Check out Local News to find out what is new in your national union from coast-to-coast across Canada 1-80 DUNCAN BC Local to call Weyerhaeuser on lock-out of Chemainus mill Local president Bill Routley says workers “at the highly-profitable Weyerhaeuser Chemainus sawmill are fighting to preserve a grave yard “bob-tail” shift which has been part of main table negotiations since the mid-1980s. According to Brother Routley, the company is trying to ram forward a full eight-hour shift that the crew voted down by an 80 per cent majority. Since 1985, 1-80 members have worked six and one-half hours on grave yards with a halfhour paid lunch. The company is trying to take that away. Weyco says if the crew doesn’t accept the shift, they'll shut down the third shift. “We say that scenario would constitute an illegal lockout of our members,” says Routley, who noted that WA negotiations in the northern Interior have also linked third shifts to main table talks. Chemainus is one of Weyco’s most profitable mills anywhere. 1-85 PORT ALBERNI BC Local union and Hayes Trucking talking on operational issues Local 1-85 president Monty Mearns says that the IWA and Hayes Forest Services are having ongoing discussions on local issues including marshalling points, shifting, travel time and train- ing. “We haven't gone far enough on these issues and the shifting issue is a main table item for contract talks with FIR,” says Brother Mearns. Hayes runs the former Weyerhaeuser Franklin River Division. At Sproat Lake, Weyco is keeping only 80 of 160 workers on the job. “There’s a starvation policy on the go here,” adds Mearns. “There is no love lost between our members and Weyerhaeuser. People are starting to want to kick the company out of here.” ALBERTA Shelter Regent contract reached Local 1-207 president Mike Pisak reports that in late June, the IWA reached a three-year agreement with SRI homes in Lethbridge with across- the-board wage increases of 4, 3 and 4 per cent, benefit increases and better contract language. The ratification vote passed with an 86 per cent approval rating. In other news, after less than five meetings, in late June the Travelaire trailer company in Red Deer walked away from the table and called for a mediator. Leading issues for the IWA includes wages and pensions. @ 1-184 SASKATCHEWAN Norsask back to work as local handles series of other issues TWA members at the Norsask Forest Products mill in Meadow Lake returned to work in early August, following a one month shut down. In Moose Jaw, the union negotiated a two-year agreement with the RL Cushing cabinet shop, with a 5 per cent wage increase over two years and some benefit improvements. Elsewhere the Weyerhaeuser Carrot River mill is back from a one month closure. The local has been fighting termination notices at the Shelter Regent Industries prefabricated home plant in Estevan, getting some work ers back on the job. At the Weyco plywood. plant in Hudson Bay the Jocal has been tak- ing some grievances to arbitration. OMIT) LOCAL 1-424 PRINCE GEORGE BC PHOTO COURTESY GLENN DUNN Pictured are Local 1-424 members demonstrating in Prince George, B.C. Local 1-424 crews rally for B.C. Rail IWA CANADA LOCAL 1-424 members are in the thick of the fight-back against the privatization of BC Rail by the Gordon Campbell Liberals (see arti- cle on page nine). As this issue goes to press, local union members and other unions’ members who form the Council of Trade Unions of BC Rail are tak- ing a strike ballot to back their proposal (below) to save the company ANN from privatization. The local represents some 400 workers at the I) Crown corporation, employed on the maintainance of way crews between Prince George and the Lower Mainland. In the late spring, a secret government document revealed that the Liberals were con- sidering selling out BC Rail to CN, at the cost of over 1,200 jobs. The impact on rural forest-dependent communities would be severe. “The Liberals have lied and lied again to the public about their intentions with BC Rail,” says local president Frank Everitt. “They want to auction off a company that earned an operating profit of over $70 million last year and is predicted to produce similar profits for the taxpayer over the next three.” The IWA is the largest rail union on the council which represents some 1,600 hourly workers. IVA members and community supporters have rallied to save the railway and have signed petitions to put pressure on the government. The Liberals are also considering bids from Canadian Pacific, Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Union Pacific and Omintrax, for a long-term lease of over | 2,300 miles of track. “The Liberals claim to care about the Heartland of B.C,” says Brother Everitt. “But when our members see what they are really up to, they start to get very fed-up with all