Check out Local News to find out what is new in your national union from coast-to-coast across Canada DUNCAN BC B.C. court gives Doman some more time to restructure Local 1-80 and other IWA coast locals are hopeful that Doman Industries will be able to work out a debt restructuring deal in the near future. Doman, which is the second largest coastal woodlands operator, employs about 500 local union members in four sawmills, a log merchandizer and logging operations. It employs about 4,000 workers on the Coast. The Supreme Court of B.C. has granted Doman a November 27 dead- line to come up with a plan. Until at least then it has further protection from its credi- tors. “The restructuring deal is of crucial importance to our local and the IWA,” says Local 80 president Bill Routley. “Doman is B.C. firm which has all its eggs in the B.C. basket. Ithas a greater understanding of the issues affecting B.C. workers, although we have definitely had our differences with the company over the years.” PORT ALBERNI BC North end of local takes more down time as Doman lays off IWA Local 1-85 reports that its Doman- Western company and contract crews have been laid off as of November 6 as the embattled Doman Industries goes through its latest debt restructuring process. Local president Monty Mearns says that about 500 local members are affected. Most of them only returned in late September and there is no return date set yet. Brother Meams says that Doman would be more financially vulnerable in a strike situation and that Weyerhaueser and other major companies might be “hawkish” about swooping down to pick up Doman’s assets. “There are definitely some powerful interests at stake here,” he says. ALBERTA Contracts ratified in two operations Local 1-207 called off a walkout at the last minute to get the Atlas Lumber Alberta Ltd. back to the table in Crownest Pass. On October 15, forty-five workers ratified a three-year deal with a lump sum payment, wage increases of about two per cent in the second and third years and better benefits. Elsewhere a two-year agreement was ratified by members at the Vegreville Association for Living with Dignity Facility in Vegreville. It includes a 4-1/2 per cent increase.in year one, a wage reopener in year two and better sick pay. © 1-184 | SASKATCHEWAN Sawmill layoffs hit local union in three different operations Local 1-184 members at the Weyerhaeuser Big River sawmill have been given notice that on December 13 about the mill will close until at least May, citing economic factors. Twenty-nine jobs are to be elimi- nated after the mills reopens. Over 200 workers are affected by the layoff. About 50 local union members at the Wapawekka sawmill near Prince Alberta are being laid off on November 28 until at least February of 2004. The operation is owned 51 per cent by Weyerhaeuser and 49 per cent by the Woodland Cree. In late October only the planer was left running at the Norsask sawmill in Meadow Lake as the rest of the crew was laid off indefinately. LOCALNews FILE PHOTO BY NORMAN GARCIA. = Over 180 jobs were lost as a result of this past summer's fire in Louis Creek. Tolko not to rebuild Louis Creek mill DEVASTATED VICTIMS OF THE Barrie-McLure fire, which swept through the North Thompson town of Louis Creek, destroying the Tolko Industries sawmill in early August, got more devastating news on October 3 when the company announced it refuses to rebuild the destroyed mill. One hundred and eighty IWA Local 1-417 members lost their jobs and many their homes as a result of the fire. The government is allowing Tolko to shift the log flow to other mill(s) and avoid reconstruction. Over 450,000 cubic meters of an allotted 650,000 cubic meter annual allowable cut went through Louis Creek. Tolko says that lack of a nat- ural gas supply, rail access and softwood lumber duties have forced it to make the decision — reasons which the local calls into question. Local 1-417 presi- dent Joe Davies says the mill has been a money-maker and predicts the com- pany may send the logs to its Heffley Creek plywood plant, its IWA mill in Merrit or non-union Lavington operation in Vernon. Brother Davies criticizes the provincial government's lack of programs and assistance for workers affected and adds that Tolko has been stubborn in paying out severance pay to some, including those workers on LTD. Local vice president Warren Oja, who worked at the mill, believes that Tolko has taken a bottom-line decision to cash in on insurance monies and make even more money by shipping the logs elsewhere for higher profits. He also says that workers require immedi- ate assistance and that the company has directed monies to the North Thompson Fire Relief Fund which was set up to help out the whole region, rather than directly assist the Tolko Louis Creek