© Local 1-71's Ron Norgaard said Zeidler strikers are Canadian labour heroes. % z = E ___ Delegates at this year’s Convention sent a clear _ message of support to Alberta Local 1-207 mem- 4 apes on strike at Zeidlers in Slave Lake and Edmon- against one of the most ruthless employers the ‘ on has ever known. ‘ Since March of 1986 unionists at the companies ve Lake plant have been on strike against scabs a provincial government that has sided with com] . In Edmonton the Union has been out early 1988 under the same oppressive nditions. e National Union and Local 1-207 have ng and hard for an honourable solution strike. Although contacts have been made h the Alberta Ministry of Labour, the yer simply will not meet to negotiate. onvention Officers’ committee report nded that “We should not turn our backs strikers, but back them up for as long as to kick the scabs out.” Ron Norgaard of Loggers’ Local 1-71 the recommendation to support the are truly heros in our Canadian y. It would be wrong to turn our backs and allow them to become Canadian labour e CLUBBER BOB — IWA president Jack Munro presented Ontario premier Bob Rae with a Cooper baseball bat pro- duced at a union plant in Hespeler. Rae, received warmly by delegates, was keynote speaker at convention. Support vowed for Zeidler strikers Early in the strike at Slave Lake, Zeidler fired 23 workers for alleged picket line activity. For the most part the union has been very concerned with getting those strikers reinstated. The courts in Alberta have upheld the decision that the workers are fired. “We've taken it to every possible level that we could to try and be successful in winning it,” said Local 1-207 president Mike Pisak. In November of last year Jack Munro and Brother Pisak met with the Albertan Minister of Labour to get Zeidler back to the table. At one point the union felt it had a commitment from the company to get back to bargaining. In December of 1990 the company flatly refused to reinstate any of the strikers, whether or not they were fired. “Everytime they (Zeidlers) make a commitment to the Labour Ministers, they turn their back on it,” said Pisak. “T’d like to thank everybody for all of the sup- port. It’s been a long, hard struggle so far, and its going to continue,” added Pisak. “We still have over 100 members on the picket lines between the two operations. They’re out there fighting hard and they're determined we're going to aaa Brother Munro told the convention that the company has rejected mediation outright and won’t even meet with the union. According to the convention's Officers report: “It is absolutely mind boggling that in this day and © Mike Pisak, president of Alberta Local 1-207, said Zeidler strikers are determined to continue. age a company can scab these two operations and not even the Provincial government of Alberta, which owns the timber, has the ability or the will to move in and force an honourable settlement on this company.” New safety policies adopted After discussions at the National Convention the following recommendation from the National Safety Council Officers and Safety Resolutions Commit- tee were adopted. e The 1991 National Spring Health and Safety Conference should be held in the jurisdiction of IWA-CANADA Local 1-80. e Area Safety Conferences will be suspended for a two year trial period. © IWA-CANADA will oreeniza one Annual National Spring Safety and Health Conference for a two year trial period. e The Spring Health and Safety Conferences will be scheduled for three days and will be used primar- ily for education. e The Union will attempt to hold the National Health and Safety Conferences within alternating provincial jurisdictions. LUMBERWORKER/NOVEMBER, 1991/9