SOUTHERN ONTARIO REPORTS

The Toronto office reports three settlements in the greater metropoli- tan area.

Most recently workers at Grief Con- tainers Inc. ratified a three-year deal with across-the-board increases of nearly 15% over the duration of a contract expiring in January of 1992.

Employees at the Milton based cor- rugated drum plant also obtained ben- efit improvements in life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment and weekly wage indemnity.

In June of 1988, thirty-one employ- ees at a school and office supplies company in Weston ratified a first contract at Moyer Vico Corporation. A full range of contract language including union security, job classifi- cations and rates, layoff and recall rights, and extended leave of absence clauses was won by the members.

In Toronto, twenty-five employees at PMC Corporation (Floor Co. Divi- sion) successfully obtained a two-year contract with a wage increase of $1.40 on a base rate of more than $8.25 per hour.

Seven of twenty-three proposals submitted-to the committee members were accepted by the employer. Ten additional proposals were negotiated at the table. Additional holidays, weekly indemnity, and a new drug

plan were among the additional bene- fits won by Local 1-700 and commit- tee members.

In addition to the favourable settle- ments in Local 1-700, fourteen employ- ees at Oakwood Specialties in Oakville have settled in November of 1988 on a

two-year deal with increased wages and benefits.

Shipper/receivers at the basket and dowel manufacturer received a wage adjustment of $1.50 per hour in addi- tion to the overall increase. Weekly indemnity and O.H.I1.P. payments will now be totally paid for by the employ-

er.

As IWA-CANADA expands its operations in southern and southeast- ern Ontario, it should increase its efficiency and obtain better contrac- tual gains for its members according to Bill Pointon, Fourth Vice-President of the National union.

There is a tremendous potential for IWA-CANADA presence in the sec- ondary wood products industry. How- ever, unlike some other parts of the country, especially British Columbia, negotiations tend to take place on an individual company or plant basis.

“The concept in the west is that you have associated bargaining on an industry basis. In the east, each con- tact is a separate set of negotiations with an exception of the corrugated sector,” adds Brother Pointon.

Local 1-242 (Whitby), 1-337 (St. Thomas), and 1-76 (Etobicoke) bar- gain together opposite their employer MacMillan Bathurst. Representa- tives from each plant sit on the union’s negotiating committee.

IWA officers see greater advan- tages for independent Ontario locals to bargain together on a geographical basis. Better resources can be pro- vided and common interests co-ordi- nated at the bargaining table.

Closure Announcement Hits Hudson Bay, Saskatchewan

By Dennis Bonville, President, Local 1-184

In early February, Simpson Timber Company of Seattle announced the June, 1989 closure of their sawmill in Hudson Bay, east central Saskat- chewan.

The effect this could have on the community of 2,500is a direct job loss of 400-450 mill workers, loggers and company staff and an unknown num- ber of spinoff jobs lost in the commu- nity. Included in this number are 175 IWA-CANADA, Local 1-184 members, many of whom started their careers in this industry with The Pas Lumber Company in the late 1940s in Reser- eve, Saskatchewan, 40 miles south of Hudson Bay. i

Simpson has operated the stud mill since 1965, manufacturing primarily 2x 4s and 2 x 6s and have made comfortable profits over the years but maintain they are leaving because of a depleted timber supply in the imme- diate area.

The announced closure will have a direct impact on the crown owned SFP plywood plant in Hudson Bay as well. Even though this Company has said they will continue to operate, there appear to be some obstacles to overcome. The supply of logs to the plywood plant has come from Simp- son Timber’s annual cut. Approxi- mately 200,000 cords of wood are harvested annually, of which 60,000 is delivered to the plywood plant to maintain production.

The Local Union office in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan has posed the question of wood supply and wood usage to the provincial government.

What happens to the remainder of the tree when the peeler log is removed? Who utilized this merchant- able timber if Simpson Timber Com- pate sawmill and planing mill is not

ere?

