THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER TOP POSITIONS CONTESTED ee | IN LOCAL 1-405 ELECTIONS All positions with the ex- ception of 2nd Vice-President and Financial Secretary were contested in the nomination for officers held during the Annual Delegated Meeting of Local 1- 405 IWA May 6-7 in Golden. Those nominated for office and whose names will go out on a referendum ballot are: For President — Wayne Nowlin, Carl Johnson; For ist Vice- President—Lorenz Fietz, John Paluck; For 3rd _ Vice- President — °° Lyle S. Kristiansen, Alonzo Stuart; For Recording Secretary — Derek Webb, Connie Hawley; For Conductor Len _Dergousoff, Glen Livingston; For 6-Year Trustee — Barry Molander, Dick Shovar; For 4- Year Trustee — Ken Hood, George MacIntyre. Elected by acclamation were Art Damstrom as Financial Secretary and Wayne Craig as 2nd Vice-President. During the two day meet, the 96 -delegates dealt with 60 resolutions, approved the Financial and _ Officers’ Reports and heard from a number of guest speakers. Speakers included Regional Ist Vice-President Wyman Trineer and Jim Mitchell, President of Local 1-424 Prince George. Leo Nimsick NDP- MLA for the area was the guest speaker at the banquet held on the evening of the 6th. Included among the more important resolutions were de- mands for: @ The Provincial govern- ment to stop the Kootenay Elk Railway being built in South- ern British Columbia. @ The federal government to delete all reference to holiday pay as earnings in the U.LC. Act. @ The federal and pro- vincial governments to make mortgage funds available at the lowest possible interest for housing. @ The federal government to raise the Old Age Security pension to $150,000 a month plus institute an adequate ‘cost of living’ clause.- @ The provincial govern- ment to substantially increase taxes on natural resources to provide adequate finances for - education. @ The Local Union to reaf- - firm its support for the New Democratic Party. The meeting also unanimosly approved a resolu- tion to increase the Regional Strike Fund by $5.00 per month until the Fund reached $10,000,000. This resolution was also approved at a Regional Convention with instructions to the Regional Executive Board to submit a referendum ballot ECONOMICS — By Mary Millard and Alison Mitchell, published by Gage Educational Publishing Ltd. — price $5.45. This book should be sub-titled ‘“What every teacher should know but doesn’t.” It is an ambitious work containing a wealth of information about economics set in a broad framework of history and politics. _ Displayed in a novel format, its story is told in refreshing style with bits of humour and whimsy thrown in. The text is well illustrated. The section on the trade union movement makes it particularly timely. Unions should give this as a gift to local teachers and to school libraries. It would be weleomed.—M.L. (ECONOMICS is available from Woodsworth Book Club, 11% Spadina Road, Toronto, Ontario) * * * RADICAL LABOUR AND CANADIAN POLITICS — By Martin Robin, Industrial Relations Centre, Queen’s University, 321 pages — $2.95 (paper). This first rate account of the influence of the trade union movement on the political scene from 1880 to 1930 has been re- issued as a paperback. It provides a very good account of trade unionism in Western Canada as well as east and of trade union and left of centre political leaders across Canada. EDUCATION COSTLY One-third of all Canadians were involved full-time in education in the 1968-69 academic year, either as students, as teachers or as non-teaching personnel. Education cost eight percent of Canada’s gross national product, and almost one-fifth of all taxes collected at all levels of government. Here’s how the full-time education population was divided: 6.3 million students, 300,000 teachers, 200,000 non- teaching personnel. on the matter at a time deemed advisable. The officers in reporting on, the major events during the year expressed their regret at the sudden resignation of Elmer Atwood, the Local’s long-time Financial Secretary. The officers in appreciation of Elmer’s long and dedicated service to the Local Union, presented him with a rifle ina brief ceremony at the banquet that evening. Other points dealt with in the Officers’ Report included negotiations, Sawmill Evalu- ation, the lengthy negotiations conducted with the Evans Company, the numerous arbi- tration and grievances cases, safety, and the problems in establishing a political educa- tion committee in the Local. Commenting on the Local’s finances, the officers reported that the cost of administering the Local Union had risen sharply and if it were not for the new dues structure, the Local would be in financial problems. The Report concluded by expressing appreciation to the many active members and Committees for the time and effort spent on behalf of the Local Union. Thanks were also expressed to the Ladies Auxiliary for their generous support. 