PACE International Union Members Ratify First Contract At Imerys Plant in Sylacauga, Alabama

    NASHVILLE, Tenn., Feb. 7 Perseverance paid off for members
of local 3-516 of the Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical and Energy Workers
International Union (PACE) in achieving its first contract at the 400-person
Imerys calcium carbonate plant in Sylacauga, Ala.  Union members ratified the
new agreement last night by an over 70 percent margin.
    "After 42 days and nights of negotiations over the last six months, we
were able to come to an agreement with management that will better the lives
of Imerys' workers," said PACE Region Three International Representative Jimmy
Colston, who served as the chief negotiator for the union.  "The company and
union were able to work together on this, which we believe has led to a much
better relationship after a rocky start."
    PACE Region Three Vice President Don Langham thanked Colston along with
Keith Fulbright, local 3-516 president, and the union negotiating committee
"for their hard work and skilled negotiations."  He also thanked Joe Drexler
of PACE's special projects division, Fred Higgs of the Brussels-based
International Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers Unions (ICEM), and
the European unions who participated in a campaign to secure a first contract
with French-based Imerys.
    "For the first time, workers will be able to advance in a fair manner and
with equal rights to improve their livelihoods and the welfare of their
families," said Keith Fulbright.  "The contract has brought about unity, pride
and dignity that we never had before, and the company will also benefit from
this."
    The three-year contract provides for a pension up to 2.08 percent of
earnings for each year of service; annual raises of 3.5, 3.0 and 3.0 percent;
a cap on health insurance premiums paid by workers; incentive bonuses; a
401(k) plan with a company match; overtime pay after eight hours; and
increases in shift differential and holiday pay.  The contract also eliminates
the older "tech system" for promotions and job classifications and replaces it
with one based largely on seniority and job bidding rights.
    The ratification of the new agreement represents the culmination of a
campaign that began in June 1999 after Imerys had withdrawn recognition of the
union.  PACE and the ICEM waged a global campaign against the company that
resulted in a successful organizing drive in June 2000, which led to
negotiations for a first contract.
    PACE represents 320,000 workers in the pulp, paper, kaolin, oil, chemical,
pharmaceutical, atomic energy and auto supply industries.  The PACE website is
http://www.paceunion.org.