Tag Archives: United Steelworkers

The United Steelworkers (USW) announced today the launch of a fundraising campaign and the creation of a trust account to provide support to the workers of Babine Forest Products and their families in the wake of an explosion at the Burns Lake, B.C. sawmill.

“Since the tragedy at Babine Forest Products, we have been inundated with offers of support and assistance from other unions and union members all over the province and right across the country. The labour movement is a family, and union members join all British Columbians in mourning the loss of life and injuries to our brothers and sisters in Burns Lake,” says Steve Hunt, USW Director for Western Canada.

Already the labour movement has responded with a donation of $10,000 being made by CUPE BC.

“At the very heart of the labour movement is the notion of solidarity. Simply put, it means that when you’re a union member, you’ll never walk alone. And we are sending that message to the workers at Babine Forest Products, to their families and to the community of Burns Lake; we will stand with you, we will support you and you will not have to face this alone,” Hunt says.

There are several ways to make a donation payable to the “USW Burns Lake Fund”.

To donate in person:
Attend any branch of Community Savings Credit Union:

• 5108 Joyce Street, Vancouver B.C.
• 1188 8th Avenue, New Westminster, B.C.
• #900-7380 King George Blvd, Surrey, B.C.
• #100-1125 Nicola Avenue, Port Coquitlam, B.C.
• #205-4333 Ledger Avenue, Burnaby, B.C.
• #103-2750 Quadra Street, Victoria, B.C.

or
Drop off a sealed envelope containing your cheque at any B.C. credit union addressed to:

• Community Savings Credit Union, 5108 Joyce Street, Vancouver B.C. V5R 4H1, Transit #11740

To donate by mail:

• Community Savings Credit Union, 5108 Joyce Street, Vancouver, B.C. V5R 4H1
• USW District 3 Office, #300-3920 Norland Avenue, Burnaby, B.C. V5G 4K7

“We are grateful for the support of unions and their members during this difficult time. With your help and support, we’ll ensure that our union brothers and sisters in Burns Lake can begin to rebuild the lives they have so proudly made for themselves and one another,” says Hunt.

AbitibiBowater announced today a capital investment plan that will lead to the restart and upgrade of its currently idled sawmill located in Ignace, Ontario.

The C$32 million investment includes the addition of an energy system and kilns to dry lumber, and a planer and packaging system to allow for the production of finished lumber ready for market. Engineering, design and construction activities will occur over the next two years, with a return to production forecast for 2014. The investment is subject to the company reaching an acceptable labor agreement with the United Steelworkers union and finalizing an agreement on municipal matters with the Township of Ignace.

The Ignace project is consistent with AbitibiBowater’s overall strategy of achieving greater efficiency with existing assets, focused growth and building on proven competencies, according to Richard Garneau, President and Chief Executive Officer of AbitibiBowater. “Assuming satisfactory outcomes in discussions with the United Steelworkers and the Township of Ignace, the project announced today will result in a sawmill of good scale by eastern Canadian standards and will allow the Company to more efficiently use the wood supply presently available to us,” stated Garneau. “Lumber is and will remain a core business for the Company, particularly where it can favorably affect the economics of our pulp and paper facilities. Once the restart and upgrade are completed, Ignace will be well-positioned to supply both the domestic and U.S. markets.”

“We are currently planning on a design and construction schedule running through 2012-13, and a return to full production in late 2013/early 2014. The sawmill will also contribute to improving the cost of fiber for our pulp and paper mills in Thunder Bay and Fort Frances,” said Yves Laflamme, Senior Vice President, Wood Products, Global Supply Chain and Information Technology.

This is the fourth significant announcement by AbitibiBowater in Ontario, resulting in over C$100 million in investments. “We have a strong relationship with the Province of Ontario, and we are working together on creating better conditions for capital investments. We would in particular like to thank the Honourable Michael Gravelle, Ontario Minister of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry, for his support,” concluded Richard Garneau.

The sawmill has been closed since December 19, 2006 when the Ignace sawmill workers showed up to work to find the mill closed. 29 staff positions and 20 contractor positions were affected by the closure.

Ignace Mayor Lee Kennard says the project is expected to create 90 jobs in the mill and 80 harvesting jobs.