their phoney PR.” On June 23 the Council of Trade Unions proposed freezing wages for three years (for both workers and management) to save the railway and made numerous other constructive suggestions. For more info: www.bcrailunions.com VANCOUVER/LOGGERS Local membership reaches low point as main industry shut down Local 2171 president Darrel Wong reported in early August that there was a virtual standstill in his local in the for- est industry. Less than 1000 members, mostly outside of the forest industry, were working. Some members, whose EI has run out, have applied for welfare and were told by social services that if they qualify for early pensions, then they must retire early. “This is ludi- crous,” says Brother Wong. “Both the provincial and the federal government, in our opinion, have done absolutely nothing to assist workers impacted by unemployment and now the provincial social services is denying benefits and is trying to drive our people into early retirement, forcing them to terminate years of seniority.” Local 2171 averaged 5,611 members in 2000. That average dropped to 3,752 last year. In June of this year, the local had 3,479 fewer members than it did in June, 2000. “With the Liberals in power, we are see- ing the decimation of our membership. The only thing this government is interested in is protecting the bottom line of employers,” adds Wong. 324 THE PAS MB Three year agreement reached at Moose Lake bush operations Local 324 is pleased to announce that a three year agreement has been reached between the Moose Lake logging opera- tions and Tolko Industries in northern Manitoba. The new agreement has sig- nificant improvements in rates, safety considerations and long-term security. Local 324 says the northem community of Moose Lake will benefit greatly from the hard work put in by the Moose Lake Logging Company, in cooperation with the IWA. Specials thanks goes to IWA National First Vice President Harvey Arcand for the constant and dedicated work he has done in northern Manitoba and to National Third Vice President Wilf McIntyre for his assistance. Union negotiates for firefighters Local 1000 reports that it intends to get collective agreements in place for volun- teer firefighters in both the nearby cities of Thorold and Welland. On August 16 the Welland crew will assemble at a first contract ratification meeting and first contract negotiations are set for Thorold between September 9-11. The local already has a contract for volunteer fire- fighters in Hawkesbury. Financial secre- tary Yvon Rochon, who is also a volun- teer firefighter, is the lead spokesperson. He says important issues, including pay- ment for part-time duties, training, WSIB coverage and life insurance are items for negotiations and that most of the volunteers have families to support. CRANBROOK BC Local concerned over log inventory during fire season Local 1-405 president Bob Matters says that some mills in his local are running low on inventory, given this summer's extraordinary record hot temperatures and resulting forest fire season. Tembec mills in Elko and Canal Flats are low on logs as is the Slocan Forest Products mill in Slocan. Brother Matters says that some mmaufacturing facilities have moved to more of a “just in time” delivery system to avoid carrying costs of inventory and that the system, which provides green logs to mills, can be vulnerable to shortages as evidenced this summer. @ 1-417 KAMLOOPS BC Pattern sought at Fed Co-op and trucker negotiations start Local 1-417 has been negotiating a “me too” agreement with Federated Co-op’s sawmill and plywood plants in Canoe, covering about 300 workers. Local president Joe Davies says contract language is being worked on as talks with the IFLRA are being sought to reopen negotiations, following the rejection of a pattern agreement in late July. Elsewhere the local has begun negotiations for owner/operator truckers at both the Weyerhaeuser and Slocan operations in Vavenby. The local will then move into talks for L-P truckers in Sicamous. © 1-423 KELOWNA BC Okanagan/Boundary local in six other sets of negotiations Apart from master agreement negotiations in the forest industry, Local 1-423 is busy with other contract talks. An agreement has been reached at the Princeton Co-gen plant for one year Ongoing negotiations are taking place at SRI Homes in Winfield, Roxul West in Grand Forks and K&C Silviculture in Oliver. Talks will also begin in the near future at the Eagle Rock Reforestation Centre in Armstrong and at the General Coach plant in Oliver. With the extreme hot and dry weather, most y Operations are down and sawmills are running out of logs, says local president Troi Caldwell. Mills are still running but the “crunch” will arrive soon if log supplies run out and logging is to resume in time. 6 Ae THE ALLIED WORKER AUGUST 2003