[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 46 (Monday, April 2, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3273-S3274]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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              MAGAZINE PRAISES RJR AS A BEST PLACE TO WORK

 Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, a great many of us who live in 
tobacco-producing states, and particularly North Carolina, whose 
tobacco farmers for years have produced quality tobacco mainly flue-
cured but some burley, are proud of our fine farmers many of whom 
harvest an enormous amount of excellent food and fiber products.
  We are grateful for North Carolina's tobacco companies which paved 
the way for our State's becoming national leaders in business, banking, 
and manufacturing of many kinds.
  Charlotte is the second largest banking center in America. The Bank 
of America is headquartered there.
  Some time ago Fortune Magazine announced that its annual survey had 
confirmed that R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company of Winston-Salem is one of 
the 100 best companies in America to work for. The Chairman and CEO of 
RJR, Andrew J. Schindler, states that the key reason why Reynolds 
Tobacco won the award is, ``It's our people. Without the hard work, 
creative energy, pride and dedication of our employees, RJR could not 
be successful.''
  Then Mr. Schindler added: ``The real secret to Reynolds Tobacco's 
success is that our employees stand together as a close corporate 
family, and that's what makes our company stand apart from the crowd. 
This company is filled with extraordinary people, making Reynolds 
Tobacco an extraordinarily good place to work,'' Schindler stressed.
  There's a point in all of this that ought not to go unnoticed like a 
ship passing in the night: Some of the trial lawyers, seeking to line 
their pockets with hundreds of thousands of dollars in court-awarded 
cash, have portrayed tobacco companies as villains and the corporate 
leaders of those companies as crooks. Contrived lawsuits have fluttered 
from the offices of intellectually dishonest trial lawyers portraying 
the company leaders as dishonest men and women with evil intent. This 
is simply

[[Page S3274]]

not so, and those trial lawyers know it's not so.
  Nobody in my family smokes, but one of them was indignant several 
months ago at some of the false declarations of some of the trial 
lawyers. She said: ``I'm sorry for anyone whose health has declined 
because of smoking or whatever cause, but I've never heard of an 
instance where anybody started smoking because a gun was pointed at his 
head.''

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