Japan's Nippon Paper to buy US beverage container operation

The U.S. International Trade Commission Report

Last week, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) released “the” big, government study about the projected affects of the TPP — something that’s already gotten considerable attention from Congress and the media.  Despite a long history of grossly overestimating the benefits and underestimating the costs of proposed trade agreements, the ITC's projections show significant costs associated with the TPP and almost non-existent benefits.  That the ITC is saying this should be a major red flag.  

Among the ITC’s findings are that:

• The TPP would increase the U.S. global trade deficit by $21.7 billion by 2032.

• That TPP would worsen the balance of trade for 65% of the U.S. economic sectors it chose to feature, including vehicles, wheat, corn, auto parts, titanium products, chemicals, seafood, textiles and apparel, rice and even financial services.  While manufacturing would take a major wallop, even the overall U.S. services trade balance is projected to worsen, with losses in the majority of service industries.

• The projected economic gains under the TPP are a minuscule 0.15% by the year 2032, which some have called the equivalent of a rounding error.  Put another way, the ITC projects that the United States would be as wealthy on January 1, 2032 with the TPP as it would be on February 15, 2032 without it.  

We need to be pushing these findings with Congress members, many of whom may only read the ITC's muddled executive summary — or worse — just hear spin about the study from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.  Congress members need to be asked whether a trade agreement that the ITC, with its record of overestimating the benefits of trade agreements, finds will have almost no benefits, weighs against the shared concerns being raised by civil society organizations about the TPP’s very real threats to jobs and wages, inequality, the environment, food safety and public health.  

ACTION ITEM:  Please deliver the attached chart about the ITC report to your U.S. Representative by scheduling a meeting during the upcoming Memorial Day Congressional Recess; by searching their website for an upcoming Town Hall event you can attend; by dropping by their district office; and/or by emailing it to staff with a personalized note.  Please email elizabeth@citizenstrade.org with a report on your efforts so we can keep track.  (And, while any of those steps would be more effective, you can also email your Members of Congress about the ITC report online here.)

For more analysis of the ITC report, check out Global Trade Watch’s detailed press release, Jared Bernstein’s article “Big Report, Little Finding,” and the AFL-CIO’s memo on the report (attached).

In light of the ITC’s finding that the TPP offers significant costs, and few benefits, expect TPP proponents to continue shifting to a “China” argument in support of the deal.  To rebut those points, listen to the recording of last month’s briefing by Mike Wessel on that exact subject, as wells as Global Trade Watch’s factsheet “Uses and Abuses of China Claims in TPP Sales Pitch."

Other Requested Information

• Top line analysis of the TPP text can be found online here.

• Here’s the Oregon Fair Trade Campaign’s candidate questions from Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.  (Donald Trump failed to respond.)

• Here are CTC’s factsheet “How the TPP Would Harm the Environment” and a recording of Ilana Solomon’s briefing on the TPP & Climate.

Brothers and Sisters, on Tuesday January 12^th, 2016 AWPPW Local 60 member Steven Phillips will be attending President Obama’s State of the Union Address.  Mr. Phillips is attending as a guest of Congressman Peter DeFazio.  DeFazio represents the 4th Congressional District of Oregon.

Congressman DeFazio has be an advocate for working families in Oregon and a strong opponent of the Trans Pacific Trade Agreement currently being pushed by Corporate American and President Obama’s administration.

Congressman DeFazio understands fully the negative impact these Unfair Trade Agreements have had and will continue to have on hard working men and women and the negative impact on the environment.

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Congressman Peter DeFazio was first elected to the U.S. Congress in 1986 and is now the longest serving House member in Oregon’s history.  As the dean of the Oregon House delegation, he has developed a reputation as an independent, passionate and effective lawmaker.

In 2014, DeFazio was elected to the powerful position of Ranking Member on the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, which has jurisdiction over the Coast Guard, highways and transit, water resources, railroads, aviation, and economic development.  

DeFazio has served as a member of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee since he first entered Congress in 1987. During his time on the Committee, he has served as Chairman or Ranking Member of four of the six subcommittees: Aviation, Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, Highways and Transit, and Water Resources and Environment. DeFazio has taken a lead role on several multi-billion dollar surface transportation and FAA reauthorization bills, and worked to strengthen Buy America standards. In 2005, DeFazio served as the Ranking Member on the Highways Subcommittee where he helped negotiate a five-year federal highway and transit spending bill called SAFETEA-LU. Under the bill DeFazio secured $2.7 billion for Oregon's roads, bridges, highways and transit systems. More recently, DeFazio introduced the Repeal and Rebuild Act (HR 4848), a long-term solution to replenish the Highway Trust Fund. (Read more about HR 4848 here.)

As the new Ranking Member of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, DeFazio is committed to fight for infrastructure investment that results in job creation, increased safety, economic efficiency and strategic growth.

DeFazio previously served as the Ranking Member on the House Natural Resources Committee, where he focused on energy, federal lands, ocean and fisheries, and Native American issues. In 2013, he successfully passed his balanced, bipartisan O&C solution that creates private sector jobs, provides revenues to failing counties, and permanently protects old-growth and other irreplaceable environmental treasures.

