Talks between the B.C. Government and Ottawa over the amount of money to be put into a new federal-provincial reforestation agreement are stalling further agreements in other parts of Canada. The B.C. government is trying to negotiate a five year Forest Resources Development Agree- ment (FRDA) between itself and the Feds, which would renew the 5-year, $300 FRDA that expired at the end of March this year. B.C.’s forest minister Claude Richmond says the province is seeking a 50:50 sharing stay plan ona new $400 million deal which is designed to deal with nearly 437,000 hectares of non-sufficiently restocked forest lands. But federal Minister of State for forestry Frank Oberle says that B.C. will have to foot more than 50% of any agreement to be signed. Therefore the governments are stuck in an argument over the fundings formula and amounts. Oberle says he doesn’t want to negotiate similar deals in Ontario, Quebec or the prairie provinces until the FRDA with B.C. is settled. The federal government settled FRDA’s with Nova Scotia and New Brunswick early in the year. In mid-July Richmond announced that B.C. would spend $50 million to help plant 36 million Federal forestry funds missing seedlings. The spending was actually a repeat announcement of spending plans in the province's April budget. The expired 5 year FRDA has been hailed by officials from both governments as nearly meeting or exceeding all of its planned activities. The majority of funds were used for replanting in burned-out areas, clear cuts, and pest and disease stricken forests. B.C.’s new request for a $400 million FRDA is significantly less than its $700 million demand stated prior to the expiry of the last deal. Despite the federal government’s rhetoric that it supports reforestation and sustainable develop- . ment, it has slashed payments to regional devel- opment agencies which provide the lion’s share of FRDA funds. B.C. Premier Bill Vander Zalm has said that any cuts to federal money for reforestation will justify BC. in backing out of further commitments. Meanwhile, in B.C. nurseries, more than 38 million seedlings have been sown in anticipation of the agreement which has not been signed. John Cuthbert, the province’s chief forester, has said that Ottawa will put up only $100 million in a deal. He's also said B.C. would go for a shorter term agreement with a higher level of spending if the feds met the 50:50 commitment. sid BES ONS oR ‘THEY'RE IN THE UNION NOW — and are proud mem! to right are Barry Purdy, Bob Booth, and Chris Elias, employees of Brink’s Armoured Car Ltd. Earlier this year 80 workers at the Brink's ATM and Armoured Car Division joined the IWA and are now seeking a first contract. MACBLO UNDER THE MICROSCOPE On the west coast of Vancouver Island, MacMillan Bloedel’s logging practices are under close scrutiny (right) while a task force helps decide Clayoquot Sound's fu- ture development p.8 NDP GAINING MOMENTUM New Democrats won an election in On- tario, became the opposition in Manitoba, and are poised for a win in B.C. p. 2, 16, Editorial Free trade hits furniture industry As a result of the soaring Canadian dollar, high interest rates, and declin- ing tariffs on furniture from U.S. com- petitors, the furniture manufacturing sector has taken a nosedive. Since the CANADA-US. Free Trade Agreement was proclaimed law in Jan- uary of 1989, twenty-five furniture manufacturing companies have de- clared bankruptcy and thirty-one companies have either reduced, aban- doned, or completely closed out pro- duction, according to figures supplied by the Canadian Council of Furniture Manufacturers. Caught up in the economic upheaval are over 300 members of IWA-CAN- ADA Local 1-500. On July 20, 113 union members permanently lost their jobs at the Andrew Malcolm furniture plant in Listowel, about 25 miles northwest of Kitchener. One hundred local union members have been effected by the bankruptcy proceedings against Deilcraft Furni- ture Co. Ltd.’s plant in the village of Milverton, north of Orangeville. The local union entered into an interim agreement in mid-July to keep the Deilcraft plant operational while outstanding orders for products were met. National fourth vice-president Bill Pointon says: “Since the emergence of the free trade agreement there has been a helluva lot of nervousness in the industry. The proposed goods and services tax is going to further punish the sector.” The Milverton operation produces high quality dining room and entrance furniture. “We have to go along with the creditor and just hope that there’s a slim chance somebody might buy the operation,” says local 1-500 president Bruce Weber. Deilcraft also declared bankruptcy at its giant Kitchener-Waterloo opera- tion which employs 350 workers. The shutdown of Andrew Malcolm furniture, owned by Simmons Ltd., a subsidiary of the U.S.-based furniture giant Simmons Co. of Atlanta, is a signal that the company is moving completely out of the wood furniture business in Canada. In August of 1989 Simmons also pulled the plug on 89 local 1-500 mem- bers at its Selig sofa bed plant in Elora. The union resisted company Continued on page 2 Convention meets September 24-28 As this issue of the Lumberworker goes to press, over 200 delegates from six provinces are in attendance at the Fourth Constitution Convention of IWA - CANADA in Vancouver, British Columbia. Forestry, environment and land-use issues are expected to be the main topics discussed at the convention. During the convention, nomina- tions for positions of national office will be made. A feature report on the proceedings will appear in the November issue of the Lumberworker.