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VOLUME 53, No. 1

BROADWAY e<@fisb> PRINTERS LTD.

JULY, 1987

The times they are a changin’

service for members in central and east-
ern Canada. The west had those re-
sources and was prepared to share them.
The merger also allows us to offer these
services to the union membership in the

This has been a year of great change
for the IWA. Two fundamental and his-
toric changes have taken place. Both are
of equal weight and importance and
both affect IWA members from coast to
coast. central and eastern parts of the country.

Organizing members is the purpose and
strength of any union. Region #2 has a
country into one single Canadian Re- _lot of potential for new members. The
gion. Previously, the Canadian arm ofthe _ west has the organizing staff and ability, it
JWA was broken into two regions. They works out well for everyone.”
were the Western Canadian Regional Pointen, points out that there are a
Council, known as Region #1 stretching number of shared problems between east
from the Queen Charlotte Islands, offthe and west. “Our members work with the
west coast of British Columbia to the same dangerous chemicals, and are faced
Oniario border and Region #2, stretch-_ with the same serious hearing problems
ing from the Ontario border to the Atlan-
tic Ocean, including Cape Breton and
Labrador.

This merger means that the IWA is now
a national union, a union that encom-
the entire country, a union that
with one national voice for its
members. Former Region #2 President,
Bill Pointon explains the reasons for
merger. “There was a need to ex-
pand the jurisdiction of the IWA and
merger was the only way to do that.
Region #2 was being held back by the
smaller membership base. Because our
membership couldn't support separate
Health and Safety Departments, Organ-

The first significant change is the merg-
ing of both IWA Regions right across the

This merger means that
the IWA is now a
national union, a

union that
encompasses the entire
country, a union that
speaks with one
national voice for its
members.

izing Departments, Research Depart-
‘ments and so on, we were being held~-as the west. Now we can work together
~ back. The: merger allowed us to take on these and other issues. We can not
advantage of these services and the larger lose sight of the fact that now, when we sit
membership base that the west had with- down atthe bargaining table, we have, for
‘out losing anything.” Bill Pointen is now the first time, the resources, and clout of
4th Vice-President of the Canadian our brothers and sisters right across the
x and remains inthe Toronto area country. That strength is not lost on
: s ‘ employers.”

Jack Munro ties it all up with this
comment. “It made absolutely no sense
for us to keep this separateness, we are
much stronger together than apart. It's
‘one of the best things that has happened

to this union since it was founded back in
HOSTay

A Canadian Union

In late March of this year, the results of
an international ballot of all IWA mem-
bers was made known. The ballot asked
whether or not to create two national
unions, one in the U.S. and one in
Canada. The results of that ballot were
78% in favour of two national unions,
with Canadian members voting an over-
whelming 96.5% in favour. This brings us
to our present point in a journey that
started some 50 years ago, when the IWA.
was founded. Right from the beginning,
the U.S. and Canada have had the auton-
omy to run their own affairs, while at the
same time providing the strength and
unity of an international union that was
second to none. Because the Canadian
and American arms operate in different
economies, and differing labour climates,
collective agreements and priorities in
each country have reflected this. It is this
difference, this uniqueness that has made
the IWA so strong. But, it is also this
difference, that has brought the IWA to
this historic shift in structure.

Change is a fact of life, one need only
walk through the sawmill of today to see
the enormity of change in our industry.
Change also affects how we bargain, and
deal with problems. It has become
increasingly obvious, to both the Ameri-
can and Canadian membership, that
change was also necessary in the way in
which we related to our brothers and
sisters no matter what side of the border
we were on.

The IWA is a union that is run by, and
for, its membership. Its structure has
meant that every officer has risen up
through the ranks from the woods or the
shop floor. For some time now, the offi-
cers have seen the need for change, and
increasingly, the membership has seen
the need for change. The separation

It is this difference, this
uniqueness that has
made the IWA so
strong. but, it is also this
difference, that has
brought the IWA to
this historic shift in
structure.

reflects that democratic desire, while
affirming the historic relationship with
our American brothers and sisters. The
American and Canadian arms of the IWA
will remain affiliated through the Interna-
tional Confederation of Free Trade
Unions, and both will continue to trade
information on issues, such as, collective
agreements, health and safety, and other
areas of mutual concern. The long term
historic bonds of IWA members every-
where are strong, and no matter what the
boundaries there will always be the kin-
ship of our industrial, trade union roots.

‘

Welcome back! The Lumber Worker is
back with an improved look, more topical
articles, a new name, and a regular publi-
cation schedule of four times yearly.

The Canadian Lumber Worker, pre-
viously known as the Western Canadian
Lumber Worker, reflects the fundamental
change that has taken place in the IWA
structure over the last year. No longer is
the IWA broken up into different regions
across the country. Now we are one large
region, one national union that has a
strong and unified voice for those in the
forest, and the other diverse industries,
that are now represented by the IWA.

The Lumber Worker will reflect those
changes by addressing issues of national
perspective, and by speaking up formem-
bers coast to coast. With a readership of
almost 50,000, the Lumber Worker is the
primary way which IWA members share
information, and stay on top of important
shifts, changes and developments, both
in your union, and in the industry that
you work in.

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The Canadian Lumber Worker is your
paper, it's your dues that help pay for it,
50 it has to reflect and speak to you the
membership.

Regular features are planned, and reg-
ular contributions from the Health and
Safety Department, Research Depart-
ment, Organizing Department, Benefits
and Pension Department and others will
keep you abreast of how your dues are
being put to work.

The Lumber Worker has along history.
It first emerged during strikes in 1931
and 1934. At first, it was just a mimeo-

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