The 5,100 workers at the sprawling Fieldcrest Cannon mill complex in Kannapolis and neighboring Concord voted to join UNITE in June 1999, following 25 years of efforts to unionize the plants here. About 3,400 workers at Fieldcrest Cannon plants in Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama that were already organized by UNITE are also covered under the contract. The plants are owned by Pillowtex, which bought Fieldcrest Cannon in 1997.

"We needed it--it's been a long time coming," said one worker going into the afternoon shift at Plant No. 1 here February 14.

Asked what she thought the most important thing was, Paris Coleman said, "The raise--I need a raise." The three-year contract includes annual pay raises of 3 percent, beginning retroactive to Feb. 1, 2000.

Several workers said they were especially glad about the provision for sick days--a first both at the Kannapolis complex and at the other Fieldcrest Cannon plants. Workers with between two and four years' seniority will be able to take one paid sick day per year, and those with five years' seniority will have two sick days annually.

Another worker said she thought the biggest improvement is that workers here will begin to be paid weekly, instead of every two weeks.

The contract calls for the company to greatly reduce the use of temporary workers, and for hiring those working "temporary" who have been employed for two years or more as regular Fieldcrest Cannon employees.

According to UNITE international representative Walter Szymanski, the company wanted to pass on increased health insurance costs to workers. The contract holds health premiums the same until July 1, 2000. A joint union-company committee is supposed to "explore options for reducing medical costs," according to a contract summary, but there are no guarantees.

Other workers said the fact that the contract includes language saying workers will be "treated with dignity and respect" was an important gain. Robert Mobley, who has worked in the mill seven years, said, "It's a beginning. It's something to build on."  
 
 
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