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LOOKING AHEAD
The voice of the union worker will be heard once again, in 1986
SEE PAGE 2 AND THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
GENERAL OFFICERS OF
THE UNITED BROTHERHOOD of CARPENTERS & JOINERS of AMERICA
GENERAL OFFICE:
101 Constitution Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001
GENERAL PRESIDENT
Patrick J. Campbell 101 Constitution Ave., N.W. Washington, D.C. 20001
FIRST GENERAL VICE PRESIDENT
Sigurd Lucassen
101 Constitution Ave., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20001
SECOND GENERAL VICE PRESIDENT
Anthony Ochocki
101 Constitution Ave., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20001
GENERAL SECRETARY
John S. Rogers
101 Constitution Ave., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20001
GENERAL TREASURER
Wayne Pierce
101 Constitution Ave., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20001
GENERAL PRESIDENT EMERITUS
William Sidell William Konyha
DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS
First District, Joseph F. Lia 120 North Main Street New City, New York 10956
Second District, George M. Walish
101 S. Newtown St. Road
Newtown Square, Pennsylvania 19073
Third District, John Pruitt 504 E. Monroe Street #402 Springfield, IHinois 62701
Fourth District, E. Jimmy Jones 12500 N.E. 8th Avenue. #3 North Miami. Florida 33161
Fifth District, Eugene Shoehigh 526 Elkwood Mall - Center Mall 42nd & Center Streets Omaha, Nebraska 68105
Sixth District, Dean Sooter 400 Main Street #203 RoUa, Missouri 65401
Seventh District, H. Paul Johnson Gramark Plaza
12300 S.E. Mallard Way #240 Milwaukie, Oregon 97222
Eighth District, M. B. Bryant 5330-F Power Inn Road Sacramento, California 95820
Ninth District, John Carruthers 5799 Yonge Street #807 Willowdale, Ontario M2M 3V3
Tenth District, Ronald J. Dancer 1235 40th Avenue, N.W. Calgary, Alberta, T2K OG3
Secretaries, Please Note
In processing complaints about magazine delivery, the only names wtiich tlie financial secretary needs to send in are the names of members who are NOT receiving the magazine. In sending in the names of mem- bers who are not getting the maga- zine, the address forms mailed out with each monthly bill should be used. When a member clears out of one local union into another, his name is automatically dropped from the mailing list of the local union he cleared out of. Therefore, the secre- tary of the union into which he cleared should forward his name to the Gen- eral Secretary so that this member can again be added to the mailing list- Members who die or are suspended are automatically dropped from the mailing list of The Carpenter.
Patrick J, Campbell, Chairman John S. Rogers. Secretary
Correspondence for the General Executive Board should be sent to the General Secretary.
PLEASE KEEP THE CARPENTER ADVISED OF YOUR CHANGE OF ADDRESS
NOTE: Filling out this coupon and mailing it to the CARPENTER only cor- rects your mailing address for the magazine. It does not advise your own local union of your address change. You must also notify your local union ... by some other method.
This coupon should be mailed to THE CARPENTER, 101 Constitution Ave., N.W., Washington, D. C. 20001
NAME.
Local No.
Number of your Local Union must be given. Otherwise, no action can be taken on your change of address.
Social Security or (in Canada) Social Insurance No..
NEW ADDRESS.
City
State or ProviDce
ZIP Code
ISSN 0008-6843
VOLUME 106 No. 1 JANUARY, 1986
UNITED BROTHERHOOD OF CARPENTERS AND JOINERS OF AMERICA
John S. Rogers, Editor
IN THIS ISSUE
NEWS AND FEATURES
1 985 Roundup, 1 986 Outlook 2
Labor Movement Unified in '85; Outlook for Economy Uncertain . PAI 4
Today We Labor to See His Dream 5
UBC Forest Products Conference Board 6
CLIC Report 9
Home Builders: New L-P Boycott Target 10
Blueprint for Cure 13
National Reciprocal Agreements Protects Members Benefits 15
ILCA Awards 21
Missing Children 21
DEPARTMENTS
Washiington Report 8
Ottawa Report 12
Labor News Roundup 14
Local Union News 22
We Congratulate 25
Members in the News 26
Apprenticeship and Training 27
Retirees' Notebook 29
Consumer Clipboard 31
Plane Gossip 32
Service to the Brotherhood 33
In Memoriam , 37
What's New? 39
President's Message Patrick J. Campbell 40
Published monthly at 3342 Bladensburg Road, Brentwood, Md. 20722 by the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America. Subscription price: United States and Canada $10.00 per year, single copies $1.00 in advance.
