© Safety Resolutions Committee members (I. to r.): Frank Buczkowski, Local 1-500; Ray Dease, Local 1-184; and national second vice-president Neil Menard. Key OH&S resolutions pass © Local 1-1000's Mike McCarter spoke on education. Education fund adopted by union The IWA convention unanimously adopted a new policy that all Local Unions will be encouraged to Fi negotiate an employer-paid education assessment in future contracts. The resolution, submitted by Local 1-1000 in north-central Ontario, will see the Union's National Executive Board, which consists of National Offi- cers and all Local Union presidents, bring the education fund to the forefront. z In April of 1990 Local 1-1000 got the first education fund breakthrough in the union from a “hegotiating team at Amoco Fabric and Fibre in -Hawksbury, Ontario. The employer agreed to pay ‘one cent per hour per employee into an education fund administered by the local union. _ Since that time, Local 1-1000 has replicated the agreement in several of its operations and in May of last year adopted the policy in all sets of (ee Until it negotiated the education fund the local union had no formal education peliey, _ At the IWA, convention, Brother Mike McCarter, a delegate from 1-1000 said the agreements are Peroducing some substantial funds for us.” McCarter said the fund is now generating about 000 a month for the 2,100 member local. He also d the local spends about $35,000 per year on tion. ‘ “Local 1-1000 has slated use of the education fund such programs as CLC education seminars. to for some travel, per diem and accommodation lution was welcomed by Convention : paieelizetion that former National Edu- n Director Frank Wall has not yet been d due to financial constraints during the it recession. MANDATORY TRAINING FOR FIRE FIGHTING — the Union will demand that all provincial governments draft and implement legislation and regulations to make employers provide practical on site training for fire fighting. AUDITING OH&S PROGRAMS — the IWA demands that Federal and Provincial governments enact regulations that require an annual audit of Health and Safety programs and enforce the remedies for any deficiencies found in these audits. WHMIS INSPECTION — the Union will lobby the appropriate government agencies to demand regu- lations requiring an annual inspection to WHMIS programs in all workplaces. SAFETY TRAINING — all provincial governments will be requested to establish government funded, union administered safety training centres to train safety committee members. RETRAINING INJURED WORKERS — the Workers’ Compensation Board and Employers must meet their responsibilities by substantially increasing their training and retraining of injured workers. DUST CONTROL — the Union will call upon respon- sible government agencies including the WCB to implement and enforce regulations which require the control of dust at its source. RED CEDAR DUST — WCB regulations must be amended to require all operations cutting red cedar to test at least annually for dust levels using testing methods and procedures developed with the full consultation of the OH&S committee. ERGONOMICS — IWA-CANADA will demand that the employer and the appropriate government agen- cies establish a workplace ergonomic committee in each operation to identify and make recommenda- tions on workplace design. NOISE AND STRESS STUDY — appropriate govern- ment agencies should begin a comprehensive study on noise and stress in conjunction with the IWA to determine their total impact on workers. WCB APPEALS COUNSELLORS — the Ministry of Labour should establish a branch to provide work- ers with trained, qualified Appeals counsellors who will represent workers at all levels of appeals and disputes. No more parks until job studies © Jeff Broughton The message is clear to both the B.C. and Federal governments. There must be a complete halt to the creation of any planned or future parks in the province until full effects on jobs and communities are known. Logger Jeff Broughton from Local 1-85 says fully 30-35 percent of Tree Farm License 44 on Vancouver Island may be slated for one form of preservation or another. Brother Broughton says that everytime an area is put in moratorium for study that “we might as well write it off.” “And everytime something is written off, that puts further pressure on the Annual Allowable Cut that supports the jobs and the communities of Vancouver Island and all over B.C.” Frank Everitt president of Local 1-424 in north- ern BC. say the Federal government is intending to put federal parks on top of provincial parks. © Frank Everitt © Dave Haggard “They aren't even coordinating activity amongst themselves,” said Brother Everitt. He urged dele- gates from all provinces to get involved in public process to preserve the working forest. Loggers Local 1-71 delegate Bob Freer, said over 70 areas are being studied for park land in his local unions jurisdiction and studies, are needed on the impacts on jobs. The union also passed a motion to lobby through all Federations of Labour and the CLC, for protec- tion for workers who suffer job loss due to the implementation of environmental alternatives. “Somehow we have to change things through the government that put something in place so that people’s lives are looked after,” said Dave Haggard of Local 1-85 “It doesn’t make sense that we just throw people out in the goddamn street, time after et without consideration of what they’re going to do.” LUMBERWORKER/NOVEMBER, 1991/11