Local 1-367 Continued from page 6 LOCAL BIG ON EDUCATION The local union strongly supports education programs sponsored by the New Westminster and District Lab- our Council and the Canadian Labour Congress. Several times, at the local union’s expense, CLC seminars have been sponsored in smaller communities to help smaller union affiliates receive educational training as well. In the spring of this year, Local 1-367 sent the most delegates of any IWA local to the CLC Winter School in Harrison Hot Springs, B.C. In-house shop steward seminars lasting 1 or 2 days are held annually to keep plant committee up to date on solving problems. An annual joint union-management safety conference is also held for the local membership. Each year a com- mittee from a different plant orga- nizes and conducts the event, which stresses education and awareness. © At the Fletcher Challenge Hammond Cedar planermill is trim saw operator Gurmit Chutai. ISSUES FACING LOCAL “Log supply is the single biggest issue facing us today,” says Brother Tones. The local union president says log exports, overcutting, the chipping of sawlogs, and native land claims all directly have had an effect on log supply. Timber supply in the Southern Interior (Lillooet/Merritt/Lytton tri- angle) is rapidly disappearing. The Stein River Valley, the largest unlogged watershed in southwestern BC., has not been touched by forest companies as native and environmen- tal groups have called for a complete moratorium on any logging activity. The local has avoided getting into a scrap over the issue. Brother Tones says that the union will not allow itself to be pulled into a fight over the area. “We need to deal with native land claims on a rational basis in direct negotiations with the government.” He says that the government needs to act to establish what is and what isn’t the ‘working forest.’ e Joan Good carefully prepares a seed- ling block at Pelton Reforestation in Maple Ridge. Forest Resources Commission issues recommendations Despite the fact that the issue of native land claims was not part of the mandate of the British Columbia For- est Resources Commission hearings held this past Spring, the Commis- sion has informed the government, in an interim report, that concerns over the issue are widespread. On August 27, Forests Minister Claude Richmond released the interim report and recommendations, which also express concern over the lack of inventories on forest values in the province, lack of public information and public education on the under- standing of the importance of the resource industries, and the improper functioning of Timber Supply Area Steering Committees. The four issues clearly emerged before the FRC during more than 1,700 submissions in a province-wide series of public meetings. The report states that native land claims are creating a high level of uncertainty over Crown lands in the province. According to the report: “As most of these are provincial forests, the outstanding land claims are affecting forest producers. Forest companies, for example, are thinking twice about investments that have long payback periods. This is particularly true in terms of silviculture.” Communities have expressed con- cern over their long term stability while workers are concerned over their economic well-being in relation to the settlement of land claims,” says the report. According to the commission, the majority of submissions called for direct negotiation of land claims between the federal, provincial gov- ernments, and native peoples. There's a serious lack of inventory information on a full range of forest values according to the FRC. The report expresses special con- cern over the absence of standardized inventory information and lack of compatibility of such information now processed by provincial ministries. As a result of the interim report, Richmond has ordered Ministry of Forests’ staff to consult with other ministries over creating inventory systems that have greater compati- bility than those now used. The FRC says integrated inventory information is when more than one forest value is taken into consider- ation in forest/land-base decisions. The commission report claims that “there is a woeful lack of understand- ing of the importance of the resource © Left to right are commission chairman “Sandy” Peel and member Bob Rodgers, former B.C. lieutenant-governor. industry to British Columbia and of the practices that are carried out in managing those resources.” It says a greater emphasis is required throughout the education system to inform students about the importance of resources, especially forests and the social structure and economy of B.C. During the submissions the com- mission heard complaints about Tim- ber Supply Area Steering Commit- tees. The public, according to the report, is witnessing a lack of man- agement commitment and represen- tation from interest groups other than companies and staff of the Ministries of Forests and Environment. The FRC believes the Ministry of Forests should take immediate action to change the structure and improve the workings of the TSA steering committees. Other major recommendations from the FRC are expected early next year. Domtar workers back after lengthy strike WHITE RIVER, ONTARIO — Union members at Domtar’s sawmill and bush operations here got together to support a back to work plan in early August which ended a four month multe: As of August 20, 131 IWA Local 1-2693 millworkers were back on the job and in solid support of fellow workers who were going to be disci- plined by the employer for picket line activity. The deal struck by the union saw suspensions to be dealt out by the company eo in half alone ue BR agreement that any such sus| would subsequently be erased from. the workers’ records. Seven union members were charged e Striker commemorates long strike with Domtar. earlier in the strike by Domtar for alleged picket line activity. During the strike the company incited ten- sion on the picket line by hiring 26 security guards and attack dogs to intimidate the picketers. “Our strategy was that we would get back to work and have some of our members sit out the half of the measly penalties imposed by the company,” said Local president Fred Miron. The millworkers and 140 union log- gers got together and took up a collec- tion to reimburse their fellow workers for lost wages. “The company’s plan backfired,” added Brother Miron. “The workers really go back with a clear record and financial support from our members.” The three-year collective agree- ment, which will expire at the end of August, 1992, will see the millworkers get a $2.00 per hour wage increase and a paid educational leave provision. The sawmill agreement follows a pattern set by other IWA operations in northern Ontario. Wage and contract demands are set by conferences held under the auspices of the Northern Ontario District Council (an affilia- tion of Local 1-2693 and Local 1-2995 in northeastern Ontario). As this issue goes to press, the Domtar bushworkers will be trying to renew their collective agreement. Brother Miron says that the union will be setting the pattern for future talks in the northern Ontario logging industry. a eee ee ne —————————————— SESE LUMBERWORKER/SEPTEMBER, 1990/15