©) 1-363 COURTENAY BC

Local starts up contract talks
Local 1-363 financial-secretary Erik Eriksson
says that contract demands have been
exchanged with both the Comox Valley
Sports and Aquatic Centre in Courtenay
and the Strathcona Garden recreation
centre in Campbell River, where the local
Tepresents 52 and 63 workers, respectively.
Brother Eriksson says issues like wages, job
classifications and job scheduling are
important in the operations. Elsewhere the
local is preparing for negotiations with
Noboco in Campbell River—a plant with 20
union members that produces containers
for the fish packing industry and
recreational fishing. The contract expires in
November. In Courtenay the local will soon
launch into contract talks for 10 members at
Garf Baxandall Ford.

(@) 1-425 | WILLIAMS LAKE BC

West Fraser drags feet with truckers
The union is experiencing some
considerable hassles in trying to nail down
a new agency agreement for contractors
who haul for West Fraser in the Cariboo-
Chilcotin regions. Local 1-425 president
Bill Derbyshire reports the company has
tried to meet with a committee of truckers
on its own —a clear violation of the agency
agreement, which has roots back to the
early 90s. The company tried to get a deal
on its own which was resoundingly voted
down in late August. The union is trying
to setup further negotiations. Agreements
on log hauling have already been reached
between the local and major companies
including Riverside Forest Products, and
Weldwood Canada.

‘@) 41-3567 | FRASER VALLEY BC

Local gets sweeter chocolate deal
Local 1-3567, one of the union’s most
diverse locals in B.C., went to the 11th hour
to get a three-year collective agreement for
it members at Dynamic Chocolates on
Annacis Island. Second vice-president and
business agent Earl Graham says it took
mediation and the threat of strike action to
get the deal. The tentative agreement,
reached on September 15, pays 3, 3 and 2
per cent with wage adjustments for scrap-
ers and loaders. Workers will get much bet-
ter benefit coverage on layoff (up to 3
months for regular FT employees), greater
MSP coverage and improved vision care.
Both sides were able to hash out an agree-
ment on shift scheduling, protecting senior
employees and allowing the company to
crew the seasonal operation with more cer-
tainty to deal with surges in demand.

oO 830 WINNIPEG MB

Four year deal with Smurfit-MBI
Local 1-830 president Jack Alexander
a four-year agreement has been
reached for 162 workers at the Smurfit-
MBI corrugated plant in Winnipeg in mid-
July. The contract pays across-the-board
increases of 3, 3, 2, and 2 per cent. The
union negotiate a pension bridging supple-
ment which will be in place by ‘o5, paying

400 QUEBEC
Three year deal reached at Dolomex

In June union members at the Dolomex
open pit mine in Portage du Fort ratified a
three year agreement. Settlement of
monetary and benefit issue were key ones
for the 30 workers. Local president Michael
McCarter lead the negotiating team. The
local hopes that a new owner will increase
employment levels. At the Simmons
mattress plantin Ville de Saint Laurent, work
is going along as normal. The crew reached a
three year agreement this past summer. Also
in Ia belle province, there have been no
changes in employment levels at the
Mercedes Textiles firehose plantin Kirkland.

(©) 1-2693 THUNDER BAY ON

Local involved in numerous talks
Local 1-2693 has several sets of contract
talks ongoing. Local president Joe Hanlon
says the union is going for its second
collective agreement at the Nakina Forest
Products sawmill where 150 members are
employed. The crew, which is coming off a
five year agreement, has numerous issues
to be addressed, including hours of work,
job postings, and wage and benefit rates.
The local is in talks for some 30 members
at Atway Trucking out of Thunder Bay. The
workers, whose contract expired at the end
of March, haul up to treelength logs for
sawmills. Brother Hanlon says that local
union members are experiencing
difficulties at the Bowater Ignace sawmill,
where they have been laid off repeatedly as
the company has been closing the mill and
shipping good sawlogs to be chipped at its
pulp mill in Thunder Bay. The local has
met with Ignace’s mayor to jointly put
pressure on the provincial government.

