WASHINGTON (From news reports) -- Responding to what union officials consider the company's minimalist approach to COVID safety precautions, two locals with the Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers have requested to bargain for extra measures with Nippon Dynawave Packaging in Longview.
"I would say that all of the companies we represent are trying to take this seriously, but there are different levels," said Jim Anderson, Washington area representative for the Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers.
AWPPW represents thousands of workers at paper mills in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California and Virginia, including about 375 employees at Nippon Dynawave. Many of the mills have adopted added safety measures for COVID-19, Anderson said, but not Nippon Dynawave.
"Not to be overly harsh, but what I would say is (Nippon Dynawave) has looked at the CDC guidelines and they are doing what they have to do to stay within those guidelines," Anderson said. "That doesn't necessarily mean they are doing all they could or should be doing."
While the company has taken precautions to keep workers safe -- including social distancing and giving some employees N95 masks -- it hasn't gone beyond the standard Center for Disease Control recommendations, Anderson said. He pointed to the face masks as an example.
The company handed out as many N95 masks as it had on supply, but that wasn't enough to cover all workers, Anderson said. Unlike some paper mills in the region that provide cloth masks to fill the gap, Nippon Dynawave has not considered an alternative, he said.
"They can't get N95 masks. Everybody knows that. ... But that shouldn't be the answer. You should say, 'We are looking at what else we can do,' " Anderson said. "It will sound like I'm hitting them, but I'm just disappointed in them."
Anderson said the company has agreed to bargain the matter, but a date for a virtual meeting has not been set yet.
In a prepared statement, Nippon Dynawave said it has met with union local leaders since March 20th to discuss the company's response to the pandemic.
"Nippon Dynawave Packaging received the AWPPW demand letter on April 4th and quickly provided a response. We thank all our Union and salaried employees for their diligent commitment to practicing the hygiene and physical distancing efforts required to protect themselves and their communities from infection. By doing so we support our community and keep essential food supply chains around the world moving," according to the statement.
The bargain is not an opener for any work contract at the mill, Anderson said, and it will focus exclusively on COVID-19 safety policy. (Local 633 and Local 580 are currently bargaining a new contract.)
The union requested to bargain over workplace conditions because "we want to make sure that companies are doing as much as they can" to keep workers safe from coronavirus, Anderson said.
A mill in Camas, for example, built more operating shacks so workers could properly social distance. Usually two people work in a shack together to avoid heat and sound, but there's not much room to keep the CDC's recommended six-foot spacing.
Anderson said he asked Nippon Dynawave about how workers in the winders' shacks could social distance, and whether the company would consider adding more stations.
"Their answer back to me was that one of the people that works in there can stay outside, and the company would provide them with double hearing protection," Anderson said.
Other mills have started staggering shift start times, so the machinery can be shut off and disinfected between each crew.
That might not be possible at a mill like Nippon Dynawave, where boilers and paper machines run continuously, Anderson said. But the company could consider stricter cleaning regiments or other added precautions.
Locally the WestRock paper mill started COVID-19 screening for workers four days a week. The workers at Nippon Dynawave likely would support similar testing, Anderson said.
Anderson intends to bring some of the practices at other mills for consideration at the bargaining table, he said.
"If we hear something that sounds good (at one mill), we are trying to take that to all our other mills," Anderson said. "Honestly we want to protect everyone as best we can. We do understand how fortunate we are to be continuing to get a paycheck right now. If we can protect our members and keep our facilities open because we don't have any of these outbreaks, that's great." |
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