Union slams decision

on Moresby compensation

A joint federal-provincial commit-
tee which has been overseeing the
compensation of forest workers after
the 1987 formation of South Moresby
National park, has refused to com-
pensate 24 IWA-CANADA Local 1-71
workers laid off at Sewell Inlet.

The decision, made on October 26,
by the South Moresby Forestry Com-
pensation Committee, means that fed-
eral Minister of Environment Robert
de Cotre and BC. forests minister
Claude Richmond, have concluded
that compensation to the workers is
unwarranted.

The decision provoked a joint tele-
gram from IWA-CANADA president
Jack Munro and Rodger Manning,
president of Western Forest Products
(the company affected by the creation
of the South Moresby park), which
said “Canadians should not and will
not accept this callous double dealing
from their elected representatives.”

Copies of the telegram, which were
sent to Prime Minister Brian Mul-
roney, B.C. Premier Bill Vander Zalm,
de Cotre, Richmond, and various
other federal and provincial cabinet
ministers, said both governments
must honour their promises made to
loggers without delay.

“All through the South Moresby
debate, the responsible politicians,
including Ministers, from both levels
of government, made promises that if
jobs were lost as a result of the park
there would be fair compensation,”
read the telegram.

Local 1-71 Business agent Bob
Freer says the decision is a betrayal of
the public as well as the forest
workers.

“Before the establishment of the
pete the government said that the
loggers would be fully compensated,”
says Brother Freer. “The public sup-
ported the government's actions on

that basis. Now they (the govern-
ment) have turned around and
betrayed the public by ignoring the
needs of workers.”

Brother Freer warns that the deci-
sion, unless reversed, could set a dan-
gerous precedent for future set asides
to active forest lands.

The formation of the South Moresby
Park, the southern most portion of
the Queen Charlotte Islands includes
some 138 islands covering 1,470
square kilometres.

In July, 1987, after several years of
lobbying by preservationists and high
profile politicians, a memorandum of
understanding creating the park was
signed by Ottawa and B.C.

Creation of the park removed 73%
of the annual allowable cut on West-
ern Forest Products tree farm license.
The cut dropped from 432,000 cubic
meters annually to 115,000 cubic
meters: All logging activity on Lyell
Island, where employees of Frank
Beban Logging worked, ceased imme-
diately in favour of the park proposal.

Sixty-seven workers at Beban’s
were subsequently paid an enhanced
severance settlement of about $13,500
each.

The reduced annual cut had a dras-
tic effect on logging operations at
nearby Sewell Inlet. By the end of
October, 1988, 71 workers at Sewell
Inlet lost their jobs, some employees
of whom had up to 14 years seniority.

IWA members working for Western
Forest Products, GLM Falling and
Roy Saunders Trucking were affected
by the layoffs.

Despite the establishment of a $31
million compensation fund struck to

payoff Western Forest Products and
MacMillan Bloedel, which also had
cutting rights in the Moresby area,
workers at Sewell Inlet have been
offered nothing.

Munro calls for action
in meeting with PM

In a meeting with Prime Minister,
Brian Mulroney in Vancouver on Octo-
ber 22nd, IWA-CANADA Jack Munro
and other labour and business leaders
expressed their concerns over the
nation’s recessionary economy. Mul-
roney was in British Columbia on one
of his rare visits.

@ During the meeting Brother Munro
to

Id the PM that in addition to lower-
ing interest rates and ceasing the
propping up of the Canadian dollar,
he must take immediate action to
dampen the effects of the recession.

Munro suggested that the federal

vernment convene two task forces,
‘one to study various options to lessen
the effects of the Memorandum of
Understanding with the United
States, and one to play a role in
bringing about a renewal of the Forest
Resources Development. Agreement
between Ottawa and British Colum-
bia.

In 1986 u, eU was peeotisied

i aused a 15% export tax
Sea lumber exports to the US.
Later, in British Col jumbia, that tax
was replaced by a new stumpage and
royalty system.

‘These replacement measures, ac-
cording to Munro, are compounding
the problems of high interest rates, an
over-valued Canadian dollar, and a
soft market for wood products.

‘The union president has asked for a
than four or five

ee es ancl ina lor2
gs should

stress a search for options rather than
a specific action plan.

Munro told Mulroney that the fed-
eral government’s current offer of $100
million over five years for a FRDA
renewal is well below the amount nego-
tiated in the first agreement and that
it pales in comparison with the
amount of tax revenue that the forest
industry generates.

Mulroney was reminded that the
forest industry is the nation’s single
largest generator of foreign exchange
on a net basis.