Ba

Dennis Bonville

MacMillan Bloedel also operates a mill in Hudson Bay. Their facility manufactures wafer board sheeting from aspen logs. They too are required to harvest a certain amount of soft- wood when building roads, clearing landings, etc. There must be an outlet for this timber also.

Meetings are being arranged be- tween the Local union and the provin- cial government to address some of these questions, with hopes of finding a viable solution in order to facilitate continued operation of the wood industry in Hudson Bay.

The Chamber of Commerce in Hud- son Bay sends colorful brochures all over the country declaring Hudson Bay as the Forest Centre of Saskatch- ewan. We in the IWA believe that unless present Forest Management practices are updated, we could merely become the centre of Saskat- chewan.

The natural resources in the Hud- son Bay area are not totally depleted in our opinion. These resources belong to all of us, not the big companies. We are more determined than ever to make our thoughts known when it comes to Forest Management in this province.

__ At present there are nine remaining independent locals spread through- out the southern portion of Ontario

and three geographical locals, 1-1000 (North Bay), 1-500 (Hanover), and 1-700 (Toronto).

Local 1-112 in Brampton, Ontario struck a corrugated container plant on February 27. Ninety-two union members at Atlantic Packaging walked out for industrial wage parity over a three-year contract. Visiting the picketers is National first Vice-President Gerry Stoney. To his right is Clivet Golding, local President in Brampton.

Continued from page 10 point we were approached by teach- ers.”

Norman Rivard, president of Kap- uskasing Local 1-2995 reports that in September of 1988 his northern Ontario local was granted certifica- tion to represent most employees working for the Hearst and District Association for the Mentally Retard- ed. His local, formerly the Lumber and Sawmill Workers Union, has also held certification for retail store employees at a farmers co-operative in Hearst since 1972.

In other jurisdictions our union represents car dealership employees. Loggers’ Local 1-71 has signed up members at Terrace Totem Ford and Prince George Local 1-424 claims cer- tification in the parts and _ service departments of three car dealers.

Duncan, BC. Local 1-80 represents custodians, bus drivers, grounds keepers and maintenance workers at school districts in Cowichan and Lake Cowichan. Garbage disposal, inciner- ator, and waterworks employees at the Cowichan Valley Regional Dis- trict are also Duncan union members.

Vancouver Local 1-217 claims to have certifications outside the forest industry in no less than eleven differ-

ent companies, among them Coast Marine Tug and Barge in North Vancouver.

Employees at Husky Camper in Coquitlam, B.C. and Sauder Plastics in Richmond are represented by Local 1-357 in New Westminster.

In the Southern Interior of BC., Cranbrook Local 1-405 bargains for office workers at Castlegar Saving Credit Union and the Nelson and Dis- trict Credit Union. The financial ser- vices industry elsewhere lacks union representation.

Chaparral Industries in Kelowna manufactures prefabricated modular homes. More than 30 IWA-CANADA Local 1-423 members work in the busy factory. Business for the small, low maintenance prefab home com- pany looks good and more work may be on the way.

Our local unions across Canada are active in negotiating collective agree- ments for an incredible range of employee groups. The forementioned ones are only a brief summary of [WA operations outside the forest industry.

‘You don’t have to be a logger, mill or forest products workers to receive better wages and working conditions negotiated by the IWA.

IN SOLIDARITY One hundred and eighty-five members at Slocan Forest Products raised some $9,800.00 for the 1988 Zeidler Christmas Fund. Receiving the cheque is Neil Menard, National Second Vice-President, second from the left. Others in the photo are, left to right: Klaus Offerman, Local 1-405 Business Agent; Billy Soukoroff, Barry Scannell, Job Steward; Dave Betts, Vice-Chairman and Mayor of Slocan; Dave Fredrickson, Safety Chairman and Job Steward, and

Mike Gahimer, plant secretary.

After a pep talk from Brother Menard, members at the nearby Westar Timber mill in Castlegar responded to the Slocan challenge by raising another

$9,200.00

LUMBERWORKER/MARCH, 1989/11