THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUM WORKE Vol. XX XVIII, No. 1 VANCOUVER, B.C. 5c PER COPY BROADWAY ;°&) - D> PRINTERS LTD, JANUARY, 1970 —- POLICE CY ss cn stn : a) oH i hy f unity A Act Raye nt Insurance Act 1¢ i insura dee 1947-1957 caneee Plan 1966 — . (CG Sibi 1962-1969 aE Ware ant \ —See Pages 6-7 MAJOR UNIONS DISCUSS BARGAINING STRATEGY , Twenty major unions have agreed to co-operate with the B.C. Federation of Labour in an attempt to co-ordinate ‘heir negotiations. The Unions include the ‘WA, USWA, Pulp and Sul- 4 cTs. VANCOUVER, B.C. BULK POSTAGE - POSTES PERMIT No. 2075 THE LUMBER WORKER RETURN REQUESTED 2859 Commercial Dr., Vancouver, 8.C. phite, and the United Paper- makers, who all face negotia- tions this year. The Unions met with the B.C. Federation officers last December 18 in a closed ses- sion and agreed to establish an interim co-ordinating com- mittee to explore the ramifi- cations and difficulties involv- ed in working towards co- ordinated bargaining and strategy. The plan was proposed by the Federation Officers’ Re- port at the last Federation convention and endorsed by the delegates. The Report stated: “Tt is the feeling of this Executive that the incoming Executive Council should, im- »mediately following this con- vention, urge that a commit- tee be established represent- ing major unions involved in negotiations in 1970 to for- mulate strategy and policy and develop a united front to . achieve their bargaining ob- jectives. The Federation would work closely with this committee in meeting the at- tack oF the employers and Bill 3 ees Secretary Ray Haynes following the Decem- ber meeting stated: “The meeting was extreme- ly beneficial. All unions pres- ent agreed that there should be 100% co-operation be- tween the unions in this year’s negotiations. “With the newly-organized Construction Labour Rela- tions Association gearing for See “UNIONS”—Page 3 IN EUROCAN STRIKE AT KITIMAT MacMILLAN BLOEDEL—F.I.R. ACCUSED OF BLOCKING SETTLEMENT Local 1-71 IWA (the Log- gers’ Local) has accused both MacMillan Bloedel and the head of Forest Industrial Re- lations John Billings of block- ing settlement in the Eurocan strike at Kitimat. Local President Ernie Freer at a press conference January 14, charged that the MacMil- lan Bloedel Company is work- ing behind the scenes to pro- tect its vested interests in the area. Freer stated that the IWA has been on strike against Eurocan Pulp and Paper Company for the past six months in an attempt to im- prove wages and working conditions for both its mem- bers and contractors and em- ployees of contractors work- ing for Eurocan’s Kitimat and Kemano operations. He stated that MacMillan Bloedel takes out 150 million board feet annually at its Kitimat logging operation through the use of contrac- tors and it was violently op- posed to any change in the status quos that would ad- versely affect Company pro- t In attacking John Billings, Freer charged that he was in- fluenced by MacMillan Bloe- del to the point that no settle- ment of the dispute was pos- sible unless he was removed as Company negotiator. _Company. Following is the complete text of the telegram sent by the Local Union to the Direc- tors of Eurocan Pulp & Paper Company in Finland, and the President of the Company in Vancouver, stating these views: “The employees of Eurocan Pulp & Paper Co. Ltd. engag- ed in logging in Kitimat, B.C., have been on strike since September 2nd, 1969, in an ef- until solutions are found to the issues in dispute through meaningful negotiations. “Your Company has chosen to be represented in negotia- tions by professional negotia- tors who, in our opinion, are largely dominated in our Pro- vince of Canada (British Co- lumbia) by the giant Mac- Millan Industries Corporation. We feel this Company will continue to oppose any rea- Photo shows Local 1-71 Second Vice-President Walter Kozij, who is in charge of the eae signin up members for picket duty in the strike fort to resolve a number of outstanding problems in a collective agreement with the is strike is still continuing and will continue hea sonable settlement of our mu- tual problems on the supposi- tion that a settlement of the Kitimat logging strike might See “STRIKE” — Page 3 REPRESENTATION VOTE ORDERED BY SASKATCHEWAN LABOUR BOARD A representation vote has been ordered for the 180 em- ployees of the Woodlands En- terprises Ltd., Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, as a result of IWA charges that the Labour- er’s International Union sign- ed a “sweetheart agreement” with the Company to gain certification of the operation. e vote was ordered by the Saskatchewan Labour Board after the IWA spent two years attempting to pre- sent evidence that collusion existed between the govern- ment, the Company, and the Labourer’s Union, in securing the agreement. The Board finally capituat- ed and agreed to a vote when a number of the employees expressed dissatisfaction with the Labourer’s Union and their present wages and work- ing conditions. The IWA was able to sub- stantiate its charge that a Due to the importance of this year’s set of negotiations, the IWA is holding a three- day Wages and Contract Con- ference to formulate contract demands for Becoration to the employers. Approximately 150 coast delegates are expected to at- tend the wage meet January 29-30-31, at Woodworkers’ House, Vancouver. The eight coast Locals have already met and formulated their contract proposals for discussion by the broad con- ference. The usual practice at the broad conference is to draft a programmatic resolution, in- corporating the main demands of the Local Unions. Each demand in the resolution is then discussed, point by point, and if adopted by the major- ity of the delegates, forms parts of the Union’s contract proposals in bargaining with the employers. Southern Interior members will hold their Wages and Contract Conference Febru- ary 14-15, in Kelowna. Ap- proximately 50 delegates are expected to attend “sweetheart agreement” ex- isted when Leo Larose, a Business Representative of the Labourer’s Union, swore out the following affidavit: “T was in the employ of Lo- cal 890 of the Labourers’ Un- ion when the certification for Woodlands Enterprises was granted. “It was my job to get seven men to come to Prince Albert and become “employees” of Woodlands [Enterprises in April of 1967. The deal was that Woodlands Enterprises would pay them $1.50 an hour and that Local 890 would pay the difference between $1.50 and the Union rate. The La- bourers’ were also to pay for their hotel rooms, meals and = package of cigarettes per y. “All that these men had to do was stay in Prince Albert (at the hotel) until Local 890’s application for certifica- tion had been dealt with. After that, they could either stay in Prince Albert or re- job for them. “I got each of these seven men to sign an application card and I made _——- for certification of W a yeeer ai