e At women’s committee meeting were (I. to r.) Local 324’s Maria

in Peterman, the New Westminster and District

Labour Council’s Carolyn Chalifoux, Local 1-80’s Cathy Fox, National I.W.A. Third Vice President David Tones,
Local 1-3567’s Esther DeAmicis, Local 1-417’s Sharon Herman, Local 1000’s Martha Ulch, Local 1-207’s Esther
James and the CLC’s Brenda Makeechak.

Women’s committee sets ‘98 agenda

A National Women’s Standing
Committee met a week before the
Thunder Bay Convention to set an
agenda for women’s education at
the upcoming Canadian Congress
Winter School in Harrison, B.C. The
committee, which has received its
mandate from the I.W.A.’s National
Executive Board, was established
as a result of the first national con-
ference held for women in March of
this year.

The CLC classes will take place

between January 26-30, 1998. There
will be courses on assertiveness
training, public speaking and par-
liamentary procedure. There will
also be courses on the history of the
I.W.A., and more specifically the
history of women in the labour move-
ment. A course on the union’s policy
against workplace harassment will
also be given.

Women delegates from all I.W.A.
locals will be invited to the confer-
ence.

As organizing and education are
the big themes in the union these
days, such courses are necessary to
give women members the skills nec-
essary to help grow and educate the
membership. Local 1000 Executive
Board member Martha Ulch told
the Lumberworker that public
speaking instruction is very neces-
sary.

“Tt’s not easy to get out there in
front of a group of people,” she said,
“even though women workers some-

times relate better to their women

peers.’

Sister Ulch added that the
women’s committee and the union
have to work together to get rank
and file women motivated and
involved.

Sister Esther DeAmicis, a plant
chairperson at Leyland Industries
in Pitt Meadows, B.C. that “we (as a
union) have discussed getting more
women out there” and that there
are a lot of expectations being loaded
onto the women in the I,W.A.

She said that a lot of women are

intimidated and that organizing
will be a totally new situation for
them. 2

Sister Marian Peterman, Third
Vice President of Local 1-324 in
Manitoba, said that “we are keen on
encouraging the female members in
becoming organizers.”

“But we can’t put the cart before
the horse,” she added. “In order to
go out there and organize, we need
some basic training. We need some
basic tools.”

“We are going to encourage as
many women as possible to take
part in the week-long school (in
Harrison),” said Peterman.

National Third Vice President
David Tones, officer responsible for
education acknowledged that the
I.W.A.’s new organizing and growth
strategy is putting a new focus on
the women of the I.W.A.

“We have traditionally been a
male-dominated union,” he said.
“But all of that is changing. Some of
our eastern locals have 30-50 women
and a higher percentage in some
operations.”

“It would unfair to saddle the
women of this organization with
unreasonable expectations unless
we offer meaningful education and
training opportunities. That’s what
we are setting out to do.”

The standing committee has called
for a second national conference of
I.W.A. women in June of next year.
The committee will meet one time
before then to set the conference
agenda.

B.C. government steps in
to rescue Skeena pulp mill

The B.C. government went to the
rescue of 2,500 employees of Skeena
Cellulose in late November when it
stepped in to take control of the
company’s pulp mill and saw mill
operations in northwestern B.C.

A deal worked out last Septem-
ber between the government, the
Royal and Toronto Dominion banks
and the Pulp, Paper and Woodwork-
ers of Canada to save the Skeena’s
giant pulp mill in Prince Rupert
ran aground in mid-November when
the operation’s court appointed
monitor, Coopers Lybrand, called
for another $40 million to start the
mill up.

The Royal Bank would not play
ball and, for a while, it looked like
the pulp mill and the rest of the
company was going down for good.
On November 28 the government
stepped in to pay the Royal Bank
$35 million for controlling interest
in in the company.

The government has now knuck-
led up over $271 million in the form
of loans and fee reductions ($176
million), start-up and moderniza-
tion expenditures ($60 million) and
buying out the Royal Bank.

The Toronto Dominion Bank put
up $115 million.

In March of this year, Skeena
Cellulose filed for protection from
bankruptcy following the unsuc-
cessful takeover of Repap. Skeena

was purchased by Repap Industries
in 1986 and ran up over $500 mil-

lion in debts and Repap did not
modernize the operation.

The government now owns 52.5%
of the mill, while the Toronto Domin-
ion Bank owns 27.5% and 20% is
owned by employees who have
agreed to a restructuring program.

At stake are also 180 jobs in the
Skeena Cellulose sawmill in Ter-
race and 150 loggers employed by
1.W.A. certified contractors.

“Employment Minister Dan Miller
and the NDP government have done
a huge job in trying to save the oper-
ation which is key to the survival of
communities in the northwest,”
said Loggers’ Local 1-71 President
Darrel Wong. “Thousands of jobs,
both union and non-union alike, are
at stake in this bail out, both in
and out of the forest industry.”

A permanent closure would have
had the effected over 9,000 British
Columbians, directly and indirectly,
in the province’s northwest.

Miller released a government
impact study on the importance of
the Skeena operations. The pulp
mill alone contributes $525 million
to the provincial gross domestic
product and $100 million a year in
municipal and provincial taxes.

Liberal opposition leader Gordon
Campbell and his party opposed
the rescue operation of the NDP.

As this issue goes to press, the
issue of compensating unsecured
creditors has yet to be resolved.

IWA Ganada 1-80

A 60 Year History
4937-1997

helped build the I1.W.A.”

bers and history buffs.”

L.W.A. territory.”

This attractive photographic book was published to recognize
the 60th anniversary of trade unionism in the Cowichan Valley. It
contains many of the priceless historical photographs which are
part of Local 1-80’s Wilmer Gold Collection. Copies can be pur-
chased from the I.W.A. local office in Duncan, B.C.

“This book is essential material for all workers who are interested in
finding out about the trials and tribulations of the men and women who

— Dave Haggard, National President, I.W.A. CANADA

“Local 1-80 has done a magnificent job of assembling the earliest
origins of the union. I would recommend this book for all 1.W.A. mem-

A
Photographic
History

of one
I.W.A. Local

— Clay Perry, I.W.A. Historian

“When you look at this book it is plain to see that I.W.A. Local 1-80
is enmeshed in the history of the Cowichan Valley. It is certainly

— Norm Rivard, President, I.W.A. CANADA Local 1-2995
PHONE TODAY TO RESERVE YOUR COPY
(250) 746-6131

EE

36/LUMBERWORKER/DECEMBER, 1997