Wage Delegate Update

Daryl, Phil and I have just returned from Vancouver and 2 days of meetings with Ron Buchhorn, Dale Shimell, Kim Pedersen and Krista Tremblay. The result of the last 2 days is a framework for a tentative agreement that may be submitted to the Board of Directors as early as this Thursday. If the Board signs off on this proposal then we will start holding information sessions next week to provide you with all of the information and give you some soak time to think about what this agreement will do for you and the future of this mill. If possible we could hold special meetings and voting the following week.

Pete Rayburn

#3 Paper Machine Update

The Company finally received the manning numbers that PIC require for the #3 Project. They are asking for 2 M/W's, 2 Welders, and 1 labourer for next week on 8 hr days, not the 10 hr day that was previously announced. These numbers are extremely disappointing and makes me a little intrigued as to just how the hell are these guys going to dismantle that machine with this number of people. We are going to have to be very diligent in monitoring this contractor and ensuring that they will not try to bring their own people on site. We have been assured by Ron Buchhorn that these contractors have been told that all work related to the dismantling of #3 will be done by our members.

Pete Rayburn

Wage Delegate Update

Phil, Daryl and myself have been meeting with Ron Buchhorn, Dale Shimmel, Kim Pedersen, Krista Tremblay and facilitator Bert Painter for the last 2 days and have finally started to put some details around a framework proposal to take to the Board of Directors and to the membership of Local 592. There still are a few details and specifics to be worked out and we have scheduled 3 or 4 more days to get this stuff hammered out. The Wage Delegates all agree that we will not release any specifics on this proposal until the entire package is put together.

I know some people have been asking about violating "main wage" and our status within the Pulp and Paper caucus. I believe we have handled all of the issues with great respect to the caucus. From the start of these talks we have set the priority to be the welfare of our members (Local 592) over our status in the caucus. It will be the caucus that will decide our fate as voting members, not us. But again I feel that we have been very creative in dealing with those perceived "main wage" items.

Its Friday night so I'm going to pour me a drink, relax and try to forget this crap for two wonderful days and get back at it on Monday. Hope to see you all on Monday night at the General Meeting.

Pete Rayburn
President CEP Local 592

October Forward Look

The October Forward Look is now online. You can view it here.

There are very few articles in this month's edition. It appears that none of us feels much like writing these days, myself included. Currently, the plan is to go completely online in January and I'll be looking after that. More information will be forthcoming on how to submit articles. I also hope to provide some of the more interesting items that are currently in the print addition. We get these from CALM. Additionally, I will try to provide a link to some of the BC Fed releases, especially the Labour Disputes release.

I will continue to post it as a .pdf file but I am considering posting it in blog format also, possibly as a completely separate blog. That may provide opportunities for letters to the editor via the comments section (moderated, of course).

All of this assuming I am reelected as Recording Secretary in November.

In solidarity,

Tim

#3 Paper Machine Project

The Company has announced that Khana (the new owners) have contracted Precision Industrial Contractors Inc. to dismantle and crate #3 Paper Machine. PCI will be utilizing our laid-off trades people and labourers but have not yet provided the exact numbers they require. They have informed us that they intend to work a 5 day/10 hour shift schedule. Under our collective agreement our members will be entitled to 2 hours OT each day. Although some of our senior people may feel they should be entitled to this OT, you must realize that these guys would not be working if there were no project. Also this contractor is contracted by Khana and not Catalyst and as such our people will be working for the contractor under their supervision but the wages and benefits are covered under our collective agreement.

The laid-off trades and labourers will have the first right of refusal for this work. You should realize that if you refuse this work then you will not recieve any other work. We have been told that this project will take approximately 4 months.

During the duration of the project those people will have no claim to OT rights back in the mill trades and the mill trades will no OT rights in the project. We will get any further information out to you ASAP.