MEXICAN WORKING CLASSES
FALL VICTIM TO TRADE DEAL

Most Mexican workers don't believe a
North American Free Trade Agreement will
help them and are having their social
benefits eliminated during talks says
Mexican unionist (r.) PAGES

BUSH AND MULRONEY PLAY GAMES
WITH SIGNING OF MEXICAN DEAL

A first draft of the NAFTA could be ready [J
next month and neither George Bush or
Mulroney are telling the public when it will
be ratified. paceS Georgina Rangel Martinez

Union applauds
company’s exit

Fletcher Challenge selling out

e LANDING BUCKER BOB FIDLER — trims up a couple of logs as he gets a load ready at
MacMillan Bloedel’s Menzies Bay Division. He is one of 700 [WA Local 1-363 members
in logging operations who work on Vancouver Island. For feature story on Local Union

see pages 6-7,

Contract talks slow

Contract negotiations with major
employers in the B.C. forest industry
are grinding along as employers and
IWA-CANADA representatives seek a
new collective agreement.

At present the negotiation team are
split off into two committees; one to
study the pension plan and one to
examine logging costs on the coast.

‘These committees continue to delib-
erate and will present their findings
to the negotiating table.

The IWA has been without a con-
tract on the coast since June 15, 1991
and June 30 in the northern and south-
ern interiors.

Union Negotiating Committee Jack
Munro says that it’s been a long,
tough grind in the depths of one of the
worst recessions in the history of

i ea? rena

bility in work sched and reduced

logging costs while the Union has dug
in on the need for repair and improve-
ment to the pension plan.

“These are really tough economic
times,” said Munro. “Now we are sit-
ting down with the industry to find
some solutions.”

Munro said there is more economic
pressure on workers now than in the
past and that the Union is striving to
protect workers while helping the
industry to survive.

The contract talks are pointed

towards a multi-year agreement as
pension plan improvements require
long term solutions.
_ The industry has said that it real-
izes that the pension plan has prob-
lems which they are prepared to
address as negotiations continue.

At the present time negotiations
adjourned on December 19, to resume
on January 7, 1992.

s part of its master plan to
pull out of British Columbia,
Fletcher Challenge Canada, a

New Zealand based multi-
national is selling two sawmills and
timber harvesting rights to Interna-
tional Forest Products.

The agreement was given approval-
in-principle by Forests Minister Dan

See Editorial on page 5

Miller in early December which gave
ease to the anxieties of IWA-CANADA
members.

“We. want to ensure the best deal
possible for British
Columbia and for
our forest work-
ers,” said Miller in
a prepared state-
ment. “This pack-
age protects 550
jobs, increases B.C.
ownership, and re-
duces corporate
concentration of
cutting rights.”

In addition to the maintenance of
jobs, Miller set 21 conditions for the
transfers which include the mainte-
nance of prompt reforestation, good
forestry practices, and the sustaining
of current wood flows.

“This transfer is of great concern to
crews working in the affected areas
and I want to stress that Interfor will
maintain Fletcher Challenge’s crews
in milling and wood operations,” said
Miller. “This is very important to the
employment base in the Tofino,
Ucluelet, Port Hardy, Port McNeill
and Bella Coola areas.”

For IWA-CANADA’s Local 1-367
president Dave Tones the proposed
deal is a welcomed development.

“Its a good arrangement for us
because it gives more security to man-
ufacturing plants,” says Tones. “At
least the provincial government has
directly tied timber to sawmills.”

For Brother Tones’ local the mill
that will benefit the most will be
Interfor’s Pioneer Mill which is an old
operation in need of some upgrading
and a secure source of timber.

He says that Fletcher Challenge’s
Hammond Cedar Mill in Maple Ridge
is a solid, modern operation which
should continue to operate over the
long term. 7 2

All together Interfor’s entire mill-
ing capacity is spread out among nine
sawmills along the Fraser River.

Local 1-80 president Bill Routley
says there will be a linkage of fibre
supply to the Fletcher Challenge saw-
mill in Youbou despite the sale of a
portion of Tree Farm License 46.

1,300;

Forest giant has
eliminated over

last three years

The Forest Minister specified that
Fletcher Challenge “will not cause its
timber processing facility at Youbou
to reduce production or to close for a
sustained period of time ...” unless
given permission by the Minister.

Brother Routley says this means
that shutdowns at Youbou may occur
due to market conditions but that
during the shutdowns, the logs des-
tined for Youbou will not be sold on
the open market or sold elsewhere.

In addition the Forest Minister has
waived a contractor clause in Fletcher
Challenge’s remaining part of TFL 46,

which will ensure
that logging jobs
at Port Renfrew
and Caycuse divi-
sion will not be

contracted out by

the parent com-

pany.

A transfer of
some of the forest
license will also oc-
cur in Port Alberni
Local 1-85’s jurisdiction where Presi-
dent Dave Haggard says “we look
forward to dealing with Interfor.”

“Fletcher Challenge was gearing
up to go to non-union contractors in
an area of the TFL,” says Brother
Haggard. “I don’t envision that hap-
pening under Interfor’s parent com-
pany or contractors.”

Loggers Local 1-71 president War-
ren Ulley predicts less labour rela-
tions problems in working with
Interfor.

“Interfor is a B.C. company that
has a stake in the welfare of the
province,” he says. “Any company
that is B.C. owned and operated and
has a solid wood priority is a benefit
for our membership and for the
province.”

The transfer deal had been in the
works since August when then Socred
Forest Minister Claude Richmond
delayed the decision making.

The Socreds had no formal arrange-
ment for decision making and public
review of license transfers.

“The ministry is now developing
policy options and an appropriate pol-
icy is expected to be put into placeina
few months,” said Miller in a prepared
statement.

Brother Routley says such a pro-
cess is needed in the future.

“We believe there should be a fair
and open public process when it comes
to the selling of a TFL in the future,”
says Routley.

obs in