EEMENT

(1) The Plan will become effective
June 15, 1982.

(2) The Plan to be funded on a 70/30
cost sharing basis with contribu-
tions of 12.6¢ per hour per
employee per hour worked, of
which the Industry will contribute
8.8¢ and the employee will contri-
bute 3.8¢, commencing June 15,
1982.

(3) A Board of Trustees will be consti-
tuted with equal representation
from the Union and the Industry, to
be responsbile for establishing the
terms of the Plan and the on-going
administration.

(4) The Trustees will select a qualified
actuary to assist them and to
ensure the establishment of actu-
arially sound reserves to fund the
benefits provided by the Plan.

(5) The Trustees will enter into a Trust
Agreement which will include pro-
vision for a procedure to settle any
major dispute that may arise with
regard to the provisions of the
Plan.

13. THAT Article XVII — Health and
Welfare, Section 6: Dental Plan, clause
(a) (iii), be amended from the current
lifetime maximum of $1,250 to $1,500.

14. THAT Article XXVIIl — Safety
Equipment, clause (e), be amended to
provide that effective June 15, 1981 the
caulk boot allowance be increased by
ten dollars ($10.00) per annum and
effective June 15, 1982 it be increased
by a further ten dollars ($10.00) per
annum.

15. THAT effective June 15, 1982
Article XXIX — Permanent Closures,
be amended to provide for sixty (60)
days notice of closure.

16. THAT effective June 15, 1982
Article XXX — Severance Pay for Per-
manent Plant Closure, clause (a), be
amended by adding the words:

“and thereafter in increments of
completed months of service”
after the word “service” in line four.

17. THAT the Parties agree to the
resolution of disputed categories in the
Sawmill Rate Determination Program
as set forth in Appendix No. 4.

18. THAT a new Article, set out in
Appendix No. 5, be added to the Agree-
ment establishing a rate determination
system for hourly employees in the
Shingle and Shake industry. The Par-
ties further agree to the resolution of
disputed categories in this rate deter-
mination program as set forth in
Appendix No. 5.

19. THAT acommittee will be estab-
lished to review and upgrade the
Apprenticeship Training Program,
dated November 28, 1967.

20. THAT the Parties agree to be
bound by the agreement on selection

of apprentices negotiated between the
IWA and the Interior Forest Labour Re-

lations Association and the North-
Cariboo Forest Labour Relations As-
sociation.

21. THAT the Forest Industry Indus-
trial Health Research Program will
provide for additional representation
from the IWA.

22. CONTRACTORS AND
SUBCONTRACTORS

After the signing of the 1981-1982
Master Agreement, the Union-Industry
Standing Committee will meet to dis-
cuss problems that have arisen as a
result of new provincial forestry legis-
lation.

23. THAT the Parties agree to the
resolution of disputed categories in
Logging, as provided in Appendices
Nos. 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10.

MATTHEW SEERY

MEMBER WINS
WEB PENSION

The Editor:

Bro. Matthew J. Seery, a former Evans
Products Co. Ltd. employee of Donald, B.C.,
and IWA member of Local 1-405 Cranbrook,
B.C., finally realized the successful conclu-
sion of his appeals when the boards of
review awarded him a permanent disability
pension.

Bro. Seery’s employment in the sawmill
industry dates back to April of 1959. During
the years that followed, Bro. Seery was
exposed to Western Red Cedar and suffered
from Cedar Dust asthma.

In February of 1975 he suffered a severe
asthma attack which resulted in a cardiac
arrest and brain damage.

Bro. Seery was 54 years of age at the time
of the asthma attack and has been totally
disabled since that time.

Initially, Bro. Seery’s claim for lost time
benefits was accepted by the WCB, after
extensive investigations. However, in
August of 1976 Bro. Seery’s file was referred
to the WCB disability awards division for
their evaluation.

It was at this time that Bro. Seery’s claim
for total and permanent disability pension
ran into strong opposition from the Employ-
pre opresentatives and some WCB medical
staff.

ote

They took the position that Bro. Seery’s
exposure to Red Cedar dust was not a
significant factor. They also maintained
that Bro. Seery did not suffer from any
significant disability. In February of 1978,
Bro. Seery was awarded a Partial Disability
Pension of 33.33 per cent, notwithstanding
the fact that he was not suitable for any
gainful line of work. This decision was
appealed to the boards of review.

Bro. Seery required constant medical
attention and was examined by many
specialists in the various fields of medicine.
Approximately six years after Bro. Seery
suffered the diabling asthmatic attack, the
boards of review finally handed down a
decision awarding Bro. Seery a permanent
disability pension of $1,113.15 per month
and $25,822.23 in retroactive pension
benefits.

This appeal and the circumstances sur-
rounding this claim drew the attention of
Mr. Dave Barrett, the NDP leader; a CBC
ombudsman from Toronto, Ontario; and Mr.
James Chabot, MLA for the Columbia
constituency.

It was Dave Barrett who approached Mr.
Paul Petrie, the Workers’ consultant, on the
Compensation Advisory Services. Mr.
Petrie and Sister Verna Ledger, IWA Region
No. 1 Safety and Health Director, made
submissions and representations to the
boards of review which finally resulted in
the successful conclusion of this long-drawn
out appeal.

It must be said that Industrial Diseases
continue to be a cause of much concern.
Workers are exposed to dust, noise, vibra-
tion, chemicals, etc. The emphasis should be
on prevention of industrial diseases. This
can only be accomplished by making the
work place a healthier and safer place to
work in.

— John Paluck
1st Vice-President
Local 1-405, WA

NOTLEY SCORES
GOVERNMENT

Alberta NDP leader Grant Notley bitterly
scored the Alberta government for what he
called “damn foolish” second-hand invest-
ment in B.C. Forest Products Company.

Notley said that if the Alberta govern-
ment wanted to invest in a company which
will have a major say in the province’s
future forest development it should have
proposed a joint venture and received
control of B.C. Forest Products’ operation in
the province.

Instead, Alberta Energy Company spent
$215 million for 28 per cent of B.C. Forest
Products’ shares and promised not to
purchase any more.

This, Notley stated, “showed the
government’s complete bankruptcy of
economic leadership.”

Take the air out of union-busting

boycott Michelin! ——_9

URS-6-fo ne

Lumber Worker/September, 1981/9