e Three years ago the di

ion had 38 off-highway trucks which could

a

10 foot bunks and later eight foot bunks, and complained about production.

Photo courtesy Derick Penner, Campbell River Mirror

° Workers hit the bricks to protest against
contracting out.

Workers disciplined
over 2 day walk-out

Worker frustrations over the increased use
of contract drivers triggered a two day walk-
out at N.L.T. in early July. Local 363 second
vice president Joe Strachan says, “It was
brought on by seven contract logging trucks
brought in while four company trailers were
sitting idle with no drivers. If the company
was playing by the rules, it would have had
those four trucks on the road and three
contractors. That was the straw that broke
the camel’s back.”

Of 300 workers who took part in the walk-
out, 90 received suspensions ranging from
one to ten days and the balance received
disciplinary letters. The seven Camp
Committee members were all given
suspensions as well. Committee member
Russ Pearce, a hook tender and now stacker
operator with 24 years seniority, was given a
two-day suspension. He says, “I didn’t
participate in the walk-out but I was
suspended just for being on the camp
committee.” Ditto for Committee member Jim
Brown, a faller with 13 years seniority. “I had
a perfectly clean file but I got a double dip” —
extra punishment for being on the committee.
“Otherwise,” he says, “I should have just
gotten a written letter and no suspension.”

Instead of paposne the same penalty on all
the workers, Weyco checked each personnel
file and imposed geen discipline. Some
workers could find themselves having to
choose between supporting their co-workers
or keeping their job should future work
stoppages occur.

- Carole Pearson

Weyerhaeuser N.I.T.

continued from page thirteen

the load.” The driver hadn’t circled the truck
before leaving the landing because one side was
parked against an embankment. The Camp
Committee says this had no possible direct effect
in the occurrence but management slapped the
driver with a three-day suspension and cited him
for failing to do a four-point inspection.

COMMUNITY IMPACT

The Weyco website promises investors the
company is “eliminating duplication of effort and
focusing on those actions that add shareholder
value.” In this regard, their tactics appear to be
working. Their 2000 annual report boasts net
earnings of $840 billion U.S. or $3.72 U.S. per
share, up from $527 billion U.S. or $2.56 U.S. per
share the previous year. Its net sales of $16
billion U.S. have increased from $12.8 billion
U.S. in 1999. This is certainly good news for
Weyco investors.

The 2,000 residents of Sayward Village and
the valley can be excused for not raising their
glasses to toast Weyco’s financial success. Weyco
is the area’s biggest employer and since 1998,
between 200 jobs have been lost, taking nearly
$20 million from the local economy. Services and
outlets are disappearing and the community as a
whole is in jeopardy. The pending closure of
Weyco’s Kelsey Bay dryland (after December,
2003) sort would slash an estimated $125,000 a

carry 95-100 cubic meters a load or more. Weyco switched to highway trucks with

year from the local municipal tax base. Local
residents are not only worried about their own
residential taxes but also whether the
municipality can continue to maintain many
basic services.

Until a few years ago, Brother Frenette lived
in Sayward which he describes as a “close-knit
community with lots of activities and sporting
events — especially baseball.” He says the
continuing job losses are “decimating” Sayward.
When he moved to Courtenay, Frenette says, “I
sold my house for, let’s say, $110,000. I don’t
think I could get $45,000 for it now.”

‘WHY?’ IS FOR WEYERHAEUSER

Weyerhaeuser Exposed, a brief written by a
forestry worker, says the Weyco tradition is “to
upset local economies, cut good-paying forest
jobs, mechanize out the jobs that are left, contract
out as many jobs remaining and devastate any
union that gets in its way.”

Workers are seeing evidence of this happening
now. Brother Frenette says, “Among the workforce
there’s a sense of being set up to fail, to become
inefficient so management can go to the union
and say, ‘Look, you have a lousy workforce.’
Every department could improve its production,
efficiency and safety but the company turns a
deaf ear to suggestions.”

Frenette adds, “Some of the best loggers in the
world are on the west coast. They have an average
of 20 years experience. Most have from five to 35
years experience and they know what it takes to
do the job.

¢ Weyerhaeuser is chipping good sawlogs 20" and under, wasting what is considered good timber by

most Canadian companies,

14/LUMBERWORKER/SEPTEMBER, 2001