Local 1-2010

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President's Corner

The WSIB and You

Dallan LP Members began Bargaining May 30th, 2023. I’d like to congratulate and acknowledge the great efforts of Jeremy B and Rob D, as well as your president. This bargaining committee produced really great gains for the members of this unit. Here are some highlights from the agreement renewal;  double time for stat days, 2 more floaters over the term, increases on shift differential, clothing allowance, pension payments, medical benefits and last but not least, approximately 24% in wage increases over the term. This group is also in the middle of a vote to add another classification to their collective agreement:  AZ Truck driver. If successful this unit will see 6 new members, just to start! I expect that the addition of Dallan Trucking into the pulp mill agreement will over time have a great impact on the number of members working at this site. Important to note that there is a vacancy within our grievance committee. Give John a hand and get involved. 

Dallan FW (Thunder Bay Resolute Sawmill)

During the last 6 months the Thunder Bay Resolute Sawmill site has had a transformation! As I had reported last Echo, Resolute was expanding their storage capabilities by developing land adjacent to the present sawmill footprint. I’m happy to report today that the expansion has been completed, doubling the storage of finished and dried lumber, as well as tripling the size of their log storage capacity.   

The union's bargaining committee at Resolute’s Fort William sawmill site will be heading into bargaining on October 31st, November 1st and 2nd, 2023. I hope to update everyone in the next Echo edition on our great success. I’m hopeful we will see similar, if not better gains at the sawmill site as we bargained at the pulp mill. 

Woodland’s operations

UPDATE - The newly added “special bonus payment” Pg 117 of your collective agreement.

Special bonus based on the market is adjusted semi-annually, the calculation is made on June 30 and December 31 of each year according to the average prices of the target indicator published in the 6 months preceding the calculation. Special bonus based on the market, is paid if the average of the target indicator is at $824 USD or above. In the event that the average price of the target indicator reaches $824 USD or more, the special bonus, based on the market, of $1.00 per hour would be paid for every hour worked. Unfortunately, as most are aware the price of lumber hasn’t been as strong as it was during the covid months. Which is good if you’re needing to buy lumber, but not favourable for us to receive the extra dollar per hour. The outlook for housing starts in the future looks promising, which should have an effect on the cost of lumber.

 Copies of the new agreement have been distributed to stewards. If you have not received one, please reach out to your steward or come down to your union hall in Thunder Bay.

We have 2 new contractors working on the English River and Wabigoon Forests. Welcome, St-Onge Logging and Multi TM. 

In my June report I had reported a few issues transporting wood to our members at the Atikokan and Ignace sawmills. 

This summer was no different. Once again! we had issues supplying enough wood to our two sawmills. Transporting from stump to dump has been challenging. The woodland operations have been working very hard to supply wood to these facilities. More union trucking is needed. 

It is my goal to organize all committees within each operation. If you see a posting for any of our committees, reach out and ask questions. Don’t be afraid to help shape your working life. 

On a personal note, I would like to thank Mr. Willard Coderre for his many years of service to the local. I wish you the best. 

Wanson Lumber 

Bargaining began June 5th, 2023. I am happy to report that the members at Wanson Lumber ratified a new 3-year deal with wage increases of 9% plus 1% bonus throughout the term. 

Winter will soon be here; I hope you all have a happy and safe holiday season with family and loved ones.  

Take care of each other. WORK SAFE!

Merry Christmas and all the best in the New Year! 

In Solidarity;

Jason Lacko

Hello Sisters and Brothers.

Hi everyone, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! May the new year bring a lot of health and happiness to all of you. 

It’s been a busy year as we had more negotiations and training for our Brothers and Sisters. We held the safety training in Hearst on the 7th & 8th of September 2023 and we had a steward training held in Thunder Bay on October 4th & 5th, 2023.

Maison Renaissance 

We reached an agreement with Maison Renaissance on the 13th of September 2023. The ratification vote was held on the 24th of September and was accepted by our members. It’s a 3 year collective agreement where we see gains in the wages and benefits. We were also able to get a wage adjustment for every employee and 5 paid sick days at 80% of your wage for those sick days.

Columbia Forest Products shop

We were in negotiation on September 18th to the 22nd 2023, where no progress was made. We then applied for conciliation. We did meet with our members on October 1st, 2023, to explain to them the situation we are facing. We will be in negotiation on November 14th and 15th, 2023. Hopefully in the next Echo I will have better news to report regarding this negotiation.

