OVER 100 DELEGATES AND GUESTS - USW Local 1-425

the
Burner
S O U TH C A R I B O O L O C A L 1 - 4 2 5
UNITED STEELWORKERS LOCAL 1-425
Summer 2007
OVER 100 DELEGATES AND
GUESTS ATTENDED THIS YEAR’S
31st ANNUAL DELEGATED
MEETING OF USW LOCAL
1-425 HELD IN WILLIAMS LAKE,
MAY 26th, 2007
T
he 31st ADM of USW local 1-425 ,
started with Mayor Scott Nelson of
Williams lake giving welcome from the
City. Mayor Nelson also thanked the officers
and members of our local for their efforts and
involvement in the community over the years.
The delegates also had the opportunity to
hear from a number of guest speakers, MLA
Charlie Wyse, MLA Bob Simpson, retired
Local 1-425 president and past IWA Canada
national officer Harvey Arcand, retired
President Jack Munro, Local 1-424 President
Frank Everitt . The delegates also received a
presentation from District #3 researcher Kim
Pollack regarding corporate mergers and the
economics of the Forest Industry.
LOCAL 1-425 CARIBOO SOUTH
TM
Brother Harvey Arcand past
president of local 1-425 addressed
the delegates and gave a short
overview of the IWA Forest Industry
Pension Plan
Brother Jack Munro spoke to the
delegates about the continued
efforts to bring the Labour Heritage
Centre into reality. Brother Munro
also explained the importance
of each local union starting up a
chapter of soar “Steelworkers
Organization of Active Retirees”.
“Steelworker retirees have a lot to
offer and local unions should take
advantage of their knowledge and
experience,” stated Munro.
Published by United Steelworkers Local 1-425 • 124C N. 2nd Ave. Williams Lake, BC V2G 1Z6 • (250)398-8248 • www.uswa425.ca
Local 1-425
Board Members
OFFICERS
President
Bill Derbyshire
1st Vice President
Norm Prevost
2nd Vice President
Mitch VanDale
3rd Vice President
Jim Kulyk
4th Vice President
Bob Hicks
Financial Secretary
Bob Macnair
Warden
Bonnie Herrett
Conductor
Ken McLearn
EXECUTIVE BOARD
MEMBERS
Tolko Soda Creek Div.
Dean Colville
Jim Geier
Tolko Lakeview Div.
James Cruickshank
Pat Seery
Tolko Creekside Div.
Andy Gairns
Rob Herrick
West Fraser Planer Div.
Brad Mores
West Fraser Plywood Div.
Lorne Marshall
George Moore
West Fraser 100 Mile Div.
Lance Brown
Jeff Crookes
IHA - 100 Mile House
Liz Christensen
IHA - Williams Lake
vacant
Retirement Concepts
Krista Hansen
Parallel Wood Products
Nova Proctor
Mount Polley Mining Corp.
Troy McFarlane
Greg Silvey
Epcor
Steve Lamont
Ainsworth
Doug Friesen
Steve Wares
New Pine Beetle Study
Gives Warning
by Terry Tate
A study completed by the University of Alberta school of business states that if Alberta
has the same level of pine beetle forest damage as B.C., it won’t have the capacity to
process all of the infested timber. The study also says further major outbreaks would add
to the already significant shortages of trades, labourers and equipment. The study makes
for interesting reading however it’s old news.
Both B.C. and Alberta have booming economies where skilled labour is in hot demand.
Both the B.C. Federation and the USW have been hounding the B.C. government and
the Federal Government for years about the pending short-fall in skilled labour. Today
just about every Government report now agrees, however they have no real willingness to
put the required resources into addressing the problem in the short term. When you take
into account the age of our present baby boomers, the problem really demonstrates the
need for action, not more studies and reports. This is a real opportunity for the present
day Governments to take advantage of this problem - make B.C. and the rest of Canada
leaders in skill-training and give the next generation of workers the opportunity to
continue building for the present and future.
Summer Message
by Bob Macnair, Financial Secretary
As I sit down to write my first report to the Burner as
Financial Secretary, I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who voted in the election.
I would also like to thank everyone who helped me
during my campaign, gave me their encouragement
and words of wisdom. I fully realize the scope of
the position I have been elected to and will make every effort to live up to the commitments I made while
running.
