e Pictured here (1. to r.) during a training session at the Amoco Fibre and Fabric plant in Hawkesbury, Ontario in April of 1996 were Local 1000 mem-
bers Guy Duval, Francois Aubry, Sylvain Pilon, Stephane Massie, and Serge Duval.

Amoco makes training a priority with union

n the early 1990’s the carpet Along with those changes has_ million in overtime and retraining the workers would bump for any

industry in Canada was get- been a whole bunch of retraining wages. reason.”

ting whacked. Only afew years initiatives to get the workers going He said that every time one worker Local union business agent and

earlier the Canada - U.S. Free as efficiently as possible. bumps in the plant, three other financial secretary Michael

Trade agreement began to take Starting in 1995, the company workers have to be retrained. McCarter said the company tracks
down tariffs on carpet and a pro- has paid overtime premiums to Retraining for some positions can all of the jobs that are performed to

longed recession hit the industry. workers who have undergone train- take 8-12 weeks. determine whether or not training
Things didn’t look too rosy for ing procedures in order to let them Seniority is recognized on a plant- is necessary and successful.

I.W.A. CANADA Local 1000 mem- move from work station to work sta- _ wide basis. “Our local union has been involved

bers employed at the Amoco Fabric _ tion. “In the plant there is a mature in the training initiatives from the

and Fibre carpet backing plant in Part-time business agent Yvon workforce where workers can move first day,” said Brother McCarter,
Hawkesbury, Ontario. Prior to “free Rochon, who originates from the around faster and easier,” he said. who added that the workers get an
trade” the Canadian branch-plant Amoco plant, told the Lumberworker “Without the training initiatives extra 10% pay bonus when they are
employed over 250 workers at that the company has spent over $1 __there would be major problems when training other members for a new
Hawkesbury and 300 more workers fy - F = = job.
at its plants in Cornwall and Brant- ‘ “Because there is a high level of
ford, Ontario. expertise that has been developed
By the mid-90’s the Cornwall plant by the workforce, productivity levels
was gone for good and there were have shot up and customer com-
reduced workforces in Hawkesbury plaints have gone down,” he said.
and Brantford. Amoco, a huge multi- “In the plant there is modern tech-
national, had bumped up produc- nology and the expertise of people
tion in lower wage states of the U.S. who have worked in the industry for

South and built a new plant in over 20 years.” a
In the Fall of 1992, during a period@)

Matawala; Mexico.
of major layoffs in the industry, the

In 1990 the Hawkesbury plant
had 23 customers for its carpet back- company was hit with a customer
complaint that cost it $250,000.

ing. Today it only has seven, most of
Improved quality control proce-

which are located in Canada with €
carpet companies like Harding Car- dures which inspect every roll for
colour, strength and appearance,

pets, Peerless, Kraus, National Car-
pet and Crossley. pave helped ensure customer satis-
faction.

“Today the industry is struggling
y The plant produces under ISO

to get back its market share after lant ci
the serious attack that it took with 9002 guidelines, which is an inter-
free trade and the recession,” said nationally recognized management
local union president Joe da Costa. system that is designed proper train-
Plant manager Jean Phaneuf, in ing of workers, work procedures and
quality control inspections.

a 1996 interview, said that the os) o
él “The plant is idling with 188 work-
Hawkesbury based company was ers,” said McCarter. “The market

maki isi ‘ot to rely on the
ng a decision ni ly. has not recovered yet because of the

US. ich i dominatel: ing i
uv Bea a foarte lominately housing industry has not fully picked
Pas @

a He said that then ae of fhe: Brg
luction of carpets and carpet back-
ee eraiheiieandtennlCcoraia, SAFETY PROGRAM SHOWS RESULTS
Things haven’t changed much in The union’s occupational health
the last two years. and safety committee chairman
Today the Hawisesbury plant pro- have besn aetna
A 2 in the plant.
duces only five products lines of car- Thoce ead faibe a Lac gwen eee
bruises due to the handling of high

pet backing, down from 156 lines in
1990. The company has spent over speed rolls, but worker retraining
has resulted in fewer incidences.

$8 million in modernizing equip-
Two areas safety areas where

ment and re-jigging the production

flow to make a smoother, more effi- po Bic’ 2 &,
cient operation, which can fill an . z ~ gp anes 5 there has been more focus have been
order on only 4-5 days lead time. ¢ Changing the beam on a loom at the plant is Brother Robert Bougie. Continued on page fifteen

Perr
10/LUMBERWORKER/SEPTEMBER, 1998