Delegates call for
changes to FRBG

Four resolutions covering matters related to
Forest Renewal B.C. went out to the convention
floor. A resolution calling for the I.W.A. to peti-
tion FRBC and the B.C. provincial government
to reduce administration overhead and gear the
program for its intended purposes of creating
employment for displaced forest workers in the

forest industry was approved with unanimous
consent.

“That organization (FRBC) has got some nec-
essary changes that has to take place,” said
Loggers Local 1-71 President Darrel Wong,
where long-term employment is offered to work-
ers. “We need to do some serious work to try
and get that organization turned around, get it
on stream, and get it providing the employment
that it is required to do.”

Local 1-80 President Bill Routley, who sits on
the FRBC workforce committee with I.W.A.
National Secretary Treasurer Terry Smith said
that laid off forest workers have been the last
ones to get consideration for the money that
has been spent to date. He said that the Job
Commissioner’s office has “not created one sin-
gle job” for forest workers on Southern Vancou-
ver Island.

One other party at the work force committee
has received “huge buckets of money” to do
work in parks through the Ministry of Environ-
ment, said Routley.

“We said, there is something wrong here with
this picture. We’ve go all these members dis-
placed and there’s no money going out the door
- what about our workers?” he said.

e I.W.A. women delegates at convention were (1. to r.) Local 217’s Rikki Hoshowski, Local 1000’s
Martha Ulch, Local 1-417’s Carol Toth, Local 1-184’s Debbie Moskal, Local 500’s Donna DeGroot,
Local 1-425’s Janice Gibson, Local 2693’s Gail Moriguchi, Local 1-417’s Sharon Herman, Local 1-405’s
Sheena Herron, Local 1-3567’s Esther DeAmicis, Local 324’s Judy Anderson and Local 1-207’s Esther

James.

The local union worked hard to put a pro-
am together which eventually paid workers
17.90 to $18.90 to do trail building projects in
B.C. parks. But the money eventually ran out
for that.

“Our government has got to come forward
and do what they said they were going to do
back when (former NDP premier) Mike Har-
court said that not one displaced forest worker
was going to lose their jobs.”

Other passed resolutions included a call for

the I.W.A. to press the FRBC Board of Directors
to consider funds for retirement bridging the
crews affected by land-use decisions.

There was also a resolution calling for the
FRBC Board of Directors and employer groups
to establish long-term funding projects such as
remanufacturing and value-added initiatives.

Finally the I.W.A. will lobby the Minister of
Forests to provide assistance from the Forest
Renewal funds immediately after workers are
affected by land-use changes.

Resolutions pass

HEALTH CARE CUTS - the I.W.A. will lobby the
Ontario government to put an end to the devas-
tating cuts to the province's health care system.

EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS ACT - the union will
lobby the B.C. government to ensure that all
provisions of the Employment Standards Act
will be the minimum provision for all employ-
ees.

B.C. EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS BOARD - the B.C.
government is called upon to hire at least 50%
of the Industrial Relations Officers from the
trade union movement.

INCOME TAX - the union will lobby all political
parties to have the tax structure changed to be
fair for all working people.

VACATION TIME - the I.W.A. is going to petition
the provincial and/or federal government to
enact a law that all entitled holidays must be
taken.

HOLIDAY PAY - the union is directed to petition
all government ministers to re-examine our
provincial and federal tax laws to create legisla-

tion that will provide a tax exemption for holi-
day pay.
POST SECONDARY BOOK FEES - provincial and fed-

eral governments will be lobbied by the union
to make post secondary book fees tax deductible.

CANADA PENSION PLAN - the union will lobby the
federal government to ensure that any changes
to the CPP not be regressive for workers and
that employers continue to fund the program.

CANADIAN SOCIAL PROGRAMS - the I.W.A. reaf-
firmed its national policy of supporting all of
Canada’s social programs.

EMPLOYMENT INSURANCE - the union demands
that the federal government retract its changes
to the Unemployment Insurance Act.

PART-TIME EMPLOYMENT - the I.W.A. will lobby
the federal and provincial governments to cre-
ate full-time jobs and provide benefits to part-
time employees, eliminating part-time jobs
where possible.

GOODS AND SERVICE TAX - the union will demand
that the federal government abolish any form of
the GST and that federal and provincial gov-
ernments implement a fair and progressive tax
structure.

Pe Ps

PGibenl* ~

week i tes from Loggers’ Local 1-71, Vancouver Local 217, Thunder Bay Local 2693, and others visited gravesite of labour
eee car ailaiea to a wreath and pay respects. The buried men, who were members of the Lumber and Sawmill Workers

Union of Canada, were killed organizing a strike in the winter of 1929.

LUMBERWORKER/DECEMBER 1997/25