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LABOR UNION AND ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS
ALLIANCES
1995 FWOC
Resolution
No. 24:
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In the early 1930's, the
forest loggers and sawmill workers organized into strong unions.
The results were higher wages, instituted health care, and established
comfortable living conditions in the camps and logging
communities. These improvements were at the expense of the timber
industry. With the support of the timber industry, the chainsaw
was introduced, which caused 38,000 timber-related jobs to go down the
drain.
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With the increase in
technology over the ensuing years, more lumber was produced with fewer
and fewer workers. Many mills, especially those designed
specifically to process large-diameter old-growth trees, shut
down. These older mills were unable to accommodate to the prices
that these trees brought on the Asian (and other) markets, and could
not afford to re-tool, with more loss of jobs. Neither
environmentalists nor the spotted owl had any part in this loss of
jobs; then or now.
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Forest workers and
environmentalists have at least two things in common: The workers
treasure the forests because they provide for the well-being of their
families in the short term (that is, until the trees run out); the
environmentalists treasure the forests because they provide for the
well-being of all U.S. Citizens over the long term. The workers
also admire the forest for its beauty and its wildlife; the
environmentalists share this admiration. These two segments of
modern outdoor users can, and SHOULD work together. A cooperative
effort could help provide for the worker's; short-term and long-term
benefit, and help to preserve remnants of the 44 million acres of
forest that stood before the white settlers came.
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Environmentalists and
workers should work to bring relief to the unemployed timber workers
through supporting legislation at the state and national level that
would (1) Provide unemployment benefits until other jobs are found. (2)
Provide relief for those with mortgage payments to meet. (3) Provide
retraining and further education for the unemployed.
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Legislation should also be
enacted that would provide low interest, long term loans to enable
mills to re-tool to process small trees. Similar loans should be
considered to the timber-dependent communities to promote economic
diversity and improve their infrastructure.
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Any laws that are enacted
should mandate sustainable forest management, which, using light-weight
low-impact technology, would employ many thousands of workers.
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Bills similar to the
foregoing information were introduced in the Congress in 1993, but the
bills "died" in committee.
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The Federation of Western
Outdoor Clubs endorses the concept of an alliance of conservation
groups with organized labor to protect our ancient forests.
Because of the composition of the present Congress, whose "Contract
with America" is against the interests of both organized labor and most
environmentalists, it is urgent that a coalition be formed to defeat
the intent of this industry-oriented legislature.
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FWOC members and member clubs who concur
with this resolution should send copies of this resolution to labor
leaders in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and northern California, along
with any comments of their own they have on this issue.
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