NVENTION

© Forestry Environment Committee members, responsible for writing the new forest
policy are (1. to r.) Bob Freer, Local 1-71; Claire Dansereau, IWA-CANADA's Forestry
Environment Planner; Dave Haggard, Local 1-85; Roger Stanyer, Committee Chair-
man and National Fifth Vice-President; Fred Miron, Local 1-2693 and Clay Perry,
IWA-CANADA's Environment and Land Use Department Director..

New union forest
policy unveiled

A major part of IWA-CANADA’s
Third Constitutional Convention was
devoted to the presentation and dis-
cussion of a new forest policy. The
forest policy was presented to the
delegation by Roger Stanyer, Chair-
man of a special Forestry Environ-
ment Committee which includes Bob
Freer of Local 1-71; Dave Haggard,
Local 1-85; Klaus Offermann, Local
1-405; and Fred Miron, Local 1-2693;
and Clay Perry and Claire Dansereau
of the National Office.

The Committee, appointed by the
National Executive Board after the
1988 Convention, met on half a dozen
occasions during the year to discuss
the structure and content of the forest
policy.

The Committee presented a seven-
teen-page document to the Annual
Convention which gave it unanimous
approval in principle.

¢ Research and development is a vital
component of the new forest policy.

The new forest policy is to be given
final approval at the December, 1989
National Executive Board Meeting.
Editorial changes were made to the
original document of October 4, 1989.

Sister Dansereau spent part of the
year travelling to various Locals
across Canada and consulting on
areas of mutual concern. Her time'was
also spent reviewing resolutions on

forestry and environmental issues pre-
sented at IWA Conventions since
1979,

Early reaction to IWA-CANADA’s
new forest policy is positive and

encouraging. Local unions, some envi-
ronmental groups and industry in
British Columbia have responded
favourably to date.

According to the policy:

“IWA-CANADA commits itself to
the establishment and maintenance
of fully sustainable forestry. Forestry
that leaves to future generations of
Canadians a rich endowment of fish
and wildlife, soils capable of sup-
ported varied ecosystems and com-
mercial forests managed so as to pro-
vide many more jobs and the wide
range of forest recreations that Cana-
dians value.”

IWA-CANADA’s new Forest Policy
commits itself to programs and poli-
cies which are totally consistent with
the Brundtland (United Nations)
Commission on the Environment and
Development.

Most importantly, IWA-CANADA’s
principle of sustainable development
is not based upon the maximization of
profits but rather on the principle of
maintaining the integrity of the natu-
ral environment, preservation of eco-
logical diversity and the provision of
decent livelihoods for a growing popu-
lation of Canadians.

The new forest policy deals with
four areas of concern: a sustainable
forest strategy; land use and tenure;
forestry practices; and research and
development.

A SUSTAINABLE

FOREST STRATEGY
The IWA believes that Canada

hasn't come to grips with a sustaina-

ble forest strategy and that the con-
tinued deterioration of the environ-
ment and increasing land-use conflicts
require a sustainable forest strategy.

IWA-CANADA'’s approach in achiev-
ing this involves four steps:

e creation of a land-use planning pro-
cess with a conflict resolution pro-
cess in each province

¢ public and worker output into plan-
ning and monitoring of forest
activities

e research and development into
alternate harvesting, silviculture
and job creation

e environmentally-sound logging
practices within work plans that
pay attention to forest regeneration
The above steps are included

throughout IWA-CANADA’s forest

policy.

(continued on page 13)

H&S Conference

Air quality

Sept. 29-30

concerns raised

Delegates to the Health and Safety
Conference passed four resolutions
calling for the control and elimination
of dust particles in manufacturing
plants. The delegates also called for
full compensation for victims of cedar
dust allergies and asthma.

Speaking on a resolution from his
local union, New Westminster Local
1-357 delegate Blaine Calhoun, spoke
of negative experiences with WCB
officials who ignored dust problems
after testing levels with equipment.

Brother Calhoun, an employee of
MacMillan Bloedel, New Westminster
Division, said that dust levels also
inhibit visibility and impair
breathing.

The resolution called upon the
National Officers to demand that the
WCB compensate victims of cedar
dust asthma for time loss and provide
rehabilitation or financial aid.

At the present time WCB will only
compensate a worker for the initial
time loss following an asthma attack.
Once the worker is removed from the
contaminated atmosphere they begin
to recover so they are cut off benefits.

There is little attempt to retrain
workers so they may find employment
elsewhere and no pension for a perma-
nent disability, although research by
Dr. Moira Young of UBC has shown
only a small percentage of cedar dust
allergy victims ever completely
recover.

Sister Verna Ledger told the dele-
gates that the present allowable lim-
its of 2.5 mg cedar dust per cubic
metre are excessive. The IWA reso-

it

“4

e Blaine Calhoun, New Westminster
Local 1-357.

lution calls for reduction in allowable
limits to 1.0 mg/m’.

Sister Ledger also said more
research is necessary to determine
what component of the dust causes
asthma and other allergies.

Cranbrook Local 1-405 submitted a
resolution calling for the WCB to
strengthen and enforce its present
regulations on dust control while
Prince George Local 1-424’s resolu-
tion demands installation of ventila-
tion equipment.

Delegate Larry Rewakowsky from
the Port Alberni Local expressed con-
cern that the WCB should also moni-
tor smoke levels in mills. Smoke from
plywood veneer dryers is a continuing
problem in many mills and the WCB
Occupational Health and Safety
requirements do not regulate smoke.

Health and safety fund
voted into training

A resolution from New Westmin-
ster Local 1-357 to channel some of
the money from the Health and Safety
Research Fund, negotiated in B.C. in
1988 collective agreements, into the
establishment of a comprehensive
‘train the trainer’ program was
adopted at both the Fall Health and
Safety Conference and the National
Convention.

The resolution which recognizes
“there is a critical need for education
and training of Joint Occupational
Health and Safety Committees”, will
call on trustees on both sides of the
fund to co-operate in developing a
training program.

National Health and Safety Direc-
tor Verna Ledger said that it is impor-
tant for employers to sit down on a
committee to train workers.

“This kind of resolution won’t give
the employer the excuse that it’s too
costly to bring in trainers,” said Sis-
ter Ledger.

Sister Ledger also said that pure
scientific research is the responsibil-
ity of the government and industry
and that the money generated from
the fund (about $350,000 in the first
year) is insignificant for funding such
projects as chemical research.

¢ Henry Nedergaard, Port Alberni Local
1-85.

Erik Eriksson, Financial Secretary
from Courtenay Local 1-363 pointed
out that research in itself is important
in reviewing literature and existing
research data in forming an adequate
“train the trainer” program.

Port Alberni Safety Director Henry
Nedergaard said a real training pro-
gram is long overdue and also said
that expensive research into the effects
of chemical use should be left to gov-
ernments and employers.

The money coming into this fund
would take years to get meanintful
research,” said Brother Nedergaard.
“Particular studies can run into the
millions.”

eae EEE]
12/LUMBERWORKER/DECEMBER, 1989