Check out Local News to find out what is new in your national union from coast-to-coast across Canada A bad start with a company turns good in negotiations Although threatened with firings and a closure of their small hardwood mill in Victoria, if they joined the IWA, things have turned out positive for three new local union members at PG Hardwoods in Victoria. Using a pattem agreement from Local 2171, Local 1-80 organizer and negotiator Brian Butler got a new collective agreement signed after less than three days in negotia- tions. Workers got a boost of between $4.30 -$5.50/hr. “We're quite elated,” says Butler. “I’ve never seen things go from bad to good that fast before.” PORT ALBERNI BC Coulson Mill operation up and running in the Port The Coulson Millwork operation in Port Alberni is operating on a six month trial basis that started in mid- August. If things go well there could be another 150 jobs added, says local pres- ident Monty Mearns. The plant cur- rently produces bevel siding and has finger jointing capacity. Coulson has partnered with First Nations interests in the community and has a two shift operation as of press time. A longer term goal is to get into edge gluing and tie into the Weyerhaeuser Alberni Pacific division plant. “Weyco is getting out of value- added and is only shipping raw logs and semi-processed lumber out of Canada,” says Mearns. ALBERTA Local knee-deep at neg tables The Alberta Local is right into negotia- tions this summer and fall at four dif- ferent operations - the Weyco Slave Lake OSB plant, the Weyco Drayton Valley OSB plant and sawmill and the Seehta Red Earth Sawmill, north of Edmonton. “It’s tough with OSB prices being down and the softwood lumber tariffs being in place,” says local union president Mike Pisak. “We're out to get reasonable collective agreements but we don’t think anything will come our Way easy.” “184 SASKATCHEWAN Hudson Bay IWA’ers support statue and time capsule On August 16 Local 1-184 members proudly participated in ceremony to unveil a statue of a logger at the entrance of Heritage Park in Hudson Bay. Workers from three IWA mills in town: Weyerhaeuser plywood, OSB 1000 and OSB 2000, gave generously to raise over $3000 which was matched by the company. The wooden statue, made by local craftsman Joe Dombowsly, will have a time capsule sealed in its base. Townsfolk are col- lecting pictures, stories and other arti- facts to seal in it for several decades. “The statue is a symbol of the early pio- neers and the workforce for future gen- erations to enjoy,” says local president Paul Hallen. OT UMM LOCAL 1-2567 FRASER comer On the Job injyour Community & At this year's ’s PNE, Local 1-3567 set up its tent Gio new WA cai organizing displays. A new softwood lumber T-shirt was sold to many who are on-side with the union in the lumber battle with the U.S. Pictured are (I. to r.) organizer Gordie McIntosh, Tracey Zehner and visitor Ross Ranger. Taking the IWA to the PNE public The ever-active Fraser Valley local (Local 1-3567) used this year’s 4 Pacific National Exhibition in Vancouver as a great opportunity to spread the word about the IWA. In coordination with the national ” office, the local set-up its portable tent and tables with national organizing displays, from August 17 - September 4, to provide information about the union to thousands. The local sold over 200 T-shirts with an IWA beaver poised to swing a 2 x 4. The shirt reads “Let’s Lay the Lumber on ‘Em,” a thinly-veiled reference to the Canada-U.S. softwood lumber dispute. “We were there to help keep the soft- ' wood issue alive,” says local union president Sonny Ghag. “As a result we taught a lot of Americans about the issue as well.” Of course, the main pur- pose of the tent and display was to reach the greater working public, many who know little about trade unions. “We commend the local union for get- ting out there in the public,” says national president Dave Haggard. “It’s an example of the things we have to do.” VANCOUVER/LOGGERS Local 2171 merger with Local 363 before border committee In mid-September Locals 2171 and 363, which previously approved a merger document, completed a ballot which could bring the two local unions together. The membership-wide referendum, which took place following merger endorsements by both executive boards, may see Local 363 join into Local 2171 with new areas being added to the local’s executive board. The bal- lots have been sealed, pending a report with recommendations from the National Boundaries Committee to the National Executive Board. “We thank the membership in both locals for voting on the issue of the merger,” says Local 2171 president Darrel Wong. Local ar71 was formed in early 1998 through the merger of Loggers’ Local 1- 71 and Vancouver Local 1-217. It covers the Lower Mainland, west of Boundary Road, the entire Mainland coast , the northern part of Vancouver Island and the Queen Charlotte Islands. Local 2171 members in the Lower Mainland have have suffered big job losses, while loggers affected by the mid-Coast land-use decision last year have yet to see any compensation. “The decision was made on April 5, 2001 and assistance was supposed to start three months later,” says local rep Bob Freer. “Not one cent has been paid to our members in compensation.” Brother Wong says that although a trustee has recently been set-up to administer assistance for mid-coast contractors and workers, the govern- ment has added north coast and Queen Charlotte contractors and work- ers to the picture, greatly reducing funding available for mid-coast loggers. First-ever woman elected president of a local union — In early September, Local announced the election of the firsteree ‘ women local union president. Sister Judy Anderson, a log forwarder opera- tor for Tolko, who lives and works in the Wabowden area of ni Manitoba, became the first woman in IWA history to achieve such a position, Elected as the new local financial secre- tary was Daryl Harkness, a operator from the Tolko mill in The Pas. The Tolko collective agreement expired at the end of August last year, 363 COURTENAY BC Local hopes for best result merger with Local 2171 The ballots following a merger vote with Local 2171 and Courtenay Local 363 have been sealed, while the National Boundaries Committee exam- ines a merger document and then makes a recommendation to the National Executive Board. “We've dis- cussed merging with 2171 in past years and now was the time to work on bring- ing our locals together,” says outgoing president Sy Pederson. Local 363 used to be part of Local 1-80 until 1943. It also has the distinction of negotiating the first-ever union agreement at Batco Development in Iron River during that same year. During the 50s and 60s the local union grew but suffered signifi- cant job losses with the advent of tech changes in the late 70s and recession of the early 80s. Local 363’s membership held steady for most of the t990s and has dropped in recent years. CRANBROOK BC Safety workshops coming up in southeastern Interior Local 1-405 has sent out invitations to safety committee members to attend an annual safety school, to be held at the College of the Rockies in Cranbrook on November 16 and 17. All union safety committee members are welcome to attend. The local is still suffering from the indefinite closures at the Atco sawmill in Park Siding and the Slocan sawmill in Slocan. Local president Bob Matters says the Slocan planer shut down in early September. 1-417 KAMLOOPS BC Local joins Interior trades program as tariffs take toll In a program jointly-funded by the IFLRA and both levels of government, the three southern B.C. locals, includ- ing Local 1-417, are taking steps towards improved training of current tradespersons and apprentices. Data gathered from confidential surveys — asked which areas the tradespersoms — needed upgrading in, how apprentice training could be improved and how many tradespersons would be leaving the industry in the next ro years in each — operation. “It will be up to manage- ment to do something with the survey _ and the projected shortage of these — skilled workers in the future,” says local president Joe Davies. ee 6 | THE ALLIED WORKER SEPTEMBER 2002