© Debating forestry issues at the Loggers’ Local Annual were, L to R, Joe Thit, ! Executive Board Member from Powell-Daniels Contracting, John Sawyer, Percy Logging, Phillips Arm, and delegate Bob Devcic. West Fraser Mills Ltd., Skeena Sawmill Division. Loggers’ local debates forestry issues COURTENAY, B.C. — Delegates to Local 1-71’s Thirty-Ninth Annual Meeting debated and discussed six- teen resolutions on forestry, environ- ment and land use controversies. The meeting, held in Courtenay, B.C. on May 5th and 6th, revealed the concern that the membership has on current issues. The delegates passed a motion that IWA-CANADA coordinate a high pro- file publicity drive to clarify the union’s forest policy. Local Third Vice-President Bob Freer informed the meeting that Local 1-71 is working in coalition with groups that endorse the multi-use of our forests. (B.C. Resource Informa- tion Institute and The Share Our Resources Society.) Loggers President Warren Ulley said that IWA members (graders, scal- ers and timber cruisers) can play an important role in protecting TFL’s against abuses by companies. In a discussion on the administra- tion of forests, delegate Ron Norgaard pointed out that in 1987 the provin- cial government collected $700 mil- lion in stumpage fees from the saw- mill sector while only $100 million was derived from the pulp sector. Norgaard said the pulp sector is get- ting off easy while the logging and sawmilling sectors are being bled dry by the current fee structure. Guest speaker Dan Miller (MLA Prince Rupert) said that foreign own- ership is costing British Columbians jobs. Miller attributed poor efforts for research and development in the prov- ince to the foreign ownership which only extracts resources with few strings attached. Special guest Doug Evans, present to hold nominations for officers, warned the members that indepen- dent operators are being squeezed out of the picture by huge multi-nationals. Brother Evans said that the IWA will require better protection against technological change in the future. Brother Ulley told the delegates that 1-71 has worked with other locals to put together a silvicultural workers contract in draft form. The contract will be circulated to sub-locals, the Local Executive Board, and the Na- tional Executive Board for input and discussion. After a lengthy debate, delegates approved a motion to institute a ward system for executive board members. The motion states that members in a geographical area represented by an executive board member shall be the only ones entitled to vote for the representative in their area. NORTHERN ONTARIO MEMBERS ATTEND “BEST” SEMINARS © Pictured above at a “BEST” Seminar in Orilla, Ontario in February of this year are, left to right’ Laval Dallaire (Local 1-2693 — Kimberley-Clark, Longlac Division), Gaetan Carrier (Local 1-2995 — United Sawmill, Hearst Division), Berthier Poulin (Local 1-2693 — E.B. Eddy Forest Products, Sudbury), Roger Jarbeau (Local 1-2693 — E.B. Eddy, Sudbury), Yvon Grenier (Local 1-2995 — Mallette Lumber, Timmins) and Maurice Carrier (Local 1-2995 — Levesque Lumber Sawmill, Hearst). BEST Program Since June 1988, the Ontario Feder- ation of Labour has been operating a second language and literacy course for affiliate members. The pilot project 3s called “BEST”, which stands for Basic Education for Skills Training. Across the province BEST has established more than 70 programs in unionized work places. The program is designed to train workers in liter- acy, numeracy, and second language instructions. Three sessions held by the OFL to date have trained 170 instructors across the province. BEST compensates workers for up to $500/week in lost wages in addition to all training costs. The program, funded by the Ontario Ministry of Skills and Development utilizes mate- rials and facilities of the OFL. Eight regional coordinators across Ontario are employed to facilitate instructor training. Workers from interested local unions are than pro- fessionally trained as instructors. Reman settiement IWA negotiators reached a success- ful settlement with four employers after lengthy disputes in four remanu- facturing operations. Employees at Sawarne Lumber, Island Lumber, and Fraser River Planing in Vancouver, Local 1-217 and Allwood Industries in New West- minster ratified a contract in late April to approve a three year agree- ment expiring in September of 1991. The settlement is seen as a victory for the membership and the union bargainers who negotiated full wage and pension increases for the mem- bership. Nine remanufacturers in the lower mainland also had previously agreed to pay wages and pennies in accordance with the 1988 Coast Mas- ter Agreement. One of the major factors in settling the dispute was the IWA’s resolve not to buckle in to demands for contract concessions. The employers’ ad hoc association, whose bargaining had been done by K. D. Halliday and Associates, was largely responsible for a difficult set of negotiations. A boost in strike pay in early April sent a clear sign to the companies that the IWA was prepared to go for the long haul to reach a settlement. Negotiations resumed shortly there- after. During the settlement the union gave the employer a serious commit- ment that there should be a distinct set of remanufacturing talks and con- tract for that sector in the future. By mid-June most of the workers had returned to the job as the plants regained customer orders lost during the disputes. © Local President Dave Tones. Haney Annual At Local 1-367’s Annual Delegated Meeting, held in Maple Ridge on June 6, officers praised local members for their participation in political action. The year of 1988/89 was marked as a year of election success for local politician Joy Langan, M.P. (NDP), Mission-Coquitlam. IWA members were instrumental in helping Sister Langan successfully seek a seat in the House of Commons. With the federal campaign experi- ence gained by members, the local hopes to play a major role in the next provincial election. Delegates were told that 265 work- ers were organized in 18 different oper- ations last year. The Haney Local is one of the most active in the country in organizing new members. Independent operations have grown in number in recent years thus demanding more time for contract negotiations. The delegates were told that in order to organize new operations it takes a strong commitment from crew members on the inside. They were also told that the current labour laws make organizing an uphill battle. © Lto R are local financial secretary Wade Fisher, president Harvey Arcand, and first vice-president Brian Symmes, who were presented with plaques at their Annual Meet- ing, honouring their past and future service to the local union. Local reaffiliates with B.C. Fed Williams Lake, B.C., Local 1-425 played host to 65 delegates on May 13 at its 13th Annual Meeting. The delegates, mostly millworkers from the Cariboo and Chilcotin dis- tricts of B.C., expressed concerns about log shortages for local mills and approved a motion for a public audit of timber in the province. Delegates from Fletcher Chal- lenge’s Pinette and Therrien Plants revealed that they have suffered clo- sures due to wood shortages while logs from the Lillooet region have been exported out of the region. The members passed a resolution to re-affiliate with the B.C. Federation of Labour. After a lengthy debate, the delegates voted clearly in favour of rejoining the provincial labour body, which it has been absent from since 1984. Other local issues such as daycare and facilities for the handicapped were also on the agenda. Harvey Arcand, Local President, informed the delegates that the local has been wrapped up in WCB appeals and that the Boards of Review are difficult to deal with in getting hear- ings scheduled. Brother Arcand said that the local is also working on WCB claims for non-local members as well. He said that non-members have appealed for help and the work has improved the union’s profile in the local community. National Second Vice-President Neil Menard, also chairman of the Negotiating Committee for the North- ern Interior, was on hand to conduct nominations and address the delega- tion. Menard warned that union mem- bers must fight apathy and scrap to protect the collective agreement. He urged delegates to be active in involv- ing the rank and file in Occupational Health and Safety. National Organization Director John Smithies predicted other work- ers will approach Local 1-425 in the future. He encouraged participation in the local’s organizing plans and warned the delegates that B.C. labour laws are harmonizing with the anti- Jebour laws in the U.S. yay =AEISEISSEETSENSPUSESSNIINEIIee 14/LUMBERWORKER/JUNE, 1989