Local 1-2995

Continued from page 7

FUTURE CONCERNS

Just like other IWA-CANADA locals,
Northern Ontario is facing a future
where more jobs will be lost due to
technological change.

The logging sector is experiencing
the takeover of conventional cut and
skid operations by mechanical har-
vesting systems.

The 15% export tariff on forest
products into the U.S. has meant that
most of the local’s operations are now
shipping 50-85% of their products to
domestic markets. A small percent-
age of most dimensional lumber (less
than 15% in many cases) goes to the
US.

The local will be experiencing more
layoffs and reduction unless the puni-
tive tariffs are lifted, interest rates
drop, and the rising Canadian dollar
returns to normal.

Environmental concerns are also
starting to rear their head. The local
expects a dispute before logging near
the Missinaibi River outside of
Kapuskasing.

Environmental groups are asking
to stop logging on 5 miles of each side
of the river. If such an action goes
through it will have definite impact
on the membership.

The local has realized that it must
build up its membership or face the
consequences in the future. It has
hired an organizer who is currently
working on several non-union opera-
tions to strengthen conditions and
wages for woodworkers.

Two months ago the local organ-
ized 18 employees at “La Maison
Renaissance” in Hearst, which is a
public service association.

LAroXy 4
if ay
if ies

© Clockwise from top left: Linebar operator Paul Caron and Ed Picotte wrestle wi
(E. B. Eddy Forest Products) in Timmins; at Abitibi-Price Camp #34 north of Cochra:

Financial Secretary Marcel Lacroix stand by wood that is fully utilized; Norman Leve:

board at Levesque Plywood in Hearst; Shop crew at Spruce Falls Logging in Kapuska:

and Ron Trudel.

ith spruce lumber at McChesney Lumber Div.
ine; Head Steward Jean Guy Oudet (I.) and Local
sque rolls thin melamine sheet onto particle
sing (I. to r.) Larry Dionne, Maurice LeClair,

Strike continues until charges dropped

WHITE RIVER, ONTARIO — One
hundred and thity-one strikers at
Domtar’s White River Dimension
sawmill have voted to maintain their
picketing until charges against seven
of their fellow unionists are dropped
by the company.

Since mid-April the members of
IWA-CANADA Local 1-2693 have been
walking the line against the Montreal-
based forest company in this town
which is 240 miles southeast of Thun-
der Bay.

The company has threatened retali-
ation against seven union members
who were involved in picket line in-
cidences.

In late June, the company brought
in a non-union owner-operator truck
driver to haul out some lumber from
the mill yard. The action caused severe
tension on the picket line.

During the incident the company
also hired 26 security guards and 2
Doberman Pinschers to intimidate the
striking workers.

“We were trying to conduct a peace-
ful strike,” says local president Fred
Miron. “Then when we saw the snarl-
ing dogs we knew the company was
trying to instigate something.”

Before the strike vote was taken
major issues in a proposed three year
contract were settled. Wage increases
and fringe benefits were all hashed
out before the strike began.

The two issues which forced the
strike were changes to contract
language.

The company wanted to gut the
seniority provisions of the collective
agreement by the introduction of
departmental seniority which would
destroy the plant wide system.

© Negotiating committee for the union at Domtar are (I.) Jim Marshall, Local President
Fred Miron, Claude Seguin, and Bert Mercer.

Domtar also wanted to change holi-
day provisions and arbitrarily assign
employees their holidays without any
mutual consent.

Eventually both Domtar demands
were dropped. All issues were resolved
with the exception of the disciplinary
action towards the seven strikers.

“The company wanted to get the
crew back to work and then conduct
an inquisition,” says Brother Miron.
“We told them that any allegations of
picket line violations should be han-
dled by the police and the courts.”

Upon hearing the seven names the
strikers threw their support behind
another vote, on July 18, to maintain

the walkout until all charges are
dismissed.

Brother Miron says the strikers
don’t want to even meet with the
company until it drops any planned
retaliation against any of the workers.

The strikers, of whom nearly 40%
are women, have voluntarily limited
their pickets to twelve in number and
have the plant solidly under wraps.

Brother Miron says that the plant’s
manager and personnel expert have
been vindictive in their approach to
negotiations.

“They felt they’ve had to hit us with
a club and try to break our spirit.
They're a helluva long ways away
from doing that.”

aim
Strikers out seven weeks

RUTHERGLEN, ONTARIO — It
took 130 IWA-CANADA Local 1-1000
members seven weeks to finally reach
acollective agreement with Columbia
Forest Products Ltd. in this small
town 30 miles east of North Bay.

Despite interference from the
Ontario Provincial Police, who saw it
fit to escort a handful of scabs across
the picket line, the strikers got their
employer back to the table to reach an
agreement on June 22.

Columbia Forest Products Ltd is a
US.-based employer which bought
over the hardwood rotary cut veneer
and splicing plant from the old G.W.
Martin Company in September, 1989.

Columbia reopened the plant at full
production in January of this year
without negotiating a collective agree-
ment that expired in October of 1989.

It took IWA negotiators 5 meetings
with a conciliator from the Ontario
Labour Relations Board to get a final
offer package on the table to deal with
contract language only.

“Columbia has come up here from
the United States and doesn’t under-
stand labour relations in Canada,”
says local President Joe da Costa.

Brother da Costa says support
from local affiliates such as the Cana-
dian Paperworkers Union, CUPE, and
the North Bay and District Labour
Council, made it apparent to the

employer that the use of scab labour
would not be tolerated.

At one point the company reques-
ted that the OLRB move in to super-
vise an acceptance vote which was
overwhelmingly rejected.

Included in the two year final deal
are a floating holiday and 100% pay-

ment of the existing medical plan by
the employer.

Union negotiators also achieved a
retroactive wage increase clause back
to April 1, 1990 which will see the
average wage go up by about 10%
over the following 18 months.

14/LUMBERWORKER/JULY, 1990