CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “RULING SUSPENDS TRAINING PLAN” —— HARTUNG ——— “The decision on proposed terms of settlement shall be by majority of the votes cast by the membership. “No strike can be called except with approval of a majority of the votes cast by the membership.” The language contained in Article XII, Subsection (d) of the Standard Local Union By-Laws is so clear as to its meaning that it seems almost impossible that it could be interpreted any other way than what it says. The International Constitution was writ- ten so that the control of this organization would always remain in the hands of the membership in the Local Unions. The very first Article—Article I, Section 6—states and I quote: “It shall be the responsibility of the officers and members of this Union to promote the following purposes. “A To aid workers in securing im- proved wages, hours and working condi-, tions. . “B_ To extend the benefits of collec- tive bargaining to workers and to pro- mote the organizing of the unorganized.” Again, in Article VII, Section 6 it states and I quote: “Regional Council shall aid Local Un- ions in coordinating their activities and give aid and assistance to them in the conduct of those affairs which necessi- tate joint action. It shall be the partic- ular responsibility of Regional Councils to assist in bringing about coordinated negotiations and agreements with the employers for the entire industry or ap- propriate divisions thereof.” Again you will note the word aid. In order to maintain the democratic principles of this organization it must be that the membership has the final say. Article VIII, Section 14 states: “The stan- dard Local Union By-Laws of the Interna- tional Union are an integral part of the International Constitution and shall be en- forced in every Local Union . . .”and can only be changed as set forth in Article XVI, Section 8 “A”, “B” and “C” of the Inter- national Constitution. I therefore, rule Article XII Subsection (d) of the Standard Local Union By-Laws to mean that regardless of who the member- ship selects through their Union to do their negotiating for them, no one has the right to sign provisions of a negotiated settlement and make it binding until ratified by the membership involved. A. F. HARTUNG, International President. USE YOUR THERE IS POSITIVELY NO You will note from the enclosed reports that the resulting publicity has been calcu- lated to create disunity among the members of our Union in this Region. For this reason it is regrettable that you did not publicly recognize the fact that the Regional officers acted under instructions issued by majority decision of the Regional Executive Board. Numerous precedents, as well as the pro- visions of the Regional Constitution, ap- proved by the International Union, sanc- tioned the action taken. There has been no deliberate violation of the Union’s Consti- tution. An unfortunate consequence of your rul- ing is- that no training program for mill- wrights becomes immediately operative, al- though desired by large sections of our mem- bership. Forest Industrial Relations Limited will not now re-negotiate the terms of the proposed agreement nor will they give effect to its terms unless agreed to by all Local Unions concerned. Under the provisions of the amended “Apprenticeship and Trades- men’s Qualification Act” now made effective, millwrights, as well as other tradesmen, will be required to hold a “current certificate of proficiency” and employers will have the legal right to deny employment to those with- out such certificates. We are advised that tests are obligatory. The Union should quick- ly regain the right to protect those now employed in the millwright category as speci- fied in the proposed agreement. Only those in the millwright category are affected by the agreement now under dis- cussion. It is quite as vital that opportunities for re-training be made available for all classifications. The proposed agreement es- tablished a principle capable of extension to all those threatened by displacement in their employment by automation or mechanization. In its application, your ruling has the effect of allowing one local Union to veto one phase of a general re-training program in prospect and thereby jeojardize its full development with benefit to all categories. I submit that this aspect of membership welfare should be taken into consideration by you in the ap- plication of your ruling. In view of the circumstances, I now formally request that you indicate the man- ner in which you intend your ruling to be given effect. Does your ruling require that the proposed agreement be now submitted to a membership referendum in the coastal area? Or alternatively, does your ruling contemplate that a referendum be conducted on a craft basis within an industrial union? AND SAVE YOUR FEET. THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER MOORE Does your ruling require that, in future, all negotiations on behalf of special groups be ratified by a membership ref- erendum notwithstanding membership approval through delegated membership bod- ies? Does your ruling require that membership demands formulated by majority de- cisions of a Wages & Contract Conference must first be ap- proved by a membership ref- erendum before submission to the employers? I must direct your attention to the fact that your ruling can be construed as requir- ing a fundamental change in established procedures to de- termine the Union's bargain- ing relationships. We are now about to commence negotia- tions in the coastal area as well as in the northern and southern Interior. It is of vital importance that the Union should exert the maximum bargaining strength through the united effort of all sec- tions of the membership in the industry. Industry - wide bargaining has proved of tremendous ad- vantage to our members. As in the past, our economic strength can be made effect- ive only through the combin- ed action of all Local Unions, utilizing the Regional Coun- cil as the central agency for collective bargaining pur- poses, This requires efficient machinery to arrive at major- ity decisions on a Regional basis by the delegates from all Local Unions. Invariably, proposed contract terms em- erging from negotiations are HANEY i HANEY PORT ALBERNI BUSINESS GUIDE MacGREGOR’S MEN’S WEAR For Everything A Man Wears * WORK, SPORT or DRESS BUSINESS GUIDE ESQUIRE MEN’S WEAR (Graham Mowatt) Complete Stock of Work and Dress Clothing “THE STORE WITH THE POPULAR BRANDS” submitted in this Region to a membership referendum. Is * it now your requirement that demands given majority ap-, proval in our Wages & Con- tract Conference should also be submitted to membership” referendum in advance of ne- gotiations? This is suggested by your use of a quotation from the International Con- stitution. Are negotiating de- mands approved by the ma- jority of the Local Union delegates to be subject to veto by any minority and our | bargaining strength thereby impaired? Your further amplification of the intent of your ruling in these respects is urgently ’ required so that the member- — ship in this Region may enter negotiations with a _ clear understanding of the manner in which the International — President intends their con- stitutional rights to be main- tained. I believe that the pub- lication of this letter and your reply will eliminate much of the existing confusion. J. A. MOORE, President. UNM : No Escape * A Jewish victim of Nazi © persecution who gets a life- ~ time compensation pay- | ment from the West Ger- man government has to pay federal Income Tax on the grant because he lives in Canada. The Income Tax Appeal Board ruled that Mr. Phil- lip Koller has to pay. IU SALA a ESI = BRITISH COLUMBIA We Can Afford To Sell The... * BEST For LESS! 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