¢ Standing in front of a crowd of workers and community supporters, Loggers’ Local 1-71 Third Vice President and Interfor employee Ken Bayers, commended everyone who participated in the peaceful protest actions. The blockade, which was designed to keep out anti-logging radicals, stood in place for over a month. Forest industry workers and community supporters take action to blockade anti-logging groups in B.C. n the latter part of July I.W.A. Local 1-71 members and other forest industry supporters let down their “block the block- aders” barrier in the Upper Squamish Valley, in southwestern B.C. Since June 16 the union had joined with community activists, supporters and other forest indus- try workers in efforts to keep radi- cal environmentalists from blockad- ing logging roads and engaging in other forms of civil disobedience. The blockade, set up at the 21- 1/2 mile point of the main road giv- ing access to Tree Farm License #38, was in place for over four weeks and was removed following a rally on July 23. Persons signing a petition sup- porting forest workers were allowed past the blockade. The petition, addressed to B.C. Premier Glen Clark, also called for compensation for wages and benefits lost to illegal blockades in the future. On that. day, dubbed as a “Community Appreciation Day,” over 300 community supporters vis- ited the “blockaders’ to stand behind the actions taken to keep radical environmentalists out. The radical group know as PATH and the Western Canada Wilderness Committee have vowed to prevent logging in the TFL, causing loggers and their supporters to erect the blockade in defense of their jobs. During the rally, as WCWC was in court seeking the police removal of the blockade, Local 1-71 Third Vice President Ken Bayers thanked all supporters from the Squamish- Pemberton district. Two days later, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Jack Edwards declined to rule on the blockade because it was removed. A civil injunction had not been granted. Since September 1992 the RCMP has adopted a policy of not inter- vening in civil matters unless a court injunction is granted. Bayers said that the blockade was being removed as a act of “good faith.” “The reason for that is that it’s the right thing to do. It was the right thing to do to put up the block- ade in the first place because our jobs were in jeopardy,” said Bayers. Earlier in the year, PATH had prevented loggers from going to work on two separate occasions. It supporters were intending to use a training camp to educate radical environmentalists in acts of civil disobedience geared to prevent log- ging. “T am very proud of the fact that we have been here for four weeks and we’ve done it non-violently, we've done it without confronta- tion...” he added. “We are a community. This was- n’t just loggers, there was every- body from all walks of life,” said Brother Bayers. “It was business ¢ Local 1-71 38rd V.P. Ken Bayers. people, it was Squamish merchants, it was people who came from all over to help us out (and) that real- ized that yobs are what’s most impor- tant to British Columbia.” Greg Richmond, president of the Soo Coalition for Sustainable Forests, said that the blockade was carried out to support families and jobs and educated the public about forest issues, “We are trying to educate the public as to what we are doing in 6/LUMBERWORKER/SEPTEMBER 1997 place like TFL #38, which is good forestry work,” he said. “We want to protect the working forest land base which is constantly being eroded,” he added. “The people over there (WCWC and PATH) would like to see us out of work...and that’s the bottom line.” Richmond said that by removing the blockade, that they are “extend- ing an olive branch” to protesters and preservationists. “We want to go to work, from here on in,” he said. “No more illegal blockades... Don’t blockade us. Let us work. Let us do our jobs.” “This is a 100% solid communi- ty,” said Rob Otto, sub-local chair- man at International Forest Products Empire logging division, who also extended thanks to the wives of the men working when the blockade was up. Squamish mayor Corrine Lonsdale said “I just can’t believe how this community has rallied together to get behind this issue the way you have. We have our parks, we have our working forest, let’s get on with working in the working for- est,” she added. Key Bayers added: “I hope every- body in Squamish and everybody in B.C. realized that we did a great thing here and we did it non-vio- lently.” “We (the I.W.A.) have actively participated in the Lower Mainland Protected Areas Strategy which established the set aside of a full 20% of wilderness in the contested area,” Bayers told the Lumber- worker. “We have sat at the table and negotiated in good faith that there will be a balance between environmental and economic con- cerns.” He added that the union actively supports the provincial Forest Practices Code which sets the high- est standards for protection of the environment. “Our union is willing to play a constructive role in the area and our members demand that they can go to work each day, unhindered by radical environmentalists intent on blocking logging roads and chaining themselves to logging equipment,” added Byers. “Our blockade of these lunatics, many who are foreign nationals, has been conducted to bring these issues to the attention of the general public.” Bayers said that both the WCOWC and PATH have little support in the region and have plans to use a research station as a training ground for civil disobedience against work- ers. Next OFL protest is set for North Bay The next step in the protest cam- paign against the Harris government will be held in northern Ontario. On September 26 and 27, Ontario Federation of Labour delegates will assemble in North Bay, Ontario. That is the home town of Conservative Premier Mike Harris. It is in the jurisdiction of I.W.A. CANADA Local 1000, which has operations in areas surrounding North Bay. “We’re sending a delegation to give Harris a piece of our mind,” said Local 1000 President Joe da Costa. “I think the people of North Bay who supported Harris in the last election will get a real good sense of the large amount of opposition that there is to provincial government’s destructive policies.” “Our local union membership has recognized the damage that the Harris government is doing to the people of Ontario,” said Norm Rivard, President of Local 1-2995. “We plan to be there with as many members as we can to help voice the I.W.A.’s strong opposition. We’ve invited one member from each sub-local to attend the North Bay protest.” Over 2/3’s of sub-local responded to 1-2995’s Brother Rivard expects the protest movement to continue to gather momentum. “I can see the labour movement keeping the pressure on right thro the next provincial election,” he sai