White River Forest Products 

We were in negotiation with the company from October 10th to 13th, 2023, where a tentative agreement was reached with the company. We will meet with the members on the 21st of November, 2023, where we will be presenting it to them and ask them to vote on it. In the next ECHO, I will be able to comment more regarding this negotiation.

Upcoming negotiations

Regarding Hearst community living and Hearst CO-OP we are still waiting for dates to start the negotiations. I will be able to report on these negotiation in our next ECHO.

We need to have elections for our next Triennial Convention that will be held in Hearst on the 18th and 19th of April 2024. That means that we must hold the elections for our steward, our grievance committee and for the women’s committee.

We have outstanding grievances in effect in different units where we are working on them. Unfortunately, we have some going to arbitration since no agreement was reached between the Union and the company.

Unfortunately, winter is inevitably on its way. Please be careful driving on the winter roads as they can be very slippery and not well maintained. Make sure you have the proper winter tires on and that your vehicle is in proper condition for those rough winter months ahead of us. 

My Brothers and Sisters I want again to take this opportunity to wish you and all your family a merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

In Solidarity;

Guy Veilleux

Brothers and Sisters. I hope that this summer has been a good one for you.  Since our last Union Echo, we have been busy with negotiations, arbitrations, and dealing with grievances.  

Canadian Blood Services

On October 6th, we finally got a decision from the Board on what changes in the Collective Agreement our members from Canadian Blood Services out of Sudbury would see. You may recall that because they are considered essential services same as nurses working in hospitals, members working for CBS are not entitled to strike, so on September of last year the Local applied with the minister for Interest Arbitration under HLDAA (Hospital Labour Disputes Arbitration Act). This process is there when the parties agree that the matters between them are in dispute and that a single arbitrator will decide since we can’t strike. After several hearings, the board directed the parties to a 2-year agreement (April 1, 2022, to March 31, 2024), a 3.5% wage increase April 1, 2022, and a “Me too Clause” for the wage increase for April 1, 2023, a training premium of $1.00 per hour, and some minor change in language in the Collective Agreement. 

Rockshield EWP

On June 11th, 2023, the membership working for Rockshield EWP (Engineer Wood Products) out of Cochrane Ontario ratified at 59% a new 3-year collective agreement. This new agreement brings an average wage increase of 14%, with increases to the tool allowance, boot allowance, and clothing allowance. Members also got a $500.00 signing bonus.  

Centre de Santé du Grand Sudbury

On May 15th, 2023, we met with the members from Centre de Santé in Sudbury where they ratified at 85% their new 3-year collective agreement. This new agreement brings a 4% wage increase. With increases in vacation days off for members with more then 20 years of service, an increase in the pension plan, an increase for professional services such as chiro., osteo., naturopath, and massage therapy, and an increase in travelling expenses. 

Moonbeam Municipal Workers 

On October 11th, 2023, the Local was successful in organizing a new group who work for the municipality of Moonbeam Ontario. These 6 individuals are public workers for the township of Moonbeam. We are scheduled to meet with their employer to negotiate for them their first Collective Agreement.  We’d like to welcome the 6 new members to our organization. 

Triennial Convention 

In preparation for our next Triennial Convention coming up next year, I will be holding membership meetings to re-elect our stewards, committee members, and delegates to attend the Convention. Postings will be put up on the bulletin boards for each worksite with time and place of when the meeting for your work site will take place. Monitor your bulletin boards at your workplace. 

Wishing everyone a great Holiday Season. Stay safe.   

In Solidarity;

Eric Carroll

Hello Brothers and Sisters!

A lot has happened since the last edition of the Echo. Some good increases for the Resolute Atikokan and Ignace sawmills, as well as the Dallan operations outside of each of those mills. I will break down the numbers for each unit in this report. I had the opportunity to take some vacation time over the summer which I spent with family and friends, which I enjoyed.

Resolute Atikokan Sawmill

After the Local was made aware that Resolute had reopened the collective agreements at both the Thunder Bay Sawmill and Pulp Mill, the local approached Resolute. We wanted the same increases given to the people we represent at the Atikokan and Ignace sawmills. After some time, we received dates in June. At that time the CBA was reopened with the company offering very decent wage adjustments and wage increases as well as improvements to benefits, vacation, shift premiums, long term disability, life insurance, vision care, dental care, overtime.  Wage adjustments and increases amounted to approximately 24% for production and 28% for trades. There was also a good improvement for maternity leave. The new MOA was ratified by the members in Atikokan resoundingly. It was great to see the people getting good increases for years to come. The new agreement expires in 2028. On a side note we were also able to have present, at the ratification votes, a Ukrainian translator. The new Ukrainians make up just over 50% percent of the workforce, and without them the now increased production would not be possible. It was important for us to have the Ukrainians be able to come and ask questions at the ratification vote meetings as the collective agreement belongs to them as well. The translator, named Yurii, is also now on the joint H&S committee which is great to see. The outlook is very positive at the Resolute Atikokan sawmill, an additional dry kiln is also being built. Resolute is investing in the mill, which is great for the future.