THE COVER
A blanket of snow covers the Mall in Washington, D.C., and clusters of snow- flakes deck the trees which frame the United Brotherhood's General Offices at the foot of Capitol Hill. The cars move slowly along Constitution Ave., past the U.S. Department of Labor, housed in the building to the left of the UBC head- quarters.
Winter sometimes comes slowly to the nation's capital. The first snowfall oc- casionally comes on Christmas Day. It is not until the first months of the new year that a deep freeze sets in.
Weather forecasters predict that some- time during the month of January we will have a few days of thaw — an annual crack in the refrigerator door which offers a brief glance at spring. One meteorology professor who has kept his eye on the January thaw for years says, "It's not folklore. It appears about two winters out of three. It's worth a $3 bet that it will show up this year . . . but no more."
An old-time Washington, D.C., news- paperman probably had a January thaw in mind when he wrote these lines:
"Oh, what a blamed uncertain thing
This pesky weather is!
It blew and snew and then it thew
And now, by jing, it's friz."
Legend says that the "thew" comes about mid-January in the Midwest, a little earlier farther west, and between the 18th and 23rd in the eastern states. As for the Canadian provinces, the prospects are a bit uncertain.
NOTE: Readers who would like additional copies of our cover may obtain them by sending 50i in coin to cover mailing costs to. The CARPENTER. 101 Constitution Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001.
LOOKINC AHEAD
The voice oj the union worker uiltt be heard once again fn 1936
Printed in U. S. A.
1©©D3
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0 for more Job opportunities 0 less indebtedness and bad credit 0 a balanced trade program
THE VOICE OF THE UNION WORKER WILL BE HEARD ONCE AGAIN IN 1986
Where do we go from here?
We ask ourselves this question as a new year begins.
The answer lies in many areas of uncertainty. Key questions are these: Where are the new jobs? Where are the job opportunities?
The United States and Canada will begin to move forward again when there is purchasing power in the hands of more and more of the nation's workers.
Money well spread through the pop- ulation is what makes the economy thrive — not excess profits, not cheap labor, and not stock manipulations. Real income — the gain in the value of your money from year to year — is down for most people.
Let us give you a few of the so-called economic indicators which have accu- mulated during the past month:
The civilian unemployment rate in the United States edged down slightly to 7% in November. This change re- sulted in part from a decline of 92,000 in the civilian labor force at that time, hi December Christmas shopping brought the workforce up a bit. and the picture undoubtedly improved slightly. Nevertheless, the unemployment rate is far above the 4% rate judged ac- ceptable by most economists.
The U.S. Labor Department said about 8.1 million Americans are ac- tively seeking jobs but unable to find work. Among major worker groups, teenage unemployment remains very high at 18.4%. Blacks are 15.9% un- employed; Hispanics, 10.7%).
Among the economic indicators, some were positive, some negative, and one, the speed with which orders are filled, was unchanged. Positive: increased money supply, increase in average workweek, growth in plant and equip- ment contracts, and a rise in building
permits. Orders for consumer goods dropped last year.
There are changes in Social Security this year. On January 1 the Social Security tax rate went up from 7.05%i to 7.15%). The increase will amount to $1.50 per month more for a person earning $1 .500 a month, for example, with a matching amount coming from the employer.
The earnings base — the maximum amount of annual earnings taxed for Social Security — rose to $42,000 this month, which is way above the annual income of most of our members. The 1985 base was $39,600. The increase is based on the change in average earn- ings levels from 1984 to 1985, according to the Social Security Administration.
A promising sign for 1986 is the drop in mortgage interest rates. In 1982 the average prospective home owner had to pay an average interest rate of 17.3% in the United States. As we begin 1986, the average home mortgage interest rate has dropped to 10.5%. Last month, the Veterans Administration dropped its home mortgage rate to 10.5%, as well.
There are steps being taken this year to curb the growing "underground economy" — those many cash transac- tions and similar measures taken to avoid taxes and other financial respon- sibilities. The Internal Revenue Service is increasing its computer surveillance of employer and employee income rec- ords for one thing.
