Workers at mobile home manufacturer in

B.C. interior decide union is the way to go

Business at a mobile home plant
hadn’t begun for even two months
before the IWA made a move to repre-
sent workers. After production began
at the former Winfield Industries
Ltd.’s operation last year the union
soon approached management to vol-
untarily certify to the union.

The plant, now known as the Win-
field division of Shelter Regent Ind-
ustries (SRI) Incorporated is situated
in Winfield, B.C. about 22 km. north of
Kelowna, is certified to IWA-CANADA,
Local 1-423. The union represents
nearly 200 workers in the plant.

In May of 1992 Local 1-423 presi-
dent Troi Caldwell and IWA National
First Vice-President Neil Menard went
to the company to-bring it into the
IWA. Since the union already repre-
sents workers at SRI’s Estevan,
Saskatchewan plant (IWA Local 1-184)
and Lethbridge, Alberta (Local 1-207),
there’s no reason why the Winfield
plant couldn’t operate under a union
contract too, says Brother Caldwell.

After negotiating a framework
agreement with the company, which
is more or less a copy of the
Lethbridge contract with a few modi-
fications, the union’s efforts were
rewarded. In May of 1992 the workers
voted about 70% in favour of the IWA
and the contract.

The new certification boosts Local
1-423’s membership and gives the
workers better pay, benefits, and job
protection.

The sub-local union committee con-
sists of chairman Fernando De
Freitas, Wilbur Bonneau, Randy Cook,
and secretary Mary-Ann Gardiner.

During day shift the plant is buzzing
with activity of over 160 workers in a
production line assembly operation.
From the floor assembly to the finish-
ing end, the plant is a high-ball opera-
tion.

According to Brother De Freitas the
company is continuing to expand and

* On the assembly line roof sheathers Ted Follett and C. Wilkinson take
a brief break. ee 3

bringing in bunches of new workers.
The union is concerned that workers
must be properly trained.

“We (the union committee) try to
get enough shop stewards through the
plant so we can keep our eyes on
what is going on,” he says. “They are
hiring so many people at once and
when you get so many rookies on a
job you have to keep an eye on them
for safety reasons as well.”

The operation is situated on leased
land from the Okanagan Indian band.
When the company made the lease
agreement with the band, it agreed to
give opportunity to native workers if
they are qualified, according to gener-
al foreman Neil Bowering. Today over
40 natives are employed by the com-
pany.

The Winfield plant
ts the third S.R_I.
operation to be
unionized by IWA-
CANADA

The demand for mobile homes has
been on the increase and has actually
risen during the recession. Conven-
tional stick built housing costs are too
high for many first time home buyers
and retirees as well.

The Winfield plant was put into pro-
duction to meet increasing demands
and cut down on freight costs to mar-
kets, especially in British Columbia
says Mr. Bowering.

At any one time the plant currently
has the capability of working on 17
homes per week. It employs welders,

ey S

° At SRI, the plant’s union secretary Mary-Ann Gardiner works on cabinet
components.

electricians, plumbers, carpenters,
roofers, drywallers and seamstresses.
All training is done on the job and the
plans are built to the Canadian build-
ing code specifications. SRI makes 25
floor plans of which the double-wide,
56 foot “Keremeos” model is the most
popular.

Relations between the IWA and the
company are positive to date.

“The management generally treats

the workers fairly,” says Brother
Caldwell. “They seem to be well
adapted at this early date. Labour
relations between the local union and
management and the workers and
management are top notch.”

“We have an excellent committee
that does an on-the-job policing of the
agreement,” adds the local union pres-
ident. “They handle almost every situ-
ation that comes up.”

° Pictured is Cheryl Knooihuizen in the seamstress department.

Stites

LUMBERWORKER/SEPTEMBER, 1993/15