¢ At Norbord plywood plant in Cochrane, Ontario, Rebecca Yanta steadies veneer going over Daniel Leonard's head as it is headed for the glue machine. Plywood and particle board mills reach patiern settlements in Northern Ontario Contracts in the northern Ontario plywood and particle board industry have been negotiated and things are relatively peaceful in the industry. In the past several months IWA-CANA- DA’S northern locals 1-2693 and 1- 2995 have settled their collective agreements with major forest industry employers at several different opera- tions. The negotiations took place under the auspices of the Northern Ontario District Council (NODC) which is an amalgam body of the two local unions. The NODC affiliate locals meet before negotiations begin to for- mulate a set of unified demands to employers. Although negotiating com- mittees for each operation tackle indi- vidual plant issues, the NODC works in coordination to set pattern agree- ments for the sector. This year the locals did well. The pattern agreement was set at the Levesque Plywood Ltd.’s Hearst. Ontario Operations where Local 1- 2995 negotiated a three year contract with overall wage increases of 7.5%. That agreement, signed in October of 1993, set the stage for other contract settlements in the north. Elsewhere in 12995 the union had to go on strike for two months against Norbord Industries Inc. in Cochrane to get a settlement. The strike winded up in victory for the union as it got the wage and benefit pattern and made up some lost ground on wage deferrals. Meanwhile in Local 1-2693, the union signed a three year deal with Weldwood Canada at its plywood and waferboard divisions in Longlac, On- tario in October of last year and hope- fully put an end to some contracting out battles they have had over the last few years. Local 1-2295’s strike against Nor- bord was taken during the cold winter months with temperatures getting as low as —40° C and lasted from Decem- ber 10, 1993 to January 27 of this year. Norm Rivard, president of the Ka- puskasing local says the strike was quiet and orderly. The company did not try to scab the operation and the strikers received excellent support for their Brothers and Sisters working at the Norbord sawmill next door. The workers were infuriated during negotiations when the company’s last offer was less than the pattern that had been established at the Levesque operation in Hearst. “The members said that they took a back step last time (1990 negotia- tions) and now Norbord was asking them to take a further back step,” adds Rivard. “So they voted 92% in favour of a strike vote.” The eventual settlement included the three year 7.5% wage increased plus and addition across the boards increase of 9 cents per hour in each of the three years. The union also won increase in life insurance cover- age and accidental death and dis- memberment benefits. They also received a boost in weekly indemnity payments. Another breakthrough at the plant was a new provision for paid educa- tional leave with gives the union dis- cretion to pull its members off the job for educational purposes. The compa- ny will pay five days per year of regu- lar wages for the plant to allow this to happen. “We've got this type of educational provision established in just about every operation of the local union so we're glad that Norbord has finally seen the light on this issue,” says Brother Rivard. “We put alot of stress on educating our members and these type of agreements give us the flexi- bility to do that. We are able to send more people to safety and education conferences.” Since the settlement the demand for poplar and spruce plywood has in- creased and there has been no slow- ing down in the operation. Three weeks after the settlement at Norbord the company announced a investment of over $7 million as the mill was op- erating on three shifts. The negotiating committee at Nor- board included Brother Rivard, Girard Lamothe, Guy Saulnier, Roland Pronovost, and Roland Laurin. IWA- Canada second vice president Fred Miron also assisted the committee at a crucial point in negotiations. At Levesque Plywood in Hearst, where the NODC pattern was estab- lished, the union settled some impor- tant issues. The union bargained for workers at the plywood, particle board and melamine laminating plant. From now on the union and company will recognize the particleboard and melamine operations as one. Both se- niority lists have been merged. The IWA also negotiated mandatory training of at least one union safety committee member as per provincial Bill 208. Benefit improvements in- clude a better severance package, in- creased life insurance, a boost in weekly indemnity payments and bet- ter vision care, dental, long term dis- ability and pension benefits. In the plywood and particleboard plants there were wage adjustments in nine different job categories. The negotiating committee at Levesque consisted of Brother Rivard, Damien Roy, Mike Fournier, Leo Lavasseur, Alain Piette, and Marcel Letourneau. At the Weldwood operations in Longlac the negotiating committee, headed by Local 1-2693 president Wilf McIntyre, concluded with the pattern agreement. Other members of the committee include Ken Paquette, Manny Ranger, Jim Garvie, Claude Morrissette, Kirt Haggart, Scott McHanont, and Andre Trepanier. “It’s a reasonable agreement for what the industry has gone through,” comments Brother McIntyre. “We in the NODC have stuck together. That has always been our way of negotiat- ing over the years.” “It’s a method that the industry has pretty well accepted once we estab- lish a pattern. We seldom run into a problem unless it’s an issue outside of wages and benefits.” Local 1-2693 is now gearing up for negotiations with Macmillan Bloedel’s Nipigon plywood and specialty board operation.(see article below) That contract expired on May 31, 1994. MacBlo’s Nipigon plywood and specialty mill contract up In addition to negotiating a contract for its workers at the Weldwood ply- wood and waferboard plants in Longlac Ontario (see story above), Lo- cal 1-2693 is know well into negotia- tions with Macmillan Bloedel at the MB Multi-Ply (Nipigon Plywood Divi- sion), where the union is aiming for the Northern Ontario District Council pattern settlement. i The mill is a two fold operation in that most of its production is poplar veneer and the other portion of its production is a mixture of value- added products. The mill has been on its site since the 1950's and operated for many years under Multi-Ply Ply- wood Ltd. until MB took things over in the early 1970's. Things are going well in the plant. and it now employs over 140 union members on three shifts a day, five days a week. About 70% of the mill’s production is routine 4’ by 4’ poplar plywood with 1/4” thickness that is used primarily for underlay with vinyl flooring and tile. Product Superintendant Tim Meservia told the Lumberworker that there is not alot of competition in that market any more and that it is not a product that is produced by large commodity mills. So the MB operation has been able to survive in that mar- ket although it is not the most modern Continued on page twelve At the Nipigon plant is lathe operator Antti Niemi. LUMBERWORKER/JUNE, 1994/11