265 

 Senator Wirth. Mr. Arriola. 



STATEMENT OF RODGER ARRIOLA 



Mr. Arriola. Thank you for the opportunity to testify before 

 you. 



My name is Rodger Arriola and I am a 34-year resident of Ketch- 

 ikan and employee of Ketchikan Pulp Company for 15 years. I am 

 an employee representative affiliated with the Association of West- 

 ern Pulp and Paper Workers, Ward Cove Local 783. 



Local 783 represents 308 of the 374 hourly employees at Ketchi- 

 kan Pulp Company. Two weeks ago, when I learned of this opportu- 

 nity to testify I began to solicit support from co-workers on the 

 issue of the Tongass. Many were reluctant to support written or 

 local opposition to KPC management position, mainly out of fear of 

 losing their jobs. On four previous occasions mill workers and this 

 community have been held economic hostage to KPC's threat of 

 shutting the pulp mill down, yet my co-workers feel something 

 needs to be said and done concerning this scare tactic of crying 

 wolf and the erroneous statements concerning wages, benefits and 

 profits shared equally by all employees at KPC. In spite of the dev- 

 astating wage and benefit cuts and a recent attempt by manage- 

 ment to oust Local 783 from the mill, KPC employees wish to make 

 it known that we have not shut the mill down by going out on 

 strike or other means. In fact record production levels and record 

 profits have been achieved during this time, yet once again when 

 KPC comes under scrutiny for mismanagement of our resources 

 they are the ones who threaten to shut the mill down. Ketchikan 

 Mill Employees, when is enough enough? 



We have already felt the travesty of having the economic carpet 

 literally pulled out from under our feet by present KPC manage- 

 ment who felt the need to terminate our contract with them and 

 implement new conditions which are favorable to them. When mill 

 management talks about a restructured operation and reduction of 

 internal costs that allow them to be competitive, mill employees 

 know what they are talking about. Devastating reductions in wages 

 and benefits, poor labor relations to the point KPC employees are 

 the lowest paid workers in the entire pulp and paper industry on 

 the West Coast. 



KPC wants written guarantees from the Federal Government, a 

 commitment in the form of the present contracts. Yet KPC employ- 

 ees have tried in vain for nearly five years and have not achieved 

 the goal of obtaining a fair contract with present mill manage- 

 ment. 



To coin a phrase I once heard, this is the moral equivalent of war 

 and if we will not be vocal we will continue to be the victims of 

 this Great Alaskan Rip-Off. 



Mr. Chairman, there must be some form of sanity brought back 

 into this industry spurned by greed before more people are hurt be- 

 cause of the waste and mismanagement. If your bill now pending 

 before the Congress will help bring this about I support your bill, 

 however with one exception. 



Under Title III, Section 302 (a) and (b), if it is possible to attain, 

 this section must be amended to permanently protect these areas 