In California, organized labor is backing a bill in the state legislature which would halt the flow of millions of dollars of construction and tax money into the underground economy of that state. The bill would prohibit banks, savings and loans, and other lenders from releasing construction money until It is proved that the borrowers have
met Social Security, disability, unem- ployment insurance, and workers' com- pensation insurance obligations.
The U.S. House of Representatives, last month, approved overwhelmingly a five-year, $10 billion toxic waste clean- up bill. For the first time, the Environ- mental Protection Agency is able to set up a definite timetable for cleaning up the dangerous and noxious chemical and nuclear-waste dumps festering around North America like so many boils.
Labor was strongly behind this leg- islation. Not only does the toxic waste bill offer freedom from toxic fears to many communities across the land, but it increases the penalties for polluters. A "right to know" provision sought by the AFL-CIO would require companies producing dangerous chemicals to re- port to local communities on the han- dling, storage, and emissions of chem- icals in nearby facilities.
Labor will renew its fight for plant- closing legislation. Congress failed to pass a modest plant-closing bill in 1985. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other groups claimed credit for defeat of the legislation after the last session of the Congress, but labor has not given up this fight and new plant-closing bills will be introduced later this month.
Construction spending has increased slightly in recent months. Although housing starts are still far below what they should be, commercial construc- tion remains high in many parts of North America.
The Union Labor Life Insurance Company's "J for Jobs" mortgage in- vestment account reached a record $155.27 million last July, a $19 million increase over its 1984 figure. The ac- count, which invests in job-creating, union-built real estate investments, grew
CARPENTER
at a very favorable 17.5% annualized rate of return during the 1984-85 fiscal year.
The War on Poverty in America con- tinues in 1986. Almost one in seven Americans currently lives below the poverty line, which is $10,609 for a family of four. Of nearly 34 million poor, more than 13 million are children. More than one out of every five children now lives in poverty.
The income gap between upper and lower-income families has been grow- ing, especially since 1980. It is now wider than at any time since the end of World War II. Census statistics show
that all income groups, except the rich- est fifth of the population, had less after-tax income in 1983 than in 1980. Between 1980 and 1984 there was a transfer of $25 billion in disposable income from poor and middle-income families to the richest fifth of the pop- ulation— the rich get richer, additional evidence of the need for tax reform.
Workers are under seige in every trade and industry across the country and the labor movement stands as the main line of defense, AFL-CIO Secre- tary-Treasurer Thomas Donahue said recently.
"No worker in American is unaf-
fected by the slow and sure destruction of America's industrial base or by the flood of imports that is sweeping Amer- ican products from our own market- place," Donahue said.
When people argue that the real trou- ble is not a job shortage but a labor surplus, then the whole society is put at risk. "We simply have to stop the hemorrhage of American jobs," Don- ahue said.
"We are the main line of defense for the plain people who are not trying to Uve high on the hog at the expense of their neighbors, who are just trying to pay the mortgage, put the food on the table and get kids through school. U3fi
DEALING WITH THE DEFICIT
Ever since Ronald Reagan became President in 1980, there's been talk from the Republican camp and the White House about balancing the federal budget. Much of it was just talk — Up service for the conservatives in the GOP.
At the beginning of his administration, President Reagan had talked much about how he used to have a balanced budget when he was governor of the State of California. Then he began to realize that the State of California budget is different. It doesn't spend billions on defense every year ... so the White House didn't talk so much about a balanced budget.
But the talk continued in Congress through much of 1985, until two Republican senators, Phil Gramm of Texas (a former Demo- crat) and Warren Rudman of New Hampshire, proposed a balanced budget amendment. Their proposed legislation bounced around Capitol Hill until late at night on December 1 1 when Congress approved it and sent it to the White House. The bill arranges a sweeping new system which theoretically will end federal deficit spending by 1991 by making massive cuts in social programs and the Defense Department, which will eventually make the tax burden easier on our grandchildren.
For the record, many economists believe that it will be necessary for the Reagan Administration to restore the tax cuts enacted in 1982 and 1983 if there is any hope of realistically solving the deficit problems. Continued on Page 28
"YOUR TROUBLE ISJHE COMPANY YOU KEEP. . . 5« PLEASE"
I
REFORMING THE TAX LAWS
The Republicans and their 1979 candidate, Ronald Reagan, campaigned on a vote-getting promise to cut federal taxes. Pres- ident Reagan kept that promise two years later, but his cuts helped those at the high end of the income scale but didn't help the average American worker much. It did, however, play havoc with the federal budget. The sharp drop in federal revenue helped to create the biggest federal debt in history. For the first time in many years it appeared that the Democrats were the fiscally- responsible political party and the Republicans were the wild spenders, due to top-heavy defense spending and tax write-offs for big business.