DeFazio and his wife, Myrnie Daut, live in Springfield, Oregon. He has logged roughly six million miles traveling between Oregon and Washington, DC. DeFazio has voted against and refused to accept congressional pay raises while the government is deficit spending. Instead, he has used his pay raises to fund scholarships at five southwestern Oregon community colleges. By the end of 2015, DeFazio will have contributed $327,163 of after-tax salary toward 245 scholarships. He counts these scholarships among his proudest accomplishments.

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June of 1974 Mr. Phillips began working at what was then Menasha Corporations’ North Bend, Oregon Containerboard Mill where he worked as a summer helper, in the Maintenance Dept.  Phillips was offered full time employment in the labor pool where he spent the next 2 years working in different departments, finally landing a job in the Power House.  Over the next 10 years he worked his my way up from clean-up man to Recovery Boiler Operator, and he became an Officer of the Associations of Western Pulp & Paper Workers (AWPPW) Local #1000.  The Containerboard mill was purchased by Weyerhaeuser Corporation.

In 1987 Mr. Phillips started as an apprentice in the Maintenance Department; advancing to Journeyman Millwright in 1991.

On August 15th, 2003, Weyerhaeuser Co announced the permanent closure of the facility, invoking the WARN Act.  The workforce was Trade Act Certified by the U.S. Department of Labor; which meant the workers lost their jobs due to unfair trade completion.  Mr. Phillips worked as a Peer Outreach Councilor; helping his fellow displaced membership with writing resumes, applying for jobs and job training.

April 2004 he accepted a job offer from Weyerhaeuser Co.’s Paper Mill in Albany, Oregon.

Mr. Phillips worked at this facility as a Lubrication Tech., Millwright, Maintenance Planner and an Officer of AWPPW Local #3. International Paper Co. announced the permanent closure of the facility on October 15th, 2009. Rather than invoke the WARN Act, my employment with International Paper ended on December 15th, 2009.  The workforce was Trade Act Certified by the U.S. Department of Labor.

May 2010 Phillips was asked to become a Peer Outreach Councilor assisting displaced workers.

In August of 2010 he accepted an offer with Longview Fibre in Longview, Washington a Journeyman Millwright.  While working at the Longview, Washington plant site the workforce was Trade Act Certified by the U.S. Department of Labor.  Facing an uncertain future Mr. Phillips decided to look for work elsewhere.

November1, 2010 Phillips when to work at the SP Newsprint in Newberg, Oregon where began working as a Journeyman Multicraft Millwright.

January, 2014, SP Fibertech curtailed the #5 paper machine and Phillips went on layoff status, returning to work in April.  After SP Fibertech emerged from bankruptcy WestRock Paper purchased the plants site.

October 20^th, 2015 WestRock Paper Company announced the indefinite idling of the facility; Mr. Phillips employment with WestRock Paper Co. ended on November 20, 2015.

The Newberg, Oregon plant site workforce has been Trade Act Certified by the U.S. Department of Labor TWICE before.

A new workforce Trade Act Certification has been applied for and is expected to be approved by the U.S. Department of Labor within the next few weeks.

Gregory A. Pallesen
Vice President AWPPW

ph. 503-228-7486
fax 503-972-7684
gpallesen@awppw.org

Paperworkers Strike Over Kapstone’s Unlawful Conduct

Workers Plan Orderly Shutdown of Longview Facility

AWPPW 153 Local members have gone on strike early this morning over unfair labor practices (ULP) at Kapstone Paper & Packaging in Longview, Washington.

Local 153 members have overwhelmingly authorized a strike in response to the Company’s pattern of violating federal labor laws.  “The Company has shown a callous disregard for the law by failing to provide to the Union information which is critical to the bargaining process,” said AWPPW bargaining spokesperson John Minor.

The Company continued its pattern of violating the law by illegally outsourcing bargaining unit work to outside contractors.  In addition, the Company has refused to negotiate 194 different rules and policies that apply to Local 153’s members. 

Furthermore, the Company unlawfully imposed its “last offer” by declaring impasse before the parties had concluded negotiations. 

The Union has filed numerous Unfair Labor Practice charges against Kapstone in response to this unlawful activity. The National Labor Relations Board regional office already found merit in several charges and has issued a complaint against the Company.   Other charges remain under investigation.

This pattern of unlawful conduct has also impacted issues of worker safety.  The Local 153 safety committee has repeatedly raised several serious safety issues, which Kapstone has refused to address and continues to ignore.

AWPPW President Kurt Gallow states “AWPPW Local 153 members have spoken out, loud and clear” continuing, “Kapstone’s continued illegal activity is unacceptable, the Company cannot continue to break the law.  The Union membership is striking over the Company’s unlawful conduct.”

As the Union has previously communicated to the Company, AWPPW Local 153 members will ensure an orderly shutdown and promptly exit the plant site.

for further information contact AWPPW Vice President Greg Pallesen
503-228-7486
gpallesen@awppw.org

08-27-2015 Press Release - AWPPW 153 Local members have gone on an unfair labor practice.docx