September 15^th 2002

Historic of the Louisiana Pacific workers on strike since the 24^th of may 2002.

In 1988 opening of the OSB mill Normick Chambord in Chambord Lac St-Jean. Three investors joined together; The Perron brothers "Normick-Perron", the "Syndicat des producteurs de bois du Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean" (local wood producer union) and the workers themselves called "La coopérative des travailleurs du Royaume" to get this thing going.

One day, the Perron brothers who owned 51% of the company shares decided to sell the whole thing to the "Groupe Norbord". This happened in 1989. A first application for Union Certification was made at that date. Then, followed a negotiation and a settlement with Norbord after a six hours strike ending 1989.

It’s new owners, disliking the partnership with the workers and the other shareholders, put millions of dollars after millions of dollars in 1990 to get rid of the smaller shareholders who couldn’t follow anymore, this way, to better close down the mill . The workers, without any revenues, bankrupted in 1992 after two years of inactivity.

The other investor "Syndicat des producteurs de bois", them, having others revenues and fore-seeing a kind of conspiracy from the "Groupe Norbord" decided to hang on. Under the economic situation a that time, Norbord after a year an a half of close-down, bankrupted the Chambord OSB mill.

The syndicate Union Certification fell down with the bankruptcy.

The employees who lost an average of $10 000.00 in this misadventure reported it as such to the revenue department who accepted it at income time in the spring . Two years later, the revenue department backed-off on the lost of gain credit and asked for returns with interests added. All this, in spite of all the employees’s goodwill.

Around spring 1993, re-opening of the mill acquired by the "Groupe Forex" a new union accreditation is requested again. We centered our negotiation on the re-hiring of the old staff, to put back the order of seniority and get some a few social benefits. A collective agreement is reached and signed in 1993.

Renewal of the collective agreement in 1996 with the most important point of negotiation, the pension plan which we gained with a strike vote of 93% that we haven’t used finally, we came that close, I must say.

In 1999, a US company called "Louisiana Pacific" buys out the whole "Groupe Forex" included 3 OSB mills and 2 sawmills in Quebec.

In 2001, renewal of the collective agreement. On the first day of negotiation, even before anyone opened is mouth, the employer required the presence of a mediator for all future negotiation sessions. We’ve always been of goodwill in negotiating to end up being told by the employer after a year that they want to remove the pension plan and replace it by a collective RRSP. The reason, called upon by the employer was "such pension plan system doesn’t fit in our customs". Because they don’t have such pension plan systems like this in the United-States doesn’t mean that it’s not good.

We kept negotiating and warned the employer that we were going to get a strike vote (16 may 2002) and intended to use it at the negotiation table the next time (29 may 2002) if the employer did not back-off its position.

The employer started a campaign to scare-off the employees. They use every mean they can dream of like the close-down of the mill, big companies don’t care for their employees saying things like "You are worth no shit in their eyes" and so on …

We answered them on the 16^th of May 2002 with a strike vote of 98.6%. The employer forwarded the negotiation date (29 May 2002) to the 24^th of May 2002 and confirmed maintaining the same position toward the pension plan and they won’t change ever.

After talks, we go on strike at 14:45 on the 24^th of May. This is why that, us, the 163 employees of L.P Chambord went on strike on that date, since then nothing happened between both parties.

In spite of all the difficulties that we’re going through the members are holding on and the morale is still up

We must win this conflict, our future depends on it so does many other collective agreements. The result of this settlement is expected by many other employers, unions and concerned people.

If we loose, who will be next?

But an incredible union solidarity wind is blowing toward the value of this conflict and the result we must obtain for the sake of all. Help us win this battle, for the working conditions of all Canada are at stakes.

In all solidarity

Évans Simard

Président SCEP 502Q (FTQ)