PPWC holds convention in Nanaimo

Transcription

1 P ULP,, PAPER AND WOODWORKERS WORKERS OF CANADA PPWC holds convention in Nanaimo Delegates establish annual bursary in memory of Orville Braaten THERE IS A COMMON unifying quality to all of our annual conventions. This year s convention in Nanaimo was proof positive that the enduring quality of proper planning and execution of events was upheld. Congratulations and thank you goes out to the organizing committee at Local 8. Brother Les Hillier and his group went above and beyond the call of duty to provide all delegates and guests with a trouble-free experience. Well done! The 49th annual convention was called to order by President Chris Elias at precisely 10 a.m. on the morning of March 16. The convention rules of order and adoption of our agenda were quickly passed into being. Sister Joanie Cameron Pritchett, the president of the Confederation of Canadian Unions, was the first guest speaker of the day. She provided us with an update on the activities of our labour central. She urged us all to get involved in community events in our local areas to show how positive union involvement can be. Officer reports were started by a report from President Elias (Local 26). She detailed the highlights of National activities since the 48th convention. Her report included gains made in membership numbers from a couple of organizing initiatives. Chris told of her continued work with a bio-energy group called EV Technologies and how, with PPWC s help, the group has made presentations to Nanaimo Forest Products and Canfor Pulp Products. Pension Trust meetings, Presidents Council meetings, as well as a full slate of National seminars, were attended by Chris. Congratulations were given to our Environmental, Forest Resource and Occupational Health and Safety officers for planning and holding highly-successful, well-attended seminars. First Vice-President Frank Robertson (Local 9) related his organizing work over the course of the previous year. Successes came mostly with help continued on page 4 in side VOL. 48 NO. 1 JAN-APR 2011 Confederation of Canadian Unions Officers speak at PPWC convention Elections Meet the candidates running for positions Local unions Board members report at March meeting

2 We will continue to educate, inform and share information with working people in communities across Canada. Confederation of Canadian Unions has been voice of Canadian workers since CCU President Joanie Cameron Pritchett and Vice President John Hanrahan present a workshop on communications strategies for unions at PPWC labour school It was an incredible honour to be an invited guest to the annual Pulp, Paper and Woodworkers of Canada convention this year in beautiful Nanaimo, British Columbia. I was joined by the Confederation of Canadian Unions (CCU/CSC) Vice-President, John Hanrahan, and a CCU/ CSC delegate from the York University Staff Association, Robin Smith. We organized a labour school on the topic of communications strategies for unions and also made a presentation on Unionism and Activism in Canada. It was a great experience and an opportunity to share strategies, resolve ongoing labour issues and plan for future action. In addition, it very clearly demonstrated that whether we work at a university in Toronto, a pulp mill in British Columbia or a school district in Nova Scotia, we all have similar experiences with our employers and have solutions that are transferable and can be shared by all. It is with this spirit that the CCU/CSC continues to move forward. Our newly-launched website, contains important information on labour issues and education for workers. We have developed labour schools that deal with conflict resolution techniques, pension issues, picket line protocol, harassment in the workplace, accommodation in the workplace and other interesting and informative topics. We continue to meet regularly with our affiliates from across Canada and welcomed the opportunity to meet with folks from the PPWC. In addition, we have launched a new initiative in light of the May 2 federal election. It is a voter education drive called Raise Your Voice, Cast Your Vote. We have sent out questionnaires to the five major parties and have received the responses, which are posted on our website at Election2011.html. The questions deal with economic issues, social policies, international issues and the environment, among others. Especially now, when we are in a period of extreme economic crisis, working people are paying for the errors caused by bankers and other powerful interests. That s why we asked the parties directly about their views on unions, wages, collective bargaining, and workers rights. The CCU/CSC continues to follow through on its mandate that was established by our founders in We are the voice of workers in this great country and will continue to educate, inform and share information with working people in communities across Canada. We have an opportunity to continue to grow our membership, empower our affiliates, and work together in overcoming major obstacles. I am grateful to have been invited to the PPWC convention and I truly enjoyed meeting so many wonderful labour activists. It was a great experience and I hope to be invited back, but before then, I will brush up on my game of Texas Hold em! Joanie Cameron Pritchett President, Confederation of Canadian Unions PPWC LEAFLET JAN-APR 2011

