It sounds like all the paper work is in order and Bob Simpson was able to pull this deal together. The Water Board let the deadline extend until tomorrow at 10am. But this deal is pretty much finalized. Good news!
Yesterday our local met and we heard the deal our Union Standing Committee was able to make with David Tsang and Mr. Simpson. Evergreen agreed to pay up to $300,000 in outstanding medical bills that have been charged to workers who thought they were covered. The 8 Workers that were owed over $43,000 in wages were able to bargain $30,000. (That is alot better than .25 cents on the dollar if we forced them into bankruptcy with a wage injunction.) And the rest of the wage issue was bargained by the local taking possession of Evergreen's last physical asset, a wood chipper. Bob Simpson let our local know that he wants to bargain a contract and have an agreement in place before we start up. (Within 60-90 days hopefully. The media report was 100 to 120 days.)
And that, my dear people, is why you have a union! Without the leverage of legal counsel through the AWPPW, we would have had to try to fight individually for our rights and would have been left holding the bag!
Now let us all go back to work in a orderly manner in the near future.
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27 comments:
Huh? Are you really saying that the Union is responsible for this deal? Get real.
I don't think the union is responsible for this deal, but I think it is responsible for the workers not getting totally screwed in the process.
Anon 6:59-
Thats what I should have added to my statement too :)
United we stand
You are all still assuming it will operate as a pulp mill. There are many major hurdles such as a fiber supply???? A waste discharge permit??? A market for a marginal product at best???
No reason to celebrate anything at this point. It was never in doubt that Bob Simpson would buy some of the assets from Evergreen. He did not buy the business and the associated contracts only the hard assets.
If the intent was to operate as a pulp mill he would have wanted the business....not just some of the hardware.
Open your eyes people!!
Rumor has it that Rex Bohn is the one who brought this other group in when it looked like the original group had no money. Any truth to that Richard?
I did not say that the union was responsible for this deal. But I do say publicly that they did a good job in representing the workers in this case.
"United we bargain, divided we beg!"
7:24pm-Mr. Simpson has already spoken about his intention of doing business as a pulp mill, and has been negotiating with chip suppliers for the purpose of making TCF Pulp. My eyes are wide open. Are yours?
7:33pm- Rex told me that he was the one who approached this group when ACE Mills showed no progress. You will have to ask Rex to verify.
You are still holding the bag...you just don't know it yet.
I hope for the best for you all.
Richard,glad there might be some possibility of light at the end of the tunnel for the workers. Can only hope that there might be some light in your head about Cheesebro,Cobb/Katlin/heraldo,the HCDCC and all the liberal dumb asses you boot lick. They aren't your friends. Guys like Rex Bohn are. Hope you get it someday.
Rex Bohn is out for himself. He is the biggest suck*ss around. He had nothing to do with this deal. If Rex would have negotiated lower chip prices, maybe Evergreen could have weathered this economic storm. Let's see if Bob Simpson hires him.
I will continue in my daily prayers for all this to come together soon Rich. So far Prayer hasnt hurt. :).
I will be checking your blog daily from Waikiki next week
Rex Bohn has moved on, he has a new job, it was never his fault for the closing of the mill, that is so F#$@%* up for anyone to even think that. I would only hope that people will have better thing to do then to keep bashing Mr. Bohn Let it go.
So Rex brings these guys to the table and he is out for himself, Salzman already tried that rhetoric 5 years ago and Rex is still doing all his Youth projects and auctions for non profits so again tell me what your point his.Rex has a job could it be he was just trying to help some fellow workers at the mill get back to work. Better than most elected officials have done.
This is great news,Richard.Let's hope better days are on the way.
Great News and Rex is a good guy.
How'd you like to game Wednesday night. AHS should have lost in regulation.
Big game tonight.
Mike Harvey
Rex is a damn good guy that has always given to local causes in a very self less manner. People blamed him for gas prices when he was an employee at Renner Petroleum. I know that Anonymous 1:09am wouldn't post his nastiness if he/she actually had ever met Rex. Jeez!
Congratulations Guys:
Let's hope that Bob Simpson pulls it off and that you get back to work soon.
This bullet appears to have missed you; no thanks to most local leaders and regulators. You may not be so lucky next time.
Now is the time for you to organize politically and secure the mill's future. I recommend that you form a Political Action Group to promote your interests.
The union is a wonderful base to start from; you have a lot of members, retirees, and friends. They are waiting to be organized.
Local leaders got away with expressing a lot of sympathy, but doing little during this last crisis. Don't let them off the hook. They should be fighting for the mill and more importantly, for their constituents. They should be getting money from Washington, pressuring the regulators, etc. Lobby your local leaders and keep track of what they do for you.
You control several hundred votes; remember at election time what the politicians did for you and vote accordingly.
The regulators sit in their nice little offices and criticize the people who produce; they do not create one job, add $1 to the balance of payments or help the tax base which pays them. They act like they live in a different world.
It is real easy to throw stones when you have a government salary, job security and no need to make anything. That has to change.
The regulators need to work as hard at finding solutions as they do at finding problems. This is the real world; they need to add value and safeguard the American manufacturing base.
Start lobbying; tell your politicians that the behavior of regulators is unacceptable.
Look at the history of the mill; it has lurched from crisis to crisis; you have a chance to affect the mill's future if you organize now.
Good luck.
So Rex brings in a buyer for the mill, volunteers for charity and youth events, seems to have no problem finding someone willing to hire him and all some people can do is bitch about how it's all his fault.I say elect him to office to set a good example for those officials who talk but can't walk.
C'mon. Enough of the Rex bashing. If you bashers are so great at giving back to the community and do more than Rex, identify yourselves. You won't, because you are low life do nothing wieners. I have witnessed the many hours Rex gives to the community, and I seen first hand his early to work ethics.
Mike Harvey: Yes AHS and EHS should have lost their last games. Be there tonight at AHS. Should be a packed house.
Wiener, weiner, whiner winer. A rose by any other name still smells the same. How about that Rose?
Richard,I know there is a human soul inside you,it's just hidden behind the liberal mush you swallow. It's your HCDCC buddies that are running Rex down. They also shit on you while smiling to your face.
Rex is a Republican. And got licked by Kerrigan.
As Rose would say, "nuff said."
I have been hanging out at HCDCC for a few years and have never heard anybody talk about Rex at all. Rex and I attended Day Camp at Sequoia Park as kids and he was volunteering to help even then.
Bashing HCDCC (or Rex) is easy. They all have the courage to put themselves out where they can be seen and heard, and they all "walk the walk" as well.
There is room for Rex in the Democratic Party. If he is like some Republicans, he has heard so much demonizing talk about Democrats he couldn't imagine actually changing parties. I was stuck in that rut at one point myself.
Richard, congratulations to all of you at Local 49. It is beginning to look like the mill won't turn into a water export terminal anytime soon.
The deal happened faster than I thought it could. Don Nolan of Fortuna Trucking, the financeer behind Samoa Acquisition, was on the TV news last night.
In 2002, he bought Eel River Sawmills out from under the employees' ESOP. I'm sure we'll hear more about their business plan. Best of luck to them.
Richard,
Who has ownership of the mill-site land? I note mention of physical equipment ending up with Bob and your Union, but did Bob purchase the land, too?
11:14am-I do not know the answer. I have been told that LP is still responsible for toxic clean up if there is no user of the property.
Odd, so between Bob and Local 49, you both own the equipment, but not the actual millsite.
So who at this point in time, owns the property?
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