These uncertain times and the challenges we all
face in the industries of our Local make me feel it is
more important than ever to stay in touch with the members and be accessible, transparent and fiscally responsible. While on the campaign trail I heard the members tell me they
wanted more contact and more response to the issues that concern them. As I adjust to
the workload and challenge, I will make every effort to get into all operations and meet
as many of the members as I can. I will also work hard to build bridges and focus on the
rank and file and Local issues that affect all of us and our families.
I believe education for our members is a very important task, whether it’s grievance
handling, collective bargaining, steward’s training, health and safety or a whole range of
other issues.
I believe that we must offer programs that will help our younger members understand the history and battles of being a union member in this day and age.
I feel it is time to move ahead and build. I encourage all members to drop by - young
and old – stop in and talk to us. Let us know what you need and want.
One of my goals is to start a S.O.A.R. club for retirees. Also, we are looking for
members interested in organizing, being job stewards, etc.
In closing, I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable summer.
President’s Update
As most of the membership is aware of
the Coast has been in negotiations with the
Industry since early April in hopes to get
a negotiated agreement that they can take
back to the membership for ratification.
The negotiating team was in legal
strike position as of July the 14th and they
continued to negotiate up until the last shift
on July 2oth. At that time it was obvious
that a negotiated settlement was not going
to be attainable and the negotiators made
the decision to serve the strike notice.
The 3 main issues on the table were
Alternate Shifting, contracting out, and
permanent partial closure.
What the membership has to remember
is when we made the decision to go to the
government to get a mediated settlement
in 2003 when the coast staged a 1 day job
action. The industry went to the LRB and
had that ruled as a strike and locked our
people out.
We then made the decision to see
about a mediated settlement. When we
went to the government to see if this could
be done they agreed on one condition and
that was that what ever was agreed to was
binding.
The Coast ended up with Don Munroe
being named as the mediator. Don bought
into the industry redirect that they need flex
scheduling to help make their operations
more competitive on the coast. So Don
imposed a 4 year agreement and gave the
company the unilateral right to implement
flex schedules.
This may not seem like a huge issue
but how would you feel if one week you
are working 4 – 10 hour shifts and the
next week you are working 3 – 12’s, days
and afternoons. Or worse yet you are on
4 -10’s Monday to Thursday and because
a Stat falls on the Monday the company
moves you to Tuesday to Friday so they
don’t have to pay the OT for working the
Stat. Then the next week they move you
back to Monday to Friday.
It is one thing to be able to know
what shift you are working so that you can
plan your life around it. It is a complete
opposite issue where you do not know
what shift you are working at any given
moment. Just how safe can a person be
when they are continually bounced from
one shifting arrangement to another shift
arrangement?
We need to remember that the sole
purpose of this arrangement was to allow
Bill Derbyshire
the industry to become more viable and to
allow them to invest much needed capital
on the coast.
As of the time of writing we have
seen neither of this happen, what we have
seen is a huge increase of the shipping of
raw logs while operation after operation
continue to shut down.
With summer being here I would like
to remind everyone just to take a little
extra time out there and to be a little extra
safe while you are on vacation.
Report to Officers & Members of Usw Local 1-425
Summer School 2007, June 10 – 15
by your Brother Rick Bamberry
After a long drive to Kimberley, we arrived at the Marriott Trickle
Creek Residence Inn. Registration was a challenge due to our late
arrival time. Once we had registered we went back into town to
the Kimberley Inn, where we were welcomed with smiling faces
and a willingness to make our stay comfortable.
The courses offered were: Basic Arbitration, Collective
Bargaining and Bargaining to Win, Facing Management, Health
and Safety, Managing and Dealing with Workplace Conflict and,
finally, Leadership in Action. Unfortunately we could only take
one course for the week. All course material was well-prepared
and organized. The members who attended had positive remarks
on their respective courses. I wish we could all attend this school.
The instructors were knowledgeable and willing to help by giving
us insights to problem solving and dealing with our workplace
problems. They also gave us tips on dealing with employers who
constantly violate our CBA’s.
On International Night there were two guest speakers. One
Brother was from Columbia and another from Guatemala. It has
been a good year for international labour in these two countries.
Only sixty union leaders and activists have been killed this
year. Yes, you are reading this right. Doing what we take for
granted everyday in meetings, negotiations and improvements to
our standard of living – these things could get you killed in those
countries. So guard your rights and stay in the fight to keep all
that we have worked so hard to get.
