the PDF file

Pulp Friction
1
June 2012
C.E.P., Local 10-B’s
Pulp Friction
JUNE 2012
C.E.P., Local 10-B
C.E.P., Local 10-B is a
proud member of...
427 Lansdowne Street
Kamloops B.C. V2C 1Y2
Phone: (250) 828-8722
FAX: (250) 828-8733
e-mail: [email protected]
Website Address - ceplocal10b.com
Pulp Friction
Friction will be published four times yearly by the Communications,
2 Pulp
June 2012
Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada, Local 10-B. It is an open forum
!! WARNING !!
This publication is rated:
U
As in Union
It may contain some material that some individuals may find offensive. Therefore, it is
recommended that if you are one of the above individuals and feel you may be easily
offended or harassed,
DO NOT READ THIS PUBLICATION
PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK
in which members of Local 10-B are encouraged to express their views and
opinions.
Articles and opinions appearing in Pulp Friction do not
necessarily reflect the opinions of the C.E.P., Local 10-B Executive, the
Editor, or other Officers of Local 10-B.
Editor: Lynne Monteith
2012 EXECUTIVE – C.E.P., LOCAL 10-B
Position
President
1st Vice – President
2nd Vice – President
3rd Vice – President
Recording Secretary
Financial Secretary
Apprenticeship Chair
Apprenticeship Alternate
C.E.P. B.C. Provincial Council
Chief Shop Steward
Contracting Out Chair
Contracting Out Alternate
Convention Delegates
Disability Management Coordinator
Environmental Committee
Forestry Officer
Guards
Health & Welfare Committee
I.H. & S.C.
Job Evaluation Committee
K.D.L.C. Delegates
Pension Committee
Pulp Friction Editor
Safety Committee Chair
Standing Committee
Sunshine & Cheer Committee
Trustees
W.C.B. Appeals Officers
Wage Delegates
Wage Delegate Alternate
Women’s Committee
Women’s Conference Delegates
Name
Murray Matheson
Doug Cumming
Dan Moffat
Home Phone #
579-9944 (cell: 319-9189)
376-3429
374-4570 (cell: 778-220-4980)
Kyle Ackles
Joe Knuit
Dave McDonnell
Bob Bley
Scott Borowsky
Kyle Ackles
Dan Morneault
Paul Fehr
Daryl Moen
Bruce Steinson
Jim Twamley
Allan Ackles
Murray Matheson
Dave McDonnell
Daryl Moen
Dan Morneault
Jeff Pentney
Kyle Ackles
John Meyers
Bill Turley
Luke Ward
Rob Bruno
Charlie Fraser
Pat Turgeon
Charlie Fraser
John Meyers
Jeff Pentney
Paul Fehr
Greg Hermiston
Dave Maw
Terri Twamley
Dave McDonnell
Lynne Monteith
Rob Bruno
Homer Hamm
Dave Maw
John Meyers
Kelvin Smith
Pat Turgeon
Barry Salonen (Steam)
Terry Paluck (Production)
Dave McDonnell (Maint)
Homer Hamm
Lynne Monteith
Kelvin Smith
Rob Bruno
Charlie Fraser
Rob Bruno
Doug Cumming
Charlie Fraser
Dan Morneault
Les Jenner
Terri McKim
Kim Siaw
Terri Twamley
Kerri Cady
Terri McKim
318-1426
(cell: 574-6283)
376-8426 (cell: 318-0189)
573-0024
318-4766
318-1426
372-2610 (cell: 320-4619)
374-8754 (cell: 319-5690)
578-7708
851-9244 (cell: 319-5690)
579-8508
374-6159
579-9944 (cell: 319-9189)
376-8426 (cell: 318-0189)
578-7708
372-2610 (cell: 320-4619)
320-1623 (cell)
318-1426
376-4431
374-4576
318-4801
374-2665 (cell: 320-1609)
579-8338 (cell: 778-220-7566)
374-4448
579-8338 (cell: 778-220-7566)
376-4431
320-1623 (cell)
374-8754 (319-5690)
374-3386
579-9767
554-0280
376-8426 (cell: 318-0189)
374-0072
374-2665 (cell: 320-1609)
374-5473
579-9767
376-4431
573-4958
374-4448
828-0195
376-1934
376-8426 (cell: 318-0189)
374-5473
374-0072
573-4958
374-2665 (cell: 320-1609)
579-8338 (cell: 778-220-7566)
374-2665 (cell: 320-1609)
376-3429
579-8338 (cell: 778-220-7566)
372-2610 (cell: 320-4619)
579-2235
778-469-4495
554-8026
554-0280
319-7854
778-469-4495
Pager #
Local # - Crew
77421
78791 – B
78865
314-8910
77502
77685
77421
77502
77685
77835
77228
