for a live television audience.

. THEIWA |

ISON

Local 2693 crew digs in for longer fight
against Lafarge Concrete in Thunder Bay

hey have been on strike

since June in a fight-back

against a list of conces-

sions put forward by their

employer. The employer,
Lafarge Concrete, forced 15 workers
at its Thunder Bay operation to hit
the bricks in opposition.

The initial list of concessions put
forward by Lafarge includes wage
rollbacks of $5 - $8 per hour, the tak-
ing away of seniority provisions, a
cut to pension benefits and the elim-
ination of union jurisdiction over the
geographical areas that they work
in,
Local union first vice president
Joe Hanlon says that the employer
must get concessions off the bar-
gaining table before any negotia-
tions will continue.

“In Thunder Bay we have recently
negotiated a collective agreement
with Nor-Shore Redi-mix and there
was a three year collective agree-
ment put into place,” he says.
“There’s no reason why Lafarge can’t
do the same.”

Wilf McIntyre, the local union
president, national fifth vice presi-
dent and a member of the Ontario
Federation of Labour Executive
Board, says the I.W.A. is continuing
to seek support from other unions
that represent other Lafarge opera-
tions.

- “We have given the message to
Lafarge that the I.W.A. is not going
to roll over and that it has the sup-
port of the affiliates of Ontario Fed-
eration of Labour and that a full boy-
cott of Lafarge products may be
necessary in the future,” he says.
“Lafarge is a large conglomerate
that will take on other unions as well
if they get a chance.”

Early this month the Thunder Bay
and District Labour Council
endorsed a boycott on Lafarge prod-
ucts in northern Ontario,

At the union’s national convention
held in Sault Ste. Marie in Septem-
ber, convention delegates rallied to
picket a Lafarge operation in town
and protest against the company.

Present were four union members
from the Thunder Bay operation -

Barry Dejardine, Brian Sippola, Rod
Ceasor and Paul Chalat.

Brother Dejardine, the I.W.A.’s
steward at the plant, thanked the
delegates for their show of support.
He hoped the pressure that the
union put on would force the com-
pany to negotiate.

“We do want a good contract and
we are willing to fight for one,” said
Brother Dejardine.

National union president Dave
Haggard, said that the entire union
is behind the strikers.

He said that the I.W.A. isn’t about
to negotiate concessions with a com-
pany that can pay proper, decent,
and fair wages to the membership.

He said that company is trying to
take advantage of an anti-union
labour climate that exists under the
Conservative government of Mike
Harris. Haggard said that the anti-

y

worker agenda is destroying the
economy of Ontario.

“How can you expect to have a
thriving economy and how can you
expect people to enjoy the wealth
and fruits of their labour, if you have
strike after strike (in Ontario),” said
the national union president,
“because you (Harris) don’t give a
damn about workers and you're too
busy trying to pay off the people who
paid your way in the hallowed halls
of parliament in Ontario.”

n an interview with the Lumber-
worker, Brother McIntyre said
although Lafarge appears dug in
over concessions, that could all
change next year when new con-
struction projects take off in Thun-
der Bay. There is a new hospital, a
new casino and shopping mall to be
built. All will take a lot of concrete.

“J doubt that Lafarge will want to

miss out on these projects and give
all the business to Nor-Shore, who
they have competed with for 30
years,” said McIntyre.

The union is critical of Lafarge
Management.

“In Thunder Bay you have to
pound the pavement and talk to the
building contractors to get busi-
ness,” said McIntyre.

“Lafarge tries to sit back and run
the operation out of eastern Ontario
with some guy sitting on his ass in
an office answering phones. A busi-
ness can’t run that way up in Thun-
der Bay.”

The strikers are settled in for an
even longer battle.

Said Brother Hanlon: “We've got a
winterized trailer set up and the
crew is well organized. We intend to
be out as long as it takes to get a fair
settlement.”

¢ Local 2693 president and national vice president Wilf McIntyre joined officers and striking members to call for
wider boycott of Lafarge products.

14/LUMBERWORKER/DECEMBER, 1999