Newspapers / Fotofax (Brevard, N.C.) / May 1, 1972, edition 1 / Page 5
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\ dUfuui 't'ke. coMittg dectlon resentation election scheduled for June 7 and 8, your editor ^iews on the issues involved. Fotofax felt these views would wers to various questions asked are presented below. “OCA W doesn’t buy our x-ray film. ” lese resulted in improv- f have awaited the ex- t a union plant, if they are some employees t presenting their pro- 3nd may feel they need icedure, a man may en- n the plant and, believe group to choose from, s the man’s steward, or not. 3ple may have the mis- I union will bring some nee discussion. I have discussions at union ndled in the same way 3ment attempts to get r •~i — all the facts and then does the best it can to arrive at a solution that will be as fair as pos sible to all concerned. Naturally, not every one agrees with every decision, but I have participated in many, many grievances here and elsewhere, and I know of not one where the presence or absence of a union repre sentative would have changed the answer. There is one important difference at a union plant: A grievance is seldom presented to management unless it’s consistent with the union’s objectives or unless the question deals with an interpretation of the contract. At Brevard, we will listen to anyone’s com plaint or request on any subject, and as Doug said, our batting average from the employee’s standpoint is pretty good. OCAW has said that they will give protection to the employee in his benefits and wages. How do you fee! about this? Jack: Let me answer that by pointing out that Du Pont introduced benefits long before most unions were founded. During the last campaign, OCAW agreed that our benefit plans are good and that we pay good wages. Both have been improved substantially since then. Insofar as protection of these wages and bene fits is concerned, I know of no greater guar antee of their continuance than the 15-year history at Brevard and the 170-year history of the Du Pont Company. Du Pont was pioneering such benefits as pensions and paid vacations before the petitioning union came into ex istence. The record speaks for itself. . . . may well have a determining effect on the future direction of this plant. ” Some of our people are concerned about job security. Could OCAW help them? Jack: Neither OCAW nor our Company can guarantee job security. Job security depends upon keeping our products competitive. Only as long as customers prefer the quality and price of our x-ray film to materials offered by our competitors do we have a basic rea son to operate. We have made a lot of pro gress at Brevard because employees have contributed their ideas, effort, and coopera tion. This is the road to job security. .'■ir “OCAW cannot create or assure a single job — except for its own staff people. ‘ Doug: On the other hand, any union that suggests it can provide job security is mis representing some pretty fundamental facts. Uneconomic plants, with or without unions, shut down. OCAW doesn’t build plants and it doesn’t buy our x-ray film. It cannot create or assure a single job —except for its own staff people. If the union gets in, does it mean that em ployees will get everything that the union promises or “guarantees?” Jack: I haven’t heard that the union has promised very much. This is one of the ad vantages that an official organizer has. He doesn’t have to commit himself to specifics. A few people, who speak on behalf of the union can make all kinds of claims, but they don’t have any responsibility to make those claims come true. Sometimes unions do make promises or they may point to something they have done elsewhere and imply that they could do the same here. However, if a union is elected and then starts to bargain, it can propose and argue and demand, but unless management agrees, these promises or im plied promises cannot be fulfilled. Should a union be elected and certified to represent Brevard employees, we shall bargain in good faith. But union organizers know that the law does not compel either party to agree to a proposal or to make a concession. In cases where management does not agree to some thing it considers impractical, uneconomic, or unsound, the union has the recourse to strike, which may or may not achieve its ob jective. We all know how damaging to every one—employees, customers, the plant —this can be. (Continued on Page 6)
Fotofax (Brevard, N.C.)
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May 1, 1972, edition 1
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