Loggers Sue Greenpeace for Lost Wages
7/10/97
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Organization: Copyright 1997 by United Press International
Date: Thu, 10 Jul 1997
VICTORIA, British Columbia, July 10 (UPI) -- The International
Woodworkers of America/Canada union has filed suit in British Columbia
Supreme Court on behalf of 29 loggers against the environmentalist group
Greenpeace.
The union says the loggers, who were prevented from going to work by
a Greenpeace road blockade last month, are suing the group for $120,000
in lost wages.
It names as defendants Greenpeace Canada, Greenpeace spokesperson
Tamara Stark, and several Indian supporters of Greenpeace for their part
in the blockade on King Island near Bella Coola on the southern B.C.
coast.
The loggers are seeking damages for ``inducement of breach of
contract'' for not being able to get to work during the 19-day blockade
where the forestry company Interfor had been logging in old growth
areas.
The Greenpeace protest by 60 environmentalists, which started June 6,
ended when 56 Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers removed the
demonstrators according to a court injunction. More than 20 people were
arrested.
The suit comes as the IWA-Canada has set up road blockades to keep
protesting environmentalists out of logging areas.
IWA-Canada president Dave Haggard says they ``are preparing to meet
Greenpeace on the international stage.''
He says around $11,000 in donations to the IWA-Canada has been
received as part of its campaign to raise $100,000 to fight Greenpeace
advertisements against buying wood products made from old growth trees.