& National union trains youth organize sae e In late October National First Vice President Neil Menard (1.) met with I.W.A. youth organizers (I. to r.) Ute Trinh, Candice Ashdown, Siobhan MacKenzie, Catherine Dat, and Naomi Komaki-Stewart. I.W.A. staff member Scott Lunny (r.) co-conducted the training. On October 28 - 30, 1998, five potential youth organizers gathered in Vancouver for training. It was the I.W.A.’s first-ever train- ing course for youth organizers. David Tones, National Third Vice- President and Scott Lunny, Direc- tor, Policy and Information Services conducted the training. Brothers Tones and Lunny were assisted by Local 1-80 Business Agent and orga- nizer, Brian Butler. “Because these young people may be new to the union and the I.W.A., a lot of the course focussed on the fundamentals - the concept of union and why we organize,” said Tones. “Of course we also spent a good deal of time on the practical aspects of organizing - making contacts and delivering the union message.” The next step for the five course participants is to find them oppor- tunities to gains some practical experience working alongside I.W.A. organizers. “As opportunities arise, we hope to get our trained youth organizers out in the field working on real life campaigns with our trained and experienced I.W.A. organizers,” said Brother Lunny. “Eventually, we should have a core group of youth organizers working to bring leads, contacts and potential new mem- bers to our local unions.” The union is planning to build on this first training session, continu- ing to develop the course and is hop- ing to deliver it again in the Spring. “Our goal is to get youth organiz- ers working in key areas across the country by next Summer,” said Dave Haggard, National I.W.A. Presi- dent. “If we can get this first group some experience and we start to see some success, there is no reason this can’t be an ongoing program.” The national is putting out feelers to try to raise interest in the Youth Organizer Program within the fam- ily ranks of the I.W.A. prior to the Spring course. “In my view, this is a way to get the sons and daughters of I.W.A. members involved in the union,” added Brother Haggard. In addition to getting training, participants ae, eae opportu- nity to work part-time or full-time as organizers or in some other capac- ity with local unions or the national. “Youth organizers are one more tool to get our message out to the non-union workforce,” said Hag- gard. We have to keep building and expanding our programs, continu- ing to educate and organize and we have to reach out to all workers in all sectors, all across this country, concluded Haggard. THE FACTS ABOUT YOUTH | IN THE WORKFORCE CANADIAN YOUTH ARE UNDER- REPRESENTED IN UNIONS. e In Canada, youth aged 15-24 make up almost 20% of the work- force, but less than 6% of the union- ized workforce. ° Just 11% (only 190,000) of workers aged 15-24 belong to unions, compared to 44% of work- ers aged 45-54. UNIONS MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR CANADA’S YOUTH. ¢ Unionized workers aged 15-24 earned an average of $11.20 per hour, 29% more than their non- union counterparts. Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey - with files from Scott Lunny. Boycott fight back Continued from page one letters went out to each of the 27 companies asking them to clarify their position: to indicate whether they really support the extremists’ campaign ad, “do you really want to shut down our industry ...?” Secondly, greeting cards giant Hallmark Cards Inc. was singled out for special treatment - the Kansas City, Mo., multinational and its local retailers were threat- ened with pre-Christmas economic action, including information pick- ets and a consumer boycott. With respect to a boycott of B.C. products, Hallmark now says “we have no such plans.” The firm makes it plain that it “currently purchases wood-based items from suppliers who derive their products from B.C. and it is our intent to continue to do so.” That goes for Interfor, West Fraser and Western, three B.C. firms specifically named in the Times ad, Hallmark representative Julie O'Dell told I.W.A. Canada. Other companies were quick to disassociate themselves from the Greenpeace campaign: “It was never our intention, nor have we ever advocated, a boycott of wood-based products derived from British Columbia,” said jeans producer Levi Strauss; e we have no knowledge of their efforts in Canada and have made no statement of support of the organi- zation or its members. Further we have no specific policy regarding wood purchased from British Colum- bia and cannot readily determine if wood from B.C. is used in making the paper products we buy,” noted insurance company Mutual of Omaha; ¢ Starbucks, the Seattle-based coffee house, “did not elect to be part of the Coastal Rainforest Coali- tion campaign, is not supporting this campaign financially and is not affiliated with these groups;” e “we’re in no way saying we're not going to use forest products from B.C.” and “we’re not interested in sidling up to Greenpeace” said a representative of pharmaceutical giant Bristol Myers Squibb; e from computer conglomerate IBM: “The company recognizes British Columbia has taken signifi- cant steps to preserve coastal old- growth and it is not participating in a boycott of B.C. forest products.” The denials from these and other companies named by Greenpeace “show the lengths to which these outlaw groups will go to gain advan- tage and raise funds,” said Hag- gard. “These American firms now know as clearly as do Canadian for- est workers that Greenpeace and its friends simply can’t be trusted. “Again, they are lying to the compa- nies about the situation in our forests and they’re lying to the public about the support in U.S. boardrooms.” Vancouver, BE VG6E 4B2 36/LUMBERWORKER/DECEMBER, 1998 Scott Lunny, Director, Policy & Information Services 500 — 1285 West Pender Street At the same time, however, Hag- gard noted that some companies currently “seem to want to have their cake and eat it, too.” While indicating they have noth- ing against sustainable forest man- agement such as is practiced in B.C., many firms want to single out “old- growth,” “ancient forests” or “rain- forests” as “off limits” to loggers. “That won’t do,” Haggard warns. “To be viable, we have to keep on harvesting in those kinds of forests. There’s nothing really magic about most of the forest types we're talk- ing about. The point is whether we harvest in a sustainable way — careful planning, tough regulations, mandatory reforestation, small openings and so on. In B.C. and in most parts of Canada, we do.” Letters have gone out to several BE A YOUTH ORGANIZER The Industrial, Wood and Allied Workers of Canada Youth Organizer Program is designed to get sons and daughters of I.W.A. members and other interested young people involved in our union. A youth organizer candidate is preferably under 25 years old, is a recent or current student and is motivated, motivated, motivated! Be part of the I.W.A. Canada Youth Organizer Program: e LEARN more about unions and the I.W.A. e MEET other young activists have FUN To be a youth organizer or for more information, contact or send your resume to: gain the OPPORTUNITY to work for the union of the Times ad firms pointing out the reality of current forest prac-~ tices and warning them that they can’t expect to condemn our indus- try, on one hand, but keep on doing business in our communities and with people who make their living in the forest sector, on the other. And Haggard also warned the firms that I.W.A. CANADA is s#ill considering economic action against those who keep on opposing harvest of “old-growth,” “ancient forests” or “rainforests.” “No, we haven’t ruled that out,” he stated. “We want to be really clear with them — you can’t dump on our way of life and still go on making profits here, while you some- how think our industry is immoral.” - Kim Pollock Phone: (604 Fax: (604) €