LABOR | Solid strike vote urged as forest co.’s stall talks Doug Evans, president of Van- couver Local 1-217 of the Interna- tional Woodworkers of America, wants a solid strike vote from the 5,000 members in his local. In a letter mailed to all members on May 25, he made the following points in describing where negotia- ~ tions are at: @ Negotiations are bogged down and will soon reach a critical Stage. @ A major issue in contention is the refusal of the forest industry through Forest Industrial ‘Rela- tions (FIR) to allow the northern and southern interior operators to sit at the same bargaining table as the- coast operators in order to negotiate a provincial agreement. Some of the employers’ representatives who sit at the FIR ‘bargaining table during coast negotiations will move to the in- terior and sit across the table from IWA interior negotiators, unless joint negotiations take place. According to Evans, the [TWA “is sick and tired of this sham as it does not allow sufficient input by northern and southern interior members on key issués in negotia- tions.’ Evans also referred to the walkouts which have taken place in local unions in the interior and on the coast “‘in an attempt to pressure the employers to-sit and negotiate a ent. ”? The coastal negotiations involve 28,000 workers and the interior negotiations (north and south) another 11,000. The letter to 1-217 members drew attention to the fact that the employers had appealed to the “Labor Relations Board for a cease and desist order. ‘‘This could stall negotiations for a period of time.”’ After sketching in this background, Evans pointed out that the coast agreement, covering 108 companies and 240 operations involving logging, saw milling and production of wood and wood pro- ‘ducts, will expire on June 15. This, he wrote, makes it necessary to conduct a strike vote. That vote will be conducted by the local union commencing June 1. (The interior agreements expire June 30 ) “Tt is absolutely necessary”’ _ Evans said, “that the membership produces a solid vote supporting your demands in negotiations. This will let the employers know our position when serious negotiations - commence again. The only way the employer knows we mean business is when the membership produces a solid strike vote.” The letter spotlighted interest’ rates hovering around 20 percent, mortgage rates of 17 and 18 percent and an overall inflation rate of 14 percent, in justification of the union’s demand for a general wage increase of $2.50anhour. ~— Then, towards the end, there i is the following call for unity: ‘“We- expect the employers will react by _ attacking your negotiating com- mittee in an attempt to divide the membership. Don’t let any of this propoganda sidetrack you trom the ISSUES we have placed on the table. This plea for unity should be seen in connection with a letter sent out to employees on May 13 by the general manager of Eburne Saw Mills Division, in Vancouver, which said: ‘‘This is to advise you that your participation in an illegal work stoppage on May 13, 1981, has not gone unnoticed...” The letter closed with this barely concealed threat: ‘‘Bearing in mind that we are operating under depressed markets and without set- ting a precedent for how we might react under other circumstances, we want to point out to you that should you wish to continue to par- ticipate in job actions and suffer consequences, this is your decision and the consequences are for your account.”’ That estimation of the market situation, which the major forest companies have projected in an at- tempt to set the tone for negotia-— co tions, is dealt with extensively in a recent bulletin published by the Woodworkers Rank and File ‘Committee, based mainly on Yer couver Island. That document quotes from a report issued by the major brokerage firm of McLeod, Young: and Weir: ““We believe the manufacturing thrust is to be a major investment consideration in portfolio structur- ing during the next several years, and that the Forest Products sector must be central in investment . thinking today. We strongly sug- gest that investors position. themselves early and we currently recommend purchase of B.C. Forest Products, MacMillan Bloedel and Consolidated Bathurst as core holdings for most port- folios.” Then, it continues with a sum- mary of the rationale advanced by the brokerage firm: a) The dramatically improved competitive advantage in world markets due to automation of plants . and higher. productivity. (Remember the $234 million of tax payers .money the government spent to upgrade pulp mills tomake Canadian pulp mills world leaders in production?) b) Cheap wood supply in com- parison with other countries. c) Recovery i in lumber demand and Prices is expected to be under- way in the second half of 1981. Declining world wood supplies of top quality soft woods lumber sug- gest sharply rising prices in the near future. d) The weak Canadian dollar means a higher profit for Canada’s exports. As an example, in 1979 itis estimated that for every one cent drop in the Canadian dollar against its U.S. counterpart M&B’s earn- ings were affected by 20 cents per share. . . . We do not think this re- lationship will change much over the next few years.’ Although the rate of profit was generally down in 1980 as com- pared with 1979 and 1980, the WREC pointed out that the major companies are still a long way from having to advise their senior ex- ecutives to apply for unemploy- ment insurance or welfare allowances. B.C. Forest Products, for exam- ple, showed a 16.8 percent rate of profit in 1980, down from 29.1 per-° cent in 1979 and 27.1 percent in 1978. However, the profit per PACIFIC TRIBUNE—MAY 29, 1981—Page 12 employee in 1980 was $10,651.00. Crown Zellerbach showed a 11.3 percent rate of profit in 1980, as compared with 19.8 percent in 1979 and 16.4 percent in 1978. The rate of profit per employee in 1980 was $5,433.00. MacMillan-Bloedel showed a 12.3 percent rate of profit in 1980, as compared with 19.3 percent in 1979 and 14.6 percent in 1980. The rate of profit per employee in 1980 was $7,125.00. . The WRFC bulletin then draws.’ the following conclusions: ““According to the foregoing, . 1980 appears to have been a relatively poor year for the B.C. fs . 