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© At the TUC convention I.W.A. CANADA President Gerry Stoney, centre, met with David Maxwell (1.) and Colin Christo-

pher, both officers of the General Municipal and Boilermakers Union (Construction, Furniture, Timber and Allied Sec-

tion).

[.W.A. Canada president pays visit to
TUC convention in Great Britain

With a membership base of close to
10 million, the Trade Union Congress
(T.U.C.) is a powerful voice for labour
in Great Britain and their annual con-
vention provides an important oppor-
tunity to connect with European trade
union interests. During the course of
that convention in early September,
I.W.A. Canada National President,
Gerry Stoney was one of three key
note speakers to address the T.U.C.

_ delegates.

The invitation to speak was extend-
ed to the Canadian Labour Congress
(C.L.C.) earlier this year and Bro.
Stoney, who is an Executive Council
member of the C.L.C. was asked to
represent the C.L.C. at the conven-
tion. In agreeing to speak to the
T.U.C. convention, Bro. Stoney recog-
nized that, more and more, trade
unionists have to pay greater atten-
tion to the strategic role that labour
can play internationally to counter
measures that hurt workers.

“The trade union movement in Eu-
rope and the U.K. is becoming far
more active politically,” Bro. Stoney
noted, “and they are directing that ac-
tivity into forums that can have an
enormous impact on workers every-
where; not just in Europe, but in
Canada as well,” he added. “The best
example of that new focus,” said Bro.
Stoney, “is in the European Parlia-
ment where trade unionists account
for a significant portion of the seats in
that organization.” And because that
Parliament has a major influence on
European and international trade is-
sues,” he added, “it is essential for
trade unionists to recognize and de-
velop the influence of that labour net-
work.”

In his opening comments to the
T.U.C. convention Bro. Stoney talked
about how the right-wing agenda in
Canada was similar to that experi-
enced by trade unionists in the U.K.
under the Tory governments of Mar-
garet Thatcher and John Major. Work-
ers and their families have been sub-
jected to a continuous torrent of
economic measure which have placed
little or no economic priority on the
employment consequences that work-
ers face. High interest rates, deregula-
tion and drastically reduced social
programs have been just as much a
part of the experience in the U.K. as
they have been in Canada.

Bro. Stoney told the convention
that in North America there is a great
debate over deficits, debt and the sim-
plification of taxes.

“Again the rhetoric is kept simple,
the logic somewhat appealing, but the
truth is shuffled off into a dark corner
somewhere. These right wingers gloss
over the fact that their simplification

of taxes amounts to nothing more
than a windfall for the rich. The bur-
den of their plan for debt and deficit
reduction will fall squarely on the
shoulder of those who can least afford
to pay and who would suffer the most
if the underlying social programs
were gutted or eliminated altogether.”

Bro. Stoney also used the occasion
to highlight some very specific forest
industry concerns. The threat of trade
boycotts tied to environmental cam-
paigns has been an on-going battle in
both the U.K. and Europe. And Cana-
dian forest products have often been
singled out by European environmen-
tal groups who are trying to put pres-
sure on Canadian forest management
practices.

According to Bro. Stoney the criti-
cisms levelled against Canadian forest
products by European environmental-
ists simply don’t acknowledge the
enormous changes that have taken
place across Canada, especially in
British Columbia.

As a result of those changes, the
Canadian industry is now considered
a world leader in terms of forest prac-
tices. As well, the concept of legislat-
ed reinvestment in the forest land
base (i.e. the establishment of Forest
Renewal B.C.) has put our forest man-
agement system well in front of other
major forest products producing re-
gions in the world.

Bro. Stoney’s comment on environ-
mental issues stressed the importance
of recognizing the trade union aspect
of forest practices and forest manage-
ment. He told T.U.C. delegates that
world trading systems had to better
acknowledge the “union content” in
environmental issues. As trade union-
ists, European workers needed to un-
derstand that forest products from
Canada were produced in unionized
operations and supported by forest
policies in which labour was an active
participant. By respecting that union
content workers in both Europe and
Canada would be supporting issues of
mutual interest.

Following the T.U.C. convention,
Bro. Stoney scheduled a series of
meetings with labour and government
representatives to press home the is-
sue of Canadian forestry and environ-
mental practices. On the labour front,
his focus was on European and
British Commonwealth labour organi-
zations who have extensive influence
at the political and legislative level.

