= Local 1000's Mike McCarter and
the CLC’s Gordie Larkin (guitar) le

convention

adi

UNION CELEBRATES

== was an occasion of great cele-
(7 bration between September 23-
26 when the IWA Canada
national convention marked the
union’s 65th birthday. Born in the
depths of the Great Depression in
1937, the union has survived decades
of challenges. Above the convention
hall stage hung a banner with a logo
from the International Woodworkers
of America, the founding union, and a
modern-day, logo with biligual initials.
Today the IWA covers seven
provinces and has about 55,000 mem-
bers. The diversity of that member-
ship, from woodworkers, to manufac-
turing industries to service industries,
was seen among the more than 190
delegates present.

= Over 190 delgates rose to join in a rousing recital of Solidarity Forever. In the foreground
are members of Kapuskasing, Ontario Local 2995. Pictured at front are, I. to r., local president
Damien Roy, financial secretary Guy Bourgouin and vice president Roland Laurin.

“We have been facing these challenges for 65 years...”

This year’s convention was held in Richmond,
B.C., hosted by Coast locals 1-80, 1-85, 2171, 363 and
1-3567. Greeting the delegates on behalf of those
locals was Duncan, B.C. Local 1-80 president Bill
Routley. Also extending greetings were Henry
Charles and Mary Charles of the Musquem First
Nations Band, whose traditional territory includes
the municipality.

In his opening address, national president Dave
Haggard outlined the most pressing issues for the

union: dealing with closures and layoffs in the log-
ging and milling sectors as the Canada - U.S. lumber
dispute drags on and corporations, like
Weyerhaeuser, that are using the lumber war to con-
tract out, restructure and throw workers onto unem-
ployment.

He also talked about right wing governments
across Canada and the damage they are doing to
workers in provinces including Alberta, Ontario and
B.C. Haggard also called on delegates to engage in

important political debate, to reform social democra-
cy in Canada. He talked about organizing and
strengthening the union.

“We have been facing these challenges for 65

years in our union and we will keep fighting them
until our members and families have fairness on the

job and in their communities.”

Haggard spoke on the union’s advances in organ-
izing, education and women’s programs and he wel-
comed first-time delegates to the convention.

18 ] THE ALLIED WORKER DECEMBER 2002