The recent catastrophe of pattern bargaining is almost behind us and we are now facing an even greater threat. Our employer is refusing to bargain on local issues unless we are willing to capitulate and give them the right to hire temporary workers. The pattern agreement threatens every member's job. We will see, in the very near future, other Union members doing the work that was traditionally ours. This will lead to less of us working. And each of us working under the threat that our jobs maybe done away with, as our responsibilities are passed on to another. Instead of job creation, we will see our numbers decimated while West Fraser continues to plunder the forests that belong to the people of this province.
What are these resources for but to be used to benefit the citizens of British Columbia? We should expect that BC's resources should be used to create jobs for our members and profits for our employer. Both must be tied together.
Eurocan clearly understands that contracting out our work is far more expensive than having the members of this Union do what they know best. Instead of enabling us to achieve greater successes, they now want to hire temporary workers instead of contractors to work "only when needed". This will create a workforce of underpaid part time workers unable to support families, pay taxes, and support the community they live in. And to what end? To increase profits at the cost of jobs in this city.
We are further insulted by Eurocan's statements that the pattern agreement is too rich and our efforts to increase production are not worthy the pittance agreed to.
We stand at a turning point in the history of working people in this province. The struggles of heroes lay behind us. Many great men and women have suffered greatly to allow us the standard of living that is fast being eroded. We stand on the shoulders of heroes, many of whom were beaten by company ruffians, jailed, and shot for the hope that their children would grow up to have jobs with real wages that they could live on. Many were blacklisted, many went hungry. Many were ruined by employers that would not let them purchase from the company store. They stood in the gap for us, as we must stand now for our children and our community.
If we allow Eurocan to continue running while stripping us of our jobs, our wages, and our dignity as skilled workers, then there will be nothing left for those that come after us.
I urge you to tell Mr. Ketcham, Mr. Schroeder and Mr. Potts to go back to the forests they came from. Canadians will not tolerate being made a third world country by American profiteers. Give our local Union leadership a strong strike vote and lets take the summer off if necessary to end this dismal backward slide.
Brian Liberman
CEP Local 298