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HANEY LOGGERS
WON'T LOG SKAGIT VALLEY

Delegates to the B.C. Federation of
abour, meeting November 24 to 28 in
| Vancouver, unanimously supported an
} emergency resolution protesting the pro-
posed flooding of the Skagit River Valley.
The City of Seattle hs proposed raising the
Ross Dam in Washington to provide the
city with additional electrical power. Rais-
Ing the dam would flood vast areas of the
Skagit Valley in British Columbia.
€ emergency resolution was presented
by Local 1-367 IWA, Haney, whose dele-
_ Sates stated that IWA loggers would refuse
0 log the valley if plans for flooding were
pproved.
he week-long convention attended by
approximately 900 delegates also approved
emergency resolutions condemning the
exorbitant ICBC rate increases and the
anadian National Railway’s attempt to
reduce its express service throughout the
country.
The committee reports dealing with mat-
ters of vital interest to labour received wide
ussion before gaining approval of the
te

ates.

Chief among these was the report of the
tnemployment committee, which after
Castigating the various levels of govern-
ment for their inaction in dealing with the

lem of unemployment, made five recom-
mendations which in the opinion of the
“oOmmittee would help to alleviate the crisis.
ese were:
® Have affiliates rededicate themselves to
| fight against unemployment and the
| fosion of the unemployment insurance
| System

© Have affiliates continue to make their
: aware of the crisis unemployment
Which exists in industries other than their

© Have the B.C. Fed call upon the CLC to
te strong representation to the federal
ernment to reinstate qualifying regula-

tions and benefit levels in line with the
original purpose of the unemployment
insurance system.

e Have the B.C. Fed call upon the CLC to
make representation to the federal govern-
ment to take immediate action to reduce the
length of time claimants must wait to
receive benefits after they have qualified.

e Urge the provincial government to
embark on an immediate housing construc-
tion programme that will create not only
desperately needed jobs, but would also help
alleviate the crisis housing shortage.

Other reports dealt with Education, Hous-
ing, Human Rights, Legislative and
Research, Occupational Health and Safety,
Pensions, Political Education and Women’s
Rights.

The delegates also reaffirmed their sup-
port for the New Democratic Party and gave
Dave Barrett and Ed Broadbent a tremend-
ous ovation when they addressed the
convention.

Barrett, who was in top form, lambasted
Premier Bennett for his stand on the consti-
tution, ICBC rate increases and the BCRIC-
Kaiser deal. He challenged Bennett, as he
did in his address to the Regional Conven-
tion, to call an election so that the people of
B.C. could judge his record.

Broadbent in his address spoke on the
constitutional crisis and the reasons for the
NDP supporting the Liberals’ position. He
stated that the NDP had gained major
concessions from Trudeau, which the Con-
servatives refused to recognize in their
negative approach to the problem.

Broadbent also scored the government for
failing to check the country’s rising infla-
tion and high interest rates. This failure, he
stated, was responsible for Canada’s critical
unemployment crisis and both old-line
parties were to blame.

In the election for Federation officers,
Regional President Jack Munro was re-

elected Ist Vice-president; Jim Kinnaird
was re-elected President, and Dave MacIn-
tyre was re-elected Secretary.

Other officers elected included:

Don Garcia, Mike Kramer, Norm
Richards, Bill Clarke, Monte Alton, Joy
Langan, Roy Gautier.

Executive council members elected were:

Jack Adams, Al Ashton, Ron Bone, Alma
Brown, Earl Foxcroft, Lief Hansen, Ralph
Stevens, Gerry Stoney, Fred Trotter, Frank
Walden and Alice West.

CLC-B.C. FED.
WINTER SCHOOL

The Canadian Labour Congress - B.C.
Federation of Labour Annual Winter School
will be held at Harrison Hot Springs from
January 18 to February 13, 1981.

The IWA will be holding a one-week
school in conjunction with the programmes
afforded by the CLC and the Federation
January 18 to 23 at the same location.

Following are the courses and dates:

Instructors’ Training, Jan. 25-30 or Feb.
1-6; Time Management, Jan. 18-23 or Feb.
8-13; Public Relations and Labour Journal-
ism, Jan. 25-30; Collective Bargaining
Research, Jan. 25-30; Advanced Arbitra-
tion, Feb. 1-6; Costing and Negotiating
Pensions, Feb. 1-6; Union Organizing, Feb.
1-6; Labour Advocacy, Feb. 8-13; Provincial
Labour Legislation, Feb. 8-13; Collective
Pargeining and Labour Economics, Feb.

Lumber Worker/Nov.-Dec., 1980/9