@) INDEX 1 NAILING DOWN A DEAL IWA negotiators fromthe national office and six IWA locals were able to nail down an tentative merger agreement the United Steelworkers of America/2 1 MEDIATED COAST AGREEMENT Government-appointed media- tor Don Munroe’s binding con- tract on IWA Coast members has significantly changed the Coast Master Agreeement/3 i LETTERS PAGE The Allied Worker welcomes letters from IWA’ers across Canada/ 4 i OPINIONS IWA President Norm Rivard writes talks about the benefits of joining the USWA and Local 1-417's Warren Oja talks about the hits IWA members are taking due to B.C. Liberal forest policies/5 I LINKING THE LOCALS Brief bits and bites of information from all IWA Canada locals/6-7 @ STRIKES AND LOCKOUTS Local 2693 members have concluded their lengthy strike against the Bowater corporation and have achieved important gains/8 @ MEETING WITH STEEL In March and June, IWA members from throughout the country met to air concerns over the proposed merger and = S"'! then discuss the contents of the negotiated merger agreement approved by the IWA/ 10-11 AN ORIGINAL ACTIVIST IWA Local 500’s Mary Lou Scott, from Stratford, ] Ontario, has been a union activist for nearly 20 years. She’s also the first vice chair of the IWA‘s National Women’s Committee /14 i NO MORE DOMAN One of the B.C. Coast's best-known compa- nies, Doman Industries, is being restructured and it looks like |WA jobs will be maintained/16 IB LITTLE TOMMY DOUGLAS Just over 60 years ago, CCF leader Tommy Douglas was elected as Saskatchewan's premier and continued on a course that would see the introduction + of public medicare and the expansion of workers’ rights/18 il THANKS BROTHER ARCAND One of the IWA Canada’s most respected and capable officers, former nation- al first vice president Harvey Arcand, was roasted upon his retirement earlier this year/24 FRONTNeEWS AT A PRESS conference announcing his resignation as IWA national presi- dent on May 18, Dave Haggard, who ran as a Liberal for the New Westminster- Coquitlam riding, in the June 28 federal election, said he was running to “make sure B.C. is represented in Ottawa inside government — to make changes so nec- essary for the communities I’ve repre- sented for the last 30 years.” Stepping up to the plate as the new national president, Norm Rivard termed Haggard’s move as “a huge loss to the organization but we think that (if elect- ed) he can do a very good job for working people in Ottawa.” Rivard added that “we are confident Dave would not only be able to represent us, but also working people across Canada.” Brother Haggard said he has fulfilled his mandate as the national president, where he has served since being elected in 1996 and that the final move was working towards a merger with the United Steelworkers of America. He said that although he decided to run as a Liberal, he supports the B.C. NDP leader Carole James and drew a clear distinc- tion between the Paul Martin Liberals and the Gordon Campbell Liberals. “It is our loss to lose such a strong leader,” says IWA national secretary-treasurer David = At the press conference announcing Dave Haggard’s resignation were, |. to r., Local 1-3567 president Sonny Ghag, national secretary-treasurer David Tones, now third v.p. Wade Fisher, Haggard, now national president Norm Rivard, former IWA national president Jack Munro, now national first v.p. Wilf Mcintyre and now fourth v.p. Mike Pisak. Tones. “But at the same time it is an opportunity for us to gain strong voice.” Wilf McIntyre, now the union’s national first vice-president, said that it is important for working people to seek strong representation and that Brother Haggard could “not only make sure that his constituents are heard, but also that labour issues make it to the table.” He added that “our voices are not heard enough in the corridors of power in this country.” National second vice president Joe da Costa said that, if elected, Haggard would ensure labour’s views are not ignored. “Dave would bring labour’s perspective — one that neither government, corporations or the public can represent or afford to ignore.” Wade Fisher, national third vice-presi- dent said that Haggard could be a strong voice for B.C., the riding, and the province's resource-based economy, “His long-standing concern for fairness and justice will always be there, regardless of party label,” added Fisher. National fourth vice Mike Pisak said that Haggard would “take the same work ethic to his campaign and to representing his constituents that he has employed as an IWA activist.” IWA and Steel nail down deal Union negotiators reach merger agreement to combine forces IT’S AN IMPRESSIVE agreement between two great industrial unions that will strengthen the lot of workers in Canada and the United States. On May 28, the IWA negotiating team consisting of national president Norm Rivard, first vice president Wilf McIntyre, secretary- treasurer David Tones, Local 1-184 Paul Hallen, Local 2171 president Darrel Wong, Local 1-3567 president Sonny Ghag, Local 1-405 president Bob Matters, Local 1000 president Michael McCarter and Local 2693 president Joe Hanlon reached a proposed merger agreement with the United Steelworkers of America, and issued this statement: When we embarked on negotiations with the United Steelworkers, we had sev- eral key objectives. One was to ensure our local autonomy; another was to ensure that wood and forest industry issues con- tinued to be put front and centre; another was to avoid a damaging increase in dues or unwanted interference in our collective PHOTO BY NORMAN GARCIA = Pictured counterclockwise from left are USWA international president Leo Gerard, Norm Rivard, Wilf McIntyre, IWA staffer John Mountain, Bob Matters, Darrel Wong and David Tones (back to camera). agreements. Finally, we wanted to increase the services and resources available to our members. The IWA Canada and the United Steelworkers have a tentative agreement and it looks as though we have achieved our goals. With respect to local autonomy, the agreement states clearly recognition of locals’ geographic and organizational con- tinuity. It also preserves the current collec- tive bargaining process, local elections and annual meetings. Locals retain the rights they enjoy under the IWA Constitution, as well as keeping their existing assets. On the question of forest and wood industry issues, the current IWA locals will form an IWA Council within the USWA structure. Both unions have agreed to work agressively on trade and economic issues. This will allow us to cooperate, for exam- ple, on issues like the Canada-U.S. lumber dispute. On the question of dues and collective bargaining the current dues formula for IWA members will not change and the Steelworkers will rebate about half the Strike Fund assessment back to the locals fora new Local Supplemental Strike Fund. The collective bargaining process under IWA Canada will continue, as well. In addition, IWA Canada members will immediately become full members of the United Steelworkers and will be able to participate in Steel events, conventions, conferences, elections and educational pro- grams. IWA locals will become full Steelworker locals and will be able to call on Steel for help with research, legal work and collective bargaining. We will es access to the USWA Strike Fund, the health and safety department and other resources. The agreement, in other words, pro- tects our values, our interests and our assels. Ab the same time, it gives us new advantages it ° our efforts to win better agreements, benefits — and opportunities for our members. In -— view this is a truly impressive agreement and we believe all IWA members should give it their full support. ; ay UNE 2004.