Issue
ly, 1966

THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER

O'KEEFFE SUSPENDED
FOR 15 YEARS

IBEW Business Agent Art
O'Keeffe, who continued the
strike at Lenkurt Electric
over the objections of Local
and International officers, has
been suspended from the
Union for 15 years.

Two other members of the
Local’s executive received
suspensions of 25 years and
five years. The suspensions
were imposed by William
Ladyman, Canadian vice-
president of the Union.

.

ART O0’KEEFFE

O’Keeffe said he would ap-
peal the ruling to the Union’s
International executive coun-
cil in Washington, D.C., and
to the International conven-
tion in St. Louis if necessary.

Ladyman suspended
O’Keeffe for a total of 40
years, 15 years on each of
two counts and five years on
each of two other counts, but
the suspensions will run con-
currently.

In the meantime, the case
against the 29 unionists
charged with contempt of
court arising from the dem-
onstrations outside Lenkurt
is still in progress. The Crown
has completed its evidence
after 16 days of testimony.

Tom Berger and John Lax-
ton, lawyers for the defen-
dants, will launch an applica-

tion to have the case dis-
missed on the ground that
there was discrimination in
the laying of the charges,

Berger stated that out of
the 120 persons identified as
having taken part in the dem-
onstrations last May, only 29
were charged. These 29, he
said, were active trade union-
ists and their arrest was an
attempt to defeat the cause of
unionism.

Four IWA members were
among those charged.

The Lenkurt strike devel-
oped after the Company de-
manded excessive overtime
work. Two hundred and fifty-
seven employees walked off
the job in protest charging
that the Company had vio-
lated an agreement that no
overtime would be worked
until a new contract was
signed.

The Company called the
walk-out an illegal strike and
fired the employees. Because
the IBEW refused to back the
strikers it was necessary for
organized labour to come to
their aid. The IWA was one
of the unions which contribu-
ted generously.

The B.C. Federation of La-
bour recently estimated that
it would cost approximately
$70,000 to assist those Len-
kurt strikers not rehired and
finance the court cases of the
unionists charged in the dem-
onstration.

The IBEW has, in the
meantime, signed a new
three-year contract with Len-
kurt Electric which gives the
employees a six-percent hour-
ly wage increase each year
for the next two years.

The contract contains a new
clause on overtime. This
states that a reasonable
amount of overtime may be
necessary for the efficient
operation of the company and
there should be no concerted
refusal on the part of the
crew when asked.

In addition, both sides
agreed to no strikes or lock-
outs during the contract
period.

~

CONTRACT TALKS RESUME

Contract negotiations be-
tween the B.C. waterfront
employers and the Long-

remen’s Union have been
resumed,

They were the first talks
held since the jailing of 10
union officials for contempt
of court in ignoring an in-
seeecn. The men were re-

last week when the
Bc. Federation of Labour
paid their fines.
union is seeking a 50-
cent hourly wage increase on
present rate of $3.38 an
our, Other issues include
i hours of work and
ifferentials.

_ One of the thorniest issues
: the statutory holiday ques-

The 10 men were jailed
Yr ignoring an injunction
ing them to counter-
any orders they might

given longshoremen on _

whether to work on the Vic-
toria Day holiday, May 23.
No one turned up for work
that day.

Representations were made
to federal Labor Minister
Nicholson — the longshore-
men operate under federal
jurisdiction — and he prom-
ised to recommend amend-
ments to the Canada Labour
Code on qualifications re-
quired before a man is en-
titled to a statutory holiday.

The minister said he would
do so only if the union and
the waterfront employers
can’t work out an agreement
on statutory holidays.

Nicholson also has decided
against ordering a conciliation
board to investigate the dis-
pute, although a conciliation
officer is standin to as-

g by
sist the parties if he is needed. |

j
& i,
een

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i

J. & M. SHINGLE COMPANY EMPLOYEES — members of Local 1-217 IWA — are
shown here picketing the operation after the owner refused to sign the new Coast
Master Agreement. The 25-man crew struck the plant July 12. After three days of
strike in which all production was effectively curtailed, the owner capitulated and
agreed to the terms of the contract.

t of British Columbia

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