NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO Steel fights closure of pulp mill in Kenora country The union has been conduct- Norm Rivard refused to sell the operation and that another buyer is one supply os ee kfors The ur union has conducted reduction in electricity rates, subject to employment guar- antees to ensure community stability. W staff representative Gary Tle, a former PACE p, h co! cat Talarico nomic case of closing down aper machines. The union is assist parties. There are five other unions in the operation. NORTHERN BC TRUCKERS Burns Lake rally gets community support LOG aaa in the northern Interior, members of the Prince George Truckers Ree (PGTA) held a rally in Burns Lake on August 20, joining with their chosen reps, the Steelworkers’ Local 1- 424, to demand that Canfor and West Fraser quit trying to prevent new hauling agreements with stump-to-dump contrac- tors iia the Houston and Burns Lake area. Smithers to Prince George gathered at the rally where USW District 3 Director Steve Hunt and BC Fed President Jim Sinclair spoke, joined by PGTA president Dan Henry. Hunt told the truckers that solidarity will help them get a fair agreement with Canfor and West Fraser. He related the ne of one trucker he rode to the rally Like other and = The Burns Lake rally drew over eighty truckers in the north. courtesy Gai HENRY e St a alignment with northern inter truckers, as the PGTA’s tegcatee representative is part of a strategic campaign to Build Power back in the woods. In the Prince George area (see Organizing and Growth Pp southern interior the union also is mak- ing progress. In the northwest the union assist- the drivers, the trucker i is working 8. -2.0 hours a day to make ends meet and is pushing d safety limits. ed by the Canadian national office’s Strategic Campaigns and Organizing department HEALTH CARE WORKERS New office for south Island Steelworkers ON SEPTEMBER 1 the Steelworkers 4 OP aes Eve et heal} cp i care service workers on southern Vancouver Island where Local 1-3567 initiated a cam- 5 A Q 7 Vancouver Island Health Authority sites. Although the employer, two divisions of Compass Group Canada (Morrison Management | Services and Crothall Service Canada I = The new office has an adminstration and meeting area. PHOTO GARY ANDERSON union has made gains for workers. Mike Piche, from the union's Organizing thi the local in January of 2004, the union con- iat ipaigns Dep union is able to provide top notch servicing Pea ae Ms ee F Pato Tal Dake nition by tt Board. Is Dict Darevs | pera A Ca ee The office, which is at #207- ae Pandora Ayenue in Victoria, has established a higher profile presence in south aaa where the ert Vee d izers Sen Cae legals MMS Sonny Rioux, THE ALLIED WORKER DECEMBER 2005 T 23