Forklift operator Juan Olvera with a load of 4 x 8’s at MacMillan Bloedel's Aspenite

Division. Photos courtesy Bob Cross.

e Headed for a boxcar with a lift of 2 x 4's is Paul Rudychuk at Simpson Timber Co.

Major Settlements reached In Saskatchewan

PRINCE ALBERT, SASK. — Local 1-184 reports settlements with three major employers in Saskatche- wan. Union members at Weyer- hauser’s Big River Division, MacMil- lan Bloedel’s Hudson Bay Division, and Saskatchewan Forest Products’ Hudson Bay-and Carrot River Divi- sion ratified contracts with their employees this summer.

At Big River workers get wage increases of 85 cents per hour, 5.5% and 5.5% in a three-year deal expiring in March of 1992. In mid-June the membership also approved a 30 cent per hour hike for tradesmen. Life in- surance increases and pension im-

provements were also part of the deal for 95 employees at the Weyerhauser dimension mill.

At MB and Saskatchewan Forest Products, one year agreements were reached. x

Local 1-184 President Dennis Bon- ville says that longer term agreements were difficult to negotiate with these two employers because of the uncer- tainties being caused by a June, 1990 closure at Simpson Timber Compa- ny’s Hudson Bay plant.

“The employers don’t want to get into a longer term deal unless ques- tions about timber supply in the area are answered. That won't happen until

problems with Simpson are resolved,” comments the Local President.

At MB’s Hudson Bay Division a two-phase wage increase of 85 cents per hour was negotiated in early July. Severance pay in the event of aclosure is now part of the contract in addition to the resolving of plant issues. First aid and supervisory relief duties issues were settled, as well as an increase to the [WA — Forest Indus- try Pension Plan.

One hundred and sixty members at Saskatchewan Forest Products’ Hud- son Bay plywood plant settled in late July with a similar one-year deal

Manitoba Hearings: environmental monitoring

On March 10, 1989 Repap Pulp and Paper Inc. purchased a sawmill, a non-bleached pulp mill and the right to thousands of hectares of Crown forests from Manfor Ltd., a crown corporation in northern Mani- toba. Manfor had been losing money for years and its threatened closure put in jeopardy the very existence of many northern Manitoba communi- ties, including The Pas.

Repap intends converting the non- bleached mill to one which produces a bleached product in order to _ satisfy the needs of its Wisconsin coated-paper mill. Before getting the go-ahead for the conversion by the Department of the Environment, approval of a socio/environmental impact assessment was required from the Manitoba Clean Air Commission.

Public hearings were held in _ August in The Pas and in Winnipeg. Briefs were presented by local native bands and tribal councils, residents of Winnipeg and The Pas as well as elected officials. The near unanimous statements were that the conversion should be allowed to proceed but that a monitoring committee comprised of local residents, native and union representatives, and gov- ernment officials be established. I worked with Jim Anderson, presi- dent of Local 1-324, to prepare and present an IWA brief to the

hearings. Here are a few excerpts from our brief:

“\.. Our members will be affected by this decision by virtue not only of the fact that they are the workers in this industry but also because they are residents of the communities in which the environmental impacts will take place. It is true that we have a vested interest in ensuring a continuation of forestry as a viable sector in the Canadian economy but we also have a vested interest in ensuring that the Canadian and global environments are safe for us to raise our children in.

We understand that our society is in transition towards one which regulates all of its consumer activi- ties, and many people are calling for a worldwide reduction of both this particular process and product. Hav- ing said that, we must realize that a

Claire Dansereau Ee

Sustainable Development

market still exists for the product and until such a time as this market disappears, someone will produce it. Given that reality, all we can do is attempt to ensure that the process by which it is produced is as environmentally sound as is techno- logically possible. We should not pre- vent industrial development that takes into account the environmental implications of its actions. We should be focussing on bringing all of the old mills up to the proper standards of environmental pro- tection.”

We went on to explain that the Bruntland Commission, which in 1987 established basic principles for sustainable development, did not call for a halt to development. It called for intelligent, disciplined develop- ment projects. We stated that it is our belief that Repap fits into that category as the project calls for the most up-to-date technologies. The mitigative measures which it intends to use are called for by such groups as Greenpeace. Measures such as using oxygen delignification and chlorine dioxide substitution are to be included in the development.

However, we know that all compa- nies have a duty to protect ‘the bot- tom line’. So we recommend that a monitoring committee with statu- tory authority to close the mill down be part of the conditions for license. We said that the monitoring should be done by trained unionized workers.

We also stated that our approval was contingent on receiving an assurance that the sawmill be kept operational.

We do not know how the Clean Air Commission will rule on Phase I of the mill conversion. We do hope that they take into consideration the fact that nearly 450 of our Manitoba members will be affected should that mill close down and that approxi- mately 600 mill workers will be out of work. This does not include the hundreds of loggers, truck drivers ‘and indirect workers that will be affected.

The Commission appeared to listen carefully to our brief and Jim and I both felt that it was worthwhile for us to be heard.

Claire Danserau is the Forestry and Raaeironmant Planner at IWA-Can-

which solved contracting out issues. Any contract work done in the plant will now be done first by plant union members, secondly by IWA contrac- tors, and thirdly by other union con- tractors if available. Fifty workers at the company’s Carrot River Sawmill and planing facilities also joined in the ratification.

© Joe Ricard, trim saw operator at MB's Aspenite Division.

At Simpson Timber Co., union negotiators are looking for a closure agreement which they hope will set the standard for such future situa- tions.

Brother Bonville says the union will be looking for wage increases in the final year along with pension bridging language in the agreement.

The uncertainty being felt by the community of Hudson Bay and its union members since Simpson Tim- ber announced its closure has left many questions unanswered and a lot of people in the area are left wonder- ing what their future holds in Hudson Bay. Currently the local is seeing many of its tradesmen leaving and finding jobs with relative ease. How- ever job hunting for the unskilled workers is more difficult.

Members at Sask. Forest Products, a crown corporation, have requested the Minister-In-Charge to inform them who will take over the logging sector once Simpson Timber leaves. To this date Local 1-184 has received no response. Not only does this leave the plywood operation in jeopardy but the complete logging sector is left pondering their future.

Unless logging contractors are al- lowed a full winter cut, the plywood operation will not have sufficient logs to operate, which would be disastrous for union members.

Local Officers and staff would like to believe the provincial government will take the appropriate action to bring back stability to Hudson Bay.

LUMBERWORKER/SEPTEMBER, 1989/17