5 Local 1-700 reaches two year deal WESTON, ONTARIO — It’s been a long, hard grind for workers at_ the Moyer Vico School and Office Sup- plies plant here but a 21 hour mara- thon negotiation session on June 10th finally resulted in marked contract improvements for 34 workers. fine meetings, and seven months - after negotiations to renew a contract began, the union beat back any threat of concessions and has negotiated sizeable wage increases. Early in the negotiations the com- pany hinted at concessions and, as the months passed, things didn’t change much. “At one point in the negotiations the company brought in a new lawyer to negotiate and things were going backwards for awhile,” said Tom Lowe, National Service Representa- tive of IWA - CANADA. By the ninth meeting in June, which was in mediation, the parties had put language issues to bed along with some of the monetary issues. After the marathon bargaining session wrapped up, the union had won a range of wage increases over a two year deal of between 4.5% to 20.4% on a base rate of $8.25/hr. The wage increases, retroactive to January 1st, 1991 effected such cate- gories as carousel operator, shipper/ receiver, van driver, checker/clerk, and packer/order filler and stock handler. @ At the Moyer-Vico school and office supplies plant are (I. to r.) receiver Desmond Sallick, sub-local chairperson Jurdine Hamilton, and IWA National service representative Tom Lowe. “It was a hard battle but it was worth it,” says Local 1-700 President Tony Iannucci. “I’m very pleased with the turn of events.” Sub-Local plant chairperson, Jur- dine Hamilton, said “I’m elated, team- work was the most important factor all around.” Contract language improvements include compensation for negotiating committee members up to and includ- ing conciliation and union representa- tion for summer workers (ie. stu- dents). Other improvements were made in the areas of job postings, leave of absences, temporary trans- fers, lay-off notices, and second shift premiums. For negotiating team member Soorsatic Lachminarayon, the negoti- ation process was something new. “This is my first experience and it was very difficult,” said Sister Lachminarayon. “However, I’m quite happy with the agreement and would do it all over again.” The negotiating committee also came away with some improvements in fringe benefits. The company will now pay 100% of premiums for Accidental Death and Dismember- ment and Long Term Disability insurance. Weekly Indemnity was increased and improvements were also made to the dental and pension plans. Brother Lowe, who chaired the negotiating committee, says he received excellent support from the local union members. “They cared enough about people to really tough things out over a long period. Their commitment ensured the success of negotiations.” Furniture component mill killed by FTA BURKS FALLS, ONTARIO — Just as opponents of the CANADA-US. Free Trade Agreement (FTA) might have nervously predicted more Cana- dian jobs are disappearing for good. Here in this north-central Ontario town of 1,000 people, 150 miles north of Toronto, 56 IWA-CANADA Local 1-1000 members are out on the streets after their employer Thompson- Heyland Ltd. went into receivership. That happened on May 1, and since then the unemployed workers have been scrapping to get backpay, holi- day pay, and a severance allowance. The workers are joining the thou- sands of Canadians who have lost their jobs since the FTA was signed in January of 1989. Thompson-Heyland operated a dimensional furniture component mill which supplied various furniture man- ufacturers with some processed mate- rials. In the nearly 2 1/2 years since the FTA took effect the Canadian _ furniture manufacturing sector has ___ Asa result the company’s produc- tion which supplied customers with such products as dimension stock edge glued solid wood moul: : panels, and machined furniture com- _ ponents suffered a downturn which it _ could not recover from. Local 1-1000 president Joe da Costa says “the furniture industry has gone in this country.” tele Brother da Costa also puts a large of the blame on the high n dollar and high interest which have made competing Se @ Local 1-1000 member Anne Wylie, a chopsaw operator, joined her fellow workers a the unemployment lines in May. with U.S.-based goods an impossible task for many in the furniture industry. Three successive years of declining tariffs on U.S. furniture imports and home furnishings have knocked the starch out of the Canadian producers’ ability to cone and the ripple effect has been felt in Burks Falls. Since the FTA was signed duties totalling 9% have been removed from American imports. This has brought many American compe store to the market while scores of Canadian pro- ducers have been going through layoffs and plant closures. The day before the closure an- nouncement, mill manager Bill Allen said that things were getting tough, pat the plant would continue opera- ra The Union's collective agreement with Thompson-Heyland expired on December 7, 1990, and the two sides met three times to discuss contract issues. Subsequently the Union agreed to postpone contract talks to allow the company some breathing room. Sub-local union chairman Bob Starr said the closure and receivership announcement came out of nowhere. _ “They just said ‘don’t bother com- ing in to work’,” said Brother Starr. Since that time, Starr and the local union has been trying to get their fair shake out of the company’s owners. Eventually the receiver, Price Waterhouse, gave each employee 2 weeks pay, which is the minimum allowed under the Ontario Employ- ment Standards Act. _ Inthe meantime the local union has applied to the provincial Ministry of Labour’s Wage Protection Act to recoup loss wages, vacation pay,.and a severance package. The Act, which has yet to be put into law, will retroac- tively ensure proper settlement of out- standing issues with employees. Thompson-Heyland was under the control of a large holding company linked to Kroehler Furniture and Dylex Inc. The wage protection legis- lation will force Thompson-Heyland’s controllers to live up to their financial responsibilities to the unemployed. Canada Manpower and the Ontario Ministry of Labour have kicked in $50,000 to help the workers set up a job search centre. Six people are on the committee along with a consul- tant as chairman. So far the committee has been con- tacting other employers outside of Burks Falls and some workers are getting job interviews. As part of the job funding program the committee is looking at referring workers to local colleges or high schools for vocational ‘irother Starr says that rother says that many peo- ple may be able to find a job within a 25-80 mile radius of town and that some people will probably have to leave town to find work. LUMBERWORKER/AUGUST, 1991/13 YS) TSUVUAVREAROWASE AU GANT