At Cap Company, a New Era of Positive Labor Relations

After a year-long strike that ended in July 2002, relations between the New Era Cap Co. in Derby, N.Y., and CWA Printing Sector Local 14177 and its members could have been poisoned for years to come. However, the reverse has been true. The strike was a catalyst for management and the union to begin working together to solve workplace problems — such as serious safety and health threats that once existed at the plant — and to restore the image of a company dependent upon selling its ballcaps to all-American institutions like Major League Baseball and scores of colleges and universities.

A well-trained steward force plays a big role in maintaining a labor relations system that works so well today that Cornell University recently honored New Era and the local with its annual Champions@Work award, citing "a high-road partnership for quality jobs and quality products."

Back during the strike, CWA complaints about plant conditions prompted the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to cite New Era for unusually high numbers of repetitive motion injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome and inadequate procedures for preventing needle-sticks from sewing machines and the spread of disease from blood-borne pathogens.

With the negotiation of a joint union-management health and safety committee, CWA stewards now are trained to perform ergonomic assessments of all new work stations and monitor the workers for reports of pain or discomfort, according to local President Jane Howald. She said local Vice President Kathy Ketterer built a positive relationship with New Era health and safety manager Roni Brown, and the joint committee invited experts to offer advice on ergonomic changes and a plan to minimize needle-sticks.

Today, CWA stewards "look at the heights of the machines, the heights of the chairs, angles of machines to workers' bodies," Howald said, and if necessary, the joint committee makes sure that equipment is replaced.

As a result, repetitive stress injuries have been greatly abated, she said, and noted, "I can't remember the last time we had a needle-stick."

Heading Off Problems
Officers and stewards have worked hard at developing open, positive communications between workers and management, and stewards feel confident in speaking with management about potential problems before they become grievances.

For example, Andrea DiMaria sews in the taping that covers seams between six triangular panels that make up the crown of a ballcap. Each piece of taping must be precision stitched so that it is completely flat, with no excess fabric sticking out. Complete orders of six dozen caps or more come to her station together. She completes her small part of the manufacturing process, signs off on a "traveler" that moves along with the box, then the caps go to the next worker.

Inspected at the end of the line, one order came up with a higher percentage of poorly stitched taping than quality control allows. An inspector came up to DiMaria on the shop floor and handed her a "poor-quality" write-up that would have led to extra scrutiny of her work and possible discipline.

"Under our contract, they're not supposed to do that," said Steward Babe MacLeod. "They have to pull the person into the quality office and ask them if they want union representation. They didn't do that."

It turned out that DiMaria's sewing machine was not working properly, but under pressure to produce, she had not noticed it. MacLeod talked to Howald about the faulty machine and the floor walker's procedural error. The two went together to talk to the plant manager, Rusty Hurst, about the incident. "We have a very strong mutual respect for each other," Howald said.

DiMaria's machine was repaired and, said MacLeod, "They told the quality lady that she has to follow the correct procedure under all the levels." DiMaria's write-up was expunged.

Dealing with Diversity
Stewards have also taken extra time to get to know and communicate with the relatively large number of immigrant workers from Southeast Asia and Latin America, many of whom speak English less than fluently.

Nga Nguyen attaches peaks to New Era caps. She hadn't seen her grandmother for eight years since Nguyen moved to America from Vietnam. She wanted to visit her grandmother, who was dying of liver cancer.

"The union is very important," Nguyen said. "Before I talked to the union, I could not go see my grandmother. I asked, and I cried and I cried."

Valerie May, who has worked for New Era for 13 years, said she knew little about the union before the strike. Only since then has she become a steward. She spoke with Hurst on Nguyen's behalf, and the manager, in turn, asked only that Nguyen obtain a fax from the hospital showing that her grandmother was under treatment. The fax was obtained and a 3-week leave of absence granted. Nguyen was able to spend time with her grandmother and was there when she died.

"Grandmother was very happy when I came back," Nguyen said. "It helped her to see me" before she passed away.

New Era is a family-owned company rooted in the community of Derby and nearby Buffalo, and, said Howald, "the local also takes pride in being a family." The company and union work together in community service efforts. For example, working with management, Local 14177 Steward Bev Page started a program in 2004 to provide cash, food and Christmas presents to a needy family in the area.  Local Executive Board member Lisa McDonough and several stewards expanded it to reach three families in 2005.

Further evidence of the complete sea-change in labor relations since the strike of three and a half years ago, last month Local 14177 and New Era signed off on new 4-year collective bargaining agreement — six months before their old contract expired.