WOMEN’S

1S S}UES

on

= Class topics were effective leadership, public speaking, dealing with stress, organizing and women in leadership.

A conference of their own

IWA Women hold second constitutional education conference
with representatives from across the country

PROGRESS FOR WOMEN in the
IWA took another step forward with
the second Constitutional Women's’
Educational Conference which was
held in Vancouver on June 6, 7 and
8. Forty-four women attended from
fifteen local unions.

The conference’s chief moderator
was Women’s Committee chairper-
son Brenda Wagg from Local 2171.
Also present to open the conference
were national union officers and
national executive board members
from various locals across Canada.

The entire Women’s committee,
elected at last year’s conference, was
present. They include vice chairper-
sons Mary-Lou Scott (500), Martha
Ulch (1000), Bonnie Armstrong (1-

424), Cheryl Williams (1-3567), and
secretary Cheryl Cox (1-207).

The conference attendees, which
was co-hosted by Prince George
Local 1-424 and Williams

ment that has 65 years of history
behind you.”“The role that you play
is so key for the people that our
union will represent 50 years from

now,” said Brother

Lake Local 1-425, were |] aq WOMEN Haggard. He also
greeted by Sister FROM 15 gave credit to Sister
Armstrong and officer Fran Borsellino, an
Terry Tate, from their LOCALS organizer from
respective locals. WERE IN Ontario for helping

National union presi-
dent Dave Haggard high-
lighted the IWA’s history, noting that
during its 65 years in Canada, the
union was a leader in making
progress for women in the workplace
and for ethnic minorities.

He said today’s IWA women are
“leaders in the beginning of a move-

ATTENDANCE _ the

union make
progress in that

province despite a government “that ab-
solutely hates the labour movement.”
Haggard encouraged the women
to go forward, to help their local
unions organize, and to extend
the benefits of IWA membership
to working women all over Canada.

Retired Sisters share experiences

THIS YEAR’S WOMEN’S conference
was honoured to hold a special ses-
sion with retired national safety
director Verna Ledger and former
Local 1-357 and 1-3567 business agent
Mary Scott present to share their
experiences as women within the TWA.

Sister Ledger joined the IWA in
1953 when she got a job at the Canfor
Pacific Veneer plywood mill.
Eventually she became a safety com-
mittee member and shop steward. By

1972 she was elected as the local
director of safety and helped organ-
ize the regional council’s first
women’s conference in 1973. Five
years later she become regional safe-
ty director - and national safety direc-
tor in 1987: significant achievements
for a woman in a male-dominated
union. As a worker Sister Ledger and
other women experienced job wage

discrimination until 1966. After

Verna Ledger and Mary Scott

equal pay was achieved, the industry
would not hire any more women,
citing the Factory Act, which said
women couldn't work at jobs that re-
quired lifting more than 35 pounds.
She said during her time as an
activist she received the support
of fellow workers who saw her
take up the issues of all workers.

Sister Scott, who started three days
before the coastal strike of 1959,
became involved in the union as a
safety and grievance committee rep-
resentative by 1963. Nine years later
she had become plant chairperson
and local executive board member,
and eventually became a local union
business agent — one of very few
woman staff members in the WA.

Scott shared her experiences as a
young worker at the Pacific Veneer
plant where she started down on the
boom. In the early days, some men
would put up obstacles, but she
stayed determined to keep her job.
Eventually the employer conceded a
women’s washroom and proper
lunchroom. Later she won a griev-
ance to become one of the first
woman graders. Elected by mostly
men, Scott said she earned men’s
respect by fighting for their rights too.

Angie exhorts IWA women to
step forward in workplaces

Sister Angela Schira, secretary-
treasurer of the B.C. Federation of
Labour, spoke to IWA women,
encouraging them to step forward in
their work-
places, pointing
out that the
bargaining
table is a key
place for
women to put
forward their
common issues.
Itis also a
“clear path to
leadership
where women gain skill, knowledge,
strategies and lasting relationships
within their unions.”

She also suggested that IWA
women should get involved in local
women’s committees to share
strategies in a supportive environ-
ment. Attitudinal barriers have to be
broken down, she said, to show that
women can lead in their union.

“We get it,” said Angie, when it
comes to supporting union, commu-
nity, spending on youth, universal
and quality daycare and progressive
political alternatives.

But she also said that not enough
‘women got involved in the last B.C.
election, as less than half turned
out to vote even though over 70 per
cent of minimum wage earners
are women.

Until last year, said Angie,
women were making progress in
the province. There was progress on
pay equity, daycare, childcare and
some other social services. Women
had their own Ministry of Equality.

The Liberals got rid of the min-
istry and MLA Lynn Stephens stated
to the media that if women’s lives
were not well off it was due to poor
choices or marrying badly.

Now the Liberals have torn up
collective agreements and intend to
push public sector workers’ wages
down, she said.

At the same time the Campbell
government will now allow child
labour with the parents permission.
That child labour she said, will
largely appear in families with
underpaid women at work.

= Angela Schira

Women joining in fight to
save Medicare says Harris

Ontario Federation of Labour execu-
tive vice-president Irene Harris was
on hand at the IWA women’s confer-
ence to point out that “it is possible
to lose Medicare in Canada.” In
Ontario, she said private, profit-mak-
ing companies are beginning to take
on roles of providing services,
including some treatments for can-
cer, that were once only in the pub-
lic realm. She encouraged IWA
women in Ontario to join the
Ontario Health Care Coalition to
save Medicare. “Does activity work?
If we don’t act they will (health care
privatizers) will run faster and
faster,” she said, adding that the
Tories are turning the system over
to private interests, many from out-
side of Canada.

“Community women need you,”
she said as a trade unionist. “You
are powerful as a group which can
coalition build and organize.”

Sister Harris said it's time for
Canadians to demand that Medicare
be extended to long-term care and
nursing homes.

SERTEMBER 2002 JT