New forest policy introduced at National Convention p. 10, 12-13 BC. Fed forms Environmental Task Force p.2 [ei es e Ed Broadbent says goodbye as NDP leader at national convention — p.9 B.C. plant ° IWA-CANADA's Jack Munro addresses a union rally held in Vancouver to protest announced layoffs at two Vancouver plants. The layoffs are connected with the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement. ' THE BIG LOG’ SCAM N an incredible tale of govern- ment mismanagement and cor- porate intransigence, a small log- ging and milling company situ- ated on the northern coast of British Columbia, continues to export large volumes of high-quality sawlogs while its milling operation processes rough-sawn, lower grade timber. Granted a ten-year renewable forest licence in March of 1983 by the B.C. provincial government, Wedeene River Contracting Ltd. has continued to (Continued on page 6) sh g d Sitka Spruce logs await sorting and scaling near Wedeene River Con- rac ’s dryland sort at Butze Bay near Prince Rupert, B.C. The prime logs ed for export while the company’s mill processes lower grade, smaller pullouts cost 100 union jobs VANCOUVER, B.C. — Delegates to IWA-CANADA'S Annual Convention joined with more than seventy work- ers on October 4 to protest the closure of two IWA plants in Vancouver. The protestors, assembled in front of an office building where Sauder Industries Ltd. has its headquarters, jeered the company as speakers told of the job loss created by the new free trade environment. “Sauder’s actions amount to noth- ing less than the betrayal of its long- term employees,” said Vancouver Local 1-217 Business agent Gary Kobayashi. Brother Kobayashi told the protes- tors that Sauder’s move, which will displace some employees with up to 85 years’ service, is also the “betrayal of a province where he (Company President Bill Sauder) has made mil- lions of dollars” and a “betrayal of Canada — a country which has been good to him.” At stake are the lost jobs of one hundred IWA members at Sauder’s pre-finished panel and moulding divisions. Sauder is moving its pre-finished panel operations to Asia while its moulding division is re-locating to Ferndale, Washington, USA, about forty miles south of Vancouver. Sauder will begin its operations south of the line with cheaper U.S. labour and access to less expensive Canadian material which will be made increasingly accessible in years ahead under the U.S.-Canada Free Trade Agreement. uring a meeting with Local 1-217 officials, Bill Sauder said that although his moulding division is making profits in Vancouver, it could make larger profits in the United States. “It’s not a question of survival, it’s a_ question of greed,” said IWA -CANADA President Jack Munro. Munro told the protestors the long- term well being of British Columbia is based on the forest products industry moving from a basic industry to a more sophisticated secondary in- dustry. He condemned Sauder for its move to Washington State to extract Cana- dian raw materials and exploit cheap- er US. labour. Sauder operates a door plant in Seattle where wages range from $6.00 to $11.00 U.S. per hour — under the U.S. poverty line. In 1988, it pur- chased the plant and, under Ameri- can labour law, laid off all employees. Later, less than 51% of the workforce was rehired without certification to the Lumber and Sawmill Workers’ Union. After exploiting the U.S. labour climate, said Munro, Sauder is “going to ship his products back inte Canada and expect us to buy them.” “Why in heaven’s name would a Canadian Government supported by Provincial Governments get into bed with a group of people that are so right wing that they have driven work- ers in the U.S. so far into the god- damned ground, that it’s hard to find them any more,” shouted the National Union leader. Delegates to the National Conven- tion passed a resolution demanding that the Federal Government find new employment for Sauder employees at equivalent rates of pay or provide retraining. The Convention action also de- mands that both federal and provin- cial governments ban the export of unfinished wood products and de- mands that the Canadian government impose countervailing tariffs on U.S. produced wood products entering the country. In a meeting with officials from New Westminster Local 1-357 and Sauder management the day after the protest, Kirk Henderson, the compa- ny’s senior vice-president, refused to comment on the wages to be paid to the U.S. workers when production begins. However, the Local 1-357 contin- gent, led by spokesman Joe LeClair, was assured by Henderson that Sauder was going to keep its Rich- mond, BC. Vinylcraft Division in Canada. If it were to move, said Henderson to LeClair, “that would be absolute greed and we're not into that.” Membership approves Forest Policy Fund A ballot approving a special National Forest Policy Fund was passed with a 69 percent majority. The results, tabulated in early Decem- ber, provide IWA-CANADA with pro- ceeds from a special assessment of $1.00 per member per month for a period of one year. The proceeds will be used to fund a program to educate IWA members on forestry and environment issues and help get the union’s message out to the public. Parts of the fund will be used to inform the Canadian public that [WA -CANADA demands that the federal and provincial government adminis- ter proper forest practices. Nearly 13,000 votes were cast across Canada in favour of the fund.