©) 1-700 TORONTO ON

Progress made with Dominion store
Local 1-700 president Ron Diotte reports
contract talks with Dominion Stores’ Ajax
unit are making progress. The local, which
Tepresents 110 members, has beat back the
company’s call for concessions and both
sides have come to agreements over non-
monetary issues. Elsewhere, in early
September, contract proposals were

exchanged with Aramark at the Toronto
Rehab Hospital where the local represents
Go workers. Also contract proposals have
been exchanged with Niagara Duty Free, in
Niagara Falls, Ontario. In September the
local commences talks with Anagram
Premier ResCare in Niagara-on-the- Lake.

oO 41-1000 NORTHCENTRAL ON

Local to continue talks with Canusa

Local 1-1000 president Michael McCarter
says the local will be going back to media-
tion with Canusa in Hunstville on
September 29 and voting on final offer the
following day. A strike date is set for
October 4 if a settlement is not reached.
The crew recently turned down a proposed
settlement. Issues include wages, benefits
and dealing with lead hands. In other news,
a three year deal has been ratified at the
Greif Containers plant in Belleville that
includes a 9.5 per cent increase in wages
and benefits. Brother McCarter says labour
relations in the plant remain uneasy with
local management. Steelworkers at the
Voith Paper operation have joined Local 1-
1000. Between 50-60 workers work on the
resurfacing of the giant steel rolls used in
the paper manufacturing industry.

©) 4-500 HANOVER ON

Former Bauer-Nike plant reopens
Local 1-500 reports the former Bauer-Nike
hockey stick plant in Cambridge has
reopened on limited basis following the
dosure this spring. Production equipment
was bought and the old building is being
leased by production manager Ross Huehn
and a small group of employees under the
name Heritage Lumber. Financial-secretary
and business agent Saul Marques
negotiated the agreement. The plant will
make some pro line sticks for B-N, road
hockey sticks and foam goal sticks. Marques
says the local “hopes this plant will bounce
back —- they are putting alot into it.”
Elsewhere, local president Bruce Weber
reports negotiations are underway at the
Innscape System Division office furniture
plant in Newmarket. Conciliation has been
applied for and meetings are set for late
September. Seventy workers are employed.

FILE PHOTO BY NORMAN GARCIA

= Local 1-500 has worked to get an
agreement at hockey stick plant.

‘@) 4-2995| KAPUSKASING ON

Most operations ran during summer

Local 1-2995 reports that most of its mills
and bush operations ran full-out during the
summer months. It was a wet season in
the bush so loggers and haulers worked
most of the time when they had allowable
cut. However local union president Guy
Bourgouin says the Tembec sawmill in
Timmins is facing a partial closure as its
log supply depletes by the end of
September. The mill should get a fresh
supply of logs when the fall-winter freeze
up comes back. In Kirkland Lake, Tembec
is going on two shifts and things look good
for the foreseeable future. “We can’t let our
guard down,” warns Brother Bourgouin.
“The timber supply is adequate for the time
being but we don’t know about the long-
term future.” At the Norbord plywood
plant in Cochrane, the plant has been run-
ning four days a week, while maintaining
employment levels. Bourgouin says the
local is very pleased about the results of the
merger vote with the Steelworkers and that
the local will be undergoing a review of ser-
vices it provides.

BEN LANDIS © LOCAL 1-423 e KELOWNA, BC

@ Ben Landis is the president of
Local 1-423 in the B.C. Interior.

around the forest industry, today Brother Ben Landis heads the
2,900 member Local 1-423, based in Kelowna, with members

in the Okanagan Valley and Boundary country. Landis stepped

became president in

Millworker from B.C.

's Boundary country
tumultuous times

He’sa true B.Cer, _ time.” As a young lad Ben was raised in Pass Creek where
having been born his father owned a small sawmill. Then it was off to live in
in the West Grand Forks where, at age 18, he hired on at Boundary
Kootenay town of Sawmills, shortly before it was taken over by Pope and
Nelson and raised , Talbot. He left for a year to
in the province's ‘THE MAINJOB...IS work with his dad in the bush,
southern Interior. TO BRING OUR making cedar fence posts and
Spending most of hand-split shakes. In ‘75 Ben
his life in and MEMBERSHIP hired on at the P&T mill in
SOLIDLY TOGETHER...” Midway. By the early 80’s he
became active in the IWA on
- BEN LANDIS, PRES.

the plant committee. Elected as

an additional $21 per month per year of ser- into office in October of last year, during a tumultous time. He ¢ plant chair in ‘84 he became a
vice on top on pension benefits for those took the reigns over following the resignation of the previous eee ae local executive board member.
Dee eee ag ers he patare president, in the midst ofa second ballot which saw local mem- _ In February of ‘89 he was hired as a business agent and, a
now Meee eae Norarape Pant bers reject a proposed settlement. A subsequent proposal saw _year later, became first vice of the local. As a rep, Ben has
where el en some new an acceptance vote by nearly two-thirds. “It’s been interesting to _always tried to strengthen communications with the mem-
hires. pa ete i arseesipaa say the least,” says Landis. “There hasn’t been one dull bers and get out to the operations — something he will be
house Saal hae moment. The main job we are faced with as officers is to bring _ doing more of in the future to try and build the strength and
pee Ricans straightened our membership solidly together — I think we can do it with unity that is so necessary for the membership.

SEPTEMBER 200

4 THE ALLIED WORKER | 7