© Local 1-85 Business Agent Larry Rewakowsky (I.) and head filer George Brubaker hold the 25 cm. spikes that narrowly missed a band saw at Somass Mill in Port Alberni. » e New Tree Spiking Law Combats ‘Eco-Terrorists’ The B.C. government has reacted to pressure from IWA-CANADA and for- est industry employers to introduce new legislation on May 29 to amend the province's Forest Act, which will make timber spiking an offence. Convicted tree spikers could face imprisonment of up to 3 years in jail and up to $10,000 in penalties if spik- ing any tree, whether living or dead, standing, fallen,-limbed, bucked or peeled, results in physical injury or property damage. IWA-CANADA, Local 1-85 (Port Alberni) which has witnessed two recent incidents of tree spiking, greets the new legislation but says it doesn’t go far enough. In late April and early May two cedar logs heading for a high speed band saw at a mill in Port Alberni were detected with spikes in them. The first log did damage to saw teeth before the operator saw the spikes and the second log came to within a half inch of the steel spikes. slation goes far enough,” says Dave Haggard, First Vice-President of Local 1-85. B.C.’s former Attorney General Brian Smith had approached the Fed- eral government in Ottawa in 1988 requesting amendments to the Crimi- nal Code which would outlaw tree spiking. But Ottawa has refused to act on the situation. At present the Criminal Code could be used to prosecute tree spiking under it’s “mischief” sections which provides penalties and senten- ces for activities causing intentional danger to human life or property. “It’s unfortunate that the Federal government doesn’t understand or accept accept its responsibility to con- trol these lunatics who spike trees,” comments Brother Haggard. Under the Criminal Code the tree spikers have to be caught red-handed and can be prosecuted after the spik- ing and injury to humans or property takes place. The Amendments to the Forest Act, (Bill 35), however, make it an offence to aid, abet or council another person to spike timber, to solicit mate- rials or money for spiking purposes, and to pack spikes or hazardous objects for the intention of tree spiking. Radical preservationists have used tree spiking as a tactic to prevent logging and milling of old growth timber. In the U.S. Pacific Northwest tree spiking incidents have risen steadily with threatening implica- tions for forestry workers. Timber fallers who cut into spiked trees could experience deadly kick- backs while falling or bucking timber or have their chains fly apart which could also cause death or injury. At MacMillan Bloedel’s Somass Cedar Mill in Port Alberni head filer George Brubaker says hitting the (25 centimetre) spikes could be disastrous for millworkers. Brother Brubaker says damage to saw teeth could cause the band saw to snake into the log.” In the worst case scenario if the saw were to snake towards the bunk, it could easily break and fly apart. The band saw at Somass rotates at 9,800 surface feet per minute and has about 18,000 lbs. tension on it between the wheels. If a spike hits metal then shrapnel like pieces could fly off towards the sawyer or tail sawyer causing a poten- tial fatality. MacMillan Bloedel’s acting em- ployee relations manager Jim Ritchie says the company was able to trace one spiked log to a boom from its Kennedy Lake Division and is unable to determine where the other log originated. Stamp hammer marks are usually clipped before the log reaches the mill, which causes problems in tracing the logs to any of 5 MacMillan Bloedel operations in the Port Alberni forest region. Local safety director Henry Neder- gard says that joint health and safety committees are keenly aware of the danger that tree spiking imposes. Fallers have been notified to watch for spikes in areas close to the road or in areas of dispute. Debarker operators, cut-off saw operators and plywood lathe opera- tors have also been told to be on the lookout. “Those who spike trees have no regard for the lives of people who earn their living in the woods,” says Brother Nedergard. The local safety director also warns that such eco-terrorists are also famil- iar with techniques to sabotage log- ging equipment and other heavy machinery. Workers in Local 1-85 have been put on the alert to watch out for overnight tampering of equipment. In August of 1989 15 cm. spikes were detected in a stand of second growth timber on Malcolm Island near Port McNeill on northern Van- couver Island. A crew of fallers work- ing for International Forest Products detected more than 100 spikes scat- tered through the trees. Nick Doubinin, a business agent with Loggers’ Local 1-71 said spiking of the trees, mostly hemlock and cedar, indicated that whoever did the spiking probably didn’t know the dif- ference between old growth and sec- ond growth. In Port McNeill local loggers com- bined with members of the “share” © Tail sawyer Tom Brar was standing by unprotected while spikes passed the band saw. group to de-spike the stand of timber prior to logging. Union officials believe that further tree spiking incidents could take place on Vancouver island and in other parts of the province. In Local 1-85 such old growth areas such as the Carmannah Valley, Clayquot Sound, Kyuquot Sound, and Meares Island are all potential tar- gets for the eco-terrorists. © Lift of lumber raised from chemical diptank. Such methods are being phased out. Anti-sapstain Continued from page 10 In the end we were successful in extracting from industry what is pos- sibly the most progressive and advanced Health Protection and Workplace Monitorin, _agreement ere in Canada, which contains among other things — © Establishment of effective training and education programs in each operation for each sapstain control product in use, or about to be put into use, involving managerial and super- visory personnel, workers including casual and weekend workers, first aid attendants, safety committee mem- bers and Local Unions. e The development and ongoing use of appropriate instruments such as questionnaires and separate sapstain control record book to be kept at first aid to report all incidents or symp- toms related to sapstain control use. e Receipt and evaluation of all perti- nent new information related to possi- ble health implications of existing or new sapstain control products, which triggers appropriate new or modified actions. Such actions might include more intensive monitoring of certain workplaces, including biological mon- itoring or changes in protective equip- ment and/or application technologies to reduce exposure, etc. all of these ongoing activities will be monitored by a sub-committee, chaired by IWA -CANADA Safety & Health Director, Verna Ledger. In addition the industry has agreed to report at least once annually to the full Multi-Stakeholder Committee on the advances in the area of new technologies. The document was finally signed by all parties with the exception of the Environmental groups and the P.P.WC., although P.P.WC, has asked to participate on the Health Protec- tion and Workplace Monitoring Com- mittee; and the committee members agreed to their request. The first meeting of the Health Protection and Workplace Monitor- ing Sub-Committee was held on June 26, 1990. In addition to representa- tives from IWA-CANADA, C.P.U., P.P.WC., I.L.W.U., Wharf Operators, and C.O.F.I.; Al Riegert, W.C.B., attended and offered assistance with the development of training as well as considering setting up a central regis- try of anti-sapstain users. A further meeting of all B.C. IWA -CANADA, Safety & Health Directors was held on June 28, 1990 to familiar- ize them with the sections of the Frame Work Agreement. The proof of the success of this agreement will unfold in the coming months as mills move to the newer chemicals (once they are registered). All of the sections of the Health Pro- tection and Workplace Monitoring agreement must be complied with so that our members are protected and the workplace is evaluated continu- ally to ensure that protection. IWA-CANADA members are urged to contact their Local Safety & Health Director if any questions or concerns are raised in the workplace regarding the use or misuse of sapstain chemi- cals. The Health Protection & Work- place Monitoring committee must maintain continual two-way commu- nication with Local Unions, in order to make the program work. Until we can achieve our goal of zero chemical exposure in our work- places, the Health Protection & Work- place Monitoring agreement will assist us in achieving the best protec- tion possible for workers exposed to anti-sapstain chemicals. LUMBERWORKER/JULY, 1990/11