Accessibility Statement Skip Navigation
  • Resources
  • Investor Relations
  • Journalists
  • Agencies
  • Client Login
  • Send a Release
Return to PR Newswire homepage
  • News
  • Products
  • Contact
When typing in this field, a list of search results will appear and be automatically updated as you type.

Searching for your content...

No results found. Please change your search terms and try again.
  • News in Focus
      • Browse News Releases

      • All News Releases
      • All Public Company
      • English-only
      • News Releases Overview

      • Multimedia Gallery

      • All Multimedia
      • All Photos
      • All Videos
      • Multimedia Gallery Overview

      • Trending Topics

      • All Trending Topics
  • Business & Money
      • Auto & Transportation

      • All Automotive & Transportation
      • Aerospace, Defense
      • Air Freight
      • Airlines & Aviation
      • Automotive
      • Maritime & Shipbuilding
      • Railroads and Intermodal Transportation
      • Supply Chain/Logistics
      • Transportation, Trucking & Railroad
      • Travel
      • Trucking and Road Transportation
      • Auto & Transportation Overview

      • View All Auto & Transportation

      • Business Technology

      • All Business Technology
      • Blockchain
      • Broadcast Tech
      • Computer & Electronics
      • Computer Hardware
      • Computer Software
      • Data Analytics
      • Electronic Commerce
      • Electronic Components
      • Electronic Design Automation
      • Financial Technology
      • High Tech Security
      • Internet Technology
      • Nanotechnology
      • Networks
      • Peripherals
      • Semiconductors
      • Business Technology Overview

      • View All Business Technology

      • Entertain­ment & Media

      • All Entertain­ment & Media
      • Advertising
      • Art
      • Books
      • Entertainment
      • Film and Motion Picture
      • Magazines
      • Music
      • Publishing & Information Services
      • Radio & Podcast
      • Television
      • Entertain­ment & Media Overview

      • View All Entertain­ment & Media

      • Financial Services & Investing

      • All Financial Services & Investing
      • Accounting News & Issues
      • Acquisitions, Mergers and Takeovers
      • Banking & Financial Services
      • Bankruptcy
      • Bond & Stock Ratings
      • Conference Call Announcements
      • Contracts
      • Cryptocurrency
      • Dividends
      • Earnings
      • Earnings Forecasts & Projections
      • Financing Agreements
      • Insurance
      • Investments Opinions
      • Joint Ventures
      • Mutual Funds
      • Private Placement
      • Real Estate
      • Restructuring & Recapitalization
      • Sales Reports
      • Shareholder Activism
      • Shareholder Meetings
      • Stock Offering
      • Stock Split
      • Venture Capital
      • Financial Services & Investing Overview

      • View All Financial Services & Investing

      • General Business

      • All General Business
      • Awards
      • Commercial Real Estate
      • Corporate Expansion
      • Earnings
      • Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)
      • Human Resource & Workforce Management
      • Licensing
      • New Products & Services
      • Obituaries
      • Outsourcing Businesses
      • Overseas Real Estate (non-US)
      • Personnel Announcements
      • Real Estate Transactions
      • Residential Real Estate
      • Small Business Services
      • Socially Responsible Investing
      • Surveys, Polls and Research
      • Trade Show News
      • General Business Overview

      • View All General Business

  • Science & Tech
      • Consumer Technology

      • All Consumer Technology
      • Artificial Intelligence
      • Blockchain
      • Cloud Computing/Internet of Things
      • Computer Electronics
      • Computer Hardware
      • Computer Software
      • Consumer Electronics
      • Cryptocurrency
      • Data Analytics
      • Electronic Commerce
      • Electronic Gaming
      • Financial Technology
      • Mobile Entertainment
      • Multimedia & Internet
      • Peripherals
      • Social Media
      • STEM (Science, Tech, Engineering, Math)
      • Supply Chain/Logistics
      • Wireless Communications
      • Consumer Technology Overview

      • View All Consumer Technology

      • Energy & Natural Resources

      • All Energy
      • Alternative Energies
      • Chemical
      • Electrical Utilities
      • Gas
      • General Manufacturing
      • Mining
      • Mining & Metals
      • Oil & Energy
      • Oil and Gas Discoveries
      • Utilities
      • Water Utilities
      • Energy & Natural Resources Overview

      • View All Energy & Natural Resources

      • Environ­ment

      • All Environ­ment
      • Conservation & Recycling
      • Environmental Issues
      • Environmental Policy
      • Environmental Products & Services
      • Green Technology
      • Natural Disasters
      • Environ­ment Overview

