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9 August, 2005ICEM News release No. 6/2001
Perseverance paid off for workers in the US state of Alabama. They have just gained their first contract [collective agreement] at the 400-person Imerys calcium carbonate plant in Sylacauga.
Global labour solidarity played an important part in their campaign.
Union members ratified the new agreement on Tuesday night by an over 70 percent margin. The result was announced yesterday by their union, PACE.
The contract is the culmination of a campaign that began in June 1999 after Imerys had withdrawn recognition of the union. Imerys is a leading materials and minerals multinational headquartered in France.
At the global level, PACE is affiliated to the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM). PACE and the ICEM waged a global campaign that resulted in a successful organising drive at Sylacauga in June 2000. This in turn led to negotiations for a first contract.
"We congratulate the Sylacauga workers and PACE on their endurance," said ICEM General Secretary Fred Higgs today. "Their victory is our victory."
The three-year contract provides for a pension up to 2.08 percent of earnings for each year of service; annual raises of 3.5, 3.0 and 3.0 percent; a cap on health insurance premiums paid by workers; incentive bonuses; a company-backed retirement savings scheme; overtime pay after eight hours; and increases in shift differentials and holiday pay. The contract also eliminates the older "tech system" for promotions and job classifications and replaces it with one based
largely on seniority and job bidding rights.
"After 42 days and nights of negotiations over the last six months, we were able to come to an agreement with management that will better the lives of Imerys' workers," said PACE negotiator Jimmy Colston. "The company and union were able to work together on this, which we believe has led to a much better relationship after a rocky start."
PACE Region Five Vice President Don Langham thanked Colston along with local union president Keith Fulbright and the union negotiating committee "for their hard work and skilled negotiations." He also thanked Joe Drexler of PACE's special projects division, the ICEM's Fred Higgs and the unions in other countries who pressed Imerys to recognise the union in Sylacauga. These included unions representing Imerys employees in France, where the company is headquartered, in Britain, in Belgium and in Australia. Also featuring in the campaign were a widely publicised PACE and ICEM lobby of the Imerys shareholders' meeting in Paris and a special PACE/ICEM website.
"For the first time, workers here will be able to advance in a fair manner and with equal rights to improve their livelihoods and the welfare of their families," said PACE local union president Keith Fulbright yesterday. "The contract has brought about unity, pride and dignity that we never had before, and the company will also benefit from this."
Global labour solidarity played an important part in their campaign.
Union members ratified the new agreement on Tuesday night by an over 70 percent margin. The result was announced yesterday by their union, PACE.
The contract is the culmination of a campaign that began in June 1999 after Imerys had withdrawn recognition of the union. Imerys is a leading materials and minerals multinational headquartered in France.
At the global level, PACE is affiliated to the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM). PACE and the ICEM waged a global campaign that resulted in a successful organising drive at Sylacauga in June 2000. This in turn led to negotiations for a first contract.
"We congratulate the Sylacauga workers and PACE on their endurance," said ICEM General Secretary Fred Higgs today. "Their victory is our victory."
The three-year contract provides for a pension up to 2.08 percent of earnings for each year of service; annual raises of 3.5, 3.0 and 3.0 percent; a cap on health insurance premiums paid by workers; incentive bonuses; a company-backed retirement savings scheme; overtime pay after eight hours; and increases in shift differentials and holiday pay. The contract also eliminates the older "tech system" for promotions and job classifications and replaces it with one based
largely on seniority and job bidding rights.
"After 42 days and nights of negotiations over the last six months, we were able to come to an agreement with management that will better the lives of Imerys' workers," said PACE negotiator Jimmy Colston. "The company and union were able to work together on this, which we believe has led to a much better relationship after a rocky start."
PACE Region Five Vice President Don Langham thanked Colston along with local union president Keith Fulbright and the union negotiating committee "for their hard work and skilled negotiations." He also thanked Joe Drexler of PACE's special projects division, the ICEM's Fred Higgs and the unions in other countries who pressed Imerys to recognise the union in Sylacauga. These included unions representing Imerys employees in France, where the company is headquartered, in Britain, in Belgium and in Australia. Also featuring in the campaign were a widely publicised PACE and ICEM lobby of the Imerys shareholders' meeting in Paris and a special PACE/ICEM website.
"For the first time, workers here will be able to advance in a fair manner and with equal rights to improve their livelihoods and the welfare of their families," said PACE local union president Keith Fulbright yesterday. "The contract has brought about unity, pride and dignity that we never had before, and the company will also benefit from this."