Source: AbitibiBowater
AbitibiBowater To Re-Start Ignace Sawmill (CKDR Dryden)

A tentative agreement has been reached between the United Steelworkers(USW) and the Interior Forest Labor Relations Association after an all-night bargaining session in Vancouver.

The agreement has a 4 year term, and it is patterned along the same lines as an agreement reached in the Northern Interior of British Columbia.

Chairman of the USW Wood Council, Bob Matters, said the union is recommending that its members vote to accept the package.

The ratification vote is expected within the next 2 weeks.

Read more:
Tentative Deal Reached In Southern Interior Forestry Negotiations – Tolko workers among those who’ll vote on pact (AM 1150)

Forestry workers in British Columbia‘s southern interior are ready to strike.

Last week the United Steelworkers union filed their required 72 hours notice of strike action against the member companies of the Interior Forest Labor Relations Association (including, Tolko, Tembec, Weyerhaeuser-Canada, a unit of Weyerhaeuser Co, and several smaller firms).

A government mediator was called in for talks on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. If an agreement is not reached, 4,000 union members will be on strike. The workers have been without a contract since July 1, 2009.

“We’ve been at this for too long,” Bob Matters, chairman of the union’s Wood Council said on Monday.

The union says the management association is refusing to accept a pattern agreement that has been adopted by forest companies across other regions of B.C.

Read more:
Canada forestry sector workers say ready to strike (Reuters)
Mediation stalls wood strike in southern B.C. (The Canadian Press)

Forest workers in the Interior of British Columbia have voted 95% in favour of a strike.

80% of workers voted, giving the United Steelworkers a strong mandate to press the Interior Forest Labour Relations Association for a better deal.

“That is huge,” said Bruce Gardner, President of United Steelworkers Local 423. “That number from the amount of people, that is fantastic. That shows the amount of frustration out there.”

The workers want a better deal, similar to the collective agreement forest workers have in the rest of the province. The union is calling for increases of 0%, 0%, 2%, and 2% in each of four years. The first two years have already passed.

Some of the mills that could be affected are Tolko Heffley Creek, Tolko-Nicola, Apsen Planers, Aspen Industries, West Fraser Chasm, a number of Tolko mills in the Okanagan, Tembec mills in the Cranbrook area, as well as a number of single operation sites.

Sources:
Forest workers vote to strike (The Daily News)
Talks To Resume As Forest Workers Vote In Favour Of Strike Action – Union says members are frustrated over unsigned contract (AM 1150)
East Kootenay forestry workers vote on strike action (The Townsman)

The United Steelworkers Union and Tolko have reached an agreement on a “letter of understanding” to allow Tolko to improve their competitiveness by eliminating several positions in the company’s log yard. The goal is for Tolko to be able to secure contracts with timber importers in Asia, allowing the company to re-start its Creekside mill in Williams Lake, British Columbia.

The strategy would see Tolko combining several log yards. This move would result in 7 job cuts, at a savings of $1.2 million to the company.

The potential restart date for the Creekside mill has not been officially determined, although USW Local 1-425 president Bill Derbyshire suggested late May or early June. Because parts of the mill has been idled for some time, extra time may be required because the mill is operational.

Read more from the Williams Lake Tribune:
Tolko’s Creekside mill could re-open

Over the next two weeks, about 3,000 forest workers in Kamloops, Merritt, Kelowna, Okanagan, and Cranbrook in British Columbia will be conducting a strike vote.

The workers, members of United Steelworkers Local 1-417, have been without a collective agreement for 2 years.

Since their contract expired, agreements have been signed with Canfor, Conifer, West Fraser and the coastal companies. Marty Gibbons, President of Local 1-417 says the IFRLA – the group representing interior forest companies – has been resistant to accepting similar terms as their northern counterparts.

The union is calling for increases of 0%, 0%, 2%, and 2% in each of four years. The first two years have already passed.

Some of the mills that could be affected are Tolko Heffley Creek, Tolko-Nicola, Apsen Planers, Aspen Industries, West Fraser Chasm, a number of Tolko mills in the Okanagan, Tembec mills in the Cranbrook area, as well as a number of single operation sites.