The briefing session involved the
head of the Commonwealth Trade
Union Council (C.T.U.C.), Arthur
Johnson. The C.T.U.C. is the coordi-
nating body for trade union organiza-
tions that are part of the former
British Commonwealth. As a result,

‘6 UMBERWORKER/NOVEMBER; 1995

the C.T.U.C. can play an important
role on developing a common front
approach on forestry issues with
countries like Canada, Australia and
New Zealand

That session was followed by an ex-
tensive discussion with Mr. Elliot
Worly, M.P., the Labour Party’s
forestry critic. Given the current
prospects for a Labour Party victory

in the next election, Bro. Stoney saw

the importance of establishing a solid

understanding at a government level
of how trade unions in Canada have
participated in forest policy issues.

The meeting was constructive, infor-

mative and has left open the possibili-

ty for continued contact at a later
date.

The last two briefing sessions in-
volved discussions with labour organj-
zations that have extensive contacts,
especially in Europe. The first group
was with the International Federation
of Building and Woodworkers
(LF.B.W.W.). This organization is a
sectoral affiliate of the International
Labour Organization (ILO). Its main
focus is forestry and, as such, has
tremendous potential to influence i

§ ternational forestry standards, parti
> ularly those that are being developed
within Europe and the United Na-
tions.
$ The second group was the Interna-
= tional Confederation of Free Trade
Unions (ICFTU). This organization
plays a major role in coordinating the
labour caucus within the European
Parliament.

Throughout all these discussions,
Bro. Stoney continued to stress the
need for greater trade union contact
and cooperation on international
trade and environmental issues.
Whether the issue at hand is a trade
agreement, a potential boycott or a
broader understanding of social stan-
dards, trade unionists are well posi-
tioned to advance those issues both
nationally and internationally. Achiey-
ing those goals, of course, takes ef-
fort, time and resources, but as labour
moves forward dedicating itself to
those goals, that cooperation could

well prove the difference between
success and failure.

—Phillip Legg

CANADA

Industria, Wood & Aled Workers of Canada — Ailated with CLC

October 17th, 1995,
To:

Dear Sir and Brother:

IW,
(B.C.G.E.U.).

detailed the following activities:

N.CHS.

Based on Bro. Munro's presentation

fully repaid in 1984.

In his report that was released on October

Current media reports, unfortunately, have
some reports leave the impression that the

accurate story through to our members.

The N.D.P. has a long and proud history

to play an active role in the future.

Fratemally yours,

Kh,

G. A. Stoney
President

GAS/el
oteu 15

ATTENTION: The letter below is an explanation of the I.W.A.’s involvement with
the Nanaimo Commonwealth Holding Society. '

NATIONAL EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBERS

A number of media stories over the last week have questioned the !,W.A. Canada’s
involvement with the Nanaimo Commonwealth Holding Society (N.

particular, those reports have highlighted a 1981 loan of $500,000 which involved the
\. Regional Council No. 1 and the British Columbia Government Employees’ Union

A full and complete disclosure of our records regarding that loan was made by the
National Office in the Fall of 1994 to Ron Parks the forensic auditor appointed by the
provincial government to investigate the activities of the N.C.H.S. In that disclosure we

In 1981, then Regional Council President, Jack Munro, presented a proposal to

the Regional Executive Board that would allow the B.C.G.E.U. to loan $500,000
toa N.CH.S. controlled real estate project in Nanai
proposal, the Regional Council acted as a conduit for the B.C.G.E.U. loan to

Executive Board. 1 was the president of Local 1-357 at the time and was a
member of the Regional Council Executive Board,

The loan was properly secured and paid an interest rate of 13.5%, The loan was

accounting of the loan transaction as accurate and complete. He noted that “from the
ILW.A‘s point of view, there was no gain or loss on the transaction; they simply acted as
a conduit transferring money to the N.CH.S. group for the Commonwealth project”.

interviews
the money came only from the I.W.A., not the B.C.G.E.U. Despite several
and a press release, those misrepresentations persist and itis time to get the full and

| find many of the allegations in the Parks report deeply disturbing. I'm sure you would
agree with me when | say that these alleged wrongdoings are unaccepibi Ce
where evidence warrants it, charges should be laid and prosecutions shoul

quickly as possible, to end the speculation and guilt by association.

alleged wrongdoings tamish that history and overshadow the many positive
accomplishments that have been secured by the organization. Our union has been 2.
vital part of that history and | hope that, despite these current problems, we will continue

Nhe”
ate

GA'SToNeY
See Pesce tayo
pitt, Tia
————————— ee
1300, 1208 WEST PaNOEA GTRARY _WaNCOUVER BE

‘TeLerwonds ood) east wpa taoa teen

=

In

. Under Bro. Munro’s

at the time, the proposal was approved by the

13, 1995, Mr. Parks accepts the 1LW.A.’s

not detailed many of these points. In fact,
$500,000 was loaned to the N.D.P. or that

table and that

and an active and committed membership. The