° Taking the oath of allegiance as national officers for a two year term at the union's National Executive Board meeting were (Ir.) Second V.P Fred Miron, President Dave Haggard, Fourth V.P Harvey Arcand, Secretary ‘Treasurer Terry Smith. First V.P. Neil Menard and Third V.P. Dave Tones. Outgoing President Gerry Stoney, (right) administered the oath. National President Continued from page one making Forest Renewal B.C. work for displaced I.W.A. members. As a mem- ber of the Board of FRBC, he is putting pressure on the Crown corpo- ration to streamline its processes. “We want to see FRBC work given to I.W.A. members who deserve to be employed year-round in the industry,” he said. “There’s a lot of work to be done to ensure that our people get a fair shake out of the system.” The new national president is mak- ‘ i i Sa ° Scott Gibson, from Loggers! Local 1-71, spoke on the resolution demanding ing union building a top priority. He wants to see the membership grow in each province and expand into non- traditional areas. “] think that working people across Canada are going to see a greater presence of our union as we are going to increase our efforts at organizing,” he said. “When people find out more about our union, we are going to make further inroads into some non- traditional sectors in both the indus- trial and service industries.” Haggard will be leading the B.C. Provincial Negotiating Committee into province-wide negotiations begin- eet J that all logging operations be covered by at least a Level III First Aid ticket. Contract Demands Continued from page one with the industry to solve what prob- lems we can with the government but we know at the same time that the in- dustry has never shown a concern or compassion when dealing with its workers that have generated profits.” “We're going to find a fair and just settlement for our members through- out B.C. in spite of the fact that the companies are going to the bargaining table to hit us with every goddamned thing that they can,” he added. Haggard said that job security re- mains a serious issue for I.W.A. mem- bers in all regions of the province. LW.A. National Research Director Doug Smyth informed delegates that lumber prices this year and last, have remained at “consistently high price levels.” He said that U.S. lumber prices will remain high and that those prices are caused by a rise in U.S. lumber con- 2/LUMBERWORKER/APRIL, 1997 sumption and a downturn in harvest levels in every timber producing re- gion of the U.S. and Canada. “Demand comes and goes,” said Smyth. “Timber supply does not change, it is getting worse.” He said that the Canada - U.S. soft- wood lumber agreement, which went into effect on April 1 of last year, has not had a dampening effect on prices. That agreement allow 14.7 billion board feet to be exported to the U.S. penalty free from the provinces of B.C., Alberta, Ontario and Quebec. Af- ter that quota has been reached, com- panies have to pay penalties. Smyth said that Canadian lumber shipments to the U.S. have reached record volumes in the last two years and that the economics are good in that country for another robust year of demand. New housing starts, larger single family units and the market for home renovation will assure strong demand for Canadian lumber. Smyth said that 60-75% of wood costs in B.C. are not related to labour. Other costs such as distance to mills, ning in early May when the I.W.A. pre- sent its wage and contract demands to Forest Industrial Relations, the em- ployer association on the coastal re- gion. “It’s going to be a tough set’of nego- tiations,” he commented. “Our mem- bers understand that and we need the solid support of all of the membership to get a fair and equitable agreement across the province.” Haggard said that there has to be an extra level of support from I.W.A. members in MacMillan Bloedel and Pacific Forest Products operations, which both deaccredited from FIR. road building expenditures, super- stumpage, and the new costs of com- plying with the Forest Practices Code are more important factors to consid- er. He said the overproduction of ori- ented strandboard has had a dampen- ing effect on plywood prices as well and that the U.S. plywood industry has taken a big hit because of it. PROGRAMMATIC RESOLUTIONS PASS All totaled, there were 558 resolu- tions submitted from B.C. local unions. For three days prior to the wage and contract conference the Provincial Negotiating Committee met, to boil down and prioritize the resolu- tions into a “programmatic” set of de- mands for debate. The PNC detected that, in the up- coming set