3 CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS Member attends first convention BY JEREMY CHRISTENSEN LOCAL 15 MARCH WAS MY first time attending a full convention and NEB, and it was a great learning experience for me. Being charged with taking our Local s position on the upcoming Health and Welfare election to the NEB seemed a daunting task. Looking back I am happy to have had the opportunity. It gave me a chance to really see how things work. Although I believe we put forth a valid argument, the First Vice- President, Frank Robertson, was unwilling to even entertain the motion on the floor. President Chris Elias agreed with Frank that it was not to be entertained at NEB. I decided it would be in the best interest of all involved to withdraw the motion. However, it was agreed that the issue would be carried forward at a special wage delegates meeting being called to deal with some other pressing issues. One of the most interesting parts for me was listening to the two NDP MLAs from the island talk about their party s position on things like raw log exports and the role of unions going forward in BC. Another highlight for me personally was joining the Vancouver Island University Staff Association on the picket line. This was my first picket line. Although I realize it is far different from the picket lines our brothers and sisters have manned in the past, it was still great to share this experience with them. Although we are different in many ways, we are similar in just as many. The people manning that picket line were very grateful for our support. The most disappointing part of the whole trip for me was seeing the giant ship parked right outside my hotel room window being loaded with logs, raw logs...our logs. I have heard plenty about raw logs in the past. Being in Nanaimo really brought this all home for me. If seeing is believing, I am now a believer and will do my part to stop what I can only describe as the single most horrific issue facing the forest industry today. If we cannot find a way to stop raw log exports then I believe it will be the final nail in our proverbial coffin. Many motions were put on the table. Some were carried and some were defeated, but it was great to hear what some of the other Locals had put forth. Being fairly new to all of this it was so great to talk to the brothers and sisters from our other Locals and learn that we are all fighting the same fights. Sometimes I think it s easy to feel isolated in our own little sections of the province. Things like convention give the Locals a chance to remember that we are all just a small part of a whole, a whole that is full of pride, knowledge and tradition. These are three BEING FAIRLY NEW TO ALL THIS IT very important WAS SO GREAT TO TALK TO THE things we will BROTHERS AND SISTERS FROM OUR need to keep this OTHER LOCALS ANS LEARN THAT WE union strong as ARE ALL FIGHTING THE SAME we move forward. FIGHTS. Sitting in those rooms listening to stories (and some legends) made me realize how important it is going to be over the coming years to get the younger workers involved in the PPWC. There is so much knowledge we need to try and capture as our senior brothers and sisters move on and into retirement. It is us, the new generation, that will be left to carry the torch that has been passed to us. It also made me realize that the outgoing brothers and sisters need to reach out to the younger ones and help them understand what it means to be part of the PPWC. JAN-APR 2011 JAN-APR 2011 PPWC LEAFLET PPWC LEAFLET 3 opinion

4 CONVENTION continued from page 1 from Brothers John Folkers and Gordon Lindsay. Both were instrumental in helping convince disgruntled hospital steam plant employees of the benefits to be found in joining our union. Frank attended his first CCU executive board meeting in almost ten years. It was reported that the CCU still has the passion and drive necessary to be an effective voice in lobbying for PPWC National officers (l to r) Wayne Warawa, Occupational Health and Safety Officer; Chris Elias, President; and Frank Robertson, First Vice-President, listen to guest speakers to agree to a wage increase and increase to holiday allotments mid contract. SECOND VICE-PRESIDENT Gerald De Jong (Local 8) detailed his activities in fulfilling his National role. He attended the PPWC and Joint Industry Safety Conferences last May. In February of this year he reported that he attended the Environmental and Forestry Seminars facilitated by Stuart Blundell and Arnie Bercov. President Elias asked Gerald to attend a President Council meeting with Catalyst and Local 2 in March. His report on the PPWC Environmental meeting contained a Officer Stuart Blundell belief that Catalyst will watches proceedings not be happy until they have gotten concessions from their workers. Along with Les Hillier and Chris Elias, Gerald helped with a shop stewards training course workers rights. He was asked to attend a meeting with Local 18 and Canfor management to discuss problems with the bonus system put in place as part of the re-start contract. It turned out the bonus was not the only issue at the mill site. Canfor proposed the wage scale and holiday claw-back that was also part of the re-start agreement be rescinded and the workers at the mill be made whole. Needless to say the membership was quite happy PPWC Forest Resource Officer Arnold Bercov speaks to Local 8 member during break PPWC Secretary-Treasurer Bonnie Horswill takes notes while Second Vice-President Gerald de Jong prepares to read his report with the members of Local 8. It was well attended and received by those in attendance. 4 SECRETARY-TREASURER Bonnie Horswill (Local 26) informed the convention attendees that we are in good shape financially when all things are taken into account. She explained that we are facing the same PPWC LEAFLET JAN-APR 2011

