VOL 67 NO 3 Norman Garcia Dave C. Haggard Harvey Arcand Norm Rivard Wilf Mcintyre Joe da Costa Sonny Ghag David Tones DECEMBER Official Publication of the Industrial, kK Wood and Allied Workers of Canada 2002 emia EDITOR NATIONAL PRESIDENT FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT SECOND VICE-PRESIDENT THIRD VICE-PRESIDENT FOURTH VICE-PRESIDENT FIFTH VICE-PRESIDENT SECRETARY-TREASURER EDITORIAL BOARD Harvey Arcand Joe da Costa Bob Matters FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT FOURTH VICE PRESIDENT PRESIDENT LOCAL 1-405 DIRECTORY OF IWA OFFICES IWA CANADA NATIONAL OFFICE 300-3920 Norland Avenue Burnaby, B.C. V5G 4K7 TEL (604) 683-1117 FAX (604) 688-6416 or FAX (604) 683-1265 For email links check www.iwa.ca IWA CANADA NATIONAL OFFICE EASTERN CANADA 2088 Weston Rd. Toronto, Ont. M9N 1X4 TEL (416) 247-8628 FAX (416) 247-5893 WESTERN LOCALS LOCAL 1-80 35] Brae Rd. Duncan, B.C. VSL 319 ‘TEL (250) 746-6131 FAX (250) 746-1012 LOCAL 1-85 4904 Montrose St. Port Alberni, B.C. VSY 1M3 TEL (250) 724-0171 FAX (250) 724-2800 LOCAL 1-184 Ill0 Third Ave., West Prince Albert, Sask. S6V 5G3 TEL (308) 764-4202 FAX (306) 763-4922 LOCAL 1-207 4262 - SIA Street Edmonton, Alta. T6E 5V2 TEL (780) 463-9070 FAX (780) 461-5020 LOCAL 2171 301- 841 Cliffe Ave. Courtenay, B.C. VON 2J8 TEL (250) 334-3329 FAX (250) 334-2662 LOCAL 2171 SUB-LOCAL 2859 Commercial Dr. Vancouver, B.C. VSN 4C7 TEL (604) 874-0274 FAX (604) 874-8137 LOCAL 324 P.O. Box 1886, 1416 Gordon Ave. The Pas, Man. R9A IL6 TEL (204) 623-3443 FAX (204) 623-5534 LOCAL 1-3567 202 - 9292 200th St. Langley, B.C. VIM 3A6 TEL (604) 513-1850 FAX (604) 513-1851 LOCAL 363 101, 391 - 4th St. Courtenay, B.C. VSN IG8 TEL (250) 334-3834 FAX (250) 334-2333 LOCAL 1-405 201 - 105 South 9th Ave. Cranbrook, B.C. VIC 2MI TEL (250) 426-4871 FAX (250) 426-2528 LOCAL 1-417 18] Vernon Avenue Kamloops, B.C. V2B 1L7 TEL (250) 554-3167 FAX (250) 554-3499 LOCAL 1-423 2040 Rutland Rd., North Kelowna, B.C. VIX 426 TEL (250) 491-1436 FAX (250) 491-1437 LOCAL 1-424 1777 - 3rd Ave. Prince George, B.C. V2L 367 TEL (250) 563-7771 FAX (250) 563-0274 LOCAL 1-425 124C North 2nd Ave. Williams Lake, B.C. V2G 126 TEL (250) 398-8248 FAX (250) 398-6218 LOCAL 830 10 Bannerman Ave., Winnipeg, Man. R2W OW1 TEL (204) 586-1307 FAX (204) 586-8502 EASTERN LOCALS LOCAL 306 330 Pleasant St. Miramichi, N.B. E1V 1Y9 TEL (506) 624-9916 FAX (506) 622-1211 LOCAL 400 4975 Boulevard St. Charles Room A - 102 Pierrefonds, Que. HSH 3C7 TEL (514) 620-1756 FAX (514) 620-4393 LOCAL 500 405 - 10th Street, Hanover, Ont. N4N 1P7 TEL (519) 364-2229 FAX (519) 364-7064 LOCAL 700 2088 Weston Rd., Toronto, Ont. MSN 1X4 TEL (416) 248-6271 FAX (416) 247-5893 LOCAL 1000 20 E. Perth Bay Sault Ste. Marie, Ont PGC 529 TEL (705) 946-3474 FAX (705) 946-8641 LOCAL 1000 SUB-LOCAL P.O. Box 879, Fort Coulongé, Que. JOX 1VO TEL (819) 683-2143 FAX (819) 683-5653 LOCAL 2693 Lakehead Labour Centre 929 Ft. William Rd., Room 6 Thunder Bay, Ont. P7B 3A6 TEL (807) 345-9041 FAX (807-345-5169 LOCAL 2995 20 Riverside Dr. Kapuskasing, Ont. P5N 1A3 TEL (705) 335-2289 FAX (705) 335-5428 “At each (women’s) conference | have seen more first-time delegates who have stepped forward...” IWA women are becoming more active As one who has attended the IWA’s national women’s conferences in ‘97 and ‘98 and the second constitu- tional women’s education conference this year, it has been gratifying to see more IWA women being involved from across the country. At each conference I have met more first-time delegates who have stepped forward to participate. The workshops that I attended this year, on dealing with stress and organizing, were interesting and well- instructed. I think we all learned a great deal. I hope more IWA women will become busier at the sub-local levels and step forward to run for positions on their local executives. By starting at the plant level and working their way up, women can make valuable con- tributions. DEBBIE MOSKAL Weyco Plywood, Local 1-184 Hudson Bay, SK Weyco is trying to divide and conquer While the U.S softwood tariffs get big headlines, there is another big story to be told. It’s about Weyerhaeuser and coastal communities. Although Weyco came in here three years ago preaching respect for communi- ties and high ethics, we are seeing the opposite. As this company hammers workers to contract out our jobs, our union is faced with the daunting task of negotiat- ing with a company that is using the cover story of low lumber markets and tariffs as an exit strategy to get out of logging. They want