PES  --eeee

r

° In his opening speech, IWA president Jack Munro said the recession is a “deliberate and intended goal of

the

Federal government.” Munro said that woodworkers must be heard during the recession.

Munro slams ‘made in Canada’ recession

Delegates to IWA-CANADA’s fourth Constitu-
tional Convention in Vancouver, B.C. on September
24th heard a rousing speech from National Union
President Jack Munro.

Brother Munro said that “we are in a very serious
recession, possibly a depression. No doubt Michael

Wilson, John Crow and Mulroney won't notice it.
None of them and none of their neighbours are
unemployed.”

He said that “there is something terribly cynical
and immoral about what is going on here. The
whole society is being protected from inflation . . .
by a process that repeatedly picks the same people
to suffer the same injuries, to experience time and
time again unemployment and desperation.”

At the time of the speech, over 5,000 IWA-CAN-
ADA members were put out of work. As this issue

goes to press nearly 8,000 members nationwide are
on the unemployment roles.

“You have to understand that this recession, like
the last one was planned,” said Munro. “An intended
and deliberate goal of the Federal Government.”

“They could, two years ago, have hired a few
people to identify which sawmills and which bush
operations would go down and they could very
easily have identified the people. Name, rank and
social insurance number. And the only reason I
suggest they didn’t do that, is that they don’t
particularly care. So long as the cost again is borne
by industrial workers.”

Munro said the Tories purposeful high interest
rates policy has reduced the demand for Canadian
wood products, made the high $C uncompetitive
and increased capital costs in operations.

He said that neither Wilson nor Crow understand
that certain activities at the core of forest opera-
tions, such as intensive silviculture, have to be
financed over a long period of time and that high
interest rates make it prohibitive.

Although IWA-CANADA and others objected con-
sistently to the Tory government’s monetary policy
over the past three years, those objections weren’t
heard by the system, said Munro.

Munro said that as we go deeper into the planned
recession, woodworkers must strive to be heard.

The union President said that IWA members
must become more politically active and aware. He
cited the Ontario NDP election win as an example
of where IWA members actively became involved in
the political process.

y ; '
3.7 ke A my 1 4

Neil Menard, second V.P.

Gerry Stoney, first V.P.

Convention picks

Once again, its been an election year and all of the
sitions at the national level of IWA-CANADA have
een filled by acclamation.

Conducting the biennial elections was Brother
William Schumaker, retired longtime president of
Kelowna, Local 1-423.

Loggers’ Local President Warren Ulley nomi-
nated Jack Munro for his tenth successive term ina

resident's office and third term as president of
IWA-CANADA. From 1972 - 1986 Brother Munro
had served as president of former Region 1 of the
IWA.

Gerry Stoney won the union's first vice-
presidency by acclamation in what will be his
second term in that position. Prior to this year he
has been a secretary-treasurer of the former Region
and president of New Westminster, B.C., Local

Roger Stanyer, fourth V.P.

National officers

1-357. Brother Stoney’s nominator was Ralph
MacMillan on behalf of John Vernon, current presi-
dent of the New Westminster Local.

Saskatchewan Local 1-184 president Dennis
Bonville nominated Neil Menard for the position of
second vice-president. Brother Menard, has held
the Second vice-presidency of the organization since
1978.

Taking the position of third national vice-
president was Fernie Viala. Nominated by Port
Alberni Local 1-85 president Earl Foxcroft, Viala
will serve his second term in the position, after
having been a vice-president of the former interna-
tional union in Portland, Oregon. Viala is also an
ex-president of Duncan Local 1-80.

Moving from fifth to fourth vice-president will be
Roger Stanyer who was nominated by Duncan
Local 1-80 officer Bill Routley. Brother Stanyer,

Fernie Viala, third V.P.

Fred Miron, fifth V.P. Terry Smith, fin-sec.

by acclamation

formerly president of Local 1-80, plans to move
from Duncan to Vancouver in the new year.

Brother Bill Pointon, in view of his decision to
retire, declined nomination to the position of fifth
vice-president following his nomination by Bruce
Weber, president of Hanover, Ontario Local 1-500.

The newcomer to the national office is Fred
Miron, now fifth vice-president. Brother Miron,
nominated by Local 1-2693 officer Wilf McIntyre,
will be moving to Toronto in the new year from the
Thunder Bay local union to head the Union’s
eastern office.

Rounding out the nominations was the acclama-
tion of Terry Smith, IWA-CANADA’s secretary-
treasurer. Brother Smith accepted the nomination
from Joe Leclair, first vice-president at Local 1-357,
where Smith formerly served as president.

a

MANION)

* aX)
VWARAAAAAABAAALDOOL NSS 1 3

MAAAAA LVASALAN VAAL

LUMBERWORKER/NOVEMBER, 1990/9