¢ LW.A. National President Dave Haggard gave an opening address.

TEN

¢ National First Vice President Neil Menard, officer responsible for OH&S.

Kelowna local plays host to annual
I.W.A. health and safety conference

Local 1-423 played host to the
union’s annual safety conference
which was held in Kelowna, B.C.
between July 9 - 11. Over 70 union
members were in attendance, repre-
senting 17 locals from across the
country. Troi Caldwell, president of
the host local, greeted the delegates
and said it is the most important con-
ference they can participate in.

“Safety is everyone’s concern in the
workplace and is the number one
issue for us,” he said.

He also commended some employ-
ers for sending representatives.

“It (safety) is not a one-sided issue
— it’s two sided,” added Caldwell.

Ben Landis, Local 1-423’s safety
director thanked the delegates for
their attendance.

“There’s a lot of recognition that
should be given to the safety commit-
tees and those that work in the safety
area,” he said. “All we can say is keep
it up because without you we may
have good union committees in the
operations but you guys are the ones
that keep safety going.”

National union president Dave
Haggard told the delegates that
health and safety is one of the most
iniportant things that the union can
participate and be involved in. He
attacked the right wing government
of Mike Harris for chiseling away at
health and safety laws and ruining
the workers’ compensation system in
Ontario and encouraged all union
activists in every province to fight
back..

“The governments, whether they
are conservative or NDP or in

e Troi Caldwell

between have a responsibility to
assist and make the laws that protect.
workers and we have a right to go
home at the end of the day in the
same shape as we went to work in.”

Haggard said the union must fight
to keep the workplace safe and that
workers are properly trained.

“We are our own sister’s and
brother’s keepers and we do have a
responsibility to.look after each other
in the workplace,” added Haggard.

He spoke out against safety incen=
tive programs in the workplace.

“I know that these kinds of pro-
grams are out there,” he said. “I
believe the only incentive we need as
workers is the ability to go out of the
workplace at night and return to our
families in one piece. We don’t need
to be paid to do that.”

Neil Menard, national first vice
peescent and officer responsible for

ealth and safety, said that the union
must push the agenda of zero toler-

ance for accidents and disease in the
workplace.

Menard said that, after the union
organizes workers, the most impor-
tant issue is workplace safety.

He also commended management,
representatives for attending.

“We believe they (safety programs)
should be done jointly an although
we in the union and management
may approach things in different
ways, we hopefully share the same
goals in the end — that is of zero tol-
erance for workplace accidents and
disease.”

National Safety Council Chairman
Bob Patterson conducted the opening
ceremonies and introduced other
members of the council. They are first
vice chair Joe Hanlon of Local 2693,
second vice chair Les Veale from
Local 1-3567, third vice chair Norm
Prevost from Local 1-425, fourth vice
chair Bernie Rushton from Local 1-
207, recording secretary Stan

¢ Bob Patterson

McMaster from Local 1-405, National
Safety Director Tom Lowe, and
Brother Menard. In addition to a pre-
sentation on incentives and peer
observation programs (see opposite
page), the conference delivered five
one-day workshops. Local 1000’s Bob
Hird and Brother Landis instructed a

roup on surfing the Internet for
Ones information, Brothers Lowe
and Hanlon held a workshop on the-
roles and responsibilities of joint
OH&S committees, and National
Third V.P David Tones led partici-
pants throug a program on the duty
to accommodate injured workers and
return to work programs.

Ron Tramer and Geoff Eyres, from
MacMillan Bloedel’s Solid Wood
Group facilitated a workshop on
safety management systems while
the B.C. Safety Council’s Shelly
Tasker led a group on the topic of
accident investigations and the root
causes of accidents.

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¢ Local 1-207 Safety Director Bernie Rushton was one of the co-presenters
on filing for Workers’ Compensation along with 1-3567’s Les Veale, right.

National Health and Safety Director Tom Lowe was a co-presenter for the
workshop on roles and responsibilities of joint OH&S committees,

6/LUMBERWORKER/SEPTEMBER, 1999

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