Hardwoods offer hope for plywood plant in timber crunch HUDSON BAY, SASKATCHE- WAN — Although markets for spruce plywood have been fluctuat- ing alot during the recession, work- ers at Saskatchewan Forest Pro- ducts plywood mill have been work- ing fairly steady over the past two years, In June of 1990 the town suffered a major setback when Simpson Timber Company, a Seattle based forest company, closed its stud mill, eliminating 165 IWA jobs and 400- 450 bush jobs. Since then times have been extremely tough, so the plywood mill’s steady operation is esperately needed to keep the town alive. One hundred and sixty-five IWA Local 1-184 members are employed at the mill which produces spruce plywood sheathing sold exclusively in Canada. Markets for the product are in eastern Canada and Saskatchewan. Since the plywood is sold domestically, the plant has been unaffected by the U.S. soft- wood tariff. In November of 1991 a new $1.4 million lathe system was introduced which can handle over 2,500 logs in an 8 hour shift, thus boosting the mill’s efficiency. SaskFor operates 2 complete 5 hour shifts throughout the plant and an additional grave- yard shift on the dryers. Thé crown corporation has spent money modernizing the electric dry- ers, sheet turners and lathes in the last 4 years. Now the major concern is over timber supply. The average peeler log hitting the lathe this year is only about 11-1/2 inches in diame- ter although the new system can handle up to a 44-inch log. The IWA plant committee, chaired by Kathy Wilson wants better wood utilization. Because there is a short- age of softwood supply in the Hudson Bay area there has to be better use of the existing fibre. Currently, the lathe peels the spruce logs down to a 4-7/8” core. The union is calling for a peeling down to a 8-7/8” which would, according to the IWA’s calculations, provide venéer for 30 days produc- tion annually of 3/8” sheathing. SaskFor is currently shipping the larger size cores for its Carrot River sawmill 80 miles northwest where they are cut into 2x4’s and are chipped for the Weyerhaeuser’s giant pulp mill in Prince Albert. IWA Local 1-184 is trying to get the attention of the NDP govern- ment in Saskatchewan to make IWA says that, among the changes that must be made, hardwood timber eae onlay (above) must be better utilized. © Cold press operator Brenda Troff stands by stack of spruce veneer, the only wood type that the mill handles. some practical recommendations to keep forestry and forest products operations viable in the Hudson Bay area. (see article this page) Bob Cross, a former plant com- mittee member, and local union executive board member, says that the IWA would like to see the mill process hardwoods as well. Up until 1982 the mill peeled and purchased popular plywood which was sold in Canada. The mill also manufactured birch plywood which was successfully sold. “We have the proven ability to manufacture plywood made with hardwoods,” says Brother Cross, a quality control technician. “Now it’s a job to develop markets.” Currently in SaskFor’s Forest Management License Agreement with the government, the company harvests only the softwood trees and leaves the hardwood standing. Hudson Bay’s other major employ- er, the 125 man MacMillan Bloedel Aspenite Division, uses poplar in its manufacture of oriented strand- board. On its FMLA it harvests hardwoods and not softwoods. So there’s a real problem in that both SaskFor and MacBlo need wood from each others claims but can’t get a hold of it. “We feel that this practice has to discontinue,” says Brother Cross. “Tn the negotiations of FMLA’s with MB and SaskFor there has to be a joint agreement reached whereas one company will allow the other to take out either the hardwoods or softwoods that they need.” The local union is critical of cur- rent logging practices which allow for enormous waste of valuable raw materials in bush operations. Local demands changes in forestry practices When the Simpson Timber com- pany pulled out of Hudson Bay lock, stock, and barrel over 2 years ago, the entire community received a rude awakening. In addition to the 165 mill workers and 400-450 bush workers who lost their jobs, the community of Hudson Bay, about 250 miles north of Regina suffered a major economic set back from which it is still trying to recover. For 20 years Simpson high grad- ed and raped the forests of north- eastern Saskatchewan and left town when the good going was gone. When Simpson departed, it left behind dozens of families with out- standing mortgages and no jobs to go to. For many town people who believed that Simpson was a good responsible corporate citizen, the sudden departure from Hudson Bay seemed unbelievable. For those who worked in the forest, the effect was worse. “Up until Simpson Timber left (Hudson Bay) there was a real com- placency with a lot of people in the community,” says Local 1-184 First Vice-President Bob Cross. “No one aid much attention to what was Bppening: in the forests. Many peo- ple thoug! it Simpson would be there forever. Today there is a great deal of con- cern as to where the forest industry in the Hudson Bay area is going. IWA-CANADA Local 1-184 has been active in pushing for funda- mental changes in the way logging and milling is done in the area and wants the NDP government of Saskatchewan to help make changes. On June 24, an IWA delegation of Local 1-184 President Dennis Bonville, National Third Vice- President Warren Ulley, Local 1- 184 Second Vice-President Paul Hallen and Brother Cross met with Saskatchewan’s Minister of Forests Darryl Cunningham and members of the provincial Forest Caucus to express their concerns over the future of forestry in the Hudson Bay area. According to Brother Bonville the meeting went well and the govern- ment seems to realize that there has to be major changes in the way ues are done in the future. e government has received the IWA’s message loud and clear to this point,” says Brother Bonville. “There has to be some changes in logging and forest practices to pre- vent another Simpson like closure.” In a brief presented by Brother Bonville the local union states: “Since the June 1992 closure of Simpson Timber the community of Hudson Bay and surrounding area has suffered a dramatic economic downturn and the uncertainty con- tinues on and on with no govern- ment department, agency or branch seemingly to have the will vision, imagination and knowledge needed to find solutions.” Continued on page eleven