by United Steelworkers

The United Steelworkers are on strike against the Coastal Forest Industry over respect and dignity issues.

One of the main issues in the Coast strike is the unilateral right that the companies have to implement alternate shifts that result in workers working up to 15 – 16 hours per day, all at straight time rates of pay.

In some cases, employers have put workers on punishing shifts, such as 6 days on and 3 days off. Workers on this shift only get 2 weekends out of every 9 weekends off to be with their families. You can well imagine the impact the impact that this has on family life.

These shifts leave workers fatigued and burned out. They are unable to spend quality time with their families or participate in community activities.

Some of the 43 fatalities that occurred in the forest industry in 2005 can be directly attributed to the shifts that the Industry has imposed on its workers.

The callous attitude of some companies toward the safety of their employees is reflected in their refusal to agree to contract language that would allow all of their employees to take off the remainder of the day when a fatality occurs in the operation.

Another of the main issues in this strike is the abysmal treatment of contractors by the major forest companies.

The major forest companies have been squeezing their contractors to the point where it is nearly impossible for them to make a living. Some of the majors want to divide up existing stump-to-dump contracts into smaller and smaller contracts and pit contractor against contractor, leading to a rapid race to the bottom.

Three of the major licensees on the Coast of British Columbia have betrayed their employees, their contractors and the communities. In 2003, they promised to invest $1 billion if they got a concessionary Collective Agreement and Forest Policy changes. They got both.

Rather than live up to their promise of a $1 billion investment, the majors have closed mills, increased log exports, and abused their employees and their contractors. Now they want more.