Dear Pacific Lumber Employees and Neighbors,

Dear Pacific Lumber Employees and Neighbors,

We’d like to introduce ourselves to you. We’re members of the United Steelworkers of America and like you, we work for a company controlled by Charles Hurwitz’s MAXXAM Corp. We work, however, for a different one of MAXXAM’s companies--Kaiser Aluminum. And like you, we’re concerned about our job security, working conditions and our families. That’s why we’re on strike at five different Kaiser Aluminum plants around the nation located in Spokane, Washington (2 facilities); Tacoma, Washington; Newark, Ohio; and Gramercy, Louisiana.

We’re coming to your town to ask for your help. We’ll be holding an informational rally and union picket line in front of Pacific Lumber Headquarters in Scotia on Thursday, December 3 between 11 am and 1 pm. Later that day we’ll be having a free open house and forum with refreshments and coffee. PL management will not be present. It will take place at

Riverwalk Inn, Thursday, December 3rd

Fortuna (across from Denny’s)

Kenmar Exit, west side of Hwy 101 toward hotel complex

Doors Open 6 pm. Forum from 7 pm - 9 pm or later

We would love to answer any questions you have about our strike against MAXXAM’s Kaiser Aluminum and offer any assistance to you, if you ask for it. One of the reasons we’re coming is that some of you have been asked to travel up to our neck of the woods to cross our picket lines as replacement workers. This is not a good idea. We call someone who crosses over a picket line a “scab” and we’d like to settle our labor dispute without outside interference. And by scabbing for Charles Hurwitz you would be siding with a someone who has brought misery to thousands of working people and retirees. If you’re worried about your own job security, we’d be happy to work with you, our fellow working people, who often risk their lives every day to earn a paycheck.

Here is a partial list of our grievances:

MAXXAM’s Kaiser Aluminum is threatening a reduction in our pension benefits with proposed health care cost increases to its retirees.
MAXXAM’s Kaiser Aluminum is trying to break our union, which has been here for 54 years. We know some of you have been at PL for five generations.
MAXXAM’s Kaiser Aluminum is refusing to bargain on wage and safety issues, among others.

MAXXAM’s Kaiser Aluminum is using a recruitment company that is violating a Washington state law that prohibits filling our jobs with out of state workers.

MAXXAM’s Kaiser Aluminum is threatening us good, hard working people with goon guards.

MAXXAM’s Kaiser Aluminum has not offered us wages that match inflation.

There is no protection from contracting out our jobs.

Charles Hurwitz is asking you and others to travel hundreds of miles to work at hot, dirty, dangerous jobs where you would have the “pleasure” of crossing a picket line every day. Imagine working with hundreds of newcomers operating heavy, dangerous equipment involving molten and toxic metal. Turnover is tremendous and there have been serious injuries.

Unions have fought hard over the last 100 years to raise the standard of living of every American. Benefits like medical insurance, a living wage, and unemployment insurance are the right of every citizen because union men and women fought and died in this country. If MAXXAM defeats us, it will increase their arrogance and hurt every American’s chance to have a better way of life.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at the number above. Every American should have the right to have a job. Please support ours. We’ll return the favor if you ever need our help. Thank you and we look forward to seeing you on December 3rd in Scotia and Fortuna.

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