crew. He also says the union: is taking on grievances to get severance pay. On behalf of the local, Oja thanks all IWA locals, individuals, the national office and other unions for donations to the Interior Benevolent Fund set up by Local 1-417. By mid-November over $60,000 had been donated. VANCOUVER/LOGGERS Local says B.C. government must assist unemployed wood workers Local 2171 president Darrel Wong says the provincial Liberals have to act to name a trustee and board of advisors for the Forest Vitalization Trust Account which stashed some $47 mil- lion away last March to assist workers. Those funds have yet to help out. “In our local alone we have whole opera- tions down for 1-2 years or more and that have people in desperate need of assistance.” In the Prince Rupert and Terrace areas, Brother Wong points out that New Skeena Cellulose employees are still not working. “We think the government has the responsibility to force the company to open the opera- tions or put them up for sale,” adds Brother Wong. Only a handful of log- gers are working as the company con- tinues to export logs. Also in the Prince Rupert and Terrace areas, Local 2171 and Local 1-424 members working for Excel Trucking have ratified three year agreements. Over 100 IWA members are covered by the deals. “The trucking industry is under stress in this province and fortunately we could conclude a collective agreement.” } 324 THE PAS MB Agreements reached and Tolko Solid Wood committee formed Local 324 reports that a new collective agreement has been ratified at the Finmac (Perimeter Lumber) operation on the outskirts of Winnipeg. The plant does custom lumber remanufacturing, mostly in softwood species. At the Tolko Industries sawmill in The Pas, the local union has been joining with company officials to remedy issues related to morale, production, safety and other areas to ensure the operation continues to run in theses difficult econonic times. Local 324 plant chairperson Norm McKenzie has joined with IWA mem- bers Ivan Butler, Mark Nelson, Mark White and Rick Matheson to represent the workers’ interests. NORTHCENTRAL ON Contract reached at Nomadic and local continues education Local 1000 officer John Goldthorp reports a first contract at the Nomadic Sport Rack operation in Mactier, Ontario. It took 14 meetings to get the deal. Average wage increases between 6 - 7 per cent. Workers are ona merit system which causes di ties that workers don’t like - hence the short agreement. In other news, the local union continues with its commit. ment to hold weekend education schools for the membership. In October, classes were held in North Bay and Hunstville, The local plans to send a sizeable dele. gation to the CLC Winter School in Pt, Elgin in early 2004. CRANBROOK BC Local makes breakthrough to get recognition as agent for a Local 1-405 has been recognized as ; bargaining agent for about sixty-five owner/operator truckers who haul for Tembec in southeastern B.C. The application to represent the truckers was made in September. Rather than battle the union over the dependent contractor _ issue, the company has decided to — negotiate with the local union. “The — bottom line is that both sides could have gotten into a long and expensive legal dispute,” says local union president Bob — Matters. “This way we have avoided such conflict and can hopefully get to the — bargaining table and issues at hand.” PRINCE GEORGE BC Huge rally in Prince George says stop BC Rail privatization Over tooo people rallied in Prince George in freezing temperatures on — November 3 to call for the halt of the BC Rail sell-off by the Gordon Campbell Liberals. The city council voted for a two- year moratorium on the privatization. At the rally, speakers of all political stripes, including a Liberal riding party president, supported the call. Me BC Rail trade unions, including th represented by Local 1-424 ue voting on a three-year agreement with no wage increases and a peformance bonus. Local president Frank Everitt says the public is realizing the Liberals will sell-off public assets just to balance the budget. KELOWNA BC ~423 Contracts ratified in Oka! local and strike bee be Local 1-423 officer Ben re] that the crew at SRI Homes in Winfield has ratified a three-year deal with wage increases of 7.7 per cent over inetine 2 the agreement. There are retirement savings and . improvements. At General Coach in : Oliver, members have ratified a five year agreement with compounding — wage increases of ro per cent over the term, better seniority increments, a7 extra week holiday for those with more than 12 years seniority, and minor benefit improvements. M the if crew at K&C Silviculture in Oliver voted 87 per cent in favour of strike action to back up their demands. i 6 | THE ALLIED WORKER NOVEMBER 2003