377-9285
851-3324
314-8928
77292
77420
314-8928
77420
77228
77835
851-3324
77502
77243
77292
77233
77228
N/A
78791
78799
77502
77233
77243
851-3324
314-8928
851-3324
77292
77420
77292
78791 – B
77420
77685
314-8928
Pulp Friction
3
June 2012
EDITOR’S REMARKS — JUNE 2012
By Lynne Monteith
Summer is here—Yay! Perhaps the weather will improve to make it really happen.
We have some summer students on site to provide vacation relief. However our numbers are
down. The latest Seniority List (April 12— 12) shows six folks retiring and four new members
to replace them. We are sitting at 332 members when we should have 338. With more
retirements coming I hope there will soon be some new hires to fill the gaps. I have heard
that OT is being used to cover for vacations.
I don’t understand the business model that Domtar uses to run this Mill. Shutdown was
postponed until the Fall and we have had a terrible time with unplanned outages and poor
reliability. Then we turned it around and had production records for pulp and power. Yes, we
are really putting the “Energy” into the Communication, Energy and Paperworkers Union.
Negotiations are ongoing so there isn’t a lot that can be said other than things are
progressing. Kyle has some interesting points about buying Canadian Made and Union Made
products. It is amazing how many products are made in the USA or other offshore locations
and imported to Canada. Look at where things are made before you buy. I was surprised to
find many canned fruits and vegetables are imported from CHINA. Many of the paper
products from paper towels to TP are made in the USA and imported to Canada. Look for
Canadian Made products and support those Canadian businesses and those Canadian JOBS!
Pulp Friction
4
June 2012
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
By Murray Matheson
Negotiations 2012: as of the time I write this update (June 28, 2012) the Main Wage bargain
is still progressing. Your Wage Delegates have just returned home after an 8 day stretch of
negotiations. The employer has stood down the PPWC in order to continue talks with us.
Tuesday July 3rd we will continue the bargain in Prince George with the expectation of
achieving the best possible settlement for Local 10-B and Wage Caucus. As you know by now
Canfor is the target company with CEP Locals 603 and 1133 representing Wage Caucus to
achieve a Pattern Agreement. These two Locals have resolved their Bull Session items having
had to send several of these issues to Local Committees. There are still a couple of
non-monetary items unresolved that have been brought forward into the monetary item
discussions. We are getting closer to settlement on all the remaining items; however, there is
a lot of work left to be done. I apologize for not being specific as to where we are on items
like wages, contract language, and the like but as we work through the framework of the
Agreement things change on a daily basis and it would be unfair to speculate. I thank you for
your patience and look forward to your strength if needed when we sit down with our Employer
in the near future if all goes well.
It slowly dawned on Murray that negotiations
with management might be a protracted affair.
Pulp Friction
5
June 2012
1ST VICE PRESIDENT’S REPORT
By Doug Cumming
Bargain:
 Contract negotiations are progressing daily in Prince George; we are now negotiating
monetary issues.
 While discussing discipline as a contractual item the target company informed the Wage
Delegates that they have no trouble with discipline because they coach, teach, along with
encouraging their managers to deal with and resolve problems on the floor.
