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Woo DLAN DS . Wednesday, July 18, 1984 EMPLOYEES PICKET MILL 'Schreiber by LYNNE BADGER , On Wednesday, July 11, at 6:00 a.m., Kim- berly-Clark woodlands workers who are mem- bers of the Lumber and Sawmill Workers Union Local 2693 did not re- port for work in Gerald- ton, Nakina, Longlac and Terrace Bay. In- stead, for the next three and three-quarter hours, they gathered outside at the Masonic Hall on the road to the Kimberly- Clark pulp mill, asking workers at the mill to support them by not going to work. A similar group gathered at the KsC. stud mill in Long- lac. The purpose of the demonstration was to . force Kimberly-Clark to reconsider it's con- tract with Regis Poulin, a private contractor whose agreement with K.C. they claim, vio- lates their contract with Kimberly-Clark. On January 4th of this year an agreement was made between Kimberly- Clark and Mr. Poulin. Under the agreement, Mr. Poulin would be allowed to cut birch trees on the Kimberly- Clark limits.. He intend- ed to sell the wood to the Weyerhauser Company in Sault Ste. Marie. The Ministry of Natural Re- sources issues an Order in Council licence to the contractor to cut the birch trees on the Crown Land known as the Kim- berly Clark Limits. The Ministry encourages these third party agree- ments because the trees" which are not used in the pulp process are not wasted by being left to rot or bulldozed to pre- pare a site for-reforest- ation. The contractor is also instructed to cut any '"'incidental coni- fer", that is, other trees that may be damaged in the harvesting of the birch. As far as the Ministry of Natural Re- sources and Kimberly- Clark are concerned, to- tally wood utilization in- stead of waste makes a great deal of sense. For Mr. Poulin and three or four other men, the agreement provides em- ployment, but from the Lumber and Sawmill Workers' Union's point of view, it is a jobber opening the door for other jobbers to come in and take their jobs. They see it as a violation of clauses in their con- tract with Kimberly- Ciark which restrict "baching" (live-in camps). They fear a re- currence of the situation at Boise Cascade in Fort Frances and Kenora where the company de- cided to employ owner-', operators, requiring contract cutters to buy and service their own equipment. There was also a prob- lem with Mr. Poulin selling the birch to Mac- Millan Bloedel in Nipi- gon because it is another bargaining unit of the ' 'Lumber and Sawmill 'Workers Union. Initially, union mem- bers took the matter in their own hands and told Mr. Poulin to move off the limits. Fearing for _ his equipment, he did so, then through a law- yer arranged for res- training orders to be issued by the Supreme Court Justice to pro- tect him from the union members. He also be- gan civil proceedings for compensation for lost ' wages while his ma- chines and crew were idle for two weeks. With the assistance of the O.P.P. talks were held, however the L.S.W.U. were not satisfied as long as Mr. Poulin re- mained on the limits. On Friday, July 6th, they planned a demon- stration but it had to be postponed when fore- man declared it a "wea- ther day". (Due to high winds and rain, the men were sent home.) On Monday, the 9th, Kimberly-Clark met with the president of the L.S.W.U. in Thunder Bay. Still not satisfied, the union members set up an information pick- et line and asked United Paperworkers -- Interna- tional Union and Inter- national Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Un- ion members not to cross the picket line. K-C's Industrial Rela- tions Department offi- cials explained ver- bally and by means of a bulletin that they would ensure that Mr. Poulin would not sell wood to MacMillan Bloedel and his shipments would be monitored. They also explained that the picket line was illegal and that all employees were free to cross it. Staff mem- bers crossed the line amid verbal harrass- ment but union memb- ers individually chose not to cross and bus- loads of workers turn- ed around. Union Stewards Louis Garon from Longlac Camp 55 and.Dan Puddester and Lynn Merkley, stewards from Tetrace Bay ex- plained their concerns to the ""NEWS". Besides violating the contract with Kimberly-Clark, they said that Mr. Poulin had five cut- ting areas, four of which were actually cutover areas where the birch was left standing. The other was prime timber. They see that as abusing the contract. Their primary con- cern however was their jobs. They did not want one contractor to open the way for others and the situation to end up like Fort Frances where there was a prolonged strike "with brothers fighting brothers'? and in the end "a lower stan- dard of living" for the cutters. They have "a good place to live and want to keep it that way." Mr. Al Chisholm, Di- rector of Industrial Rel- ations for Kimberly- Clark approached the group of stewards and informed them that this was an illegal work stop- page and initiated a question and answer discussion by saying that Mr. Poulin was not depriving them of jobs because birch was sur- plus wood. He also pointed out that when K.C. found out that the contractor was viol- ating the Union con- tract, by selling wood to another bargaining unit, they stopped him. Dan Puddester re- plied that "Birch may be surplus now but what about the future? Poplar was surplus before and now it's our liveli- hood."' Chisholm replied that poplar was never sur- plus. As early as 1959, it was run in the mill four times per year and pre- sently the mill has been altered to handle more of it. However, 'birch and maple will not be used."' Puddester asked "Why can't we cut the birch?" Reply: "Kimberly- Clark does not sell wood to others. -It- is not a market to bother with."' Puddester then sug- gested that the older cutters could but the birch or that it could be cut during the layoff period. The same reply was given. Mr. Garon changed the subject and asked if Poulin was "baching"' on the job? Answer: "Our people (Kimberly Clark em- ployees) are not "bach- ing."' Question: '"'Why do '*Packsackers" (con- tractors) not have to wear the same safety equipment as we do?"' Answer: K.C. en- forces safety regula- tions for the good of their employees. The contractor is under government regula- tions. Mr. Chisholm | sug- gested that they ap- proach the company about all of these con- cerns. At 9:45 a.m. the pick- et line was withdrawn. The company and union had agreed to discuss the matter at a negotia- ting table and the pre- sent contractor will be allowed to complete his contract of 2,000 cords' of wood provided he does so with his pre- sent staff. Operations at the mill were not dis- rupted as the night shift stayed on until the line was withdrawn. All seemed well until Mrs. Poulin stated on Thunder Bay televi- sion that her husband would not be told where to sell his wood. Kim- berly Clark has guar- anteed the L.S.W.U. that Mr. Poulin will not sell wood to anothei bargaining unit. * Vol. 19 No. 28 Pub TER. PPOr Terrace Ba qT c Library ew 2 ew) BAY, Ont. tis ay : 2wO C.C.T.F.N, eed Woodlands workers block one lane on the Kimberly Clark Mill Road. Chic Thompson, Gerry Withers and Al Chisholm, K.C. Industrial Relations Department and Preston McKeever, (in truck) Camp 59 Foreman look on as staff member in a van crosses the line. Mill Workers (left) and Woodlands workers (right) cheer as a pulp truck turns around without crossing picket line. Lumber and Sawmill Workers Union members from Longlac and Terrace Bay wait to talk to mill workers as they arrive.