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THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER

SPEC OFFICER GIVES REASONS - - -

The Editor:

Please allow me to tender an explanation for the action of SPEC members in the re~ cent picketing oe IWA head- quarters in Vancouver on January 30, 1970.

The action was initiated

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only after we had persistently failed to make contact with senior officials of the Union in the week immediately be- fore the action. In all fairness, it has been pointed out to us that all concerned at Union headquarters were engaged in

planning and setting up the subsequent meeting.

The following statement is a proposal to IWA and unions in general in which we sug- gest that the contained “en- vironmental safety” clause

could be introduced into con- tract negotiations. It is a thin edge but it promises control on wasteful and indiscrimin- ate use of our natural re- sources.

We would be grateful to you if you would publish the

’ text of this letter and the

enclosures in your newspaper, The Lumber Worker.

Yours sincerely, ROBIN HARGER, Executive Vice-President, S.P.E.C.

--- FOR PICKETING IWA HEADQUARTERS - - -

Dear Sirs: Re: Society for Pollution

and Environmental Control;

Re: Trade Union Contracts 1970.

SPEC picketed IWA head- quarters in Vancouver on January 30, 1970.

What is the sense in that, one might ask? Surely it is known workers generally suv- port initiatives like SPEC. They give money, sign_peti- tions and act individually.

The purpose of this letter is to show the sense of that picketing and explain how trade unions can best advance the cause of environmental control,

SPEC took the picket action after failing to get a hearing at the IWA Wages and Con- tract Conference meeting in Vancouver the week ending January 31st, 1970. While the pickets walked outside IWA headquarters delegates inside were settling the second most important economic decision likely to be made in this Pro- vince during 1970. The dele- gates in conference chose bar- gaining issues for the year in terms of familiar issues: wages, hours, fringe benefits, welfare. They did not choose environmental control.

It should be pointed out that at the time of the action SPEC was largely unaware that items of the IWA con-

ference agenda come only from the locals. A bad mo- ment to have to find out since we could have presented our case to a local in the correct manner.

SPEC wanted ten minutes to explain an Environmental Control Committee clause a SPEC legal advisor had draft- ed for study by unions pre- paring bargaining issues. It provides. for. a plant level union-management committee which has: the duty to con- sider complaints of employees where it is alleged that an en- vironmental problem arising from the conduct of the oper- ation exists. If it wishes to, the committee can require an investigation and make recom- mendations to management.

It can be seen the concept is similar to a safety commit- tee. Consider, for example, a recent incident on Vancouver Island where some loggers be- came ill on a company bus. It turned out a part of a tail pipe had broken and carbon mon- oxide entered the bus. The safety committee was soon able to report that the com- pany had taken steps to strengthen tail pipes on all its busses.

What is this but an extreme example of air pollution? To- day the role of the safety com- mittee in inquiring, reporting,

and making recommendations for improvements is well es- tablished and not generally questioned. This has not al- ways been the case, in fact, even the right of the union to bargain is less than 40 years old in the case of the IWA in B.C.

’ Pollution may not be as ob- vious and immediate in its effect. It may require more elaborate investigation. But it is not different in kind from the example given. Thus, what is the difference between the case of men endangered by a break in a pipe or tank in a pulp mill and the case of pulp mill effluent discharged into the water for a period of years? The second type of “accident” takes longer to kill. It kills fish or small animals on which fish live with poten- tially the same result. It kills fish which men eat rather than the men. It’s a well known fact men must eat to survive.

But why should SPEC be so hasty in raising the issue at this time? The IWA could point to locals which do have pollution committees. Union publications often show strong editorial support for the fight against pollution.

The fact that some locals -have already moved toward the concept suggested is one more reason why the biggest

union in this Province should raise the issue in its bargain- ing for the 1970 master con- tract, thereby giving leader- ship to the whole trade union movement. Editorials are not sufficient. The IWA Local 1-80 Bulletin of January, 1970, has an editorial which notes that continued pollution may make

future wage negotiations

meaningless. Yet the only ac- tion suggested is that trade union leaders are invited to stand up and be counted as being against man killing pollution. They will be in good company, a large crowd in fact. But what do they do next — sit down again? SPEC would encourage them to bar- gain for environmental con- trol committees.

There is another way to take useful action. Groups like SPEC have many mem- bers with specialized training in science and medicine, even law, who are ready to study facts and launch anti-pollution campaigns. These are largely voluntary efforts and often project teams are frustrated by lack of cash, time, and access to a collection of hard data. Unions can help by as- sisting in the collection of data.

With that end in view, we enclose an ENVIRONMEN- TAL REPORT FORM. It is intended to produce informa-

tion relating to the location and character of pollution causing. operations.. The Un- ions which will bear the cost of making copies of the form, mailing to members along with regular union material, encouraging members to fill out and return forms, acting as collection centers, and for- warding forms to the SPEC Information Office at 4857 Kingsway, Burnaby 1, B.C., will make a vital contribution to the cause of environmen- tal control.

The Lacal 1-80 Bulletin urges everyone (with special reference to the Council of Forest Industries) to fight pollution before it is too late. There are knowledgeable peo- ple about who can raise a fair argument that it is too late. SPEC takes the view that the evidence it not all in yet, and the defence is looking better every day. One must realize however that it is a defence, an attempt to slow down, stop, and finally reverse the spread- ing destruction of this Prov- ince. Organized labor is need- ed at the front.

Bargain for environmental control committees. .

Provide ammunition to

‘SPEC with environmental re-

ports. SOCIETY FOR POLLUTION

AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL.

... AND SUGGESTS UNIONS NEGOTIATE THIS CLAUSE

UNION CONTRACT

. CLAUSE ENVIRONMENTAL

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5 a

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CONTROL Environmental Control Committee

Management shall maintain an environmental control com-

mittee consisting of not more

“ than six (6) nor less than

four (4) members.

The said committee shall consist of an equal number of representatives of the com- Pany and the employees. Em-

"s representatives will elected by a vote super- vised by the union.

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’s representatives regular employees in

“ae

tion with at least one

: of employment with _ Du ties

mittee shall be to consider, investigate and make recom- mendations with respect to environmental problems aris- ing from the conduct of the operation. Pay For Meetings

The Company will pay straight time rates not ex- ceeding two (2) hours per week to employees for the actual time spent in attending environmental control com- mittee meetings outside of working hours.

Meetings During Work

Where environmental con- trol committee meetings are held during working hours with the consent of the Com- pany, employees time will not be deducted from their wages for attending meetings or in- vestigations as the committee may direct.

Investigations

e Where any employee of the operation makes written complaint alleging that an en- vironmental problem arising from the conduct of the opera- tion exists, the committee SHALL consider the com- plaint and decide whether the same requires investigation.

© Where the committee de- cides a complaint requires in- vestigation the committee shall define the nature and limits of such investigation and provide for a report to be prepared within sixty (60) days of the date of the com- plaint being received by the committee.

© Where the committee has received a report the commit- tee shall consider the same and decide what recommen-

dations, if any, should be dir- ected to the company with re- gard to the subject matter of the report.

e The committee shall cause a record to be made of the decisions of the committee and of the reasons therefore. Any person employed in the opera-

tion may inspect the said re- cord upon two days written notice to the committee. Re- ports received by the com- mittee may likewise be in- spected upon notice by any employee of the operation, or, with the consent of the com- mittee, by any person.

REMEMBER,

Help Your RED CROSS

TO HELP