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LABOR

__Laid-off Vancouver Plywoods workers
Teceived an elementary lesson in the moral-
ity of capitalism at the annual general meet-
ing of forestry giant MacMillan Bloedel
Apr. 25. :
_That’s when M-B superboss Adam
Mmerman and former company presi-
dent Calvert Knudson told some 16 angry
and frustrated International Woodworkers

—members that despite their entreaties and

their union’s proposals to improve opera-
tons at the plywood mill, Vanply was clos-
ing for good.

They did it in the nicest way, with Knud-
son telling the shareholders meeting in the
dimly-lit plushness of the Hyatt Regency

Hotel ballroom that “we regret very deeply

closing Vancouver Plywood and we sympa-

thize with the people affected.”

The workers, many of them middle-aged
men with 20-40 years of service in MacMil-
lan Bloedel, lined up at microphones during
question period to ask a series of questions
concerning Vanply and M-B’s exporting
Practices and international operations.

For the most part, the questions were
asked politely, although one frustrated
Vanply employee rose at the end of the
Session to berate the international corpora-
tion for its treatment of long-time employees.

“How can you discuss money when
you’ve got thousands of your people
thrown into the street, and say that isn’t

‘Mac Blo directors
Shun workers’ plea
to reopen Vanply

important?” asked Ernest Rothschild of the
directors and the mainly well-healed
shareholders.

As shareholders filed into the brief
annual meeting they were handed copies of
a letter, signed by IWA Local 1-217 presi-
dent Doug Evans and plant chairman W.
Corbett.

The letter informed shareholders that,
“Throughout the years, the labor relations

climate has been excellent at Vancouver

Plywoods. There have been no major work
stoppages and this was undoubtedly a fac-
tor in Vancouver Plywoods being the cor-
nerstone of the MacMillan empire for
several decades. s

“When Vancouver Plywoods became
less competitive, we did everything possible
to turn the situation around,” the letter
stated.

“We agreed to a reduced workforce, we
changed working methods, we agreed to
forgo in-plant agreements that were at one
time considered sacred. We also worked

closely with the company in encouraging |

development of new product lines. Van-
couver Plywood employees co-operated in

"every possible way to increase productivity

and make the plant more competitive.”
The local proposed a reopening of the
mill on a six-month trial basis, while a tri-
partite committee of all levels of govern-
ment, M-B representatives and employees

memory May Day recognizes.

Sort. .

“may day” distress signal.

GREATER VANCOUVER
Bill Bennett 800 100
Burnaby 5,800 44
Coquitlam 2,600 1,605
Kingsway 7,000 1,638
New West. 1,800 350
Nigel Morgan _—2,500 ae

- Niilo Makela 700 132
North Van. 3,000 1,157
Olgin 650 14
Richmond 1,400 371
Seamen 400 138
Van. East 10,500 6,029 .
Van. Fishermen 800 —
West Side 4,000 532

FRASER VALLEY
Chilliwack 350 14
Delta 800 _
Langley ~700 6
Maple Ridge 2,800 16
Surrey 5,000 342
White Rock 1,200 388

May Day spirit needed

As May Day approaches, plans are underway to prepare celebrations marking
the annual international workers event.

¢ May Day march and rally set for Vancouver Saturday will commemorate

the day with all the spirit and dignity befitting the martyred workers whose

We wish we could say that same spirit has been evident in the response to this
year’s financial drive. Unfortunately, we have to sound a “may day” of a different

A glance of at the list of individual targets for the press clubs will show how far
behind we Teally are. The total raised so far — $15,334 — is alarmingly short of
the amount that should be in by this time. © :

We’re almost five weeks into our drive for $85,000 and we have to sound the

We ask our readers and supporters to take inspiration from last week’s Walk
for Peace in Vancouver, where between 80,000 and 100,000 marched to end the
arms race. As tough as times are, we ask our friends to honour the spirit shown by ~
the peace movement and reflect that turnout in this year’s financial drive.

Just as the peace movement is “holding the line” against the escalating arms
Face, and is forcing new peace initiatives from world leaders; just as workers will
march on May Day to “hold the line” against concessions demands and anti-
labor legislation; so we ask supporters to help us “hold the line” against high
Printing costs and help reach the target of $85,000 in 1984.

OKANAGAN
Kamloops 900 14
Penticton 600 48
Shuswap 750 _
Vernon 1,300 _
N. COAST/INTERIOR
Correspondence 2,200 22
Creston 400 300
Fernie 250 —
Powell River 600 152
Sunshine Coast 550 100
Trail 850 165
VANCOUVER ISLAND
Campbell River 1,700 48
Comox Valley = 1,100 71
Nanaimo 2,200 592
Port Alberni 1,500 22
Victoria 2,500 714
North Island 400 14
Miscellaneous 182
15,334

RECEIVED TO DATE:

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LAID-OFF VANPLY WORKERS. . .MacMillan Bloedel’s plant closures, log exports attacked.

studied the mill’s performance and recom-
mended changes. (That position was
recently adopted by Vancouver city council.)

“Surely, a six-month trial reopener is not
an unreasonable expectation for those of us
who have served the company well for 20,
30 and 40 years,” Evans’ letter pleaded.

Inside the ballroom, Zimmerman deftly
brushed aside questions from Vanply
employees.

Questions such as “Did MacMillan

Bloedel make a serious error in closing~

Vanply when cedar panelling sales were ris-
ing?” or ““How do you justify making $63
million on raw log exports while spending
nothing on Variply for the past four years?”
were shunted off to “management.”

.Zimmerman’s blithe answer to one ques-
tion was at least accurate. Asked if he
thought the government would reclaim
M-B’s Tree Farm licence because of the
permanent closure of the plywood mill, he
replied, “I don’t think so.” ~ Bae:

Another question brought forth one o

the few informative answers of the session, ‘

when. current company president Ray
Smith admitted raw log exports had
increased 10-12 per cent during 1983.

Raw log exports have been a major sore
point with the wood unions during the last
two years. The exports, and B.C. jobs along
with them, have increased considerably in
the same period that the corporation has

been closing mills and laying off thousands
of employees.

When asked by woodworker John Neil-
son, 59, what his chances were of getting
another job with MacMillan Bloedel, Zim-
merman referred to the collective agree-
ment, which has articles allowing for the
transfer of employees.

But Ted Mitravitz, one of the Vanply
employees who formed an action commit-
tee to reverse the closure, said later than no
one has found other work with the
company. :

The IWA members charge M-B has
allowed Vanply to deteriorate to the point
where it was no longer profitable, while
investing heavily in low-wage areas such as
Alabama and Brazil.

CARPENTERS DEMO

MacMillan Bloedel not only moves oper-
ations outside the province. It also builds
ships elsewhere, the Carpenters Union has
noted in calling a protest outside the Mac-
Millan Bloedel building at 1075 West Geor-
gia in Vancouver, May 8.

The demonstration, by the unemployed
members of the United Carpenters and
Joiners Local 506 (shipwrights), will protest
the company’s decision to build three ships
2 Japan. The demonstration begins at

a.m.

MAY DAY GREETINGS

to the labor movement
from the officers & members of

THE VANCOUVER-NEW WESTMINSTER
NEWSPAPER GUILD

& Please support our strike at Pacific Press e

\

-CUPE
Local
389

greets labor
on May Day

PACIFIC TRIBUNE, MAY 2, 1984 e 3

—

RSTO IEEE AA NNN SA 2

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