¢ Joe LeClair, nominated by acclamation as 1-3567’s first vice-president, told convention delegates that the local must continue a tradition of political action. New Westminster and Fraser Valley locals merge into new boundaries of Local 1-3567 A conference room at Harrison Hot Springs Hotel was the site of a historic merger between New Westminster Local 1-357 and Maple Ridge Local 1-367 on May 30th. The newly formed local union is now fit- tingly called Local 1-3567. The founding convention had over 230 delegates to witness the forma- tion of one of the IWA’s largest local unions. “In years to come the merger will be discussed and you are going to say with some pride that you played a role in the formation of the new local union,” said presidential nomi- nee Dave Tones, ex-president of Local 1-367. Joe Leclair, ex-president of the New Westminster Local, was elect- ed as 1-3567 first vice-president by acclamation. e National Union president Gerry Stoney 8 Brother Leclair said the merger was one of “two proud locals with two proud histories.” He said that 1- 3567 must continue the tradition of political action in both the work- place and the community, “We have always lived up to our political responsibilities and we expect that we will continue to do so,” Brother Leclair told the dele- gates. Brother Leclair reminded dele- gates that 1-3567’s by-laws include provision for the establishment of a Political Action Committee. Both 1-357 and 1-367 played key roles in electing NDP MLA’s in the B.C. provincial election last fall. Leclair pointed out that the newly enlarged jurisdiction will be a greater force in the IWA-CANADA national union, broader labour movement, and communities at large. “We live in changing times,” said Leclair. “We should seize up on the times to make them benefit us and benefit our kind in the future.” National union president Gerry Stoney brought fraternal greetings on behalf of IWA-CANADA’S national officers. “Tm sure that you will be a force in the organization and I look for- ward to working with you,” said Brother Stoney. Stoney said that the union must. look for new organizing opportuni- ties and that 1-3567 will be able to help out in these opportunities. In recent years all IWA locals have to one extent or another, been losing members due to the reces- sion, mill closures, downsizings, mergers, rationalizations, tech . changing, and loss of timber sup- plies. For several years there was a lot of talk going on about merging Local 1-357 and Local 1-367 into a single local union. At conventions, conferences and other get togethers, most of the talk was informal joking and jibing. Then as the economy fell into the depths of the recession, the kidding around turned into serious talk. Both local unions saw that a merger was a matter to discuss on a more formal basis. In early 1991 the New Westminster local headed by then president, John Vernon and the Maple Ridge local, headed by then president Dave Tones began discus- sions which eventually lead to the current merger under an enlarged local union which is known as Local 1-3567. Although financial pressures were beginning to mount on the locals, the move to merge according to new Local 1-3567 president nomi- nee Dave Tones, was in anticipation of what the future will bring. In the current recession Local 1- 357 dipped to below 4,000 members while 1-367 bottomed out at 700 members in 1991, months ago and has been averaging about 1,100 members the last few months. For both locals the recession has been unforgiving and unrelenting. Brother Tones says that the merger will make the new local more efficient, in the long term and that the membership will eventual- ly have access to better service which will include better education, safety and organizing programs. For the foreseeable future 1-3567 will maintain its headquarters at its New Westminster offices and use the Maple Ridge offices of former Local 1-367 as a sub-local office where it will employ 3 business agents. Local 1-367's ier Ast vice president, Barry King, former 2nd vice president, Lyle jisen and Bill Hanson, former Local 1-357 2nd vice president. The membership in both local unions were provided with a refer- endum ballot on the merger earlier this year. The membership of 1-357 passed the vote with a 79% majority while the members of 1-367 voted 77.3% in favour of the merger. The majority of the membership in both locals also voted to adopt one common set of by-laws. Under the revised by-law struc- ture the local will hold an annual delegated meeting. Its executive board will be made up of a delegate from each certification in the local boundaries. Brother Tones predicts that there will be greater efforts to organize in the future, especially in the sec- ondary manufacturing sector. At the same time he predicts that there will be more permanent clo- sures in the local as old mills go down and timber supplies drop off. He says that the softwood lumber tariff and the play for Canadian logs by U.S. politicians is a concern for the local’s future. He says the political grab for our resources is “consistent with the mindset of the multi-nationals” and “consistent with the conservative idealogy to globalization.” Tones says that the IWA will soon be forced with a North American free trade agreement with Mexico and that the union will have to resist transnational corporate grabs for our logs. “One of the tasks of the local union will face is that we will have to educate the members so they can fight back” says Tones. “Sometimes we get so busy in reacting to imme- diate problems that we don’t devel- op long term strategies.” The newly formed local will make 1-3567 a major player in IWA policy making and negotiating in the future. In actuality, Local 1-367’s return to New Westminster is going full circle. In 1956 part of 1-367’s boundaries were carved out of the New Westminster's local’s jurisdic- tion on the north of the Pitt River and in the Fraser Valley. 4 ] i e Presidential nominee Dave Tones said merger will improve services to members. Seated is Sonny Ghag, acclaimed as local’s second vice-presi- dent 16/LUMBERWORKER/JUNE, 1992