The Democrats, with strong support from organized labor, renewed their call for tax reform, so that the nation's millionaires and its multi-billion-dollar corporations would shoulder their share of the tax burden. The White House belatedly saw that tax reform was a good vote-getter for 1986, and President Reagan declared that tax reform was to be the number one priority of his second term in office. Early in 1985 he began touring the country on behalf of tax reform. Unfortunately, his party was not falling into Une behind him. Continued on Page 28
JANUARY, 1986
Labor Movement Unified in '85; Outlook for Economy Uncertain
The year 1985 came to a close with the labor movement more uni- fied in its sense of purpose, but with the economy stagnating and the na- tion facing runaway deficits and pos- sibly a deep recession.
The past year offered a mixed picture. Unemployment remained above 7%, a level which used to signify "recession," and less than one-third of the jobless received ben- efits. In this "growth recession," the lower-wage service sector con- tinued to grow while the factory sector lost jobs, often to low-wage imports. Record deficits, with the national debt doubling to $2 trillion under President Reagan's policies, created uncertainty even as Con- gress wrestled with tax reforms and the need for increased revenue.
On the labor front, many unions fought back and stopped or slowed the trend to concessions. Operating in a hostile climate, labor looked more to its own resources. The AFL- CIO convention marked the 30th anniversary of merger and adopted policies urging unions to use more flexibility in organizing and bargain- ing and to open their ranks to non- members so labor could resume its growth.
This is the story of 1984, told through the headline files of Press Associates:
JANUARY — Jobless rate edges up to 7.2%; 9.5 million out of work . . . Slower growth for manufacturers forecast by government . . . Watts says FAA report confirms worsening air traffic system . . . CWA says higher phone bills hurt elderly, poor, jobless . . . Reagan non-union in- augural casting call sparks labor protests . . . Kifkland blasts Treasury plan to tax worker benefits . . . Wiederkehr heads roofers as Roy Johnson retires . . . Kirk- land hits Social Security freeze . . . Rea- gan vows to stay the course of conserva- tive agenda in inaugural address . . . UAW angered over OSHA rejection of emergency formaldehyde rule . . . AFL- CIO warns new OMB powers threaten worker protections . . .
FEBRUARY— Jobless rate rises to 7.4% . . . Service Employees sue EPA on school asbestos 'cover-up' . . . Idaho unions win Injunction to block 'right-to- work' law . . . BLS says recessionary
trends continued in 1984 contracts . . . Rail unions ink pacts with Conrail to restore industry-level wages . . . Postal, federal union chiefs fight Hatch Act charges. . .Supreme Court extends U.S. wage rules to state, municipal workers . . . AFL-CIO calls for action on 'job deficit' . . . Paperworkers, OCAW plan merger . . . AFL-CIO blasts domestic cuts, urges defense spending freeze . . .
MARCH— AFL-CIO Council urges new approaches to spur resurgence of labor . . . Jobless rate 7.3%; nearly 10 million out of work . . . UAW, lUE hit end of Japan auto import curbs; urge action to save 200,000jobs . . . Nix Reagan's Med- icare, Medicaid cuts, broad coalition tells Congress . . . Striking Transport Work- ers say Pan Am is out to bust unions . . . Social Security '86 COLA hike cancelled by Senate GOP panel . . . Drozak pledges support to farmers, hits Reagan's veto of emergency farm bill . . . Court awards $5 million in backpay to Miami hotel strikers . . . Coke plant workers in Gua- temala win pact after 1-year sit-in . . . Yale pacts prove power of worker soli- darity . . . Kirkland attacks proposal to tax job-related benefits . . . Reagan blocks extra aid for long term unemployed . . . Labor welcomes naming of Brock as Labor Secretary . . . Labor urges plant shutdown bill to cushion impact . . . Textile, apparel unions, industry unite on import reform bill ....
