THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER

OVER SUSPENSION OF MILLWRIGHT
K.F.P. CREW REMAINS OFF JOB

Three hundred and fifty
members of Local 1-405 IWA,

employed at the Kootenay |

Forest Products operation in
Nelson, have been off the job
since July 25, following the
suspension of a maintenance
employee for refusing to work
overtime,

The Company has flatly re-
‘fused to discuss the issue with
the Union until the crew re-
turns to work and the sus-
pended employee serves a
two-day suspension.

August 3 Meeting

The employees at a meeting
‘in the Nelson Hotel August 3,
passed a unanimous motion to
stay off the job until the Com-
pany rescinds both the sus-
pension and its excessive over-
time demands.

Wayne Nowlin, Local Presi-
dent, has charged the Com-
pany with being irresponsible
and displaying an unholy de-
sire for revenge.

He stated that maintenance
workers in the operation have
been forced for the past few
months to work as much as
forty and fifty hours of over-
time in a two week period be-
cause the Company refused to
hire the necessary number of
maintenance men needed.

Only Nine Men

To illustrate his point, he
said that there are only nine
maintenance workers employ-
ed at Kootenay Forest Prod-
ucts to look after both the
Plywood plant and Samwill,
while the slightly larger Col-
umbia Cellulose mill at Castle-
gar employs thirty-two main-
tenance men.

COMBINED onPy Fes) sane not to return to work.

Nelson Hotel, pr'

He added that the Local
Union has been concerned at
the excessive overtime de-
manded by the Company and
had taken the problem up
with officials of the Depart-
ment of Labour who request-
ed the Company to forward
to them monthly records of all
overtime worked.

“Pound of Flesh”

He went on to say that the
Company. admitted that any
employee has the right to re-
fuse overtime work but it
still wanted its “pound of
flesh” for the man having the
courage to stand up for his
rights.

Following the motion not
to return to work, Local offi-
cers signed up the crew for
strike relief, On August 18,
both the sawmill and plywood
crews start their two-week
annual vacations. The Com-
pany had indicated, prior to
the work stoppage, that the
maintenance crew would be
required to remain on the job
during this period.

Pollution Order

The reason for this was the
recent order of the City Coun-
cil of Nelson issued to the
Company to clean up its
smoke pollution problem or
the plant would be shut down.

The Company requested
permission to keep operating
until the annual vacation shut-
down. It informed the Coun-
cil that at this time it would
keep the maintenance crew
working twelve hours a day,
seven days a week, to rectify
the problem.

ng August 3 meeting in the

> re a
= n 2 °

EPH ;

HA

No

THESE LADIES, militant members of the Kootenay Forest Products’ Plywood plant,
pose for their picture with Regional 3rd Vice-President Jack Munro and Plant Chairman
Wayne Dickson following the decision August 3, not to return to work. The names of
the ladies, while not in proper order, are: Daida Johnson, Kris Nielsen, Pat Nunn,
Janet Iwanik, Margaret Rashke, Eileen Richardson, Pat Johnson, Eileen Sperling, Verna
Fofonoff, Winnie Stoochnoff, Elaine Repin. June Land.

}

tm
D7 flitting.

SUSPENDED MILLWRIGHT Stan Williams (second from left) is flanked by five other
members of the Sawmill crew, who along with 350 other employees of Kootenay Forest
Products Lid., are supporting him in his refusal to work excessive overtime. Group
left, are: Pete Hadkin, Job Steward; Stan Williams; Bud Beauchamp, Job Steward;
Emile Gagnon, Plant Chairman; Henry Weinerth; Joe Stewart; John Zarikoff, Plant

Secretary.

eS ae we

The Calona Cooler’s
gone mod.

Just mix your favourite
Jack Wine half-and-half _
with sparkling water

over lots of ice.

Lively. Refreshing. Cool!
Newest favourite with the
NOW crowd.

CHERRY JACK 0 BERRY JACK WEN" Sa
DOUBLE JACK 0 GRAPE JACK , Sass Laon

»ycalona ;

in 40 and 80 oz. jugs

SS

Ss