5 sorts of challenges today that all unions across Canada are experiencing. Bonnie has also stepped in and done the Leaflet editor s job for the last two years and expressed her thanks to both Amy and Louise for their help and dedication to the PPWC. ference on Climate Change in Prince George. Stuart gave an interesting report on what is becoming known as the green energy threat. It appears that, with the advent of wood residue burning standalone power generating plants in BC, fibre for pulp mills could be in jeopardy. His report referenced the success of the Environmental Seminar this year, held at the Chateau Granville. WE TOOK A BREAK from officer reports to hear from Dr. Richard Hebda, from the Royal BC Museum in Victoria. His specialty is historical temperature modelling as well as forest and plant life changes as a result of temperature change. He left convention attendees Credentials Committee members Mark Minnis (left) and Steve Kelly check in delegates, observers and guests AUDIT COMMITTEE members (Mike Broadbent, Local 18; Gord Mellis, Local 16; and Al Sahlen, Local 9) reported that all vouchers and receipts are in order. They presented a budget for the upcoming year for the delegates to peruse and pass into being. The committee noted that organizing costs are hard to budget for as costs are unpredictable and can, dependent upon the circumstance, grow very quickly. (L to r) Representing Local 8 are delegates Rod Gallant and Stu Janes, and representing Local 9 is Kevin Beyer (L to r) Below are Local 5 delegates Glenn Jackson and Travis McLean and Local 26 delegate Nadya Sofonoff (L to r) Michael Scott from Local 15 and John Folkers and Geri Avis from Local 5 listen to officer s reports Resolutions Committee chair Dave Seright (Local 18) with the understanding that climate change is here and (left) and secretary Mike Conci (Local 1) present very real. His presentation also made it clear that, as a resolutions to convention result, there will be serious species change in our province. ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER Stuart His modelling shows the possibility that grapes Blundell (Local 9) reported on his involvement with could very well be grown in the Prince George area by both the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternative s general the end of this century. meeting on Sustainability and the Bio Energy Con- continued on page 6 JAN-APR 2011 PPWC LEAFLET 5

6 CONVENTION continued from page 5 THE OCCUPATIONAL Health and Safety Officer s report was next on the agenda. Brother Wayne Warawa (Local 2) filled us in on preparations made so far for this year s Safety Conferences. The agenda will soon be out to the locals. He also shared with us the plans for this year s WCB Claims and Appeals Seminar. Sarah O Leary and Janet Patterson are ready to present our local health and welfare reps with the solid training needed to be effective advocates. He is currently working on five WCB files for Local 8 and two for Local 2. BC Forests Minister to talk specifically about fibre shortages, the cutbacks to annual allowable cuts (AAC) in the interior, and access to waste wood for bio-energy and pulp mill stability. He also expressed a belief that Local 16 is represented by Rob Quiring and Len Gaunt this year s Forestry Seminar was a very successful one with attendance close to historical numbers. Observers from Locals enjoy a light moment RESOLUTIONS A total of ten resolutions aimed at changing our constitution or being added to policy statements were debated and dealt with. Most policy statement changes made were ones that reflected THE LAST, BUT definitely not least, report of this year s convention was given by Forest Resource Officer Arnold Bercov (Local 8). Arnie has been the cochair of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) of Canada for the past year. His report included a meeting held in Local 8 delegates Don Frew and Les Hillier listen attentively to reports 6 (L to r) Nick Moscrip and Chuck LeBlanc represent Local 9, and Mike Broadbent represents Local 18 Vancouver aimed at community and workers rights into a revised FSC standard. Our Forest Resource Officer has championed the PPWC position against the export of raw logs from our province. In February of this year, Arnie, Chris Elias and Les Hillier met with the PPWC s beliefs that green initiatives and recycling programs must be upheld and strengthened where necessary. Two constitutional amendments were debated and passed by convention delegates. We have established a Memorial Bursary in the name of Orville Braaten. He was one of the people who were instrumental in bringing the principles of the PPWC to fruition in the early 1960s. The second change will increase membership attendance in the form of delegates to conventions. OUR LAST TWO convention speakers were New Democratic Party members of the BC Legislature. Their message to us was one of urgency and a promise that PPWC LEAFLET JAN-APR 2011

