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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