| 1975 | Workers at Georgia Marble plant in Sylacauga, Alabama vote to be represented by UPIU, predecessor of present PACE International Union, and negotiate first contract |
| 1988 | Workers at English China Clays (ECC) plant in Sylacauga, located beside the Georgia Marble plant, vote to be represented by UPIU |
| 1988 | ECC purchases recently organized plant in Sylacauga before contract is negotiated; ECC dismisses almost all union members to stop unionization |
| 1999 | ECC merges with Imerys (formerly Imetal) |
| June 1999 | Imerys informs PACE that it is combining the two plants in Sylacauga and is withdrawing recognition of the union |
| July 1999 | PACE begins effort to organize the combined plants in Sylacauga |
| Aug 1999 | PACE meets with Imerys and requests that workers be allowed to make their own decision on unionization without company interference; Imerys rejects neutrality and labor peace, and begins campaign to destroy union support at its Sylacauga plant |
| Oct 1999 | PACE files charges against Imerys with National Labor Relations Board for labor law violations |
| Nov 1999 | French, Belgian and British unions, along with the International Chemical, Energy, Mining and General Workers' Unions (ICEM), pledge support to PACE in stopping Imerys "union busting." |
| Jan 2000 | PACE announces that a majority of workers at the Imerys plant in Sylacauga have signed cards authorizing PACE to be their representative for the purpose of collective bargaining. |
| Jan 2000 | ICEM, PACE, FGTB (Belgium) and La Centrale Generale (Belgium) hold press conference in Brussels to announce start of global campaign against Imerys "union busting." |