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CORPORATE CAMPAIGN QUESTIONNAIRE

Following is a slightly shortened version of a questionnaire used by the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers (now merged into PACE) when the union initiated a corporate campaign. Although some of the questions are not applicable in other industries, we have included them to indicate how thorough your interviews should be.

Oil and Chemical Industry Local Investigations Outline

Members and retirees when taken together know more about shady corporate activities than does the plant manager. Workers are a gold mine of information and are the heart and soul of a campaign.

The interview process consists of one or more general interview sessions with large groups of members using the full investigations outline. Follow-up interviews with individuals or smaller groups are usually necessary. Interviews are best conducted by someone who is knowledgeable about the industry but not employed in that particular plant.

The more the merrier. Each member has a story to tell. Members should represent all phases of the operation. Retirees are extremely important.

Interview office, clerical, technical employees to the extent that they are approachable. Ex-supervisors are often bitter and therefore talkative. Extend interviews to nearby plants if possible. Handbill regional office headquarters with organizing literature. Develop an organizing committee among clericals. Interview them.

The interview process will take at least one and possibly two days in a large group setting. A narrowed version of the outline can be directed at a specific employee or a small group with specialized knowledge.

Rumors are crucial. They are usually true or close to the truth and can be verified with further interviews or trips to the courthouse, library, etc.

The process should involve large numbers of rank and file members in exciting ways. Often a member, sensing the importance of what they know, will enthusiastically seek out additional information from other co-workers, office contacts, etc. Following a general interview, many workers should find themselves with follow-up assignments to pursue leads, gather materials, etc. One-on-one contact is crucial in the case of the member who knows a great deal but is reluctant to talk, or who is approachable by just one or two other individuals.

Do not be unnecessarily secretive about this process, as that can limit the broad participation required for success. Often the very process of your investigation can be a strong pressure on the company and its managers.

The outline is not all-inclusive. There are literally hundreds of local, state, and federal regulations with which companies must comply. We have only scratched the surface when it comes to the ways in which managers are vulnerable, not only to law enforcement authorities but to corporate higher-ups, their peers, and the community in general.

I. THE PLANT AND THE COMMUNITY

A. Plant History

Aerial photo, scale drawing, or blueprint of plant
When built
Expanded, where, how, when
Costs of expansions
Expansion plans and projected costs
Previous owners and their background
Scrapbook or clipping file
Complete collection of company newsletters and anonymous newsletters
Collection of company financial statements, etc.
Company as defendant in suits--where, when, law firm used
Other company facilities and offices in area
History of floods, earthquake damage, hurricanes
Parent company--names, major shareholders
Is company currently applying for a permit to expand, build, transport, or do anything?
Does local own a share of stock?
“Strategic mission” of plant
Corporate philosophy--ethics policy, environmental policy, human relations policy

B. Property and Taxes

Ownership of parcels
Facilities here or elsewhere in area leased from who
Ownership of adjacent property
--Does plant border public land?
--Industrial Revenue Bonds outstanding
--Tax breaks, property or other
--Correctly zoned
Recent property tax scandals in the community

C. Community/Neighborhood

Surrounding area--residential, rural, commercial or mixed
Nearest residential area
Nearest school
Nearest large factory
Neighborhood at risk--air, noise, fire, explosion
Perception of neighbors of these “risks”
Plant security
--Name of security company, owner and background
--Condition of fences
Plant and neighborhood evacuation plan
Historical relationship with neighborhood and community
Community groups with gripes or potential gripes
--Religious, interfaith
--Neighborhood
--Environmental
--Ethnic
--Right-to-know
--General (e.g., League of Women Voters)
----Goals/objections
----Leadership
----Power base
----Files on company
----History
Make-up of neighborhood--ethnic, racial, age, income groups, etc.
Names of workers who are residents of the immediate neighborhood
County seat, municipality
Role of company in political history of area
County commissioner and city council types
--Relationship with company
--Friends and enemies
Groups friendly to company or plant
Sponsorships in community
Other groups or individuals who the company might describe as an “enemy”

