DISCUSSING LITERACY JOHN STEEVES Frontier College The problem with a word like literacy is that, in order to use it, one must firstexplain it. Or, put in a riddle, one must be literate in order to understand the word literacy. When we use the word literacy we are not just talking about the ability to read a fuzzy university textbook or a slippery govern- ment position paper. We are talking about the skills we all need to survive in this very technical society; to be able to sign your name and understand what you are sign- ing, to be able to read directions on a can label, to study and apply for a driver’s license or to understand your child’s report card. Those who think these problems are not serious should consider thatin 1979 over 20% of Canadian adults (about 5,000,000) have Grade 8 or less and over 1,000,000 have less than Grade 5 education. Some of these are people who speak English as a second language but a large number are people who are native born Canadians. How does literacy affect workers in the woods industry? Consider the following situations: — ACamp payroll where half the crew sign for their paycheck with an X. — A safety campaign that caused an 150% increase in injuries in one month because the company used a poster that explained what not to do and most of the workers could not understand it. — A worker who is interested in the activities of his union but cannot learn very much because he is unable to read the union newspaper. — A worker cannot get a better job simply because he cannot read a job advertisement. — A worker is suspended from UIC payments because he could not read about appeals for workers. These situations and others are well known to Frontier College workers and to others who are familiar with literacy pro- grams. At the level of the work site it may H.N. BETHUNE This unique photograph shows Dr. Norman Bethune standing with a group of workers somewhere in Northern Ontario, when Dr. Bethune was an active member of Frontier College. In later life he alded the wounded Loyalist soldiers in the Spanish Civil War before going to China to help the Chinese in their battle with the Japanese invaders. He died of blood poisoning while tending the wounded and is now regarded there as almost a saint. 1-85 GREW WINS DEMANDS Seven hundred IWA members employed at MacMillan Bloedel’s Somass Division in Port Alberni, staged a three-day walkout to win major safety concessions from the company. The Local 1-85 members were protesting the company’s use of pentachlorophenol (PCP) for spraying lumber. PCP contains the highly toxic dioxin which is one of the contaminants found in the defoliant Agent Orange used by the Americans in Vietnam and is strongly suspected to cause cancer of the liver. Following the walkout the company agreed to install showers, provide paper respirators and eyewashes, and repair and identify the pipes in the plant carrying the solution. The agreement also calls for a spray subcommittee to be set up with the view to finding some other method of treating lumber. In the meantime only qualified employees will operate the spray unit and with the authority to close it down if any leaks develop. not be known although some shop steward now look for the signs of illiteracy and the special needs of the illiterate. Obviously people who are illiterate may need help in understanding safety regulations, writing up a grievance, dealing with UIC or Com- pensation Board, and things like preparing their income tax. Frontier College has worked with some union shop steward training programs to help in the recognition of illitéracy. 3 Perhaps the most serious consequence of illiteracy in the workplace is the connection between literacy and injuries or diseases on the job. In Frontier College’s work the following question has started to be very important: Do the most hazardous jobs employ those workers with the least educa- tion? It seems that those workers who have very little education have fewer choices than workers who are highly educated. They certainly have less chance of promo- tion and earning a good wage but they also have fewer choices of jobs. In some cases, these workers must accept unsafe work in order to keep themselves and their families fed and housed. Their position becomes even more frustrating when they are told thatitis their own fault for being under educated in the same way as many employers blame workers for being accident prone and get- ting hurt on the job. Literacy is a very large and complicated problem that has some serious consequen- ces for workers in any industry. People are now becoming aware of this problem and are beginning to understand the word literacy. Information is available from: John Steeves, Frontier College, 1460 Kam- loops St., Vancouver B.C., V5K8V9, 254- ils IWA APPLIES FOR CERTIFICATION The Regional Council has applied to the Labour Relations Board for certification of the two hundred employees of the Downie Street Sawmills Ltd., in Revelstoke. The application was made by Interna- tional assistant director of organization Frank Stich on behalf of Local 1-417 IWA in whose jurisdiction the operation is located. This application follows an earlier attempt in 1980 where in a representation vote conducted by the Labour Relations Board the IWA was defeated by three votes. However, following that vote a majority of the Downie employes indicated a desire to join the IWA. With the aid of the Regional organizers and officers of Local 1-417, a fresh organizing campaign was launched. This campaign was so successful in signing up the employees that the Regional Council anticipates the Union will be granted automatic certification by the Labour Relations Board. LOCAL 1-357 OFFICERS RE-ELECTED 4@ Gerry Stoney, president of Local 1-357 IWA, New Westminster and president of the B.C. New Democratic Party, was re-elected along with his fellow IWA officers to a new two-year term. Re-elected with Stoney were: Terry Smith, first vice-president; Bill Hansen, second vice-president; Joe LeClair, third vice- president; Bill Simcoe, financial secretary. at 6/Lumber Worker/January, 1981