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THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER

We remind your Committee that the IWA
holds agreements with both large and small com-
panies engaged in the harvesting and processing
of timber. We estimate that more than six thou-
sand of our members are employed by operators
other than those holding tree farm or pulp har-
vesting licences. Taking into consideration both
Coast and Interior production, these small com-
panies account for well over 20 per cent of the
total production and represent an investment ex-

ceeding $50 million spread over many communities.

Your Committee will understand why the IWA
desires reasonable and just protection of timber
supply for these independent operators now es-

tablished on an economic basis in communities
where the payrolls constitute a major source of
income for the residents and retail merchants. If
integrated companies, holding TFL’s and PHA’s,
with superior capitalization, are permitted to exert
competitive pressures to acquire an undue propor-
tion of the SYU quotas, many of our employers
will be forced to cease operations and their em-
ployees forced to seek alternative empoyment.

This will create “ghost” communities, compel -

workers to forego seniority claims and impose
hardships on workers who. must abandon their
present homes in search of other employment.

The Legislative Assembly has already approved
the provision of quotas in sustained yield units for

~STIPULATE STANDARD

TFL DOCUMENTS AND THE 30-50% CLAUSE

In respect of the 30-50 percent contracting
clause in TFL and PHA documents, we recom-
mend:

1. THAT THE FORESTRY BRANCH BE RE-
QUESTED TO CONTINUE ITS INVESTIGA-
TION INTO THE OPERATION OF THE 30-50
PER CENT CLAUSE IN TFL AND PHA DOCU-
MENTS, TO DETERMINE:

(a) The extent to which rates, prices and re-
quirements are realistically adjusted to
current conditions and costs to enable
economic operation by the logging con-
tractor.

(b) The reliability of scaling methods practiced.

(c) Compliance with the accident prevention
regulations of the Workmen’s Compensa-
tion Board.

(d) Standards of wages and working conditions
to ensure that log prices and conditions

fixed by the contract permit adherence to
prevailing standards.

2. THAT WRITTEN CONTRACTS BE RE-
QUIRED IN ALL INSTANCES AND THAT
SUCH CONTRACTS BE FILED WITH THE
FORESTRY BRANCH.

3. THAT CONTRACTS COVER “STUMP TO
DUMP” OPERATION WITH EXCEPTIONS FOR
“PHASING OUT’ ONLY BY PERMISSION OF
THE MINISTER.

4. THAT, IN ALL INSTANCES, THE LIC-
ENSEE BE REQUIRED TO ADVERTISE OP-
PORTUNITIES FOR CONTRACTING.

5. THAT THE LICENSEE BE REQUIRED TO
INSERT IN THE CONTRACT PROVISION BY
WHICH THE LOGGING CONTRACTOR MAY
BE ASSURED OF LONG-TERM OPERATION,
SUBJECT TO COMPLIANCE WITH CONTRACT
CONDITIONS AND PERIODICAL REVISION
OF PRICES, IN ORDER TO JUSTIFY THE
SUBSTANTIAL INVESTMENT INVOLVED

..- PROTECT JOB SECURITY IN WOODS

independent sawlog and plywood operators with
smaller capitalization than the integrated compan-
ies holding TFL’s or PHA’s. It is in the public
interest that the original intention of this plan
should now be upheld against encroachment to
prevent serious dislocation in the employment of
woodworkers.

Our recommendations suggest the elimination
of speculation in the transfer of quotas in SYU’s
to ensure that quotas are allocated to those who

are actually engaged in production. We held the
view that the acquisition of quotas for reasons of
speculation only tends to diminish employment

and eventually add unnecessarily to production
costs.

WAGES!

AND ASSURE CONTINUED EMPLOYMENT
FOR HIS WORKERS.

6. THAT LOG PRICES AND CONDITIONS
AGREED UPON IN THE CONTRACT BE SO
CALCULATED AS TO ENABLE THE PAY-
MENT BY THE CONTRACTOR OF PREVAIL-
ING WAGES AND PROVISION FOR WORK-
ING CONDITIONS ESTABLISHED FOR THE
AREA.

7. THAT IN ALL AGREEMENTS BETWEEN
LICENSEES AND LOGGING CONTRACTORS,
COMPLIANCE WITH THE ACCIDENT PRE-
VENTION REGULATIONS OF THE WORK-
MEN’S COMPENSATION BOARD BE EX-
PRESSLY STIPULATED.

8. THAT ALL CONTRACTS BETWEEN TFL
AND PHA LICENSEES AND LOGGING CON-
TRACTORS INCLUDE A STIPULATION RE-
GARDING SECTION 47 OF THE WORKMEN’S
COMPENSATION ACT RESPECTING LIABIL-
ITY FOR INJURIES AND FATALITIES.

ENFORCE SAFETY RULES!

I submit the following reasons for the above
recommendations.

In our experience, some logging contractors
have attempted to operate under the terms of

verbal agreements which, in effect, exert com-
pulsions to lower wages and working conditions

as well as violate sound logging practices in order
to survive.

Specimen contracts on record before your
Committee indicate, that if all such contracts are
placed in written form and filed with the Forestry
Branch, stipulations are openly made or can be
made, to require observance of the Workmen’s
Compensation>Act, the Unemployment Insurance
Act, the preservation of wild life and watersheds.

We submit that it is equally important to en-
sure the welfare and safety of the workers em-
ployed by the logging contractors in ways that
are open to your Committee.

The record shows that an alarming number
of logging contractors have been forced into liquid-

bpca

‘FLY B.C. AIR LINES’

ation by reason of the contract conditions. For this
reason, we urge that all such contracts be placed
in written form, subject to scrutiny by the For-
estry Branch.

In some instances, the business failure of a
logging contractor results in non-payment of ar-
rears of wages. Our Union has had an alarming
number of such claims to process on -behalf of
workers left destitute. It frequently happens that
the workers so affected have no recourse in law
as usually the equipment is owned by the equip-
ment house and the logs are the property of the
TFL licensee. We consider that, in such instances,

more definite provision should be made requiring ©

the licensee to accept responsibility for arrears of
wages unpaid.

The IWA has negotiated agreements with TFL
and PHA licensees stipulating that in all contract-
ing and sub-contracting the wages and working
conditions shall be the same as those maintained

ie
ort

OREGON
MICRO-BIT

saw chain makes any chain saw more profitable !

ol OREGON ... used by most B.C. chain saw operators.

by the licensee. Such agreements have proven to
the advantage of all concerned. Uniform standards
for all logging crews in the TFL or PHA licence
area improve morale, reduce labour turnover and
enable the recruitment of experienced and effic-
ient loggers. We submit that the inclusion of a fair
wage clause, similar to those now included in
government contracts, would benefit loggers and
employers alike. It follows that log prices should

be adjusted for the contractor to permit sound
industrial relations.

Our Union is alarmed at the high accident
frequency rate among loggers employed by logging
contractors. The statistics released by the industry
indicate that the accident frequency rate in log-
ging by operators in the BCLA is 42.90. This oc- ”

curs in operations which accept the Association’s
accident control program.

See “Protect Job” — Page 4