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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE      Monday, March 6, 2006

CONTACT: Keith Romig, 1-615-714-2704

Randy Johnson, 1-615-828-0466

USW and CEPPWAWU Question
Direction of Global Paper Company

Johannesburg, South Africa – A delegation from the United Steelworkers (USW) representing Sappi paper plant workers in the United States attended the company’s annual shareholders’ meeting today to present workers’ concerns.

The USW delegation at the meeting joined leaders and representatives of the Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood & Allied Workers Union (CEPPWAWU), which represents production workers at Sappi facilities in South Africa.

“We are here because we have serious concerns with the way Sappi is managing its business,” said Keith Romig, an international affairs specialist for the USW.

In addition to addressing labor relations problems, the unions raised issues such as the company’s lack of investment in its facilities and the performance of Sappi’s board of directors.

In South Africa, in addition to difficult bargaining, CEPPWAWU members believe the company is not meeting its obligations related to the education and promotion of production workers. In Belgium, the company failed repeatedly in 2005 and 2006 to reach agreement with union workers. In the United States, three local unions at Sappi mills are working under indefinitely extended agreements while they negotiate with the company.

“The company seems to think it can solve its problems by abusing workers around the world,” said USW Vice President Dick LaCosse. “Sappi has the potential to be a true world-class company, but only if management cooperates with union workers so we can all go forward to a prosperous and enlightened future.”

The United Steelworkers (USW), with 850,000 members, is the largest industrial union in North America, and the largest union on the continent in paper, steel, aluminum, mining, rubber, oil, chemicals and glass.