Unique relationship boosts sawmill productivity: a new perspective on human resources may be the key to the skilled labour requirements of Northern industries.

LongLac-Companies interested in finding solutions to the looming labour shortage should look no further than the industry giants for direction.

Buchanan Forest Products has made significant strides in First Nations partnerships. So too has De Beers Canada as they pioneer their way through negotiations.

In mid-1995, Buchanan re-opened a Longlac mill after nine years of it sitting idle. After purchasing it from Kimberly-Clark, they struck a deal with the Ginoogaming First Nation to fill 80 percent of the positions with Aboriginals from the community.

After 11 years and approximately $6 million in upgrades "We are here ... as one of the top mills in the group," Dan Reinhold, mill manager of Long Lake Forest Products Inc. says.

"But we do things differently here than any other sawmill."

In fact, everything he learned during his tenure was virtually thrown out the window after six months in operation.

Generally, managers usually give an employee three warnings before they are terminated. Instead, a working committee of band and union members determines whether the employee deserves another chance.

"We give people three and four chances because we understand that most of these people never had an opportunity to work before."

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Reinhold provides help for people dealing with substance abuse and drums up funds for members wanting to go back to school. Every case is unique, he says.

Within the collective agreement employees receive a statutory holiday called The Rising Day (Anishnabe), the first day of summer.

"This is something that is near and dear to Native people."

They have their own version of flex days.

The fall ricing, spring goose hunt, trap line setup and fishing are all under the collective umbrella, as are sports events.

"And (these) are not considered any of the holidays."

In spite of what could be construed as somewhat lenient policies, the mill manages to put out more products per employee than any of the modern mills.

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"I have a bunch of good people working for me."

For the past three years, the plant has been awarded the district safety award by the Ontario Forest Safe Workplace Association.

This kind of approach to business is a necessity, Reinhold says. It is hard to attract skilled labour to the North, and working with First Nations communities who have been here for generations is a perfect fit.

"You have to home-grow. The person that we train here will (likely) stay here. It is local people making local decisions for local problems."

It is known that members of the Aboriginal population, for the most part, lack the schooling for blue and white collar jobs. But companies also lack the skill sets necessary to fill out their future labour needs from the next generation.

"Industry and government need labour and Aboriginal communities can provide that," says Manitoulin Island-born First Nation lawyer Martin Bayer of Weaver, Simmons LLP. He works with De Beers Canada on impact agreements.

The Federal Aboriginal Skills and Employment partnership and Aboriginal Skills Development have received $40 million for First Nations and Inuit skills training. The money is aimed at filling the 1,500 jobs expected to be created in the next 10 years.

The Canadian Association of Geophysical Contractors reports Aboriginals are one of the few demographics in Canada that continue to grow. By the end of this year, the registered Aboriginal population is expected to increase to 755,200,42 percent more than in 1992. Moreover, it represents almost a 50 percent greater growth rate than among non-Aboriginal populations.

Therefore, businesses wanting to stay competitive will have to consider appointing people to deal with Native issues, specifically Cree and Ojibway cultures, says Dr. David Peerla, Nishnawbe-Aski Nation mining coordinator says.

Mining companies such as De Beers now understand the importance of fusing relationships with First Nations communities.

De Beers has spent over three years negotiating with First Nations communities who will stand to benefit from the 380 full-time permanent jobs at the $880 million Victor Diamond Project located 90 kilometres west of Attawapiskat. De Beers and communities are setting the standard for negotiations to develop skills education and training. Many Aboriginal people are leery about trusting companies, Peerla says. Negotiations are complex and involve not only educational initiatives, but also an understanding of cultural influences from both perspectives.

"Sociology trumps geology," Peerla says, emphasizing that in order to bring about mineral development, companies have to understand social and cultural issues.

www.debeerscanada.com

By KELLY LOUISEIZE

Northern Ontario Business