[asia-apec 1035] Re: Help Stop Union Busting in Ohio by Japanese Transnational

[Gatt Watchdog]

>From owner-sid-l at rm-rstar.sfu.ca  Fri Feb 26 14:03:32 1999
Received: by corso.ch.planet.gen.nz (1.65/waf)
	via UUCP; Mon, 01 Mar 99 11:16:52 +1200
	for gattwd
Received: from rm-rstar.sfu.ca (root@[142.58.120.21])
	by tofu.ch.planet.gen.nz (8.8.5/8.8.5) with ESMTP id OAA25128
	for <gattwd at corso.ch.planet.gen.nz>; Fri, 26 Feb 1999 14:03:32 +1300 (NZDT)
Received: from sid (rs35-annex3.sfu.ca [142.58.123.35])
	by rm-rstar.sfu.ca (8.9.1/8.9.1/SFU-5.0H) with SMTP id RAA26998;
	Thu, 25 Feb 1999 17:12:27 -0800 (PST)
Message-Id: <3.0.5.32.19990225163338.007cf6a0 at popserver.sfu.ca>
X-Sender: shniad at popserver.sfu.ca (Unverified)
X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Light Version 3.0.5 (32)
Date: Thu, 25 Feb 1999 16:33:38 -0800
To: ccpa at policyalternatives.ca
From: Sid Shniad <shniad at sfu.ca>
Subject: Help Stop Union Busting in Ohio by Japanese Transnational
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Dear union brothers and sisters and other friends and supporters:

In the past I have sent you requests for letters on behalf of Mexican
workers or independent unions.  This time I am writing to ask for 
your assistance in sending e-mails in support of a new UE Local in 
Ohio.  Please take a minute to send the sample e-mail or to write 
your own, and to help us circulate this request!

In Solidarity,

Robin Alexander
UE Director of International Labor Affairs

                                ********

Please help UE Stop Unionbusting by Japanese Transnational

The United Electrical Workers' Union (UE) asks for your solidarity 
and immediate assistance in the fight to stop unionbusting by Kobe 
Steel, a giant Japanese multinational with plants in the U.S.  Please 
join this fight for workers' rights by sending protest messages to 
corporate officials at the e-mail addresses below.

More than three months ago, the 120 workers at Kobe's Glastic 
plastics plant in Jefferson, Ohio, voted to unionize.  However, 
Kobe, a billion dollar global giant, is intent on busting their newly 
formed union instead of negotiating a union contract.  Kobe/Glastic 
representatives have brought nothing but arrogance and insults to 
the few bargaining sessions held to date. Recently, when local union 
leaders tried to expose these sham negotiations in reports to fellow 
workers in the plant cafeteria, management tried to silence them!

Issues the workers are seeking to resolve in negotiations include 
health and safety problems and a huge wage disparity between their 
plant and a Kobe/Glastic unionized facility in nearby Cleveland.  At 
the Jefferson plant, an overwhelming number of production 
workers suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome, with many already 
having had surgery on both wrists. Wages in Jefferson are 25 - 50% 
less than in Cleveland.  The members of newly organized UE Local 
758 want respect from the company, democracy in their workplace, 
and a union contract to improve their wages and conditions.

Protest messages urging an end to union busting and a beginning of 
good faith negotiations should be sent to: Masahiro Kumamoto, 
Kobe Steel President and CEO at <www-admin at kobelco.co.jp> 
and Glenn Grant, Glastic Corp.President and CEO at 
<sales at glastic.com>.

A sample e-mail protest message appears below.  When you send 
your protest to company officials please copy your e-mail to UE at 
<organize at ranknfile-ue.org>.  Additional solidarity messages may 
also be sent to UE Local 758 in care of the same e-mail address. 


Sample E-Mail: 

Mr. Masahiro Kumamoto
President and CEO
Kobe Steel
www-admin at kobelco.co.jp

Mr. Glenn Grant
President and CEO
Glastic Corp
sales at glastic.com

I am outraged to hear of the abuse of workers' rights occurring at 
Kobe/Glastic's Jefferson, Ohio, location.  I urge you to immediately 
begin negotiating regularly with union representatives there with 
the intention of signing a union contract within a few weeks.  If 
your unionbusting continues, there is sure to be permanent damage 
to Kobe's public image in the U.S. and around the globe.

Please let me know once you have signed a contract with the 
United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE), 
Local 758. 

cc: UE, organize at ranknfile-ue.org


Robin Alexander
UE Director of International Labor Affairs
One Gateway Center, Suite 1400
420 Fort Duquesne Blvd.
PGH., PA. 15222-1416

412-471-8919
412-471-8999 FAX
HTTP://www.igc.apc.org/unitedelect/ (See alert section every two 
weeks for labor and related news from Mexico).