Vol. XLIX No. 4 VANCOUVER, B.C. PRESIDENTS MESSAGE By: J. J. MUNRO REGIONAL PRESIDENT We have at last secured from the Industry a proposal which the Provincial Negotiat- ing Committee recommended, and the membership accepted by a vote of 69 percent. There can be no doubt that, but for some “side issues”, the percentage of “yes” votes would have been higher. With so many of our members hit hard by huge rent and mortgage increases (and by inflation generally), we had to emphasize wages more than fringe benefits. I think the balance we finally reached was about right, and the dollar value of the settlement as high as we could expect at a time when the Industry has slowed down. A few words about the strike, and why it had to happen. Early in July, the Canadian Pulp Union told the Industry they wanted their “final offer”. This is a dangerous tactic, requiring the employer to guess as to how much is enough and, worse, as to how it should be distributed. For that reason, we told the Industry to keep negotiating with us in the normal way. But Forest Industrial Relations in its wisdom ignored us, and gave us a “final” — a “take it or leave it ultimatum” on July 10. A number of things were drastically wrong. First, the amount, though close, wasn’t enough. Second, it was in various respects inferior to the proposals made to the Canadian Pulp Union. Third, important provisions, like the long-term disability plan were simply defective. But the most important problem was that Forest Industrial Relations was presuming, because of a bad market, that they could get away with anything with the IWA. We were in the position that, had we accepted “the final offer’, the Industry would have concluded that they could in the future make all kinds of unilateral decisions, without consulting us. Even if the offer had, by itself, been an adequate one, the process would have made a strike essential. Over the past few weeks, we have once again shown the Industry that 1.W.A. members demand respect. Nobody in the world gets everything that they want, but we have got respect, and we will keep it. The package overall is a good one. If you look at the rates generated, published elsewhere in this issue, you will agree that few honestly expected we would do as well. Perhaps best of all, in 1983 we will have a single set of negotiations with the three employer groups — an IWA objective since 1946. The IWA membership, acting with strength and unity, has produced and accepted a good package. ISSN 0049-7371 LABOUR CODE CHANGES DEMANDED NDP Forestry and Mines critic, Lyle VANCOUVER, B.C | PERMIT No. 2075 class classe Canadian Labour Congress campaign fora re-write of Part 4 of the Canada Labour Code, the major federal legislation dealing with occupational health and safety. Kristiansen, who represents the B.C. riding of Kootenay West, is a member of the NDP special task force on Occupational Health and Safety. He said in a statement from his Ottawa office that “The CLC document addresses many of the major problems discovered on our recent cross country tour of resource extraction and industrial job sites.” Kristiansen continued, “The bureaucratic jungle of conflicting jurisdictions and buck- passing by the federal government must end. The time for talkis over. Whatisneeded now is immediate action by the federal government to protect the health and lives of working people across Canada.” RETURN REQUESTED 5th Floor, 1285 West Pender Street, Vancouver, B.C. V6E4B2 THE LUMBER WORKER Kristiansen, declared his support for the - B.C. MEMBERS APPROVE AGREEMENTS The forty-seven thousand IWA members in British Columbia have voted by sixty- nine percent to accept the proposed terms of the Memorandum of Agreements covering the Coast, Southern and Northern Interiors. The results were tabulated and announc- ed August 21st. While the majority of the IWA Locals accepted the new contract Local 1-85 rejected the offer because of the MacMillan Bloedel Company’s refusal to recind the suspensions of 28 IWA members. At themomentthe entire Alberni Valley is off the job because of continued strikes of the Office and Technical Employees’ Union and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Loggers on the Island have not returned to work due to the fire hazard in the woods. Local 1-424 Prince George and Local 1-425, Williams Lake also refused to sign the Agreement with Weldwood of Canada until they improved the wage offer for office employees at Weldwood operations. However, the dispute has now been resolved and the Agreement signed. e two Local Unions are insjsti: at i stay down ’s The package is the richest ever negotiated by the Union. It is estimated that the wages and benefits won will cost the Industry an additional $4.50 per hour for each man-hour worked. Regional president Jack Munro stated that considering the poor lumber markets and mounting layoffs in the industry, the Union did exceptionally well to gain such an agreement. He also said that the antics of the two pulp unions during negotiations in calling for the industry to give them a “final offer” placed the IWA in an extremely difficult position and was a contributing factor in the IWA going on strike. Following are the highlights of the agreements: 1. Wage increases of 15% in the first year with a base of $1.50 an hour and 13% in the second year. 2. Wage revisions for Tradesmen and Apprentices which will make the Trades- men the highest paid industrial tradesmen in the country. 3. Double time for all overtime worked after eleven hours. 4. Shift differential increased to thirty- one cents per hour. 5. Head Oiler and Oiler rates established. 6. A COLA clause triggered if the C.P.I. rises more than 28% accumulated June 15, 1981 to June 14, 1983. 7. Effective June 15, 1982, four weeks vacation after seven years; five weeks vacation after fifteen years; and seven weeks vacation after thirty years. 8. Effective June 15, 1981, Life Insurance increased to $27,000, and A.D. & D to SEE “CONTRACT” PAGE TWO SEPTEMBER, 1981