Union continues progress in N.B.

The union is making progress in
New Brunswick. On October 20,
Local 306 received an automatic
certification at Lakeburn Lumber
Ltd., in the community of Dieppe,
on the outskirts of Moncton.

Sixty-seven workers became
I.W.A. members following a tough
campaign at the hardwood and
softwood mill. The union beat back
an employer-driven petition to keep
the union out.

Union organizers Mario Fortu-
nato and Pat Hogan worked hard
to counter the petition and won out
at the province’s labour relations
board, when they presented docu-
ments with over half of the work-
ers’ signatures.

Until the employer’s petition
was circulated, the union had 46
cards signed by the workers, which
was a clear majority.

“The employer had their noses in
there, giving the workers a tough
time and getting petitions out,”
said Local 306 president Aaron

Power. “Our guys did a real good
job fighting for the crew.”

During the process, 5 workers
were laid-off. As part of the settle-
ment at the board, the union asked
for essential information on the
group, like seniority, classifications
addresses and contact numbers.

As of mid-December the com-
pany was still dragging its heels
giving over the information, which
is mandatory.

Brother Power says the union
has applied to the board for concili-
ation and hopes to start negotia-
tions before mid-January of next
year.

On the table will be wage issues,
fundamental contract language
and health and safety issues.

“We want to let them (Lakeburn)
know that we are there to negoti-
ate a fair contract for their employ-
ees,” he said.

National fifth vice president Wilf
McIntyre, who has overseen
progress in New Brunswick in the
past year, said the Lakeburn oper-
ation is an important step for the
union. The national union has been
assisting Local 306 with its orga-

60 hour week

continued from page three

to demand that employees split
their half hour lunches into two 15
minute mini-breaks.

“Can you imagine a government
that would put into place an Act
that would have workers on the job
for 60 hours a week with 15 minute
lunch breaks?” says Rivard. “The
Harris government is trying to push
back the clock to the 1930's.”

Brother McIntyre says that union

members in all parts of Canada
should sit up and take notice about
what is happening in Ontario — not
only for labour legislation affecting
unions but for what is happening
to the Employment Standards Act.

“This is what can happen when
right wing parties take power and
drive forward with their anti-work-
ers agenda,” says McIntyre. “In
Ontario we’d rather have an NDP
government any day of the week.”

The OFL held an emergency meet-
ing to discuss Bill 189 and 147 on
October 21 in Toronto. Since then,
the federation and its affiliate have
gone across the province to talk

with local union leadership, meet-
ing over 6,000 workers in the
process.

It has advertised and called for
public hearings on the two bills.

“The government is shifting the
relationship between employers
and workers in this province.
Employers now direct the setting of
labour policies in this province and
are pushing for complete control
over their employee’s lives. Nobody
working for a living in Ontario will
benefit from what the Harris gov-
ernment has planned,” said Samuel-
son.

The OFL president said that Bill
147 should be called “An Act to
Wreck Family Life in Ontario.”

The NDP, under Howard Hamp-
ton, are conducting a campaign to
fight both bills. While calling for
the scrapping of both of them, the
NDP has submitted an amendment
to Bill 147 which would prohibit
employers from coercing employees
into longer work weeks.

It is also campaigning for over-
time after 40 hours and to raise the
Ontario minimum wage to $7.50 an
hour from $6.85 an hour.

I.W.A. members can join an
e-mail postcard campaign from the
Ontario NDP website to send
Harris a message about his anti-
family labour legislation. Check
www.ontario.ndp.ca

nizing efforts. National organizin;

coordinator Mike Hunter, Loca
2693 organizer Manny Ranger and
others have pitched in when possible.

“Every time we organize a plant
we help the union become more
solidly established in the province,”
he says. “That can only lead to
more good things down the road.”

In other news, the I.W.A. is
actively organizing a large sawmill
2-1/2 hours west of Miramichi. The
Juniper sawmill, recently pur-
chased by the Wyse company,
employs close to 300 workers.

Recently the new owners gave
many workers an across-the-board
wage increase of $5.00 an hour as
it got rid of a bonus system.

“This sudden wage increase did
dampen the drive somewhat but
we think workers will be able to
see through it soon enough,” says
Brother Power.

The I.W.A. hopes to convince 80
new workers, hired to put the
sawmill on a three shift basis, to
join the union.

