Kamloops B.C. Local 1-417’s Carol Toth (1) and Loggers’ Local 1-71's Kay Wareing read out legislative resolu-
tions to delegates.

EFAP is growing
nationally with
IWA’s involvement

Delegates to IWA-CANADA's National Convention
were informed that the union is continuing to suc-
cessfully take part in many Employee and Family
Assistance Programs. The union's goal is "to ensure
the presence of the joint EFAP in all’ IWA-CANADA
jurisdictions," said a report to the membership.

Stats show that as of 1991 there are 17 Assess-
ment and Referral Services (ARS's) serving IWA
members (14 in British Columbia, 2 in Manitoba,
and one in B.C.) involving more than 200 work-
places covering over 250,000 people and 100 local
unions from various affiliations.

Unfortunately two ARS's, one in Vernon, B.C. and
the other in the Sparwood/Ferie area of B.C., had
to close down for economic reasons. Hopefully,
those facilities will open again when conditions im-
prove.

In Ontario in 1992 the first community based ARS
opened in North Bay, driven mostly by participation
of IWA-CANADA and the Canadian Paperworkers'
Union. At convention time a second service was be-
ing developed in the Pembroke area. It is scheduled
to open in June of 1993.

Tn Manitoba in addition to two ARS's already op-
erating in Flin Flon and The Pas, there is currently
work under way to get an ARS going in Winnipeg. In
Saskatchewan the EFAP/ARS has been extended to

_ inelude IWA members at the Saskfor mill in Carrot
River. In addition the union has also received in-
uuiries from areas in southern Saskatchewan (ie.
Jaw, Swift Current) for assistance in getting

an EFAP up and running.

Although there are no EFAP/ARS in Alberta yet,
there are workplace EFAP’s at such places as Wey-
euser, Drayton Valley and Daishowa, High Lev-

el, which are supported by IWA-CANADA criteria.
Weldwood has requested that the IWA and the CPU
eed with the EFAP/ARS model for the Hinton

‘s are experiencing an increase with the
Pan during ae hard times. The impor-
ce of expanding the program to other non-forest
lustry communities is increasing.

ilf McIntyre, president of Thunder Bay, Ontario

Y Tebos ote that his local has had Employee
e Programs in place since the mid 1970's.
ies such as Weldwood, Domtar, Kimber-
‘and CPFP all have programs which have
workers. :
he results that I have requested back to me (in-

.) that with the difficult times we are having,
definitely an extra work load on some areas

e IWA Ist V.P. Neil Menard, officer responsible for
Employee and Family Assistance Programs.

that it (the program) is being carried out in," Broth-
er McIntyre told delegates.

Dan Clements of Duncan Local 1-80 said that it is
more important than ever, with the downsizing of
the industry and reduction in membership, that
more EFAP programs be established.

Brother Clements said the drop in our member-
ship is "putting a lot of burden on the centres and
that the union has to look for more community
based groups to become involved.

"We have to, as a union, renew our commitment
to them (EFAP/ARS) on a yearly basis as far as I'm
concerned," said Brother Clements. "...The fear is al-
ways there that we will not be able to expand it
without our commitment on it."

Clements added that he hoped the convention
will help renew the IWA's vigour in maintaining the
pro; bs
Brother Neil Menard, first National vice-president
of the IWA, said there has been a solid commitment
from the central organization and from local unions.

"I think we can be proud (as an organization),
we're the one who took the initiative and we
haven't backed off."

Brother Alfredo Espinoza of Local 1-424 informed
delegates that a lot of work and research is going on
to get an EFAP program up and running in Fort St.
James as soon as possible

In the past year the IWA has been recognized in-
ternationally for joint participation with employers
in assisting employees and their families. Last Au-
gust Brother Menard and Jim Stimson of MacMillan
Bloedel, were requested by the International Labour
Organization, (ILO), to give a presentation on the
EFAP at the First International Symposium on
"Drugs in the Workplace" held in Bergen, Norway.
The ILO subsequently requested that elements of
the jointly administered EFAP/ARS model be adapt-
ed for use in four African countries.

More policies pass
delegates’ approval

EFAP AND TREATMENT CENTRES — employers will be
helped by the IWA to fund the EFAP program on a
"global basis." The union will also call on the B.C.
government to build treatment centres for people
with alcohol, drug and other dependencies.

POLICY ON EMPLOYEE MANIPULATION — the National
Executive Board of IWA-CANADA is directed to
develop a policy and guidelines for local unions
faced with management schemes like, "total quality,
team concepts and working circles, etc."

UNION LABEL PROMOTION — the union will lobby each
association and individual company to add a "union
made" label on all packaging of IWA made products.

DISPUTE RESOLUTION - a sub-committee will be
appointed to look into alternate dispute resolution
techniques which are appropriate for IWA certifica-
tions.

PRIVATIZATION — the union reaffirmed it's total oppo-
sition to the privatization programs of the federal
and provincial governments.

RESOURCE ROYALTIES — the convention said that the
IWA must petition all provincial governments to
increase the royalties on our raw resources leaving
Canada.

RAW MATERIAL UTILIZATION — the IWA says that all gov-
ermments be encouraged to pass laws which would
force companies to use material derived from our
forests for the appropriate end use or face with-
drawal of harvesting privileges and heavy penalties.

TIMBER ALLOCATION — the union is directed to immedi-
ately meet with government(s) to find solutions to
timber allocation after closure in shutdown of more
than 6 months, allocation of timber when compa-
nies close their Canadian operations, and allocation
of timber when one operation shuts down within a
company.

ILLEGAL BLOCKADES — the National Executive Board
will consider taking action to sue those "environ-
mental extremists" who participate in illegal block-
ades which cause IWA members to lose wages.

B.C. TELEPHONE SYSTEM — the union will protest B.C.
Telephone cutbacks due to deregulation and lobby
the provincial government to ensure that all B.C.
residents pay the same base rate for single line ser-
vice.

HYDRO RATES — IWA-CANADA will lobby the Manitoba
government to reduce hydro rates for residents liv-
ing in the north of Manitoba to a rate which is equal
to the Winnipeg area.

PORT OF CHURCHILL — the union is directed to put “all
possible and practical pressures" on federal and
provincial governments to maintain the Port of
Churchill and maintain and upgrade the Hudson
Bay Railroad.

LUMBERWORKER/DECEMBER, 1992/17