trally along with Local 1-423, and 1-
405 when the union sits down for
talk with the Interior Forest Labour
Relations Association. Unfortunate-
ly, in 1986 and 1988 negotiations
most of the major forst companies
in the local union popped out of
IFLRA to sit as independents.

Today only Weyerhaeuser, Aspen
Planers and B.J. Carney sit within
the association while the union has

negotiate parallel agreements

ith those who dropped out.

“Naturally we like to see the oth-
er majors back with the IFLRA,”
says brother Kelly. “We believe we
can address the issues of all parties
involved while keeping the industry
on a level playing field.”

One issue that the local has been
trying to address for years is the
training of tradesmen. Southern
interior employers in general have
not been good about bringing on
new apprentices. During the past
three years, through the IFLRA, a
new set of exams for trades qualifi-
cations have been set up. The pro-
gram has been slow in getting going
and has had some glitches earlier
on. Brother Kelly hopes that compa-

ies on the outside of the IFLRA

ill act responsibly and get their
own apprenticeship efforts under-
way.

‘Some companies outside the
IFLRA are starting slowly to put
apprentices on,” says Kelly. “Others
are dead set against. They figure it
is better to go out and raid them
from some place else.”

ORGANIZING POTENTIAL

Although Local 1-417 has certi-
fied most of the forest products
manufacturing operations in its
jurisdiction, there are other oppor-
tunities out there says Brother
Davies. Hopefully with friendlier
labour laws, the local can make
some headway.

As of today the local does not rep-
resent any loggers or log haulers.
Like other interior locals, Local
1-417 lost its presence in the bush
in the late 1970's and early 1980’s
when the industry aggressively con-
tracted out such work. At one point
1-417 had over 100 bush workers in
the Revelstoke area alone.

In the 1990’s bush contractors are
starting to be squeezed ever hard by
major forest companies and many of
them cannot meet expenses. The
local is now looking at getting
involved in representing owner
se in front of the majors.

ditionally non-union contractors
and owner operators have
Byomeched the local union for help
when they have been renegotiating

Photo courtesy Local 1-417

¢ At local union headquarters in Kamloops are (1. to r.) Third vice-president Albert Vanderlaan, office secretary
Bernie McElwee, first vice-president Doug Pockett, financial secretary Joe Davies, and president Kevin Kelly.

contracts for themselves. Today the
move to fully join the union is a lot
closer. There is some fear of what
will happen to them but the IWA
has been in those battles before.

“J don’t think the majors will
chase unionized contractors off the
claim,” says Brother Davies. “Most
of them recognize that we are an
experienced union and would rather
have us in there rather than some
other union that doesn’t know the
industry.”

The IWA is also looking at non-
union operations such as Interna-
tional Forest Product’s Adams Lake
sawmill, the Gilbert Smith cedar
mill north of Barriere, and various
reman operations in the Salmon
Arm area. Altogether there is a
potential membership gain of 500
workers.

The local union also believes that
it can bring up the wages of workers
in the value-added reman sector.
currently it is on strike against
Compwood Products, a secondary
remanner affiliated with Tolko
Industries and situated in Kam-
loops. A collective agreement
reached in the future at Compwood
can be a useful tool for organizing
in the reman sector.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS

So far the local hasn’t been hit
with confrontations over large for-
est land take aways for parks and
preservation sites. However, there
could be some problems around the
corner with possible annual allow-
able cut reductions to be announced
by the provincial ministry of forests.
These potential cuts on crown land,
according to Brother Davies, will
unleash a fury of competition for log
production from private lands in the
local. If mills lose their cut, there
will likely be shift reductions in

some areas.

What is already a huge area in
the northern region, Wells Grey
provincial park, could be increased
if some government study areas
defer logging in the future.

The local is also concerned about
watershed logging in the Kamloops
area and their impact on the public
perception of forestry activity.

To prepare itself for the forestry
and environment issues ahead,
Local 1-417 has trained forest/envi-
ronment committees in each sub-
local union operation. Committee
members have received training by
local union officials in cooperation
with the national office. The local
has sent information out to it’s
members to explain the IWA posi-
tions on forest policy at various
public forums.

“If we are going to maintain
forestry jobs in a lot of the rural
areas then it is really going to come
down to our involvement,” says
Brother Davies.

IWA ee
CANADA » |...
LOCAL -

GRAY

“7, PROVINCIAL §

1-417 S,

PARK

°
Volemount

Map illustration by Ingrid Rice

* Local has 1,800 members in 18 certifications in the southern interior.

See map for location of operations.

LUMBERWORKER/NOVEMBER, 1993/7

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