to dump and split up their exist- ing logging crews and yet maintain timber rights and call the shots. We’ve been working hard to keep our crews together and not get divided and conquered. Workers and the community support a proposal by four First Nation Bands and a local contractor to keep the crew together and IWA. But Weyco shows little respect for our joint proposal. I ask: is it acceptable for an American company to come in and control our resources and fail to negotiate and bargain with Canadians in good faith? I think Weyco may be trying to dominate and rule B.C. as a fiefdom. BILL RANDLE Camp Chair, Weyco Sproat Lake Local 1-85 Port Alberni BC We voted together to become IWA This year we made a decision to go with the IWA. In the last few years Baxter Dairy has been bought and sold a couple of times and we voted 80% to join Local 306 to protect ourselves. We're glad we did because now we can present our demands. Job security and respect for workers are big issues for us. As someone who has worked at the dairy for over 20 years, I think it’s important that we pull together and be patient to get a good first contract. I also rec- ommend that other New Brunswickers contact the IWA for representation to build a stronger union. DAVE ANDREWS Committee member, Baxter Dairy, Local 306 Saint John, NB Good job on Colombia comic book I appreciate the efforts the national union has done to make us aware of the situation in Colombia. The comic book produced by the CLC and other unions, including the IWA, and that was put out at the nation- al convention was very educational. We must stand together with our Brothers and Sisters in Colombia as they are thrown in jail or are killed for being union activists and leaders. DAVE WELDER Plant Chair, Kelowna Lumber, Local 1-423 Kelowna, BC THE NEW INTERFOR Building Community Partnerships in the stales Interfor gave us no warning of U.S. move Td like to send a warning to other [WA members. If you cooperate and work with Interfor, they can blind side you. Recently they did it our our crew, announcing our plant is moving to Washington. There was never even a hint they would ship our jobs south. During the last five years they told us that if the mill gets moved, our crew goes with the equipment. They didn’t guarantee a certain num- ber of jobs, but did say future jobs would be in B.C. Over the last five years we bent over backwards to give the company continuous production and were first in productivity, quality, and safety. In March 2001, they hired more workers, and the future looked brighter. I believe the company has fudged its numbers on lost profits and is trying to drive down our wages and working conditions. I hope I can be there to help take on the company in 2003. GORD BELLAMY Plant Chair, McDonald Cedar, Local 1-3567 Mission, BC Negotiations with the IWA are alright! I would like to congratulate the IWA Local 500 and all the members of our negotiating committee and plant who recently assisted us in getting a new collective agreement at Erie Flooring Special thanks goes to Brother Saul Marques, our local union business agent and financial secre- tary, who helped us formulate our demands and acted as our negotiating committee spokesperson. Saul kept things cool and orderly at negotiations and we worked together like we never have before, as a committee and as a union in the plant. We were very impressed with Saul’s performance. When we stick together, listen to the rank and file, and carry out negotiations in a professional way, we become more unified and that really pays off at the bargaining table. CECIL LOWES Plant Chair, Erie Flooring Local 500 West Lorne, ON We're on the way in Hudson Bay Over the past three years we have made some progress at the Weyerhaeuser plywood mill in terms of health and safety and protecting the envi- ronment. Safety efforts have included the RADAR program, a lock-out system, and new standard oper- ating procedures. Our rate of injury has dropped by well over 200 per cent since 1999. Workers are encouraged to participate and committees have been formed to focus on reducing injuries. We are proud of the changes made and hope other IWA operations are making progress too. SHIRLEY ST. LOUIS Safety and Environment Coordinator, Hudson Bay, SK Send us an e-mail (ngarcia@iwa.ca) or snail mail. Try to keep your letters to 50-75 words or less so we can fit more in. Tell us about what's happening in your part of the country. We reserve the right to edit for brevity or omit submissions. 4 | THE ALLIED WORKER DECEMBER 2002