Membership blitz (Continued from page one) about 100 kilometres south of Ed- monton. An employee association at the plant decided to merge with IWA -CANADA by an overwhelming 83 per- cent majority. The former Sturdiwood Employee Association, which elected a new exec- utive in May of 1989, approached Local 1-207 for help in education and problem solving. National Organizer, Lyle Pona worked on the drive along with valued support from inside the plant. Associ- ation President Bernard Rushton, First Vice-President, George Cameron and Treasurer, Nick Jensen, helped play a key role in swaying the workers to vote IWA. © Lyle Pona, National Organizer. In a press release following the drive, Brother Rushton said, “When Weyerhauser purchased the operation we thought for a while that we could improve our situation, but as time went on we found the company in- reasingly more difficult to deal with.” “It became clear to us that we had to have greater strength in numbers and resources to deal with Weyer- hauser and believe we have attained that through the IWA,” added Rush- ton. Brother Pona says the size of the new bargaining unit is of “incredible significance” to the Alberta Local. Local 1-207, whose 1,200 members will benefit from the addition of the Weyerhauser operations, is expand- ing its influence in the province after several years of limited activity in organizing. On February 23, New Westminster, Local 1-357 certified 129 new employ- © National Organizer Rick McRae. ees at Canadian Window Covering Corp. in Burnaby, B.C. The drive, which began in mid December, culminated in union endorsement from 99 of 123 workers at the manufacturing plant. National Organizer, Rick McRae and local organizer, Bob Donick teamed up to sign the overwhelming majority. Local 1-423 reported in late March that Local President, Bill Schumaker and Officer Ben Landis worked together with National Organizing Director, John Smithies to certify a 125 member bargaining unit. The majority of the workers at Bradford Enercon Inc. in Grand Forks, B.C. voted to join the IWA to improve wages and working condi- tions. Workers at the plant, which crushes rock into a processed fibre insulation, are in need of the estab- lishment of a grievance procedure, job security and proper promotional procedures. Brother Smithies says “that Local 1-423 showed a commitment to the organizing program by its extensive participation in the drive.” Within two weeks of the initial contact from inside the plant, the entire check off procedure and certifi- cation vote was completed. Local 1-1000 reports about 70 new members at Canadian Splint (Divi- sion of Eddy Match Co. Ltd.) in Pem- broke. The plant manufactures wooden match sticks for export all over the world. Ballots of approval for the IWA were counted on May 2, after an organizing drive by Rene Brixhe assisted by local business agent, Mike McCarter. The workers approached IWA -CANADA because of the lack of repre- sentation they were receiving under a previous certification. Local Union officials wish to give special thanks to Bill Selles along with Walter Seck, Phil Hudson, Paul Gagnon, Mike Hodgins, Reg Des- laurier and Joe Barry for all pitching in to turn the plant over to IWA- CANADA. Local 1-80 reports three organizing success stories since late February. The local union has hired Lyn Kistner who has been doing a successful job in the southern Vancouver Island area. In late February, twenty-eight workers at MacMillan Bloedel’s Nur- sery and Tree Improvement Centre in Harmac and Yellow Point joined Local 1-80 for improvement in health and safety, wages and representation. Brother Kistner then brought in a three member unit at G&B Automo- tive and Engineering, a subsidiary of the unionized Hearsey Trucking Co. On May 11, the local organizer suc- cessfully certified 37 new members at Paulcan Enterprises in Chemainus, a remanufacturing plant and planer mill which mostly handles lumber from MacMillan Bloedel in the area. Concerns over job security and get- ting union-won benefits brought the workers to Local 1-80. At press time a number of other organizing drives across Canada are in the works. Hopefully, the recent successes can be repeated in order to build a stronger IWA-CANADA. Carmanah Decision (Continued from page one) In the announcement, Richmond neglected to mention compensation for workers who will lose their jobs or provide any plans for protecion of community stability. 