¢ NDP premier Glen Clark spoke about forest industry

issues and challenges in British Columbia.

B.C. premier tells delegates of changes made

With the forest industry in the tank and I.W.A.
members hitting the unemployment roles in B.C.
in the thousands, B.C. Premier Glen Clark faced
the union convention and directly addressed
some of the important issues that union mem-
bers and the industry face.

He said the industry is facing unparalleled
attacks from radical environmentalists for the
past 6-7 years and that they continue today.

“Notwithstanding all the changes that we’ve
made, there are still unrelenting attacks on
British Columbia forestry communities and
workers from the environmental movement,
many of them misguided, if not all of them,
because they’ve refused to recognize the changes
and the price that’s been paid by working people
to make those changes.”

Aiming at U.S. protectionism, Clark said the
Canada - U.S. Softwood Lumber agreement was
negotiated to stop an assault of tariffs from the

“That U.S. agreement, more than anything
else right now, is having a big negative impact
on coastal communities and those forest compa-
nies throughout British Columbia that don’t
have the requisite quota to penetrate that mar-
ket,” he said.

“On the Coast, where they do not have quota
and export access to the United States, the two
markets that they’ve (producers) depended on
(Japan and Korea) have essentially collapsed,
both in price and in volume,” said Clark who
pointed out that only 50% of the province’s

exports go to the U.S. while 30-40% of exports go
to Asia.

“We've had a U.S. softwood lumber deal, which
in some respects, has kept prices higher and
some companies in the Interior and Okanagan
are continuing to make money today,” said Clark.
“They have access to the U.S. marketplace.”

“The only time I have seen this kind of fear in
forestry communities was in the early 1980’s
recession...” he added.

“I’m not here to tell you that everything’s won-
derful in the industry and I’m not here to tell you
the government has done a wonderful job,” said
the Premier. “The economy of British Columbia
is in significant trouble because of largely the
forest industry but also mining and anybody
associated with exports around the world.”

Clark said that the government has cut
stumpage by $600 million over three years,
which represents the first stumpage cut in the
history of the province.

He criticized companies who, at first, said to
not cut stumpage because they fear retaliation
from the U.S. and are, at the same time, going
around telling their workers and communities
that the state of the industry is government’s
fault and that it should cut stumpage.

Clark said there have been changes to reduce
the costs of the Forest Practices Code while con-
tinuing to protect the environment.

He said that the government has to do more
work in the Interior to make sure that intensive
silviculture is not done on short term contracts.

“My commitment has not changed to you that
we are determined to ensure that we change the
way we do business in the Interior of British
Columbia to reflect the fact that we want to see
those workers paid decent wages and working
conditions and be I.W.A. members,” said the
speaker.

Clark said that the government has intervened
to help save the Skeena Cellulose pulp mil] and
related logging operations and stepped in to save
Evans Forest Products, the latter being an
impressive success story.

“And I can tell you there are companies right
now who are looking around British Columbia,
and American companies, who are looking to
exploit this recession in the forest industry and
(are) looking at it as an excuse to make radical
changes, (and cause) the cannibalization of the
industry.”

“The next year potentially is going to see a
year of significant change,” said Clark. “AndI
want you to know that your government is not
going to allow forest companies to use the reces-
sion in forest products as an excuse for under-
mining the wages and working conditions of
workers in the I.W.A..”

Clark said “our job (as government) is to make
the changes which give your members security
and comfort and understanding and straight
talk...and...to make sure that we make changes
and we communicate those to the public.

“We have failed on the latter and, on the for-
mer, we clearly need to do better.”

a, et

Legislative resolutions
get nod from delegates

HELICOPTER LOGGING - the union will lobby provin-
cial governments to enact legislation which pro-
hibits the logging of conventional logging areas
by helicopter.

COMMERCIAL THINNING IN DECADENT STANDS - a
resolution passed challenging the B.C. govern-
ment to allow the commercial thinning of deca-
dent stands for their improvement and to allow
this timber to be taken out of the timber quota.

APPURTENANCE CLAUSES IN TFL’s - the I.W.A.
demands that the B.C. provincial government
reinstate the practice of an appurtenance Tree
Farm Licence legislation that ties tenure to spe-
cific manufacturing operations.

EXPORT OF RAW LOG AND CANTS - the union reaf-
firms its unalterable opposition to the export of
logs and cants, demands that provincial govern-
ments and the federal government legislatively
ban their export from Crown and private lands
and implement publicity campaigns to educate

the public on the effects of exports.

ANTI-SCAB LEGISLATION - the Ontario government
willbe petitioned by the I.W.A. to reintroduce
anti-scab legislation in the province.

AUTOMATIC CERTIFICATION - the I.W.A. will peti-
tion the Ontario government, through the Ontario
Federation of Labour and the provincial NDP to
reintroduce automatic certification on organizing
drives.
EMPLOYMENT INSURANCE - the union demanded
that the federal government retract its recent
changes to the Unemployment Insurance Act
aad not use the UI surplus to reduce the federal
leficit.

ELIMINATION OF GST - delegates unanimously
voted to scrap the federal Good and Services Tax.

TRADESMEN’S TOOLS - a resolution passed calling
for the I.W.A. to petition the federal government
to permit the tax deductibility of tradesmen’s
tools.

TAXES ON WORKERS - the union is directed to
lobby the federal and provincial governments to
reduce the tax burden on Canadian workers.

CANADA PENSION - the I.W.A. will request that
federations of labour and provincial NDP govern-

ments lobby the federal government to reduce
retirement age to 60 years with full pension and
maintain and enhance the present system.

MULTILATERAL AGREEMENT ON INVESTMENT - the
I.W.A. will lobby the provincial and federal gov-
ernments to oppose the MAI.

STAT HOLIDAY IN FEBRUARY - the union will lobby
the appropriate provincial and federal govern-

ment agencies to designate a statutory holiday in
the month of February.

EASTER MONDAY - the appropriate governments
will be pressured to have Haster Monday as a
statutory holiday.

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR DAY - the union will lobby
the federal government to establish May Ist as a
statutory holiday.

TREATMENT CENTRES - the union will call on
provincial governments to fund residential treat-
ment facilities for people with alcohol, chemical
and other dependencies.

HEALTH CARE - the I.W.A. demands that the Goy-
ernment of Canada improve its support and

funding for our national health care system
which includes a consistent standard of care all

across the country.

ea

20/LUMBERWORKER/DECEMBER, 1998