e At Malette Lumber in Timmins, where the first educational leave was negotiated are (1. to r.) Danny Roy, Alain Desrosier, Paul Coderre and Marcel Corriveau. Breakthrough agreement wins educational leave TIMMINS, ONTARIO — In the first agreement of its kind for a forest based trade union, [WA-CANADA has gained a paid educational leave provi- sion for union members in a collective agreement. In late February Local 1-2995 negotiators signed a memoran- dum of agrement with Malette Lum- ber here, with provisions for up to 10 days of leave of absence at full pay, in ane for IWA members to receive educational training. The agreement with Malette has set the pattern by which other negoti- ations in Northern Ontario have been based on. In the wage section of the agree- ment, Malette workers will receive a $2.00 hour increase over the terms of a 3 year agreement retroactive to Sep- tember 1, 1989. The demand for paid educational leave was formulated in May of 1989 under the auspices of the Northern Ontario District Council (NODC), a long standing affiliation between Local 1-2995 and Local 1-296, estab- lished over 20 years ago. Explaining the union’s demand, Local 1-2995 president Norman Rivard says that “one of the argu- ments that we used was that there was a helluva lack of education toward health and safety amongst the mem- bers as a whole.” “The companies haven’t been doing their damn job in training employees and making the workplace safer so we said they’re going to have to pay for it,” adds Brother Rivard. “We told the company that we in the IWA are very serious and willing to play a role in educating our members.” Despite the union's straightforward position the company put up all kinds of resistance and the issue became one of the last ones addressed during negotiations. At Malette a strike vote was taken to back up the demand which was a central part of the settle- ment package. : Since the Malette settlement sim- ilar paid educational leaves agree- ments have been negotiated in Local 1-2995 at Normick Lumber in Kirk- land Lake, and Levesque Lumber, United Sawmills and Lecours Lum- ber in Hearst. What the paid education leave will mean is that the IWA has sole discre- tion, at any time, to spring a union member or members from the work- place for education related purposes. The companies must reimburse the worker(s) for their lost wages at their regular rate(s) of pay. Since affiliating with IWA-CANADA in 1987, the two northern Ontario Locals have reaffiliated themselves with the Ontario Federation of Lab- our and Canadian Labour Congress. Local 1-2995 President Norman Rivard. For years the local unions were unable to receive educational training from the CLC body because the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners would not allow them to freely affiliate. Now that the union has the break- through agreement with the compa- nies, Brother Rivard says that it will be used in a number of situations, but that education in health and safety will remain a top priority. Language skills improve health and safety Since May of 1988 the Ontario Fed- eration of Labour has been working hard, through its educational depart- ment, in operating a program entitled Basic Education Skills Training (BEST). At the IWA’s Health and Safety Conference, delegates were told by program co-ordinator Sam Saumur of ‘Thunder Bay, that BEST can work to improve occupational health and safety. BEST is set up to help employed and unemployed union members upgrade their skills in reading, writ- ing, math and second language skills. The program is designed to be worker centered as the participants decide what the need and the BEST program tries to develop the materi- als and instruction to meet those needs. Mr. Saumur cited statistics from a study by the Business Advisory Task Force on Literacy, which in 1987 said that 24% of the workforce in Ontario is functionally illiterate (having skills below a Grade 9 level). The speaker tied lack of basic skills in reading, writing and basic math to potential health and safety problems in the workplace. “We complement and follow through on health and safety,” said Saumur. “After completing a program, a BEST instructor can graduate with a better focus on Occupational Health & Safety issues on the job.” Mr. Saumur said increased work- place communication skills are neces- sary to fully understand safety regu- lations, operate equipment safely, and understand WHMIS. Trade unions in Ontario have been selecting individuals to go through BEST instructor training. IWA -CANADA Locals 1-2693 and 1-2995 have successfully put several grads through phases of the 3 term (of 12 weeks each) program. BEST is designed to take workers off the job and provide education right on or close to the job site. This is to ensure a low dropout rate. Co-ordinators of the program have sought participation from employers in providing workplace sites for the classes and coverage for all or part of the worker(s) wage loss during class time. To date more than 250 instructors have received full training in the BEST program in more than 50 workplaces. BEST operates in 8 regions across the province. Its latest annual budget received $1.4 million in funding from the Ontario Ministry of Skills and Development and over $800,000 from OFL affiliates. According to Mr. Saumur the pro- gram is seeking additional funds from the federal government. At Canadian Pacific Forest Prod- ucts operations, workers have been excused to receive training on com- pany time. MacMillan Bloedel’s Nipigon Ply- wood Division has provided an hour at the beginning or end of shifts for participants in BEST. The program is beginning to gain momentum and is spreading by word of mouth. Says Mr. Saumur: “We're not the teacher, and we're not the professor. We're just workers helping others.” © Clay Perry, director of IWA-CANADA's Land Use Department was among 60 distinguished guests who planted seedlings at the Green Timber Nursery in Sur- rey in mid-March. The event was sponsored by the B.C. Forest Service to com- memorate the sixtieth anniversary of the province's first seedling and research centre. LUMBERWORKER/MAY, 1990/7