 The target company has a successful jointly developed, administered health and wellness
program deep in traditions of encouraging a healthy lifestyle outside of work. The company
welcomes community clubs and associations to set up booths on the mill site on health and
wellness day for workers to converse with and comment on. Medical tests are encouraged
but any medical info gathered through health and wellness day is shared with the individual
but not recorded or kept by the company. We hope that one day Domtar sees the value in
developing a joint health and wellness program with our Local.
Mill Issues:
 We are at a critical point in relations at Kamloops Pulp Operations:
 The arbitration date has been set for the Mill Water Pond incident grievance. Grievances
numbers are stacking up at 3rd and 4th Stage as the weeks go by so stay tuned for updates.
 We are awaiting the decision of a Health and Welfare (LTD) dispute resolution process.
 Safety is under a microscope right now as we await the Mill Manger’s leadership to show his
commitment on getting the program back on track.
 Updates will be provided as they become available.
 I would like to thank Dan Morneault for his time and efforts carrying out his duties as
Chief Shop Steward; your energy will be missed.
 I welcome Paul Fehr, thank him for stepping into the role of Chief Shop Steward and
encourage the membership to welcome him in his new role.
In solidarity.
Pulp Friction
6
June 2012
CHIEF SHOP STEWARD’S REPORT
By Paul Fehr
I would like to thank Dan Morneault for his many hours spent as the Chief Shop Steward
making our membership a stronger Local. As the newly appointed Chief Shop Steward I look
forward to working through the issues at their various stages.
I have been a member of this Local for over 16 years; I started as a Janitor, then in Recaust,
and have now spent the last 14 years working in Power and Recovery. I have served the Local
in the role of Shop Steward for 12 years.
Now to answer a few questions you may have: Yes, Yes, No, No, Yes, c), c), c), maybe and all of
the above. That should clear up some things, but if not you can phone or text me at
250-319-5690 or reach me at Local 78790 when “B” Crew is on.
I envision my role not one of power or decision-making but rather as one to serve the Local in
representing them to Management. To represent and defend Local workers whom the Company
believes have violated company policy or terms and conditions of the Collective Bargaining
Agreement, often through the grievance procedure. To monitor and enforce the provisions of
the Collective Agreement to ensure both the Company and Local workers are not violating the
terms of the Agreement. To help build and unite a stronger Local.
We find ourselves dealing with a 12 step discipline program that the Collective Agreement
does not recognize, and a decision by the Company to remove many electronic devices we have
become accustomed to using in our lives.
I will remind you to please be thoughtful in the decisions you make on the floor every day,
because the outcome can affect everyone. If in doubt, find a Steward or a senior member who
can give you advice.
I will leave you with what every one of our new Local members receive in their first 30 days:

Is it safe?

Is it legal?

Am I qualified?

Have I been treated unfairly?
Enjoy your summer.
In Solidarity,
Paul Fehr
Pulp Friction
7
June 2012
DID YOU KNOW?
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Most lipstick contains fish scales.
A ducks quack doesn’t echo.
A preexisting, non-work related condition is compensable if aggravated by a work activity.
 Yup, it’s true, you can have a condition that may have a tendency to give you some grief,
but not to the point you can’t work. Low and behold … one day you are performing a work
activity that increases the severity of the condition to the point where you can’t work
and yup, you can file for and receive Compensation for the duration the aggravation
persists and prevents you from working.
Mel Blanc (the writer of Bugs Bunny) was allergic to carrots.
If you fart consistently for 6 years and 9 months, enough gas is produced to create the
energy of an atomic bomb.
That late reporting to First Aid is not a bar to receiving compensation.
 Yes, this is also true, although it is highly recommended that you report to First Aid
with any and all injuries as soon as possible, it does not preclude you from receiving
compensation if you didn’t. Sooooooo, if an incident happened and for whatever reason
you didn’t report to First Aid right away, don’t let that stop you from going at a later
date.
The cruise liner, Queen Elizabeth II, moves only six inches for each gallon of diesel that it
burns.
Dueling is legal in Paraguay as long as both parties are registered blood donors.