An interesting statistic was mentioned during this same
evening and that fact was that 70% of the students present were
“first timers”. Man, it does my heart good to see that much youth
active in our union today.
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Brother Steve Hunt
(District 3 Director) for his warm words of encouragement. NOT!!
Brothers and Sisters the question of our unity and solidarity was
attacked! But don’t worry; we invited Brother Hunt to Williams
Lake to account for his comments on our Unity and Solidarity.
That is, if he has recovered yet from his lashing.
So, in closing, I’d like to thank my Brothers and Sisters of
Local 1-425 for making this opportunity possible. I’d especially
like to thank Brothers Al Tranq, Dave Lautsch, Phil Klassen, Jeff
Crookes, Dean Colville, John Cantelo and Lance Brown and
Sister Lorna “Mommy” Anderson for what I feel was one of the
most positive experiences in my 34 years of being an activist in
organized labour.
Unity and Solidarity are Alive and Well in 1-425.
Young and
new worker
orientation
required
Future holds challenges
and opportunities
addressed alternate shifting in their
operations, but in the end they faced the
challenge and people kept working, with
no loss in wages or benefits.
Part 3 Sections 3.22 to 3.25 of
WorkSafeBC Regulations that set
out the employer’s responsibility for
providing pre work health and safety
orientation to young and new workers
comes into force on July 26th.
Further information can be found
at: http://www2.worksafebc.com/
Topics/YoungWorker/ResourcesEmployers.asp?reportID=34627
CILA members can call the office
for more details.
Off-highway
fuel tax
refund
process
review
The Ministry of Small Business and
Revenue (MSBR) is undertaking a
review of B.C.’s off-highway fuel
tax refund process. Currently to
apply for the refund, you need to
send detailed records to MSBR. The
goal of the review is to determine
if the ministry can streamline the
current refund process. As part of the
review, the ministry will organize
regional meetings, depending on
interest, in Fort St. John, Prince
George and Kamloops, and on
Vancouver Island. To participate
in one of these regional meetings
or provide comments in advance,
please contact MSBR at (250) 3875882 or be email to FuelTax@gov.
bc.ca by September 7, 2007.
This is no longer 1977 – its 2007
and we have to be extremely aware of
our position in the global economy, and
we have to be diligent in protecting our
way of life as well as understanding the
changes that are taking place around us.
by Terry Tate
I would like to thank the membership
and my friends for their support as a
past officer of this Local Union. My
involvement in the IWA Union started
in 1972 in Merritt, BC. As one of the
founding Directors of this Local Union
in 1977, I have been reviewing our
accomplishments over the past 30 years.
I am extremely proud of our history and
my involvement in it. Working with this
group to protect the rights of all, both
within and outside of our organisation,
has been a life-changing experience that
I would not trade for anything.
This Local Union has always been
the leader and the first group to arise
to face any challenge that could harm
our membership, or take advantage of
and situations that could benefit our
members. An example of that proactive
method of dealing with issues is in the
fact our membership in the forest sector
has grown. However, in other areas
we see layoffs and shut downs. This is
something the Members and Board of
Local 1-425 can really be proud of and
take into the future.
The changes the membership had to
make in their lives was not easy as they
We have so many things in front of us
to day with the Mountain Pine Beetle
epidemic, high Canadian dollar, declining
US housing markets, and provincial forest
legislation that undermines the needs of
forest workers and their communities.
However, what we have to do is work to
capitalize on the new opportunities that
are brought forward as funding is made
available to assist with these changing
times.
It’s not the first time our Local Union
has been under the gun. We can’t put our
heads in the sand and believe everything
will be better next week or next year. We
will have to continue being proactive in
our thinking and act in the best interests
of the membership and the community in
which we live.
Your new slate of elected officers will
need your support in the months ahead,
and Executive Board members will have
to take a more active roll to support the
efforts of their Plant Committees. The
road ahead is a rocky one, but if everyone
stays on the right path, this Local Union
will not only survive, it will continue to
be a leader and prosper in the future.
Again, working with Local Union 1-425
has been a challenging, rewarding, and
fantastic experience. I give thanks to my
friends, supporters, and most of all my
family, for always being there for me for
30 years.
2nd Vice
President’s
Report
by Mitch Vandale
Things continue to be busy at Mount Polley.
