© 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