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.
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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.
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C i-.in . : Photos and text ;j
L , Donna Behrend 1 ;
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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.