BRITISH COLUMBIA:

SOLIDARITY CAMPAIGN:CANADIAN WOOD WORKERS ON STRIKE FOR HEALTH AND SAFETY:

ACT NOW:

After a strike in late 2003 that ended after only three weeks due to a contract legislated by the BC provincial government workers in BC's forest industry have been saddled with a contract that gives employers the unilateral right to impose longer hours and bizarre shift times without consulting the Union (United Steel Workers) or giving little or no notice to the affected workers. the result has been predictable. Since January 2005 over 65 forest workers have been killed because of the longer shifts. Hundreds more have been seriously injured. Many studies show that injuries increase with longer shifts. despite the obvious companies cling to their "right" to impose workdays that may be as long as 16 hours when travel and loading time is factored in. Coastal communities have also been impacted been impacted by low bid contracting out, raw log exports, sawmill closures and the conversion of Coastal timberlands into real estate, all of this without a by-your-leave from the people affected.

British Columbia forest workers have fought back and have been on strike since July 21st. Now the Building and Wood Workers' International, to which the United Steel Workers in this sector are affiliated, are asking for international solidarity with the BC lumber workers. To read more and join this campaign go to http://www.bwint.org/default.asp?Index=1074&Language=EN