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° Displaying the new union flag are (1. to r.) Plant First Vice Chairman Randy Randolph, Business Agent Dave Briscoe,

committee member Bob Martin, Second Vice Chairman Ed Zilkowsky, Local 1-423 President Troi Caldwell, Plant Chair- man Gordon Kirby and I.W.A. National President Gerry Stoney.

First |.W.A. CANADA flag is raised outside Weyerhaeuser sawmill in Okanagan Falls, B.C.

I.W.A. CANADA Local 1-423 hosted a milestone event in the B.C. commu- nity of Okanagan Falls on November 20, 1995 when the first union flag was raised on company property. The flag raising event was attended by the sub- local plant committee, I.W.A. CANA- DA President Gerry Stoney, local union officials, union workers and management at the Weyerhaeuser sawmill.

About two years ago the plant com- mittee raised the idea of flying a union flag along side of the company’s flag and the Canadian maple leaf. The idea grew into reality as the National union eventually had a flag produced for the organization.

All of this was possible because the members at the operation pushed for it.

At the flag raising event Brother Stoney commended Local 1-423 for its initiative.

“This is good stuff,” said the Na- tional President. “It’s on par with having a sticker on your hardhat or a crest on your jacket. It says you are proud of the organization that you belong to.”

“I hope that it spreads to other op- erations in this company and through- out the I.W.A.,” he added.

Stoney said that there is a symbolic meaning to having the flag fly from the same base.

“We were, as the I.W.A., not always welcome on company property. We weren’t always invited in to go do what we had to do. The relationship (between the union and the company)

First aid Continued from page seven

minimum standards for first aid cov- erage.

“There are a few employers who try to put all of their employees through Survival First aid training but this is the exception,” he says.

He says that Survival First Aid was introduced in the early 1970's to offer workers a minimal level of first aid training that could be used to stablize accident victims until a more experi- enced Industrial First Aider with an equal or higher level of ticket ap- peared at the site.

Patterson also says that combina- tion first aid jobs are on the increase, and that, with exception of a few large companies, full-time first aid positions are fast becoming a thing of the past. It is a trend that is not welcomed by the union.

A major issue for the safety of workers is the 20 minute time period that it must take to reach a victim of an accident. Logging crews are work- ing further and further from first aid offices.

Brother Patterson says that “there is no question that many employers try to stretch that out” and encour- ages union members on joint safety committees to be aware of the issue.

He suggests that when this rule is violated, that workers use their right to refuse unsafe work and invoke Sec-

tion 8.24 of the WCB’s Industrial Health and Safety regulations.

In other sectors of the Industry where Level II tickets are mandatory for lower hazard jobs (i.e. sawmills), Brother Patterson points out that that the Level II ticket must be upgraded to a Level III ticket if the workplace has the following conditions:

° if there is an obstruction of routes to the workplace or other barriers likely to delay the arrival of an ambulance for more than 20 minutes after it was dispatched.

e where there are areas in the work- place that can’t be safely accessed by ambulance service and for which workers at the work site are trained, equipped and capable of effecting res- cue.

e where there is rough terrain or other similar circumstances that would pre- vent ambulance service from access- ing the workplace.

“The labour representatives of the First Aid sub-committee did not agree with the reduction of first aid services in B Class hazards,” says Patterson. “The levels of coverage in this sector were a non-consensus issue that was referred to the Board of Governors. There final decision is what we are now stuck with.”

Brother Patterson also points out the the WCB has indicated that there will be an on-going review process and he says that I.W.A. members should write down the changes they want for the continuing process and refer those changes to the Board.

has been one that has grown and de- veloped.”

Brother Stoney reminded the work- ers that union members in the province’s interior struck for over 7 months in 1967 to achieve better wages and working conditions and that the strike created a great deal of solidarity amongst I.W.A. members in the interior and coast regions.

“Now you work under different

conditions than there were in 1967,” said Stoney.

He pointed to relatively good and a good pension plan nich did not exist back then. He also said the union has worked hard to assist the company in developing a skilled workforce which produces valuable products.

Stoney said that woodworkers feel good again about what they produce because it is a durable product that comes from a renewable resource.

Gordon Kirby, plant chairman at OK

The union flag is now flying beside the company flag and Canadian maple leaf

Falls said that “it is indeed an achieve- ment to be able to fly the I.W.A. CANADA flag along with our employ-

He said that the company is recog- nizing the union as an asset in main- taining a smooth running operation ang thanked mill manager Ben Hen- aler.

Local 1-423 President Troi Caldwell said that the relationship between labour and management is the best it has been at the “it’s a credit to every-

body that’s here today - management. included.”

Mr. Henzler said; “I am very pleased that it (the union flag) is here and is going to be flying with our flag and the Canadian flag.”

“The road is sometimes bumpy but we are partners in this,” he added.

Following the flag raising, Brothers Stoney and Caldwell presented 25-year I.W.A. membership certifi- cates to nine union members.

WA

‘There's someone waiting for you Take care. On and off the job.

SAFER

Labor and management working together for health and safety in the community.

BC Forest

Canada_Industry

20/LUMBERWORKER/DECEMBER, 1995