g R. 0l Monsanto Monsanto Chamleai Comcany S00 N. UnOborffi B0Wlvara St Louis, Missouri 63167 Phons: (314) 894-1000 November 6, 1990 "FI* AF2A AF3A 'F4" Dear AF5A: A3 we mentioned in a recent letter to you during our union negotiations, we will soon be consolidating two processes currently in operation at our John F. Queeny Plant, at Monsanto's Muscatine, Iowa-~P-lant and -indefinitely idling a third-unit-as well, -This,--- unfortunatcly, will rocult in tho loee of about 170 jobs from the Queeny Plant. - We are providing affected employees with an attractive benefits package to help them either retrain or find gainful employment once they leave the Plant. The package includes up to 52 weeks of severance pay, retraining and tuition reimbursement opportunities and job placement assistance. We will offer the package on a voluntary basis at first and only initiate mandatory layoffs if the desired reductions are not achieved. The voluntary separation period will soon commence. We are now notifying the State as required by law, and the Union. We wanted to be certain you knew about this as well. The processes to be consolidated are Lasso and a Lasso ingredient, chloroacetyl chloride, currently, less than 20 percent of Lasso is manufactured at the Queeny Plant. The bulk of operations is at the Muscatine facility. The Muscatine Plant is currently undergoing a physical expansion to prepare for consolidation. It would then become the only U.S. location to manufacture Lasso. IIMtl Monnwo CWIBIP, DSW ,1352-U4O9 STLCOPCB4035225 O V -- 7-90 HEP is z 0 0 p . a2 The third unit, which will be indefinitely idled, manufactures TCC (Trichlorocarbanilide), a bacteriostat used in soaps. Monsanto is in t-ha early si-aa#1* nf nnnsnlidatinu TCC production at it? Ruabon, Wales, Plant. We will continue to manufacture hydraulic and heat transfer fluids, specialty chemicals and ingredients for artificial sweeteners at the Queeny Plant. Should you need any further information or assistance, please feel free to contact me at 622-1500. Sincerely, Russell F. Sackett Plant Manager DSW 135250 STLCOPCB4035226