Striking USW Workers from National Wire Fabric Return From Solidarity Trip To The Netherlands

NWF is a subsidiary of Gamma Holding, Inc., a Netherlands-based company with over 9,000 employees in 36 countries.  Gamma purchased NWF, which produces wire filtration products primarily for the pulp and paper industry, in 2001.

A delegation of Steelworkers officials and the Local 1671 President arrived in The Netherlands on November 15, 2005 with the intent of gaining Gamma’s support to end the strike and bring the members back to work.  Extensive background efforts were engaged by FNV Bondgenoten, the major Dutch industrial union, to facilitate a meeting between the USW delegation, FNV union stewards and worker council members and Gamma corporate executives, including Dr. Meint Veninga and Fokko Keun, Gamma’s CEO and head of Human Resources, respectively. 

Local 1671’s key issues before striking were concerns that NWF’s proposed contract flexibility changes would erode seniority and cause the plant to become unsafe for workers.  Regardless, both the union and company were close to achieving a contract during post-strike negotiations, but one major sticking point remained.  The Star City facility currently employs about 20 temporary workers.  These temporary workers must all be terminated in order for labor peace to return.

Unfortunately, during the meeting with Gamma officials, the company maintained its support for the temporary workers even in the face of deteriorating production levels and an alarming increase in worker injuries and poor conduct.  The company’s reaction was extremely troubling to the FNV stewards, who were accustomed to a cordial relationship with Gamma.  The stewards could not understand why Gamma adopted the position that the twenty temporary workers hired during the strike would be allowed to stay, and that the strikers –some of whom had been employed at Gamma Holdings for thirty or forty years- would be allowed back only as vacancies occurred.  It was clear to all that Gamma intended to bust the union in Star City.

Also upsetting the FNV stewards was the fact that NWF assured the USW and federal mediators that it was willing to discuss provisions to bring the striking members back to work and even set up a meeting date to do so.  However, NWF changed its position on the morning of the scheduled meeting, claiming it would not discuss any such provisions and that it would keep all its temporary workers.  FNV Bondgenoten felt this was a deep betrayal of trust of both the USW and the federal mediators.

FNV gave Gamma one day to reverse its position before it would take action.  Later that evening, the USW delegation was invited to speak at the FNV stewards meeting of another Gamma subsidiary, Vlisco, where all were stunned to hear the results of the earlier meeting.  The stewards vowed to support the USW in its struggles against Gamma.  While recognizing that Gamma’s actions may not violate US laws, to the stewards these action clearly violate international labor law as well as Gamma’s own business ethics.

Upon receiving official notice from Mr. Keun that Gamma would keep the temporary workers, FNV went into immediate action.  They translated a press release into Dutch and developed an English/Dutch flyer for purposes of a coordinated morning action outside the Vlisco facility.  In addition, FNV utilized its contacts at all European facilities of Gamma and distributed the flyer at all locations on the Gamma Worker’s Council.  

 

In all, nearly 15 interviews with journalists were conducted, the press release was featured in all the major Dutch newspapers and Gamma workers throughout Europe received word of our struggle.  In addition, the International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers’ Federation wrote a letter to Mr. Veninga to express its concern at the breakdown in industrial relations at the Star City facility.

 

“Relations at the plant immediately worsened after Gamma took control of our facility in 2001, but we never figured it would get this bad,” said USW Representative Barry Strange.  “But one thing the company did not count on was the solidarity of our local.  Not one member has crossed the picket line during the entire four months.  It is a shame when a large multi-national company thinks it can abuse workers’ rights—but with our alliance firmly established, Gamma has more than just fifty-six members in Star City to answer to for its union-busting.”