7 conditions in the province will change with a return to NDP governance. Doug Routley from Nanaimo-North Cowichan committed to stopping raw log exports. He shares our belief that this is an immoral practise that cannot go on given the amount of mill closures in the province due to fibre shortages. Raj Choutan from Burnaby-Edmonds reported that a NDP government will make the changes necessary to the BC Labour Board to make it more accessible to union organizers. He also would spearhead a drive to return the Board to the days when labour and non-labour reps from the community sat as vice chairs at the Board. This will dramatically lessen the current wait times for decisions from the Board. year term. Wayne Warawa, Stuart Blundell and Arnie Bercov were all acclaimed and will spend another year representing our interests at all levels. C O M M I T T E E ELECTIONS The Audit Committee chosen by the convention delegates this year will be Mike Conci (Local 1), Gary Fiege (Local 2) and Dave Seright (Local 18). The alternate is Geri Avis (Local 5). The Tabulating Committee members elected at convention are: Les Hillier (Local 8), Travis McLean (Local 5) and Rob Quiring (Local 16). Chris Fabbro (Local 16) is the alternate. Bonnie Horswill was acclaimed as Leaflet Editor. Rod Fayant, Local 26 Wayne London, Local 15 New Democratic Party MLAs Raj Choutan (left) and Doug Routley address the delegates THE 50TH ANNUAL convention will be held in Vancouver next year. It will be a landmark event for us in the PPWC. We urge locals to send full complements of delegates and observers to help celebrate a remarkable occurrence in Canadian labour history. We will celebrate the past years as only we can, ELECTIONS A total of three positions are being battled for in referendum voting this year. We have Mike Broadbent (Local 18), Gerald de Jong (Local 8), and Michael Scott (Local 15) running for Second Vice-President this year. and ready ourselves for Brothers Ron Christensen (Local 15), Mark the next 50 plus years. Jim Pavich, Local 9 Hatlen (Local 1), and Al Sahlen (Local 9) are in We adjourned at the running for an open position as Health and noon on Friday, March 18. I am sure all in attendance Welfare Trustee. will join me in recognizing the behind-the-scenes work We have a Pension Trustee election this year done by Chris Elias, Bonnie Horswill, and Amy and with Lynn Lindeman (Local 2) and Bob Smiley Louise to ensure we enjoyed and got the most out of (Local 8) in the running for this one. this year s convention. Thank you to you all! President Chris Elias was acclaimed to another two- FRANK ROBERTSON JAN-APR 2011 PPWC LEAFLET 7

8 SECOND VICE-PRESIDENT MIKE BROADBENT I have been an active member of Local 18 in Mackenzie for over 34 years. My wife Debbie and I have built a solid, good life together taking full advantage of all northern British Columbia has to offer. The natural beauties of the surrounding mountains and lakes have created a great feeling of pride that carries over into our work and daily lives. Prior to my present position as an outside forklift operator, I held the job duties of a planer group operator as well as a period of time spent as a heavy duty mechanic. I have been quite heavily involved as a member of Local 18 since starting my employment at the mill. I have been the Local Vice President, Plant Committee Member, WCB Representative, Negotiating Committee Member, and Local Safety Representative. I will highlight one of the many reasons I would like to serve the members of the Pulp, Paper and Woodworkers as elected Second Vice- President. There comes a time in life when a person wants to give back some of the rewards given by virtue of being a member of an organization. I feel that now is my time to step up to the plate, give back, and with your support, bring a fresh new perspective to the position of Second Vice- President. The PPWC ideals of local autonomy and a member s right to freedom of speech without fear of retribution will be defended to the best of my abilities. I look forward to working with National Officers, NEB members and members at large to make the PPWC all it can be. Thank you. 8 GERALD DE JONG I am married with two children and two grandchildren. I have worked in the industry for 37 years and am presently the National Second Vice- President and Wage Caucus Secretary, as well as First Vice-President of my Local. I sit on our Local s Health and Welfare Committee, and I am a Director of the South Vancouver Island Assessment and Resource Service, which deals with employee and family assistance issues. I am also an Alternate Pension Trustee in the Pulp and Paper Industry Pension Plan. One of the duties of Second Vice-President is to be available to assist the First Vice-President in organizing. This has been a passion of mine for many years, and we presently have five different certifications in my Local. I helped spearhead the successful organizing drive at the Long Hoh sawmill on Central Vancouver Island. These previously unorganized members have been a positive addition to our Local and a great example of the effect the PPWC, as an independent Canadian union, can have on people s lives. These extraordinary economic times has not left the PPWC unaffected. From an organization that originated in pulp we have branched out into colleges, sawmills, OSB, pellet plants, hospitality, chemical and converting plants. I support these initiatives and will continue to work in support of expanding into new areas and industries. With your support I hope to continue in my role as National Second Vice-President. PPWC LEAFLET JAN-APR 2011