      • View All Environ­ment

      • Heavy Industry & Manufacturing

      • All Heavy Industry & Manufacturing
      • Aerospace & Defense
      • Agriculture
      • Chemical
      • Construction & Building
      • General Manufacturing
      • HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning)
      • Machinery
      • Machine Tools, Metalworking and Metallurgy
      • Mining
      • Mining & Metals
      • Paper, Forest Products & Containers
      • Precious Metals
      • Textiles
      • Tobacco
      • Heavy Industry & Manufacturing Overview

      • View All Heavy Industry & Manufacturing

      • Telecomm­unications

      • All Telecomm­unications
      • Carriers and Services
      • Mobile Entertainment
      • Networks
      • Peripherals
      • Telecommunications Equipment
      • Telecommunications Industry
      • VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)
      • Wireless Communications
      • Telecomm­unications Overview

      • View All Telecomm­unications

  • Lifestyle & Health
      • Consumer Products & Retail

      • All Consumer Products & Retail
      • Animals & Pets
      • Beers, Wines and Spirits
      • Beverages
      • Bridal Services
      • Cannabis
      • Cosmetics and Personal Care
      • Fashion
      • Food & Beverages
      • Furniture and Furnishings
      • Home Improvement
      • Household, Consumer & Cosmetics
      • Household Products
      • Jewelry
      • Non-Alcoholic Beverages
      • Office Products
      • Organic Food
      • Product Recalls
      • Restaurants
      • Retail
      • Supermarkets
      • Toys
      • Consumer Products & Retail Overview

      • View All Consumer Products & Retail

      • Entertain­ment & Media

      • All Entertain­ment & Media
      • Advertising
      • Art
      • Books
      • Entertainment
      • Film and Motion Picture
      • Magazines
      • Music
      • Publishing & Information Services
      • Radio & Podcast
      • Television
      • Entertain­ment & Media Overview

      • View All Entertain­ment & Media

      • Health

      • All Health
      • Biometrics
      • Biotechnology
      • Clinical Trials & Medical Discoveries
      • Dentistry
      • FDA Approval
      • Fitness/Wellness
      • Health Care & Hospitals
      • Health Insurance
      • Infection Control
      • International Medical Approval
      • Medical Equipment
      • Medical Pharmaceuticals
      • Mental Health
      • Pharmaceuticals
      • Supplementary Medicine
      • Health Overview

      • View All Health

      • Sports

      • All Sports
      • General Sports
      • Outdoors, Camping & Hiking
      • Sporting Events
      • Sports Equipment & Accessories
      • Sports Overview

      • View All Sports

      • Travel

      • All Travel
      • Amusement Parks and Tourist Attractions
      • Gambling & Casinos
      • Hotels and Resorts
      • Leisure & Tourism
      • Outdoors, Camping & Hiking
      • Passenger Aviation
      • Travel Industry
      • Travel Overview

      • View All Travel

  • Policy & Public Interest
      • Policy & Public Interest

      • All Policy & Public Interest
      • Advocacy Group Opinion
      • Animal Welfare
      • Congressional & Presidential Campaigns
      • Corporate Social Responsibility
      • Domestic Policy
      • Economic News, Trends, Analysis
      • Education
      • Environmental
      • European Government
      • FDA Approval
      • Federal and State Legislation
      • Federal Executive Branch & Agency
      • Foreign Policy & International Affairs
      • Homeland Security
      • Labor & Union
      • Legal Issues
      • Natural Disasters
      • Not For Profit
      • Patent Law
      • Public Safety
      • Trade Policy
      • U.S. State Policy
      • Policy & Public Interest Overview

      • View All Policy & Public Interest

  • People & Culture
      • People & Culture

      • All People & Culture
      • Aboriginal, First Nations & Native American
      • African American
      • Asian American
      • Children
      • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
      • Hispanic
      • Lesbian, Gay & Bisexual
      • Men's Interest
      • People with Disabilities
      • Religion
      • Senior Citizens
      • Veterans
      • Women
      • People & Culture Overview

      • View All People & Culture

      • In-Language News

      • Arabic
      • español
      • português
      • Česko
      • Danmark
      • Deutschland
      • España
      • France
      • Italia
      • Nederland
      • Norge
      • Polska
      • Portugal
      • Россия
      • Slovensko
      • Suomi
      • Sverige
  • Explore Our Platform
  • Plan Campaigns
  • Create with AI
  • Distribute Press Releases
  • Amplify Content
  • All Products
  • General Inquiries
  • Editorial Bureaus
  • Partnerships
  • Media Inquiries
  • Worldwide Offices
  • Hamburger menu
  • PR Newswire: news distribution, targeting and monitoring
  • Send a Release
    • ALL CONTACT INFO
    • Contact Us

