Northern B.C. Interior
locals, industry win
public awareness award

sie Bloveraber of Hast year two IWA
-CANADA local unions; 1-424

Forest Emplo;
the honoured recipients of a distin-
guished award from the Canadian
Mental Health Association.

The award, presented in Vancouver
on November 19, eee el

A E
ire activities, where a Aa of acci-
dents were takin;
Radio ads, posi _pamp!

ties = special to the northern I
Menard, IWA- on

onal second vice-pre:

trustee of the benefit plan, says the

ner has been in existence since
early 1987.

In recognition of the programs
“overall ex cell

paign focused on the whole family
iso the start, much in the same
philosophy as Employee and Family
Assistance Programs.

and ‘ fone canning Seon to-
wards the general mental health of
community members,” the C.M.H.A.
paid eebute to the union’s and indus-
try’s efforts to increase public aware-
ness bout health and safety issues
off the j
In idea, the trustees of the CONI

FER - IWA health and welfare pro-
gram agreed to begin a public ela-

and radio ad campaign, various broad-
casters Secided to run eHow Bag kes
the ad spots as public
announcements, ate acoeteedl ae
value of the messages.
‘ith government grant support,
the safety awareness campaign broad-
ae throughout the north from sta-
inte in Prince George, through Hazel-

Fort St. John. In all, the messa; age: S

M ry 5 ane
rae ee aa were losing
their lives or eae injured in off the

stations cov-
ering 13 different target areas. cB ay
also broadcast

Ls

Television ads,

i.

very new face lea to eet the

at was a

this: re over four years; Ge a see the
true importance of the program.”
In the northern Interior there were

job accidents and deaths. The trust-

Radio spots, last year were carried

on 18 different stations covering an
even greater area.
The trustees believe that the Pro.

ing the benefit plan Sain pay-
ments.

The program h 1 d
drug abuse, alcohol and other life-

out the tragic dangers of substance
a alate le } 1

In 1990 th
deathe off the job, ae peacinersey
In the mid-1980's,

This year the trustees are looking

message out to the public.
If all goes well, the 1991 Safety

western artist at concert spots
where the program’s message will be
heard.

and welfare program’s surplus in 1987
and put it into a $60,000 public rela-
tions campaign which npeaely, con-
sisted of radio ads and information

ine workers gett ai Bolt the job acci-
dee: in one year

effort,” says Frank Everitt of Local
-424, BC. herueoulucal: vewen unto
aintain i fully it

}
Beret ata tal ‘ if off
the job as well,” says Brother Arcand.

an increase in budget and an added

to cover er areas as wi well”

Brother Everitt says that the IWA-
CONIFER program was developed to
show concern for everybody's well

being, not just for union members or
company employees.

« Savings in safety

costly in

By Valerie Casselton
he Conservative government of
Brian roney, has discovered it ied
0 kill a service slowly than
finish ie. off ' quickly.

long run

Health and safety is not a sexy
pulled so few noticed and sions
objected.

however,

ridge
OF the

Centre for peer Health sa
Safety, a huge 1 nati ional safety infor-

having such an awful name, but not
for any, other reason.
e CCOHS has saved Canadian

ee nae Jan daly trom s markers
like John Petrocco, a Tor

titis on his hands and loss of ee

ae sulin deadline pee 1995.

sense of secu,

bought complac
aan its 1990- OL "budget of $11.6

he CCOH

g time also

x training and
cone DE: packages

handled at work.

The Canaan Labour Congress's
Dick Martin recalls that Petre co's
employer, a tool and dye maker,
stopped using the chanical after the
centre confirmed that it was carcino-

ye

lot of

ie alies and packages,

_
patel sates ervice, nate to sell =
memberships- meee to large corpo-

rations. Of course, those who pay tl ae
bills sue aly eee how thin;

Bes ae centre is a comprehen-
sive source of objective information

can pec fees alone meet a Dadget

y 1995? “I don’t

re than a year ago, the govern-
id it would cut the aan
m budget to make CCOHS
le sufficient by 1992.

an: swer to that yet,”
sa ahi sees CCOHS director of
arketi

Continued on page fifteen