B.C. LUMBER WORKER April 6, 1950 SLOAN HEARS IWA COMPENSATION BRIEF “We Want 11 Major Changes In Act” FTER many months of car eful preparation, representa- tives of IWA District No. 1, will take the stand this week before Chief Justice Gordon Sloan, in Vancouver, in the enquiry into Workmen’s Compensation. ° The District Safety Council’s secretary Bill Gray was the chief IWA man at the hearing, with safety council members and president J. Stewart Alsbury and Secretary George Mitchell in atendance. Two-Part Brief The comprehensive brief, in two parts, is now before the Commission, and the brief’s logic and data has commanded careful attention. The +ighlights of Part One, which contained 11 separate rec- ommendations, were the sections urging the extension of rehabili- tation methods and treatment; in- creases in subsistence, and de- mand that the Act should provide advoeates to assist claimants in their presentation of compensa- tion cases. Such officials would have full; access to the files of the Board) and would ensure that every claimant got a fair hearing with all the pertinent facts of his case properly presented. Part Two was devoted to acci- dent prevention, and a genuine ef- fort was made to have the en- quity deal with this section in a non-controversial manner. No- one dare block common sense pre- cautions to save men from the; dreadful toll of life and limb in one of Canad’s most hazardous industries. Summary Here, in brief, is a summary of the main presentation by the IW- A. Further details will be given in the next issue of the B.C.} Lumber Worker. First recommendation asked that the Act be amended as to provide that where permanent disability results from injury or disease, compensation should be equal to 100 percent of previous earnings. The present rate based on 66% of previous earnings does not pro- vide adequate subsistence for the majority of injured and disabled men, Unfairly Penalized “A one-third loss of income unfairly penalizes-the workman because of the accident and dis- ease, and bears most heavily on the family with undesirable so- cial consequences,” said the brief. Industry is well able to pay, es- pecially the lumber industry, which although it already bears the major portion of current as- Sessments, due to its volume and ratio of accidents, has continued to yield exceptionally high prof- its. Full compensation would pro- |. vide a greater incentive for real rehabilitation. Pressure of pov- erty should not be exercised to force men back to work before they are’ completely fit after an accident. Lift $2500 Limit Second recommendation was that the present maximum earn- ings of $2,500 be lifted, for the purposes of calculating the rate of compensation. Third recommendation was to amend Section 21(2) to provide a minimum compensation weekly On a quiz program a shy young got stumped on the last word of “Humpty Dumpty sat on Ito pre payment of $25 instead of the current $12.50. Fourth recommendation was that dependent widows should get $100 and not $50 a month pen- sions. Fifth recommendation was that the allowance for dependent chil- dren be raised from $12.50 to $17.50 a month up to 18 years. This to be in addition to the pay- ment made to the widow. Revise Old Awards Sixth recommendation was that the daily allowance given injured workmen when undergoing treat- ment at places other than home, should be boosted to $4.50 daily. Seventh, and a very important recommendation, was that awards made prior to 1946, should be re- vised to meet the increased cost of living. “We direct attention,” said the brief, “to the urgent need of in- jured workers in the lumber in- dustry who are now attempting jto live on compensation which was fixed when wages were close var standards. Their pres- ent income falls short of stand- ards of decency. Many are un- able to supplement their compen- sation payments in any way.” This re-adjustment could be made either from the reserve funds of the Board or from pro- vincial revenue. Hernia Operations Eighth recommendation asked that the limitation placed upon the period for which compensa- tion is payable after a hernia op- eration be raised from the cur- rent arbitrary six weeks to “pay- able as long as circumstances re- quire”. Men often return to manual la- bor too soon after such an-op- eration, and get a recurrence of the disability. Recommendation No. this: 9 was “That provision be made in the Act for the appointment of advocates, instructed to assist claimants in the presentation of their compensation claims, and that such officials be given access to the files of the Board.” The brief put the issue clearly and fairly. “Tt is the experience of every Union,” it said, “that the onus to |prove justification