© Local 1-500 business agent Saul Marques (1) and local president Bruce Weber stand- ing beside some large hardwood logs. Hardwood veneer plant is labour intensive DURHAM, ONTARIO — Here in south central Ontario about 300 IWA -CANADA Local 1-500 members work in a hardwood specialty mill which is quite unlike anything else that exists in our union. In the town of Durham, approxi- mately 90 miles northeast of Toronto Interforest Ltd.’s two shift, 5 day a week mill produces in excess of 100,000 square metres of high quality hardwood veneer products daily. This labour intensive plant has cre- ated hundreds of good paying union jobs with the most modern technol- ogy available. It’s also a high tech operation which is years ahead of its competitors. In the past three decades, the IWA has only had to strike the operation twice. Last year the crew wobbled for 12 days over a wage package which even- tually saw increases of $1.00 per hour and additional benefits over a 2-year contract. Plant chairman Kevin MacArthur says the company pays competitive wages and that there have been little or no layoffs in the past five years. Interforest imports the majority of its hardwood from south of the bor- der. Its main suppliers are timber companies in Pennsylvania, Michi- gan, and New York State where much of its red and white oak originates. Other species cut and processed in much smaller amounts include cherry, walnut, maple, ash and hickory. Although Interforest is often sev- eral hundred miles from its timber supply, its location from raw materi- als is not much further than other producers situated in the U.S. © Offbearing on a veneer splicer are: John Dillman (1.) and Wanda Rands. The logs come in by truck and are cold decked in a yard where they are closely watched to preserve proper moisture content. In summer months the logs are watered to protect the wood against discoloration during the warmer weather. Out in the yards the logs are graded and sorted for proper splitting. A high speed band saw rips the debarked logs into halves, thirds or quarters, depending on the logs’ straightness, length, and location of heart. The saw blade is guided by lasers to maximize yield and remove maa wood (mostly from the butt end). The log portions are then bundled and strapped before being ‘cooked’ in one of 36 steam vats. The cooking softens the wood fibre for further processing. The plant has 5 slicing machines with extra sharp knives which slice the hardwood into precise lengths much like a meat cutting device would slice a loaf in a delicatessen. Two other machines are designed to slice “half-rounds” which provides a rotary grain structure. Such wider sheets are used for 4’ x 8’s or are cut down to custom size. After being sliced the wet veneer is put through a dryer system which sucks up the slices. Depending on the species and thickness, the tempera- ture and time of the 2-3 minute drying cycle is adjusted. Prompt drying helps avoid discoloration, buckling, and moulding. On the end of the dryers, 2 workers unload and stack the sheet layers and another worker tallies the product and measures the moisture content. © Charlene Lindsay prepares samples of sliced, dried veneer. Veneer is sold by the natural bundle or “flitch”. The flitches are either sold in clipped or unclipped bundles. On veneer clipping lines, ends and sides are trimmed and large defects are culled out. Clipped veneer is sold by the square yard and unclipped is sold by the flitch or bundle. Most of Interforest’s products are shipped by container traffic to over- seas markets all over the world. Merv Moyer, the company’s repre- sentative responsible for grading, evaluating and distributing the veneer says the company deals in stable mar- kets worldwide. © On the picket line at Weber Costello were (I. to r.) Maria Paiz, Mandeep Dhaliwal, Shirley Maharajh, Anne Martin, Alice Darlington, George Kislig and Gerry Machado. Five day walkout gets deal at Weber Costello MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO — It took only 5 days to get a settlement here at Weber Costello Ltd’s office and school supplies plant as 43 [WA -CANADA local 1-700 members walked off the job on March 24. Less than a week later, the workers voted over 75% in favour of a two year deal to get back to work with some much needed improvements in their collective agreement. In addition to an overall wage increase of 9%, which will expire in October of 1991, the workers received alump sum of $275 each for the return to work. Highlighted in the agreement is the establishment, for first time, of a weekly wage indemnity package. Adjustment of job rates in the maintenance department Wage was also a major union demand that was settled. During the strike, the company fired an employee who was under a probationary period, for not crossing the picket line. Union negotiations demanded the employee's reinstate- ment before any settlement could be reached. “Basically we had to rewrite the whole collective agreement,” said union staff representative Tom Lowe. Brother Lowe says the union resolved 63 of 107 contract language issues during the 9 meetings it took to reach an agreement. < Now the workers will enjoy lan- guage protecting seniority, union security, hours of work and grievance procedures, among other issues. The settlement was the third con- tract for the members who have shown increasing support for their local union. ae The union negotiating team con- sisted of plant chairman, Ted Schuster, George Kislig, local 1-700 president, Tony Iannucci and Brother Lowe. 12/LUMBERWORKER/MAY, 1990