MEETING WITH STEEL e PAGES 10-11 THE ALLIED VOL.69 NO. 2 JUNE 2004 NEWS FROM THE INDUSTRIAL, WOOD AND ALLIED WORKERS OF CANADA IWA Canada members to decide on joining up with one big union WHEN IWA MEMBERS cast their ballots this summer, they will be voting on whether or not to join what has become one of the world’s most diverse and dynamic unions, with a rich history and tradition rooted deep into the North American labour movement. The Steelworkers have over 600,00 members in North America with over 190,000 of them in Canada. When com- bined with the IWA’s 55,000, Steel will become Canada’s largest private sector union. The forest industry will become Steel’s largest manufacturing sector in the country, joining with a diversity of workers in sectors that include wood, mining, metals, transportation, trades and services. Founded as a constitutional body in 1942 following six years of organizing drives under the auspices of the Steelworkers Organizing Committee of the Congress of Industrial Organizations, the Steelworkers made many first time gains in the mills in the World War II and post-war period. The Aluminum Workers of America merged with them in 1944. Since the late 1960s, many international unions have joined with Steel: including the Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers Union in 1967; the United Stone and Allied Product Workers in 1971; the United Stone and Allied Product Workers in ‘71: the Upholsterers International Union in 1985; the United Rubber, Cork, Linoleum, Plastic and Aluminum Workers in 1995; the Aluminum, Brick and Glass Workers Union in 1996; the Canadian division of the Transportation Communication International Union in 1999; and the American Flint Glass Workers Union in ‘o3. Like the IWA Canada, a descendent of one of the great industrial unions in North America (the International Woodworkers of America), the USWA has agressively organized. It has entered into a strategic alliance with the Paper, Allied-Chemical and Energy Workers (PACE). The Steelworker-PACE Alliance has over 900,000 North American workers in it, with 175,000 in the forestry, wood and paperworkers sec- tor — by far the largest in North America. PHOTO BY JOHN MOUNTAIN = USWA Intemational president Leo Gerard shakes hands with IWA national president Norm Rivard on May 28. Merger deal to go to vote IWA Canada and Steel negotiating teams reach tentative settlement to combine two great industrial trade unions W. members across Canada are voting on a merger agreement reached between the Industrial, Wood and Allied Workers of Canada and the United Steelworkers of America. The historic agreement, which was signed on May 28 in Toronto (see photo above) was ratified by the union’s National Executive Board on June 21. The balloting will begin on July 12 and will be final counted by August 27. Each TWA member in all seven provinces where the union has local unions will have a chance to cast their ballot. “We are strongly encouraging all our members to carefully look at this merger and vote Yes!” says IWA National president Norm Rivard. “This merger will guarantee that our union’s member- ship will be protected and will grow in the future, together under the banner of the Steelworkers.” The merger will provide IWA locals with assis- tance in planning and coordinating collective bar- gaining and strike assistance, grow the union through increased organizing, provide increased educational opportunities, provide research and lobbying (in both Canada and the U.S.), provide legal assistance to locals, render quality programs on health, safety and the environment, and pro- vide programs on political action, civil rights, women’s issues and assist older and retired work- ers. The USWA is one of the world’s most diverse union’s with over 600,000 members. SUPPORT IS NATION-WIDE FOR MERGER OF THE UNION INTO THE STEELWORKERS IWA national executive OK’s Steel merger YOUR UNION’S NATIONAL Executive Board has ratified a merger agreement with the United Steelworkers of America, one of North America’s largest and most powerful and respected trade unions. On June 21 the IWA Canada national exec- utive board approved a final merger document which will go to national referendum ballot of the union’s rank-and-file membership. “Our two unions are joining to form Canada’s largest union in the private sector,” says IWA national president Norm Rivard. “This is a mile- stone in both Canadian and North American labour history that we can all be proud of being an integral part of.” National union secretary-treasurer David Tones says support for the merger “is growing nation- wide.” A national officers and staff conference, to explain the merger document, was held in Vancouver on June 22. It was the second confer- ence on the merger. The officers of both unions agree the merger rep- resents a “dramatic demonstration of labour soli- darity at a time the the Canadian and U.S. labour movements are under attack in vicious anti-labour propaganda campaigns by right-wing organizations and by the anti-labour activities of employers bent on blocking the organizing of the unorganized and frustrating collective bargaining in their behalf.” The Steelworkers’ structure guarantees the autonomy of [WA Canada locals and allows for both geographical locals and large, single plant locals. The merger will protect the assets of locals and ensure they have the resources to maintain and expand services to their membership. An USWA - IWA Canada Council is being creat- ed that will exist of all IWA local unions with their current and future operations covered by collective agreements. All forestry, woodworking and related industries in Canada and the U.S. will be invited to be involved in the council’s activities.