‘ee Left to right are Toronto Local 1-700 delegates Tony Iannuci (president), Jerry Matyja, and Bill Grenon. Delegates call for increased organizing One of the most widely discussed topics at this year’s convention was organizing. In his report to the convention, national organizing director John Smithies said the union has organized over 1,500 members since September, 1989, when his last report was given. Brother Smithies. made special mention of the passing of Benny Lum, an organizer with the Regional Council of the IWA and the IWA-CANADA national office for over 12 years. Brother Lum passed away on June 1, 1989. “The passing of Benny Lum was a serious loss to our organizing department,” said Smithies. “He is sadly missed by his colleagues and many friends both inside and outside the trade union movement. He will be remembered as a true trade unionist who dedicated his life to working people wherever he went.” At convention time there remained five national organizers on staff. Brother Smithies expressed concerns over finances which are, in many situations, limiting organizing efforts. “Finances are almost always a problem at all levels of our Union,” said Smithies. “Organizing can be a very costly exercise. We urge all local unions, large and small, to include this vital func- tion in their budgets. Some revenue should be set aside exclusively for organizing purposes.” “The most successful efforts are in local unions who have one or more trained staff either full or part time to spearhead the program. This allows the (National) organizing department to utilize finances and manpower to assist locals, who, at this time are not in good shape financially.” “Now that we have a better handle on our organizing methods, it is time to focus our atten- tion on the central and eastern provinces,” said Smithies. “The potential to expand there is equal to or greater than in the west.” The director said the difficulties in organizing continue to originate from the uneven playing field which has become common in all provincial labour codes,“ said Smithies. “The absence of effective first contract legisla- tion is also posing a serious problem in many provinces. When we are successful in gaining certi- fication, the employers often bargain in bad faith or in some cases refuse to negotiate a union security clause, attempting to create ‘right to work’ condi- tions or force us into a strike situation.” After going over Brother Smithies report, the Organizing Report Committee, recommended that another organizer be hired, as soon as possible, finances permitting. The committee also recommended that the union continue with educational seminars as a cost- effective way in educating local members about organizing. Ina discussion of the report, Alberta Local 1-207 president Mike Pisak suggested that organizers not be confined to any specific area but that rather they be sent to where the most potential for organ- izing 1s. “We have a great deal of potential in the province of Alberta. The forest industry is probably growing faster than any other industry in the province,” said Pisak. “The CPU is out going after anything that moves, they're in sawmills, they’re in every plant that’s being built in Alberta. So we have to get the organizers out there and we have to get them working.” Dave Tones, president of Fraser Valley B.C. Local 1-367, said the role of the organizer should also be as an educator, out there giving the rank and file the tools and the skills to organize. Brother Fred Miron, newly elected national fifth vice-president, said that even though there is poten- tial for organizing in southern Ontario, the conser- vative nature of the workforce makes it very difficult. Miron said that in his new role as eastern vice- president he plans to have a greater say in the direction of day to day activities such as organizing. Wilf McIntyre, president of Thunder Bay, Ontario Local 1-2693 said that the national union is on the right course of trying to get the locals to do more organizing. National third vice-president Fernie Viala, who oversees the organizing department acknowledged that it’s very difficult for a local union to organize because of all the other problems that have to be dealt with on a daily basis. “This is a process of building,” said Viala. “We have to get people accustomed to doing things for themselves.” : Brother Viala told the delegates that they must be willing to put time and effort into organizing. Joe da Costa of Local 1-1000 said the union must remember the members in New Brunswick. Local 1-806 is down to about 100 working members in one of only two certifications in that province. Key resolutions passed at Convention ® TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE ... IWA-CANADA will strike a committee to investigate the impact of technological changes in the forest industry and develop comprehensive demands for industry nego- tiationsin BC. . . . the committee's findings will be reported to the 1991 Wages and Contract Conference. CORPORATE TAKEOVERS AND MERGERS ... the union demands that federal and provincial governments enact legislation to boost severance pay for workers affected by mergers and takeovers. PER CAPITA ... the IWA National Executive Board will investigate the methods of making per capita more equitable to encourage organizing in the secondary industry sector. U.LC. REFORM ... IWA-CANADA will demand that UIC regulations be amended to allow for payment of severance pay to unemployed workers without any period of disentitlement from receiv- ing Unemployment Insurance Benefits. PRIVATIZATION .. . the union reaffirms its oppo- sition to the privatization programs of the federal and provincial governments. GST . .. IWA-CANADA reaffirms its opposition to the good and service tax and will do everything in its power to stop the tax. FOREST AND LAND USE CONFERENCE ... the national officers will convene a conference to examine and formulate a forest use strategy, which local unions can participate in for educational and public relations purposes. COMPENSATION OF FOREST WORKERS .. . all provincial governments will be asked to provide full compensation directly for loss of employment to workers losing their jobs from loss of timber cutting rights. FOREST TENURE ... the union will examine alternate forms of tenure which would ensure the maximum number of jobs, protection of the cir ronment and democratic control of our forests. COMMUNITY FORESTRY ... the convention will call upon the B.C. provincial government to legislate the establishment of community forest committees in each forest district to provide wood- workers and communities an economic say. NON-UNION CONTRACTORS ... the IWA will adopt and enforce a policy that any company or person having a direct business dealing with an IWA-CANADA operation be unionized. SSS 12/LUMBERWORKER/NOVEMBER, 1990