Georgia Pacific Union Leadership Talks Strategy

Local union leaders and USW staff reps representing workers employed at Georgia Pacific (GP) in District 9 gathered for a two-day meeting in Birmingham on Jan. 30-31, to discuss ongoing contract talks at various locations and to coordinate activities.

The District 9 group is part of a much larger conference known as the GP Union Conference, which represents Georgia Pacific employees represented by the USW and other unions including the IBEW throughout the United States.  It includes GP workers employed in paper mills, converters, box shops, plywood and wood products.

District 9 Director Stan Johnson met with the group to discuss overall paper bargaining at other GP locations while recognizing that other sectors are equally important to the union, including plywood plants. 

He showered praise on those who were involved in the journey to Brewton, Ala., to join in the candlelight vigil in a rainy night last August where hundreds of union members stood in solidarity, sending GP a message that our union was standing strong, supporting workers whose plant had been sold with no warning.

“The company knows that our union will never go away,” Johnson said.  “We’ll always stand by our members, no matter what.”

A delegate from Brewton gave a bargaining update to the group.  While progress is being made, there is still a way to go before we achieve a fair contract. 

Delegates returned to their plants after having shared information with a stronger focus on how to deal with the company and the importance of dealing strategically to improve the working conditions at all locations.

A report from the meetings will be shared with the entire GP Union Conference in order to coordinate further activities.