APRIL — Jobless rate hangs at 7.3% as job growth falls short . . . Japan's plan to boost auto exports blasted by labor, business. Congress . . . High court gives public workers right to hearing before firing. . . Mayors, public employee unions hit Reagan city cutback plans . . . Senior citizen groups blast GOP Social Security cuts . . . 'Phase-out' of jobless benefits voted by Congress . . . Rights panel's 'no' to pay equity hit by labor, women's groups . . . Unions send 'RTW' law to Idaho referendum in '86 . . . World union movement urges sanctions against South Africa. . .50th anniversary of CIO marked by labor veterans . . . Brock wins bipar- tisan praise as he lakes over Labor Dept. . . OSHA is failing to protect work- ers from job hazards , congressional study finds ....
MAY — Jobless rate hangs at 7.3%; Man- ufacturingjobs decline . . . Senate rejects Social Security cuts, votes to freeze mil- itary spending . . . Brock names labor lawyer to key Labor Dept. post . . . Kruse elected leader of Roofers . . . Striking Louisiana-Pacific workers win
support from big shareholder . . . Rubber Workers win pacts with 'Big Four' tire- makers . . . TWU President William Lindner dies at age 65 . . . Senate scraps Social Security COLA . . . Operating Engineers' President Turner retires; Du- gan elected to finish term . . . NLRB's Dotson attacks labor, working press and academics . . . Trade panel finds import flood seriously hurts shoe industry . . . Senate confirms NLRB nominees . . . House budget keeps Social Security COLA, saves domestic programs, freezes Pentagon . . . AFL-CIO urges Congress to reject Reagan's subminimum wage . . .
JUNE — Nation's economy stalled; un- employment still at 7.3% . . . House backs sanctions against South African government . . . Labor urges Congress to overhaul Reagan tax proposals, make reforms fair for workers . . . AFL-CIO asks Congress to stop corporate raids on pension funds . . . Seniors rally to fight Social Security cuts . . . Iron Workers council elects Juel Drake to succeed Lyons . . . Airline Pilots sign new pact, end strike against United . . . Judge con- victs executives of murder in worker's cyanide poisoning death . . .Unions blast rejection of pay equity by EEOC . . .
JULY— Jobless rate at 7.3% for fifth straight month as national economy stag- nates . . . Unions can't fine members who scab, Supreme Court rules in back- ing NLRB ... 2.3 million manufacturing jobs lost in 35 states since 1979 . . . AFL- CIO's AIFLD expresses 'disgust' as Sal- vador murder suspect cleared . . . UAW wins wage hikes, job security in first pact at GM-Toyota plant . . . Executives get 25-year terms in worker's job-related death . . . General Electric unions ratify new three-year pacts . . . Business hails, labor ignores Wagner Act's 50th anni- versary . . . Apparel, textile unions urge new quota system to curb imports . . . Reagan tax planfavors rich and business, Kirkland says . . . Wage, benefit cuts spur walkout by USWA at Wheeling- Pittsburgh . . .
AUGUST— Jobless rate freezes at 7.3% for sixth straight month . . . Congress okays budget resolution preserving So- cial Security COLA . . . UAW's new pact with Saturn Corp. breaks new ground in auto industry . . . Union study urges worldwide action to prevent another Bhopal disaster . . . Federal court up- holds Pilots on key issues in United strike . . . UFCW urges banning lie detectors as bane to U.S. workers . . . Unions say worker rights endangered by new rail alcohol, drug rules . . . CWA demands that AT&T negotiate over surprise cut of 24,000 jobs . . . UAW celebrates 50th anniversary
SEPTEMBER— Jobless rate dips to 7.0%; still 'recession level,' AFL-CIO says . . . Poverty rate declined in '84, but 33.7 miUion remain poor. . .AFSCME to appeal court ruling on Washington State pay equity . . . Reagan stalls strike
Continued on Page 36
CARPENTER
' 'As I have said many times, and believe with all my heart, the coalition that can have the greatest impact in the struggle for human dignity here in America is that of the Negro and the forces of labor, because their fortunes are so closely intertwined. ' '
Martin Luther King in a letter to Amalgamated Laundry Workers, i%2
Today We L to See His D
The third Monday of this month, January 20, marks the first U.S. cele- bration of a national holiday dedicated to a black American hero. Dr. Martin Luther King. Dr. King, by his life and work, exemplified the spirit of broth- erhood and justice we in labor still struggle for today.
His life was dedicated to peace and to ensuring the right of all people to hve in decency and respect, free from the fear of oppression and injustice. We remember Dr. King as a humanitarian, committed to the civil rights struggle, who met his death while supporting the efforts of Memphis sanitation workers to achieve dignity.