Munro said “such levels of activity
justify looking hard to provide new
approaches for a FRDA renewal.” He
suggested that the FRDA task force
be small and report back in a short
time frame.

IWA-CANADA is prepared to partic-
ipate on both task forces.

Ina follow-up letter to Mulroney on
October 26th, Munro said that cur-
rent conditions require an immediate
response from the government. “It is
clear that the alternative, doing noth-
ing, will only increase the hardships
that woodworkers have been endur-
ing,” wrote Munro.

The union leader also wrote B.C.
Premier Bill Vander Zalm, requesting
support for the initiative.

“Woodworkers, their families and
their communities are starting to feel
the pinch. Allowing that to continue
is totally unacceptable and both lev-
els of government must consider any
and all options that could alleviate
that problem,” Munro informed the
premier.

© IWA’s Neil Menard (r.)

Varin une

Photo by Jim Stimson.

bide:

ins EAP consultant James Wrich to become one of this
year's inductees into the EAP Hall of Fame. Brother Menard is only the second labour
person in North America to receive the honour.

National officer elected
to EAP Hall of Fame

IWA-CANADA’s National Second
Vice-President, Neil Menard is now a
Hall of Famer. In August, Brother
Menard received the honour at the 7th
Annual North American Congress on
Employee Assistance Program in Hal-
ifax, Nova Scotia.

The award recognizes distinguished
leadership, outstanding contributions
and pioneering accomplishments in
the field of Employee Assistance Pro-
grams. Menard becomes the second
labour representative in North Amer-
ica to receive the honour.

Brother Menard’s nomination for
the Hall of Fame was made in January
of this year by Ray Smith, President
and Chief Executive of MacMillan
Bloedel Ltd. and Jim Stimson, Direc-
tor of the Employee and Family Assis-
tance Program at MB.

Thenominators acknowledged that
“Neil has assisted and continues to
assist other unions, encouraging the
setting aside of differences between
union and management and focusing

on the value of working together for
the betterment of all employees,
unions, employee groups, employers,
families and communities.”

The nomination from Smith and
Stimson acknowledged that Menard’s
many years of contributions to the
EAP field have made him unique
among Canadian labour leaders.

“From a union side the IWA has
been the catalyst for the development
of the Employee and Family Assis-
tance as we know it in Canada,” said
Mr. Stimson in an interview.

“Without Neil’s personal involve-
ment and commitment it is very
doubtful that the EFAP we have
today would be in existence. Employ-
ers and other unions are very aware of
that fact.”

Brother Menard has, since the late
70’s helped convince IWA executives
and executive members of the union’s
locals across Canada to cooperate
with management and accept the
value of EAPs.

JMB announces future
plywood mill closure

PORT ALBERNI, B.C. — In a long
anticipated announcement, MacMil-
lan Bloedel has notified Local 1-85
that it intends to close operations at
its 350 man plywood plant here. The
announcement made on November 5,
did not indicate when the company
would be shutting down the fir ply-
wood facility which has been in opera-
tion for over 48 years.

Local 1-85 president Earl Foxcroft
says the union is demanding that
MacMillan Bloedel maintain employ-
ment in the Alberni Valley. Both sides
have agreed to jointly review the com-
pany’s reasons for the closure an-
nouncement.

MacMillan Bloedel says deteriorat-
ing prices for plywood have made the
mill's continuance non viable. In addi-
tion, U.S. plywood has flooded Mac-
Millan Bloedel's traditional domestic
markets.

“We weren’t surprised by the
announcement,” says Brother Fox-
croft. “We now have to work hard
looking for alternatives to create
employment.”

Foxcroft says MacMillan Bloedel
must look at utilizing the wood fibre
more fully and start to create some

jobs in intensive silviculture.

Several committees have been
struck to look into alternative em-
ployment creation.

Some strategies the committees
will be examining are added value
lumber remanufacturing, (i.e., kiln
drying, finger joining, planing,
remanufacturing) a new configuration
for the plywood plant, and custo-
mized cutting for the Japanese mar-
ket. Such strategies will goa long way
to creating stable employment.

After completing their studies the
committees will report to a central
committee consisting of local union
officers and MacMillan Bloedel staff.

Foxcroft says more jobs should be
created in Tree Farm License 44.
“There is no question that there’s
silviculture work that has to be done,”
says the local union president. “By
increasing silviculture MacMillan
Bloedel can enhance the future
forests.”

In addition to developing alterna-
tive employment strategies to main-
tain employment a special committee
to oversee severance packages and
pension bridging is now functioning.

LUMBERWORKER/NOVEMBER, 1990/3