The recent Bill 14:
 SECTION 1: [Workers Compensation Act, Section 5.1]
 in respect of a claim for mental stress resulting from traumatic events in the
workplace, removes the requirement that the mental stress be an acute reaction to
an event;
 adds a provision to make mental stress resulting from a significant work-related
stressor, or a cumulative series of significant work-related stressors, compensable
under the Act.
All of the clocks in the movie Pulp Fiction are stuck on 4:20
In every episode of Seinfeld there is a Superman somewhere.
If you have any questions regarding Workers’ Compensation, yes WCB … they are NOT
LEGALLY WorkSafe BC, you can call:
Rob Bruno
Charlie Fraser
250-320-1609
778-220-7566
Pulp Friction
8
June 2012
PROVINCIAL COUNCIL REPORT
By Allan Ackles and Kyle Ackles
We would like to thank the membership for sending us down to the CEP Provincial Council
Meeting in Vancouver over the weekend of April 27-29. It was attended by the many sectors
of the CEP. Pulp, Paper, Media, Gas, and many composite Locals as well. Our Defense Fund is
sitting at over $42 million nationally. The Provincial Council has been looking into the idea of
raising the age of what we consider a young worker. It is currently sitting at 29 but we find
that there isn't necessarily that many members that are under that age working in our
industries.
Our organizing reps would like to see our Locals to start putting our slogan on things that we
sponsor, "THINK UNION, THINK CEP". It would help our Local at attracting new members
that want to organize. They also wanted to remind us that we can borrow the large CEP
banners from the National or Provincial at any time.
Our National membership is down to 110,000 members and we are always looking at getting
those numbers up. We are still missing out on organizing a lot of members up in the oil sands.
CLAC has still been running around organizing every company that doesn't want a real union
representing their employees. It would be nice to see more representation from the National
up there in the form of a rep and maybe we could get some more organizing campaigns
happening around that area.
Collective Agreements are being eroded by corporations with help from the Harper
Conservative government. Paper mills are collapsing and when they do, they go into bankruptcy
protection. When these corporations go into bankruptcy protection the last people to get paid
most of the time is the workers. They make sure that the shareholders and administration
and lawyers all get paid first. The workers that are off on WI usually get nothing. Some of
our Brothers and Sisters out East had their pensions cut by 40% when their companies went
into bankruptcy protection.
The Canadian dollar is generally being run by the Oil Industry. These pipelines to the USA and
overseas to have our oil refined are job killers. If that pipeline to the US goes through it will
only require 17 people to maintain it and will create hundreds of American jobs to refine it.
This is just a way of keeping decent paying jobs out of Canada and not enabling the average
Canadian to have their share in the wealth of the oil we have in this country.
Bill 377 is the newest attack on Canadian unions. The government is saying that the unions
need to be more transparent with the money we accept. Because we accept public money (in
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Pulp Friction
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June 2012
(Continued from page 8)
the form of union dues) we are considered a special interest group. This would mean that
anyone can see what we do with our dues that we collect and it will not be confidential and
shared with just our membership at our monthly meetings.
Things are tough right now for unions all over the country with the governments we have in
place. The agenda of the Harper Conservatives is becoming more transparent as they just
legislate unions back to work and don't allow the collective bargaining process run its course.
In some cases our Brothers and Sisters have had to settle for less than what they had been
offered initially due to being forced back to work. We need to stand strong and stand united
with all our Brothers and Sisters across this country. Always try to BUY UNION products,
SUPPORT UNION businesses, and THINK UNION.
Pulp Friction
10
June 2012
UNION DISPUTES/BOYCOTTS
By Kyle Ackles
I would like to start doing an article for Pulp Friction that would tell out membership about
labour disputes and boycotts that are ongoing.
Disputes:
 Rocky Mountain Rail Tours (Teamsters Local 31) are still on strike and have been on strike
since June 21, 2011. The major issues are overtime pay, seniority, and progressive
discipline.
