¢ THE NATIONAL ORGANIZING COMMITTEE members are (I. to r.) National President Dave Haggard, Local 1-417

onsult on build

National organizing committee goes on a cross
country tour to c

President Kevin Kelly, Local 1-424 President Fred Carroll, Local 2693 President Wilf McIntyre, National First
Vice President Neil Menard, Local 1-184 President Dennis Bonville, Local 1000 President Joe da Costa, and

Local 217 President Gary Kobayashi.

Planning to increase the mem-
bership of I.W.A. CANADA is tak-
ing place following the establish-
ment of a new National Organizing
Committee in mid-March. In April,
two groups of National Executive
Board members, accompanied by
national staff, criss-crossed the
country to consult with local unions
in order to review the union’s exist-
ing organizing program and collect
input on how to make the mem-
bership grow.

An overall review of the I.W.A.
strategy has not taken place since
1989 when the focus of organizing
shifted from the national union
level to the locals.

The union’s national member-
ship is approaching 50,000 mem-
bers in seven provinces: About
two-thirds of that membership is
in the traditional sector of logging,
sawmilling, plywood manufactur-
ing, and other woods product pro-
duction.

Over the last several years, the
union has showed an increasing
expansion into non-traditional sec-
tors including other industrial and
service sectors. The I.W.A. is into
construction, trucking, car dealer-
ships, plastic manufacturing, car-
pet backing, motels and restau-
rants, credit unions, grocery stores,
retirement residences and a whole
other list of other certifications.

National President Dave

Haggard says that local unions are

becoming more aware of the diver-
sity of the organization as they
expand into other sectors.

“There are still a ton of non-
union forest industry operations
out there, which are important for
us to organize,” says Brother
Haggard. “However, now we are
looking beyond the forest industry
in order to actively organize non-
traditional areas as well.”

“We need to expand in order to
keep providing quality services for
our members,” he says. “That’s
why a national organizing strate-
gy, to which local unions can buy
into, is essential.”

Over the past four fiscal years
the union has organized nearly
7,200 members to increase the
membership.

- “Our organizing program has
kept us above water for most of
the 1990’s,” says National First
Vice President Neil Menard, offi-
cer responsible for organizing. “To
grow as a union we have to come
up with some new strategies and
this is what the tour was all about.”

The National Organizing
Committee met with local union
executive boards, local union
activists and national organizing
staff to collect input.

In a report to the national union
executive board in early May the
committee headed by Brother
Haggard and Menard, the commit-
tee said there is genuine enthusi-

e The National Organizing Committee’s Working Committee met in early
ber to plan course work for organizers. Left to right are National
Organizer Mike Hunter, Local 1-207 Organizer Bob Philp, Megan
Terepacki, National Third Vice President Dave Tones, National First Vice
President Neil Menard, National Education Director Lyle Pona, Local 1-80
Organizer Brian Butler, and National Representative Scott Lunny.

asm amongst I.W.A. locals for an
agressive growth strategy for the
union.

Other members of the commit-
tee are Local 1-184 President
Dennis Bonville (Saskatchewan),
Local 217 President Gary Kobay-
ashi (Vancouver), Local 1-417
President Kevin Kelly (Kamloops.
B.C.), Local 1-424 President Fre
Carroll (Prince George, B.C.), Local
1000 President Joe da Costa (Sault
St.Marie, Ontario) and Local 2693
President Wilf McIntyre (Thunder
Bay, Ontario).

Most importantly, there is a con-
sensus that a major, national orga-
nizing fund be put into place that
has a minimum amount kept in it
while governed by rules and guide-
lines developed and applied by a
committee of the National Exec-
utive Board.

The report notes that all I.W.A.
locals believe there is potential for
organizing in their jurisdictions.
In Coastal B.C. and the Lower
Mainland region there is the poten-
tial to bring in new bargaining
units in the growing remanufac-
turing sector. The report points to
wood products manufacturing and
logging sector in the B.C. Interior,
Northern Manitoba, and Northern
Ontario.

Also noted, in all regions of
Canada, are non-traditional ser-

ing |.W.A. CANADA

vice sector industries such as large
and small retail chains, restau-
rants, hotels and credit unions,
etc.

“In these non-traditional sectors
we need to reach out to young work-
ers, working women and a broad
range of new Canadians,” the
report states.

Since local unions are closer to
the workers in unorganized work-
places, in general, they believe
they can organize more efficiently.
But often resources and expertise
are lacking.

The report says that there is a
consensus that a “partnership”
between local and the national
union is the best way to go.

Local unions are calling for more
intensive training of local union
activists so that they can call on
them. Those organizers have to
have their skills upgraded as well.

The committee says there isa
general agreement, amongst local
unions, that the union should hire
and train organizers who have the
ability to cultivate links with unor-
ganized employment sectors which
will focus on women, younger work-
ers and new Canadians. 5

There is also majority consen-
sus that the union should main-
tain a small reserve of full-time
national organizers to work in
cooperation with local union offi-
cers and staff.

Legal costs of organizing are
identified as an obstacle to union
building. Some locals have been
hit with “extraordinary legal fees”
in defending workers against
unfair labour practices. According
to the committee there is wide-
spread support for a fund to assist
locals in need from these special
added costs.

The committee says there is a
need for resource material, such
as an organizing kit, and materi-
als in a variety of languages that
are sensitive to the cultural needs
of each gorup of workers.

More advertising and promotion
is needed to raise awareness about
the union. Such forms may be bill-
board advertising, community
papers, cable networks, radio sta-
tions, and selected and ethnic
media.

There is the whole question of
mergers to look at. There is strong
support for mergers with “associa-
tions” or “independent unions,”
especially in the provinces of
Ontario and Manitoba.

Much of the committee’s work is
included in an Organizing and
Growth Strategy Paper that will
be presented to this year’s nation-
al convention to be held in Thunder
Bay, Ontario.

e In mid-July the National Education Committee met to formulate a new
policy and guidelines for the union’s education program. Left to right are
National Education Director Lyle Pona, Local 1000 President Joe da
Costa, Local 1-405 President Bob Matters, Megan Terepocki, Local 1-207
Mike Pisak, and Local 500 President Bruce Weber. Absent from photo is
National Third Vice President Dave Tones.

LUMBERWORKER/SEPTEMBER 1997/7