GUEST COLUMN

Union gets new foothold

with interior truckers
by Kevin Kelly

ecember 22, 1994 marked a major mile-
stone for Local 1-417 and for the IWA in
the southern interior of the province. On
that date the first collective agreement
covering dependent contractor log
haulers was signed between our local
and Slocan Forest Products, Vavenby Division.

Eighteen dependent truckers are currently cov-
ered by this agreement which uses the basic
Southern Interior Master Agreement with amend-
ments to cover hauling rates, cycle times, truck se-
niority and hours of work.

The signing of this agreement marked a long,
hard road (no pun intended) for these truckers,
who have fought for years to be recognized as a
bargaining group. Going back a number of years
they formed a Truckers Association which, while
it had some early success, was unable to fully rep-
resent their interest due to to its lack of legal
recognition as a bargaining authority.

Next, as the Teamsters attempted to assist the
forest industry truckers in the interior of the
province to obtain better hauling rates, the Vaven-
by truckers joined them. Unfortunately again there
was only limited success because the Labour Rela-
tions Act prevented the obtaining of bargaining
rights.

With the election of the New Democratic Party
in 1991 and the subsequent changes to the labour
Jaws in British Columbia, the Vavenby truckers
again joined the Teamsters and applied for legal
recognition by the Labour Relations Board.

Initially the Team-
sters were successful
in obtaining a certifi-
cation from the LRB
despite the objections
of the company (Slo-
can Forest Products)
that the truckers were
not an appropriate
unit. Our local union
had objected to the
application as our
then current certifica-
tion was for employ-
ees of Slocan in both
the mill and in logging. If the truckers at Vavenby
were indeed dependent contractors, then they
were logging employees of Slocan and would and
should be properly in-

union can protect the interests of the new entering
employees, a variance of the existing certification
or adding in of those members is more appropri-
ate.

The Teamster certification was cancelled, our
local union, with the support of the Teamsters,
signed up the truckers, applied and obtained a
variance of the certification, and on December 22
of last year signed an agreement with Slocan
Vavenby.

We are extremely happy to have these 18 truck-
ers from the North Thompson in our local union.
We have not had log haulers under certification in
Local 1-417 since the late 1950’s and early 60’s.

For decades truckers in various regions of the
province have been on their own and many times
have been at the whims of major forest: compa-
nies. In downturns they have had their hauling

rates reduced and their

cluded in our current
certification. We, the
Local union, had found
ourselves in an ex-
tremely difficult posi-
tion. While we had not
wanted a second bar-
gaining unit held by
another union, we cer-
tainly did not want to
prevent the truckers

For decades truckers in vari-
ous regions of the province
have been on their own and

at the whim of employers

cycle times changed.
And when things have
picked up in the indus-
try, truckers have of-
ten been left out in the
cold.

Because many own-
er operators can find
themselves in debt,
they often wind up un-
dercutting each other

from being represent-
ed by a legitimate trade union.

At this point it appeared that the truckers’ long
battle was over. But it was not. Slocan Forest
Products, assisted by the three associations in the
forest industry, the IFLRA, CONIFER and FIR, ap-
pealed the Board’s decision. Their argument was
that two unions in a forest industry operation
would create industrial instability and cause an in-
appropriate bargaining unit.

Finally, after months of delay, the LRB ruled
that when a union certification already exists in an
operation (ours), and providing that the existing

to get more work to
pay those debts.

Hopefully with a new union presence in truck-
ing we can put some stability back into the indus-
try for the workers. Just like millworkers, the
truckers deserve the security of a negotiated col-
lective agreement.

Kevin Kelly is president of Kamloops, B.C. Lo-
cal 1-417 and is a member of IWA-CANADA’s
National Executive Board.

¢ The union is concerned about reductions in annual
that the East Kootenays.

Government makes changes to Kootenays plan

allowable cuts. The problem is more serious in the West Kootenays

reduces special management lands
slightly and slightly increases the area
for “enhanced” resource development.

As well, the decision makes room
for an “advisory process” that will “de-
velop timber harvest objectives” for
the Kootenay-Boundary region. ‘

“That sounds good,” Ulley agrees.
“But we need to see what kind of
process is established. We need the
kind of input and access that will al-
low us to ensure this plan works for
people and communities.”

The government appears to have
come closer to getting it right in East
Kootenay where, although protected
areas still cover over more than 16
percent of the total land base, bound-
ary adjustments have more a greater
amount of good timber available. The
amount of enhanced resource use
land has also been substantially in-
creased, from just under 5 percent to
7.7 percent.

“We can live with most of this plan
as it applies to East Kootenay,” says
IWA-Canada Local 1-405 president
Bob Matters. But he agreed with Ulley
that success or failure of the land-use
plan now depends on the way the de-
tails are worked out and implement-
ed.

One serious sticking point remains,
though, adds Matters: that’s the con-
tinued deferral of the Lower Cummins
valley near Golden.

Golden’s Evans Forest Products
Ltd. mill has recently been hit with
layoffs that result in part from a 17
percent reduction in annual allowable
cut for Golden Timber Supply Area,
effective in January.

“That community needs that timber
now,” Matters said.

Ulley and Matters both indicated
their support for the transitional plan
outlined in the government's decision.

Under the plan, measures to assist
workers and communities affected by

Although unionized woodworkers
will likely be able to live with most of
the provincial government’s East
Kootenay land-use plan, problems re-
main in West Kootenay-Boundary.

“These plans are a major step to-
wards ensuring community stability,
secure jobs for workers and a healthy
environment,” Premier Mike Harcourt
said as announced the government's
decision in Cranbrook.

But while union representatives at
the East Kootenay Commission on Re-

sources and the Environment round
table agreed it was an improvement
over CORE commissioner Stephen
Owen’s plan, the Premier's news was
easier to handle on the east side of the
Purcells than on the west.

“We still need to study the reports,”
says union vice-president and West
Kootenay forest workers’ representa-
tive Warren Ulley. “But even though
there are improvements from Steven
Owen’s CORE reports, West Kootenay
forest workers still appear to be pay-

ing too high a price in terms of timber
access and job loss.”

The West Kootenay decision ap-
pears to have changed the distribution
of timber impacts little since Owen’s
report in October. It suggested that
11.3 percent of the region should be
protected, while another 18.9 percent
would be under potentially highly-re-
strictive special management, severe-
ly limiting timber harvesting on those
Tands.

The government’s land-use decision

the land-use plan will be overseen by
a local board whose mandate is to re-
place lost jobs within the resource in-
dustries.

Both the regional Jobs Commission-
er and Rapid Response Team will be
accountable to the local transition re-
view board.

“This is something we fought for at
CORE,” Ulley noted. “We think this
gives local people more control, more
say over what happens to them.”

~ Kim Pollock