Sources:
Forestry Strike vote – Forestry workers in Kamloops, Merritt, Kelowna and Cranbrook to conduct strike vote (CFJC)
Forest workers vote to back demands – Merritt sawmill workers seek provincewide pattern bargaining (Kamloops Daily News)

The United Steelworkers have been granted approval from B.C. Provincial Court Judge Terese Alexander to proceed with their private action case against Weyerhaeuser over the death of sawmill worker Lyle Hewer.

“The wheels of justice have ground slowly since Lyle Hewer died a horrific death at Weyerhaueuser six years ago,” USW Western Canada director Stephen Hunt. “The judge’s decision could lead to a full-on prosecution of Weyerhaueuser and set an important legal precedent related to justice for preventable workplace deaths throughout Canada.”

This week’s decision allows the United Steelworkers to proceed with criminal negligence charges against Weyerhaeuser.

Lyle Hewer, 55, died on Nov. 17, 2004 when he entered the bottom of a hopper that feeds waste wood into a large grinding machine called a hog. The hog converts wood waste to chips. The debris wedged above him came loose while he was working on it and engulfed him.

In March 2007, WorkSafeBC handed down the largest fine in its history in connection with Hewer’s death, assessing Weyerhaeuser $297,000.

When the fine was handed down, WorkSafeBC said that mill management ignored safety concerns and condoned a culture where “complacency in the face of danger became the norm.” Following the fatality, the hog was repaired at a cost of $30,000.

However, in spite of recommendations from New Westminster police and WorkSafe BC, the Crown chose not to proceed with criminal charges under the Westray amendments, which make companies liable to charges of criminal negligence in connection with workplace deaths.

Read more:
Union gets judge’s approval to proceed against Weyerhaueuser for sawmill death (New Westminster News Leader)
Weyerhaeuser must stand trial in workers’ death, judge says (Steel This Week)
Weyerhaeuser faces highest fine ever for man’s death – WorkSafeBC has levied the highest fine it has ever imposed — $297,000 — against Weyerhaeuser Canada over a 2004 sawmill death, saying mill management ignored safety concerns and condoned a culture where “complacency in the face of danger became the norm.” (The Vancouver Sun)
Evidence warrants criminal charges in worker’s 2004 death: B.C. court (Canadian Press)

Tembec‘s hardwood sawmill in Huntsville, Ontario will be temporarily shut down for 1 month.

38 workers have been issued temporary layoff notices.

The shut down will begin on March 5. Operations are scheduled to resume on April 4.

Tembec is saying the downtime is market-related, however a local news source, the Huntsville Forester, is reporting that an anonymous employee at the mill is expressing concern the shutdown is some how connected to recent contract negotiations between Tembec and United Steelworkers Local 1-1000.

The mill has been running only one shift since the second shift was cancelled in June 2008 resulting in the layoff of 25 people.

Source:
Tembec closing its plant in Huntsville for a month (CottageCountryNow.ca)

West Fraser Timber‘s 100 Mile Lumber sawmill has moved to a 5 day per week operation schedule.

For the last two years the sawmill and log yard have been operating on a 4 day/week schedule, while the planer has been on five days plus overtime in order to keep the inventory in balance.

The push to expand the working days at the mill has been held up by contract negotiations since December of 2008. Mill Manager Rick Johnsen said the workers met on February 15 and voted in favour of a letter of agreement that now allows for the expansion of the work week.

The workers also voted in favour of altering the schedule of the planer employees to a four day, 10 hours per day, split shift schedule. United Steelworkers (USW) Local 1-425 president Bill Derbyshire said this will result in one day a week being a down day for a certain number of workers, possibly up to three at a time.

However, Derbyshire said this new schedule will cover more hours over the week because the new split shift results in 20 hours a day of planer operations for an overall increase from 80 to 100 hours a week.

Ten or more new employees are expected to hired. Many area loggers will also be put back to work to ramp up log inventories to get the mill through the spring breakup time.

The Local 1-425 workers still remain without a contract. They voted to ratify a contract last year, but that vote was tied to West Fraser’s Williams Lake Plywood facility, whose members voted overwhelmingly against that earlier proposal.

Source:
West Fraser mill returns to full operations (100 Mile House Free Press)