° Workshop groups looked at one of three topic areas: intensive land management, Lt and value-added. Conference searches for new work opportunities and areas of cooperation for |.W.A and industry by Scott Lunny Almost a year into the New and Evolving Work (N.E.W.) agreement between I.W.A. CANADA and Forest Industrial Relations, and even further into the BC government’s Forest Re- newal (FRBC) program, people throughout the Industry and Union are asking some serious questions about whether these initiatives are de- livering in the way they were intend- ed. On June 14th and 15th, a New and Evolving Work and Forest Renewal B.C. Opportunities Conference was held by the Western Wood Products Forum, a joint I.W.A./Industry organi- zation created to deal with broad labour-management concerns in BC’s coastal forest industry. One of the fo- cuses of this conference was to try to find answers to some of these ques- tions about N.E.W. and FRBC, and to encourage the parties to actively pur- sue new opportunities in their opera- tions. Specifically, the conference was intended to identify the barriers that need to be overcome in order for the two initiatives to be successful com- ponents in the development of a sus- tainable foresty industry, with secure employment, in the coastal region of British Columbia. Following some very interesting presentations by key Industry and Union representatives, the conference participants were split up into work groups. Each group was assigned 1 of 3 topic areas: Intensive Land Manage- ment; Harvesting (alternate and com- mercial thinning); and Value-added (remanufacture and fibre utilization). Each work group discussed its topic in terms of opportunities, barriers to those opportunities and solutions. The groups were instructed to consid- er the following major issues; employ- ment issues; training issues; govern- ment/regulation issues; First Nations participation; and economic viability. Follow-up to the conference, cur- rently being conducted by the Confer- ence Steering Committee, involves contacting key players in FRBC, Gov- ernment, as well as within the Indus- try and the LW.A., in order to discuss and hopefully resolve the issues raised by the conference work groups. Much of the discussion during the conference focused on problems get- ting FRBC proposals approved. Some specific issues that will be addressed with the crown corporation include: increasing co-operation between FRBC, MOF and MOE to reduce ap- proval time; getting some key propos- als through to show “visible” success; finding ways to apply FRBC money to private lands to offset layoffs; and promoting R&D of new techniques, products, etc. to increase fibre utiliza- tion and employment. The major issue to be discussed with the B.C. government is the need for it to step back and look at the combined effect of its land use and timber management programs. The Forest Practices Code, Timber Supply Review, CORE and the Protected Ar- eas Strategy are having a profound ef- fect on the forest industry, not only in terms of reduced cut and job loss, but also on the workload and stress level of staff and crews. The government needs to be aware of this, and take ac- tion to lessen the combined effects of these policies. Other issues to be dis- cussed with the government are: re- vamping the Small Business Forest Enterprise Program so it provides continuity of employment and com- munity stability; and development of incentives to promote increased fibre utilization (increased AAC or reduced stumpage) and credits to promote re- manufacturing in B.C. One issue that will be dealt with at a broad, industry level is whether heli- logging is contracting out, technologi- cal change or New and Evolving Work. In addition, both the I.W.A. and companies need to “champion” Forest Renewal as a positive program that needs to be continued by the next government, regardless of its political stripe. Companies and Local Unions are encouraged to jointly develop “ad hoc” committees in their operations to deal with N.E.W. and Forest Re- newal opportunities. These commit- tees need to begin by addressing and overcoming any existing relationship, trust and credibility problems so that new opportunities can be jointly pur- sued at the operational level. Further information on the Oppor- tunities Conference, the New and Evolving Work process, or assistance getting N.E.W. started in your opera- tion, are all available from the interim N.E.W. Joint Steering Committee, through I.W.A. CANADA’s National Office in Vancouver, B.C. Scott Lunny is a National Repre- sentative at the union’s office in Vancouver. Forest Renewal Continued from page six There have been certain growing far but it is getting its feet on the e°: Beer said that because proposals are often large and complex, it takes time to sift through them with the ex- isting technical staff that exist in gov- ernment. Large programs can cover a whole range of activities such as training, in- ventory, and silviculture. Some of the components of the proposals have to be checked through the Ministry of Forests where others have to be looked at by the Ministry of Environ- ment. For instance a watershed restora- tion project may be caught up in juris- dictional dispute between two min- istries. Rehabilitating a logging road may be good for wildlife perspectives but it may also have to be looked at ; @: the Mr Ministry of Environment. If are then to be planted on it, then it ae” an issue for the Ministry of et Renewal, said Stanyer, does not have land management responsi- bilities. They are the responsibilities of ministries. “The way we are currently doing we don’t have any other op- tion than this and it will take us a while to develop alternative solutions to those kinds of things, so that we ean do these long-term, plese kinds of projects,” said Conference delegates were encouraged to jointly develop “ad hoc” committees in their operations to deal with new and evolving work and forest renewal opportunities LUMBERWORKER/AUGUST, 1995/7