e At Local 1-207 annual, Zeidler strike spokepersons Joe Martha from Slave Lake (.) and Edmonton’s Anna Gardiner

were honoured.

Local 1-207 membership told to be
on the lookout for ‘Right-to-Work’ laws

EDMONTON, ALBERTA - IWA-CANA-
DA, Local 1-207 members have been
warned to look out for the
Conservative government’s ‘Right-to-
Work’ agenda. At the local union’s
annual delegated meeting held here
on June 12, 1998, the delegates passed
a resolution to take all necessary
steps to defeat the so-called ‘Right-to-
Work’ movement and its supporters.
The ruling Alberta Conservative

party has reaffirmed its anti-labour
bias by supporting the “Right-to-
Work” movement. Last year the gov-
ernments Labour Minister introduced
open-shop labour laws to the legisla-
ture. The legislation failed to pass as
even Conservative members of parlia-
ment thought it was too far to the
right.

The open-shop ‘Right-to-Work’ leg-
islation would give workers the right

Alberta workplace health and
Safety inspections to be privatized

Now that the New Democratic
Party has been wiped off the legisla-
tive map in Alberta, it looks like the
fight for proper occupational health
and safety protection for workers will
be even more difficult in coming
years. At IWA-Canada’s National
Health and Safety Conference held in
Edmonton between June 18-20, 1993,
delegates heard of the struggles facing
Albertan workers.

On June 15, the conservative gov-
ernment of Ralph Klein won a majori-
ty government, while the provincial
opposition New Democrats lost all of
their previous 15 seats in the legisla-
ture. As such, the labour movement
has lost its only friends among
Alberta’s politicians in power.

Local 1-207 president Mike Pisak
told the conference that “we realize
that we are in for a hard fight and a
more difficult struggle than we have
had in past years.”

“The Conservative government of
Ralph Klein is going to dismantle a lot
of programs and any of the protec-
tions that now exist for workers,”
added Brother Pisak.

There are over 80,000 work places
in the province while the Alberta
Occupational Health and Safety Board
has only 50 inspectors to enforce cur-
rent regulations.

. « Every day in Alberta 150 workers

file for time off WCB claims. Over
40,000 workers are injured annually,
many permanently. In the province a
worker is killed every three days.

Outgoing NDP Labour critic Tom

Sigurdson told the conference that
when the opposition tried to bring up
the issues of workplace injuries and
deaths in the legislature the conserva-

tive government would not address
them.

Non-enforcement of existing health
and safety regulations is a major prob-
lem for the IWA said Brother Pisak.

Although the maximum fine is
$40,000 for non-compliance, Mr.
Sigurdson said the largest fine ever
levied against an employer has been
only $15,000.

“The fine system is such that some-
times it is cheaper to pay the fine than
it is to give due regard to the safety of
the workers,” said Sigurdson.

In other areas of health and safety
Albertan workers do not enjoy the
same rights as other workers regula-
tions under provincial laws.

To date there are no regulations
which make joint occupational health
and safety committees mandatory. In
the entire province there are only 110
work sites that have mandatory com-
mittees. The vast majority of these are
because of union contracts with
employers.

Workers in Alberta do not have spe-
cific protection to refuse unsafe work
conditions.

Susan Ruffo, Chairperson of the
Alberta Workers Health Centre said
that there is increasing pressure from
right wing governments to accept
lower standards. She said that the
pressure created by the current free
trade agreement between Canada and
the U.S. and the proposed North
American Free Trade Agreement will
cause further harmonization of
Canada’s occupation health and safety
standards with those of Mexico and
the United States.

In the midst of the conservative
agenda, Mr. Sigurdson says the con-

not to belong to a union even though
they would be subject to the benefits
of a union contract. They simply
would not have to pay their fair share
for union won benefits.

Such legislative framework exists in
poor right-to-work states such as
Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee,
and Arkansas. In South Carolina only
3% of the workforce is unionized due
to open-shop legislation.

IWA members are worried 1

same thing could i
new Conservative pei ee g
ment of Ralph Klein.

Esther James, a Local 1-207 execu-
tive board member and worker at

Travelaire Motor Homes in Red
told the delegates that: “It’s
that may not be front and centre
now but its something that we will _
always have to keep an eye open for -
especially in this province.”

“It sounds real good but its really

bad,” said Sister James. “It’s always in
the background of the Conservative
government agenda in Alberta.”

Anna Gardiner, ex-plant chairman
of the Zeidler operation that was
‘decertified in February by a scab vote,
also spoke out against non-union
workers in a union certified work-
place.

“For anybody who does not under-
stand what ‘Right-to-Work’ is have a
look at the Zeidler strikes and you will
have perfect examples,” said Sister
Gardiner. “It’s really a set-up for
abuse of workers and we really don’t
need it.”

The LADM also saw a resolution
passed to condemn the Tory govern-
ment in allowing scabs to vote on a
legal strike such as happened in
Edmonton at the Zeidler plywood
plant.

In other actions the union will pres-
sure the Alberta government to
ensure that the High Level Forest
Products sawmill, -which employs
more than 240 IWA members, doesn’t
get shortchanged in its future timber
supply.

A new proposed giant pulp mill in
Grande Prairie, known as the Grande
Alberta operation, will take timber
allocation from High Level if things go
through uncontested.

The union is concerned that by tak-
ing timber away from the sawmill,
which is 300 miles north of Grande
Prairie, workers will be laid off and
the community will suffer.

In another resolution concerned
about timber allocation the local
union will lobby all parties involved to
stop cross-border shipment of Alberta
logs for processing in other provinces.

e Former NDP labour critic Tom Sigurdson told conference that Conservatives
are introducing new user pay philosophy.

servatives are introducing the new
concept of “entrepreneurial govern-
ment” where users pay for the costs
of government services and more of
those services will become privatized.

The moves are intended to effect
health and safety by giving responsi-
bility for workplace inspections to the
private sector.

Mr. Sigurdson said that the inspec-
tors, although being qualified, will be
working under the profit motive.

“While the government is abdicating
its responsibility of trying to provide a

safe environment, the workers are not
being offered the opportunity to
ensure that there is something in it for
them,” he said.

Sigurdson added that in Alberta,
employers do not have programs to
train new workers. He said those
workers under the age of 25 have a
75% greater chance of injury than
older workers.

“You as activists in your union must
take on an even greater role,” said
Sigurdson. “It’s important to become
involved in health and safety areas.”

SS
G/LUMBERWORKER/SEPTEMBER, 1999.