9 MICHAEL SCOTT Thank you to the brothers and sisters of the PPWC for my nomination to Second Vice-President. At present I am a millwright at the Skookumchuck pulp mill operated by PPWC Local 15. I have been a proud member of Local 15 for over 4 years now. During this time I have been very involved in many different aspects of our Local. Having been on the Occupational Health and Safety Committee, Health and Welfare Committee, and Standing Committee taught me a lot about how the PPWC functions. Wanting to do more for our Local, my brothers and sisters at Skookumchuck gave me the opportunity to serve as First Vice-President and now currently as President. In my young career I have had the opportunity to work for a few different unions. Now as a member of the PPWC I can be proud to be part of a true union. No other union I have been part of has ever encouraged its members to have voice. No other union ever gave the workers on the floor the power they deserve. Running for Second Vice-President is not a decision I took lightly. I believe this experience will allow me to serve the members of Local 15 better and provide me the opportunity to contribute to the future of the PPWC as a whole. Lastly I would like to thank you all again for your consideration and support. Summary of election procedures 1 Local trustees will be responsible for the balloting in Local Unions. 2 Local trustees will provide a registration list of eligible voters, and each voter s name will be checked off at the time the voter receives the ballot. 3 Each voter will sign the ballot counterfoil before separating the ballot. 4 Voting shall take place during a one-week time period. Each Local shall have up to a maximum of four days during which the Local will conduct the required balloting. 5 Locals shall ensure the privacy of voters by making available a polling booth. 6 Resumes of candidates for National Office within the polling area shall only be that distributed by the National Union. No other literature pertaining to the National elections shall be permitted. 7 Resumes in voting areas shall not be marked or defaced in any way. 8 A voter s preference shall not be influenced by the trustees. 9 Joint Labour Agreement elections may be held in conjunction with National elections. 10 Voting will cease at 8:00 p.m. on the last day of voting, and ballots will be tabulated that evening. All Locals will telephone unofficial results in to the National Office within 24 hours after the closing of all polls. 11 Results of balloting by Locals will be circulated to Locals by the Tabulating Committee within seven days of counting. Exercise your right to vote Wilson/CALM JAN-APR 2011 PPWC LEAFLET 9

10 HEALTH AND WELFARE TRUSTEE RON CHRISTENSEN I have been a member of Local 15 for thirty-five years. In the Local I have held all executive positions at least once and served on most committees. Nationally I have served as Second Vice-President and as a Health and Welfare Trustee in the middle 1990s. Statement: 2012 is negotiations year. Because of this I would be honoured to represent our members as Health and Welfare Trustee for the PPWC. Our benefits plans have basically stayed the same for the past three sets of negotiations. It is now time to modernize our plans. Many of the new treatments are very costly, and we must make our plans adaptable enough to cover individual serious illness and injury. I have extensive experience in benefits and trusts and would be honoured to represent you, our members, on behalf of the trust to our wage caucus and the employers. MARK HATLEN I m 58 years old. I ve worked at Celgar in Castlegar for thirty-five years. I spent twenty-six years in the steam plant working my way up to recovery engineer, then working in stores since leaving shift work. I am presently working in the training department working on manuals for the Green Energy Project. I have two grown daughters, both Registered Nurses: one in mental health care and one in maternity care. I have lived and worked in South Slocan and Castlegar for the past thirty-seven years. I ve been a member of PPWC Local 1 for thirty-five years, serving in the positions of Shop Steward, OH&S Member, and Chairman of the Health and Welfare Committee for five years, and a Member of the Wage Caucus for the last five years. Presently I am the First Vice-President of our Local. I have a lot of experience in the health and welfare system but feel there is much more to be learned from the trustee side of things. With your support I look forward to working through all the challenges this position brings with it and working to maintain and improve the benefits for all members of PPWC. 10 ALLAN SAHLEN I have been a PPWC member for 31 years, employed at Chemtrade Logistics in Prince George. Over the last 20 years, I have been actively involved with the executive of Local 9, holding various positions that include Financial Treasurer, Corresponding Secretary, as well as convention delegate. Currently, I hold the following positions in our Local: Trustee; Health and Welfare Representative for Chemtrade Plant Committee; member of WCB Appeals Committee; By-law Committee Chair. Since our 2010 PPWC convention, I have also been a member of the National Audit Committee. It is my belief that a strong health and welfare benefits component in our contract is a key to the long-term health and viability of our jobs, our industry and our families security. If elected, I will work to represent your interests and seek to incorporate new ideas and improvements where possible. Thank you for your consideration. PPWC LEAFLET JAN-APR 2011

11 PENSION TRUSTEE LYNN LINDEMAN I ask for your support for election to the position of Pension Trustee. A strong, viable pension plan gives the PPWC a unique advantage when we enter into negotiations with our employers. We are not in a position of having to offer any concessions to maintain our plan as it is fully funded and out of the company s control. I believe we always need to take a union approach to preserving our present plan and future improvements for our members. I have been a PPWC Local 2 member since 1977 and have served the Local in many positions, from Guard to President. I am presently a Wage Delegate and the National Health and Welfare Trustee. I have enjoyed being a Health and Welfare Trustee since 2002, and I am currently the longest serving union trustee. I have completed Trustee training and have a certificate in Advanced Trustee Management Standards. This training will assist me in my role as a Pension Trustee if elected. Once again I ask for your vote. BOB SMILEY I am 55 years old, married with five children, and have worked in the pulp industry for over 35 years. Currently I am the Treasurer of Local 8 and have been for 12 years. As well, I am a member of the Local 8 Health and Welfare Committee, Apprenticeship Committee, and Employee and Family Assistance Committee. In addition to sitting on the Local committees, I have been Local 8 s NEB Representative. I have also been a member of our Local s Wage Committee and Standing Committee. At the National level I have sat on the Audit Committee and am a Trustee on the Health and Welfare Plan. I believe the past and present Pension Trustees have done an excellent job in managing and improving our pension plan. The investment policies have been sound, and the PPWC Pension Trustees have done an admirable job in trying to pass any surpluses on to us, the beneficiaries of the plan. During my last 3 years as a Pension Trustee I have tried to continue and build on their excellent work. Voting will take place May 3-9, 2011 (Locals to have polls open up to 4 days within this week) Final tabulation May 19, 2011 Wilson/CALM JAN-APR 2011 PPWC LEAFLET 11