Memphis, Tenn., in 1968, was the scene of a strike by 1 ,200 AFSCME Local 1173 members, a group of pre- dominately black sanitation workers. The City of Memphis had refused to recognize the union or to grant payroll dues deduction. Dr. King had come to Memphis to support the strike by lead- ing a non-violent march through the city. But it was not meant to be. A Continued on Page 38
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Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs, Wayne State University
Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday
Resolution enacted by the AFL-CIO at its '85 convention
WHEREAS, A goal pursued for 14 years by the AFL- CIO and its affiliates will be realized on January 15, 1986, when the birthday of the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. , will be celebrated for the first time as a national holiday; and
WHEREAS, Labor's advocacy of a holiday honoring the memory of Martin Luther King arose from the conviction that' no other American in our time has more fully exem- plified the spirit of brotherhood that alone can bring to birth a society of hberty and justice for all; and
WHEREAS, Trade unionists will never forget that Martin Luther King met his death from an assassin's bullet while supporting the peaceful struggle of Memphis sanitation workers to achieve dignity and a living wage through collective bargaining; and
WHEREAS. Observance of Martin Luther King's birth- day affords to every American an opportunity to honor and emulate his personal courage and unswerving fidelity to the cause of equal rights and equal opportunity; therefore, be it
RESOLVED: That the AFL-CIO, in the words of its Ninth Constitutional Convention, "pledges to continue its efforts to bring ftbout the day when the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., of dignity, justice and peace for all shall be fully realized;" and, be it further
RESOLVED: That the AFL-CIO calls upon all trade union organizations and their members lo initiate the ob- servance of Dr. King's birthday by participating in com- munity events that not merely pay tribute to his memory but that exemplify his spirit.
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Martin Luther King was a guest speaker at AFL-CIO conventions. Here he is intro- duced by the late AFL-CIO President George Meany.
JANUARY, 1986
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U.S. sessions of the new conference board were held in the General Office board room. Al top. President Patrick Campbell speaks to the initial /gathering. In the lower left picture, at the Canadian session, Fred Miron of Local 2693. Port Arthur, Ont., directs a question to Newfound- land Minister of Forestry Simms. Al lower right. Siinms responds to questions about aerial spraying of the spruce budworm and the hemlock looper, two forest pests.
UBC International Forest Products Conference Board Holds First Meeting, Charts Future Efforts
General President Patrick Campbell convened the first meeting of the UBC International Forest Products Confer- ence Board on November 13 and 14 at the General Office in Washington, D. C. Composed of key Canadian and U.S. Lumber and Plywood Council and Local Union representatives, the Board was formed to address challenges pre- sented by mill shutdowns, the intro- duction of new products and machin- ery, "overcapacity" in the industries, and anti-union efforts by major U.S. and Canadian forest products corpo- rations.
The Board heard reports on economic developments in the industry in both countries, including new products and investments. It also reviewed detailed information on the extent of union and non-union operations, and on the UBC's lumber and sawmill membership and collective bargaining relationships.
The Brotherhood's Industrial and Special Programs Departments had pre- pared reports on various aspects of the industry for the meeting. Each repre-
sentative also reported on problems and developments in his area. Representa- tives from UBC Canadian lumber and sawmill locals had gathered in Corner Brook. Newfoundland, in late October to hear reports on the current status of the Canadian forest products and paper industry, to discuss common problems, and to prepare a report on the Canadian
Mike Fishman, assistant to the general president for industrial. Representative Gonzo Gillingham, and lOth District Board Member Ron Dancer discuss the confer- ence agenda.
industry for the Board meeting.
In his opening remarks. President Campbell charged the Board with mak- ing recommendations for further orga- nizing and collective bargaining gains for the UBC's 50,000 members in the forest products industry. He repeated the International's willingness to com- mit resources for protecting the UBC's members in the industry, and for main- taining and expanding the union's role through targeted organizing efforts. The UBC, as the largest North American union with members in the forest prod- ucts industry, may be the only organi- zation capable of committing the re- sources needed to do the job, Campbell pointed out.
Board discussions covered the need for a better exchange of contracts and collective bargaining developments among Canadian lumber and sawmill locals, a single UBC voice in Canada on forest products industry issues, and, in the U.S., coordinated bargaining strategies between the Northwest and the South and to better target organizing
CARPENTER
Group tackles challenges of mill shutdowns,
claims of 'overcapacity' in the industry,
the introduction of new products,
and anti-union efforts of major corporations
efforts in the industry. They also ad- dressed the growing use of owner-op- erators in parts of the Canadian indus- try, non-union operations in both the Pacific Northwest and the Southeast, and wood products trade between the two countries.
