Image provided by: The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs; Warm Springs, OR
About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 26, 1988)
Spilyay Tymoo Warm Springs, Oregon August 26, 1988 PAGE 3 WSFPI resumes operation one week after shutdown Work at Warm Springs Forest Products Industries was halted August 8 after union employees voted to strike. In the altermath of that decision, some employees chose to return to work, getting the mill back in operation. The team effort on their part may play an important role in improved production, self esteem and well-being. t I- ' Tr r - ;i r . MM 1 L I .i; Vs -'JV- -S.V-1 i I 'uJl s r J , .' . --iiUci' iur-f H , c - Ben Holliday worked at the stud mill as a stacker. f ! ' 1 j I Julian Smith graded lumber as it came through m i . 1 j the planer. " ' J ' Ik r '" )fr A ri 1 i ) I ' ' " C i-.in . : Photos and text ;j L , Donna Behrend 1 ; ' j ' l . ' V. I 'I J . ! Easion Aguilar is learning to operate the bucking saw in the log center. He would not have had the opportunity to learn the skill had it not been for the strike. Donna Behrend Maury Rhoan worked as an edger off bearer in the stud mill. Strike continues; union, management at odds Joe Winishut stacked planed lumber as it came off the line. While work at Warm Springs Forest Products Industries resumed last week, picketers across the Deschutes River continued their protest of "unfair labor practices." With the strike in its third week, the strikers and management are as adamant now as they were on the hrst day of the strike August 8. Three days after the walkout, union officials Hied a complaint against the Confederated Tribes stating their constitutional rights had been violated when the Warm Springs Tribal Council had ex cluded the pickets from reservation lands. The Tribe, based upon their treaty, have the right to exclude non-members of the tribe from the reservation. Three Indian picketers, includ ing one tribal member and 12 non member picketers were either ar rested or cited by Warm Springs police officers. Those cases cited into Jefferson County District court were dismissed. According to local union presi dent Dave Coe, the charges in the original complaint against the tribe were amended by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) a few days later, adding that the company WSFPI) was coercing employees by informing them that the union had been eliminated from the mill "We Ye waiting for a ruling from the NLRB," Coe said. Approximately five union em ployees crossed the line earlier this week and some tribal member and affiliates had resigned from the union and returned to work. There are currently about 1 50 involved in the pickets. Coe added that some have gone to work in full-time positions. Others have found part time jobs and continue to picket four hours a day, two days a week. Coe said that "it's hard to say" how long the strike will continue. "It's in the company's court now," he said. The Western Council of Indus trial Workers sent a telegram last week "demanding" that negotia tions resume. "There has been no response on the company's part" to open the negotiations, said Coe. WSFPI general manager Bob Macy, Sr. stated that at the last negotiations meeting August 5, an "offer was made to open the books for an audit" by uhion auditors. Union officials did not take advan tage of that offer. Mill manage ment was not formally notified that employees would walk out August 8. "At the conclusion of the meeting," said Macy, "we had the impression that negotiations would continue." In a letter to employees. Macy stated that "commencing August 22, the company will begin filling vacancies created by the work stoppage." Because of that dead line, pickets walked across the Des chutes bridge at 6 a.m. August 22 and gathered at the entrance to the mill. According to Coe,'"we felt we had the right to see who was cross ing the line and betraying us. Eleven federal and tribal law en forcement officers were at the mill entrance and met the picketers. Less than an hour later, the picke ters returned to the other side of the river. "We did not intimidate anyone and we made no gestures. We had no problems. We were showing our strength and that we're still holding together." When and how the strike will end is unknown. However, in an effort to clarify misunderstandings and miscommunication, a special strike bulletin will be published next week. A comprehensive look at mill operations, employee rela tions and union regulations will be available Friday.