Retiring IWA National Health and Safety Director Verna Ledger (right) addresses a reception held in Vancouver to honour the
many years of service that she and retired Educational Director Frank Wall (left) gave to the union. With Brother Wall is his wife

Kay and to his left is the union's Financial Secretary, Terry Smith.

Union pays tribute to
retiring National staffers

TWA - CANADA ‘recently paid trib-
ute to two long time department
heads at a recent get together in

couver. ;

_ On March 26, union members, fam-
ily members and union officers wished
retiring National Health and Safety
Director Verna Ledger and outgoing
National Education Director Frank
Wall, all the best in the years ahead
and thanked them both for their years
of service.

Brother Wall, with the IWA since
1974, retired at the end of 1990 and
Sister Ledger recently stepped down
from her fulltime position which she
held since 1978,

Both Wall and Ledger were hired on
at the IWA office when it was known
as Regional Council No. 1.

IWA-CANADA president. Jack
Munro praised both unionists for their
years of dedication and loyalty.

“Many union members became well
educated and learned to be able to
express themselves because of Frank
Wall,” said Brother Munro.

In 1974 Munro, as president of the
Regional Council, hired Frank, who
was then a general representative for
the Canadian Labour Congress.

For over 16 years, Brother Wall
served dutifully as the Union’s Edu-
cation Director and “Good Will
Ambassador.”

Brother Wall also served on the
BC. Federation of Labour's education
committee, was a representative on
the United Way Committee, and is
serving on the B.C. Fed’s Camp Jubi-

lee Summer Camp Association Exec-
utive Board.

Through the years, Brother Wall
educated and trained hundreds of
union members throughout B.C. and
Canada.

Brother Munro acknowledged Sis-
ter Ledger’s contributions to the
health, safety and well being of IWA
members throughout the organiza-
tion.

Sister Ledger became director of
New Westminster Local 1-357’s health
and safety department in 1971 before
being hired by the Regional Council
seven years later.

Sister Ledger developed and in-
structed Occupational Health and
Safety Programs which became the
models for such programs adopted in

other unions in B.C. and Canada as
well.

Angela Schira, secretary-treasurer
of the B.C. Federation of Labour
appeared at the reception on behalf of
the provincial labour body.

She characterized both Sister Led-
ger and Brother Wall as having “the
dedication and knowledge of the trade
union movement.” Schira also said
that she hopes that both retirees will
make themselves available for consul-
tation for some time to come.

Also present to honour the retirees
was Ken Neumann, Director of Dis-
trict 3 of the United Steelworkers of
America, Frank Wall’s former union.

Brother Wall served in the position
of Steward, Chief Steward, Recording
Secretary, and as Local 5529 presi-
dent (for 6 years) when working for
the Steel Company of Canada.

Born in Dublin, Ireland, Frank was
a member of the Transport and Gen-
eral Workers’ Union and also an exec-
utive member of the United Station-
ary Engine Drivers Union in Dublin.

He moved to Canada in 1957 where
he worked at the Steel Company of
Canada for 10 years as plant carpen-
ter and millwright. As a Steelworker,
Frank served as president of the
Edmonton and District labour Coun-
cil for three consecutive terms.

At the retirement reception IWA
- CANADA’s Secretary-Treasurer Terry
Smith presented Brother Wall with a
commitment from the union to buy
him an airplane ticket to Ireland at a
future date.

Brother Wall thanked the IWA for
the adulation and wished well to his
union Brothers and Sisters.

“Never in my life, has there ever
been a moment where I’ve regretted
doing this,” said Brother Wall.

Smith also presented Sister Ledger
on behalf of the National Officers and
staff of the IWA, a cheque for an oil
painting that she has long wanted.

“The best years of my life have been
the years I’ve spent in the labour
movement, especially the years in the
regional and National office,” said
Sister Ledger.

Ledger, although formally retired,
will be helping out at the IWA on a
part time basis, as a replacement
director for the Health and Safety
Department has yet to be chosen.

In additional to her service to the
IWA, Sister Ledger became active in
the B.C. Fed’s Occupational Health
and Safety Committee in 1976.

By 1981 she was elected as a gover-
nor and executive member of the
Canadian Centre for Occupational
Health and Safety. Ledger also acted
as chairperson for the organization for
one year.

Sister Ledger has a long history of
union activism from her days as a
plant worker at Canadian Forest Prod-
ucts, Pacific Veneer Division in New
Westminster to her duties as a IWA
staffer and lobbyist for improvements
in health and safety.

Protection needed against
tech change says IWA

Delegates to the B.C. Wage and
Contract Conference heard a Brel
report of a Technological Change
Committee which was formed as the
result of a resolution from the 1990
Convention. The Committee reported
on cae ppetesinine pharmacies
and political lobbying approaches as
SEane Gt counterbalancing the effects
that tech change is having on the
IWA’s membership.

The committee which consists of’

National first vice-president Gerry
Stoney, Local 1-217 president Gary
Kobayashi, Local 1-363 president Sy

, Local 1-423 president Troi
Caldwell, and national assistant
research director Phil Legg, made
‘several practical suggestions to the
conference.

In regards to Collective Bargain-
ing, the report said that “current pro-
visions in the B.C. Master Agreement
must be improved to ensure maxi-
mum protection for IWA members
against the adverse impact of techno-
logical change in the workplace.”

The report suggest that possible
improvements to the collective agree-
ment include:
© increasing the amount of severance

to 1 month per year of service.
© eliminating the “cap” on the amount

of severance pay under technologi-

cal change.

@ revising contract language to pro-

vide coverage for employees who

are “directly or indirectly” affected
by tech change.

Continued on page sixteen

e Brother Frank Wall, former National Director of Education, accepts a
commemorative plaque from Bob DeLeeuw, Financial Secretary of Alberta
Local 1-207. Th.ocal union recognized and gave thanks to Brother Wall for his
help to many Albertan IWA members over the years.

|

LUMBERWORKER/MAY, 1991/3