AWPPW Local 5

The old International Union Officers had the power to do what they thought was best for their membership, but the A.W.P.P.W. was a union controlled by the membership, so to make the new Union function as spelled out in its Constitution, the "Rank & File" had to get involved. It was a first time experience for many -- and the lack of experienced loc... al leaders gave the opportunity for a lot of NEW NAMES to jump in and serve Local #5 as Officers, Delegates, Committeemen, Shop Stewards and active members This "ON THE JOB TRAINING" was very successful and in 1967 Local #5 was again challenged in an NLRB election, which Local #5 won 1461 to 566. Our Local #5 Officers and Membership were doing a great job protecting the contractual rights of its members. The Strike of 1969 can probably be considered the starting point to mending the hard feelings between all of our members involved in the 1964 strike. In 1969 we presented a united force to deal with the Company. We shut the mill down cold and showed a united membership on the picket lines. Local #5 was having problems getting the same contract items as our two sister mills in Port Angeles and Port Townsend were already offered. Local #5 sent pickets to our two sister mills in Port Angeles (Local 69 & Local 155) and Port Townsend (Local 175) . Both these mills had acceptable offers on the table, but due to the fact that our offer was far short, our Brothers & Sisters in these mills allowed us to put pickets on their mills and shut them down. Shutting down these two mills gave us the credibility and clout to bargain a good contract. Once and for all, the Camas Local #5, Locals #269 & #155 and Local #175 (all Crown Zellerbach Mills) proved to all that we were a united membership that had to be dealt with fairly. In 1969 each Crown Zellerbach Local bargained a separate contract. Local #5 combined both of the old International Locals into one Local, but some mills kept the two separate locals in 1964). 1971 was the first attempt to bargain a contract that would be for ...Read More