The employer can’t say no
to reintegration of disabled
“The union and the company have
to work together and the employer
can’t say ‘no,” said IWA National
Secretary-Treasurer David Tones at
the union's national safety
conference. Brother Tones, co-
instructing a course with Sister
Brenda Wagg, told workshop
participants that, unless there is
“undue hardship” on the employer,
they must create new jobs or
accomodate existing jobs to the
disabled. The union has a legal and
moral responsibility to play a role in
reintegrating disabled workers as
well, pointed out Tones. In the WA,
Tones said the leadership and
membership are undergoing a
“cultural shift” to assist the
disabled. “There has been a great
divide in our union on the issue in
the past, but that has changed over
the past 3-5 years.”

PHOTO BY NORMAN GARCIA

= David Tones said the union
has undergone a cultural shift.

Most workplace harassment
is never reported by victims
Delegates to the safety conference
workshop on harassment in the
workplace learned that the vast
majority of harassment cases are
never reported. On sexual harass-
ment cases alone (i.e. unwanted
advances, touching, insults and
innuendo) over
98 per cent of
incidents are
»| never report-
| ed. Instructor
| Kevin Flaherty,
_| Executive
| Director of the
Alberta

Kevin Flaherty — Workers’
Health Centre, outlined the many
forms of harassment which can
detract from workplace well-being.
They include verbal and mental
forms, as well as rude and unwant-
ed remarks about sexual preference,
marital status, religion, ethnicity,
creed and colour.

We need a Safety Slogan!
The National OH&S Council is look-
ing for a new slogan that helps iden-
tify the IWA‘s safety program. It
Should mesh with our objective of
driving safety to the workplace level.
Your union believes we have to take
esponsibility for one another and
that any injury is unacceptable. E-
‘Mail or fax your suggestion to Ron
(rcorbeil@iwa.ca) or (604)
3416 by Sept 15. In case of
cation, the first received wins!
prize will be issued!

= Pictured are I. to r. National Second Vice President and officer responsible for safety Norm Rivard, National
Safety Director Ron Corbeil and National President Dave Haggard.

PHOTOS BY NORMAN GARCIA

DELEGATES FROM SIX PROVINCES ATTEND CONFERENCE IN LAKEHEAD CITY

Talkin’ safety in Thunder Bay

DELEGATES FROM SIX PROVINCES gathered at the
Travelodge Airlane Hotel in Thunder Bay, Ontario
between July 11-13 to take part in the annual IWA Canada
National Safety Conference. Over 150 delegates from the
union, and some from management, enjoyed a series of
speakers and presenters, and took part in half day and
full-day workshops.

The conference was kicked-off by Local 1-3567’s Les
Veale, the IWA National Safety Council chairperson,
who welcomed delegates and
MC’d the opening session. Mr.
Bentley Cheechoo, Tribal Chair
of the Mattawa First Nations,
led a prayer in his native lan-
guage. He said many Native
workers are [WA members who
work in the mills and bush and
rely on working with other
union members for the protec-
tion of health and safety and the
environment. He noted that the

Bentley Cheecho relationship between First
Nations in northern Ontario has improved steadily over
the past several years “for the benefit of us all.”

IWA National Second Vice President Norm Rivard,
officer responsible for OH&S, told delegates that the
union has been working hard with its allies to lobby for
legislation to protect workers and has addressed numer-
ous health and safety issues at the bargaining table, most
successfully with return to work and disabililty manage-
ment programs. Brother Rivard said the union needs
companies, especially in the primary forest sector, to
speak up and push for meaningful changes that will help
workers.

On the union’s own health and safety program, Rivard
said that survey results reveal the union should focus on
training and education, promoting contact between local
union health and safety activists and the membership,
and communication.

Ontario NDP leader Howie Hampton took to the mike
and spoke on the softwood lumber dispute and the way
American corporations want control of timberlands in
Canada and made some remarks about the importance
of defeating the Tory government in the upcoming elec-
tion. He said the most important element of worker
health and safety is the right for workers to freely join a
union so that they may raise issues, ensure workers’
voices are heard, and have access to the resources, expe-
rience and knowledge that trade unions provide.

Hampton, who hails from the Kenora/Rainy River
constituency in northwestern Ontario, says most of the
inquiries that his three offices recieve are on workers
compensation cases, the vast majority of which are non-
union. He said as parts of the industry have gone non-
union, operators have been forced to cut corners and
take risks, resulting in a higher level of accidents.

Coroner’s inquests into all fatalities — not just those in
the mining and construction industries and that “we
must be given the opportunity to raise questions.”

the 60 hour work week, which is now legal in the
province and told the conference he has been on picket
lines where the main issue at hand is primarily the 60
hour week, something he said prevailed at the turn of the
2oth century. He pointed to two separate fatalities where
workers died in road accidents due to fatigue and long
days worked.

He also called on the government to have mandatory

He said that many non-union employers are pushing

Local 2693 president Joe Hanlon also welcomed the

delegates and thanked Local 2995 (Kapuskasing) and

500 (Hanover) for their support.

tripartite training certification programs in the forest
industry. Today skilled trades are recognized for jobs in
the bush, including operators of chippers, grapple skid-
ders, feller-bunchers, delimbers, slashers, cut to length
machines and log forwarders. Classroom and machine-
specific training is provided for present and new opera-
tors to increasing efficiency of operating the machinery

in

Plywood operation in Nipigon and surrounding areas
has received $65,000 from the WSIB to put in a Courage

to

National IWA Safety Director Ron Corbeil introduced
national officers, local union presidents and National
Safety Council reps to the crowd. IWA national president
Dave Haggard, and second and third vice presidents

participation it probably won’t happen,” he added.

The conference heard a motivational speech from Dr.
Rober Conn. Workshops were: Neal Berger, Jim Stimson
and Neil Menard on the Courage to Care; David Tones

an

Tramer on Accident Investigation; Gaeton Carrier and
Marc Queullion on H&S Training in French; Kevin
Flaherty on Workplace Harassment; Ron Corbeil on
IWA OH&S Policy; Eldeen Posniak, and Ron Boucher on
Emergency Preparedness. Brothers Jim Parker, Ken
Paquette and Chris Parlow led an OH&S Forum. :

He then spoke on the IWA’s successful involyment in

a safe and environmentally-friendlier manner.
Brother Hanlon also remarked that the Columbia

Care program the the CWCW.

Norm Rivard and Wilf McIntyre
were present along with Local
2995 president Guy Bourgouin,
Local 1-207 president Mike
Pisak and Brother Hanlon.
Corbeil said that IWA safety
directors have formulated an
action plan to put together a
national safety program which
calls for two aspects: leadership
at the top in the IWA and sup-
port from the rank and file.
“Unless we build it to have full

Dr. Robert Conn

d Brenda Wagg on Disability Management; Ron

AUGUST 2003 THE ALLIED WORKER | 17