Nebraska State AFL-CIO

NEBRASKA STATE AFL-CIO

NEWSLETTER

Ken E. Mass, President / James M. Tylski, Secretary-Treasurer

Ron Chapman, IBEW 244; Terry Moore, OFL; Bill Arfman, NAPE/AFSME 61;
Robert Biel, CWA 7470; Jim Willis, LCLU; Robert Bartak, BAC 1;
Barbra Shaw, UNITE 870; Mary Hakanson, CNCLC; Ron Milke, IAM 543;
Niclole Rhine, NALC 8; Linda Hemmerling, CWA 7400;
Donna McDonald, UFCW 271; Art Crawford, IAM 602;
William Biede, Iron Workers 21; Chuck Clayton, UFCW 222;

3rd Quarter 2001 July, 2001

Economy - Mergers - NAFTA

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

Recent reports state that industrial production fell .07% in June, the biggest drop since the year began. As manufacturing's slump extended to nine months.
The nine months of negative readings for all industry and manufacturing is the longest since a ten month stretch in 1982, a recession year. Industry operated at 77% of capacity in June, the lowest reading since August, 1983.

Affiliates of the Nebraska State AFL-CIO are now being affected by this down turn in the economy, but also by company mergers and buyouts and the result of NAFTA ( North American Free Trade Agreement ).

ECONOMY = MERGERS = NAFTA = LAYOFFS = PLANT CLOSINGS

Following are affiliates, the employer, the location and how many employers affected:

INTERNATIONAL
LOCAL UNION EMPLOYER LOCATION

IBEW 1614 Possibility of layoffs in the near future. Omaha, Nebraska

IBEW 1974 Avaya Communications - Laid off 217 members in April and another 457 in July. Omaha Nebraska

IBEW 2366 Square D Company - In a layoff situation. Lincoln, Nebraska

GCIU 543M Mail Well Envelope - Plant closing of 56 members - moving work to other plants in U.S.; the plant has roots in Omaha which go back to 1886. Omaha, Nebraska

IAM 1394 Hastings Industries - Plant closing of 72 members. Hastings, Nebraska

PACE 5-0171
PACE 5-056 Vickers Plant - Plant closing January 1, 2001 of 800 members - moved products to other plants. Omaha, Nebraska

PACE 5-309
PACE 5-1473 Nashua Corporation _ Laid off 80 members - company sold laminating operation to another company. Omaha, Nebraska

USWA 286R Goodyear Plant - Facing a layoff of membership - moving operations to a Mexico Plant. Lincoln, Nebraska

Manufacturing nation wide shed 389,000 workers in the second quarter. The largest quarterly decrease since the first quarter of 1991 when 449,000 factory workers lost their jobs in the midst of the lasts recession.

As the labor movement in Nebraska and throughout the nation deals with the gloomy corporate forecast of profits down; warnings are up; pink slips are rising; and firms are not buying. The sunny consumer mood of consumers is to keep spending because they expect good times, auto sales remain high and houses are selling briskly. Economists believe the economy will show improvements in the coming quarters for the nation.

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INTERNATIONAL LOCAL UNION	EMPLOYER	LOCATION
IBEW 1614	Possibility of layoffs in the near future.	Omaha, Nebraska
IBEW 1974	Avaya Communications - Laid off 217 members in April and another 457 in July.	Omaha Nebraska
IBEW 2366	Square D Company - In a layoff situation.	Lincoln, Nebraska
GCIU 543M	Mail Well Envelope - Plant closing of 56 members - moving work to other plants in U.S.; the plant has roots in Omaha which go back to 1886.	Omaha, Nebraska
IAM 1394	Hastings Industries - Plant closing of 72 members.	Hastings, Nebraska
PACE 5-0171 PACE 5-056	Vickers Plant - Plant closing January 1, 2001 of 800 members - moved products to other plants.	Omaha, Nebraska
PACE 5-309 PACE 5-1473	Nashua Corporation _ Laid off 80 members - company sold laminating operation to another company.	Omaha, Nebraska
USWA 286R	Goodyear Plant - Facing a layoff of membership - moving operations to a Mexico Plant.	Lincoln, Nebraska