> hava AROUND THE LABOUR MOVEMENT Louis Laberge passes on @ Louis Laberge, one of the = truly great figures in the ——_ history of the Quebec FTO Labour movement passed away on July 19 at the age of 78. Brother Laberge, who originated from Local 712 of the IAM, headed the OFL from 1964-1991 and gained the respect of trade unionists every- where. “Louis and the OFL always had an affinity for the IWA,” says national third vice-president Norm Rivard. “He assisted our union greatly during the boycott of scab products from Zeidler Industries in the late ‘80s and early 90s.” So what’s up with the labour law review? In mid-July AFL president Les Steel said the making of a Tory MLA committee to review labour law changes “could be a Trojan horse for the union busters in this province.” Steel pointed out that Alberta's labour laws are among the most anti-union ones in the country. “What more do employers want?” questioned Steel. “A ban on unions?” Steel said the AFL would mobilize to fight back. Don’t ship jobs overseas The B.C. Federation of Labour has warned the Campbell govern- ment to back off on its BCFED plans to offer BC Ferries construction work to other countries. Fed Secretary-Treasurer Angela Schira said “only blind ideology could lead this government to destroy yet another crucial B.C. industry.” B.C. workers have built and maintained the fleet for over 40 years and a brief released by the Shipyard General Workers’ Federation in July says that if BC Ferries procurement goes offshore, the province would lose $177.4 mil- lion in industrial output and over 1,500 person years of employment. Under Chapter 10 of the NAFTA, the province would also not be able to return to a built-in-B.C. policy. “It would be foolish to ship good private sector jobs outside our borders forever,” added Schira. Saskatchewan Federation of Labour defends medicare Workers in the province that brought Medicare to Canada are not going to let it slip away. According to the SFL “medicare is more than just a social program” — it embod- jes a just, caring and egalitarian society a LG an “example for the world.” That's why the federation is endorsing the Canada Health Care Coalition's call for a renewed health care system which calls for solutions to preserve the universal social program. “Our local supports the Fed and PHOTO BY MURRAY MOSHER, = IWA National president Dave Haggard (I.) shares a lighter moment with CLC president Ken Georgetti at the Congress’ convention in June. Brother Georgetti was re-elected for his second term of office. CLC convention lends support to IWA AT THE CLC’S national convention held in Vancouver, B.C., between June 10-14, the central labour body backed two resolutions, requesting federal govern- ment assistance during the softwood lumber battle between the United States and Canada. The CLC is calling for the federal Liberals to further promote research and development and higher value- added wood products. The central labour body also called for worker involvement in informing the public about forest practices in Canada. IWA national president Dave Haggard took to the floor to give a pas- sionate speech about the growing job loss and dislocations that are affecting woodworkers and their families across the country. “We thank the CLC for its support and realize that there’s a long road ahead before a final solution to the soft- wood lumber war can be reached,” says Brother Haggard. “The help of the CLC, and its affiliates both in and out- side of the forest industry, is important for all IWA members.” The convention, attended by some 3,300 delegates from the 2.5 million member national labour labour body, also saw a vote to increase a per capita to better fund the CLC’s Save Medicare Campaign. Now the campaign will operate on over $500,000 per year. CLC president Ken Georgetti, who — was re-elected to his second term Fo office during the convention, said ue labour movement will be be eee up its organizing activity 1° . provinces. . He noted that, in the past two years, CLC affiliates have organized over 200,000 new workers in just the provinces of B.C., Alberta and Ontario, the latter two of which have some of the most anti-labour legislation in Canada. Georgetti said union organizers have to be taught better skills and that more coordination should take place among affiliate unions. : “It’s good to see the Congress affili- ates get more and more motivated about organizing new members into unions,” said Haggard. “It is a tough job and is really where the rubber meets the road. We've been working hard on the IWA’s organizing and growth strategy since late 1997 and it has helped our union hold its own and grow. In Ontario and B.C. we are among the leading unions when it comes to organizing.” CLC delegates voted to endorse the federal New Democrats following spit- ited debates at the microphones. “Now the NDP has to get its act together up to and following a leader- ship convention,” said Haggard. “The labour movement must decide which direction it is going with the NDP,” added the IWA president. “The party has to get down to the business of developing economic policies which make sense and can drive the economy to pay for the programs that Canadians so rightly expect and deserve.” “The party can no longer call for more social programs without plan- ning for sound economic policies to back them up,” said Haggard. “I think it’s fair to say that the majority of WA members and CLC members want to vote for the NDP. But the party can’t get enough votes from working men and women because its platform of promis- es are often not looked at to be realistic as long as people don’t see a clear vision of where the economics will fit in to pay for such promises.” “We have tried our best, at CLC con- ventions and at the federations of labour level, to get this across to union people and to NDP members,” said Haggard. “We think the message on the economy may be starting to get through.” the coalition,” says Local 1-184 pres- ident Paul Hallen. “It’s the kind of fight the labour movement must help take on.” NBEL helps IWA at Juniper The New Brunswick Federation of Labour has been a real help to members of IWA Local 306, who have been on the strike against the Nexfor-owned Juniper Lumber and \-joist plant. “The Fed has been with us there on the picket line and when we rallied in front of the legislature calling for first contract arbitration,” says local union presi- dent Mario Fortunato. “They collect- ed monies and donations to support us. It's a small federation but a very active and good one.” The NBFL has about 32,000 members in the province. Waiting for OH&S changes Local 324 members at the Louisiana- Pacific Swan Valley OSB plant are awaiting the details of changes to the Workplace Health and Safety Act. Last fall Lyle ) Sagert and Robin ¢* Maxwell presented a =” paper De commit- — tee, that included MEL reps, reviewing the act. Brother Maxwell says new measures are needed to protect the health and safety of workers in the OSB sector, which is in it embryonic stages in the province. Navistar Strike renew OFL call for anti-scab laws Following a life- threatening injury to CAW member Dan Milner by a emir / strike-breaking OFL/FTO security firm’s van, crossing the union’s picket line at Navistar trucking in Chatham, the OFL has again condemned the provincial government for repealing anti-scab laws in 1995. OFL president Wayne Samuelson, in a letter to provincial premier Ernie Eves, demanded legal protection from “this kind of violent intimida- tion,” and said strike-breaking securi- ty guards and scabs must be made illegal. IWA national fourth vice-pres- ident Wilf Mcintyre, a member of the OFL executive, said the union is solidly behind the fed’s demands, 16 ] THE ALLIED WORKER SEPTEMBER 2002