RESPECT Continued from page 1 You could tell right from the start that this set of negotiations was going to be different. that this set of negotiations was going to be different. There was a new atmosphere of optimism at the table. That is not to say that there weren’t moments during negotia- tions when everything hung in the IWA members work hard for the money they earn. In some cases they put their lives on the line. balance, moments where it could have fallen apart. But, it didn’t and that speaks well for the future. Some of the tense moments came on the issue of contracting out and shift flexibility. The lengthy strike in 1986 was over these very issues. But, nobody walked away, not this time. They kept talking and in doing so reached an acceptable settlement. This settlement represents a re- turn to an era of mutual respect that was prevalent in the 1970s. As the 80s dawned there was a general deterioration of the relationship between industry and union, cul- minating in the bitter 1986 strike. The harder the industry drewits lines the worse it got. In the end that kind of attitude ended up costing the industry, the prov- ince overall and IWA mem- bers throughout B.C. One of the reasons for suc- cess in this set of negotia- tions was the obvious re- luctance of the industry to turn to the Industrial Relations Council (IRC). Given labour’s com- plete opposition to Bill 19, the legis- lation that established the IRC they saw that this would be counter- productive. IWA Canada President and Chair- man of the Provincial Bargaining Committee, Jack Munro credits that avoidance of the IRC as one of the major reasons the industry stayed at the table. “They. knew that turning to the IRC would only inflame the situa- tion, make things worse. That kept them at the table and kept the doors open at all times. That and the McKenzie Report of last year madea real difference,” says Munro. There was some concern expres- sed by independent operators about stumpage rates as set by the Provin- cial Government. That and the ris- ing dollar are cause for concern down the road. But for the first time in a long time the industry did not try to blame or take that out on their employees. There was the realization by the industry, that [WA members work hard for the money they earn. In some cases they put their lives on the line. Time and time again the IWA has given on issues such as technological change in order to keep the industry competitive. It is now time for [WA members to get some- thing back in return. - | NATIONAL Continued from page 1 time we are an important voice in the west. We must work to ensure that becomes the case in the east also. That will certainly be an issue that I want to see debated at this conven- tion,” says Munro. Gerry Stoney, IWA Canada Secre- tary Treasurer says, “local unions have been incredible when it comes to loaning the national office money. We have never been turned down. In fact the entire labour movement has been great. We were loaned millions during the 1986 strike. Every penny has been repaid. But, we can’t go on borrowing all the time. We must get ourselves on a level footing finan- The proposed increase is not expected to be substantial, some- cially and the only thing that will do where between 1 and 2 percent. That At the present time we are an important voice in the west. We must work becomes to ensure that the case in the east also. that is to cut back on services, which is not realistic, or to increase the per capita.” will not put too much of a burden on. the membership while increasing the cash flow to the national union. Delegates will also be dealing with question of how to use the newly negotiated 4 cent per hour industry funded health and safety fund. This new initiative will mean an additional $300,000.00 per year to be spent somewhere in the field of health and safety. The union must deal with how to best use this new resource. There is expected to be a shift in Vice Presidents this convention with the retirement of long serving 1st Vice President Bob Blanchard. The convention lasts 5 days run- ning September 26-30. There will be delegates attending from across the country. UPDATE SnU DDE i USDA 0 UPDATE 6 URDAT Ee URDATE OTTAWA — There are 900com- munities across Canada which rely on the forest sector to some extent for their livelihood. While they tend to be quite small, with populations around 1,500, they also tend to be clustered in certain areas. This is one of the findings of a report prepared by the Canadian Forestry Service. “The contribution these commu- nities make to the economy of this country is significant and worthy of recognition. To a large extent, the industries in these resource-based communities sustain the economy of 2/LUMBERWORKER/OCTOBER, 1988 many larger urban centers”, said the Minister of Forests. The study found that, out of those 900 communities, there were 348 whose livelihood depends primarily on the sector. They were found in every province except Prince Ed- ward Island. The majority are con- centrated in Quebec, British Colum- bia, Ontario and New Brunswick. The report also examines the demographic characteristics of these communities. Information was col- lected on the level of education, employment, unemployment and Unique Study on Canada’s Forest Sector Dependent Communities housing. The level of education in forest sector dependent communi- ties was slightly lower than for the rest of Canada although the level of entrepreneurship, measured by the number of self-employed workers, was equivalent to the national aver- age. In spite of the lower cost of housing, fewer people owned their own homes in these communities compared to other rural non-farming communities in Canada. Forest sec- tor workers earned more than other workers in other industries. unique and leads to a better under- standing of the people that contrib- ute to the forest sector, as well as the dynamics of the rural communities that depend on the forest indus- tries.” Fire is an Ugly Enemy This has been a mixed fire season right across the country. The east, in particular Ontario have faced a tough season with record tempera- tures and terrible fires. B.C. on the other hand has had a mild season. At least mild when compared with the last two or three years. The Minister added, “This work is But still, fires cost us millions of