—
CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES

For the information of the membership, changes to the Regional Constitution were

adopted by the Regional Convention held in Vancouver, B.C., November 2-6, 1981.

Amendments to the Regional Constitution adopted by Convention action shall not

be finalized until sixty (60) days from the close of the Convention, and such proposed

Convention changes shall be published in the “Lumber Worker” and copies of such

® proposed constitutional changes shall be sent to each Local Union within ten (10)
days after the close of the Convention.

Any time within this specified sixty-day period, the membership, through their
Local Unions, may petition the Regional Secretary-Treasurer to initiate a referendum
on any amendment adopted by such Convention action.

If the Regional Secretary-Treasurer receives a number of petions representative of
one-third (1/3) of the total Regional Council membership, he shall proceed with the
referendum within ten (10) days following the sixty (60) day period specified.

The following constitutional changes were adopted by the Regional Convention.

FUNDS
ARTICLE VI, Section 4

Delete Section 4 which presently reads:

“The per capita tax of the Regional Council shall be sixteen percent (16%) of two (2)
hours’ pay per month at the basic rate as negotiated from year to year in the Coast
Master Agreement. Each change brought about to Regional per capita by the
application of this formula shall be instituted January 1, 1978 and each ensuing year.

Five cents (5¢) of the per capita tax shall be allocated to a Negotiations Fund to be
expended upon the authorization of the Regional Executive Board for the purpose of
publicity, advertising of meetings and recommendations to the membership during
contract negotiations and strikes. This five cents (5¢) shall remain in effect until the
fund reaches fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00), and then the five cents (5¢) shall
revert to the General Fund of the Regional Council. When the fund reaches a low of
thirty-five thousand dollars ($35,000), the five cents (5¢) will automatically be put into
effect until the Negotiating Fund reaches fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00).

Any proposed changes in the formula for per capita tax to the Regional Council
shall only be suject to change by the Regional Convention, approved by the
membership of the Local Unions by Referendum Ballot.”

Following is the proposed change:

“The per capita tax of the Regional Council shall be sixteen percent (16%) of two (2)
hours’ pay per month at the basic rate as negotiated from year to year in the Coast
Master Agreement. Each change brought about to Regional per capita by the
application of this formula shall be instituted September 1 of each ensuing year.

Five cents (5¢) of the per capita tax shall be allocated to a Negotiations Fund to be
expended upon the authorization of the Regional Executive Board for the purpose of
publicity, advertising of meetings and recommendations to the membership during
contract negotiations and strikes. This five cents (5¢) shall remain in effect until the
fund reaches fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00), and then the five cents (5¢) shall
revert to the General Fund of the Regional Council. When the fund reaches a low of
thirty-five thousand dollars ($35,000), the five cents (5¢) will automatically be put into
effect until the Negotiating Fund reaches fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00).

Any proposed changes in the formula for per capita tax to the Regional Council
shall only be subject to change by the Regional Convention, approved by the
membership of the Local Unions by Referendum Ballot.”

REGIONAL EXECUTIVE BOARD RESOLUTION

& SUBJECT: STRIKE FUND

WHEREAS: The recent strike has clearly shown that the Regional Strike Fund was
inadequate to handle an industry stike, and

WHEREAS: The principle of one set of negotiations has been adopted and in fact,
has been agreed to by the Forest Associations and Companies involved, and

WHEREAS: The strike has for all intents and purposes, depleted the present Strike
Fund, and

WHEREAS: The maximum figure of $10,000,000.00 is totally unrealistic for an
organization the size of ours, and

WHEREAS: The present assessment of $2 per member per month will not generate
the required monies needed to adequately finance any future industry strikes, and

WHEREAS: It is vitally important that we establish a Strike Fund which will serve
our members’ needs, now.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:

That this 44th Annual Convention of IWA Regional Council No. 1 amend Article VI,
Section 5(a) which now reads:

“An assessment of two dollars ($2.00) per member per month shall be paid into the
Strike Fund until the fund reaches ten million dollars ($10,000,000.00). The assess-
ment shall then be reduced to one dollar ($1.00) per member per month until the
Strike Fund is reduced to a low of eight million dollars ($8,000,000.00) at which time
the two dollar ($2.00) assessment shall automatically be put into effect until the Strike
Fund again reaches ten million dollars ($10,000,000.00).”

SEE “CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES” PAGE TWELVE

FROM PAGE NINE

was banned in Sweden several years ago.
Subsequent studies in that country have
confirmed their suspicions that exposure to
these chemicals and their toxic contami-
nants represents a serious carcinogenic
hazard. These same chemicals are used
throughout B.C., and all indications
are that they are contaminated with
the same hazardous chemical com-
ponents.

In a local survey of Port Alberni wood-
workers, significant elevations of a wide
range of symptom complaints directly
related to their chemical exposures were
found. These complaints were verified and
confirmed in a subsample who were medi-
cally examined.

In light of these findings from
research carried out throughout the
world, and the findings from the IWA’s
chlorophenol study confirming the
presence and seriousness of this
hazard to B.C. woodworkers, and the
general public, it must be concluded
that the only effective means of elimi-
nating this hazard is to ban the use of
chlorophenates in B.C., and to imple-
ment an alternative means of sapstain
control.

While use of these chemicals is being
eliminated from all B.C. mills, the most
stringent environmental controls must be
implemented. The controls listed above
should be seen as a minimum.

In addition, woodworkers in all plants
using these chemicals should keep a close
track of all health complaints and
illnesses amongst the workers on the
site. There is evidence dating back over 30
years that exposure to these chemicals can
lead to the development of Industrial Dis-
ease. Recognition by the B.C. WCB that
low-level exposure to chlorophenols
can and has led to the development of
industrial disease is long overdue, and
all woodworkers should insist that
they make this recognition now, and
include it in the B.C. Industrial Disease
Schedule.

The above measures will help reduce the
risks of exposure. They may help compen-
sate some workers presently suffering from
their exposures. They will not eliminate
the risks. This is the IWA’s objective. To
achieve this, all woodworkers and the
general public must be informed of the
hazards they face, and work together to
eliminate them.

‘There it is Browbent, in black and white, the computer says you don't exist ...
besides, It didn’t like you anyhow.

Lumber Worker/December, 1981/11