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Packaging plant workers seek renewed contract in Brantford

Like many other manufacturing plants in Canada, the Flexia Ltd. (formerly Twin Pak) operation in Brantford, Ontario is going through changing times, trying to look for new markets while maintaining old ones.

Today, as I.W.A. Local 500 is in negotiations for a new collective agreement, the plant’s ownership is looking at introducing new tech- nologies to run the operation ona steadier basis.

“What the employer wants to do is grow the business with the possi- bility of going to a complete seven day-a-week production schedule,” says local union financial secretary and business agent Saul Marques. “That is something we’d like to see but it’s a ways off yet.”

In 1998 the plant was up for sale after a collective agreement expired. It was owned by the ANCOR com- pany of Australia. After a three year contract was reached in the follow- ing year, the sale of the company to a past president was announced.

Since that agreement was reached (it recently expired on February 28, 2001) the plant stabilized and grew the business. Today there are 76 bargaining unit jobs at Flexia which pay among the highest wages in Brantford and surrounding areas. Wages are in and around the $19.00 an hour plus range for skilled trades.

Some I.W.A. members have senior- ity which goes back to 1973 when the operation began under the own- ership of Consolidated Bathurst. It was organized into what was then Local 2-500 of the International Woodworkers of America.

“It’s been an important part of our local for nearly 20 years,” says Local 500 president Bruce Weber. “The workers there are a solid group and have stuck with the I.W.A. Because they have done that, they have been able to achieve one of the better collective agreements in the industry.”

The plant’s two main areas of pro- duction are lumber and steel wrap and commercial packaging products like sugar packaging and other food packaging products.

“The company is still heavily into lumber and steel wrap,” says Brother Marques. “But at the same time it is trying to diversify its markets to expand the business.”

The company is also doing some process work, splitting rolls of paper and packaging material. It also does printing work on its giant, high- speed 4 colour press.

Although the employer tried to institute a continental shift 3 years ago, the crew rejected it. Extended shifts and weekend shifts are posted and are applied for by seniority.

Most of the crew works four ten

Chile Labour Law continued from page sixteen

Other demands include an end to arrangements which are called “col- lective understandings” which are not collective agreements negoti- ated freely by workers and an end to social security taxes taken off workers’ cheques. :

Important for the CUT is respect, under the law, for acquired rights that the labour movement has achieved since the dictatorship.

“These are the main ideas that we would like to incorporate and develop in labour reform in Chile, said Ortiz. i

Mr. Aravena briefly outline the changes in labour law since the mil- itary coup in 1973. After the coup, the military dictatorship banned unions and assigned union leader- ship. The 1978 labour plan was put into to place, banning strikes, free- dom of association and free collec-

tive bargaining.

Severe restrictions were put on public sector bargaining and the dictatorship gave more room for companies to negotiate weak indi- vidual contracts with their workers rather than legitimate collective agreements with unions.

Mr. Aravena said that although the Chilean government ratified ILO conventions in 1998, the empre- sarial sector is against their being adopted into law.

After the Chilean’s presentations, B.C. labour lawyer Leo McGrady made a presentation on the diffi- culty of organizing small workplaces under the current provincial law and B.C. Teachers Federation lawyer Diane McDonald made some comments in general on labour law in the province and addressed some other shortfall areas in the B.C. labour code.

David Fairy of the TURB pre- sented a summary of contentious issues on the law in B.C. Fairy pointed out that in B.C. that rates of unionization are also dropping.

* On the job, photographed in October of 1998 were slitter operators Carl Porteous (1.) and Fred Ferrante.

hour shifts. Some weekend work happens on two 12 hours shifts with the workers being paid for 36 hours. “Tt allows for choice,” says Brother Marques. “They (the workers) can post for weekend shift work and they are still covered by seniority.” During the production process for both commercial and industrial wraps the product goes through extruders, printers and slitters. One machine takes up to 120” wide web paper and laminates an extruded screen onto paper to pro-

duce lumber wraps, steel wraps and looping material.

The extruder pellets are first mixed in a hopper for colour and are fed through hot dies by a screw. Melted plastic goes around a chilled drum where it is cooled down. The objective is to get an even cooling right across the “cool drum.”

The product, made of polypropy- lene and paper, is trimmed to size and as much waste as possible is recovered.

A four colour printing press is available to take rolls up to 140” wide.

In the 1990’s the operation began to produce Ti-Vek housing wrap, much of which was exported to the United States.

In another section of the plant, a smaller facer makes commercial- end products.

This year the union is optimistic it can negotiate a better collective agreement - one that will perhaps achieve benefits for retirees (improved pensions, drug plan) and offer early pension bridging.

“Our crew will attempt, for the second time, to achieve first-time benefits in these areas,” explains Brother Marques. “We may not get everything we set out to get buy we will give it our best shot.”

The union committee at Flexia includes chairperson Don Bowen, vice chair Peter Woods, secretary treasurer Earl Smith, and trustees Allan Brown and Gerald MacNeil.

Stewards in the operation are Rob Pignotta, Steve Heltner, Rick Morgan, Albert Borden, Earl Smith, Tan Gorra, Martin Allgood, and Gerald Lasalle.

a

CUT Visitors continued from page sixteen

Mr. Baigent pointed out that both union and management reps sitting on the board accept the basic princi- ples of the code and Mr. Kelleher told them that all that those who work for the Minister of Labour believe in workers’ reais to join a union.

Ms. Parkinson gave them a run- down on certification procedures, including automatic certifications in B.C. and Ms. O’Brien filled them in on unfair labour practices.

Ortiz and Aravena were especially curious about certification proce- dures and sectoral bargaining.

The I.W.A. held a special dinner for the guests in Burnaby before they left. Present were national president Dave Haggard, third vice president David Tones, secretary treasurer Terry Smith, Mr. Baigent, arbitrator Vince Ready, B.C. Federation of Labour president Jim Sinclair and Fed secretary-treasurer Angie Schira, CUPE B.C. president Barry O’Neill,

CUPE local 389 president Ken David- son, CLC representative David Rice, 1.W.A. national staffers and others.

The guests were given a good send

off. “We thank the I.W.A. and all oth- ers who assisted us in our visit to Canada,” said Brother Ortiz. “You have a great country andastrong . labour movement. We learned many things here, many of which we may apply in some form in Chile. What the Chilean government has to have is the political will to introduce changes which support the rights of workers, not only the rights of the empresarial sector.”

rother Haggard thanked the visitors.

“We hope to help Chilean workers more in the future and we have learned a great deal ourselves from this experience,” said Haggard.

In late March Haggard led a five person I.W.A. delegation to Chile to meet with the CTF, the CUT and its various affiliates and government officials.

See the next Lumberworker for details.

¢ Pictured during their visit to the LW.A.’s Ontario office in Toronto are (1. to x) labour lawyer Pedro Aravena, fourth national vice president Wilf McIntyre, director of arbitation and resources, and CUT secretary general Jose Ortiz.

LUMBERWORKER/April, 2001/17