JANUARY, 1979 THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER [ius a Se T the B.C. Federation of Labour Convention elections of Nov- ember 24, the I.W.A. joined with a number of other affiliates — large and small — to install a leadership that will be the first in many years genuinely to represent B.C. labour. Brothers Kinnaird and Macintyre, together with those who joined them on their slate, have committed themselves to what is our greatest need; a full and practical program of political action with the N.D.P. The most important element of their platform was recognition that demo- cratic socialism, as represented by the N.D.P. is not only the right choice for B.C. labour, but the only effective choice. In electing that slate by a considerable majority the delegates not only provided the new leadership with a strong mandate to carry out that program, but assured a responsibility to devote themselves fully to it. As one of the major unions that played a leading role in establishing that program and electing leadership committed to it, the I.W.A. has a special responsibility. B.C. labour can meet the threat of the neo-fascism that is manifested by the “Right-to-Workers”. We can work with the N.D.P. to develop a democratic socialism that provides both full and fair distribution of wealth and the individual liberties that human dignity demands. The I.W.A. will discharge the respon- sibilities that it assumed at that convention. Canada and B.C. especially, being new societies, have so far been especially vulnerable to exploiting money from abroad, and to political responses fashioned elsewhere for different times and places. . At our last Convention, Regional President Jack Munro declared that the I.W.A. must be part of the conscience of the country. A mature country’s conscience seeks its own good and human answers to its own problems. With the careful development of a good relationship between Canadian labour and Canadian Democratic Socialism, we will have achieved an important step toward the maturing of our society. Together with the majority of the B.C. Fed Convention, the |.W.A. as- serted and adopted that position. Now we have to achieve it. iS MUST HOLD PENSION FufuDS | Unions are not ‘‘too power- ful’’ as the public is made to think but in Canada they have “virtually no power.” This was the view expressed in his Toronto Star column by Canada’s influential labour journalist, Ed Finn. Finn is al- so editor of Canadian Trans- port, official organ of the. Canadian Brotherhood of Rail- way, Transport and General Workers. If unions were “powerful,” they wouldn’t have to settle for wage gains of 7 per cent, well under the inflation rate. Control of money is the GERMANS PROTEST CONDITIONS The unemployed are easy butts. In Germany, the Federal Labour Office (the institution in charge of employment ex- changes and, theoretically, also ged with carrying out positive labour market policies) recently laid down new stiff conditions for job- seekers under which anybody could be ordered into virtually any job in any part of the country after 12 months on the dole. After strong protests from German unions, the office is source of power in a capitalist Society. Without it, ‘“‘even the largest union is no match for the average corporation when it comes to real economic clout.” How can the imbalance be redressed? By union control of their own pension funds, says Pensions money is by far the largest pool of capital over which unions can legitimately claim control. ‘‘These now total more than $21 billion and constitute the country’s single largest source of capital in- vestment. Pension money is really the property of the worker as it is “deferred wages.’’ But the money is controlled by trust and insurance companies. Workers and unions have no voice in how their money is in- vested. Finn notes that the AFL-CIO at its last convention, urged that union pension plans be en- trusted to financial institutions whose investment policies do not run counter to workers’ welfare. The prediction is that US unions will soon be making a determined effort to take over control of their pension fund investment. Many unions in Canada favour the idea but no con- certed drive has been made to make such a policy effective. The financial columnist on the Toronto Star agrees. that the billions of dollars in pen- sion funds represent substan- tial clout which ‘‘logically should belong to the workers for whom they are ac- cumulated — union and non- union, management and non- management.” These groups will be kept passive and uninformed and powerless unless they insist on change, says Jack McArthur. More than $60 billion are held | | 100 PEOPLE SEEK JOBS EVERY MINUTE IN WORLD in pension funds. For that amount of money, McArthur, ‘‘you could buy full ownership of almost .every Canadian company listed on the Toronto stock exchange.” “That’s power with a capital Pp.” FIRMS | THANKED BY IWA MEMBERS The members at Crown Zel- lerbach Ltd., Kelowna Lumber Division wish to extend their thanks to the following firms for their donations of prizes towards our Annual Family Fishing Derby. A good time was had by all who attended and the success of the derby was due in great part by the generous donations by these firms. Again, thank you all from the IWA members at Kelowna Lumber. Dockside . Marine, Sun Country Sports, Gary’s: Sport- world, Finning Lift Truck Centre, Finning Tractor & Equipment, Newton’s Grocery, Crown Zellerbach, Price & Markle, Radio Shack, Time for Music, Marshall Wells, Okanagan Sportswear, Shoppers Drug Mart, Hudsons Bay Company, Simpson Sears Ltd., United Cigar Store, Toys & Wheels, All About Love, Green World, Clems Sporting Goods Ltd., Rutland Sports Centre Ltd., CJOV. says | If you don’t want me to drink water, why didn’t you-hire a camel? B.C. LEADS CANADA oo British Columbia had the highest rate of mortgage delinquencies and foreclosures in Canada in the second quart- er of 1978 according to a survey by the Washington-based Mortgage Bankers association of America. Keith Tapping, general manager of the B.C. Regional office of C.M.H.C. said the number of foreclosures on N.H.A. approved loans was progressing at a rate of two to three times higher than in 1977. ‘That works out to about 40 or 50 units a month.” The survey shows that the delinquency rate for B.C. was 3.26% of residential loans, down from 3.47% in the first quarter. But the long term component of the rate — for loans three or more §install- IN HOME. FORECLOSURES ments overdue — has _ in- creased to 1.39% from 1.33%. Mr Tapping said A.H.O.P. loans from C.M.H.C. made up a fair portion of delinquencies, particularly on condominium townhouse units in the prov- | ince. People who have bought houses under AHOP with a small cash down payment have found they can afford to walk away from the units now that real estate prices are flat and expenses are rising. In June, 400 AHOP accounts were in arrears in B.C., ac- counting for 7.8% of the total outstanding. Mr. Tapping said: “T think this is understandable because we are dealing with lower income groups than those faced by the approved lender.”’ bee Every minute there are one hundred additional persons seeking work in the world; and the rise in unemployment will continue at this pace until at least the year 2,000 considers the International Labour Of- fice in a study issued at the end of August in Geneva. According to this document the annual average growth in the working population of the world, which was 22 million persons between 1950 and 1975, will increase to 50 millions be- tween now and the end of the century. In the year 2,000 the working population of the world will be made up of 2,500 million workers; in the coming twenty years, says the ILO, it will be necessary to create 1,250 million jobs for the 900 million new arrivals on the labour market, the 50 million unemployed already in exist- ence and the 300 million people who are still only partly em- ployed. The developing countries will have to be responsible for 85% of these job creation needs while the working population of the industrialized countries will only increase by 119 mil- lions between now and the year: 2,000 (as against 122 millions between 1950 and 1975). If the fall in their birth-rate con- tinues, says the ILO study, the industrialised countries will not have enough workers at the beginning of the 21st century, a situation which will compro- mise their economic growth. | The Swedish ‘‘paternal leave” is entering into its fourth year of application and apparently it is meeting with growing success among happy fathers: in 1974, only 2.4% of men entitled to this leave took it; in 1975, 5.2%; in 1976, 7.5% and last year the figure was 10%. It should be recalled that this leave aimed at permitting one of the parents to look after ‘the child after birth is particularly interesting: open to choice by mothers or fathers, who can share the period of leave, it was originally of six months duration; it was extended to nine months (three of which can be used at another time than during the year of birth cp the child is eight years of age).