Have B.C. fire victims a claim on $1.2 billion ?

peapod

Hall of Fame Member
Jun 26, 2004
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pumpkin pie bungalow
Stumpage fees! otherwise known as Timbergate :D Mr. Hawkins, a sane voice in the madness. Mr Campbell's undermining of workers’ rights. In my respectful view, the rate and scope of change in all areas of social policy presupposes that there will be too many “fires” burning, simultaneously, to permit cogent, cohesive, compelling and widespread public outcry on any single issue. Or does anybody really care anymore?
 

embert

New Member
Aug 18, 2004
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A few years ago Dave Haggard warned us of the wrath of the Liberals that was about to come. In his early years as the Union President he made a difference and gained followers.
His last 2 years in his position he went against everything he said in the past. Standing with Gordon Campbell as the government legislated the coastal workers back was a serious insult to all the members. His lack of control for Sonny Ghag of local 1-3567 who went on a raiding spree for more due paying members disgraced our union as a reputible organization.
Over-spending and overstaffed is what is bringing our union down and Dave Haggard looked first to protect the union within the union. The union executives and the local officers were to be looked after first and that meant protecting their jobs, wages and benefits before the working membership.
The Current USWA ? IWA merger is a perfect example of that.
The agreement reached will see that all Locals remain the same with their current office staff and sees that the officer's double pension is fully funded and taken care of.
There were 14 of us that began the recall of Dave Haggard just before he stepped down to attempt a run at politics. There is no doubt that the recall would have got enough signitures to start a recall.
Overall I feel that Dave Haggard failed as a leader and betrayed the democratic rights of the IWA members. His past still haunts us as those he left behind still try to bury the mistakes and problems he left us.
A merger with the USWA would cover up a lot of the problems the IWA has.
Many members are against this merger although the executive and officers state that there is so much support for it.
They say there are 18 locals in favour of it but those are executives and officers drowning out the voices of the members.
 

peapod

Hall of Fame Member
Jun 26, 2004
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What dave haggard did was just the final blow to the way of life we had here once. I grew up in Port Alberni, dave haggard's town to. He still lives there I hear, its embrassing to see him have no shame over what he has done. Betrayal of some of the finest people anyone could ever meet. The backbone of this province.

My father and my brothers all worked in the forests, the days of the red and white (crummy) picking up loggers and taking them to work are gone. What was a street in Port Alberni if it did not have a M&B crummy on it they are not around anymore. The characters and the stories my father would bring home from franklin river division was the stuff of comic books. No more folklore, tales of the woods, most devasting of all no crummy with 6 yummy loggers in red hardhats driving by.

Who would have ever thought you would see the day that dave haggard and the iwa would be the liberals allies. haggard and the IWA brought the giant to its knees, there were alot of violent clashes in Port Alberni. And now haggard get HEU the kind of contract he use to rail against. What a hypocrite. Even when I hear people talking about it, I still cannot believe it.

Paul Martin does not get BC at all, Making haggard the liberal canadiate in New Westminster-Coquitlam, without a nomination battle thanks to Paul Martin's intervention. Haggard needs to get his votes from the NDP. after what happened with the HEU, that will never happen. I can hardly wait for this election, its going to be very interesting.

Now embert if you are in the IWA, you might be a logger. If so please go to chit chat and post something in our island ramblings. Because if you are a logger, I know you got some very funny stories you could share with us.
 

embert

New Member
Aug 18, 2004
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0
1
I'm not a logger but I am a member of the IWA. I sometimes feel it's better not to let on that one is an IWA member. Not these days. But then our indentity is destined for a big change in the near future. The merger being pressured on us by the IWA union leadership will dissolve the existence of IWA-C. This is one way to get rid of all the problems that plague the executives.

from steelworkers's merger agreement >

Article XI

Micellaneous Provisions

A. Termination of IWA's Separate Existence. As of the effective date of this Merger Agreement, the separate existence of IWA shall be terminated except that the National Executive Board of IWA shall thereafter remain in existence and the National Officers shall thereafter remain in office only for any purpose incidental and necessary to carry out this agreement or to deal with property, certification, collective bargaining, or other rights of IWA pursuant to this agreement including the power, right, privlege and authority to execute and deliver or to cause to be executed and delivered any deed, document or other instrument, or to take any other action necessary for such purpose. Al officers of IWA shall retain authority by agreement of the parties to execute or witness any documents pertinent to the merger program.