On July 11th we met with the company and
discussed about 20 issues that are causing
concern to the membership. Those attending this meeting were:
From the Local – Bill Derbyshire, Mitch VanDale, Bob Macnair and Greg Silvey.
From the Company – Tim Fisch, Don Parsons, Paul Allen and Jerry Bell.
The intent of this meeting was to have Jerry Bell (who was involved with developing the
collective agreement) and Steve Hunt (USW District 3) there. Although Brother Hunt
could not make the meeting, he did have a chance to talk with Jerry Bell prior to our
meeting to express our concerns over what has been going on out there and to also raise
concerns over intent of the contract language.
The meeting lasted several hours with the company going away to consider the points
we raised. We have received some feedback on the issues raised and have several issues
resolved that were, prior to this, heading for arbitration. We will address this in more
detail in a bulletin to the members.
There are also a number of issues that the company wanted to discuss amongst themselves
and we will hopefully hear something back by the end of July or early in August. Some
of these issues refer to things like employee retention, training/postings, and issues like
coveralls, RV parking site, bus issues and a number of others.
Again, we will provide more detail on a bulletin.
Also at the July 11th meeting, we had some discussion re: Ledcor coming onsite. We had a
follow-up meeting on this subject on July 24th as we were hearing things other than what
we were told at the July 11th meeting. It was explained to us that Ledcor was coming in to
do a pre-strip for Polley and would be on-site for 3 to 4 months. At that time we expressed
concern over what we could see coming down the pipe about Ledcor’s presence.
We were assured by Mount Polley that Ledcor employees would not be filling positions
held by Steelworker members and that mine life and OT would not be affected.
We did not leave this meeting with any assurance from the company that Ledcor would
not be loading under our shovels even though we stated that the members are not bloody
happy about this situation, and are only going to be pushed so far.
On a separate matter, we ran into a situation where members had signed a petition
pertaining to another member and issues they had with this individual. This, quite frankly,
is bullshit. We apparently don’t have enough serious issues to deal with now; we are
going to go after our co-workers. The petition was worded in a malicious way and served
to purpose other than to belittle an individual with the intent to have that person removed
from that crew.
Given what we have been going though with this company, we would hope that crews
would be supporting each other and actions like this are counter-productive.
Fundraising
Golf
Tournament
for Boys &
Girls Club
We would like to express our
sincere thanks to all of you for
supporting the local Boys &
Girls Club by entering a team
in their recent Fundraising Golf
Tournament.
We were proud to attend as
members of this local, showing
our support. A lot of money
was raised for this very worthy
cause.
It was a great day, immensely
enjoyed and very well attended.
Our very own Brad Toop won
the longest drive for Calloway.
It is our involvement in
events like this that demonstrates
to the community that we, as
a group, are behind efforts to
better our youth.
Thank you again for
giving us the opportunity to
participate.
Sincerely,
Doug LeDrew
Brad Toop
Brian Pryor
Steve Koch
TM
31st Annual Delegated Meeting
of USW Local 1-425 held in
Williams Lake, May 26th, 2007
Just some of the highlights!
TM
Bob Simpson, MLA Cariboo North gives delegates
an overview of the problem with the present forest
legislation.
Mayor Scott Nelson, Jack Munro and Retired National
Officer Wilf McIntyre take in the debates at the ADM.
Rick Bamberry, West Fraser Plywood, accepted into
the Honorable Grandfather’s Society. Presented by
President Bill Derbyshire.
Dave Zirnhelt, Chairman ot the Forest Worker
Working Group, gave a presentation on the forest
worker sector strategy.
Retired Financial Secretary Noel Gooding, Financial
Secretary Warren Olja Local-417 and Financial
Secretary Brian O’Rourke attended ADM.
Delegates from OSB 100 Mile and Parallel Wood
Products.
Steelworkers strike FIR,
Island Timberlands, Interfor
Last Friday at midnight, USW members in five coast locals began shutting-down
client companies of Forest Industrial Relations Ltd. and Island Timberlands. On
Saturday afternoon, the locals begin striking Interfor. Members in 5 BC Coast
local unions: Duncan Local 1-80, Port Alberni Local 1-85, Vancouver/Loggers’
Local 1-2171, Courtenay Local 1-363, and Fraser Valley Local 1-3567 have, as of
today, virtually shut-down the coastal forest products industry.
Lance Brown, Chairman 100 Mile House Lumber
and Jeff Crookes, Vice Chair attended ADM with a
smile
Frank Everitt, President USW Local 1-424
conducted local union elections.
