= District 3 Director Steve Hunt spoke
out against BC government policies on
log exports at BC Fed rally. norman carcia

[> BC Fed backs Steel on forest
issues In late November the BC
Federation of Labour backed up the
Steelworkers and other forest indus-
try unions by holding a major rally to
halt the export of raw logs from the
province and call for a moratorium
on mill closures. USW District 3
Director Steve Hunt took special aim
at the B.C. government for allowing
Western Forest Products to announce
the shutdown of its New
Westminster Lumber Division
sawmill while allowing companies to
freely export logs.
Labour leaders,
including BC Fed presi-
dent Jim Sinclair and
CUPE BC president
Barry O’Neill, said that
the health of public
services in communi-
ties across the province depends on
maintaining jobs in the forest sector.
Earlier delegates passed a series of
oe es 1 Als 4

| Se
Jim Sinclair

in in BC anal Alberta, would not have lasted as long as it did.

Telus

the 2005
SB
NORMAN GARCIA

Anti-scab bill could serve as model

UBy GeNePIAN PUSEMOS In

of the NDP and Bloc Quebecois’ Bill C- 287

on ae workers

mm and
Ken Neumann iniees. method of
reducing the length and impact of
labour disputes.”

He added that law, once pro-
claimed, could act as a “fair and bal-
anced” model for provincial jurisdic-
tions that don’t have anti-scab laws.

Quebec passed an anti-scab provi-
sion in 1977. BC is the only other
province that ner strikebreakers,
having passed a law in 1993.

CLC president Ken Coorget greet-
ed the October 25 vote as a “vi
thousands of workers and their fami-
lies who contacted MP’s to let them
know they expected them to vote yes.”

Councils) to mobilize public support
for workers and communities affect-
ed by the mountain pine beetle infes-
tation crisis. Funding must be
sought to ensure a greater diversifica-
Sco in iis angus. sue within forest
The Fed
willl I ti to work with the

an. addendum to ihe BC Fed

xecutive Those rec-
ommendations feelode having the
Fed work with the USW, the CEP
and other affiliates (through Labour

USW and other ae to a
fc poli-

cy changes to halt log exports.
Citing the Western Forest

convention demanded that the gov-
ernment withdraw support for the
Softwood Lumber Agreement; that
m “equivalency tax” be place on log
exports to equalize domestic and
export prices; th ped soft-
wood aes be ae for

and taxation same neerees wale
added production and that the
province’s annual guaneole ne te
harvested and b

i < 4

B.C.

Products cl e

UP

THE ALLIED WORKER DECEMBER 2006 I 31