The International Forest Products Conference Board will continue to meet on a periodic basis to exchange infor- mation on common industry develop- ments and employers in the U.S. and Canada.
At both the Canadian and U.S. In- dustrial Conferences in March, work- shops on the forest products industry will be held to review, in more detail, the issues raised by the Conference Board (See announcement below). UDfi
Industrial Parley
Called for
U.S. and Canada
Full-time industrial council and lo- cal union representatives and other representatives servicing industrial members are being advised by a mail- ing from General President Patrick J. Campbell of a Canadian industrial conference March 20-22, 1986, in To- ronto and a conference for represen- tatives in the U.S. on March 4-6 in French Lick, Ind.
While the agenda for the confer- ences will vary somewhat, both will include sessions on the mill-cabinet and the forest products industries. Current industry problems and bar- gaining developments will be covered and organizing target areas will be identified. The conference will also introduce new tactics and approaches to help local unions win good settle- ments under adverse conditions.
The conferences mark the second consecutive year that U.S. and Ca- nadian industrial conferences have been conducted by the General Office and reflect the International's in- creased commitment to the Brother- hood's industrial membership.
Representatives desiring more in- formation on the conferences should contact the Industrial Department at the General Office or the Canadian Research Office in Toronto.
Several members of Local 2019, who are employed at the Klipsch Speaker Co., Hope, Ark., took part in the "85% in '85" steward training. Pictured front row, from left, are Robert Wyatt, Thomas Peck, Marsha Sutton, and Rena Hicks. Middle row, from left, are Dexter Flenory, Roy Byers, Richard Town- send, and Karan Joe. Back row, from left, are Kevin Nicholson, Alice Hamilton, Deronda Beavers, and Bill Holybee. Not pic- tured were Gary Middleton, David Walker, Frances Hale, and Charles Alexander,
85% In '85 Industrial Program Showed Impressive Results
"85% in '85," the UBC's volun- tary in-shop organizing program, has brought nearly 1,000 new members into the UBC since first being im- plemented by the Southern Council of Industrial Workers in March and the Mid-Atlantic Industrial Council in July.
Relying on local union members to sign up fellow workers in their shops, the goal is to bring the mem- bership in each UBC shop up to at least 85% of the employees. The program has been introduced in states which prohibit union security clauses requiring all workers to join the union, and it has been instrumental both in building up union membership in the
two Councils and in strengthening the participating locals.
In the Southern Council of Indus- trial Workers, the program has been part of a more general educational program involving both steward and officer training, and is being carried out by International Representatives Earnie Curtis, Alice Beck and Ed Fortson. In the Mid-Atlantic Indus- trial Council, Representatives Tony Delorme and Maria Frederic have implemented the program.
The program, which will change its name to "Get On Board the UBC Express" beginning in 1986, may soon be introduced in other UBC industrial councils.
Slogan For 1986:
'Get On Board The UBC Express'
JANUARY, 1986
Washington Report
OSH^ ■ ''■^EL STANDARD
Under the new hazard communication standard of the Occupational Safety and Health Administra- tion, chemical companies by November 25 must label containers and provide data sheets to manu- facturers who use chemicals. Worker training ses- sions must begin by May 25, but a Union Carbide plant in Hahnville, La., will begin worker training in January. A Plaquemine, La., Dow Chemical plant prepares manuals that will be followed by worker training.
Some states will be tougher than OSHA. Texas requires disclosure of hazardous materials to the community as well as the manufacturers. "OSHA rules don't go far enough," says an assistant attor- ney general in Louisiana, where the state is drafting its own rules. Some other states plan to enforce their own standards.
FIRST-YEAR INCREASES
The prevalence of back-loaded settlements pushed the average first-year wage increase in pri- vate collective bargaining contracts negotiated during the first nine months of 1985 to the lowest level recorded in the 17-year history of the series, the Bureau of Labor Standards reports. The aver- age first-year wage gain was 2.3% for contracts settled between January and September of this year, lower than the previous record low of 2.4% for contracts settled during 1 984. The 2.3% figure also is a shade lower than the 2.5% average first-year gain for contracts settled during the first nine months of 1984.
