\u00a0By Rich Morgan, SE Director of Packing<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I hope everyone had a good holiday season. On December 15th, 2021, UFCW Local 663 members at International Paper in Austin, Minnesota passed a 2-year extension to the Master Agreement by 98 percent. With this vote the members will receive a 2.5 % raise in pay each year of the agreement. As of January 1, 2022, the retirement increased from 39 dollars to 41 dollars per year of service. The master agreement is made up of a collaboration of different Unions here in the United States representing over 55 plants nationwide the new expiration date for the Master Agreement will be April 23, 2024. The Austin facility and the others will still open their local contract for local issues before their expirations. Austin’s will be this fall, the expiration date is October 26, 2022. This will give the local the opportunity to address grade pays, start rates and other local issues at that time. With all that said I want to congratulate all the 663 Members on the extension of the Master Agreement. Also, I would ask every member at International Paper to be thinking of the upcoming local bargaining and start a list of things that may need to be addressed in the contract this coming fall. Feel free to stop at the Hall (316 4th Ave NE Austin MN) and drop off suggestions or give them to Cary Williamson or Chris VanHouten or anyone on the International Paper Bargaining Board or at any of the monthly meetings between now and September.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"