They all dug
our new digs!!

National office in Burnaby
British Columbia a big
hit with officers, staff and visitors

They came from all over the Lower Mainland, B.C. and
Canada to check out the IWA’s new office in Burnaby B.C.

On February 7 the union’s national officers, executive
board and staff, hosted an open house at its new head-
quarters which commenced operations in December 1 of

last year.

National IWA president Dave Haggard welcomed
IWA representatives, B.C. Federation of Labour affiliates,
friends, colleagues and special guests from the Burnaby
City Council, including Mayor Derek Corrigan and council-

lor Doug Evans.

“It was a great get together, says Brother Haggard. “We
are proud of our new facility and are happy so many
people could be there to help us share our celebration.”

= Above, national union president Dave Haggard (I) seen here
with fourth v.p. Wilf Mcintyre, had the honour of cutting the cake.

= Above, included are members of the office staff who really make the
place run. L. to r. are Sharon Dormer, Jean Giles, Silvia Licorish, Anne Lutley,
and Irene Bing. Absent from photo was Mas Nasu. “

= Burnaby mayor Derek Corrigan (top) welcomed the IWA to the city
and congratulated the union on its new office. Seen enjoying the
festivites (bottom left) were national first vice president Harvey
Arcand (I.) and former national officer Bob Blanchard and Prince
George Local 1-424’s Fred Carroll (bottom right).

= Above left are the B.C. Fed’s Angie Schira, the USWA’s Ken Neumann, CLC
president Ken Georgetti and IWA Local 2995’s Guy Bourgouin. Above right
are, I. to r., Local 1-3567 barbecuers Brian Lund, Earl Graham and Larry Kellum
with retired BCGEU officer Tom Kozar. Below are Burnaby counsellor and
former IWA Local 1-217 president Doug Evans (I.) and former national safety
director Verna Ledger with Ross Davies, retired Local 1-80 safety director.

An investment for future generations of IWA’ers

THE IWA’S NEW NATIONAL OFFICE is located
in an impressive 25,000 square foot three-story
facility in the labour friendly city of Burnaby, B.C.
The union occupies the entire third floor and has a
board room/training facility and break-out rooms on
the first floor (about 12,000 total square feet). The
building’s exterior is covered in wood and the third
floor is decorated with panels of western red cedar,
douglas fir and hemlock.

“We walked the talk by using as much wood as we
can,” says national secretary treasurer David Tones,

who oversaw much of planning that had to be done.
The union bought the entire building.

“The move is an investment for future genera-
tions as it is a sound business decision where the
union gains rental income from commercial ten-
ants,” adds Brother Tones. Not only does it make
financial sense, as he points out, it makes practical
sense as the union has gotten out of the congestion
of downtown Vancouver and moved into a neigh-
bourhood surrounded by many other organizations
including the BCGEU, Operating Engineers Local

115, IBEW, the Plumbers and Pipefitters, the BCNU,
and the federal NDP. There’s also good transporta-
tion access to the address of 3920 Norland Avenue,
which is between Highway One and Canada Way.
The IWA’s floor space was customed designed
with offices and meeting rooms that have state-of
the -art communications and conferencing facilities.
The union had occupied its West Pender Street
address since 1980 when Region One of the former
International Woodworkers of America moved there
from the Woodworkers House on Commercial Drive.

22 | THE ALLIED WORKER. JUNE. 2003