Resolute Ignace Sawmill

The Resolute Ignace Sawmill was able to get the same recent increases as the Resolute Atikokan Sawmill. The Ignace mill is much smaller than the Atikokan mill but the members there make up for that with their dedication and hard work. Recent staffing issues have been challenging for the members there, but the company is trying to work through them to bring additional workers into the fold. I believe the recent increases in wages and benefits might help. The members in Ignace ratified the new MOA at 100%. The workers at the Ignace sawmill saw improvements in wage adjustments, wage increases, benefits, vacation, shift premiums, long-term disability, life insurance, vision care, dental care and overtime. Percentage increases for the members at the Ignace Sawmill are identical to the increases at the Atikokan Mill. Approximately 24% for production and 28% for trades. All of this looks positive for the future of the Ignace Sawmill. On a personal note, I would like to thank Isabelle Colby the steward at the Ignace Sawmill, for her work, dedication, positive attitude and willingness to learn in order to represent her co-workers at the mill. Isabelle is leaving for a new opportunity with another company. Thank you Isabelle!

Dallan Atikokan & Dallan  Ignace

The recent ratification of new MOA’s at the Atikokan and Ignace sawmills directly affect the Dallan operations at both the Atikokan and Ignace sawmills. Dallan has a me-too agreement at both locations, so when a collective agreement is ratified the Dallan operators outside of each location will receive the same improvements that the sawmill workers receive. They as well will receive the same wage increases, adjustments and improvements as I have noted in each report above. On another note, Jaydan Ray the JHSC representative for Dallan Ignace, was able to attend the annual H&S meeting in September for Local 1-2010, where he received training on accident scene investigation. Gary Ray, steward for the Dallan Ignace operations, and Cory Peterson, steward for the Dallan Atikokan operations, both attended the Local 1-2010 annual steward meeting in October where they both received training in Psychosocial Hazards and Workplace Mental Health, as well as Workplace Violence and Harassment.

Gateway Casino

Gateway Casino is starting to finally see the patron levels come back to what they were pre-covid. Some of the staffing issues are also starting to improve, which is beneficial for everyone there. Some of the food offerings are starting to come back with Prime Rib being offered again as well as other food specials. We have had labour management meetings with the company on a consistent basis to bring forward any issues before they become problems. The Local also participated jointly with Gateway Casino on a charity carwash in August to support the Diabetes program at St. Joseph’s Foundation of Thunder Bay. Over $4,000.00 was raised at the event with all the funds staying in the community. The Local would like to thank all of the people that helped out to make the event a great success! Hopefully next year we will be able to participate again. In the spring/summer of next year I will begin taking demands from the members as their collective agreement will expire in October of next year. I am looking forward to hearing from the members so that I can create the proposal based on their demands next fall. The stewards, Marilyne Saville, Shayne Savor and Mike DiTomaso, attended the annual stewards meeting for Local 1-2010 in October where they received training in Psychosocial Hazards and Workplace Mental Health along with Workplace Violence and Harassment. Sister April Johnson attended the Local 1-2010 annual H&S meeting in September where she received training on Workplace Accident Investigation.

Nakina Forest Products

During the summer I was in Nakina and Geraldton taking demands from the members that work at the Nakina Sawmill. Their collective agreement expired at the end of August of this year. We have some dates set to negotiate with the company in October as of the day that I am writing this report. The members there were on a start-up agreement in order to re-open the mill after being closed for many years. The bargaining committee and myself are looking forward to getting some fair increases for the members there to try to catch up to the industry. Nakina is a smaller operation than most other mills but they produce high quality and specialty lumber for the lumber industry. Cody Kostelecky, the steward at the Nakina Sawmill, recently attended the annual steward meeting that Local 1-2010 puts on every year, and received the same training that the other stewards received that I outlined in my reports on each of the other units I represent.

I would like to wish all of the members a safe and happy holiday season and drive safe on the winter roads!

In Solidarity;

Wesley Ridler