12 locals What s new in your local? Write to your union. Keep us all in the know. Contact louise@ppwc.ca. LOCAL 18 MACKENZIE Members vote to accept proposal We met with Canfor March 9 and 10, and we have a Letter of Understanding to bring to the membership that will bring our wages and holidays back to industry standards, plus a bonus system. We have a planned vote to take place March 20 for possible membership acceptance. If accepted, it will certainly be a huge morale boost to the membership. Update: On March 20, the membership voted to accept the Letter of Understanding. MIKE BROADBENT, NEB MEMBER LOCAL 2 CROFTON Raw logs leave from #3 dock We are still faced with many arbitrations at Crofton. If you ever get into a situation where a last chance agreement may save a member s job, I strongly recommend that you seek legal advice before entering the agreement, to protect the member and the Local. The good news is the company has notified us they will be hiring 10 new members for relief and training. I guess they finally realized they can t run the mill without covering for time off and training. Hopefully, there will be others hired 12 in the near future. There are two or three shiploads of raw logs loaded off our #3 dock every month. I don t know what it s going to take shy of electing an NDP government, but for now Local 2 has submitted a resolution to convention addressing this unbelievable practice. BILL ADAIR, NEB MEMBER LOCAL 9 PRINCE GEORGE Pacific BioEnergy plans to expand Canfor Pulp We have two upcoming arbitrations in May we are presently still talking to the company about. Both sides are hopeful we can come to an understanding mutually beneficial to both sides. I have been working hard at getting the message out to our members that membership meetings are crucial to our upcoming success. So far we have seen an increase in attendance and hope to build on that with our new website design, facebook profile, and the like to reach out to our members in non-traditional areas. Chemtrade We have a member slated to return to work after being on long-term disability for three years. Pacific BioEnergy plans to expand, opening two new pellet plants in the next couple of years and, hopefully, we can also. Ainsworth Membership meeting attendance remains good. This year we have a Plant Committee, Safety Committee, Pension Committee, Rec Committee, and an Environmental guy. The plant is running well now, and the company posted a profit this year. Esther s Inn has informed us they will be re-opening their waterslides for this summer season. That will bring a few more members to work. CHUCK LEBLANC, NEB MEMBER LOCAL 1 CASTLEGAR Celgar Pulp has highs and lows We are in a time of highs and lows at Celgar Pulp in Castlegar. We ended the year on a high as the mill reached its production goal for 2010 of 500,000 tons of pulp (most ever). They limped through the last two weeks of December with a recovery boiler in bad need of a water wash, which was impacting steam production. Also, we had a bad bearing on the forward drive roll on #2 machine. The year 2011 started out with a three-day shut to water wash the recovery, change the forward drive roll, and change out the reducer on the cutlet device, which was leaking badly. On start-up we found a lead in the economizer section of the recovery, which cost us a few more days of down time. NEIL BERMEL, NEB MEMBER PPWC LEAFLET JAN-APR 2011