D. Environmental

History of fires, explosions, spills, miscellaneous ``accidents”
--How can these be documented?
--Alarms, evacuation procedures
--Condition of dikes
--Condition of fire fighting system
----Fire department close by
----Trained crew
----Hydrant/monitor system adequate
----Hoses okay
Role and functioning of safety committees--minutes?
OSHA history
--Wall to wall inspection--when
----Results
--Citations and fines
--Other health surveys
--Suspected health problems
--Contractor safety problems
Air, groundwater, soil
--History, EPA or local air and water quality agencies' surveys
--Complaints
--Fines
--Suspected problems--cover-ups
--Well water on premises
----Drinkable
----Tested
--Condition of buried lines, tank bottoms, ground water saturated
Dumping--wastes
--On-site and off-site dumping, last 20 years
----Who drove trucks; locations; materials
--Dumping suspected legal or illegal
--Weigh stations avoided
--Company ever cited, fined
--Outside contractors used to haul waste--where
Water treatment facilities
--When installed and why
--Adequate/legal
--Effluent monitored--by whom
--Bypassed
--Possibility of direct discharge of runoff, chemical oil spills, or sewer water into waterways
--Downstream water intakes and reservoirs for drinking or recreation

E. Utilities

Suppliers of natural gas, electric, water
Locations of meters
--All meters regularly read
--Meters ever bypassed
Municipal sewage system
--Effluent regularly monitored
--How is company billed?
Well water for plant use
--Intermingled with city water--fire system or drinking system
Nearest fire department station
--History of complaints by department about the plant
In-plant fire system, hydrants, monitors, etc.
--City water used
--Used for purposes other than fires, i.e., cooling, cleaning
--Portable hose meters used and read

F. Financial Community

Local banks that company does business with
Financial or blood relationship between company management and bank management
Expansions--how financed

G. Media

Contacts--friends, relatives working for TV, radio, newspaper and other area publications
Reporters, columnists or talk show hosts favorable to union

H. Universities and Public Library

Names, addresses in greater area
Friendly professors
Workers or sons and daughters of workers who attend and/or who are familiar with university library resources and public library systems

II. PRODUCTS, PRODUCT FLOW, MARKETS

A. Products

Description and relative volumes of each product
End uses
Seasonal variations and why

B. Processes--Manufacturing Practices

Flow charts and descriptions
Maintenance practices (undesirable)
Inefficient or wasteful practices
--Wasted time
--Wasted raw material or product
--Wasted labor
Condition of units, lines, tanks, loading
Turn-around practices
Production and work schedules
--Health, fatigue, efficiency aspects
Manning practices
--Adequate in emergencies

C. Quality

Product uniformity (all products)
Specs maintained
Goof-ups--product specs or equipment design--concealed by whom
Off-spec product return--diluted with good product
Customer knowledge of the above
Diary of events (dates, times, places, supervisor in charge)
Short measures/gallonage accurate

D. Competitors

Relationships--casual, congenial, fearful
Competitors that are feared and why
Competitors' reason for success
Names of top officers of competitors
Ownership--management or blood relationship with company
Owners of competing firms seen hanging out with company
Competitors seen on company premises
Personnel exchanged
Cross hauling--raw material or product--from who, why
Contracts rotated in peculiar patterns or cycles among competitors
Pricing and costs
--Unit costs
--Implied costs
--Values--suspected profits
--High profit lines--why
--Discriminatory pricing/sales
--Predatory or below-cost pricing

