| PRESIDENT’S COLUMN ’ WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER BY JOE MORRIS "A Rugged Path” Ou Union is now entering upon a critical stage of this year’s negotiations. It is critical for many reasons. It is a year of exceptional prosperity for the coast industry, thus presenting us with an opportunity that must now be seized on behalf of our members. At this point the employers have chosen to widen the gap between the Union’s position and their own. From here on, the Negotiating Committee will travel a rugged path to reach a satisfactory settlement of the dispute. I have instruc- ted the editor of ’. The Western Ca- nadian Lumber Worker to dis- play in this edi- tion the issues involved as con- ciliation com - mences. I hope that every mem- examine this statement ber will closely. Each member will readily see that everyone will benefit by implementation of our demands. By the same token, every member has his or her part to play in achieving a successful outcome. Our Best Card It cannot be said too often, that out best card at the bargaining table is conclusive evidence that the en- tire membership is united behind our demands. The solidarity of our ranks should be so firm, that at no point can the employers drive in their propaganda wedges to divide or dampen enthusiasm for our pro- gramme. The lines of communication be- tween the Negotiating Committee and the membership will be kept open at all times, so that all im- portant decisions will fully reflect the will of the membership. Fur- thermore, the Local Unions are in possession of all the facts on which our case rests. This information is now being made available to every member who is ready to sell the demands to his fellow-workers and friends. If every member speaks with conviction to everyone who will listen, mass opinion will drown out the opposing arguments of the employers. We are convinced that our de- mands are based on unassailable logic. All the facts point to the conclusion that this year we should have a better share of the increasing profits. We can have a better share, without damage to market prospects. If we get a better share, the whole community will benefit, as a better wage distribution will boost business activity in the province. Incident- ally, it will also provide a firmer foundation for expanding export trade. Extended Vacations Let there be no misunderstanding about the demand for three weeks’ additional paid vacations. Our Union is leading the way in Canada toward the achievement of shorter hours of work. Because of the cir- cumstances of our employment, we have tackled this problem on a yearly basis. We know that extended vacations will protect the employed, and mitigate the threat of the mass unemployment all around us. Note that the TWA plan for ex- tended vacations brings into play the same principles which are now gaining acceptance in large mass production industries in the United States. The reason is plainly seen. Extended vacations, rather than a shorter work day, enable the ma- chinery of production to operate 52 weeks in the year. The plan also ensures that required replacements will provide more employment. It is the most effective method yet de- vised to offset the steady encroach- ment on employment opportunities by labour-saving devices and em- ployer pressures. Every worker in the industry can use the proposed additional holidays to the greater advantage of himself and his family. It is infinitely pref- erable to reporting every working day, even if it is shortened. More paid leisure time, in periods of five or six weeks, meets the special cir- cumstances of our loggers. Attack on Unemployment Our vacation demand is our at- tack on unemployment. Not a single employed worker can ignore the fact that increasing mass unemploy- ment threatens his own job security. We must convince the employers, that like the Union, they must ac- cept a larger measure of responsi- bility in easing the community bur- den of unemployment. Our demand for a double rate for all overtime is linked with the Union’s plan to create the maximum employment for lumber workers. The employers have preferred to in- crease the work load rather than employ additional workers or shifts. Already the extent to which pro- duction has increased, with a dimin- ishing work force, gives cause for sober thought on the part of those now employed. We must deal, not only with the existing situation, which is serious, but plan to safe- guard our welfare in the future. Our other demands propose little, if any, additional financial burden for the operators. They require that the operators should display an en- tirely different attitude to establish proper job relations. We enter this phase of negoti- ations as a team. The Negotiating Committee will carry the ball, but in this team effort, every member has an important part of the Union’s drive toward its goal. Upward Trend Shown In Housing Starts Spending on Canadian housing was up only one per cent in 1961 compared with the previous year, the Central Mortgage and Housing Corporation reported. Spending totalled $1,467,000,000. The number of housing starts in 1961 was up 15 per cent at 125,577 units but this was well below the record of more