¢ B.C. Federation of Labour president Jim Sinclair said that forest policies have to ensure that jobs

and working people are protected in Canada.

Battle for sovereignty at heart of lumber war

B.C. Federation of Labour president Jim
Sinclair told the convention the dispute over
softwood lumber goes to the heart of the
country’s relationship with the United States.

He said the fight for softwood lumber is not
just a forest-industry issue.

“The issue goes to the heart of our sovereignty
as Canadians,” he said, adding that the country
is ready to compete globally on a level playing
field “and we'll make our choices on how to do
that.”

“We're not trying to stop competition,” said
Sinclair, “that’s not the issue here. The issue, I
think, is that we want to continue to have the
right as a country, and as working people to set
forest policy for our province and our country
and ensure that we have forest policies that

ensure the jobs are there — not just for the
people who work there today, but for our kids.”

“It’s also about saying it’s up to us to decide
what to export,” said the speaker. He said
exporting logs to other countries will not create

jobs and the country must be united in
demanding that logs be milled in Canada.

He said the labour movement is united in its
call for demanding log export restrictions.

“This isn’t just about forest workers and
forest communities— it’s about every working
person in this country,” he said. “And we’re
going to be there when you call on us — so that
we can make sure at the end of the day — that
we have a viable woodworking industry in this
province, and in this country for everybody.”

On politics in B.C., the president said that
most workers were fed up with the NDP and

cast their ballots in favour of Liberal election
promises such as improved health care and
education, high-paying jobs, a faster growing
hi-tech sector, a “leading edge” forest industry
that is globally-recognized for productivity and
environmental stewardship, affordable housing,
lower energy bills, lower automobile insurance
coast, with, at the same time, lower personal
taxes.

After the first 90 days into the Liberals’
“New Era” those cuts gave $1.5 billion in tax
cuts. Fifty per cent of taxpayers got a cut of
$250 - $400 per year. The top one per cent of
wage earners got cuts of between $5,000-$7,000
per year.

He said the Liberals have taken a balanced
budget and turned it into a annual deficit of $2
billion.

Sinclair noted that former NDP premier
Glen Clark was attacked for bringing in a so-
called “fudge-it-budget” in his first year, that
had a $144 million deficit.

“These folks (Gordon Campbell and the
Liberals) have a ‘fudge-it-budget’ worth over $2
billion and nobody’s saying a word,” he said.

Sinclair said the Fed has met with Campbell
and has informed him that it wants to work
with the government to assist in the
development of a modern economy with skilled
workers.

But first, the government has to stop attacking
workers.

The Liberals have legislated health care
workers back to work, and is slashing public
sector program to eliminate thousands of jobs.

¢ During the proceedings, Local 2693’s Lavel Dallaire hands out resolutions sheets to delegates,

The WCB will be slashed to bits.

“It scares me when I meet with ministers
who tell me that WCB regulations are red
tape,” said Sinclair. “It scares me because we
buried 150 people last year who didn’t come
home to their families because they died on the
job.”

He said red fepe is really regulations that
protects the health and safety of workers.

Sinclair said the labour movement must also
stick together to beat back cuts in the minimum
wage and watering down of the Employment
Standards Act in the province. H

Modern program

continued from page eleven

¢ Joe da Costa, Local 1000

founded — those of representing the working
class of the country nal the disadvantaged.

He said it’s time for working people to take
back control of the party from tthe greens and
the academics.

Brother da Costa said those elements of the

arty should leave and join the greens if they
lon’t want labour to be a part of the ch 5

He also encouraged I.W.A. members to get
active.

“It’s not enough to sit here and pass resolutions
and believe in motherhood and apple pie without
getting out there and busting our asses —
making sure that ae knock on doors — maki
sure you support those people,” he said. He
eadedt that MP’s and MLA's Revs to be people

who working people can trust and who are
elected at the grass-roots level. &

12/LUMBERWORKER/DECEMBER, 2001

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