Ll \ Nn | vA - Official Publication of the Yeteraatéonal Woodworkers of sbmentea Regional Council No. 1 VOL. XXVII No. 1 Bs VANCOUVER, B.C. 5c PER COPY Ist Issue Jan., 1960 GE 5 INCREASED LEVY PROPOSED 4 WILF_MERRIAM em PICTORIAL PROGRESS REPORT on the new joint headquarters of IWA Regional Council No. 1 and Local 1-217. Once each month the B.C. Lumber Worker will show for the interest of the membership, the progress “f the new buiiding presently being constructed ar 15th Ave. and Commerciai Drive in Vancouver. This pic- ture was taken December 21. ae ‘ ' Y Time WI Makes Goof The U.S. newsmagazine, Time, has chosen President Eisenhower as man of the year. We think somebody has goofed. Mind you, Ike is a nice man and all that — but man of the year? We don’t agree. Sure [ke is important. After all, he gets his name in the papers all the tme, he plays golf, he trots around the world, he plays golf, he thinks that the steel strike is bad, he plays golf, he shakes hands with Nikita Khrushchev. But we have a different choice. We would like to nominate the wives of the Newfoundland log- gers, who stood by their guns when the going got rough and took over the picket lines when their husbands had been marched off to jail by Joey’s “police.” WHAT'S INSIDE Pereeererrenets OPEN LETTER To the Honourable Lyle Wicks Minister of Labour Sir: It is with sincere regret that we find it neces- sary to reply on behalf of our Union to allegations made by you as carried in the newspapers and radio on Wednesday, January 6, 1960. These statements as reported in the press have not been denied by you, nor have they been in any way altered at your request since their printing, to our knowledge, and we quote: “‘Mr. Wicks had wondered — that was the word he used — if political manoeuvres in the IWA had lessened the effectiveness of the safety program in the logging industry, with a resulting increase in industrial fatalities in B.C. last year. The Minister said there were 262 industrial deaths, up from 208 the previous year. In the Logging Industry, the fatality toll in- creased from 45 to 76. ‘*T think the increase is caused by increasing carelessness and a breakdown in the safety pro- gram of the IWA,’’ Mr. Wicks said. ‘‘It could be that political manoeuvres are to blame.’’ End of quote. We had at least expected a man in your position to have the welfare of the people he represents more at heart than to lay such an See “Letter” Page 2 LISTEN TO | een Gold-C1 7:00 p.m. Thursday 1-71 Recommends $5 Assessment Increase of the present assessment to $5.00 per member per month until the Regional strike fund accumulates an amount considered “adequate” to protect the Union’s interests, was unanimously proposed by the 80 delegates attending the 10th Annual Convention of Local 1-71, IWA, December 18-19, in the Stry Hall, Vancouver. The proposal which was the subject of extensive con- sideration by the delegates because of numerous support- ing resolutions from Sub- Locals, will be placed before the Annual Regional Convention as -a means of strengthening the Unions bargaining position. next In preparation for all pos- sible economic and _ political eventualities, the Local Union Convention also laid plans for an expanded educa- tional programme which will still further unify and Sticngthen the organizationai efforts of the Coast loggers. The convention delegates were truly representative of the coast logging camps and __ transacted an impressive volume of business during their two- day meet. Reception of the officers’ and trustees’ reports indi- cated membership satisfac- tion with the past year’s administration of the Local Union's affairs. See "NEW PROGRAM” P. 3 Forster, Pierce Elected Members of Local 1-252, IWA, at their Annual Meeting December 17, in the Stry Hall, Vancouver, elected their new officers for the coming year. Officers elected are as follows: President, Bill Pierce; Vice- president, H. Pickering; Secre- tary-treasurer and “Business Agent, Vic Forster; Recording | Mitchell Elected To MSA IWA_ Regional Secretary- Treasurer, George Mitchell was elected a M.S.A. Director at the Association’s Annual Meet- ing December 14, in the Point Grey Junior High School, Van- cuuver, Ca & GEORGE MITCHELL Regional Secretary-Treasurer Secretary Mitchell’s election to the Board was attributed by ob- servers to the thorough manner in which he closely questioned the M.S.A. President’s Report, and his obvious understanding of the membership needs. News of his election was warmly received in IWA circles as they have long felt that the usual democratic procedures which should apply to the transaction of Secretary Mrs. Gwen Foster; Conducter, Hector McLean; War- den, Ed. Rorman; Six Year Trustee, Reg. Nipius. Guest Visitor Guest visitor at the mecting was IWA Regional President Joe See “ELECTED” P. 7 : UKP M.S.A. business has been denied by the administrative officials, On his election, Secretary Mitchell stated, that he would de- vote as much of his time as pos- sible to his new duties in M.S.A. and that he would do his utmost to see that the needs of the mem- bership were protected, Ist and Last Thursday 6:00 p.m.