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Rail worker takes fight on wood to U.S. capital

Prince George Citizen, November 14, 2002

Byline: Gordon Hoekstra

Prince George B.C. Rail worker Sylvia LeBlanc is in Washington, D.C. this week with a dozen other United Transportation Union members delivering their message that the softwood lumber dispute hurts both countries.

The idea for the campaign was sparked recently at a UTU meeting in New Orleans. Using their union's representatives in Washington, D.C., the B.C. Rail workers set out a plan of action. They started banging on doors on Wednesday, waylaid politicians on the steps of Congress and dropped off information packages. They'll do the same today and fly back home on Friday.

LeBlanc, a conductor with B.C. Rail, said it's a huge issue for the union because of the importance of lumber to the rail line. After the first day of action in Washington, D.C. she's optimistic.

"One of the people we saw in Congressman (Paul) DeMent's office -- we saw a staffer there -- something she said was it's so nice for people to come down here personally," said LeBlanc. "It made an impression."

The union is urging congressmen in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate to support resolutions already on the table calling for the two sides to get back to the negotiating table. The UTU said Congress should also take into account consumer interests as the tariff means that first-time homebuyers pay, on average, $1,500 extra as a results of the duties of Canadian softwood totalling 27 per cent.

The union is also pressing for cedar to be removed from under the tariffs.

There haven't been any official negotiations between the two sides since talks broke down in March. Canada is appealing the duties to the World Trade Organization and under the North American Free Trade Agreement.

A U.S. lumber industry coalition launched the successful trade complaint, saying provincial timber pricing policies are a subsidy and Canadian companies were dumping lumber across the border below cost. Canada has denied both claims. At stake is $10 billion in annual lumber exports to the U.S., of which $2 billion originate in the Northern Interior of B.C., Canada's largest lumber producing region.