It’s the first issue of your national newspaper - The Allied Worker!! CONTINUING IN the historic tradition of the Lumberworker, your national trade union is proud to bring you this inaugural issue of The Allied Worker, We've changed our name and have got a new look, with new sections that you can expect in each issue. _ You'll notice that we're calling this issue Volume 67, No 2, following in Serial order from the last commemo- Tative issue of the Lumberworker, forest industry to become one of Canada’s most diverse industrial unions. Our membership works in all kinds of industrial and service sec-. tors. We’ve got bushworkers and jani- tors, chocolate manufacturers and now railway workers. We're sawmill workers to bullcooks to fry cooks and everything in between. As national [WA president Dave Haggard began to emphasize in 1997, the IWA represents all workers. If you walk, talk and look like a worker, you belong in the IWA. This paper is the official organ of the Industrial, Wood and Allied Workers of Canada and will convey the policies and programs of your union. It will also link you with the rest of your organization in Canada. You can use it as an organizing tool to assist the IWA grow bigger and stronger in the years ahead. It is our mandate to do the best job possible to present what’s happening in your national union. We hope you enjoy this issue and share it with your fellow workers, family and friends. ff = WOMEN INALOCAL Some of IWA Local 1-3567s diverse members appear in a photo feature. Pages 14-15. released just two months ago. We want to hang on to our traditions and build upon them. We're proud of the Lumberworker which goes way back to 1931 and we're looking at continuing to create labour journalism which reflects today’s membership and the issues that affect them. Why call it The Allied Worker? Because your union is changing with the times. We’re more diverse than we've ever been and we're into all kinds of things we weren't into when the Lumberworker was conceived. We've built on our solid base in the NEWS FROM THE INDUSTRIAL, THE ALLIED = At the BC Rail yard in North Vancouver are (I. to Palma, Gurmeet Dhaliwal, Jasbir Dhillon, Surinder Kahlon and organizer Clive Mulhall. RIDING THE RAILS After a lengthy ‘never-say-die’ battle with the B.C. Labour Relations Board the IWA finally got a ballot box opened to win over BC Rail workers pays to stick to your guns, says IWA ] national president Dave Haggard. After a two year battle the union finally won the certification for over 400 maintenance of way workers at BC Rail in early July. The union hung in there and took on the B.C, Labour Relations Board in a fight to get a ballot box from last fall opened and counted. “Jt was a heck of a battle but our organizers, Local 1-424 and supporters continued with a ‘never-say-die’ attitude until they got justice for the workers,” say national union president Dave ard. aol were previously represented by the Canadian Union of Transportation Employees (CUTE) Local 6. The new bargaining unit, which has workers from the North Vancouver waterfront on up into northern B.C., is a provin- cial certification that will be serviced by IWA Local 1-424 out of Prince George. The local is the largest area-wise in the province and mem- bership-wise in the country. Organizer Clyde Mulhall, local business agent Neil Meagher, and president Fred Carroll have been on a tour of BC Rail properties to meet the new members, schedule job steward education and get ready for upcoming contract negotiations, likely to begin in the fall. “There’s a lot of ground for us to cover and a large number of issues for us to get up to speed on,” says Brother Carroll. “We welcome all of the members into the IWA and are glad about the warm response we've received from the crews.” See story page nine. VOL.67 NO.2 SEPT 2002 WOOD AND ALLIED WORKERS OF CANADA SOFTWOOD LUMBER VICTIM LIST GROWS IN CANADA Union working on softwood aid package THE IWA HAS BEEN leading an effort by industry and provincial governments to secure an aid pack- age for workers and communities impacted by the U.S. tariffs against Canadian lumber. In early September, press reports stated that the federal government rejected the key component of the package — older worker transition or pension - bridging. “We haven’t been told no by the feds and, to the contrary, we are still working closely with them, the industry and the provinces to put togeth- er a package that makes sense,” says IWA national president Dave Haggard. The union’s national office has spent a great deal of time and resources to push for a package that includes worker training, community diversification programs and pension-bridging; allowing the industry, which has an older workforce, to make the needed transition. “With our package, the older workers who have put in their time, could retire with dignity and make room for younger workers to train and continue to work,” says Brother Haggard. “This benefits the workers and communities and, yes, even provides a cost benefit to companies. It’s a win-win- win scenario.” “Woodworkers produce the bulk of export earn- ing from B.C. and the forest industry creates more jobs, directly and indirectly, than any other industri- al sector in the country. We need an aid plan which corresponds to those facts,” he adds. “It’s going to get worse before it gets better,” says Brother Haggard. “Just like we predicted, as hous- ing starts in the United States slow down in the fall months and the Americans’ 27.2 per cent tariff con- tinues to punish the industry, our members, their families and communities.” At press time the [WA was preparing for meetings with federal bureaucrats and key ministers in Ottawa. “This is a key moment for the Liberals to show their intent to support our industry, resource-dependent communities and working people,” says Brother Haggard.