E. Customers

Wholesale
--List of customers, addresses and products delivered
--Deliveries checkerboarded geographically or at random
--Relative importance (volumes)
--Fussy customers, particular on quality, delivery
--Product liability-type cases
--Ownership or blood relationship interlocks
--History--returned product
--Customers that get unusual attention
--Backdoor or midnight deliveries--to whom
--Deliveries without invoice procedure--to whom
--Deliveries of product that is too high in sulfur, metals, etc.
Government
--Government, municipal, etc. contracts--expire when
--Properly bid--competitively
--Reported profitability of these contracts
--Volumes, prices specified in contracts
--Blood or outside commercial/social relationship between company and government officials
Retail
--Percent product sold to competitors' outlets
--Percent product sold to owned outlets
--Number of outlets, locations, names and addresses of managers and employees (maps)
--Company having problem getting zoning changes for new stations
--Outlets company-owned and operated or operated by lessee
--Brand variation in market area
--Percent sold within 50 miles, 100 miles of plant (market size)
--Percent of entire market (market share) in area
--Where are the stations with highest gallonages?
--Price or quality the major concern
--Company outlets where company product MInotD used on regular basis
--Location of marketing office or headquarters
----Contacts here
--Substitution of leaded/unleaded or different octanes

F. Suppliers

Raw materials, purchased products, including suppliers of machinery and equipment, etc.
--Relative volumes
--Supplier companies, locations, owners' names
--Quality problems
Company relationship to suppliers
--Suspicious pricing arrangements
--Backdoor or midnight deliveries
--Personnel exchanged or rotated
--Blood or financial relationship

G. Outside Contractors

Names, locations, unionized
Blood or ownership relationship with company management
Workers properly licensed, skilled, trained
Past history of owner--criminal record
Names and addresses of workers
Gratuities and favors paid by contractors to company supervisors

H. Transportation/Distribution

Methods for transporting
--Products
--Raw materials
--Waste materials
Own personnel and company-owned or leased trucks and ships
Outside firms
--Blood or ownership relationship
--Personnel exchanges at supervisory levels
Materials properly transported
Department of Transportation-type violations
Overweight--weigh stations circumvented
Trucks properly maintained
Truck routes followed
Hazardous cargo/residential neighborhoods
Noise problems
Coast Guard regulations violated at docks
History of ``accidents'' and disasters
--Company response
Pipelines, in and out--who owns
--Destination
--Residential areas

III. COMPANY PERSONNEL

A. Plant Managers, Industrial Relations Persons, Supervisors, Owners, Officers, Buyers, Sales People

Structure chart with names, titles and duties shown
Psychological profile of key managers: temperament, defensiveness, arrogance, personal ambitions, etc.
Local or imported from where
Past work history
Why left previous job
Second jobs
Other businesses--moonlighting
Relationships to subcontractors (blood and financial)
Relationships to customers
Relationships to supplier companies
Theft of company materials or products
“Unauthorized” use of company labor
Criminal or civil convictions
Real estate owned in area
--Owned jointly with whom
Parents, wills, probate (inheritance)
Friends, associates in community--who do they hang out with?
Addresses; also spouses' names
Mailing list of managers, technicians, supervisors
Photos of managers
Salary schedules
Expense accounts, clubs
Kickbacks, rumors, phony companies
Feuds among bosses--splits, rumors
Relationship between plant managers and headquarters big shots
--On the way up
--On the way down
Nepotism
Those kept on payroll for no apparent reason
Big spenders
In debt--personal bankruptcy
Gamblers
Alcohol, etc.
Driving record
Sexual harassment
Ties with political parties, political bosses

B. Ex-Managers, Bosses, Officers, Supervisors

Names, addresses, phone numbers
Work histories
Disgruntled, axed out, disabled
--Grudges, retired early
--Victimized, injured
--Approachable by whom

C. Office, Clerical, Technical

Names, duties, addresses
Friendly to union or union persons
Approachable by whom

D. Quality of Supervision and Management

Excess numbers of supervisors
Inefficient work scheduling
Lousy work design or engineering
Employee suggestions ignored--examples
Outrageous inefficiencies—examples

The investigations team will also, of course, gather full information on bargaining unit workers: make-up of the workforce, the contract, bargaining history, main gripes, health problems, individuals with helpful skills, etc.