 Gilwood Manufacturing in Chilliwack (United Steelworkers Local 2009) have been locked out
since March, 2012. Major issues are concessions, job security, hours of work, and wages.
Boycotts:
 Caterpillar - closed its London, Ontario plant after workers refused to take 50% pay cut.
Good article at: http://www.thestar.com/mobile/opinion/editorials/article/1126186-caterpillar-gives-ontario-harsh-lesson-in-union-busting-by-shutting-locomotive-plant
 Sodexo run cafeteria at Air Canada operations in Vancouver Airport (Local 40)
 Sklar Peppler, Alan White branded furniture, AW Manufacturing (United Steel Workers)
BUY UNION PRODUCTS, SUPPORT UNION BUSINESSES & THINK UNION
By Kyle Ackles
Hello Brothers and Sisters. I would like to start up an article for every Pulp Friction with an
up to date list of businesses in Kamloops that are unionized so we can support our Brothers and
Sisters in the Kamloops area. If anyone knows of businesses that are unionized in town please
email me [email protected] so that hopefully by the next issue of Pulp Friction we can
have a large list of businesses we should support.
Dearborn Ford – CEP, Local 10-B
Kamloops Dodge – CEP, Local 10-B
Smith Chev Olds – CEP, Local 10-B
Safeway - UFCW
Save-On Foods - UFCW
TRU Bookstore - CUPE
BC Liquor Stores - BCGEU
Extra Foods - UFCW
Kami Inn Pub - Local 40
I know there's more than this so please email me and I’ll add it to the list for next time.
Pulp Friction
11
June 2012
EMPLOYEE FAMILY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (EFAP)
By Wayne Pehowich
At an EFAP meeting June 20, 2012 the new counselor for our program was introduced to the
Committee. Cogi Smith, who has been the counselor for many years, is retiring and
Tamara Nesbitt is replacing her as our EFAP Counselor. Tamara has impressive credentials and
will be an excellent addition to our EFAP.
EFAP Library: the EFAP library has been relocated to south end of Main Shop. There is an
extensive coverage of many topics that would be of interest to you and your family. All
brochures are free for the taking as well as DVD’s.
Remember our Employee Family Assistance Program offers free and confidential counseling to
our employees and their families.
This counseling is offered through Thompson Nicola Employee & Family Counselling: phone
250-372-2262.
If you have any ideas to improve our EFAP program or seek additional reading material, please
contact an EFAP Representative.
Pulp Friction
12
June 2012
CEP Western Region Women’s Conference
By Kerri Cady
The CEP Western Region 6th Biennial Women’s Conference was held this year in Vancouver in
May. The focus of this Conference was “WO”mentorship and advancing women in the union.
The Conference was kicked off with Jim Britton, the President of our National, talking about
the New Union Project; the merger between CEP and CAW into a new union. He mentioned
some benefits that are believed to abound from this merger, including:
 a commitment to Canadian membership-driven social unionism
 CAW is where CEP aims to be at with it’s goals
 an increase in members resulting in a stronger union
 becoming the biggest industrial union in most provinces
 the inception of the new union potentially becoming implemented by mid 2013
If you would like more information on this new union you can find information on the web page:
www.newunionproject.ca
Gaetan Menard, the National Secretary/Treasurer, spoke passionately about the Montreal
strike movement and the hard won victory in lowering the cost of tuition for university
students. He impressed upon his audience the importance that female leaders had in helping
to bring about this result, but that we also need to keep moving forward, to keep challenging
the government and fighting against back to work legislation. He also covered the success that
unions had in helping to increase the dollar amount of minimum wage, again imploring everyone
to keep fighting for a better pension and a better economy.
The Keynote Speaker, Libby Davies, is a Member of Parliament for the NDP and has a strong
passion for fighting for basic human rights in the community. She spoke to the need of
connecting the unions to government and local community. She quoted “Activism is not the end
result but what you do”, imploring people to act small but think big.
