VOL 68 NO 4 NOVEMBER 2003 D AFZaRy Official Publication of the Industrial, AMR} Wood and Allied Workers of Canada tiwas wien Norman Garcia EDITOR cue Dave C. Haggard NATIONAL PRESIDENT Norm Rivard FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT Wilf McIntyre SECOND VICE-PRESIDENT Joe da Costa THIRD VICE-PRESIDENT Sonny Ghag FOURTH VICE-PRESIDENT David Tones SECRETARY-TREASURER EDITORIAL BOARD Joe da Costa THIRD VICE-PRESIDENT Bob Matters 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 E-mail 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 1-80 351 Brae Rd, Duncan, B.C. V9L 313 TEL (250) 746-6131 FAX (250) 746-1012 LOCAL 1-85 4904 Montrose St. Port Alberni, B.C. V9Y 1M3 TEL (250) 724-0171 FAX (250) 724-2800 LOCAL 1-184 {10 Third Ave., West Prince Albert, Sask. S6V 5G3 TEL (306) 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. VIN 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. VIN IG8 TEL (250) 334-3834 FAX (250) 334-2333 LOCAL 1-405 20! - 105 South Sth Ave. Cranbrook, B.C. VIC 2MI TEL (250) 426-4871 FAX (250) 426-2528 LOCAL 1-417 181 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 3G7 TEL (250) 563-771 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. MON 1X4 TEL (416) 248-6271 FAX (416) 247-5893 LOCAL 1000 P.O. Box 879 Fort Coulongé, Que. JOX 1V0 TEL (819) 683-2143 FAX (819) 683-5653 LOCAL 1000 SUB -LOCAL 658 Boulevard Cecile Hawkesbury, Ont. P6C 529 TEL (613) 636-0014 FAX (613) 636-0014 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. PSN 1A3 TEL (705) 335-2289 FAX (705) 335-5428 “Our great union has the opportunity to represent these workers — they want us and we want them.” We should give full support to our local unions organizing health care workers Tam an IWA/HEU member, and it is my opinion that it is important for the IWA to continue its efforts to organize the unorganized health care workers. I am a Community Health worker and have been getting rep- resented by the IWA since I started my job in.1996. My operation has belonged to the IWA for about 12-15 years. I also work on-call in the local Intermediate Care Nursing Home as a Care Aide for senior citizens (HEU). It is my experience with the IWA that has made it clear to me that the representation that we, as health care workers, have received has been by far the best we could have asked for. Our members had to wait five years for a wage increase in order for the rest of this province’s community health workers to have wage parity with us here in the South Cariboo. Does this tell you something? My local represents two agen- cies and our officers work diligently to ensure that our sisters and brothers in the health care sector are taken very good care of. In the Nursing Home that I work at, their own members have approached our local officers, asking them to provide the representation that they deserve. That too should show you something. Our great union has the opportunity to represent these workers — they want us and we want them. So let’s get out there and organize! CARLA BERKELAAR Interior Health Authority, [WA Canada Local 1-425 Williams Lake, BC Condolences to the Tolko Louis Creek crew Our members here at the Tolko sawmill in The Pas, and officers and members from our entire local send our condolences to TWA Local 1-417 members at the Tolko Louis Creek operation who lost their jobs in the McClure-Barriere fire. It was bad enough having their workplace and community devastated — now they have to deal with the fact that Tolko is not rebuilding the mill and, with the B.C. government, is writing the workers off as fire victims. That is a shame. The compassion level that Tolko shows workers, is my opinion, is non- existent. Tolko should realize that it’s most valuable resource is people and not lumber. The company should rebuild in or near that community and work to help their people out. At the national convention I had a chance to speak with Local 1-417 members whose hope has now been dashed by Tolko’s bottom line deci- sion. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Louis Creek members, their families and communities. CHRIS T. PARLOW Business Agent, IWA Canada Local 324 The Pas, MB Our employer was behind decert attempt I'd like to thank our local union for all the support they gave us in beating back the recent attempt by our employer to decertify the IWA here. The experience has made us more aware how far an employer may go to deny us our rights to union representation. The LRB ruled that management tried to work with an individ- ual to a point where it may have influenced some peo- ple to vote for decertification. Fortunately the Board ruled that another representation vote should be held. We won and stayed IWA and we'll be better off for it! MARION WESSLEY Interior Savings Credit Union, IWA Canada Local 1-423 Westbank, BC VM NOT A PRIME MINISTER BUT 1 PLAY ONE. ON PARLIAMENT HILL STATE OF THE NATION Here in Port Alberni I’d like to help the Weyerhaeuser company pack up Lately the ‘three amigos” of Weyerhaeuser, Interfor and TimberWest have been going around coastal @ towns pedaling their 16-page booklet called Embracing a New Vision. I think most of us realize the “vision” that they embrace is to contract out the industry and pit contractors and workers against each other. They talk about high wood costs but ignore the fact the high value of coast wood and that wages and benefits are similar to the Interior. They criticize “restrictive work practices.” But Weyco’s Craig Neeser doesn’t publicize that in December ‘o2 he destroyed a spirit of cooperation at our Sproat Lake division where we already had a “co-design” program in place that increased productivity, lowered direct costs and decreased accidents. The vision these companies share is to “upgrade existing mills.” TimberWest has a 3.6 million cubic annual meter cut, one mill and exports to beat hell! Can we take it seriously? The IWA has been calling for investment for years from these outfits and all they have done is close mills and export logs and jobs. I have some sug- gestions, especially for Weyco: stop attacking workers and cooperate with them; turn over your licenses to First Nations and local contractors; and take up my offer to help you pack up and leave my community and country as quickly as possible. BILL RANDLES, Business Agent IWA Canada Local 1-85 Port Alberni, “~~ Attitudes towards labour could be changing following close election We in the New Brunswick Labour movement are extremely surprised at the behaviour of the Conservative government which just got elected by a slim majority of two seats over the official opposition Liberal party. A government that usually ignores working people — especially public sector unions, has begun to change its tune. When CUPE Local 1251 went on strike for 18 per cent wage increases over 4 years, the Conservative premier actually stepped in and ordered a negotiating team to get back to the table. The result was a 14-1/2 per cent wage package over 4-1/2 years. That's not bad for public sector @ workers who have been ignored for over a decade. The only reason something like this could happen is because the Conservatives have a slim majority and the public is sick of seeing workers dlobbered. If just two Tories cross the floor to either the Liberals or the NDP then the anti-worker Conservatives are toast! We're knocking on wood that it will happen soon! JOHN RICHARD Financial Secretary, IWA Canada Local 306 Miramichi, NB Send us an e-mail (ngarcia@iwa.ca) or snail mail. Try to keep your letters to 75-100 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 NOVEMBER 2003