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:: Thursday, June 03, 2004 ::

Woodworkers and Steelworkers reach tentative merger agreement Canada NewsWire
Merger committees of the Industrial Wood and Allied Workers of Canada (IWA) and the United Steelworkers of America have reached at tentative agreement to merge the two unions.

The merger is subject to initial approval by the IWA National Executive Board and the Steelworkers' Executive Board, followed by a referendum ballot of the IWA membership.

"The United Steelworkers has 190,000 members in Canada and the IWA has 55,000 members. Together, we will be the largest and most progressive industrial union in Canada," said IWA President Norman Rivard. "A merger also represents great diversity, with members working in wood, metals, mining, transportation, trades and services. The addition of our membership would create the Steelworkers' largest membership in the manufacturing sector."

"The Steelworkers' union has entered into a strategic alliance with the Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical and Energy Workers (PACE)," said Leo Gerard, the Steelworkers' International President. "With the inclusion of the IWA, the Steelworker-PACE Alliance is the largest and most powerful industrial union alliance in North America, with more than 900,000 members.

"With 175,000 members in the sector, it is also the largest forestry, wood and paper workers' union alliance in North America, five times the size of any other union," said Gerard.

posted 6:39 AM :: reference link :: 0 comments ::

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