2 “We have said before, and will say again, ad hoc decision-making on a valley-by-valley basis hurts the work- ing people of this province,” added Brother Stoney. “This is not a good example of how the province should be governed and we can only hope that it is the last time decisions are made this way.” Brother Foxcroft said Local 1-85 expects opposition from preservation- ist groups should logging begin in the upper Carmanah. In addition, the Nuu-Chah-Nulth Tribal Council is considering legal action in support of their aboriginal claim for the entire Carmanah. In 1985, the Nuu-Chah-Nulth received an injunction, halting MB’s logging plans on Meares Island, pend- ing the resolution of their aboriginal claims. No logging activity has taken place there since then. ° B.C. Federation of Labour Ken Georgetti (1.) meets with provincial NDP leader Mike Harcourt at convention. (Photo: Bob Akester) NDP chooses land use ‘compromise’ VANCOUVER, B.C. — A compromise resolution on land use brought forward by the NDP Federal MP Bob Skelly (Comox-Alberni) was introduced at this year’s B.C. NDP Convention on March 10th to prevent a rift between IWA-CANADA delegates and support- ers of the party’s green caucus. The compromise resolution, which drew strong support from the conven- tion, provides for a planning system for land use issues, should the NDP win the next provincial election. “What the resolution provides is a recommendation for a ways and means of dealing with such hot spots as the Carmanah Valley”, said IWA-CANADA Forest and Environment Planner, Claire Dansereau. The resolution calls for a “time limited” regional planning process for each region of the province which would include: © protection of 12% of representative ecosystems (as recommended in the Brundtland report). protection of land base of the work- ing forest in order to maintain employment and support of forest industry communities. The compromise’s planning process calls for preliminary discussion between forest industry unions, forest companies, NDP governments and public interest groups to cooperate in scheduling logging activity. The resolution also reads that log- ging activity would “maintain em- ployment and maintain raw material supplies, without jeopardizing the option to preserve or prescribe special treatment in areas subject to resource conflicts.” During labour caucus meetings, the 47 IWA delegates hammered away for support from union brothers and sis- ters and leading politicians. NDP leader Mike Harcourt said that the party’s land use policy must be extended throughout ite province. He also said the Socred govern- ment’s refusal to deal openly with the issue has created battles, “has pittéd us against each other so they (So- creds) can help their corporate friends.” Continued on page 15 Union joins anti-GST vote Local affiliates of IWA-CANADA hit the streets between April 7-9 to col- lect over 20,000 ballots against the Mulroney government’s Goods and Services tax to be introduced in Janu- ary of 1991. In six provinces IWA activists joined with the other members, Cana- dian Labour Congress, the Pro- Canada Network, and other groups including National Womens’, Anti- Poverty, Native, church and cultural, in a well organized “Campaign for Fair Taxes.” The campaign, which calls for the removal of the GST, and the institu- tion of a fair tax system whereby profit taking corporations and the wealthy would pay their fair share of taxes, was deemed a success by cam- paign organizers. According to public opinion polls more than 80% of Canadians are dead set against the GST. In British Columbia alone over 250,000 ‘No’ votes were recorded in rejection of the GST. In Port Alberni, Local 1-85 members joined with the Port Alberni District and Labour Council to tally more than 3,700 votes against the tax, according to Labour Council Financial Secretary and cam- paign organizer Henry Nedergaard. Local 1-217 in Vancouver worked with its District Labour Council to bring in more than 3,100 ‘No’ votes, while the IWA office in Toronto reported anti-GST contributions of * more than 3,400 people from Ontario locals. In Thunder Bay, Ontario, Local 1-2693 coordinated itself with the Thunder Bay and District Labour Council to collect an estimated 2,000 votes to dump the GST. Locals 1-357 (New Westminster) and Local 1-80, (Duncan) canvassed the work places and plant gates to bring in more than 4,500 votes against the legislation. The Saskatchewan Federation of Labour received over 800 votes from Local 1-184, with its headquarters in Prince Albert. On April 10, however a Conserva- tive dominated House of Commons voted 144 to 114 in approval of the 7% tax. Now the unpopular tax rests in the hafids of a Liberal dominated Senate which has been feeling the public's pressure to put a halt to the bill. Although Liberal MPs have vowed to continue to fight the tax, many New Democrats are convinced the Senate will roll over and approve the tax after limited public hearings. The Senate can halt legislation on the GST by a vote or by addition of amendments to the bill that are not acceptable by the majority of MPs. aa 2/LUMBERWORKER/MAY, 1990 ® pes