A strike bulletin put out by the Union notes: “Neither FIR, which represents 31
coastal forest companies, including Western Forest Products, Island Timberlands
nor Interfor have addressed your demands. Companies still want the unilateral
right to impose shifts. They also want to contract out your jobs to non-union crews.
Employers don’t want to pay partial closure severance pay. They demand to be able
to permanently close parts of their operation without paying severance. Your union
and bargaining committee are standing up for your rights, for our communities and
for a better future in our forest industry.”
District 3 to highlight
forest fatalities campaign
at steelworkers safety
conference
District 3 Director Steve Hunt and a panel including District Safety Coordinator
Ron Corbeil and local union representatives will be highlighting the Union’s
forest fatality campaign at the upcoming USW Health, Safety & Environment
Conference in Michigan. During 2005 — the year that saw 43 British Columbia
forest workers killed on the job — the Steelworkers began a campaign to “Stop the
Killing”. The campaign included a Forest Fatality Summit, lobbying the provincial
government in Victoria and developing language for locals to bargain in forest
industry collective agreements.
Tim Harris, West Fraser Plywood retired, and from
the smile on his face, Tim is a happy camper.
Everyone wishes Tim the very best on his travels.
Chilean Forestry workers
welcome moves by
Parliament
On July 11, 2007, the Chilean Parliament organized a special session on forestry.
Participating in the event were 50 wood and forestry trade unionists from the
province of Arauco, CTF and USINFA-Unión de Sindicatos Forestales de
Arauco.
The session focussed on the economic issues relating to the sector, the situation of
the wood workers, the Arauco conflict, the murder of Rodrigo Cisternas, workers’
demands, and problems of pollution resulting from celluloses. A draft agreement
was approved unanimously, which includes a promise of legislative priority for
forestry and to changes to “amend the Labour Code in order to reinforce collective
bargaining”.
First-time delegate Cody Wells enters into
resolution debate. Cody is from West Fraser 100
Mile Lumber.
The BWI notes the draft is another success in the struggle for Chilean forestry
unions.
Local Union
Bursaries Received
The local union bursaries for $500.00 dollars each were accepted by the following
students that will be furthering their education in the fall. We would like to pass on our
congratulations to the following students.
-
Rhys Branscombe
Megan Welk
-
Marjorie Edgington
Logan Macnair
Safety Reps Ensure
Safe Workplaces
by Norm Provost
The presence of a safety representative “is
the only factor which is significantly related to safety behaviors” says a research
report commissioned by the Health and
Safety Authority, Irland’s HSE.
The study “Safety Behaviour in the Construction Sector” compares actual injury
rates and examples of safety behaviour
from the prospective of construction site
workers and management, as well as the
risk management system and safety enforcement.
They found “the variable with the strongest relationship with safety compliance
is the presence or absence of a safety
representative. A safety representative on
site is associated with better compliance,
safety representatives are associated with
a greater likelihood of reporting risky situations and a lower likelihood of simply
continuing to work in such situations. The
presence of safety representatives is also
strongly related to the effectiveness of response to audits and hazards and reported
hazards.”
This pattern of relationships suggest that
safety representatives are the most important influence on the association between
effectiveness of response to audits and
hazards and safety compliance. It isn’t just
that safety reps are the “best way” to improve safety, the research found that virtually nothing else had much effect.
The authors say “what is most eloquent
about these results is the lack of any other
significant relationships. In particular, the
general safety management factor is not
significantly associated with effective response to audits and hazards and has no
influence on behaviour or compliance.”
The report ascribes the success of safety
reps in particular to:
- pressing management to do what they
said they were going to do
- encouraging workers to report hazards; and
- communicating effectively with
workers, and including advising them
against unsafe practices.
The study found “safety representatives
are playing the critical role both in ensuring there is an effective response to audits
and hazards and translating this into better
compliance with safety requirements.”
There are also academic studies which
show the extent of the “union safety effect”. Reviewing the evidence several
U.K. professors conclude “a variety of
studies, both in this country and overseas,
have found the collective representation of
workers to have beneficial consequences
for standards of worker protection, particularly when it operates through trade
union channels.” In particular, several of
these have highlighted the fact that injury rates tend to be highest in workplaces
where there is unilateral determination
of health and safety by management and
lowest where mechanisms of union-based
representation are present.
