USW Calls On Firestone to Recognize New Union Leadership in Liberia

[Omaha Steve]

http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20070803005638&newsLang=en

August 03, 2007 05:18 PM Eastern Daylight Time
CORRECTING and REPLACING News From USW: USW Calls On Firestone to Recognize New Union Leadership in Liberia
CORRECTION...by United Steelworkers

PITTSBURGH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Please replace the release with the following corrected version due to multiple revisions.

The corrected release reads:

NEWS FROM USW: USW CALLS ON FIRESTONE TO RECOGNIZE NEW UNION LEADERSHIP IN LIBERIA

News From USW: The United Steelworkers (USW) is strongly encouraging Firestone to recognize the newly elected union leadership at its rubber plantations in Liberia. On July 7, 2007, the workers there overwhelmingly voted for new trade union representatives of their own choosing in the first free, fair and democratic union elections at the plantation in its 80 year history.

USW International president Leo W. Gerard sharply criticized the company’s refusal to meet with the leadership of Firestone Agricultural Workers Union of Liberia (FAWUL) in a letter sent on August 2 to Dan Adomitis, president of Firestone Natural Rubber. “The actions of Firestone in refusing to recognize the newly elected leadership of FAWUL and to ensure that the dues go to the representatives of the workers (FAWUL) is a clear violation of Liberian and international law,” Gerard wrote.

More than 3,000 workers voted last month for a union leadership that is not affiliated with the General Agricultural and Allied Workers Union of Liberia (GAAWUL) with new leadership. GAAWUL continues to try to use the Liberian legal system to thwart the voice of the Firestone rubber plantation workers. All such attempts have failed. The induction of the new union leadership went ahead as planned on July 21, 2007.

The new FAWUL leadership, led by President Austin Natee, has approached the management of Firestone in Liberia to request a meeting, and begin to establish a cooperative relationship based on mutual respect. Firestone is refusing to meet with the new leadership and continues to give the workers’ union dues to the illegitimate GAAWUL.

FULL story at link.