13 LOCAL 8 NANAIMO Ladysmith sawmill will soon have a second shift T HARMAC, we have 258 members working right now. We have hired 70 new people since we started back up. So, as you can imagine, we have lots of training going on. AAfter the last shutdown, green projects are up and running. The new hog press is working well, and the dryer hot is producing the desired effects. The double felting of #3 machine is also working out very well. Over the next year, the turbo generator project is moving forward, and a host of other projects are on the books. The generating we are putting in is smaller than the company would like because of the availability of hog. They do not want to overcommit to BC Hydro and not be able to deliver. Once again, lack of fibre, which affects us all, is the problem, and logs are still leaving this province as fast as these companies can get them out. At Chemainus Value Added employment is up to approximately 57 people. We signed a sixyear contract last year. The company has plans for revamping the plant with a bin sorter, a new trim line, and another packaging unit, which will increase production and supposedly not affect employment. At Ladysmith Sawmill Division it has been a two-and-a-half year battle to get back to work, but we have managed to keep our seniority and benefits. Since start-up we have hired five more employees and JAN-APR 2011 PPWC LEAFLET LOCAL 26 CASTLEGAR Bargaining is a hot topic at college It is budget meeting and bargaining time with all three bargaining units (PPWC, SCFA, and BCGEU) at the college. Everyone is being told there is no money. Our bargaining committee, which has met several times, is ready to bargain in good faith, but management is in no hurry. Our collective agreement ended Dec. 31/10. There is a food service review taking place of the Castlegar, Silver King and Tenth Street Nelson, and Trail Campus cafeterias. The review contract was awarded to a company called Clarion, apparently a management consulting group which specializes in college, university, and corporate food services. Renovations at the Tenth Street Campus residence in Nelson are have a total of 32 people right now. We are getting close to starting a second shift. Our production has exceeded the numbers the company has wanted. Our quality has exceeded the company s expectations. There are 48 people working right now at Long Hoh. We are bargaining a new agreement as the current one expires in March. We have a fairly aggressive agenda. The mill is running but is going down for two weeks in March for a market curtailment. Manning of the Canexus Ltd. Nanaimo operations is full with only a month or so of training to be completed before stable relief is reached. It has been most of two-and-a-half years since we last achieved this point. The operation is undergoing a $4.1 million injection from BC Hydro to install a hydrogen electrical generation station. This will greatly improve the longerterm viability of this plant. LES HILLER, NEB MEMBER coming along. Anticipated completion will be in summer The new residence will provide accommodation for 100 students. The very first trees planted as part of the Forest Technology treeplanting projects were planted in The millionth tree was planted on May 14/10 by the founder of the program, John Adams. The Aviation program celebrated 40 years since its first graduating class in The Ski Resort Operations and Management program is celebrating its 30-year anniversary as the longest-running program of its kind in Canada. A new partnership between Teck Metals Ltd. Trail Operations and Selkirk College called TeckServ has created an annual fund to provide support to Selkirk College students to undertake local community-based research projects. NADYA SOFONOFF, NEB MEMBER 13

14 LOCAL 5 NEW WESTMINSTER Local has three new certifications We are still dealing with the Supremex purchase of Pioneer Envelopes. It seems like a never ending stream of submissions. Urban Impact has notified us they are moving to a larger recycling facility that will mean increased membership for the Local. The Local also has three new certifications: Lions Gate Hospital in North Vancouver, Cariboo Memorial Hospital in Williams Lake, and Mills Memorial Hospital in Terrace. CKF s contract offer was turned down. We are back at the table April 4 and 6. Flexstar is proposing a wage freeze. After about 10 days of negotiating, John and the committee have walked out of negotiations and have applied for mediation. Update: Contracts for Flexstar and CKF have been settled. GLENN JACKSON, NEB MEMBER LOCAL 15 KIMBERLEY Company seeks new hires Mike Scott and Jeremy Christensen attended the CCU board meeting in February. They both thought the courses were worthwhile. At the last Standing Committee the company had stated we are nine employees short throughout the mill. They are seeking new hires through ads in the local paper. They require grade 12 math, and this qualification requirement elimi- 14 nates many applications. Poyry is a company hired by Tembec to study and recommend improvements to the operation in all fields of planning, supervision, communication between departments, etc. They are to be at our site and one back east for around 18 months. The Workers Compensation Board is doing an occupational health and safety audit with an independent firm throughout the mill. They are randomly selecting members and having about a 20- minute talk on the safety regulations we should be aware of. DAVID GUSTAFSON, NEB MEMBER LOCAL 16 NEW WESTMINSTER Local settles three grievances Local 16 has finally settled our two termination grievances from 2009 without going to arbitration. Both of these members have 35 years seniority and have accepted the union/company resolution. The Local was successful in the third (AWOL) termination griev- ance. The resolution was what the Local had suggested in the first step of this grievance (short-term suspension). The fourth and final termination grievance on the books involving a safety policy/rule (mandatory removal of the key from forklifts) will be going to arbitration. The Local was also successful in reducing three separate shortterm suspensions to written warnings. Rock-Tenn $3.5 billion takeover of Smurfit-Stone will not be final until the end of the second quarter. The Smurfit-Stone shareholders are not too pleased with the deal. Local 16 will be waiting for the outcome. The members of Local 16 are living up to their end of the concessionary 5 per cent Letter of Understanding. The members are working harder for less pay and setting production records. The company has rewarded us with two free lunches (hamburgers) followed by two Friday plant-wide layoffs! The two free burgers actually cost each member approximately $464.00! I don t think I have to tell you how the morale is in the plant. LEN GAUNT, NEB MEMBER (L to r) National executive board members Les Hillier (Local 8), Len Gaunt (Local 16), Bill Adair (Local 2), Chuck LeBlanc (Local 9), Neil Bermel (Local 1), and Nadya Sofonoff (Local 26) meet in March at Local 8 s hall. PPWC LEAFLET JAN-APR 2011