The second day of the Conference consisted of attending seminars. I was fortunate enough to
attend the seminar covering the history of our union: CEP 101. I learned a lot about the
benefits of having unions, the role of women in the unions, as well as the inequality that still
abounds today in some workplaces. Needless to say, it was an eye-opener for me as I thought
that as human beings we had advanced beyond these outdated practices.
The third day of Conference was opened with an inspirational presentation by Kate McKinley.
She spoke of how she was moved when reading a book written by a husband and wife team,
(Continued on page 13)
Pulp Friction
13
June 2012
(Continued from page 12)
Nicholas D Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, titled “Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into
Opportunity for Women Worldwide”. The book covers women and young girls from all over the
world and the injustices and oppression that they are forced to endure. This inspired Kate to
become a supporting sister in Women for Women International, an organization featured in the
book. This organization’s goal is to “provide women survivors of war, civil strife and other
conflicts with the tools and resources to move from crises and poverty to stability and
self-sufficiency, thereby promoting viable civil societies.” For more information you can visit
their site www.womenforwomen.org.
It was put to our Local that we sponsor one of these women and I encourage you to learn more
about it!
Patty Barrera, Director of Special Projects and Political Action at CEP, spoke to the concern of
how unions have come under scrutiny and attack by the federal government. She encouraged
union members to get involved at the local level and to stand up for our triumphs that have
been hard won. She also encouraged everyone, union members and non-union members alike, to
call, email, write, or request a meeting with our MP. If you are looking for guidance in taking
action but don’t know where to start, you can follow the links on the CEP website.
Elections were also held for the Western Regional Women’s Committee with the new members
elected being: Lisa Patallas, Charlene Matheson, Kim Conway, and Brenda Mason.
The Conference closed with mini-interviews from inspirational and successful women including:
Irene Lanzinger (the first teacher to assume a top post in a provincial Federation of Labour as
the Secretary/Treasurer of the B.C. Federation of Labour in 2010), Carolyn Rice (the newly
elected Chair of the NDP Women’s Rights Committee), Colleen Talbot (representative of the
local and national Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Associations), Joey Hartman (the first
woman in the Vancouver & District Labour Council to be elected as president in 2011),
Tria Donaldson (a youth activist campaigning for the
wilderness committee), and Heather Deal (currently
holding several local and regional appointments).
The overall message that I took away from this
Conference was that women still have a lot to fight
for, but that we all need to continue the fight or risk
losing ground that was previously won; that everyone,
union and non-union members alike, need to support
each other in order to succeed.
Pulp Friction
14
June 2012
Brothers and Sisters:
So … are you starting to feel bad about yourself and your choice of employers yet? Have the
constant attacks on the workers in this Mill started to affect your job satisfaction and your
home life? Does burying your head in the sand as soon as you walk through the gates seem like
a pretty reasonable idea? Well, that’s because it is a good idea … if you want this crap to
carry on forever. Or you can take the extra time now available to you during your breaks to
catch up on what’s been going on lately and then do something about it!
For the last year or so, the heat has been turned up on Local 10-B. “A” Mill is going down, we
aren’t going to make our permits, the safety record is horrible, production sucks and on and on.
It’s almost as if we are in control of this place, which we are not. We can only do our jobs with
what we are given and lately we can’t even get enough maintenance money to fix our Mill, let
alone a little bit of support and encouragement from back East. We are being held hostage to
the detriment of our own worksite. They will have you believe that the people in this Mill have
not done enough to satisfy the hunger of those who control our destiny, but I am here to tell
you different.
Up until the time that Eric Ashby left, things were pretty much sailing along the way they have
since he came to the Mill. The mantra that he always used was “no surprises”, meaning no
sneak attacks, no dirty politics and mutual respect for the job that the other side had to do.
We overcame some major hurdles along the way that resulted in some major benefits to the
Mill and all of its employees, number one being that we still have a Mill at all! The list is quite
long but I’ll itemize some of the more important milestones.
1. Local 10-B and Domtar sat down with Kamloops City Council to try and equalize the taxes on
this Mill with other Mills in B.C. We were paying more and after deliberations with Council,
Domtar’s taxes were significantly reduced, resulting in million dollar savings for this Mill.
