THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER * WORKER 38,000 copies printed in this issue. Published twice monthly as the official publication of the INTERNATIONAL WOODWORKERS OF AMERICA Western Canadian Regional Council No. 1 Affiliated with AFL-CIO-CLC 2859 Commercial Drive, Vancouver, B.C. Phone 874-5261 Editor — Pat Kerr Business Manager — Fred Fieber Advertising Representatives — Elizabeth Spencer Associates Forwarded to every member of the IWA in Western Canada in accordance with convention decisions. Subscription rate for non-members $2.00 per year. Authorized as Second Class Mail, Post.Office Department, and for payment of postage in cash. Gap GUEST EDITORIAL AN | IMPORTANT ALLIANCE HE recent alliance of the Teamsters and the United Auto Workers United States could eventually transform the American labour movement. And because seven out of ten Canadian union- ists are members of American unions, repercussions from this new coalition will sooner or later be felt in this country. Despite their different reputations, the UAW and the Teamsters do have a lot in common. They are the two largest, strongest, richest unions in North Am-. erica, with a combined membership of nearly 4,000,000. Since the Auto Work- ers’ split with the AFL-CIO last May, they are both outside the central labour body. More important, they share a com- mon resolve to wrest the country’s labour leadership from the aging, conservative craft unionists—led by George Meany— who now control the AFL-CIO. - UAW President Walter Reuther’s running battle with Meany erupted two years ago when the UAW chief charged that, under Meany, the AFL-CIO had “lost the social vision, the dynamic thrust, the crusading spirit that should characterize the progressive, modern labour move- ment.” In later blasts, he accused Meany and the AFL-CIO of “complacency and adherence to the status quo.” Reuther is trying to convert the Am- erican labour movement from business unionism to social unionism. This would mean the formation of “community unions” to assist the poor and unem- ployed, a concerted drive to organize the unorganized, and greater union involve- ment in the civil rights struggle. After losing all hope of accomplishing these reforms by internal persuasion, Reuther embarked on a long-range plan to break away from the AFL-CIO and forge a new alliance for labour’s revitalization. The in the alliance with the Teamsters is only the latest stage in that plan. The Teamsters have also been nurs- ing a plan of their own to build their union’s power and influence. The high- way transport industry which they now dominate has become a vital link in the operation of many other industries. Even the most highly automated factory,.while immune from strikes by its own em- ployees, could be paralyzed if its supply of raw materials were cut off, or if its ‘finished products piled up for lack of transportation. The Teamsters hoped to capitalize on their strategic importance to other unions to create a vast new fed- eration of unions, of which the Teamsters would be the nucleus and. controlling force. So the two big unions found they had a common objective on which to base their partnership. Between them, they constitute a powerful magnet for other unions, especially these that are smaller and weaker. In addition to the more than $100 million in their combined treasuries, they intend to establish an Emergency Defense Fund to help unions fighting against strong employers. The UAW - Teamsters alliance will have no immediate effects in Canada, mainly because it is confined to the U.S. It is questionable, however, if the CLC’s amalgam of craft and industrial unions would long survive a breakup of the AFL-CIO. If the UAW-Teamsters’ pro- gram leads — as it could — to another schism in the U.S. between the industrial “social” unions and the craft “business” unions, the strains on the CLC would be tremendous. That is why Canadian unionists’ in- terest in the new coalition south of the border is tinged with more than a little apprehension. —Canadian Transport CONSTITUTION COMMITTEE Secretary Doug. Evans of Local 1-217, reports to the Convention for the Committee as Chairman Ben Thompson of Local 1-71, and Maurice Corbeil, Financial Secretary of Local 1-85, look on.° ' THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER OK ... NOW START YER SAW AN’ WA HIM TAKE OFF! oe WHITE COLLAR WORKERS BOOST UNION RANKS EDUCATION DEPT. Trade union membership in Canada is now over the two million mark. According to the Federal Department of Labour’s an- nual census the unions report- ed 2,010,000 members at the beginning of 1968. A gain of 4.6% was record- ed for 1967, indicating that 33.1% of the non-farm work force in Canada is now or- ganized. It is estimated that the per- centage organized in B.C. is now 45% of the total non- farm work force in the pro- vince. PUBLIC SERVANTS This membership growth is attributed to the swelling numbers of service and white collar workers since the mid- 1960’s. In the past four years, bargaining rights have been extended to public servants who now form part of labour’s ranks. Canadian Labour Congress affiliates now number 1,572,- 000 members, up 8% from 1,451,000 last year. The Quebec-based Confed- eration of Natural Trade Un- ions reported 201,300 mem- bers, up 2% from 198,000 members. The remaining unionists are either in independent unions or unions directly affiliated to the AFL-CIO. LARGEST UNION The largest union in Can- ada is-the United Steelwork- ers of America (140,000), fol- lowed by the United Auto Workers and the Canadian Union of Public Employees. Seventy-one important agreements signed in the sec- ond quarter this year granted wage increases averaging 8.2% annually. This is below the 9.2% averaged in the sec- ond-quarter 1967 signings. Of the 71 contracts, 37 were for two years, 11 for one year and 23 for about three years.