| | Ist Issue Aug., 1965 By CLAYTON WALLS Assistant Director of Organization reticence and stallings of the Manitoba Labour Relations Board to take ac- tion on the Union’s charges of “Unfair Labour Practice” preferred against Roblin For- est Products Lid., at Roblin, Manitoba, is making a sham of that province’s labour leg- islation. . ooo pa os CLAYTON WALLS The right of workers to join the Union of their choice, without interference from the boss, is being scuttled by the inactivity, vaccillations and delays of Labour Department officials. Trade unionists are viewing with alarm the failure of officialdom to carry out the THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER provisions of the Labour Re- lations Act that are supposed to provide protection for the workers against the illegal onslaughts of the anti-union employer. For some eight weeks now, the Union’s case against the employer has been sty- mied by weak excuses for in- action, long delays on minor decisions and a general dis- regard for the legislation and the welfare of the company’s employees. Union members have been harrassed, locked-out and fired. The Union’s solicitor Mr. Leon Mitchell personal- ly paid a visit to Roblin and thoroughly investigated Re- gional Organizer Larson’s charges. Subsequently, Mr. Mitchell assured the Labour Board there were grounds for prosecution. Labour Board officials sug- gested a meeting with Com- pany directors to solve the problem. This came to naught. Another meeting was pro- jected. In the meantime the Board sent in an investiga- tor. The investigator spent the day in the company of- fice. He did not contact Or- ganizer Larson or the locked- out employees! When our legal counsel and Bro. Larson, with the moral support of the Manitoba Fed- 2 RIGHTS “SCUTTLED” eration of Labour protested, another Investigator was sent to Roblin. In the meantime, Bro. Lar- son and I attended the second meeting slated to be with company officials who had promised to give an answer to certain proposals Bro. Lar- son had made with a view to settling the dispute. Three lawyers and no com- pany officials turned up at this meeting. The meeting re- solved nothing. Finally, at a meeting with Labour Department officials in Winniveg last week, our lawyer, Mr. Leon Mitchell, strongly opposed the officials’ intention to shelve the mat- ter. He forced them into giv- ing a commitment to refer the charces to the Attorney - General’s Department for ac- tion. This is where the mat- ter now stands. Mr. Mitchell informs us it will be another three weeks before action can be expected if prosecution is made. It is noteworthy that Rob- lin Forest Products Ltd., we are informed, sells a sizeable amount of its treated poles and posts to three govern- ment departments — Manito- ba Hydro, Manitoba Govern- ment Telephone System and the Highways Department. PLAN BACKED The “adopt-a-family plan” endorsed by the 7th Annual Delegated Meeting of Local 1-417 IWA, in aid of IWA members on strike at Frolek Sawmills, North Kamloops, is meeting with fine success, re- port Local Union officers. The employees at Pondosa Pine, Merritt-Diamond Mills (Merritt), Savona Timber, Clearwater Timber Products, Thompson River Logging (Clearwater and Vavenby), Birch Island Lumber, Celgar, Netherlands (Revelstoke) and Arrowhead Wood Pre- servers, voted at special meet- ings to help adopt a family of the Frolek strikers by assess- ing themselves $1.00 monthly for 3 months. - oh cutee BAN i. MARSHALL SMITH, IWA Local 1-118 member employed at Butler Bros. Logging, showing his winning form. Marshall recently won the square timber chopping event very handily at All Sooke Day Logging Sports. IWA OFFICIALS and Management meeting in Penticton July 22, in an attempt to finalize the Millwrights’ Apprenticeship Training Programme for the Southern Interior. ot Wa Union officials left, Bob Schlosser, President of Local 1-417; Jack MacKenzie, Regional Ist Vice-President; Bill Schumaker, President of Local 1-423; Jack Munro, Ist Vice- President of Local 1-405. Representing Management were George Barnes and Jack be zAn GLEN THOMPSON President Local 1-184 ART POWELL Sub-Local Chairman FROM PAGE 1 te, ee ee ye Sa | J FRANK SAWICKIE Plant Chairman Rg =< FRED CANNING Plant Secretary “CONTRACT” through for the Union in Sas- katchewan. Its terms of refer- ence state: “Tt is agreed by the parties that a joint job evaluation programme will be carried on during the term of the Agree- ment and will be imple mented as part of the 1966 negotiations. “Tt is further agreed that the job evaluation plan will primarily be based on the plan in effect in the Plywood Section of the Industry on the B.C. Coast but modified to suit local conditions and taking into consideration the . geographic location of the operation.” Chief negotiator for the Union was Regional 1st Vice- President Jack MacKenzie who was ably assisted by Glen Thompson, Local 1-184 President; Sub-Local Chair- man, Art Powell; Plant Chairman, Frank Sawickie; Plant Secretary, Fred Can- ning. oO Sg FROM PAGE 1 "GRAIN" when what’s at stake means $1 million a week to the B.C. economy and the very well- being of the national economy —was it that impossible for UGG and Saskpool to keep their fingers out of the chal- lenged Alberta grain, out of respect for Neil Perry if for nothing else? “For an industry capable enough to break all shipment records despite facilities rick- ety enough in grandpa’s day, its protest that it is riding a tiger and can’t get off strains credulity. “Not least of what the new stoppages have done is to nourish the suspicion — by no means held by labour alone — that the industry is aggravating an already peril- ous situation for reasons only it alone can tell.” NEW PLANT Officers of Local 1-417 IWA, Salmon Arm, report the Local Union has organized the Hub City Sash & Door Co. Ltd., Kamloops. This is the first sash and door firm organized in the Local. Bob Schlosser, Local Presi- dent and Bob Ross, Regional Representative in Kamloops, were in charge of the organ- izational efforts. Certification of the firm is expected soon.