THE ALLIED f VOL 70 N01 2) DIE CEM BIER 201015 Publication of the IWA Council of the xd Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union The Allied Worker 300-3920 Norland Ave Burnaby, B.C. VSG 4K7 KE wee EDITOR Norman Garcia EDITORIAL BOARD Joe da Costa © USWA-IWA COUNCIL OFFICER Bob Matters PRESIDENT LOCAL 1-405 w COUNCIL-AFFILIATED USWA OFFICES USWA~IWA COUNCIL LOCAL 1-417 300-3920 Norland Avenue 181 Vernon Avenue Burnaby, B.C. VSG 4K7 Kamloops, B.C. V2B 1L7 ‘et (604) 683-1117 TEL (250) 554-3167 ¥4x (604) 688-6416 or 4x (250) 554-3499, fax (604) 683-1265 LOCAL 1-423 Wobsito:www.uswa.ca 2040 Rutland Rd., North Kelowna, B.C. VIX 426 ee eonn ‘Tet (250) 491-1436 Foea Weston Ra rox 250) 404-1497 ‘Toronto, Ont. MSN 1X4 ‘et (416) 267-8628 Fax (416) 247-5893 mw WESTERN LOCALS LOCAL 1-80 351 Brao Rd. Duncan, B.C. VOL 379, ‘TeL (250) 746-6131 ¥4x (250) 746-1012 LOCAL 1-85 10 Bannerman Ave. ol ernie Winnipeg, Man. R2W OW1 Port Albernl, B.C. VOY 1M3_ ye, (204) 586-1307 LOCAL 1-424 1777 - 3rd Ave. Prince George, B.C. V2L 3G7 ‘et (250) 563-7771 4x (250) 563-0274 LOCAL 1-425 124C North 2nd Avo. Williams Lake, B.C. V2G 126 ‘Tet (250) 398-8248 Fax (250) 398-6218, LOCAL 1-830 ‘ret (250) 724-0171 Merasel vaeaeee Fax (204) 586-8502 LOCAL 1-184 m EASTERN LOCALS 1110 Third Avo., West Prince Albert, Sask. LOCAL 1-306 ‘S6V 563 330 Pleasant St. ‘et (306) 764-4202 ax (306) 763-4922 LOCAL 1.207 4262 - 91A Street Edmonton, Alta. T6E 5V2 ‘TEL (780) 463-9070 LB. E1V 1Y9 9916 ax (506) 622-1211 LOCAL 1-500 405 - 10th Street Hanover, Ont. NAN 1P7 4x (780) 461-5020 ‘Tet (519) 364-2229 LOCAL 1-2171 Fax (519) 364-7064 301- 841 Cliffe Ave. LOCAL 1-1000 Courtenay, B.C. VON 2J8 P.O. Box 879 Te! (250) 334-3329, Fort Coulongé, Que. Fox (250) 334-2662 JOX 1VO iS Crete 210 Local 2171 Tern ososeek ‘301-6906 Fraserton Crt. LOCAL 1-1000 ‘Vancouver, B.C. VON 28 ‘ret (604) 874-0274 Fax (608) 876-8137 SUB-LOCAL 658 Boulevard Cecile Hawkesbury, Ont. PEC 529 LOCAL ek (613) 636-0014 pete ioe ax (613) 636-0016 1416 Gordon Ave. LOCAL 1-2693 The Pas, Man. ROA 1L6 ——_Lokehead Labour Centre ‘et (204) 623-2443 ‘x (204) 623-5534 929 Ft. William Rd., Room 6 ‘Thunder Bay, Ont. P7B 3A6 ‘Tet (807) 345-9041 Cy ee Langley, B.C. VIM 3A6- LOCAL 1-2995 ‘Tea (604) 513-1850 20 Riverside Dr. Fax (604) 513-1851 Kapuskasing, Ont. PSN 1A3 LOCAL 1-363 ‘Tet (705) 335-2289 101, 391. 4th St. ax (705) 335-5428 Courtenay, B.C. V9N IGB ‘Tet (250) 334-3834 ‘ax (250) 334-2333 LOCAL 1-405 20! - 105 South 9th Ave. ‘Cranbrook, B.C. VIC 2M1 Tet (250) 426-4871 Fax (250) 426-2528 oo [ii “There is pressure for shifts of workers to out-compete each other and they are pushing themselves to the extreme.” We have to put an end to shift versus shift competition for high production The increase in fatality rates in our industry are many. Our union, the WCB, industry and government are all posing the question: what is hap- pening and what factors are to blame? If you talk to our members on the plant floor in our local, you hear one thing. There is pressure for shifts of workers to out-compete each other and they are pushing themselves to the extreme. The production bar is being set higher and higher. The industry says we must be more com- petitive and this is true — but at what cost? If a worker can still achieve rea- sonable production target and go home to his/her family at the end of the day, isn’t that better for them, their families and the bottom line of the employer? In our manufacturing facilities we can bring back safer workplaces by putting an end to shift versus shift competition. TERRY TATE Financial Secretary, Local 1-425 Williams Lake, BC We can force change at bargaining table Across our union we are confronted with major battles against the con- tracting out of good-paying, commu- nity-supporting jobs. Temporary con- tractors often don’t have the same type of loyalty to local communities as do steady crews. When the job is com- plete they take off, often leaving debts behind. Our members and the com- munities both suffer. In my opinion the bottom line is that we need to pro- tect our jobs by forcing change at the bargaining table and getting our com- munities behind us. JOE HANLON President, Local 1-2693 Thunder Bay, ON Cascadia pulls its funding from ARS Brascan’s Cascadia Forest Products has burst on the scene on Vancouver Island, bringing its own watered-down version of a Employee Assistance Program. And it is pulling funding from our long-standing participation in the Port Alberni Assessment and Resource Service, without any prior consultation with workers or commu- nities affected. In our local union we consider what Brascan is doing to be a slap in the face of our EFAP which has taken two decades to build (see story page 26). We don’t want their version of a watered-down program run by for- profit contractors. GEORGE ROGERS Officer, Local 1-85 Port Alberni, BC Interfor must pay Field crew severance Since Interfor ran its last log through the Field sawmill here in October, 2004, it has been less than straight forward on its stated goal of selling the mill. We have filed a grievance to get our members severance pay under the Coast Master Agreement. Interfor has no intention of operating the mill. And it is dragging out the whole process while our members run out of EI. This is way they treat their workers. RICK WANGLER President, Local 1-363 Courtenay, BC Send us an e-mail (ngarcia@steelworkers.ca) or snail mail, Try to keep your letters to about 50 words or less so we can fit more in. Tell us about what's happening in your part of the country. We reserve the right to edit for brevity or omit submissions. & | DECEMBER 2005 THE ALLIED WORKER