Union has set the pace
for Manitoba tree planters
for more than 20 years

As IWA-CANADA Local 1-324’s nego-
tiating team sits down with Repap
Enterprises, the behemoth forest
company that operates in Manitoba,
part of the contract talks will deal
with issues affecting tree planters.

This year the union will be looking
for better rates for the planters and
other contract improvements. Tree
planters’ concerns will be addressed
at the same time the union is negotiat-
ing a master agreement in Repap’s
sawmill and woodlands divisions.

‘All tree planters who work on
Repap’s claim must automatically join
the union. Over 20 years ago, the IWA
had enough foresight to negotiate
such language in the collective agree-
ment with Manfor, Repap’s predeces-
sor.

Manitoba tree planters are some of
the few tree planting units in Canada
which are covered by a union con-
tract. Elsewhere in the IWA the union
has tree planters in Northern Ontario
(Local 2693 and 1-2995) Alberta
(Local 1-207) and parts of the coast o:
British Columbia. ,

The difference
between a union
and non-union oper-
ation is like night
and day

— Guy Shelemy
IWA Local 1-324

At Repap, the IWA contract has
ensured that any contractor on site
will become signatory to the collec-
tive agreement. Therefore tree
planters in Manitoba are entitled to
grievance procedures, wage (piece-
rate) protection, safety equipment and
other basic benefits.

Jim Anderson, president of Local 1-
324 says “the language is there for the
intent and purpose of protecting
workers.”

To this day tree planters and silvi-
cultural workers remain among the
most exploited workers in Canada’s
forest industry. Thousands of tree
planters have to work in very difficult

conditions in which they are easily
taken advantage of by forest compa-
nies and/or their contractors.

Tree planting can be gut wrenching
work. The last thing a planter needs is
to be hassled by an employer or short
changed for the work he/she does.
This is all too often the situation
acroos Canada where the vast majori-
ty of workers do not belong to a union
or are aware of the benefits that
unionization can bring to the industry.

“Tree planters have the right to be
represented by the union and not
treated as second class citizens,” say
Brother Anderson.

“These people are skilled workers
that have generally been taken advan-
tage of by government, contractors
and companies.”

The work season for most planters
is short and workers have to make the
most of it. Poor wages or working
conditions can ruin a planter’s chance
to make a living.

In most cases there is a cut-throat,
low bid. process of competition
amongst contractors in the industry.
As a result, wages and working condi-
tions suffer in the non-union work-
force.

Guy Shelemy, a 26 year old tree
planter and union ombudsman, who
has over 4 years seniority with
Waugh’s Wood, a planting contractor
with Repap, says that the union has
done a good job of setting the stan-
dard for planters in Manitoba.

Traditionally the tree planting sea-
son in Manitoba is very short and only
lasts from about early May until mid
or late July for the majority of the
planting.

In that time period the planters can
move their camp sites 5 or 6 times, so
the actual planting time can be less-
ened quite a bit.

Brother Shelemy says that Waugh’s
union operation has “probably one of
the best camps in the country in terms
of set-up and organization.”

“The number one that we have is
good camp standards. They are clean
and comfortable and the employer-
employee relations are on an excel-
lent level.”

Waugh’s camp has a portable trailer
kitchen, diesel generator truck, a pre-
fab mess tent and hot water set up for
the kitchen and shower. They also
tow along a prefab outhouse.

“You notice quite a difference

Local 1-324 planter, an employee of Waugh’s Wood, pauses during annual
plant.

between a union and a non-union
operations,” says Brother Shelemy.
“I've worked for both and the differ-
ence is like night and day in every-
thing from camp conditions to labour
relations.”

Last year over 40 planters toured
the northern province setting up camp
in 6 different areas, from the Duck
Mountain area north of Swan River to
Thompson in the northeast.

In 1992 Waugh’s put 4.5 million
seedlings in the ground. That was a
record plant. Usually the contractor
plants 2.5 - 3 million seedlings each
year.

According to Shelemy, each year
about 80% of the union planters
return. For some, it is a regular way of
life, and tree planting is not just a
quick way to get money.

“We're probably the most organized
planters around,” he says. “That’s
probably because the owner is very
supportive of keeping a smooth oper-
ation going.”

That type of smooth operation is no
doubt backed up by the fact that the
employer must pay out agreed upon
minimums to the planters. »

In the collective agreement definite
rates are spelled out for planting,
based on seniority. As of September 1,
1991 a first year planter would get a
minimum 9.3¢ per seedling, and a per-
manent planter on Repap’s payroll
would get a guarantee 12.1¢ per
seedling. The contract also says there
must be a 4¢ bonus paid for trees that
are 85 - 100% correctly planted.

Although not often used, the con-
tract also covers direct seedling appli-
cations where a bunch of seeds are
capsulized and planted directly into

2 the ground.

Direct seedling is paid for by the

Most of the tree planting is white
spruce, black spruce, and jackpine.
The planters use either a spike with a
shaft on it to create a hole or use the
traditional planter shovel. It all
depends on the kind of ground they
work on or the technique they person-
ally perfect.

If the ground is properly scarified
and is flat without too much swamp,
then good money can be made. If
there is a lot of rock, underbrush and
organic matter on the site, then it can
be very slow going.

At this year’s negotiations the IWA
is trying to get a special rate to pay
workers for non-scarified ground.

There is a lot of competition out.
there for unionized planters. Many
non-union contractors under bid their
ability to fulfil a contract and wind up
paying their workers less and increase
camp costs for all.

Brother Shelemy says in some
cases, union planters are getting
about 3¢ more per ling more than
their competitors. Room and board is
$12.50 per day.

“It's unfortunate because the major-
ity of the tree planting industry does
not come from a unionized tradition,”
says Shelemy. “There’s a lot of fear
spread around by contractors and
their foremans that they will shut it
down if planters join the union.

Two major fears that planters have
are that planters might get black listed
for union activity by other contractors
and that a strike might cancel their
short season.

However the majority (97%) of col-
lective agreement are signed without
a strike or lock-out and workers have
the legal right to join and support the
union of their choice.

In the non-union work world Shele-

| © hour. Top rate is $17.34/hr.

é To prepare the ground for planting
 scarifying equipment is used such as
3 winged rippers. This work is normally

- = done by contractors in the early win-
° Crew at Waugh’s Wood set up supply tent near Jungle Lake in the summer of ter and is covered by IWA rates. The
1992. job rate is $18.52/hr.

my says workers are often fired even
for talking about unions.

“For an inexperienced planter or
someone who doesn’t have trans-
portation, it’s not that easy to get out
of a bad situation,” says Shelemy.

10/LUMBERWORKER/MARCH, 1993