NG ESTICIDES

What they are

In the first of a four-part
series on the safe use of
pesticides, research scientist
Shona Kelly defines the term
pesticide and explains how
to read material related to

WHAT’S AHEAD

their use.

p. 10

Munro retires
from presidency
of IWA-CANADA

Longtime IWA President, Jack
Munro has decided to step down. On
March 23rd Brother Munro handed
his resignation letter to National First
Vice-President, Gerry Stoney, mark-
ing the end to over 18 years of his
leadership in the IWA.

Brother Munro is one of Canada’s
best known and widely respected trade
union leaders who has been employed
by IWA since 1962. In those years he
has held a variety of positions as a
union representative.

The 61 year old Munro says he
“obviously feels a little disjointed”
leaving the IWA but says it’s high
time.

“I’m going out of this office with
the empty feeling that I haven't got it
to come back to,” said Munro. “How-
ever I have every confidence with new
leadership of our union, whom I am
sure will rise to the difficult chal-
lenges ahead.”

New National President Gerry
Stoney praised Munro as a “unique

individual” who has “made a huge
contribution to the betterment wel-
fare, wages and working conditions of
thousands of workers in B.C. and
Canada.”

Most recently, Brother Munro has,
as chairman of the B.C. Provincial

Continued on page two

Coast accepts contract
Second vote gets 65% majority

IWA-CANADA’s Provincial Negoti-
ating Committee was pleased to hear
that, after the final votes were tabu-
lated on April 10, the Union’s mem-
bership on the B.C. Coast has ratified
a 3 year collective agreement with a
65% majority.

In early March 51.3% of over 14,000
coastal members voted to reject the
agreement whereas IWA members in
the northern and southern interior
regions voted 63% and 66% respec-
tively in favour of acceptance.

The 3 year contract proposal,
termed a “survival deal” by union
negotiating committee chairman Jack
Munro, followed hard after more than
7 months of negotiating with forest
industry employers who are facing
their worst economic downturn in over

30 years. :
Shortly after the vote was rejected
‘on the coast, the United States Com-

merce Department slapped a 14.48%
custom duty on Canadian forest prod-
ucts to further hamper the industry in
this deep recession.

Many IWA members on the coast,
on recommendation of the Provincial
Negotiating Committee, took the real-
ity of the new tariff against lumber
into consideration when cast their
ballots.

Munro called the 3 year contract a
“skinny” but realistic one.

There are no wage increases sched-
uled for the first -2 years, while all
members will receive an 85 cents an
hour, across the board increase as of
June, 1993.

Union negotiations bargained for
considerable improvements to the
IWA-Forest Industry Pension Plan
which is in need of some urgent help.

In the second year of the contract,
the employers have agreed to increase

‘their contributions by 70 cents per
hour per member to a total of $2.40
per hour worked. In the third year,
employees are asked to contribute 10
cents per hour.

The 80 cents worth of increased
contributions will help make improve-
ments to the pension plan:
¢ BENEFITS LEVELS - the $32.00/
month per year of service worked will
increase to $35.00 for all past and
future service retroactive to July 1,
1991. The $35.00 rate will jump to
$40.00 for all contributing members
as of July, 1993. n
e BREAK IN SERVICE - if a member
works or receives disability credits for
350 hours in each 2 year period (up to
200 hours of layoff credits can be
included), he/she will not break
service.
© VESTING - the vesting period is
reduced to five or more years.

e SURVIVOR BENEFITS - if vested
member dies before retirement, 60%
of total earned pension will go to
spouse, beneficiary, or estate. -

e RETROACTIVE SURVIVOR PEN-
SIONS - surviving spouse or depen-
dent children will receive 50% of earned
pension on behalf of IWA members
who died after June 14, 1990 and
before new survivor rules are in place.

Continued on page two