September 11, 2002
By Facsimile: (859) 815-5054
Mr. James J. O’Brien, President and Chief Operating Officer
Ashland Incorporated
50 E. River Center Blvd.
Covington, KY 41012-0391
Dear President O Brien:
On behalf of 1.4 million members of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), I write to express concern regarding the labor dispute at your company’s distribution center in Larvik, Norway, which reportedly was sparked by the company’s refusal to recognize the employees’ request for union representation. I have received reports from the Norwegian union, Handel og Kontor i Norge (HKiN), that workers at this facility have been on strike for over eight weeks and that your company has now threatened to “permanently replace” them.
We believe that such threats are not only unfair, but also unwise. Though the facility involved is not a very large one, an escalation of the dispute could affect international labor relations.
As you may know, the IBT represents Ashland employees in the company’s APAC, Specialty Chemical and Drew Industrial divisions. We will closely monitor the situation in Norway and should the strike remain unsettled, will notify our local unions to encourage solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the HKiN.
I encourage Ashland management in Norway to deal fairly with these workers and respect their rights to union representation. I look forward to hearing of a fair and favorable resolution to this strike and thank you in advance for your assistance in this matter.
Respectfully,
James P. Hoffa
General President
cc:
Barbara Shailor, Director, International Affairs Department, AFL-CIO
Fred E. Zuckerman, President, Teamsters Local Union 89
John Gerow, President, Teamsters Local Union 97
C. Thomas Keegel, President, Teamsters Local Union 120
Patrick J. Darrow, Secretary-Treasurer, Teamsters Local Union 348
Robert R. Warnock, Jr. President, Teamsters Local Union 364
Robert Keller, President, Teamsters Local Union 384
Kenneth E. Hilbish, President, Teamsters Local Union 528
Robert Gillihan, President, Teamsters Local Union 541
John Guerra, Jr., Secretary-Treasurer, Teamsters Local Union 618
Gerald Zerro, Secretary-Treasurer, Teamsters Local Union 705
Dominick Buscemi, President, Teamsters Local Union 773
Joseph L. Bernstein, President, teamsters Local Union 781