The officers would like to take this time
to congratulate all of our safety committee members for a job well done and hope
they continue to provide their expertise to
all our members.
Remember – be safe.
Education 2006/2007
Over 60 members took part in the educational opportunity’s that were provided
by the local Union. The 2007/2008 training calendar is now under development.
Plant Committee members should forward the names and contact information of
those interested in training to the local Union. The members will then be contacted
as courses are developed .There will also be a pension seminar this October, one
in 100 mile house and another in Williams lake. Please watch for the notices. All
the details will be provide in late September for those interested in attending.
Forest Worker
Strategy Update
Workers Vote
yes to Join
Local 1-425
by Terry Tate
Employees at B&C Building Maintenance
voted to be represented by USW Local
1-425. There are 15 employees presently
at B&C said Terry Tate, the company
holds a cleaning contract with Retirement
Concepts in Williams lake. We welcome
our new members into the Union and look
forward to working with them to negotiate
their first collective agreement.
There are hundreds of forest workers
participating in the Cariboo-Chilcotin
Forest worker survey being conducted by
Malatest Research. The working group
is hopeful the information will assist in
the development of programs and other
planning projects that will assist forest
workers though the affects of the Pine
Beetle economic impact on our Region.
Both the Federal and Provincial
Governments have committed millions
of dollars to ensure everything possible
is done to meet this challenge head-on. In
the coming weeks and months ahead, the
working group and the Cariboo-Chilcotin
Beetle Action Coalition Board of Directors
will be reviewing opportunities that could
move forward towards implementation.
Understanding the amount of time and
research gone into this over-all strategy,
everyone wants to make sure that all the
bases are covered and more time is not
wasted by having to revisit work already
completed. There are a number of other
strategies being developed by affected
sectors and their working groups that will
be important in the over-all work being
undertaken by the CCBAC Board of
Directors.
We are getting some realistic ideas
from people that we believe will bring
forward some real opportunities for people
in this region. The only problem now,
is not knowing just when the other shoe
will drop and will the region be ready.
Members and their families should take
part in any meetings called around this
issue, keeping informed and providing
your concerns and recommendations is
important.
Bioenergy
luncheon
CANMET Energy Technology Centre
Biomass and Renewables Group Leader
Dr. Preto will be presenting at the Prince
George Chamber of Commerce Luncheon
at the Ramada Hotel on August 15th from
12:00 to 1:30 p.m.
Call (250) 522-2454 to register.
B.C. Government to
Diversify Economy
B.C.’s Mining Minister Kevin Krueger is funding Geoscience B.C. – an
industry-led agency with $25 million to spark more exploration in areas hard
hit by the mountain pine beetle. The agency just launched $4 million project to
conduct high-level airborne surveys to help see through the overburden in the
north-central B.C., as well as conduct ground sampling. The Minister recently
visited Terrane Metals’ proposed Mount Milligan Mine site, 155 kilometers
northwest of Prince George, which could be B.C.’s first new major mine to be
developed in north-central B.C. in a decade. The Kwanika project – a fresh
discovery of Serengeti Resources – is located under 100 kilometers to the north
of Mount Milligan. The Terrane project, originally permitted to Placer Dome,
has been revived due to robust gold and copper prices.
The Minister flew over the sea of dead pine trees on his way to view the
potential mining developments. The reason the government has been pushing
the mining sector in general is to boost the economy once the dead pine shelf
life is exhausted for sawing it into lumber. It is anticipated there will be a
decline in the amount of timber that will be available for lumber production in
the mid-term (20 to 60 years) before the newly regenerated stands are ready for
harvest. The hope is that mining will provide new opportunities for employment
and generate revenues to pay for services such as health care and education.
New opportunities for the forest sector will include harvesting dead pine
for bio-energy plants and resulting reforestation of harvested areas. Strategies
to reduce impacts in the mid-term timber supply include protecting understory
regeneration when harvesting the overstory beetle killed stands.
Lumber
production
lower
Canadian lumber production in May
totaled 2.6 billion board feet (bbf), 3.8%
below the April level and 8.0% below the
May 2006 figure, according to Statistics
Canada. For the first five months of the
year, Canadian production totaled 13.5
bbf, a 9.5% decrease from the same period
in 2006. Alberta and the B.C. Southern
Interior increased compared to May 2006
with Alberta posting an increase of 4.7%.