than 165,000 in 1954. Dwellings com- pleted were down 6,6 per cent, reflecting the deep recession gripping the house-building industry well into 1961. Indians Protest Sale The Tsimpsean Indian band is protesting calling of new tenders for sale of its timber holdings by the Indian Affairs Department. The chief of the band, located near Prince Rupert, Reginald Samp- son, has issued a statement urging award of the sale contract to Beau- fort Industries Ltd., of Victoria. Beaufert was the unsuccessful bid- _ der on an earlier call for tenders, the charge but ordered a new call for tenders. In his statement, Sampson said the new call for tenders would bring unnecessary delay and in fact attract no bids at all since details of the original bid have been made public. Better Deal He said his band is convinced that Beaufort with an over-all bid of $2,- 237,925, offered a better deal for the Indians than Shoreline, with a $792,000 bid. Good Morning To You On the wake-up show at 6:27 every morning, Japan Broadcasting plays three-minute recordings of gg ath in eikieien tough enough i eran having to it Secession Authorized The British government took a long step towards dissolution of The West Indies Federation, opposed by both Jamaica and Trinidad. But the way was being left open for a number of islands in the West Indies area to make confederations of their own. The House of Commons gave second reading without opposition to a bill which would authorize individual colonies in the West Indies to secede from the federa- tion. Candidates Nominated The New Democratic Party is leading the field in B. C. with the number of candidates nominated for the approaching federal election. Seventeen out of the required num- ber of twenty-two are now in the field. Seven of those already nominated are trade unionists. Candidates are: Burnaby-Coquit- lam, Erhart Regier, M.P.; Burnaby- Richmond, R. Prittie; Cariboo, K. Rutherford; Comox - Alberni, Tom Barnett; Esquimalt-Saanich, Geoff. Mitchell; Fraser Valley, W. L. Hart- ley; Kamloops, Walter Inglis; Koot- enay-East, Rev. W. Mundy; Na- naimo, Colin Cameron; New West- minster, Barry Mather; Skeena, Frank Howard, M.P.; Okanagan Boundary, O. L. Jones; Okanagan- Revelstoke, Les McLean; Vancou- ver-Burrard, T. Berger; Vancouver East, H. E. Winch, M.P.; Vancou- ver Kingsway, A. Webster; Victoria, H. A. L. Fanthorpe. Labour's Objectives Forcefully Stated By IWA REPORTER The trade unionist who supported the CCF in the last provincial general election has good reason to feel satisfied with the work done by the sixteen M.L.A.’s elected, during the 1962 session of the Legislature just closed. The objectives of organized labour were ably upheld as all the various phases of provincial affairs were under debate. Special commendation in this re- spect is deserved by Robert Stra- chan, Leader of the Opposition, and the three IWA members, Rae Eddie (New Westminster), John Squire (Alberni) and Tony Gargrave (Mac- Kenzie). Bob Strachan and Rae Eddie ably outlined the present unemployment problem and advanced constructive proposals for immediate action to remedy the situation. They stated the views of the B. C. Federation of Labour. John Squire, who served on the Standing Committee on Forestry, secured recognition for his opposi- tion to the trend toward monopoli- zation in the forest products indus- try. He made a determined fight for access to the natural resources for purposes of industrial growth, recreation and tourism. His fight of several years on this latter point is now having a telling effect. Tony Gargrave has become a pol- ished debater. His penetrating re- marks were heard on all labour sub- jects. One achievement that stands to his credit is he stayed action on constitutional amendments, which would have limited provincial juris- diction and opened the door to fur- ther infringements upon civil rights. New Amendments Gained The pressure exercised by the trade union members in the Legis- lature from the New Democratic Party was largely responsible for amendments to existing statutes which will now make it easier for workers to collect arrears of wages from unscrupulous employers. The Power Issue Premier Bennett’s two-river power policy precipitated the noisiest de- bates of the session. Throughout these turbulent scenes, the CCF-New Democratic Party group remained steadfastly in support of public ownership under one single public power authority for the province. They demanded that power develop- ment should be so conducted as to (1) ensure the consumers of low- cost electric service, (2) provide the maximum number of jobs at the earliest moment, and (3) protect the province against staggering debt. When the government proposed an immediate merger of the BCE with the B. C. Power Commission, the move was opposed on the grounds that the receivership of the BCE would jeopardize the early de- velopment of the Columbia by the Commission. The New Democratic Party group stressed the need for the early de- ‘velopment of the Columbia first, with the later development of the Peace River when required. The ex- port of power was opposed on the grounds that it would mean the ex- port of jobs. 2248-50 E. 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