The company runs a sawmill part
and an I-joice part. In other mat-

“Every time we
organize a plant
we help the union
become more solidly
established... ”

— Wilf McIntyre,
National Fifth V.P.

ters, the union will be at a certifi-
cation hearing to represent 26
workers at the Hast Wind Specialty
Veneers plant in Miramichi on
January 10 and 11, 2001.

During the organizing drive this
past summer, the owner/manager
laid off some workers which the
I.W.A. got back to work. Wages
and working conditions are the
chief issues.

In all, the union is building sup-
port in a province where unioniza-
tion rates are among the lowest in
Canada.

“I think the word’s getting out
that the I.W.A. is organizing in the

province and we're here not to only
represent the members we have
but we're definitely here organiz-
ing and looking for new members,”
says Power. “We have a lot on our
plate now and I know there are a
couple of other places that the
union is looking at going into in
the new year.”

SETTLEMENT AT NORTHUMBERLAND

The union also reports that it
has reached a four year collective
agreement with the Northumber-
land Co-op based in Miramichi.
The agreement was ratified by 78%
in early November.

It’s the first collective agreement
that the I.W.A. has negotiated since
it began to ramp up organizing
efforts in the province.

The union negotiated major
changes that will equalize wages
between workers by the end of the
contract. Some workers will see
overall increases of $4.75 an hour.

Retroactive pay saw some work-
ers get over $2,000 more in back
pay. Northumberland has about

00 union members, both full and
part time.

It’s main business is a dairy facil-
ity and hardware business that is
centred in Miramichi but that it
spread throughout the province in
places like Moncton, St. John’s,
and Bathurst.

“It’s a good sized bargaining
unit,” says Brother McIntyre.
“Because of all the outposts the
Northumberland Co-op has, it also
gets the name of the I.W.A. out in
various parts of the province. We
are becoming better known out
there.”

The first agreement also has the
inclusion of a strong seniority
clause, increases to the pension
plan and, for the first time ever,
overtime pay for hours worked in
excess of 45.

“Before we came along the scene,
workers would work 60, 70 hours
or more a week for no overtime,”
said McIntyre. Under the Employ-
ment Standard Act in the pLOyanCe)
there was no protection for over-
time. The I.W.A. also will see that
workers are properly paid time
double time and a half for statu-
tory holidays worked.

“We think it’s a good agreement.
There’s always going to be a few
bumps to Brain foot and Be Il
do our best the next time negotia-
tions come around,” added Melntyre.

° Left to right are organizer Mario Fortunato, Dave Haggard,
NDP provincial secretary Bruce Logan and Wilf McIntyre.

Local 306 Convention
continued from page thirteen

are Joseph Sanders (2 years), David

Lesgresley (4 years) and Roger
Girouard.

Also elected as general executive
board members for Nelson and
Northumberland were Grant Davis
and Marcel Lavoie, respectively. A
position for UPM-Kymme was filled
by Frank Babineau.

The officers, education, and safety
reports delivered detailed the IWA’s
activities since 1998 when the
national union began to focus more
efforts and resources on New
Brunswick. Several education
classes have taken place since them
including an introductory organiz-
ing course, a disability manage-
ment course, a steward training
course, and an occupational health
and safety course.

The local union has also been
brought up to date on the I.W.A.
negotiated srineraty policy and
the national policy on harassment
in the workplace.

Mike Hunter, Manny Ranger and
Randy Budge have been in the
province to help out in organizing.

Brothers Ranger and Hunter have
been around on a frequent basis
while Ranger has anchored orga-
nizing efforts for the past several
months.

The union hired Nelson Forest
Products employee Darren McFar-
lane to organize the Northumber-
land Co-Op operation last year where
he and others were successful.

In March of this year Brothers
Pat Hogan and Mario Fortunato
began organizing in the province
and have run into stiff employer
opposition at the Ashley Colter
sawmill in Boiestown, the M.L.
Wilkins and Son sawmill in Freder-
icton, and Maritime Disposal Inc.
in Miramichi.

As of convention time the union
was running four simultaneous
campaigns.

“There are a lot of unorganized
workers that need union represen-
tation in the province,” said Brother
Rivard, who heads the union’s
national eastern office in Toronto.
“We have a firm presence in
Miramichi and we are looking at
expanding into other parts of New
Brunswick and, down the road,
other parts of the Maritimes and
central Canada.”

14/LUMBERWORKER/DECEMBER, 2000