= Right, Kamloops Local 1-417 delegates confer during a convention coffee break. Standing is local president Joe Davies and seated, I. to r. are Ed Repka, Kevin Fraser, Al Bowerman and Marty Gibbons.

= Local 2693 president Joe Hanlon (above) spoke on training for woodlands crews in Ontario and Local 1-424 president Fred Carroll (below) spoke on an emergency resolution condemning any move to privatize or bust up BC Rail.

‘Onthe job) Inyour: Community

= Clockwise from above: the IAM’s Rod Kelty brought solidarity from the U.S., Brenda Wagg petitioned against the Liberals’ privatization of BC Hydro and Local 500’s Saul Marques

spoke on WCB in Ontario.

Convention delegates here from guest speakers

This year’s convention guests were treated to a high profile speakers list, which included former national president Jack Munro, who also conducted nominations. Munro spoke of his experiences as a xank and file member and as a leader in the union, including the B.C. Interior strike in 1967 and ‘68, the 1986 province-wide strike against contracting out, and the formation of a national union in 1987.

Rod Kelty, administrative assistant of the International Association of Machinists, spoke about the softwood lumber dispute and the prospects of

working with the IWA to prepare a proposal for gov- ernments and industry to end the dispute which is hurting workers on both sides of the border.

Special guest, Sir Tony Young, president of the Trade Union Congress of Great Britain, spoke on the relationship between the labour movement and the New Labour Party in that country. Unemployment is England has dropped to under 5 per cent and there is anew minimum wage law. He encouraged union- ists to organize and speak to the new labour market.

The convention speakers list also included NDP

leadership candidate Lorne Nystrom, whom the IWA has endorsed (see page three), CLC president Ken Georgetti, B.C. Federation of Labour president Jim Sinclair, Ontario Federation of Labour president Ken Georgetti, the International Association of Machinists’ Randall Rice, and NDP B.C. president Maura Parte.

Ms. Parte talked about the task of rebuilding social democracy in the province in the face of attacks from the Gordon Campbell Liberals and the need for a platform based on sound economic management,

22 | THE ALLIED WORKER DECEMBER 2002