i 5 ¢ Local 1-71’s Bob Patterson ¢ Local 1-80 President Bill Routley Nanaimo, B.C. holds annual safety conference peaking in front of 85 dele- gates at this year’s I.W.A. CANADA National Health and Safety Conference for the first time was national union president Dave Haggard who encouraged union safety activists to continue their good work and ham- mered right wing governments across Canada. “It doesn’t matter if you are a union rep or a member on the job,”said Haggard as he made his opening remarks at the three day conference, beginning on July 11, 1997 in Nanaimo. B.C. “The reality is that workers are taking care of workers on an ongoing basis and thank God we do.” “I don’t believe there’s anyone else out there who really gives a damn about us in the workplace except our- selves and the programs that we put into place,” he said. “The I.W.A. can seen proud and look anybody in the eye, particularly the boss and the right wing governments in this coun- try who are doing everything they can to destroy health and safety pro- tections for workers.” Haggard said that workers have the “inherent right” to go back and forth to work each day and return to their families unharmed. He hammered away at the ultra right wing government of Mike Harris, whom he called “parasites” that are “one step at a time, tearing Ontario apart.” He said that the Conservative government is gutting the Workers Compensation Board and taking away the rights of work- ers to proper medical aid. “They (the Conservatives) serve their corporate masters without any consideration for workers,” he added. Commending the Ontario mem- bers for their fight back against Harris, Haggard said that unions, like the I.W.A. will outlast any right wing government. “The thing that they don’t under- stand and the thing that they never understand is that workers, whether they are in Ontario, Quebec or B.C. all walk the same way and talk the same way and we believe in safety in the workplace.” “Safety is just as much an integral part, if not more so, of our organiza- tion as any other thing we do,” added Haggard. “Because it depends on our lives and our livelihoods.” National First Vice President and officer responsible for the national health and safety program, Neil Menard that “we have to do every- thing we can do in the forest indus- try and other industries to make sure that workplaces are safe and healthy. If we can, we shall turn our work- places into the best ones in the world.” “That's got to be our goal and with the leadership we have, we will be successful,” he added. Brother Menard said that “when people are organized and become part of the I.W.A., the number one program in our union should be occu- pational health and safety.” The conference, was hosted by the I.W.A. Local unions on Vancouver Island; Loggers’ Local 1-71, Duncan. Local 1-80, Port Alberni Local 1-85 and Courtenay Local 363. The con- ference was conducted in part by Local 1-71 Safety Director Bob Patterson. On behalf of the Island locals, Local 1-80 President Bill Routley greeted delegates. He reflected on his early days as an activist in health and safety and recalled the tragic death of a 19 year old worker ake was not given proper instruction or training and was killed when hit by a tipple cable. The fatality occurred despite a lock out procedure that would have prevented it. Routley turned his comments to the delegates and other safety activists in the I.W.A. who he said have “saved untold lives” and “saved untold injuries.” The conference began with a semi- nar on return to work policy, con- ducted by Brother Menard and Local 1-71 Safety Director Bob Patterson. Employee and Family Assistance Program Consultant Neal Berger gave a presentation on “Enabling Behavior” by peer people which actu- ally encourages rather that discour- ages substance abuse. In the first day in the afternoon there was a seminar on harassment (human rights, sexual harassment and personal harassment) by lawyer Ricki Lambeck. On day two the conference dele- ates split into workshop groups. (dine workshop was the Duty to Accommodate presented by Neil Menard, B.C. Federation of Labour Safety Director John Weir and Saul Marques, a Business Agent from LW.A. Local 500. Aspecial workshop on the Internet and Occupational Health and Safety was held in a computer classroom at Malaspina College (see story below). The instructors were National I.W.A. Staff Representative Tom Lowe and Local 1000 Safety Director Bob Hird. A workshop on understanding occupational health and safety stud- ies was held under the presentation of Drs. Paul Demers and Susan Kennedy from the University of British Columbia, and Ergonomist Suzanne Kinney. A workshop on the issue of Universal Compensation for workers was conducted by Andy King, Safety Director of the United Steelworkers of America and Cathy Walker, National Safety Director for the Canadian Auto Workers. On the final day of the conference, delegates heard from motivational speaker Don Cochrane and attended a lecture on W.C.B. Royal Com- missions presented by John Weir and Andy King (see story page nine). ¢ At the internet workshop, delegates take instruction from (standing left to right) National Representative Tom Lowe and Local 1000 Safety Director Bob Hird. Activists get intro to internet Nobody in the modern world can get away from all of the hype about the Internet. Over the past 2-3 years, Canadians have witnessed an increasing frequency of media pitch- es to access information and find out about commercial products on the Internet or just get new com- puter equipment and software so you can get caught up in all the hype. For I.W.A. CANADA health and safety activists, the Internet offers powerful access to research and information which can assist them in their endeavors. At the I.W.A. Health and Safety Conference in Nanaimo, B.C., National Union Representative Tom Lowe and Local 1000 Safety Director Bob Hird put on a day long seminar on “surfing” the Internet for health and safety information and WCB information. The course, which was attended by 28 delegates, gave participants a general overview on the history of the Internet and an understanding of the basic principles of using it. A portion of the workshop focused on how to send and receive electric mail. “The greatest knowledge you can get is from trial and error,” said Brother Lowe. “You just got to get on the computer, pick up some basics and go for it.” The delegates were given a brief overview on necessary computer equipment and some technical lan- guage. One part of the workshop dealt with the World Wide Web which is one path on the Internet which con- tains individual Web sites for count- less subject areas, including health and safety. Participants received instruc- tions on how to use web browsers, search services, and universal secures locators (Internet address- es), There was instruction in how to research certain topics using search engines. The participants were given website addresses to check out for occupational health and safety issues. They were also instructed on how to utilize health and safety related “bookmarks” for research purposes. “The Internet is a powerful tool that turns up a lot of information in an instant,” said Brother Hird. “When you get all of this stuff you have to consider all information, whether it is favourable to your sit- uation or not.” Scott Lunny, a National I.W.A. Representative from the union’s headquarters in Vancouver, was on hand. He encouraged the workshop participants to get involved in the Internet and check out the other labour websites that are up and Ponning: Brother Lunny created and pro- grammed the national union’s web- site (www.iwa.ca). He also said that trial and error is the best way to get started. Visit our website! www.iwa.ca a a 6/LUMBERWORKER/SEPTEMBER 1997