1-424 REPORTS MEMBERSHIP AT NEW HIGH Local 1-424 officers report- ed at the Local’s Annual Dele- gated Meeting April 15-16 in Prince George, that the mem- bership had increased by nine hundred over the previous year. The average monthly membership is now close to 5,000. Tho two-day conference in- cluded action on a number of resolutions, and heard from a number of guest speakers. Speakers were Regional Presi- dent Jack Moore, Local 1-357 President Gerry Stoney, Local 1-80 First Vice-President Fer- nie Viala. The meeting also approved enlarging the Local’s Execu- tive Board by nine. New members elected were: Jack Higgins, Guy Pelletier for the West Line; Allan Fuller, George Sweline for the East Line; Sally Cormack, Bill Koshman for the South Line; Bill Watt, Harvey Arcand for North Line, and Klaus Kiner- man for Prince George area. The officers in a compre- hensive report informed the meeting on the state of the Loeal’s finances, progress of negotiations, organization, safety, education, and other matters pertaining to the wel- fare of the Union. On the evening of the 15th, the Local sponsored its annual banquet and dance for the Shop Stewards and Commit- tee members, their wives, friends and visitors. al ELMER ATWOOD, long-time Financial Secretary of Local 1- 405 who recently resigned his position, is shown with the rifle presented to him by the Local Union for his dedicated ser- vice. Art Damstrom, left, the new Financial Secretary made the presentation on behalf of the Local. On Elmer’‘s left is his wife Barbara. ‘TURNER'S BUDGET FOR BIG BUSINESS Finance Minister John Tur- ner’s first budget provides: e© No tax relief for indi- viduals; e A forecast of Gross Na- tional Product growth of 6 to 6.5 per cent this. year; e A forecast of a 4 per cent rise in prices; e Little hope that unem- ployment will be reduced (no forecast given); e Nothing specific for the worker, the farmer, or the fisherman; e An increase of $15 ($30 for couples) in the old age pension for the poorest senior citizens — those on the basic pension plus the guaranteed income supplement; e° A: cost-of-living escalator on the basic old age pension. It amounts to $2.88 on top of $80 this year, based on the 3.6 per cent increase last year in the consumer price index; e A rise in personal tax exemptions for the blind, the disabled, and those 65 and over, to $1,000 from $650; e New tax exemptions of $50 monthly for students and trainees; ° Tax concessions and cuts for big business worth $500 million annually; © Two-year tax write-offs for machinery and equipment for the manufacturing and processing industries; ie e Canadian private com- panies have their tax rate re- duced to 20 per cent from 25 per cent on manufacturing and processing up to a maxi- mum of $400,000; © Cut in the rates of corpor- ate income taxes for Canadian firms whose earnings are based on manufacturing and processing, down to 40 per cent (other earnings at 49 per cent); e Earned depletion incen- tive spread to cover all spend- ing on equipment for process- ing mineral ore to the prime metal stage; ° Twelve items of tax re- form relating to the new cap- ital gains tax; e A new system of tariff preferences to benefit under- developed countries; ° Removal of the federal excise tax on eyeglass lenses and frames; e Tax deductions allowed for medical expenses for nurs- ing care at home and for costs of commercial travel of over 25 miles to get nursing care; © Increase in duty on Brit- ish knit goods to 25 from 18 per cent; e Application of a prefer- ential tariff for imports from Bangladesh; ° Extension by one year of two-year write-off of new plants built for pollution con- trol. | WIRE ROPE The B.C. Federation of Labour has declared all products ef Wire Rope In- dustries ‘‘hot’’. Federation Secretary Ray Haynes stated in calling for the boycott: “One of our major concerns at present is to extend trade union organization to the large number of unorganized workers in the province. One of the Most difficult areas to or- ganize, because of employer ec, resistance, is among white collar workers. In this case the Office and Technical Em- ployees Union has organized the clerical staff in the Van- couver operation of this large corporation. Because of the company’s refusal to negotiate a realistic first contract, the employees have been forced to take strike action. “Trade unionists are urged to give the OTEU their full support.”