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