4 ‘a Local 1-2693 heats back concessions in logging with tough strike action employees in debt to the tune of hun- dreds of thousands of dollars, then they’ve got us over a barrel.” McIntyre says its unlikely that an owner/operator would ever vote to strike for better wages or conditions if they were indebted to a bank or Finance company over equipment. About four hundred and fifty wood- workers at 7 Kimberley-Clark opera- tions got a 3 year pattern agreement in January, giving them an 85¢ hour, 5¢%, 5¢% increase. Fortunately no strike was neces- sary to get the company to retreat on its attempts to push back the job security letter of agreement which specifies that the union workers will provide at least 50% of the logs to the company’s Terrace Bay operation. Kimberly-Clark’s logging opera- tions are spread out between Terrace Bay, Nakina, Geraldton, and Longlac. The union had to strike Abitibi- Price on February 4, as 200 loggers hit the bricks over job security/wood sup- ply issues. The workers from Abitibi-Price’s Lakehead Woodlands Division, will remain out until the employer with- draws its concessionary demands. Abitibi-Price has 3 pulp mills in the Thunder Bay area. Local union officials are scratching their heads at Abitibi-Price’s insis- tence on demanding concessions since the company settled contracts peace- fully at its logging operation north of © Giant Koering Waterhaus feller forwarder at Canadian Pacific Forest Products bush operation north of Thunder Bay. Major forest companies have been trying to get employees to purchase equipment but union-has said no. THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO — For- est Industry employers in Northern Ontario have come out swinging for concessions during the past 5 months and IWA-CANADA has put its foot down. Here at Local 1-2693, local union president Wilf McIntyre says the major forest companies, E.B. Eddy, Kimberley-Clark, Abitibi-Price, and Canadian Pacific have all demanded concessions at the table which would destroy union job security. The companies all, at various times and with various tactics, have de- manded that union bushworkers pur- chase company equipment to become owner/operators and give up their security clauses which specify that they are guaranteed work to provide a certain minimum percentage of acom- pany’s fibre supply. These unreasonable demands have resulted in two strikes as of press time. Currently on strike at E.B. Eddy Forest Products Company are 300 members who have been on the line since January 14. The workers, who supply the company’s Espinola Paper Mill and Nairns Sawmill with logs, walked out over the owner/operator issue. The company wanted the union members to purchase some of E.B. Eddy’s bush equipment to become owner operators. Brother McIntyre says the IWA is taking a firm position against the move by the employer. “We don’t agree with the owner/ operators,” explains Brother McIn- tyre. “Once the company gets the Cochrane, Ontario and Pine Falls‘log- ging operation north of Winnipeg. The settlement north of Cochrane (Abitibi Camp #34), signed in Decem- ber, 1990 set the wage pattern agree- ment for the IWA logging sector in northern Ontario. Local 1-2995 (Kap- uskasing) set that pattern (see this page) which all other agreements will try to match, replacing the last con- tract which expired at the end of August, 1990. Most bushworkers were layed off in the summer as the companies were struck by the pulp unions. As this issue goes to press Local 1-2995 is talking contract with Cana- dian Pacific Forest Products over sim- ilar issues. The union represents over 800 workers at C.P. Abitibi bushworkers set wage pattern On December 4, IWA Local 1-2995 bushworkers at Abitibi-Price Camp #34, north of Cochrane, Ontario ratified a 3 year collective agreement which set the wage pattern for such future agreements in the unionized logging sector in northern Ontario. The agreement, which will see the base rate climb to $19.10 hour in September of 1992, was ratified by 69% of voting members. A negotiating team of local union Qe :sicent Norman Rivard, head stew- a rd Jean Guy Oudet, Dominique Allaire, Roger Larose, and local finan- cial secretary Marcel Lacroix achieved improvements in non-wage areas as well. Life insurance will increase from $40,000 to $50,000 per member and Long Term Disability coverage will increase to 55% of earnings from 50%. The pension plan arrangement which gives an employee the option of matching the company’s contribution, will be increased from $45 per month to $55. If that amount is matched by the worker, then another $55 will be contributed by Abitibi for a potential contribution of $165 per employee per month, The union also gained early retire- ment incentive language which will benefit those who retire between the ages of 58-64. Those who decide to retire will receive an additional $800 per month and shall retain the full benefit package. For the first time the bushworkers will also be beneficiaries of a vision care program which will provide them with $75 for eyeglasses over a 24 month period. During negotiations the company dropped demands to introduce pri- vately owned machines into the bush operations. The local union beat back the demand, which could have caused problems as far as contracting out is concerned. Abitibi employs about 175 bush workers at Camp #34, Over 75% of the workers live in Northern Quebec. © At Abitibi camp #34 is delimber operator Marcellain Perron. LUMBERWORKER/FEBRUARY, 1991/11