By Jim Selby, AFL staff

The strike by 680 Communications, Energy and Paperworkers (CEP) Local 855 members at the Weldwood pulp mill and Hi-Atha sawmill in Hinton only lasted 15 days – but the members won what they wanted, according to Local President Don Boucher.

"We were on strike for job security, and we won major improvements in job security," said Boucher. "No one currently working at our plant can be laid off. The only staff reductions allowed are through attrition."

Boucher predicts that less and less work at the mill will be contracted out over the next few years. "We’ll be doing more work in-house as a result of this contract," he said.

The strike began on March 22 and ended April 5th, 1999. The strike was non-confrontational. Management did not use scab labour or even hire outside security for the strike.

There was also strong community support for the strikers. "We had a lot of support from local businesses," said Boucher. "Every night local restaurants were bringing soup and sandwiches down to the picket line, and it seemed like we were never out of donuts."

Boucher also noted the strong support from retired union members who walked the picket line and from the Alberta Federation of Labour. "Both [President] Audrey Cormack and [Secretary Treasurer] Les Steel walked with us," noted Boucher, "as well as other activists from our own union like Don MacNeil and Terry Dekker from Local 777."

The final contract provides a 2% wage increase each year from 1997 to 2002, a $2,750 signing bonus and some benefit improvements. "That’s basically the national industry pattern," said Boucher, "but our real concern was job security – and we got the strong language we wanted." The membership voted 80 per cent in favor of accepting the contract.