3 Labor: Comment Jack Phillips forest companies in that profits declined from the previous two years. However, they came down from very high levels. Under condi- tions of recession, these companies earned from 11.3to 16.8 percent on their investments. ‘A bit of a turnabout in exports may be expected to restore the very high profits of 1978 and 1979.. “On another table (not shown) for the forest industry as a whole, even 1980 showed an average rate of profit of just under 19 percent, according to official government figures. “The above statement by their own economists would suggest they can pay the wages asked by ‘woodworkers. Being able to pay and being willing to pay are two en- tirely different things. : “If we are to get a larger slice of the profits we produce we need uni- ty for that struggle. Joint consulta- _ tion by all three unions would goa ~ long way to attain that unity. This is a policy we should take up and _fight for through our union.” The WRFC’s call for unity bet- _ween the IWA and the two-pulp and paper unions is very timely. According to some well informed union people I have spoken with, this is a more crucial issue than the question of joint negotiations for the coast and interior members of the IWA, _in terms of immediate priorities.” _ However, let us s look at the ‘‘col- lective individualism” which has come to the fore. While the general wage demand of the IWA is $2.50 an hour, the Canadian Paper- workers’ Union (9,608 members) is seeking $2.75 an hour. The Pulp, Paper and Woodworkers of Canada (7,120 members), has up- ped the price with an asking. de- mand of $3.00 an hour. The CPU is also seeking a reduc- tion in the 40-hour work week to 3714 hours and a $3.00 an hour ad- justment for tradesmen. The WA on the other hand is demanding ac-. & cumulated time off in the amount of one day for.every three weeks worked, and an unspecified adjust- ment for tradesmen... The common base labor rate in the forest industry is now $9.96 an . hour. Whichever of the three unions settles first will set a pattern that will be very difficult to change. It would be much better if they co- ordinated their bargaining. I will come back to that subject in my = labor comment. sand striking municipal employees in the Greater Victoria area are demanding the same benefits that Vancouver municipal workers won in their 1981 strike - ‘‘a decent across-the- board wage increase and a move- ment towards equal pay for work of equal value,’’ Peter Dreidger, Victoria representative for the Canadian -Union of Public Employees told the Tribune wed. While CUPE wants the- base rate of clerical workers adjusted over, the next four years so that they reach parity with the base rates of laborers, the wage offer by the Greater Victoria Labor Re- lations Association only ‘‘puts them even further ~ behind,”’ Dreidger said. The GVLRA represents the _municipalities of Saanich, Oak Bay, North Saanich Sydney, Es- quimalt, the city of Victoria and the Victoria school board. Because the .wages of the board as clerical staff and school aids are so. low now, the $3 an hour wage increase currently of- “MAPLE RIDGE — Municipal workers determined ‘to win wage parity with their counterparts: in the Greater _ Vancouver Regional District, threw pickets up around civic facilities after contract talks “with the municipality. broke down Monday. Local 622 member Gordon Hemminger, the most. conten- tious item, besides wages, is the union’s‘fight to retain a five day- four day rotating work week in its contract. “The management is arguing that they are experiencing a 10 percent loss in productivity, but really, it doesn’t cost them a the doctor on that extra day off rather than taking that time out of their sick leave.”’ Hemminger noted that the union was seeking the same wages and benefits as_ their: counterparts ‘‘west along the valley — in Metro Vancouver, Coquitlam and Surrey.”’ ~ After working out manage- ment’s wage offer Out to 1982,- Equal pay key issue | in Victoria civic strike) VICTORIA — One thou- women who work for the school. ‘adjustments towards parity with Maple Ridge municipal strikers demand parity . earning seven cents less than the According to striking CUPE. ~ justed- upward to that level: ~ wants a 10 percent increase Apr. . down, the last offer by the | dime. Employees regularly. al schedule going to the dentist or . fered will widen the gap, he ex- plained. : Outside civic workers were the } — first to throw up picket lines when } provincial mediator Fred Geddes | announced he was booking out of the dispute last Friday. - Four ‘other CUPE locals } representing inside civic workers | followed Monday. Schools in the Victoria district are being picket- ted and the union announced that } custodians aré respecting the | picket lines. - Local 388, representing inside city hall employees, called a “ladies day’ Tues. to focus on the issue of equal pay for work of equal value. All but nine of their 219 members are women. Dreidger said he didn’t expect the strike to last as long as the recently concluded municipal strike in Greater Vancouver: “because the business communi- ty will put pressure on city council to have it concluded before the tourist industry is hurt. EB “We want to make the clerical | oe oss A eee laborers rates oyer a four year term,”’ Dreidger said. the union found they would be base rates of other GVRD employees. ‘*We want a $1.50 an hour in- crease Apr. 1, 1981 and 20 cents added to that Oct. 1, 81, witha 15 cent an hour increase for clerical workers making less than $9 an hour.”’ Any member who hadn’t received a 15 per- cent wage increase by Mar. 31, 82, would have their wages ad- In the second year the union 1, 82, anda 3. 5 percent increase Oct. 18278 When negotiations broke Dieta aa lai Ss ohh Non municipality stood at a$1.30an hour increase Apr. 1, 81 and a 20 cent increase Oct. 1, 81, with a 15 percent adjustment for clerical workers. CUPE local .622 represents + 170 inside and outside workers, as well as seasonal employees. Negotiations began Jan. 81 and their contract ran out in April. “The spirit among the strikers is exceptionally high,”’ Hernminger oie Address ............ pees City OF TOWN =. oes: Postal Code ...... tea | am enclosing: 1 year 9120 2 years $22) 6 months $7 - OldO New( Foreign 1 year $15 2 Bill me later 1) Donation$.......... ESS 2 o 3 ® TRIBUNE Published weekly at Suite 101 — 1416 Commercial Drive, Vancouver, B.C. V5L 3X9. Phone 251-1186 _ . - Read the paper that fi ghts for fohor: Su B78 296 e, 8 ee See v8 An A eee O 6 eS Ae cae ee tee ee teem ee hes Province. a ee?