Stimulate economy and generate
investment B.C. government told

As the B.C. government sets out
to chop public sector spending,
I.W.A. Canada is saying that the
Liberal should se think and take
a balanced approach.

The I.W.A. recently joined with
other unions, including CUPE, the
USWA, OPEIU, the B.C. Teachers
Federation and the CEP, to request
that the government take a second
look at what it is doing.

On October 23, national second
vice president David Tones delivered
a message that it is counter-
productive to get into a debate on
the merits of cutting or not cutting
the public service. Instead, he
warned, the government has to focus
its energies on stimulating the
economy to generate investment
and economic growth.

In an I.W.A. Canada brief to the
B.C. Legislative Select Standing
Committee on Finances and
Government Services, Brother Tones
delivered the union’s message.

“We told them clearly that the
1.W.A. thinks this government must
look after the fundamentals of the
B.C. economy and that when the
forest sector and other resource
industries are in the tank, a great
deal of the province gets dragged
down with it,” said Tones, in an

interview with the Lumberworker.

In a submission to the committee,
which consisted of 10 Liberals and
NDP leader Joy McPhail, Brother
Tones pointed out that there has
been, in effect, a serious reduction
in investment in the province.

“First, it’s worth at least asking:
“Is there problem?” says the brief.
We think the answer is “yes.”

However, it seems fair to point out
that in spite of cycles of capital
accumulation, total investment in
the B.C. forest sector declined every
year from 1996 to 1999; investment
in expansion of operations fell every
year from 1995 to 1999. Total
investment was 8.3 percent of capital
employed in 1996 but only 4.6
percent in 1999. Investments in
expansion fell from 2.3 percent of
capital employed to only 0.9 percent
in 1999, according to statistics based

e National second vice president
David Tones.

on PWC’s (Price Waterhouse-
Cooper’s) annual B.C. forest-sector
survey.”

“This needs to be turned around.
Without steady investment the
(forest) industry cannot hope to
remain competitive; even remaining
competitive, the industry cannot
hope to create new jobs without
investments in a diversified range

of products. Neither of these things
seem to be happening on an adequate
basis.”

Brother Tones told the committee
that economic activity and wealth
creation derived directly and
indirectly from the forest industry
are vital to maintaining social
programs.

“T told the committee that our
members are getting laid off in big
numbers and that, as they do get
laid off, they start to realize, even
more, the value of good social
services when their families and
communities are in a crisis and
when people aren’t working,” he
commented.

At the same time, he pointed out,
“Gf the basic drivers of our economy
are in trouble, we will have serious
difficulties maintaining public sector
employment.”

In the brief the I.W.A. said that
the government made an assumption
that tax cuts stimulate investment
and demand for goods and services
and that market forces should work
in an unfettered way.

But, as the B.C. Federation of
Labour pointed out in its submission
to the government, the I.W.A. agrees
tax cuts don’t affect the external
conditions, such as demand for wood
products. Worse, if those tax savings
are spent on durable consumer
goods, many of the benefits will flow
to producers from jurisdictions
outside the province.

“Tax cuts, in fact, will only be of
value if they lead to increased
investment activity, in turn
stimulating-employment, economic
activity, tax revenues, resource rent

and financing public services,” said
the submission.

The I.W.A. noted that the union
has long advocated measures to
stimulate investment in areas
including increased value-added
production, intensive, product
line diversification and market
enhancement.

“We believe that as the landlord,
owning the vast majority of B.C.
forest wealth, the government has a
role in the areas of resource
stewardship and regeneration. We
also believe the government should
take seriously the need to encourage
companies to invest in practices
that improve the long-term quality
and quantity of wood we produce.
This could be done, for instance, by
allowing companies to add the
incremental volume they produce to
their annual allowable cut.”

The submission added that Forest
Renewal B.C. should be revamped.
to increase forest companies’ ability
and willingness to invest in
employment, exports, research and
development, skills upgrading and
workforce training and suggested
that companies share a portion of
Crown revenue for andertavane
these changes.

Government’s role should be to
see targets and standards and
ensure that companies meet them.
The union also called on government
to play arole in market development,
for instance through Canada-U.S.
cooperation to sell forest products
outside of North America, a step the
union argues would help end the
wasteful debate over softwood
lumber. 5

Strike in Juniper
continued from page two

said McIntyre. Local TV was there.

“They just missed our people. If
somebody would have taken a step
back they would have been killed,”
he added.

The RCMP never laid charges on
the truck driver.

By the night of the second day the
RCMP went up to Brother Fortunato
and warned that picketers would be

ut into cruisers and taken
Horta if there would be any
incidents.

“J told them (the officers) that we
had been peaceful and that I thought
they were over-reacting,” he added.
“Basically they (the RCMP) were
there to press us to let the scabs
out faster than we had been letting
them out.” :

By October 19 the union was hit
by a court injunction, limiting the
number of pickets to 8. The strikers
continue to be videotaped and
watched by hired security.

“Tt (the police presence) was set
up so the company could get an
injunction,” said McIntyre. ;

orkers at the pearby seyraill
have been honking their horns and
acknowledging the strikers.

The I.W.A. is trying to organize
them as well.

“There’s a big crew in there that
wants to organize as well,” said

‘ortunato.
2 At the I-Joist plant scabs and
management are only putting out
partial production on one shift.

Plant chairman peanetn Williams,
a 25 year old from Perth, New
Brunswick is a member of the
negotiating committee along with
Marty Price, Jim Sparks and
Brothers Fortunato, Hogan and

cIntyre.
ead 8 rt on the picket line
is “really i

“There’s some people that don’t

yet understand the concept of union
check-off,” he said. “They think that
dues check-off gives the union the
right to hire and fire whoever they
want. That’s what I think the
company wants them to believe.”

Local 306 members from the
Northumberland Co-op and the
Nelson Forest Products have
dropped by the picket line to show
their support.

From time to time the picket line
has also been bolstered by members
from the Canadian Paperworkers
Union, Local 219 in Nackawic, about
an hour and a half south of Juniper.

“We have really appreciated the
support of our own members and of
the CPU at St. Anne Nackawic Pulp
and Paper,” said Brother Hogan.
“They have really helped us lift our
spirits during this strike.”

Local union president Tim Noel
told the Lumberworker that the
fight at Juniper is “especially
important for everyone in the labour
movement.” He points out the fact
that when a company refuses to
collect dues, recognize the
membership and rejects the “Rand
Formula” where members must pay
dues even if they have legal

exemption from membership, it is
getting very close to right-to-work
in a province that has no right-to-
work laws. He said the company is
picking on workers in an isolated
area of the province.

The New Brunswick Federation
of Labour has put out a Christmas
Financial Appeal to affiliates to
support the I.W.A. in this important
fight. Donations can be sent to the
federation office at 96 Norwood
Ave. Moncton, N.B., E1C GL9

Send cheques to the Fed office
with an “I.W.A. Xmas Appeal”
notation on it.

Local 306 member Amanda Campbell seen here being assisted by local safety director Chris Mazerolle and
(LW.A. jacket) and paramedics, was injured on the picket line in an altercation with a hired security man and a
scab truck. The union is taking legal action on her behalf.

Photo by Mario Fortunato

LUMBERWORKER/NOVEMBER 2001/3