      888-776-0942
      from 8 AM - 10 PM ET

  • Send a Release
  • Client Login
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Journalists
  • RSS
  • News in Focus
    • Browse All News
    • Multimedia Gallery
    • Trending Topics
  • Business & Money
    • Auto & Transportation
    • Business Technology
    • Entertain­ment & Media
    • Financial Services & Investing
    • General Business
  • Science & Tech
    • Consumer Technology
    • Energy & Natural Resources
    • Environ­ment
    • Heavy Industry & Manufacturing
    • Telecomm­unications
  • Lifestyle & Health
    • Consumer Products & Retail
    • Entertain­ment & Media
    • Health
    • Sports
    • Travel
  • Policy & Public Interest
  • People & Culture
    • People & Culture
  • Send a Release
  • Client Login
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Journalists
  • RSS
  • Explore Our Platform
  • Plan Campaigns
  • Create with AI
  • Distribute Press Releases
  • Amplify Content
  • All Products
  • Send a Release
  • Client Login
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Journalists
  • RSS
  • General Inquiries
  • Editorial Bureaus
  • Partnerships
  • Media Inquiries
  • Worldwide Offices
  • Send a Release
  • Client Login
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Journalists
  • RSS

Teamsters, Community Leaders and Labor Allies Send Delegation to Emerald Performance - Sun Capital Partners


News provided by

Teamsters Local 627

Jun 09, 2011, 05:10 ET

Share this article

Share toX

Share this article

Share toX

Emerald Performance Unions, Community/Business Leaders, Environmental Groups Cite Dangers in Unjust Lockout

HENRY, Ill., June 9, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Hundreds of Emerald Performance workers, environmentalists, community and business leaders joined together outside the plant gates at Emerald Performance in support of Emerald workers who have been locked out by management since March 2011, after they protested cuts in wages and health care benefits. Emerald Performance is owned by the controversial private equity firm, Sun Capital Partners.

Inexperienced replacement workers are now running the chemical plant, where environmental health and safety was already a contentious issue. While under Sun Capital's ownership discharges from the plant into the Illinois River have been repeatedly cited for violating the Clean Water Act. Since the lockout, highly toxic chemicals were released into the air on two occasions. A grade school, Henry's high school, two nursing homes and fields that feed America are frighteningly close to the plant, and the cities of Henry, Chillicothe and Peoria are downstream.

At 11 am the newly-formed Emerald Unions Council, which brings together the various local unions that represent Emerald workers across the United States, held a press conference outside Village Hall. The Emerald unions had invited to the meeting Candace Wagner, President of Emerald Performance, and her principals, Mr. Rodger Krouse and Mr. Marc Leder of Sun Capital Partners to the meeting to "discuss a speedy resolution to the lockout in Henry, IL, and work-out all outstanding issues across our plants... within a framework of mutual respect." The company failed to show.

In their joint statement the Emerald Unions Council said that "What brought us together is an unprecedented attack on the livelihood of our members.  Our brothers and sisters in Henry, IL have been locked out by the Company for more than 10 weeks, after they refused to accept a 30% cut in pay, the outsourcing of the quality control lab, and the elimination of the Environmental Health and Safety Operator position, amongst other things. We are concerned that Management is seeking similarly aggressive cuts in its Kalama, WA operations, and may adopt unreasonable tactics to force its way. In 2009 Emerald workers fought off aggressive wage cuts at Emerald's Akron, Ohio Plant."

"We are also troubled to hear from each other's shopfloors widespread reports of inadequate attention to health and safety, aggravated by chronic understaffing and underinvestment."   The Council representatives added, "Before being acquired, we had worked decades to assure our plants were amongst the safest, most productive with the highest quality for our customers. Since being acquired by the Sun Capital Partners private equity group, things deteriorated rapidly. We want Emerald to succeed, our livelihoods depend on it; but we believe that Sun Capital's current approach is destroying our company and our jobs."

The Emerald Unions Council was represented by Keith Gleason, President, Greg Wheet, Secretary-Treasurer and Brett Wiedman, Chief Steward at Emerald Performance, Henry, IL of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local 627; Terry Howard, Chief Grievance Officer of the United Steel Workers of America Local 5L at Akron, OH; Frank Cyphers, President of the International Chemical Workers Union Council UFCW; Bob Moore, Representative of the International Chemical Workers Union Council, UFCW, Local 342-C at Emerald Hilton Davis; and Bob Leigh, Chief Steward of the International Chemical Workers Union Council, UFCW Local 747-C at Emerald Kalama Chemical.

