SE ee ee oe ———— aaa ~ Labour Movement still slow on the environment | By FRANK COX One has to conclude after the last B.C. Federation of Labour convention that the labour movement has come some distance in recognizing the seriousness of environ- mental issues - at least compared to a decade or so ago when only some fishermen and a few others were lone voices speaking into the winds of disinterest. The executive coun- cil report, some committee reports, num-_ erous resolutions and some good contribu- tions on the floor of the convention suggest a growing sense of urgency about the issue. Mind you, we haven’t advanced beyond empty phrases such as “sustainable develop- ment” in all cases, and we still couple most expressions of environmental concem with the soothing words “without threatening economic security.” Little that is written or said suggests the necessity, as matter of sur- vival, for fundamental changes in who makes the decisions in our society and for whose benefit. But progress is progress and good work has been done to develop important ques- tions for the labour movement, such as a clear suggestion that environmental issues are intertwined with those of democratic control of resource policy and use, of sus- taining viable communities, and of achiev- ing a just settlement for Aboriginal people; that solidarity between important sectors of our communities such as the Native, labour, and environmental movements is essential; and that resource use conflicts between natural allies is not productive. Labour Forum In particular, the issue of jobs versus the environment is beginning to be addressed. The report of the executive council states, in reference to the past year: “We were not going to be drawn into the false conflict between jobs and the environment that was the corporate ’divide and conquer’ strategy.” It indicates that the vehicle for dealing with environmental and land use issues is the Federation’s Task Force on the Environ- ment, a body that was set up at the instruc- tion of the previous convention. An interim report of the task force was circulated to the convention and although its work is not complete it sets out to address: *The need for a balance between sus- tainable use of resources and protection of our environment; ¢Methods of increasing employment in resource extraction and enhancement indus- tries without sacrificing the ability of ir- replaceable watersheds and wildlife habitat to renew themselves; Procedures for resolving land use dis- putes; ¢Programs to ensure that workers do not bear the economic costs of environmental protection, and are fully compensated for dislocation and retraining which may result from changes in environmental policy. ~ So far, the task force has been able to focus attention on forest policies and man- agement but before any recommendations Tbace on Hath LO CUPESB.C. are put forward, it plans to study: the Native perspective; the fishing industry; other resource areas such as mining, megaprojects and dams; dispute resolution of land and water use conflicts; and the relation between value-added activity and the Free~ Trade Agreement. The report includes some useful informa- tion, good examples of which concern cor- porate concentration, pollution, and em- ployment in the forest industry. Some of it is worth repeating here. On corporate concentration: “The coas- tal (forest) industry has become oligopolis- tic to a greater extent that before. Five firms control 72 per cent of the coastal forest, and three — MacMillan Bloedel, Fletcher-Chal- lenge and Doman Industries — control 60 per cent .... With control comes a high de- gree of influence and power over all levels of government and over economic develop- ment.” On silviculture and reforestation: “B.C. still has hundreds of thousands of hectares of not satisfactorily-restocked land to be replanted (according to the legislative and research committee, that amounts to 443,000 hectares). In Sweden the goal is to spend on silviculture 10 per cent of the gross value of wood removed. Even with its high level of planting, B.C. is spending less than two per cent.” On employment: “Employment in tim- ber extraction industries has decreased by 22 per cent from a high of 96,841 in 1979 to current levels of approximately 76,000 .... But the amount of timber cut has jumped from 75.2 million. cubic metres in 1978 to 90.6 million in 1987.” Two-and-one-half times as much timber is needed to be cut in 1987 as in 1950 to provide one job in the forest industry ... “The record is more dismal when B.C. is compared with other countries. Statistics from 1984 reveal that whereas B.C. pro- duces about one job per thousand cubic metres of timber logged, Sweden produces about 2-2.5 jobs, the U.S., about 3-3.5 jobs, New Zealand five jobs per thousand cubic metres logged (or2.6 if logs exported are not included), and Switzerland an astonishing 11-12 jobs for each thousand cubic metres logged. Switzerland has as many forest in- dustry workers as B.C., using one-tenth the volume of logs.” Not mentioned is the increase in employ- ment that could result from ecological forest q practices as opposed to the devastate and un management currently in force. The report goes on to sketch briefly the array of pollution problems associated with q the forest industry such as organochlorines — from pulp mills, air pollution, chlorophenols used as anti-sapstain agents, all of which damage the health of workers as well as the environment. The report touches on other pollution issues such as Canada’s rank as second inthe — production of carbon dioxide emissions, the loss of agricultural and wet lands, as well as some mention of issues of ownership and control and the free trade agreement. On the whole, the report appears to be a good start in involving more than just a few activists in addressing such crucial issues. However, throughout the report and in the conclusion in particular, despite startlingly obvious facts, no real indication of who the real enemy is laid out. The fact that we are not at present very successful in effecting change and reaching essential unity between important sectors of our communities is somewhat glossed over. There is no effort to challenge the mistaken idea that wilderness preservation or environ- mental control has anything substantial to do with the loss of forest jobs. It also seems a little soft on the forest corporations. MacMillan Bloedel somehow escapes any bad press in any convention documents. The report does not as yet con- front the obvious that if we are going to have jobs, if we are going to develop ecological sustainability, if we are to look forward to sustainable communities, we have to be clear that this involves wresting control decisively. away from the corporate giants and insisting that.control must be rooted in the community within the context of public ownership and ecological sustainability. Again, the gravity of the environmental crisis or the restructuring measures we will most certainly have to face is not explicit in the report. Nonetheless, as the report indicates this important process of developing labour’s policies and actions on these issues is far from complete. It concludes with the follow- ing paragraph: “We also take the opportunity to use this report as an invitation to local unions, in- dividual workers and other citizens we have ~ not heard from, to make their ideas and concerns known to us. Your participation is essential.” No Gulf War. Peace in the Middle East. B.C. Peace Council Room 712, 207 West Hastings St. Vancouver, B.C. Phone: 685-9958 For peace, security -and an independent and sovereign Canada. TRIBUNE _ Published weekly at 2681 East Hastings Street Vancouver, B.C. V5K 1Z5. Phone: 251-1186 ALLIED WhorKERS ‘| UNION 111 Victoria Drive, Vancouver Roesch ee es Postal Cadeks 3-8. SS wg RS | am enclosing: 1 year: $20 C2 years: $35 Cs years $50 CiForeign 1 year $32 28 « Pacific Tribune, December 17, 1990