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15 August, 2005ICEM News release No. 03/2005
The ICEM (International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers’ Union) and French trade unions representing workers at Saint-Gobain Group--FCE-CFDT, Fedechimie CGT-FO, and Verre et de la Ceramique-CGT--yesterday responded to an invitation by executives of the Paris-based company to discuss a dispute at a company factory in Worcester, Massachusetts.
US managers at Saint-Gobain’s Norton Abrasives are attempting to decertify ICEM affiliate United Auto Workers (UAW) at the 770-worker factory. Managers have deployed scare tactics and overall abuse of the US legal system regarding labour relations to de-recognize the UAW.
Fred Higgs, General Secretary of the ICEM, who led the union delegation 24 January in the meeting with Saint-Gobain executives, presented documented proof distributed by US managers that if employees vote in favor of retaining their union, it could result in closure of the facility, an obvious violation of US labour code. Higgs asserted that US management is actively involved in seeking to destroy the UAW at the Worcester factory.
The US National Labor Relations Board will conduct a decertification vote at the plant on 27-28 January.
Higgs stressed to senior managers in Paris that such actions are in total conflict with Saint-Gobain’s own code of ethics. At the conclusion of the meeting, union delegates demanded that the company make a statement conveying what management readily admitted in the meeting; that the future of any Group business was not dependent on whether or not a site is unionized, but rather on market conditions and cost effectiveness. Secondly, the ICEM and French trade union representatives asked corporate management to clearly indicate, as required by the firm’s own code of ethics, that the right of employees to be represented by a union will be honored and Saint-Gobain would take a neutral position in this week’s vote.
The union delegation asked Paris management to convey this to Norton Abrasives employees in Worcester. The company agreed to consider the two points and stated they would consult the ICEM on the matter 25 January.
The ICEM was both surprised and extremely disappointed to be informed by Saint-Gobain Paris-based management that in spite of the discussions, and the evidence presented at the 24 January meeting, they are not prepared to intervene in the union-busting activities of US management.
In response to the company’s decision not to intervene, Higgs termed Saint-Gobain’s code of ethics as “worse than worthless in moderating management behavior across the world.” The ICEM will now spearhead a global campaign against Saint-Gobain until such time as the company applies its own ethics that they proudly and very publicly proclaim.
The ICEM, along with French trade unions at Saint-Gobain, call on the US workers of Saint-Gobain in Worcester to ignore local management’s threats, and to vote for the continuation of their right to union representation by the UAW.
US managers at Saint-Gobain’s Norton Abrasives are attempting to decertify ICEM affiliate United Auto Workers (UAW) at the 770-worker factory. Managers have deployed scare tactics and overall abuse of the US legal system regarding labour relations to de-recognize the UAW.
Fred Higgs, General Secretary of the ICEM, who led the union delegation 24 January in the meeting with Saint-Gobain executives, presented documented proof distributed by US managers that if employees vote in favor of retaining their union, it could result in closure of the facility, an obvious violation of US labour code. Higgs asserted that US management is actively involved in seeking to destroy the UAW at the Worcester factory.
The US National Labor Relations Board will conduct a decertification vote at the plant on 27-28 January.
Higgs stressed to senior managers in Paris that such actions are in total conflict with Saint-Gobain’s own code of ethics. At the conclusion of the meeting, union delegates demanded that the company make a statement conveying what management readily admitted in the meeting; that the future of any Group business was not dependent on whether or not a site is unionized, but rather on market conditions and cost effectiveness. Secondly, the ICEM and French trade union representatives asked corporate management to clearly indicate, as required by the firm’s own code of ethics, that the right of employees to be represented by a union will be honored and Saint-Gobain would take a neutral position in this week’s vote.
The union delegation asked Paris management to convey this to Norton Abrasives employees in Worcester. The company agreed to consider the two points and stated they would consult the ICEM on the matter 25 January.
The ICEM was both surprised and extremely disappointed to be informed by Saint-Gobain Paris-based management that in spite of the discussions, and the evidence presented at the 24 January meeting, they are not prepared to intervene in the union-busting activities of US management.
In response to the company’s decision not to intervene, Higgs termed Saint-Gobain’s code of ethics as “worse than worthless in moderating management behavior across the world.” The ICEM will now spearhead a global campaign against Saint-Gobain until such time as the company applies its own ethics that they proudly and very publicly proclaim.
The ICEM, along with French trade unions at Saint-Gobain, call on the US workers of Saint-Gobain in Worcester to ignore local management’s threats, and to vote for the continuation of their right to union representation by the UAW.