During the rally that followed, a letter of support from The International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine & General Workers Unions (ICEM), which is based in Geneva and represents more than 20 million workers across 467 unions in 132 countries, was read out loud: "We will be advising union workers throughout the industry of Emerald Performance and Sun Capital Partners' slash and burn philosophy of management." Sun Capital's subsidiary, Sun European Partners LLP, is an active investor abroad, and Emerald itself has just expanded its operations in Europe, by buying a chemicals unit from Dutch company DSM.

"Production of industrial chemicals is dangerous work that requires well rested, highly trained workers, and a commitment by management not to cut corners. What I hear from Emerald workers is very troubling.  It's time to end the lockout and for management to take safety seriously across Emerald operations," said Emanuel Blackwell, Director of Chicago Area Committee on Occupational Safety and Health.

Jen Hensley, on behalf of the Sierra Club of Illinois spoke as well: "Sierra Club, and the locked out Emerald employees share a vision of an equitable future that includes good paying jobs, safe working conditions, clean air and clean water. Now more than ever labor and environmentalists share a common enemy in the corporate polluters and their political allies that seek to undermine environmental laws that keep working conditions safe and our air and water free from toxic pollution."

Bob Hankins, Alderman of the City of Henry expressed his support to the locked-out workers and their families and made the following statement: Speaking of the lockout he said: "I am concerned with the safety of the community. Do they have fully qualified people operating those machines?"

A delegation of worker, community, and environmental representatives then approached the gates to present an Appeal for Justice to management at the Emerald Henry, IL plant gates during the community rally, undersigned by eminent leaders in the community, demanding that "Sun Capital stop the lockout and re-open negotiations to achieve adequate investment in equipment and personnel, in order to ensure a safe and effective operation of Henry's plant."

Who is Sun Capital

Sun Capital Partners formed Emerald Performance Materials in May of 2006 after acquiring the business from Lubrizol and has grown the business through additional acquisitions.

Sun Capital raises its money from big investors such as the Ford Foundation Endowment Fund, Goldman Sachs Group, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Endowment, New Mexico Public Employees' Retirement Association, New York State Teachers' Retirement System, Oklahoma Police Pension & Retirement System, State Universities Retirement System of Illinois, the Notre Dame Endowment, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Endowment, the University of Virginia Investment Management Company (UVIMCO) and Yale University Endowments.

Emerald Performance Materials makes additives, dyes, fine chemicals, silicones, and specialty polymers used in tires, automobiles, aerospace, food, beverages, cosmetics, toothpaste, household products, paint, sports gear and other applications.

Key Emerald customers include Exxon, Goodyear Tire Company, Bridgestone-Firestone Tire Company, Cooper Tire Company, Titan Tire Company, Michelin Tire Company, Monsanto, R.T. Vanderbilt.

SOURCE Teamsters Local 627

WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM?

icon3
440k+
Newsrooms &
Influencers
icon1
9k+
Digital Media
Outlets
icon2
270k+
Journalists
Opted In
GET STARTED

Modal title

Contact PR Newswire

  • Call PR Newswire at 888-776-0942
    from 8 AM - 9 PM ET
  • Chat with an Expert
  • General Inquiries
  • Editorial Bureaus
  • Partnerships
  • Media Inquiries
  • Worldwide Offices

Products

  • For Marketers
  • For Public Relations
  • For IR & Compliance
  • For Agency
  • All Products

About

  • About PR Newswire
  • About Cision
  • Become a Publishing Partner
  • Become a Channel Partner
  • Careers
  • Accessibility Statement
  • APAC
  • APAC - Simplified Chinese
  • APAC - Traditional Chinese
  • Brazil
  • Canada
  • Czech
  • Denmark
  • Finland
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Indonesia
  • Israel
  • Italy
  • Japan
  • Korea
  • Mexico
  • Middle East
  • Middle East - Arabic
  • Netherlands
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Russia
  • Slovakia
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • United Kingdom
  • Vietnam

My Services

  • All New Releases
  • Platform Login
  • ProfNet
  • Data Privacy

Do not sell or share my personal information:

  • Submit via [email protected] 
  • Call Privacy toll-free: 877-297-8921

Contact PR Newswire

Products

About

My Services
  • All News Releases
  • Platform Login
  • ProfNet
Call PR Newswire at
888-776-0942
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Information Security Policy
  • Site Map
  • RSS
  • Cookies
Copyright © 2025 Cision US Inc.