Sharp increases in the size of construction indus- try settlements kept the median first-year wage in- crease for all industries in agreements concluded during the first nine months of the year at about the same level as last year, according to the Bureau of National Affairs, Inc., Collective Bargaining Negoti- ations and Contracts service. Construction con- tracts yielded a median first-year wage increase of 2.9% in the first three quarters of 1985, up from a median of zero, or a wage freeze, last year.
WORKPLACE INJURIES, 1984
in November the Bureau of Labor Statistics re- ported that 1 984 injury rates increased for almost all occupations and industries. This came after a steady decline for three years in most areas. In our industries, the following figures were reported.
Lumber and Wood Products — 19.3 injuries per 100 full-time workers (up from 18.1 in 1983), Furni- ture and Fixtures — 14.9 injuries per 100 full-time workers (up from 13.8 in 1983), Construction— 15.4 injuries per 100 full-time workers (up from 14.7 in 1983).
During 1981-^3, OSHA took credit for reducing injury rates, claiming it was due to their new coop- erative approach. Now that the rates are rising again, OSHA has blamed it on increasing employ- ment levels, where new workers are hired who may be more accident prone.
One official stated, privately, that "those who take the credit should also take the blame." A scientist at the Congressional Office of Technology Assess- ment who analyzed the trends claims that in some industries, the rates have been tracking employ- ment, but in others, such as construction, the rates have gone up faster than would be expected. This difference may be due to the inadequacies of OSHA under this administration.
HUD AND DAVIS-BACON
In a letter to Housing and Urban Development Secretary Samuel J. Pierce, Jr., the AFL-CIO Build- ing Trades charged HUD with ignoring the Labor Department's wider view of the scope of Davis- Bacon prevailing wage protections. HUD is not ap- plying Davis-Bacon wage requirements in urban de- velopment action grant and community develop- ment block grant projects despite indication by the Labor Department that such projects do fall under the scope of the Davis-Bacon Act.
A Labor Department opinion held that Davis-Ba- con prevailing wage protections are applicable not only when UDAG and CDBG funds are used di- rectly to pay for construction, but also when those funds are used for activities that are "integrally and proximately" related to that construction. Land ac- quisition and certain professional services should be protected by Davis-Bacon regulation, according to the Labor Department opinion.
HOUSING WINDING DOWN
Housing's three-year expansion is showing signs of winding down gradually because of stagnating economies in many areas of the country, according to John J. Koelemij, president of the National Asso- ciation of Home Builders.
Koelemij's observation was backed up by housing starts figures released recently by the U.S. Census Bureau. New housing construction fell 9% in Sep- tember to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,583,000 units, the Census Bureau reported. Ac- tual starts for the first nine months of 1985 totaled 1 ,321 ,800, down 4% from the number recorded dur- ing the same period in 1 984.
8
CARPENTER
CLIC UPDATE
HR 281, Double Breasting Bill, Requires Your Immediate Attention
House Resolution 281, now before the U.S. Congress, is the so-called "double breasting bill." If passed by both houses of Congress and signed by the President, this bill would make it harder for construction companies with union contracts to set up non-union companies on the side as a way to obtain low-bid jobs and undermine union contract standards and work practices.
The bill passed the House Education and Labor Com- mittee last summer. As we go to press, it still awaits floor action. Congressmen must be made aware of how important this bill is to Building Tradesmen and particularly, in our case, to Carpenters, Millwrights, and the other construction craftsmen and women in our ranks.
The bill provides that separate firms performing similar construction work wiU be considered a single employer if there is common management or ownership of the firms.
The Associated General Contractors and other manage- ment organizations have mounted an attack on H.R. 281, claiming that it attacks worker and employer freedoms. What it would actually do is eliminate the subterfuge under which contractors with labor-management agreements are able to deny job rights and union wages and working conditions through dummy companies.
It is vitally important to union members protecting their hard-won contracts that H.R. 281 is passed by the House and eventually enacted into law. CLIC urges UBC members to write their congressmen as soon as possible, asking that they support H.R. 281 and eliminate double breasting from the construction industry.
Write: Congressman , U.S. House of
Representatives, Washington, D.C. 20515.
The year 1986 will be a crucial year for political action by trade unionists. There will be Congressional elections in the fall, and the new session of Congress has many pieces of legislation which need support. The UBC is on record as supporting tax reform, aid for farmers, buy- American legislation,