Output in Quebec was off 19.8% year-todate.
USW Summer School
Kimberley, B.C.
by Lorna Anderson
Of course I have to say
a little something about
USW summer school. First off, could hardly
tell it was summer,
we were more than
pleased when we found
out we didn’t miss any
good weather here at
home. Brother Lance
sacrificed his luggage
for “space”, as it
withstood the rainy 12
Local 425 delegates that attended the Kimberly USC Summer School
hour trip to Kimberly B.C.
atop the 15 passenger van. 15 passengers, hahahahaha, the 9 of us fit just about right. I was the only “lady” aboard the white bullet, so I must say at the commencement
of the journey I was a bit nervous. You just never know what your gonna get in these
situations, I remember once having to go to a SHARP safety conference in Prince George
with Norm and Terry...need I say more? My mind was put completely at ease as we
slowly and safely drove the winding roads to the mountains, the scenery was lush and
green, not a beetle in sight, not a red tree to be seen, no pine either, but that’s not the
point!
When we arrived in Kimberly, a mere 10 hours later … don’t forget the time change! We settled into our rooms and set about finding food and drink to celebrate our arrival to
this great city. It didn’t take us long; there are only four streets in Kimberly. We all attended various courses for the five days we were there, some took,
“Collective Bargaining”, and “Dealing with Management”, our course was a new one
called “Managing and Dealing with Conflict.” In our class there were 23 people, three of
us were from 1-425. We was learnin’ and schoolin’ from 9-4 every day. Each class was to
prepare a song for the final banquet, our class stumbled around a bit, figured out a name
but after that … nuthin’, until our hero Jeff Crookes wrote the song that eventually won
us first place in the choir catastrophe, quite an honour!
I think each of us got a lot out of the courses that we took, with hopes to apply any
new found skills to actual situations, and to be helpful, and to make a difference ... and of
course we all got new book bags. I thought the best part were our international guests from Columbia, and from
Guatemala. Their stories of real live anguish, and fighting for their beliefs on a daily
basis, worrying about their families living or dying, and hiding in exile to survive the
vicious attacks on union workers and other people who support basic human rights. I’m
sure there wasn’t a Canadian soul in that room who didn’t take a teary moment to thank
God that we live in a country so peaceful and free. In a land that has never been bloodied
by war, where our children don’t live in fear that we may not come home from work one
day because the government is corrupt. I would like to thank the brothers I traveled with, all of you were absolute gentlemen,
I would do it again in a minute .... although, next time … could I drive???
“I’m sure there wasn’t a Canadian soul in that
room who didn’t take a teary moment to thank God
that we live in a country so peaceful and free.”
Canfor Pulp
profit more
than doubles
Minister
directs Leroux
inquest review
Canfor Pulp Income Fund more than
doubled its second quarter profits
compared to the same period in 2006 due
to higher pulp prices. The income fund
reported earnings of $35.9 million or 51
cents per unit for the three months ending
June 30th. This is 225% higher than the
2006 second quarter profit of $15.9 million
or 22 cents per unit. Sales increased to
$205 million from $168.5 million. Canfor
Pulp forecasts that supply and demand
will remain in balance for the remainder
of 2007. During 2008, the company
forecasts that pulp prices may drop as new
South American softwood and hardwood
capacity enters the market. The average
pulp list price in the quarter was $859, up
from $746 for the same period in 2006.
Forest and Range Minister Rich Coleman
has asked Ministry of Forests and Range
(MOFR) staff to review recommendations
from the inquest into log truck driver
(Frank) Joseph Leroux. Coleman stressed
that he is taking the coroner jury’s
recommendations seriously and said that
if a review of the recommendations by his
staff shows there are things that need to be
implemented to protect forest safety, they
will be done. Testimony at the inquest
highlighted that MOFR and BC Timber
Sales does not complete risk assessments
of roads prior to awarding timber or issuing
road permits, which the jury recommended.
Another recommendation called on
MOFR to work towards standardization
of road signs, and develop safety-focused
standards for engineering, construction
and maintenance of roads. The jury called
on MOFR to include worker health and
safety, as well as road user safety, as an
objective in all forest stewardship plans.
The jury also recommended that adequate
resources be provided to ensure adequate
levels of enforcement on forest roads,
including radio and road rules such as
speeding.
