Document q3b1eaO8Ja2QQYkbJY4MJ25rn

( il. l.lltCij .1,:. n'l-tf J i. mi i ti|1' ''l we i 11."-i1 h-'O ^ *,mC ^ I Mill' m-a lip III Wv-l .OHS l po | i,,,,- I 'iir "iVi>ut arc considering another ; v.,,..u/|-,l','!cn' (ha! was CII-``;tcd *>/ lhe i ^(lU._t|,c possibility of permanent toss i ti|'hiersc.'s markets. I one etumic.i' company said that bc- the ric-.idcnt invoked the Taft-Hartt.-s \et to force workers back to the docks l,.r `A> da'"-, it "lost some overseas cus tomer'. and I'm not sure we'll ever get ihtv.i back." These markets were in the I'jr r.-'s; and have been taken over by hnrli'h suppliers. "When a new supplier nuucs in. it means a new relationship has hceuii tin'.i makes it fanes as difficult for us to ret in (he back door," he added. Dow spent 525,000/month on extra transportation to avoid this problem. fn.it's the advantage of being an inter national firm." a Dow spokesman said, because we can service our customers from other points if one of our supply lines dries up." But even these expendi tures have not prevented Dow from los ing some business abroad, although the ti'.ial imn.iri on the com nan v has been fclativelv small. Ratification Won: Meanwhile, an In ternational Longshoremen's and Ware housemen's Union caucus meeting in San Francisco overwhelmingly voted to ratify the new contract and set a date for a fullmembership vote. The caucus had been con.-cncd last week to study the "memo randum of understanding" between the union negotiators and the Pacific Mari time Assn., which outlined the points of the settlement. Chemical pacts signed Although the '17 chemical labor con tact calendar is relatively light, some key pacts have already been concluded, in cluding those at Union Carbide. Koppers and Ccllu-Products plants. -' t arbide's electrometallurgical products urnt at Marietta, O., site of a much-publiCi/ed pollution abatement controversy, liJ' signed a two-year contract with the Oil. C hcmical and Atomic Workers union (OCaW). It includes wage and benefit K>osts estimated by the union at 3lc/hour lor the 950 workers, a wagereoperer clause for trie second vear. in creased sloft-shderenlial premiums, ;mJ an additional Uemhf holiday. OCAW also negotiated a new contract viucs wage incrvu'es-'>i"Vrsizycai"-ivW" tluec vears and raises the company's con rendv represents workers at Du Font's La tribution to hospitalization from 505o lo Porte. Tex., and North Bay, Ont. (Du 65'A. It also includes, for the first time, Pont of Canada) plants. shift premiums in the computation of va Since last summer, when Charles Le cation pay. vinson, head of the International Feder District 50 reached an agreement with ation of Chemical and Genera! Worker;, Ccllu-l'roducts, successor to JUmbeily- picked Du Pont for a global organizing, Clark Corp. at a Niagara Falls, N.Y., pa campaign, an organization called the Du per and tissue mill. The accord, covering Pont Union Coalition has disseminated 860 worker; for three years, was the first material asking how woikers feel about since Kimberly-Clark sold the plant last orcanizinc. year because of "economic conditions." ..------------- ---- ---- The pact, providing wage hikes of * AnliTiOSlW OVer 2Sb3SeOS 651/ycar beginning in June, was reached ** following resolution of a seniority griev- , Even though Pittsburgh-Coming Corp. ance that had threatened to block the closed its Tyler, Tex., plant three weeks -sale. j ago. the Oil, Chemical and Atomic In another development, Armstrong i Workers union is still battling alleged Rubber became the fourth major rubber : safety hazards there. OCAW complains producer (others are Goodrich, Good ' there's a possibility of public health haz year and Uniroyal) lo agree to help fi ards and susceptibility of ex-workers at nance an in-plant health survey and re . the asbestos insulation plant to job-con- search study. An accord Armstrong has nectcd diseases. with the United Rubber Workers pro ; OCAW, in a telegram to Environmen vides for an epidemiological study by the tal Protection Agency Administrator Wil- Harvard School of Public Health. 1 liam Ruckelshaus. charged the company j with "dumping waste asbestos in open Dii Pont is the target { fields and pits in the vicinity of the plant, thus permitting asbestos fibers to blow Chemical labor unions, as expected, about the countryside." EPA. OCAW ate beginning to step up their efTorts to contended, should take immediate action organize Du Pont plants. A variety of fac to compel the company to bury all its as tors. including interunion rivalry, govern bestos waste. ment policies and the symbolic value of Pittsburgh-Corning. the union alleged, organizing "the citadel of antiunionism in also has sold tens of thousands of empty the chemical industry''--as District 50 burlap bags, which had contained as calls Du Pont--seem to be behind the lat bestos and are "heavily polluted with as- est drive. bestos fibers." OCAW asked Ruckelshaus Du Pont confirms that union organ to notify the public of the alleged danger, izing activity is "on the upswung." The trace the bags that have been sold and re- company would not elaborate on what ' call them. the unions are doing or what plants are In another telegram sent on the same key union targets. It concedes only that day. OCAW censured the Occupational the action is concentrated outside Dela Safety and Health Administration ware. /(OSHA), charging that the agency did not Part of the activity probably is attribut ' take sufficient measures to protect work able to the impending merger of the ers' health at the plant. Two OSHA in United Steelworkers and District 50. The spections at the plant since Nov. '71 have International Chemical Workers Union is resulted in citations for several alleged reportedly concerned that the merger violations with fines totaling S7.200. could cut into its own organizing success, Pittsburgh-Coming savs production at h may. therefore, with the covert encour the plant was halted Feb. 3 because, de agement of other AFL-CIO members spite company efTorts. "it has become who are unhappy with the USW-District economically impossible to meet the . . . 50 merger, try to organize new plants be . tough federal dust-level standards." fore that court-delayed combination goes The company, adds President James into effect. * Bierer, is making sure of the safe disposal Aiming High: District 50 is concentrat r of the remaining asbestos waste and will ing on organizing additional plants of "keep in touch" with any employee companies w ith which the union aheads showing symptoms of dust-related ill- has some contracts, especially Du Pont, . nesses. The company also says it has re- says John Oshinski, the union's director ' covered 900 of the burlap bags. l- February 23. 1972 CHEMICAL Y/EEK 17