for a claim rests too heavily on a man who may lack the necessary formal education, or who is confused by the regulations. Aid From Advocate “A compensation advocate, as- signed to the work of assisting the claimant in the preparation of the case, would remove the necessity of appeals on his be- half by the unions, and would greatly facilitate the work of the Board. “The compensation advocate ; would act as advisor to the claim- ant... and if no ground exists for any complaints, the man | would be more readily convinced ;that his case has been justly considered. “The value of this system has been proven in the experience of the Canadian Pension Commis- E. Sudhues. NEWLY-ELECTED PRESIDENT R. FLEMING, Local 1-118, IWA, Victoria, receives gavel and congratulations from Past-President 1-118 Installation Bic 3 Cleaning, Pressing 332 Carrall St. MEN’S CLOTHING AND FURNISHINGS STORAGE SERVICE Phone MArine TAILORS ‘1737 VANCOUVER Loot Recovered From Wooies FRED FIEBER, Financial Secretary, Local 1-71, IWA, examines office equipment recovered from WIUC under Court order, and now put into use for the Loggers’ Local. Recovered property included typewriters, filing cabinets, desks, chairs, and Seeley Cardex Wheel, all yalued at approximately $2,100. sion in dealing with claims for disability pensions.” Recommendation No. 10 asked for more adequate provision for first aid equipment, transporta- tion and communication to avoid unnecessary delays following se- rious accidents. | Fatal Delays Fatal delays often occur in transporting injured loggers to hospital. Early and expert treat- ment is necessary to combat the effects of shock. Every remote camp should be required to make advance pro- vision for the rapid, transit of any serious accident case, whether by clearing a railroad line, or providing a boat or a plane, This Union has secured an im- provement in the radio communi- ion service for the Queen Charlotte Islands, but there are jstill many remote camps where emergencies cannot properly be met or dealt with. This is the em- ployers’ responsibility. Eleventh and final recommend- ation in Part One, was that pro- vision be made for a modern re- habilitation centre for injured workmen. There they should have all the care needed beyond that in nor- mal hospitals, and should have convalescent care, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, recreation, -|and vocational guidance with oc- cupational re-training. Rehabilitation This step is vital to get in- jured men back on their feet and on the job with their health and abilities unimpaired. Initial investment in a conval- escent and training centre would soon reduce the cost to B.C. and the industry of maintenance of handicapped men. George Derby Centre, DVA, Burnaby, was held up as an ex- ample of what can and is being done. The rehabilitation question was gone into in great detail. The Union submitted, too, that definite provision under the Act by which industry would be re- quired to re-employ a reasonable quota of partially disabled men, at occupations for which they may be trained and proven com- consideration should be given to: Part Two Part Two of the brief set o1 carefully the IWA case for acci. dent prevention, showing that the Union at least is doing more than paying lip service to the cause of job co-operation, with- out which there can be no safety in the industry, Three major tions were mad 1. That a Joint Safety Advis- ory Council for the lumber in- ry be appointed to act as advisors to the Safety Branch of the Workmen’s Compensa- tion Board, and that the Board be required to act on recom- mendations of the Council with due despatch or show cause for rejection. _ 2. That the number of safety inspectors for the lumber in- dustry be increased, and that further appointments be made from among persons with ex- perience in the branch of the industry to which they may be assigned. 3. While safety inspectors. have powers of inspection and of halting unsafe machines or operations, the IW. would like to have the assurance of the commissioner that the inspec- tors have adequate authority to carry out their duty where the safety of employees is con- cerned. recommenda- On asking a youth when: he first began to ‘like girls, the youth replied, “As soon as I found they weren’t boys”. Havent You Been Missing ! Something Harwoods Canada’s Finest Whisky This advertisement is not pub- lished or displayed by the Liquor Control Board or by the Govern- petent. ment of British Columbia. Union Signet Rings For All Organizations “Success to the IWA Safety Campaign FLAGG & COMPANY Enamelled Buttons and Pins, Medals, Crests and Badges “Consult Us For Your Personal or Group Needs” 701-16 East Hastings Street Vancouver, B.C.