Southern
B.C. receives
beetle money
The Southern Interior Beetle Action
Coalition (SIBAC) has received $800,000
in provincial and federal funding to help
it assess the impact of the mountain
pine beetle in the region and plan its
response, Premier Campbell announced.
The funding will help communities,
regional districts and First Nations across
the southern Interior deal with the social
and economic impacts of the beetle
epidemic. The funds will be used to build
organizational capacity, conduct a forestsector trend analysis study and pine beetle
social-economic impact assessment for
the region, host pine beetle discussion
and planning forums for residents
and stakeholders, and develop
a 2008 work plan for dealing
with regional pine beetle
priorities. Many parts of
the southern interior are
on the leading edge of
the infestation. Roughly
960,000 hectares of the
SIBAC coverage area were in
various stages of red-attack in 2006.
MaryAnne Arcand, B.C. Forest Safety
Council’s Director of Forestry Trucksafe
and Northern Initiatives, says that work
is underway on standardizing radiocall procedures. A meeting has been
scheduled for September 18th and 19th
in Prince George where stakeholders
from throughout the province will meet to
discuss the issue.
Newly
Elected
Executive
Members
Brother Jim Kulyk was 4th Vice
President and was elected
to the position as 3rd Vice
President
Bob Hicks works in the OSB
Plant in 100 Mile House.
Brother Hicks was Recording
Secretary for the Local Union
and was elected to the position
as 4th Vice President
Sister Berkelaar works in home
support in Williams Lake and
was elected to the position
as Local Union Recording
Secretary
This article was printed in the Vancouver Sun on July 11, 2007
No Wonder Coast
Workers are Skeptical
The coast forest industry is on the brink
of a labour dispute. To understand
why, think back to 2003.
In the middle of negotiations
with their employees, the CEOs of the
three biggest coastal forest companies
launched a public relations campaign.
They traveled the coast distributing
glossy brochures promising a billion
dollars in investments over 10 years,
job security, new mills and stable
communities.
All it would take, they said, was
a market-based system for allocation
of timber, labour contract concessions
and new, results-based rules for timber
harvesting. And they got what they
wanted: The government forced forest
By Steve
workers back to work and imposed
on us a legislated contract full of
concessions, and it created BC Timber Sales to auction off Crown
timber, removing 20 per cent of licencees’ timber in the process.
That touched off the downward spiral in which contractors
now undercut one another to stay in business. And it introduced the
Forest and Range Practices Act, allowing companies to effectively
police themselves.
But the investments the CEOs promised never materialized.
Weyerhaeuser left the coast and gives every impression it
plans to leave Canada. Interfor invested -- mainly in Washington
and Oregon, meanwhile closing many of its B.C. sawmills.
TimberWest liquidated and contracted out its timber harvesting
operations and now owns only one sawmill -- and it’s for sale.
Meanwhile, the coast is in perhaps worse shape than in
2001, when Peter Pearse warned in a report to Premier Gordon
Campbell that the industry was not investing enough to stay ahead
of depreciation of assets.
Government policies since haven’t increased investment; on
the contrary,the Campbell government’s Forest Revitalization
Program allowed companies to do whatever they wanted: Close
profitable mills; shiprecord volumes of unprocessed timber, invest
outside B.C.
The Liberal government also supported Prime Minister
Stephen Harper’sruinous Canada-U.S. Softwood Agreement,
Hunt
saddling sawmills with a 15-per-cent border
tax while allowing raw log exports duty free.
No wonder the B.C.Ministry of Forests’
own report recently said Victoria’s policies
havedone nothing to help the situation and
have even made things worse.
So now, facing management across the
bargaining table for the first time since being
saddled with an imposed agreement in 2004,
it’s no wonder workers are highly skeptical
of management claims and demands. Trust
levels are at an all-time low.
There is a widespread perception that
industry and government don’t care about
workers, their families or their communities;
that they plan to run their mills into the
ground and close them, ship every stick of
B.C. timber they can off to mills in Japan
and the U.S., and take the profits and leave.
TM
The Forest industry on the Coast of BC is
now under picket lines as our USW Brothers
and Sisters fight for a fair and just collective
agreement. The membership demands are not
unreasonable, they center around the term
of agreement, hours of work and alternate
shifting, health & safety and contracting out.
TM
Members should watch for the Bulletins
that the committees will be putting into the
lunch rooms.
Editor Terry Tate and then Design and Printing by Papyrus Printing Ltd.