‘O) 1-423 | KELOWNA BC ~ Terminations and suspensions at “epidemic levels” in local Grievances are at an all-time high in Local 1-423 and terminations and sus- Pensions have reached “epidemic lev- els” says local president Troi Caldwell. Employers are using sophisticated tracking systems to advise them when workers are absent. “We think it’s part of the belt-tightening that the industry is going through due to the uncertainty with markets and the U.S. tariff,” he says. “All of a sudden they are telling us about the costs of benefit programs as they track and record our members. Employers are pouncing on members that are absent above the average.” PRINCE GEORGE BC Northern B.C. local holds classes for over 160 members The union’s largest local (membership wise) brought together over 160 of its activists together for two days of educa- tional classes at the New Caledonia College campus in Prince George on June 22 and 23. Local union Fred Carroll sends thanks to all the sub-local union mem- bers who participated and also sends the IWA’s gratitude to the many instructors who helped make the con- ference a success. They included national safety council chair Les Veale who instructed on the OH&S guide- book; the national office’s Gerry Smith, Kim Pollock and Ron Corbeil who taught classes on disability manage- ment, community-based unionism and collective bargaining, respectively; Jim Stimson on the Courage to Care; Chuck Fraser on social democracy; Sheilagh Moir on OH&S; and Cameron Choichain and Tony Prkacin on the B.C. Labour Code and Employment Standards Act. WILLIAMS LAKE BC Video in works to show the Americans our human face It’s a war in no uncertain terms and the casualties of the softwood battle are Canadian woodworkers, their commu- nities and families. Local 1-425 intends to capture the human element of that war and try to get it aired to U.S. televi- sion audiences. The local is working on a 23 minute video, which will have a national focus, to explain why Americans are paying too much for Jumber and Canadians also suffer from the unfair tariffs. Various IWA locals are being asked to video their members and send the tapes to Willliams Lake for editing. Financial secretary Terry Tate says 1,500 copies will be made and each American Congressman and Senator will get one. “Governments in both our countries have to see and hear from those affected by this tariff,” says Jocal president Wade Fisher. 306 NEW BRUNSWICK Mixed news on rebuilding of Nelson Forest Products mill ‘The union has yet to get a clear answer on the fate of all 165 workers from the Nelson Forest Products plywood mill, which burnt to the ground in July of last year. At press time it appears the mill's owner, Robbie Tozer may build a yeneer and/or LVL plant. National fourth vice president Wilf McIntyre says rebuilding the mill is good news but that there is uncertainty over how many jobs that will be created to replace old ones. “We think (company president Robbie) Tozer wants to tinker with the collective agreement,” says McIntyre. WINNIPEG MB Workers putting in extra hours despite ban on OT During the past six month workers at the Unisource warehousing and distri- bution operation in Winnipeg have been observing a ban on overtime, while they have had to put in extra hours to get order filled. “The only way they have been able to do it is take time off in lieu of,” says local union presi- dent Jack Anderson. “Not everyone is happy about the situation.” The Norampac plant has been busy over the past 3-4 months, shipping cor- rugated products to the United States, while the MacMillan Bathurst Inc. plant, also in the city, has installed new machinery to help fill box orders for Weyerhaeuser products. Ninety-seven work at Norampac and 165 work at MBI. QUEBEC Quebec local hopes to train organizers to assist growth The union hopes to offer IWA members at Mercedes Textiles and Simmons in Kirkland, Quebec some introductory instruction on how to assist organizing in the province and how to develop leads. Local 400, which covers all of Quebec, is being serviced by Local ooo in north central Ontario. Currently Local 400 has over 250 members in six sub-locals. Bilingual organizer Karen Humphrey continues to develop some leads in the greater Montreal area. The union has had a presence in the province of Quebec since the late 1940s. It has increased its efforts to organize in the province in recent years. © 2693 | THUNDER BAY ON National president slated to visit Thunder Bay local. On September 19, IWA national presi- dent Dave Haggard is also scheduled to meet with Local 2693 reps and mem- ber and officials from the Buchanan Group of companies. “There is a need to discuss concerns and issues on the softwood lumber war from an Ontario point of view,” says Brother Haggard. Local union reps are meeting as par- ticipants in a tripartite training com- mittee, in Toronto on October 3 to pro- mote the expansion of safety training modules for woodlands safety. Local president Joe Hanlon says the commit- tee, which has developed seven mod- ules in the past, may focus on gravel truck operators and pulp and chip truck operators for the next phase. TORONTO ON Saint Catherines Labour Day Parade led by IWA Local This year’s union participation in Labour Day parade of St. Catherines was led by a group of Local 700 mem- bers from the nearby IWA certification at Anagram Premier ResCare in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Local president Ron Diotte sends thanks to the local labour council and its affiliates including the Canadian Auto Workers, the United Steelworkers of America and Inter-national Teamsters for the special invite to par- ticipate in the event. “They have a great labour council that has really been supportive of our strike at Anagram Premier ResCare,” says Brother Diotte. “It was quite an honour for our people to lead the parade and participate in Labour Day events. It’s an experience that I’m sure none of us with ever forget.” The parade marched in front of an estimated 10,000 cheering onlookers in the southern Ontario labour town. The union led with the local and national IWA flags and a van covered with a banner reading “IWA Canada” Health Care Division.” NORTH CENTRAL ON Swinging the clubs for the Heart and Stroke Foundation In mid-September Local 1000 put together two foursomes to participate in the third annual Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ottawa golf charity tour- nament in Ft. Coulongé. The local, which has participated in the tournament since its inception, joined a field of 96 golfers at the Pontefrac Golf club. Also present was prominent heart physician Dr. Wilbert Keon. “We're encouraging more participa- tion from our sub-locals,” says local president Joe da Costa. Local financial secretary Mike McCarter, who suffered a mild heart attack within the last year, says the tournament also served to raise aware- ness in the local union membership. 5 PHOTO COURTESY LOCAL 700 = Local 700 members from the Anagram Premier-Rescare were given the honour of leading the St. Catherines Labour Day parade. HANOVER ON Brantford egg carton plant set for future expansion There’s some good news in the works in Local 500 where the former Cascades Inc. paper retail egg carton plant, now owned by Brodrene Hartmas AS of Denmark, plans to build new capacity in a 380,000 square foot plant in Brantford, Ontario. Reasons given for the expansion include the “employees and location,” according to the company. Over the next two years, the current number of 110 employees should transfer to the new operation and by 2004, there could be 200 workers producing 400 million egg cartons a year. “It’s an excellent opportunity for our members and our community,” says plant chair Don Guest. Local union president Bruce Weber says the union is pleased to see the high level of investment and the start of job training by the company. KAPUSKASING ON New member orientation focus of local education This fall, Local 2995 will continue to hold seminars, introducing new mem- bers to the IWA. This past winter, the local held two pilot New Members’ courses for close to 40 workers from both new and old operations. The course takes up a full eight hour day. “We want to make sure that new members know what the union is about and highlight the benefits of being an IWA member,” says local president Damien Roy. The course details the structure of the union, from locals to the national union. It also covers how dues are spent and includes the CD-Rom “Our Union,” produced by the national office. Developed by local union mem- ber Louise Dionne, who used some national union resources, the course also deals with how collective bargain- ing works and examines the collective agreement from the participants’ oper- ations. “We're trying to provide infor- mation on a wide array of subjects,” says Brother Roy. SEPTEMBER 2002 THE ALLIED WORKER | 7