Message from the President

Canadians need land-use
dispute settling mechanisms

In British Columbia a Task
Force on the Environment and
Economy has told us that finding
new ways to resolve land use dis-
putes is fundamental to achieving
sustainable development and we
all know that if we don’t achieve
sustainable development our chil-
dren will not have a very good
life.

In other parts of the country
some mechanisms are emerging
to help us resolve deep-rooted
land-use conflicts. A new Forest
Resources Commission, in British
Columbia, does not have conflict
resolution within its mandate, nor
should it. This might be a disap-
pointment to some, but I think it
is a good thing. I’m sure that a
lot of people would be upset if
they thought that a Commission
with a forestry mandate were to
be the one to resolve all land-use
disputes.

Environmental and economic
conflicts arise within many
spheres and from all directions.
For this reason we need, a forum

to discuss and to debate land-use
issues.

_ Recently, the B.C. Task Force
stated that the Round-Table
should recommend processes and
mechanisms for the resolution of
land-use and other environment-
economy conflicts. The Round-
Table should consist of individu-
als whose wide range of views
reflect the full spectrum of envi-
ronmental and economic inter-
ests . This clearly shows that the
Provincial Round-Table must
have a broader mandate than the
Forest Resources Commission.

Why do we need such an
agency? Because the rift between
workers and those who think that
our traditional way of earning a
living is environmentally un-
sound is getting too big. Workers
are feeling pressured and are
being told by various public opin-
ion polls that they are not really
valued anymore. This is not right.
If there was a permanent place
where all could go and know that

by Jack Munro

they would be listened to — we
might attack the problems
instead of each other. Woodwork-
ers helped build this country, we
can’t allow this government to
belittle all the work that has gone
into making us who we are. We
can’t allow them to turn our
friends against us.

Too often IWA workers are
misrepresented in the press as
being anti-environmentalist or
even anti-environment. People of
this country should understand.
that the members and leadership
of the IWA are not that way. Gov-
ernments are really good at
setting us up against each other
and letting us scrap it out. [WA
workers have always been
environmentalists. For decades
we have pressured governments
and the forest industry to use our
resources in an environmentally
sensitive way. When the public
hears that IWA workers are anti-
this or anti-that they must be
reminded that we are faced with
the same fears and worries as

other Canadians. On top of being
worried about the environment,
we worry about our jobs and our
children’s futures.

Without a process that all the
people of the province can buy
into, this rift is only going to get
bigger. We all know who will win
if that is allowed to happen. The
current government will get
re-elected and the companies will
be happy. Environmental groups
and workers will be left with
nothing.

Now, I want to be fair about
this. I know that a lot of people
understand that we have a right
to earn a living. They know that
we are not the enemy, but because
we are all in the same boat of hav-
ing no way of knowing when we
are going to be listened to, we
react against each other instead
of at the real problem.

‘We need adequate land-use dis-
pute settling mechanisms in all
provinces. The mechanisms must
have the clout to make the gov-
ernment respond.

National officer serves on
Strangway Commission

A report submitted to British
Columbia’s Minister of Environment
Bruce Strachan and Minister of
Regional Development Elwood Veitch
entitled “Sustaining the Living
Land,” makes unanimous recommen-

SAYA

e Roger Stanyer, National Fifth Vice-
President.

dation that a government policy of
sustainable development must be put
in place. The recommendation came
from a seven member task force on
B.C.’s Environment and Economy

headed by Dr. David Strangway, Pres-
ident of the University of British
Columbia.

Representing labour on the task
force was Roger Stanyer, National
Fifth Vice-President and President of
Duncan Local 1-80. Appointed in Jan-
uary of 1989, Brother Stanyer and his
task force colleagues examined more
than 200 written briefs from various
organizations, businesses, associa-
tions, and individuals.

The task force was asked to make
recommendations on whether or not
the province required a Round Table
on the environment and on a conser-
vation strategy.

All members agreed that a provin-
cial Round Table should be estab-
lished to lead in the development of a
sustainable development strategy.

The Round Table, according to the
Strangway Report, should be perma-
nent and act as an advisory board to
cabinet. It should consist of individu-
als with a wide range of views and
who reflect a full spectrum of environ-
mental and economic issues.

Brother Stanyer says that the
Round Table offers labour a unique
opportunity.

“We must have some mechanism to
resolve land use disputes and the
Round Table should help to establish
that mechanism. I think that all par-
ties realize that labour is a major

player in environmental and economic
issues,” comments Stanyer.

Brother Stanyer also says that sus-
tained economic activity must include
a healthy forest industry.

“Nothing else in this province is
even close in comparison with the
forest industry and other major
resource industries when it comes to
creating meaningful employment.

And that should be recognized by
anyone.”

The provincial Round Table, ac-
cording to the report, should also
foster public “environmental literacy.”
As well, it recommends that cabinet
committees on Regional Development
and Environmental Land Use com-
bine into a single Sustainable Devel-
opment Committee.

Forest policy expected
at National Convention

Asa result of a resolution passed at
the 1988 National Convention, [WA-
CANADA formed a special forestry
environment committee to deal with
ongoing issues in the country. The
committee, chaired by National Fifth
Vice-President Roger Stanyer, is also
charged with producing a draft of a
new union forest policy.

The IWA has not updated its forest
policy since the 1970s, long before the
current land use controversies arose.
The second forest policy draft is now
before the committee and is expected
to be completed around convention
time.

The Committee is discussing such
issues as tenure, forest utilization,

silviculture, and harvesting systems
in the new policy. Their recommenda-
tions, which may include suggestions
on a sustainable forest strategy, will
be made to the National Executive

Board.

This October’s National Convention
will hear a resolution from Duncan
Local 1-80 to hold a special National
Forestry Conference in 1990.

The draft forest policy may be
amended by the National Executive
Board and by Convention action.

Other members of the committee
are Bob Freer, Local 1-71; Dave Hag-
gard, Local 1-85; Klaus Offermann,
Local 1-405; and Fred Miron, Local
1-2693.

a IE
4/LUMBERWORKER/SEPTEMBER, 1989