eDie mounter Lou Comeau
sets on up at the MBI
plant in Winnipeg.

Local 1-830 gives union more
strength in Winnipeg, Manitoba

or over two years the IWA has
had a greater presence in the
Winnipeg Manitoba area with
three union certifications. In
late 1991 and early 1992 three
sub-locals of the former Cana-
dian Paperworkers Union decided to
join the IWA, thereby adding over 220
workers to the IWA’s membership.

Those three units are all situated at
MacMillan Bathurst Inc’s (MBI) corru-
gated plant, Domtar Packaging Divi-
sion’s corrugated operation, and
Unisource Inc’s distribution plant
(formerly Price Daxion Inc.).

The membership at the three opera-
tions decided on their own to seek
representation from the IWA which
has most of its presence in the logging
and sawmilling section of the Manito-
ba economy under the jurisdiction of
IWA-CANADA Local 1-324.

“We're glad to be a member of the
IWA now,” says Local 1-830 president
Jack Alexander. “We've wanted better
representation and have been able to
get that with joining the union.”

In total the former CPU Local 1-830,
had eight units situated in a 20 mile
radius of each other in Winnipeg. Un-
der the CPU it was one of 3 geographi-
cal locals in the province.

The mainstay of Local 1-830 are
MBI's 110 member corrugated opera-
tion and Domtar’s 90 member corru-
gated plant. Unisource has about 20
employees.

Both MBI and Domtar compete
head to head in some of the same cor-
rugated product markets in Western
Canada. The union recently began
contract negotiations at (MBI) and will
start talks at (Domtar) by next June.

Brother Alexander, himself a die
press operator in the finishing end at
MBI says the union is in tune with
what is going on in collective agree-
ments in the company’s other opera-
tions. Four of these are also IWA
certification in Pembroke, Etobicoke,
Whitby and St. Thomas.

“It is important that we keep the

collective agreements in the corrugat-
ed industry on par,” says Brother
Alexander. “We don’t want to allow
one company or division and wage
and benefit advantage over their com-
petitors. This industry is modern and
efficient and can pay its workforce
well as it should.”

The workers in the plants have
been in an industry where the union
has set the pace. The MBI plant was
certified before the CPU and predeces-
sor unions since 1953 while Domtar
has been under predecessor unions
since the 60's. The plant joint the CPU
in 1981.

Two former CPU sub-
locals left their union
to join the IWA for
better representation

Each plant has its own negotiating
committee that includes the president
of the local in negotiations. Elections
for positions on the committee are
made before the contract talks begin.
Traditionally the committee stays in
place over the term of the collective
agreement to police.

In addition to Brother Alexander,
national organizer and business agent
Chris Monk has helped negotiate a
number of contracts and service the
local union. Brother Monk has played
a key role in the local union for over
33 years. He originates from the
Bonar printing plant in Winnipeg
where he was employed in a number
of jobs.

Today the number one issue facing
the industry is jobs.

Dwayne Thurston, Financial Secre-
tary at the Domtar corrugated opera-
tion explains: “Our biggest issue has

been job security and the Canadian
economy and the lousy governments
that we have had in power. We always
seem to be concerned as to whether
or not we'll keep going in these tough
economic times.”

Since both plants compete head to
head, one can take business away
from the other but there are generally

then back to MBI as it put in a
four scone to get some of the —
business

“There is a lot of be-
tween plants,” says Bi Alexan-
der. “One is always looking to
undercut the other.”

The saving grace is that there are
Sos ans golge: in general ere has
both plants goi

been labour peace. The last big labour
relations flare-up was in 1981 when
the union struck the MBI (the MacMil-
lan Bloedel) plant over wages and
benefits. That strike, which lasted 9
weeks resulted in a wage increase of
$2.65/hr. in the early 80°s period of
high inflation.

Today both plants sell most of their
production in western Canada and
northern Ontario.

“There are industries around here

that need boxes and they need them
in a couple of days,” say Brother
Thurston. So quick turn around times
from order time to delivery helps give
the IWA plants a leg up on U.S. and/or
non-union competitors.
Brother Alexander says that work-
ers should never become complacent
about their jobs. Because what is here
today could be gone tomorrow. There
has to be more worker awareness.

While direct free trade competition
with U.S. corrugated producers hasn't
been a large factor to date, Alexander
says the North American Free Trade
Agreement could cause havoc in the
future.

“The problem we have with free
trade is that some manufacturers here
in Winnipeg and elsewhere may have
to move south of the border and we
will lose their business,” he says. “The
ripple effect of plant relocation could
definitely cause layoffs.”

As such Local 1-830 is steadfastly
opposed to NAFTA and other so-called
free trade agreements.

Both contracts are up for renegotia-
tion. The wages and benefits in the
plant are nearly identical. In the last 3
year, contract, workers got pay in-

Continued on next page

eErnie Drul, here driving loader, is plant chairman at Unisource.

rl

12/LUMBERWORKER/APRIL, 1994