Rann _

AAAs

© IWA-CANADA president Jack Munro and Pulp, Paper and Woodworkers of Canada president Stan Shewaga were two of the sig-
natories to a “Peace in the woods” agreement. The agreement was also signed by seven environmental groups.

Unionists and environmental groups
vow to end confrontation in woods

VANCOUVER, BC. — On October
10, IWA-CANADA President Jack
Munro sat down with leaders of other
unions and environmental groups here
to sign an historic “Peace in the
Woods” Agreement, which will hope-
fully put an end to confrontation in
the forests of B.C.

The agreement signed by IWA-
CANADA, the CPU, PPWC, United
Fisherman and Allied Workers Union,
Sierra Club of Western Canada, West-
ern Canada Wilderness Committee,
Greenpeace Foundation of Canada,
the Valhalla Society, Earthlife Can-
ada, Canadian Parks and Wilderness
Tourism Council, is seen by both
unions and environmentalists as an
important step in developing dialogue
to protect both jobs and the environ-
ment.

“Everyone recognizes that the for-
est industry is the engine of the econ-
omy and will continue to generate the
bulk of the province’s wealth,” said
Brother Munro.

Munro said that unions are trying
to demonstrate to environmental
groups that their concerns are under-
stood and that the general public is
tired of listening to extremists, on one
side or the other.

All groups have agreed to support a
“British Columbia Jobs and Environ-
ment Forest Committee” in order to
develop further dialogue. Both sides
recognize that there are representa-
tive ecosystems that have to be pro-
tected while maintaining and enhanc-
ing job creation through intensive
forest management and a higher
value-added production strategy.

Ina press release Munro noted that
“Instead of properly managing our
forests, for more than a decade this
government [the Socred government]
has pitted one group of people against
another. Our forests have been badly
mishandled. Even the Ministry of
Forests and Forest Resources Com-
mission state this.”

“There is a crisis in the forests,”
added Munro. “Our industry has
already experienced mill closures and
job losses due to forest mismanage-
ment and unless the people of the

province get together to change
things now, our communities and our
forests will be endangered.”

Joe Foy, representative of the West-
ern Canadian Wilderness Committees
said: “From now on it’s jobs and envi-
ronment. We all want quality forests
and future employment.”

The committee will be made up of
representatives of the four unions and
four environmental organizations.

Ric Careless, executive director of
the B.C. Wilderness Tourism Council,
an organization concerned with the
protection of land and water sectors
within the tourism industry, said that
“we can replace confrontation with
cooperation.”

Norm McClellan, regional vice-
president of the Canadian Paper-
workers’ Union, said that the agree-
ment was “a long time coming.” He
said that there are differences between
unions on forestry issues and differ-
ences amongst environmental groups.
He also said that all parties will have
to work hard to bring about success.

Vicki Husband, conservation chair
of the Sierra Club of Western Canada
said that the Accord signing was the
first step in an ongoing process.

“Cooperation is the key and we
don’t want the future to be like the
past,” said Ms. Husband.

“The phoney split between jobs and
the environment must end,” said
George Smith, National Conservation
Director for the Canadian Parks and
Wilderness Tourism Council. Smith
said that all sides need aggressive
leadership in seeking cooperation and
ending confrontation.

The signatories have agreed to meet
as a committee at a future date in
order to maintain peace in the woods
and create a common front approach
to jobs and environmental issues.

Brother Munro called the agree-
ment a “major statement” by key
players in the jobs and environment.
debate. He said “we're very pleased to
be part of it.”

The agreement came on the heels of
the “South Island Forest Accord”
which saw IWA Local 1-80 and a

caucus of environmental groups come
toa mutual statement on the environ-
ment and economy.

On September 6, Local 1-80 and the
Sierra Club of Western Canada, the
Carmanah Forestry Society, Friends
of the Carmanah, the Western Can-
ada Wilderness Committee, and the
Environmental Youth Alliance signed
the Accord following a marathon ses-
sion which saw the development of
the declaration.

“Our economy and our environment
are in a state of crisis and loggers and
environmental groups have to find
common ground in order to provide
creative solutions,” said Local 1-80
president Bill Routley.

“The main purpose of the 12 hours
it took us to put this thing together
was to find where that common
ground lies,” said Routley. “We know
that there are issues on which we can’t
agree, but we want to isolate those
issues that allow us to work together.”

The Accord stated that “Wilder-
ness preservation is not the greatest
threat to forest industry jobs. How-
ever preservation could worsen an
already bleak situation unless drastic
changes are made now.”

In mid-September, IWA-CANADA's
National Executive Board concurred
with Local 1-80’s Forestry and Envi-

’ Unions are demon-
strating that concerns
of environmental

groups are understood

and that jobs are a
priority at all times

ronment Department in the develop-
ment of the South Island Accord.

On October 9, TWA Local 1-405
signed a similar agreement called the
“West Kootenay Forest Accord” along
with representative from the Cana-
dian Labour Congress, the WCWC,
the Lassa Action Group, the Valhalla
Society, Red Mountain Residents —
Association, Slocan Valley Watershed
Alliance, West Arm Watershed Alli-
ance, and the British Columbia Gov-
ernment’s Employees Union.

Klaus Offermann, first vice-presi-
dent of Local 1-405 said there's a
willingness by labour and environ-
mentalists to work together to
develop a consensus on how forests
should be used.

In the separate agreements signed
by Local 1-80 and 1-405 all parties
demand that complete social biophys-
ical inventory of forest lands be made
and that job creation strategies be
developed to offset potential job losses
from the protection of additional
areas.

All parties a; that the reason for
harvesting the forests is to create long
term community stability.

The Accords call for better forest
use and job creation through environ-
mentally appropriate logging sys-
tems, value-added saaanearie as
intensive silviculture, commercial
thinning, land and habitat restora-
tion, old growth forest research, and
ecotourism.

The Accords also include a call fora
ban on the exports of logs and cants,
greater community involvement in
decision making, and the settlement,
of Native Land Claims.

Koolatron

Continued from page fifteen

Koolatron’s markets, in order of
importance, are the United States,
Canada, Europe and Asia.

In addition to the regular cooler
line, the company is looking at custom
work such as products for the medical
profession (ie. serum refrigeration

. units). Added custom work will pro-

vide stability for the 40 regular em-
ployees. In peak seasons, to meet
demand, Koolatron employs up to 100
workers in the assembly plant.

Part of the job at the plant includes
working with chemical substances
such as toxic isocynates, cellulose
solvents, and methy] ethal keytones.

To ensure that workers are properly
trained in the handling of the toxins,
Koolatron now runs a proper isosyn-
ate monitoring pro} which in-
cludes the twice-yearly medical exam-
ination of employees who work
directly with isocynatic foam insula-
tion. There is also annual monitoring
of any of those who come in contact
with the foam.

All new employees are instructed
through WHMIS procedure, given
basic information on all chemicals in
the plant, and then given in-depth
training on the specific chemicals in
their work areas.

The company’s willingness to give
thorough training to all emp! is
further evidence that labour relations

are still on the upswing.

reece
16/LUMBERWORKER/NOVEMBER, 1991