15 RANK AND FILE continued from page 16 called for secret-ballot elections of all International officers. In the International, several areas or regions existed. Each region had a vicepresident, who was responsible for goings-on in his region. In the past, vice-presidents were elected by convention at large. This created a situation where voters from Louisiana, for example, voted on the vice-president responsible for BC. This was believed to be counter-productive. The movement demanded vice-presidents be elected by their regions. This manner of elections would enable a region to elect the vice-president they wanted. It would also better enable a region to rid itself of an undesirable. The RFMDA further demanded a more democratic and militant union, more regional autonomy with Canadian regions forming their own autonomous council within the International. The movement then stepped into a circumstance that was happening at that moment. Two New York area International representatives had just been fired by the International union. These same two had blown the whistle on one vicepresident, Tonnelli, from the New York region. Tonnelli was accused of bribe taking, dealings with the mob, and other union-demeaning activities. The two representatives, Bros. Connolly and Hayes, were subsequently fired by the International executive. Hard on the heels of these firings, the International research director, Bro. Brooks, was also fired when he dared to resist the former firings. The RFMDA demanded a complete reinstatement of the three and, further, they demanded an impartial inquiry be set up to look into all aspects of the events. The plot was thickening, and Castlegar is much of that. PRESIDENT Chris Elias FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT Frank Robertson SECOND VICE-PRESIDENT Gerald de Jong SECRETARY-TREASURER Bonnie Horswill ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER Stuart Blundell FOREST RESOURCE OFFICER Arnold Bercov OCCUP. HEALTH AND SAFETY OFFICER Wayne Warawa LEAFLET EDITOR Bonnie Horswill PRODUCTION Louise Soukeroff OFFICE W. 6th Ave. Vancouver, BC V6H 1A4 WEB PHONE (604) TOLL FREE FAX (604) louise@ppwc.ca (L to r) Local 2 delegates Dave Benjamin, Dave Haywood, Bill Adair, and Gary Fiege attend PPWC s 49th annual convention Upcoming events May May June 8 June 9-10 June PPWC safety conference Joint industry safety conference Audit committee meets National executive board meets Wage caucus meets Signed articles appearing in the Leaflet express the views and opinions of the authors. They are not necessarily the policy of the PPWC or views shared by the Editor or PPWC officers. In submitting copy or photos, contributors should note if they wish material returned. The Leaflet attempts to give coverage to all locals, and pertinent material will be held for the future if the space is unavailable in the current issue. Affiliated to the Confederation of Canadian Unions JAN-APR 2011 PPWC LEAFLET 15

16 CHAPTER 3 Rank and file demand reform THE RFMDA history 16 BY JIM WHITE the INTERNATIONAL that they belonged to, however, was ultimately led by George Meany, the AFL-CIO president. He who condemned socialists as being against the American way. He who sided with the aforementioned congressional inquiry, the Joe McCarthy inspired inquiry. The Joe McCarthy who had just recently red-baited them, essentially destroyed the careers and, in some cases, the lives of many substantial intellectual and progressive men and women in the US. The scars remain to this day. Many of us were proud to see Nick Nolte refuse to stand or acknowledge Ilia Kazan at the Academy Awards presentations. Kazan collaborated with McCarthy and fingered his co-workers in the arts. Coupled with the ideological differences, as expressed by Braaten and Macphee, versus George Meany, who, incidentally, was supported by his Canadian CANADIANA WAS BLOSSOMING ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. A GROWING SENSE OF NATION-HOOD PROMPTED MANY CANADIANS, PULP AND PAPER WORKERS AMONG THEM, TO STRIVE FOR CONTROL OF THEIR AFFAIRS. A NEW PO- LITICAL PARTY (THE NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY), FOUNDED IN 1961, HELD PROMISE FOR THE FUTURE... BRAATEN, ESPECIALLY, VOICED THE NEED FOR CANA- DIAN AUTONOMY... WE WILL HAVE OUR OWN UNION. counterpart Claude Jodain, Canadian Labour Congress president, another factor emerged. Canadiana was blossoming all over the country. A growing sense of nation-hood prompted many Canadians, pulp and paper workers among them, to strive for control of their affairs. A new political party (the New Democratic Party), founded in 1961, held promise for the future. The Avro Arrow, the fastest and most advanced fighter jet the world had ever seen, was built right here in Canada. The fact it never flew was of no importance. The Leafs had just won a Stanley Cup. Some things were right in our world. Braaten, especially, voiced the need for Canadian autonomy, if not in accepting International structure, then damn the consequences. We will have our own union. The RFMDA, with its demand for reform, not surprisingly was embraced by the leadership of many west coast locals. The RFMDA was founded in April of 1961 at Denver, Colorado. While it had as its chairman R. H. Chatham from West Monroe, Louisiana, the remaining leadership were west coast American and Canadian. Canada was represented by Macphee, Braaten, and Murray Mowatt from Powell River Local 76. The movement established a position paper and, though this paper made their demands known, they continued on page 15 PPWC LEAFLET JAN-APR 2011