THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER © ant

[WA FIRE FIGHTING. BRIEF

gional Council submitted the following brief to the Select Standing Committee on For- estry and Fisheries.

In its continuing battle to force removal of the Forest Service’s limitation on wage

rates for loggers conscripted to fight forest fires, the Re-

Mr. Chairman and Mem- bers of the Committee:

On behalf of the members of the IWA, we wish to ex- press their appreciation for this opportunity to state their views regarding certain mat-

ters referred to your Commit- tee,

You may be assured that the members of the IWA have followed your deliberations respecting forest management with close attention. This un- ion heartily supports the gen- eral sanction given by the Legislature to principles of conservation, sustained yield, and regeneration, with the widest possible application to

all areas bearing merchant- able timber.

REFERENCE TERMS

We note that the terms of reference for your Commit- tee during the present session enable your Committee, among other matters, to re- view:

“1. The procedures followed for the protection of our forests as a result of the experiences recorded in the serious 1967 fire sea- son,

“2. The change in effect on fire protection because of the multiple use of our forest lands.”

On this occasion our rep- resentations relate only to Section 120 of the Forest Act now before the Legislature for amendment in Bill 20, an Act to amend the Forest Act. We speak especially on behalf of loggers, members of the IWA, large numbers of whom were recruited for extended fire fighting duties in 1967. We ask your Committee to take cognizance of the fact that the 1967 fire fighting duty for loggers at the Coast and in the Interior was hazard- ous, arduous, and damaging to personally-owned protec- tive clothing.

IWA RECOMMENDATIONS

Our recommendations re- late to the exception in Sec- tion 120 of the Forest Act to claims for reimbursement, stated therein as follows:

“That the amount allowed for wages paid for the serv- ices of the men so employed shall not exceed the rates fix- ed by regulation.”

This exception, applicable in a wide range of circum- stances, limits wages paid to $1.25 an hour,

We submit that this stipu- lation creates inequities which unjustly penalizes experienc- ed loggers whose services are now often indispensable for efficient fire fighting during large scale forest fires.

We direct your attention to the fact that present-day fire fighting methods have under- gone a radical change since the limitation on wage rates

was first written into the For- -

Act.

the use of equipment with which loggers are familiar such as bulldozers, power saws, water tank trucks, pow- ered pumps and service trucks for woods operations. Often the operation of this equip- ment must be expertly co-or- dinated with the use of water bombers. Experienced loggers have knowledge of the new techniques now demanded.

Experience gained in 1967 demonstrated that fire fight- ing can be more efficiently conducted when loggers work as crews, because they are already accustomed to work- ing as a unit during their regular employment. It is ad- vantageous to have as crew bosses during fire fighting the same supervisors under whose direction they have previously worked, because thus they have confidence that their orders are given by men who know their indi- vidual capacities and the haz- ards frequently encountered in a highly specialized occu- pation.

1967 FIRE SEASON

During the 1967 fire sea- son logging crews were re- quired to fight fires that were not company responsibility. These loggers received only $1.25 an hour, though on oc- casion they were despatched to points distant from the sites of their regular employ- ment. Those employed on “company responsibility” fires, such as those listed as “accidental” or “slash escape” fires, would work at wage rates negotiated with the em- ployers. The disparity in wage rates was keenly resent- ed, and became the subject of heated controversy, espec- ially in those instances when the employer acted as an agent of the Forestry Service for recruitment purposes.

We attach as an appendix to this submission a copy of the Memorandum of Agree- ment signed by Forest Indus- trial Relations Limited on be-

half of the employers in the Coastal Region and the IWA Regional Council,

This Memorandum of Agreement sets forth the rates to be paid under the cir- cumstances specified. In view of the 1967 experience, we are now asking the employers in the Coast Lumber Industry to extend these provisions to include all employees engag- ed in fire fighting and to in- corporate the Memorandum of Agreement in the Coast Master Agreement. Unless the Act is amended as we propose, claims for depart- mental reimbursement made in respect of wages by the companies, will not allow for

wage rates in excess of $1.25 an hour.

LOGGERS’ PAY RATE

When some loggers receive the rate of pay specified in the agreement with the employ- ers and others, probably em- ployed by the same company, receive only the statutory rates of pay, the companies concerned are frequently blamed for unjust discrimina- tion. Unnecessary friction re- sults.

In any event, the rate of $1.25 an hour is not adequate remuneration for the skilled and arduous work demanded from experienced loggers, and for which they are now ex- pected to suffer actual finan- cial loss. In addition, they fre- quently must travel long dis- tances to the site of the fire on their own time, and bear the expense of replacing dam- aged protective clothing. A necessary expense required for safety reasons is the use of loggers’ caulk boots.

CHEERFULLY ACCEPTED

The loggers have always cheerfully accepted the stren- uous requirements of compul- sory fire fighting. It is only reasonable to propose that they should not be forced to subsidize the Forest Service fire fighting by the enforced acceptance of the lowest min-

imum wage rate in the prov- ince.

As a matter of justice, ex- perienced and skilled loggers should not be so penalized for the performance of a public duty.

The Forestry Service per- sonnel are not so penalized.

When loggers are placed on the rate of $1.25 an hour for a prolonged period, income for their families is unfairly reduced.

We are pleased to note that The Truck Loggers Associa- tion is in accord with our views on this matter. This group of employers are thor- oughly familiar with the cir- cumstances and recognize that wage rates at the higher scale are required for the most ef- ficient fire fighting.

We take the liberty of quot- ing some relevant paragraphs from the brief prepared by the Association for your Com- mittee, as follows:

FOREST ACT

“Under the Forest Act, an occupier of forest land, such as a logger, must employ his crews and equipment for fighting fires and must pay the cost of such fire-fighting. In cases where a major fire develops, the Forest Service will conscript other logging crews to supplement the work of the occupier. These conscripted crews are paid by the Forest Service at the statutory rates. The IWA con- tract iricludes an hourly rate for fire fighting; some em-

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ployers pay this rate while others continue to pay crews their regular job rates which

are of course higher. Conse-_

quently, on the same fire, men doing the same work may be paid any of the following dif- ferent rates — the Forest Service rate, the IWA fire- fighters rate, or regular job rate. Such an absurd situa- tion leads inevitably to inef- ficiency in fighting fires. “Fire fighting is dirty and danger- ous work and-trained men equipped for such work should be paid at rates com- mensurate with their ability.

LOGGING CREWS

“The Forest Service has found that logging crews

working as a unit under their—

own supervisors make the most efficient fire fighters.”

The IWA therefore recom- mends:

That Section 120 of the For- |

est Act be so amended as to authorize the payment of wages to loggers engaged in fire fighting in accordance with the wage rates estab- lished in the Memorandum of Agreement signed by Forest Industrial Relations Limited and the IWA Regi- onal Council.

We trust that our request

may have your most favour- able consideration.

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