Vie | THEIWA ISON A sitike = ae THE IWA isi THE LWA ISON STRIKE ss2 73 © Local 1-423 members at Milestone Wood Products pose for photo in front of picketing headquarters outside the plant gates. I.W.A. National President Gerry Stoney (fifth from left with picket sign) visited the strikers to advise them that the union fully supports their efforts. Workers at Milestone Wood Products take prolonged strike for better wages, benefits and safety conditions strike in the B.C. interior community of Armstrong is turning out to be a bitter struggle between the I.W.A. and an anti-union employer in a high unemployment region of the province. Since September 13, over 80 work- ers at Milestone Wood Products have been on the picket line in a protracted action for better wages, benefits and working conditions. More than two months after the strike began the crew voted against a contract by a vote of 42 to 28. That vote, taken on November 17, turned down a three year wage offer of 50 cents, 30 cents and 30 cents an hour. In addition to having monetary items on the table, the workers are staying out until something is done about the air quality in the plant. Dozens of workers have reported the ill-health effects of working with chemicals and glues in the remanufac- turing part of the operation where they have been exposed to urea formaldehyde, ammonia, and alu- minum chloride. Workers are reported to be suffer- ing from respiratory irritation, nausea, dermatitis, eye infections and ear, nose and throat infections. Plant chairperson Andrea Anderson says that the company is out to break the workers and that it is not serious about reaching a collective agree- ment. “We feel that they (the company ne- gotiators) are not going to address the non-monetary issues in a meaningful way,” Sister Anderson says. “Our members pay over 50% of the premi- um for health care coverage. During layoff, WCB claims and medical leave ‘we pay a 100% premium. : “If someone is off for 6 months with a serious injury or WCB claim, they can come nae to work owing the company $8-900.00. We say that is a backwards policy that has to change.” NATIONAL PRESIDENT VISITS PICKET LINE On November 19, I.W.A. CANADA National President Gerry Stoney visit- ed the picket line in Armstrong and bolstered the strikers’ spirits by telling them that the union is fully be- hind their efforts. “These strikes start over the fact that you want recognition and fair treatment - fair wages in relation to what other people get doing the same kind of work elsewhere,” he said. “The employer should get the mes- sage,” added Stoney, “This strike isn’t going to go away. It isn't going to stop because the employer wants to starve people into returning back to work. People are not going to get chased away on an economic basis.” To show concrete support Stoney informed eligible strikers that they would be getting a payment of $500.00 in additional to normal strike assis- tance. In addition to monetary items the workers want better health and safety conditions “It’s a signal to you that the .W.A. is with you through this dispute,” Stoney informed the strikers. “The employer should get the message, sooner or lat- er that we have a history of taking these strikes to wherever they need to be taken as long as the workers in- volved are prepared to take the fight.” “Don’t be intimidated by the em- ployer,” added Stoney. “You're right in what you are doing. Your entitled to the improvements you are asking for.” Troi Caldwell, President of Local 1- 423, introduced Brother Stoney to the striking woodworkers. Brother Caldwell told the Lwmber- worker that the workers are well orga- nized and that 1-423 has sent out an appeal to other operations in the local union. There has also been an appeal for support sent out to other locals in the LW.A. The local union president-says the workers are organizéd for the fight back with a food bank, heated trailer and well-run picket line. POOR WORKING CONDITIONS Just as important as money are the issues of working conditions. The workers in the reman area breathe chemicals in hot and humid condi- tions. “There is no air exchange or ex- haust system in place,” says Ander- son. “We have people quitting because of health reasons.” The union health and safety com- mittee has been diligent in trying to get the air quality cleaned up but it is running into brick walls. Sister Anderson circulated a ques- tionnaire in the plant this past May af- ter talking with the WCB. The ques- tionnaire asked workers if they had problems with health and safety in the operation. Eighty of the 150 petitions circulat- ed came back to the committee with numerous complaints listed. Most dealt with air quality and repetitive strain injuries. Subsequently the WCB did air tests in the plant and met with the crew and the safety committee. It said that air quality was within minimum toler- ances but that prolonged exposure would bring illness to some people. At a meeting in June, the WCB sug- gested and asked the company to vent glue rollers to improve air condition. “The company said they would do it but it was never done,” says Verne McGregor, Local 1-423’s financial sec- retary who services the operation. Brother McGregor says the union brought a WCB hygenist, safety offi- cer and claims adjudicator into the plant. The union learned that Mile- stone Forest Products is paying WCB premiums at $60,000 over and above the base assessment. With high WCB premiums, McGre- gor says that the company will likely be paying over $100,000 a year extra by the end of 1995. It is ranked in the 25 top offenders in province, for pre- mium penalties. ‘The company is also responsible for not training workers and for pushing production. In June of 1994 one worker Jost his left hand when he stepped in a hole on a catwalk and fell forward. His hand was mangled by unguarded plan- er knives. The company put a cover on it only 1-1/2 days later. Jim Strathern, a planerman who has worked at the plant since it opened, says that workers need training in the operation in order to do their jobs safely and properly. He says that management has pushed production and the workers have to be aware - especially new em- ployees. “They (management) try to pull their little intimidation things because people are new to the industry or are just out of high school...” Brother Strathern, who has 20 years of experience running the planer, says that it is important for senior people to look out for junior people and says “we do the best we can but sometimes we're not there...(on the job site).” He says that workers get heat stressed especially in the summer months when high temperature and humidity levels combine with lack of ventilation to make work unbearable for some people. FIGHTING FOR IMPROVEMENTS Since the union organized Mile- stone over 3-1/2 years ago it has done a fair bit to bring wages up in the sawmill and reman mills. Base rates were down around $8.00/hr. and were $11.20/hr. at the time of the strike. There was wage discrimination as some women were paid less than men for doing the same work. The three year agreement which ex- pired saw wages for the head sawyer go to $17.00/nr. and trade rates go up to $20.00/hr. The primary breakdown mill em- ploys 13 workers on each of 2 shifts while the reman section runs about 23 workers per shift. It is the more labour intensive part of the operation Continued on page eighteen SS SSS LUMBERWORKER/DECEMBER, 1995/3