Charges filed by wife of deceased millwright As this issue of the Lumberworker (ig to press Ms. Gale Arneson of we Lake Alberta continues to seek justice following the workplace death of her husband. Marvin Arneson, an ex-member of IWA Local 1-184 in Saskatchewan, was killed on June 10, 1993 when he was crushed to death by a boom which was lifted with improper equipment. The accident took place at the Slave Lake Pulp Corporation mill where Marvin worked as a millwright.(see story Lumberworker June, 1994). On June 9, Gale filed four counts of violations against the Slave Lake Pulp Corporation which claim that the company __ violated Alberta’s Occupational Health and Safety Act. She also filed charges of violations against Kropp Contracting Ltd., the owner of the Kamatsu log loader. Those private charges were made at the R.C.M.P. headquarters in Slave Lake. Gale received a letter the previous January from the province’s Minister of Labour, Stockwell B. Day which ~ denied her any further action. The letter wrote: “After investigat- ing the situation with officials in my Department and officials in my Justice Department, every indication that I have is that pressing charges under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, against Slave Lake Pulp Corporation would not be productive and would likely not result in a con- viction.” That letter further galvanized Gale to bring charges against the Corporation herself. The simple facts are that the crane used to lift the boom was not made for the job. In addition to being insufficient for the lift, the grounds around the crane were unstable. The crane used to make the lift was a Komatsu Butt’N Top loader which was totally inappropriate for the job. The other crane that the company had on the claim was a Broderson crane and it too was insufficient had it been used. New evidence that Gale uncovered shows that the cranes were not appro- priate for use. She questioned why the Alberta Labour Department refused to consider the new evidence. In an article that appeared in the Alberta Federation of Labour’s news- paper, Gale asked the question: “Why? Is it because this particular govern- ment needs corporate support for their political success?” “This is a government that speaks out of both sides of its mouth. On one hand they speak about tightening the laws with Young Offenders. Bring in the cane they say. But on the other Cant exports Continued from page 6 Up on the wall near the saws where the cants are made the company has charts that list the very minimum manufacturing requirements that are needed for the exports of cants. Such dimensions as 22” by 14” and 10” by 31” are typical dimensions that are ~eustom cut. “In a lot of cases they are cutting to the minimum allowed by law,” says Parker. “Then when the cants arrive at such destinations as Japan, Korea, and Taiwan, they are cut up further. We are allowing the wood to leave the country for less that it is worth.” Mainland custom cuts for such major companies as MacMillan Bloedel, Canadian Pacific Forest Products, and major Japanese firms like Sumitomo and Mitsubishi. These companies will go out to buy logs and then ship them to the mill for canting. Other major cant exporters are International Forest Products McKenzie Seizai division, and S&R Sawmills Ltd., a non-union company with operations in Surrey, B.C. Local 1-217 _ Continued from page ten only thing that he romises to poten- members that the union will get m a grievance procedure. ou cannot B.S. the workers and con- ¢ Workers at Vita Mills health food plant benefited from good wage increases. The union is out breaking new ground in non-traditional industries. As such, it is not negotiating wage and benefit rates which are on par with the coast master agreement in the for- est industry. It is negotiating contracts which are realistic for the specific sector that they are in. One prime sample of this is the Vita Mills operation. “We showed the health food pack- ing industry that we can compete with ood union wages,” says Turner. ‘When we organize places like Vita Mills the last thing we want to do is drive them out of business.” ¢ Millwright Marvin Arneson was killed last year in an accident caused by the use of the wrong equipment. hand they say they must rehabilitate Corporate offenders. They must work with them to improve working condi- tions. to hell with the dead man. His death just gave a wake up call that something was not safe in this mill and now they must spring into action and do something. Pretty reactive I'd say, instead on proactive.” On March 30 of this year the Slave Lake Pulp Corporation had its first safety supper. The company’s Senior Vice-President spoke to the assembly and never, even once, mentioned Marvin’s death. Nor was there even one minute of silence in his memory. The company brought in man-in- motion celebrity Rick Hansen to give a talk on motivation. “Nine months earlier this very mill could not afford to buy chains for the Broderson crane which could have saved his (Marvin’s) life. Or pay the one hundred and twenty dollars an hour to rent a proper crane,” wrote Gale. “And now they are bringing in Rick Hansen as a motivational speak- eng On April 28 Ms. Arneson stood on the steps of the Alberta legislature with members of the Alberta Fed. She told the crowd that IWA-CANA- DA had helped her in seeking justice for her husband's death. With the union’s help in hiring occupational health and safety counselor Susan Ruffo, the fatality report has been challenged several times. “The very worst thing that could have happened to me has already hap- pened. I’ve lost Marvin. And I don’t want to see other families have to go through what my family has gone through. The grief. The pain. The heartache. And so I encourage you today, like no one has ever encour- aged you before. Speak out against unsafe practices in the workplace. Stand firm.” e In March of 1992 Fernie Viala spoke to union members at a retirement recep- tion. Fernie Viala Continued from page two Following his service to the interna- tional union, Brother Viala returned to Canada. When the IWA-CANADA became an independent Canadian union in 1987, he was appointed as staff assistant to then Canadian union president Jack Munro. The following year he was elected as National third vice-president of IWA-CANADA. With his return as an elected official IWA-CANADA Brother Viala resumed a familiar role as officer responsible for organizing among other duties. In the fall of 1990 he was reelected to the same position. He always saw the roll of trade unions as being part of a greater social movement which should play greater roles in such area as civic poli- tics, community programs, and social causes. At the 1991 annual IWA-CANADA convention held in Toronto in October of 1991, Brother Viala bid farewell to the membership as he was battling cancer. sf “I've seen a lot of things happen, Brothers and Sisters; some good and some bad. Always though this union has been progressive. We’ve never taken a step back.” Before he stepped down from the podium for the last time he left the delegates with a simple message: “Remember this. The trade union movement is the conscience of soci- ty, oul panveat to speak out.” rother is survive is wi Judy and four children. Seed ay LUMBERWORKER/AUGUST, 1994/11