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HIGHLIGHTS

CONVENTION

National Union President Dave Haggard during opening convention address in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.

Haggard says progress being made
on several fronts to protect members

tthis year’s convention, held in Sault

Ste. Marie, Ontario, between Sep-

tember 20 - 23, National President

Dave Haggard pounded the podium

to tell delegates that progress is
being made to protect the interests of I.W.A.
members throughout Canada. He said that there
is a realization going on that supporting the NDP
is necessary for the welfare of the labour move-
ment.

“As mad as we may get at the NDP and as
upset as we may get with our party, youjust can’t
convince me that governments like Mike Harris
are better for working people, whether it’s it
Ontario, Alberta or British Columbia,” said Hag-
In B.C. Haggard said that Gordon Campbell is
dangerous to working people.

“Tf he wins the next election, he’ll make
Ontario look like a Sunday school picnic,” he
added.

“See how good it is in the provinces where we
don’t even have a hope in hell of a government
that cares about people, that cares about fami-
lies and cares about communities. All they brag
about and all they sell to the public is tax breaks,
hospital closures, downsizing of WCB, the
destruction of workers’ rights, and the safety of
our membership.”

In the area of negotiated partnerships, Hag-
gard would later introduce a new I.W.A. policy
which was approved unanimously.

“We've put together a partnership program, an
I.W.A. partnership coma that puts workers
first,” said Haggard. The program is based on
cooperation to grow the business and create
more job opportunities and better job security
and opening up company books to union repre-
sentatives.

“We're going to negotiate partnerships based
on our agenda, based on our criteria and based
on the protection of our membership,” he said.

In other efforts to protect the union member-
ship, Haggard told the delegates that the union
is working with the federal government on a
marketi peeeees for Canadian forest products
that could be up $150 million in value and
believes it could result in significant increases
the I.W.A. membership in B.C. and across
Canada. :

In the area of education, Haggard said the
union has trained more members in the last year

than in the last 20 years in B.C. because of the
education fund the I.W.A. negotiated in 1997.
The national office has produced a grievance
handling video that is second to none and has put
education courses on from coast to coast.

In the international arena, Haggard told the
delegates that the national union is working
with the National Confederation of Forest Work-
ers of Chile to set up an education centre from
members in that country (see story pages 36-39).

“We're going to go down there and set up pro-
grams for them, and they’re one of main com-
petitors in the world marketplace in forest prod-
ucts. And don’t you think that it’s just right on
that we reach down and pull them up to stand
beside us for their rights (and) their protection?”

He said the same type of companies that are
operating in Canada are walking over workers
in Chile. The international fight against Green-
peace and radical environmentalist continues,
said the speaker.

“We have had success after success and suc-
cess...” said Haggard. “We must continue those
struggles wherever it takes us, whether it’s in
the United States, Germany or some other part
of the world...”

In the area of organizing the president said
that the union’s two year-old program has dou-
bled the number of people that have been
brought into the fold.

Haggard said it’s because of the 1997 conyen-
tion where the membership made a major deci-
sion to grow the union like it never has before.

“We've now opened doors for people in so many
walks of life and so many different types ofindus-
tries from coast to coast,” he said. “We've just
opened an office in New Brunswick.”

_ He predicted that the union will be successful
in New Brunswick and that I.W.A. will once
again be a force to be reckoned with in Eastern

anada and that one day the union will some day
go back to organize in Newfoundland.

° Local 2171 delegates enjoy one of the national convention’s many colourful debates.

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LUMBERWORKER/DECEMBER, 1999/15