¢ In front of Local 1-80’s Duncan headquarters are (I. to r.) First V.P. Carmen Rocco, wearing a sweat shirt made by the community of Lake Cowichan for Lake Days commemorating the I.W.A. anniversary, Second V.P. Rod

by Dan Keeton

une 12 turned out to bea

good day in a generally bad

month. The weather had

been miserable and FIR

was balking at wage increases during negotiations. But Lake Cowichan’s annual Lake Days float parade was on, and the theme was reforestation, which was per- fect since Local 1-80 was marking its 60th anniversary. As the various floats passed, cheers went up for the large flatbed with the local’s logo affixed fore and aft. “Blue skies and plenty of sunshine, definitely not the norm for Lake Days,” com- mented second vice-president Ross Davies in the Local 1-80 Newsletter afterwards.

Local 1-80’s float was a logging truck drawing a flatbed trailer. On it were the tools, material and the people representing 60 years of trade unionism in the woods of the Cowichan Valley. It was described in the locals newsletter by executive board member and historian, Allan Lundgren: ;

“A large cedar log dominated the deck, and rested on a bed of cedar boughs that extended down the sides to form a skirt. Forward of the log stood three spiking blocks, adorned with bucking saws and various axes used throughout the years.” Lund- gren, along with Nels Olson and Pat Kinney, “were dressed in period work garb to depict the time periods from 1937 to 1997.”

Sitting in the aft were former presidents Weldon Jubenville and Roger Stanyer, along with current

_president, Bill Routley. Also on hand were Lil Godfrey and Eva Wil- son representing the original Women’s Auxiliary.

“Sister Wilson is the wife of the first 1-80 President, Fred Wilson,” Lundgren wrote. “June Olson (Eck- ert) was the first Lumber Queen, which was the precursor of the Lady of the Lake Contest, currently held today. Archie Greenwell represented the original charter members of Local 1-80, and carried his dues

books with him to prove it.” The float, over which TimberWest employees had laboured long into

Thomson with anniversary cap, and executive board member Pat Kinney with anniversary jacket.

Duncan, B.G. Local 1-80 celebrates 60 years of trade union tradition

the evening after work, was the most colourful of several celebra- tions throughout the year. Earlier, the local Kaatza Museum featured a display of historic photos prepared by the local. The Lake Cowichan Gazette ran several pages on the local’s history along with several photos. Other events included a golf tournament, an historic photo dis- play of the I.W.A. national safety conference held in Nanaimo in July, Lake Cowichan’s Heritage Days, the Local 1-80 picnic, the Labour Day Picnic and a job stewards ban- quet. To cap it off, the local pub- lished a book of historical pho- tographs.

The local produced a pin promot- ing its 60 years, and the community produced T-shirts and hats bearing the local’s anniversary logo.

The Local 1-80 history committee, which oversaw the events, was chair- man Larry Zorisky, Pat Kinney, Bob Story and Allan Lundgren.

Many of the other floats in Lake Cowichans annual Lake Days event paid tribute to the Local 1-80, rein- forcing its solid place in the commu- nity. Not bad for an organization

that had, at one time in its history, been viciously attacked by the for- est companies, the government and the police.

The change years and struggle bring was noted by Routley in his address to the crowd.

“The years from 1937 to 1997 have been filled with high drama and fantastic changes,” he declared. Part of the change was technologi- cal. Logging in the Thirties was per- formed by metal monsters called steam donkeys. Hand falling was the practice. Logs were hauled out by trains that wound up the steep mountain sides. Now it’s grapple yarders, longline machines, heli- copters and balloons.

The other key change is member- ship, Routley observed. Many of Local 1-80’s 3,400 members work in small manufacturing and fine prod- ucts plants, including one that refines yellow cedar used in Bud- dhist temples around the world. Civic and school district workers in the Cowichan Valley Regional Dis- trict are represented by the local.

Routley remarked to the parade- goers, that Local 1-80 members

drive the residents kids to school in the morning, clean the streets and

ick up the encuees during the day, fel eel the hockey arena where the kids are dropped off in

the Scene 5

Local 1-80, he tells the Lumber- worker, probably has the most diverse membership of all I.W.A. locals. Included in the ranks are school bus drivers, incinerator work- ers and employees of the B.C. For- est Museum. In wood, the local rep- resents workers in all major sawmills, as well as value-added industries like Pritam Holdings and Plenks Wood Centre.

Second-generation woodworker Al Lundgren, an executive board mem- ber-at-large, functions as the local’s historian. He’s amassed some 7,000 negatives depicting the industry from early part of the century. The best were taken by professional pho- tographer Wilmer Gold and cover the years 1930-1968. Lundgren used several in a special anniversary

§ publication, I.W.A. Canada 1-80: A

8 60 Year History, 1937-1997.

‘; The 88-page history contains

IS priceless scenes of logging: among

® them the falling, rigging and skid-

2 ding techniques over the decades. Particularly fascinating are the rail- ways that chugged up the moun- tains before the advent of trucks. The booklet concludes with a brief history of the founding of the I.W.A. and Local 1-80.

It traces the 1918 organizing effort in the woods by the B.C. Federation of Labour and the founding of the B.C. Loggers Union through the I.W.A.’s creation when it broke away from the Lumber and Sawmill Work- ers Union run by the Carpenters.

Union sentiment was strong in the Lake Cowichan area; members of the Lumber Workers Industrial Union participated in a coast-wide strike in 1920, and a company in the region became the focus of union orga: ing efforts in 1934. “Lake Logging Company was not affiliated with the Loggers Association and there was no black-list maintained,” notes the Local 1-80 history. “In fact, the company realized the bene- fits of maintaining in a stable crew, and made it a practice to hire many of the black-listed unionists from the other camps.” When the I.W.A. was created in Portland, Oregon in 1937, B.C.s Harold Pritchett, was elected international president. Another labour militant and local union activist, Hjalmar Bergren, became president of I.W.A. District One — British Columbia. Lake Cowichan’s Edna Brown became president of District One Women’s Auxiliary.

The auxiliary was to play a lead- ing role in the region, bringing together community groups and churches under the United Organi-

Continued on page thirty-five —————

Local 1-80 float entry was crowd favourite at Lake Cowichan Days weekend. L. to r. are charter member Archi Greenwell, Lil Godfrey (representing Women’s Auxiliary), Local union President Bill Routley, Mrs. Eva Wilson (wife of the first local president Fred Wilson), June Olson (Eckert) First Lumber Queen and past presidents

Roger Stanyer and Weldon Jubenville.

30/LUMBERWORKER/DECEMBER, 1997

Photo by Allan Lundgren