Kamloops taxpayers will have to make up the difference or suffer with less. Thank you,
Kamloops.
2. The CEP National and Local 10-B, as well as many other parties across Canada rallied the
federal government for help during the worst wood manufacturing crisis in Canadian history
and that resulted in the $1 Billion dollar green transformation fund being given to some
players in the industry, of which we were one. Over $50 million dollars to upgrade our Mill
is coming out of Canadian taxpayer’s dollars. Thank you, Canada.
3. Local 10-B had the pine beetle rally and the provincial arm of the CEP had rallies around the
province to have beetle kill lumber brought into the Mill for production before it couldn’t
be used. Domtar also used their influence on politicians to achieve the same result.
Presently, approximately 50% of our raw product is beetle kill lumber that is shipped in
(Continued on page 15)
Pulp Friction
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June 2012
(Continued from page 14)
from right across the road. Talk about buying local.
4. Local 10-B launched the Slash pile initiative. We were trying to get the government to stop
the slash burning in the forest and have this wood brought into the Mills to make power.
Even Kevin Krueger, who HATES us, wanted to talk the Local about supporting this idea.
Once again, I believe Domtar used its resources to rally government and we reached a
certain degree of success, although hard to measure because of the remoteness of the
logging companies practices.
5. The CEP Wage Delegates across the province went into the 2008 bargain with the industry
in crisis. Mills were falling off the map like dominoes and those who were left were
hog-tied. We got our asses kicked from Vancouver to Prince George and back and wound up
with a bottom line Main Wage settlement in the province. What was left of Local 10-B got
eaten in the Local Bargain and we ultimately gave Domtar what they wanted: dual trades,
temporary supervisors, job rotation and increased flexibility.
Now it is 2012, and we are getting ready to bargain from a much different perspective: We
have over $50 million of taxpayer dollars invested in our Mill; we have less environmental
impact on our community; we make a shitload of power for export to the US market; we
achieved the job rotation, dual trades and everything else Domtar asked for in the bargain and
yet we sit here and watch Domtar call us “dirt” on a daily basis. It really makes coming
through those gates an unbearable drag.
(SShhh. Don’t tell anybody. Want to know what really happened? When Eric Ashby left last
year, he was halfway through a huge management shake-up. Gord Kerfoot, the most
knowledgeable leader in this Mill in my opinion, left abruptly. Mike Gregson, Operations
Supervisor for over the last decade, left abruptly. And Eric took the opportunity to redo his
team line up. The only problem was he was the only one with the vision and goals in his mind to
recreate his management dream, and our new Mill Manager, Carol Lapointe, inherited a
management nightmare! Nobody on the management team knew their new responsibilities.
Nobody had any idea who answered to who. Nobody had any idea what the new goal was, let
alone how to achieve it. I truly feel sorry for Carol because these circumstances left this Mill
looking really bad. I’m not a “shoulda, woulda, coulda” kind of guy but everybody should have
gone back and manned their previous jobs when Eric left, fill in the places for the two missing
supervisors, and let Carol set his own goals and create his own management team rather than
inherit someone else’s vision. But alas, it was not to be. Ramble on.)
So folks, here’s my suggestions for a more fulfilling work life. Be proud of yourselves. We
have done a lot to get us to where we are today. I know that no matter what happens, it will
be and always has been the workers in this Mill that keep pulp streaming out of the Machine
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(Continued from page 15)
Room. So take your newfound extra time without TV privileges to read your Contract, catch up
Standing Committee business, peruse the JSC minutes, study the CEP Constitution and Bylaws,
write a letter, engage your Union Executive and become a more active member of this Local.
It is the perfect opportunity to use your time to support your Wage Delegates and increase
your overall Union knowledge. It’s kind of funny when you think about it ... the Company,
through their negative words and actions, will once again help create better Unionists for the
future than the Union ever could. Amen Brothers and Sisters, and take care of each other!
In Solidarity,
Bob Stephens
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