Union settles with MB in Toronto WESTON, ONTARIO — On April 15, 1991 IWA - CANADA Local 1-700 mem- bers at MacMillan Bloedel’s distribu- tion and lumber remanufacturing plant here voted 76% in favour of a two year contract. The new agree- ment, which will expire on January 31, 1993, will bring the base rate up to about $15.25/hr. from $14.00/hr. It took the negotiating team 6 meet- | ings to strike a deal which will see noticeable improvements in other areas of the collective agreement. The Union's negotiation team consisted of National IWA representative Bob Navarretta, Local 1-700 president Tony Iannucci, acting plant chairper- son Carl Davidson, Joe Ambrico, Pasquale Calogero, Fred Toope and Robert Shorten. MB employs about 50 full-time workers at its Kingtrim Division, where value-added moulding and fin- ishing products are made, and 40 workers are employed at its building supply distribution centre. The renewed agreement contains some language improvements in the area of seniority rights and bumping. In the area of vacations, language was modified to include the previous ars’ vacation pay in the gross calcu- lations for the current year. Some employees will benefit by an addi- tional $340.00 vacation pay per year. Welfare Plan benefits were as follows: life insurance and accidental e At the MB Distribution building are Local 1-700 members (1.) Orvale Parkman and Troy Buchanan. death and dismemberment increased from $25,000 to $27,000; vision care from $100 to $125 and upgrading of the dental plan and benefit adjust- ments in the Ontario Dentistry Asso- ciation’s fee schedule. The increases in the collective agreement will be added to pay equity adjustments which were negotiated in March of last year. At that time Union negotiations achieved higher rates of pay for three job classifica- tions employing women. Other contract gains included one additional paid break period for employees starting two hours prior to the regular starting time. Meal allow- ances will be increased to six dollars for employees who are asked to work extra hours. The collective agreement was reached. without any outside inter- vention. MB distributes building products throughout Southern Ontario. The province's building slump has resulted in unsteady work this year in the Kingtrim division and some employ- ees remain on layoff as this issue goes . to press. © Waferizer operator Andy Cambell at the strandboard plant before closure. Weldwood mothballs SLAVE LAKE, ALBERTA — Weld- wood of Canada has put its Welstrand oriented strand board operation in mothballs. During the week of April 23 the company ran its last aspen logs through the plant and laid off 90 TWA - CANADA Local 1-207 members. A month earlier Weldwood an- nounced the permanent closure, as the com) had been unable to find ab r the plant. 3 5 Despite spending more than $9 mil- on upgrading the plant 3 years Weldwood claimed that the oper- ion was losing money. The company k the plant over from the receiver Alberta Aspen Board 10 years ago en the plant, which has ‘operated ce the early 70's, made chip board. _ Local 1-207’s financial secretary ob Deleeuw, who services the plant, ays that the plant needs r mod- ization with an 8-foot, peace to meet the com) ion in strand industry. The strandboard plant Weldwood plant's 4-foot line cannot produce like its competitors in other parts of Western Canada. The Alberta government says that Weldwood can hold on to its Forest Management Agreement for the next 18 months as it searches for a buyer. The timber license has enough raw material to keep the plant going for many years. Layoffs have hit this Northern Alberta community hard. The Union, Weldwood, and the Federal govern- ment have cooperated to set up an Employee Adjustment Committee. Brother Deleeuw says it will be easier for trades people to find work but that some production workers may have to leave the area. To date the company has been cooperating in finding jobs in its other milling divisions. a , The job search committee will be function as long as it is needed. Ontario NDP improves parental leave laws Ontario moves forward on parental leave. Since Bill 14 to amend The Employment Standard Act became law in Ontario, employees, both male and female, with at least 13 weeks employment with the particular em- ployer upon arrival of a baby, adop- tion or in the case of the arrival of a baby to the person whom the em- ployee is living with in some form of permanence, is entitled to an 18 weeks unpaid leave, in addition to the 17 weeks pregnancy leave that the mother is entitled to. This leave shall be with accumula- tion of seniority and upon return the employee is entitled to the pre-leave wages and conditions and if not avail- able to comparable conditions. For fathers and adoptive parents, paren- tal leave must commence within 35 weeks after the birth or after the child first comes into the custody, care and control of a parent. Employees enti- tled to parental leave are required to give the employer two weeks written notice prior to the commencement of the leave. ROBERT NAVARRETTA, National Staff Representative Toronto, Ontario ¢ As this issue goes to press Local 1-700 negotiators are in the midst of contract talks with employees at Moyer Vico in Etobicoke, Ontario. Pictured above is union member Kamla Cheta who works as a packer at the office and school supplies distributor. LUMBERWORKER/MAY, 1991/15