ANTIOCH — After more than three weeks on strike, workers at the Georgia-Pacific gypsum plant here have finally reached an agreement that ends a dispute with the company over their wages.
The latest four-year contract offered to union members includes a 6 percent increase in the first year, followed by a 3 percent increase in years two, three and four, as agreed upon by the International Longshoremen Ware Union, Local 6.
Workers initially turned down an offer from Georgia-Pacific, part of Koch Industries’ group of companies, because the company provided the same numbers for a three-year contract. A company official could not be reached for comment Friday.
However, after several rounds of negotiations, the Local 6 union members agreed to the offer on Thursday. Workers will also receive retroactive pay from the time their contract lapsed in July to date.
According to Christian Ortega, a Local 6 representative, the new contract will increase the pay of entry-level workers from $27.60 to about $29.25 an hour. He said there are different jobs and levels of workers in the plant, so their wages vary.
Ortega said members and Georgia-Pacific will discuss a date for the union workers to resume work at the gypsum production plant on Minaker Drive here, but added they are happy to return after walking out on Sept. 16.
“We can go into work maybe next Tuesday or Wednesday, but we need to transition back to the plant safely,” he said.
“At the end of the day, no one wins in a strike; they (company) are spending money (by bringing out-of-state workers) and we (union members are) not making money, so at the end of the day, both sides reached an agreement to resume work and put this behind us,” he added.
Ortega said union members have mixed reactions to the offer but added that not everyone can be satisfied.
“We didn’t lose anything; we gained 6% for the first year, so we’re going in with a plus… that’s how to look at it,” he said.
Previously, union members also complained they were unhappy with the safety and working conditions in the production plant, adding that workers are exposed to fiberglass particles and pigeon feces. Ortega said there needs to be proper ventilation or showers on-site for workers dealing with fiberglass materials.
In this round of negotiations, Ortega said he spoke to the plant manager, who said the company will look into the complaints and come up with a solution.
Ortega also said that while the workers were on strike without pay, many people had supported them, such as contributing to their GoFundMe account and food bank representatives providing produce to the workers.