CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “Interior Contract Talks On™ Bargaining talks are continu- ing and further meetings are scheduled. The IWA negotiators pre- sented the employers with the demands formulated at the May Wages and Contract THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER Conference in Kelowna. In the Northern Interior, the employers deferred the sub- mission of any counter-pro- posals, which may be heard on June 17th. The Southern Interior employers tabled eleven counter - proposals, most of them patterned after the employers’ proposals made in the coast negotia- tions. In the main, these pro- posals are considered by the Union’s negotiators as highly objectionable as they are de- signed to subtract from rather than add to the existing con- tract. The central demand of the IWA in the Interior is parity with the coast workers in wage rates and contract con- ditions. With acceptance of the Fisher settlement at the coast the Interior Local Un- ions now aim at a base rate of $2.23 an hour in a one-year contract. The present base rate is $1.89 an hour. An ad- ditional 15 cents an hour is demanded for journeymen and improvers. UNION DEMANDS SOUTHERN INTERIOR An across the board wage increase for all to bring the base rate in line Improved travel time pay provisions for loggers from marshalling points _Double rate of pay for all overtime. Overtime rates to be paid for The employers to ensure that all work contracted or sub-contracted is Three weeks vacation with pay for employees with one to five years’ service; four weeks vacation with pay for employees with five or more Improved job-posting and seniority provisions, with amended section _ Increased rates for journeymen tradesmen and improvers on a basis of . A single arbitrator to be selected from a panel of arbitrators to be A job evaluation program for all plywood plants with the same accel- A joint training program in conjunction with the B.C. Apprenticeship Branch, Department of Labour, to provide training opportunities for workers seeking to improve their skills. (Such a program has already A procedure to ensure revision of category rates during the life of the iL with the coast base rate. 2. back to marshalling points. 3. An additional five cents an hour for second and third shifts. 4, Paydays every second week, on Thursday or Friday. 5. Sunday work. No compulsory overtime. 6. performed under the provisions of the agreement. 7. One additional paid statutory holiday. 8. years’ service. 9. for probationary period. 10 parity with coast rates, and to include firemen and engineers. 11 mutually agreed upon. 12. erated curve as now established for coast plants. 13, been instituted in the Northern Interior.) 14. contract. Categories to be specified. 15. Duration of agreement to be determined by the IWA Regional Policy Committee with the object of co-ordinating province-wide bargaining. EMPLOYERS’ COUNTER-PROPOSALS New words indicated by italics. ARTICLE V — WAGES . If negotiations result in a wage increase, the increase will apply to Box Factory rates of pay on the basis of the percentage resulting from the cents per hour increase on the sawmill base rate. ARTICLE VII, SECTION 1 (a) — HOURS OF WORK Replace the words “production employees” with the words “produc- tion work”. The regular hours of work in all the Forest Products operations shall be eight (8) hours per day and forty (40) hours per week with rate and one-half for any hours worked over eight (8) hours per day and forty (40) hours per week. Production work shall be paid rate and one-half for Saturday and/or Sunday regardless of the number of hours worked during the week. Add new subsection (b) and re-letter existing subsections. (1) Any employee who works less than three days during the week to be classified as casual for that week. (2) Performance of casual work shall not commence (i) New period of seniority retention. (ii) New lay off coverage for purposes of health and welfare bene- fits. ARTICLE VII, SECTION 8 — HOURS OF WORK Add to this section. All employees in manufacturing plants shall be entitled to two (2) ten (10) minute rest periods during each regular shift, providing ays that the Company shall have the right to use relief employees in implementing this provision. If the hours regularly worked during a shift are seven (7) hours or less only one rest period will be allowed during the shift. ARTICLE X, SECTION 3 — SENIORITY Add to this section. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agree- NORTHERN INTERIOR 1. An across the board increase for all to bring the base rate in line with | the coast base rate. : a | ; 2. Improved travel time pay provisions for loggers from marshalling points back to marshalling points. Transportation for employees, deprived of cookhouse and bunkhouse facilities and required to travel in excess i! | | of ten miles to work. | 3. The employers to ensure that work contracted or sub-contracted is performed under the provisions of the master agreement. 4. Three weeks vacation with pay for employees with one to five years’ service; four weeks vacation with pay for employees with more than five years’ service. 5. Paydays every second Friday. 6. Double rate of pay for all overtime. Overtime rates for all Sunday work. No compulsory overtime. 7. Improved seniority and job-posting provisions. 8. -A premium rate of ten cents for the second and third shifts. 9. Leave of absence provisions for employees engaged on Union business. 10. One additional paid statutory holiday. 11. An additional wage increase for all tradesmen and improvers to estab- | | lish parity with coast rates and to include firemen and engineers. t 12, A single arbitrator selected from a panel of arbitrators to be mutually i agreed upon. 13. Revision of new category rates not determined prior to industry nego- tiations. 14. Duration of agreement to be determined by the IWA Policy Commit- tee with the object of co-ordinating province-wide bargaining. only and during this same period no seniority rights shall be recog- nized. Upon completion of thirty (30) working days, continuous service, they shall be regarded as regular Employees, and shall then be entitled to seniority dating from the day on which they entered the Company’s employ. Days spent firefighting will not be included as days of probation. ARTICLE X, SECTION 9 — SENIORITY ; Employees transferred to jobs outside the bargaining unit to have the {| same seniority rights as Union officials on leaves of absence. ARTICLE X, SECTION 10 (a) — SENIORITY Add to this subsection. Employees with less than one (1) year’s service shall retain their seniority for a period of eight (8) months or a period equal to their length of service, whichever is the shorter. ARTICLE XIII, SECTION 1 (a) — STATUTORY HOLIDAYS Add to this subsection. At the option of the Company, but wherever possible by mutual agreement with the committee, either Good Friday or Easter Monday shall become the designated Easter Holiday, and the Company shall notify its employees of the designation at least one (1) week prior to the said holiday. ARTICLE XVII, SECTION 1 (a) (iii) — ARBITRATION Delete this subsection. Add this replacing subsection. It is agreed that will be arbitrator for the purposes — of the section. The arbitrator will not act as arbitrator of interpreta- tions for non-association members without the consent of Interior Forest — Labour Relations Association. ARTICLE XIX, SECTION 2 — G Amend as follows. ENERAL PROVISIONS Board and Lodgi ; Suiitentbee tad ging rates shall be $3.50 per day commencing Ist ee wre ARTICLE XIX, SECTION 9 — Delete whole section. GENERAL PROVISIONS