of negotiations, the mem- bership largely wants increased job security and better benefit packages in addition to a “substantial wage in- crease.” In the area of job security the union will demand a shorter work year with no loss of pay for members. The PNC will also seek protection against technological change and that workers not be laid off as a result. Should tech change generate a sur- plus of labour, the union demands that the employers provide training, voluntary transfers, attrition, or volun- tary retirement and resignation with severance pay. Gary Kobayashi, President of Van- couver Local 217, said that in the past, the LW.A. took a laissez-fair attitude towards tech change but that the union needs a new view of moderniza- tion. “Workers and their unions have to have a say in how technology is used,” said Brother Kobayashi. ‘ The union is also calling for a major overhaul of contract language govern- ing preferential hiring. There is a de- mand that such hiring not be limited to FIR-LW.A. certified operations but rather extended to all union opera- tions. It should include any laid-off L.W.A. members from Forest Renewal B.C. projects. Employees should be hired preferentially in line with their seniority from their original operation and not be required to serve any pro- bationary period. The union demands that all prox tion and overtime be banked and that this time must be taken off at a later date. Overtime ents, governing, who is allotted the time by whom, must be established in each operation. The PNC will also demand that there be absolutely no contracting out, of any work without the agreement of the union. In the area of benefits, the union will call for a brushing up of the col- lective agreement. Included in the list of demands are improvements to ex- tended benefits — namely better cover- age for corrective lenses, frames and contact lenses, physiotherapy, clinical psychology, speech therapy, acupunc- ture, orthopedics and orthotics, hear- ing aids, chiropractic and naturopathic medicine, prescription reimburse- ment, and travel and lodging costs for members and dependents traveling from their residences for medical care. Dan Clements, Financial Secretary of Duncan Local 1-80, said that bene- fits have to be a priority and that the dollars and cents that the industry has to put in the wage and benefit pack- age will greatly help many members and their families. Jack McLeman from Port Alberni Local 1-85 stressed the importance of reimbursing members for travel for medical reasons — especially for those who live in the north and interior of the province that have to travel to the Lower Mainland. The union will demand that higher contribution levels go into the Safety and Health Research Program to fix up the lack of funding for the plan. Other demands include increases to life and accidental death and dismem- berment insurance, weekly indemnity, dental plans, pensions and long term disability. Here is a round-up of industry-wide demands: TERM OF CONTRACT - the LW.A. wants a one-year agreement. WAGES - a substantial percentage wage increase is called for. SHORTER WORK YEAR - a shorter work year with no loss in pay for I.W.A. members. SEVERANCE PAY -— four years for each year worked for permanent or partial closures or on lay-off when an employee’s seniority runs out. TECH CHANGE -— no lay-offs due to the introduction of tech change. Em- ployers must provide training, volun- tary transfers, attrition, voluntary ear- ly retirement and severance pay for resignation. PREFERENTIAL HIRING - the clause on this must be re-written for reasons given above. DISPUTES RESOLUTION — ne® union demands a new grievance sys- tem that will include, amongst its pro- visions, an expedited arbitration pro- cedure if necessary and the prohibition of termination until the grievance procedure has been ex- hausted. FIRST AID COVERAGE - there is a demand that all employers in the for- est industry have Level III as the mini- mum first aid coverage. APPRENTICE EXPENSES - com- panies must ensure that companies in- denture apprentices for future vacan- cies and pay all expenses incurred by union members for apprentice educa- tion. LOGGING WAGE RATE COMMIT- TEE - to set wage rates and job de- scriptions for all jobs in the logging sector, the union is calling for a joint review committee to review existing ’ Ee TT ee Tee ee and future jobs. OILER’S WAGE RATES - the union wants a $1.00 per hour wage hike. RETURN TO WORK PROGRAM - the L.W.A. demands a return to work clause consistent with the union’s es- tablished return to work policy. Continued on page three