Monday Morning Minute – USW Paper Sector

Monday Morning Minute – USW Paper Sector
Monday, August 22, 2016
 
Incident Alert
USW Local 336 – International Paper – Pinehill, AL – On August 11, 2016, a probationary employee was working on the #1 paper machine wire change. The complete details are unknown but preliminary information is that when the team started pulling on the wire, the victim slipped and fell into the pit which contained 145 degree water.  He managed to catch himself and only his waist down was submerged in the hot water. He was in the water for about 15 seconds before team members were able to pull him out. He received significant, second degree burns from his waist down on approximately 38% of his body. The victim was transported to Camden Hospital in Camden, AL where he was stabilized then transported to UAB burn center in Birmingham, AL.
            Emergency Response Team District Coordinator Lee Morine will assist the family.  Health Safety and Environment Staff Steve Sallman will assist the local with the investigation.
Union Work – Collective Bargaining, Organizing, Arbitration, Worker Rights, Community Work, Political Work, Labor History
Temporary Injunction Issued against Right-to-Work Law in West Virginia – A preliminary injunction was issued by a Kanawha county circuit judge blocking enforcement of West Virginia’s new Right-to-Work law. The judge said that she was issuing the injunction because enforcement could cause irreparable harm to unions and union workers. Following the hearing, Judge Jennifer Bailey stated “I think when people are facing the possibility of criminal charges and civil damages, both of which are provided for in this law, it is quite serious.” The law, which took place beginning July 1, 2016, was passed earlier this year by Republican state legislators despite being vetoed by Governor, Earl Ray Tomblin. As with other state Right-to-Work laws, the unions contend that the law is an illegal taking of union property and resources as employees who opt-out of paying dues still receive union benefits and representation. Another hearing will occur in a couple of months after legal questions about the law can be resolved.
Paper and Packaging Board’s “How Life Unfolds” Campaign Released its Second Annual Back-to-School Report – The paper and Packaging Board annually surveys parents, students and educators to understand what it is that makes paper such a timeless partner to learning. This year, 4,300 students, parents and teachers in the United States were surveyed. The 2016 report explores not only how paper is essential to productive learning, in the classroom and in life, but also the “why” behind these beneficial connections. This year’s survey results reveal growth in paper use for learning and capture the steady reliance on the medium for careful contemplation and more authentic interactions in the classroom. The same students who have never known the world without the internet choose paper when they need to focus and master content. According to the survey, 41% of college students said that they used paper tools for examination preparation all of the time, with an equal number using them “often.”
For more information, copy and paste the following link you’re your browser: http://www.howlifeunfolds.com/app/uploads/2016/07/Paper_and_Productive_Learning_The_Second_Annual_Back-to-School_Report_2016.pdf
Safety
Mesothelioma Victims Center Offers Services for Diagnosed Pulp or Paper Mill Workers for Better Compensation – The Mesothelioma Victims Center is launching a new initiative designed to ensure a pulp or paper mill worker, who has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, has on-the-spot access to the best mesothelioma attorneys in the United States. High risk work groups for exposure to asbestos include US Navy Veterans, power plant workers, shipyard workers, pulp &paper mill workers, oil refinery workers, steel mill workers, manufacturing, or industrial workers, plumbers, electricians, auto mechanics, machinists, miners, or construction workers. In most instances the person with mesothelioma was exposed to asbestos in the 1950’s, 1960’s, 1970’s, or 1980’s. US Navy Veterans make up about one third of all US Citizens who are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year.
For more information, a pulp or paper mill worker who has recently been diagnosed with mesothelioma, or their family members, are urged to call the Mesothelioma Victims Center anytime at 800-714-0303. http://MesotheliomaVictimsCenter.Com
Industry Update
USW Locals 2-94 & 2-187 – Catalyst Paper – Wisconsin Rapids, WI – Company to Invest about $2.7M in Two Projects at Biron Mill – Catalyst Paper announced that it will invest approximately $2.7 million in two projects that will improve operational efficiency and lighten its environmental footprint at its Biron Mill. One project will convert the fuel source of Biron’s #4 boiler from high-sulphur coal to natural gas. The second project will modify the TMP reboiler to reclaim unused waste steam from the thermo mechanical pulping process to heat fresh water supplying the paper machines, decreasing the demand on both coal and natural gas. These projects offer significant environmental benefits by substantially reducing sulphur dioxide emissions while achieving major reductions of particulate, nitrogen oxide and greenhouse gas. With the #4 boiler conversion, Biron will also meet the Environmental Protection Agency’s Maximum Achievable Control Technology standard, which impacts the mill on January 31, 2017.Work on the reboiler is underway and expected to be completed in October 2016. Work on the #4 boiler conversion is expected to commence in February 2017 with anticipated startup by May 2017.
USW Locals 833, 1731, 13-735 & 13-898 – Evergreen Packaging – Pine Bluff, AR – Mill Receives more than 132 Tons of Tire-Derived Fuel from Recycling Center – During the three-month period ending in June, Jefferson County Recycling shipped more than 132 tons of tire-derived fuel to Evergreen Packaging. The tire-derived fuel, or TDF, is made by grinding up used tires at the county’s recycling center. The company uses TEF instead of wood chips in wet weather as it burns cleaner and hotter. The County Judge stated that the company uses TDF “every time it rains…It saves them money and it lets us make a little money”.

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