\ BENE GT oi lonsatonel Wasdiarkouss] Aeanios iiccinc-tewt Vol. XXII, No.5 *@BP*2 Ist ISSUE, MARCH - VANCOUVER, B.C. “> 5c PER COPY. 1. Six additional paid statutory holidays. 2. Full union security. 3. Day rates and negotiating rights for workers now on piece-work rates. 4. Retention of seniority during lay-off. 5. Sunday pay at time and one-half for watchmen, boat- men, and plant guards. 6. Job analysis program for entire industry. 7. Medical services plan, employer - paid, for the whole industry. 8. Free transportation from hiring point to job. Union Hike Waived At a press conference, March 15, attended by rep- resentatives of all news- gathering agencies in Van- couver, District President Joe Morris made the fol- lowing statement regarding the policy decisions reached by the Union in its Wages and Contract Conference. He said in part: “The IWA Wage and Con- tract Conference which was in- structed by the recent District Convention to formulate the Union’s policy for pending ne- gotiations has decided that no demand for increased wage rates will be presented to the lumber operators in bargaining for renewal of the coast master contract. Employment Vital The eonsensus of opinion throughout our Local Unions is that the Union’s negotiations should be so directed this year as to protect, stabilize, and de- velop employment opportunities for our members. A therough analysis was made of all the factors involved, both in the industry and the national eco- nomy, This decision was reached, despite the conviction held See WAIVED” Page 2 WHAT'S INSIDE Page 2-10 Locals Editoriols ... 9 4 IWA Pix .... 5-8 Safety Pages 6-7 ‘Women's Page 11 No “Disguise” States Morris Upon release of the IWA contract demands following the Wages and Contract Conference, an immediate attempt was made by the operators’ representatives to describe the demands as a disguised wage increase. When the question was posed by Radio Station CKNW, “Are the IWA fringe benefits a wage increase in dis- guise?”, District President replied: “Tn reply to the question posed by Station CKNW, I desire to explain that the IWA, in pre- senting its contract proposals this year will make no attempt to disguise anything. We will not attempt to negotiate a gen- eral wage increase. Instead we will ask for improved working conditions on- eight points. In so doing, we Will frankly admit the. monetary cost involved in several of the eight items. We know that these items rep- resent the equivalent of a 7%- cent increase based on the pres- ent hourly wage, for the em- ployees affected. By the same amount these demands, if ac- Joe Morris, in a newscast, cepted, will add to the costs of the employer. We have publicly stated these facts, after a care- ful analysis of all available data by our Research Department, Vast Difference There is a vast difference be- tween a demand for a general wage increase and the demands as stated by the IWA this year. In the-emphasis which we have placed on working conditions, we will not place as great or as con- stant a burden on the over-all costs of production. Each sep- arate cost item with the excep- See “DISGUISE” Page 2 search Director Ed Kenney, and ke & STATES DEMANDS wwe & ww Conference Asks Conditions _ Instead of Wage Rate Boost we & wwe ee: wk w Making a radical departure from the negotiating pat- tern established for the Union since World War Il, the 90-man IWA Wages and Contract Conference, meeting in Vancouver, March 13-14, decided to drop any general wage demand this year and press for eight demands re- lating to working conditions in bargaining for a renewal of the Coast master contract. The main conference, attended by delegates from all IWA Local Unions in the province, had been preceded by a four-day prepara- tory meeting of the District Policy Committee, together with staff members of the District Council, the Local Unions and the International Research Depart- ment. Statistical material relating to economic trends in the lumber industry was laid before the Con- ference at its opening by Re- Associate Director Joe Miyazawa. Spokesman for the International Union was 2nd Vice-President Claude Ballard, Acting on instructions from the Conference, the District Policy. Committee made immediate pre- parations for commencement of negotiations with Forest Indus- trial Relations Ltd. on or about April 15. A number of special problems were dealt with by the District Executive Board, meet- ing in session March 15-16. Report to Union In his report to the Union| over the Green Gold radio pro- gram, District President Jo Morris said: “The members of our Union have now declared the terms which they desire should be written into a revised master contract for the Coast area in| British Columbia, They did so at the Wages and Contract Confer- ence held in Vancouver last Sat- urday and Sunday. Membership opinion through our recent District Con- vention. In the interval between the Convention and the Wages and Contract Conference, the mem- bers of the Local Unions gave further consideration to all the factors involved. When their delegates attended last week- end’s conference, they were fully prepared to state the views of the workers on the job. At the same time, the Research Depart- ment of our Union had as- sembled all the facts available regarding the economic trends in the industry, the export mar- kets, and general levels of busi- ness activity. Once the delegates had the whole picture — the needs and wishes of the lumber workers— the facts relating to the com- petitive position of the lumber industry —the realizeable possi- bilities of negotiation this year —the purchasing power of the lumber workers in relation to the levels of business activity—they was first expressed |. JOE MORRIS then carefully formulated the contract demands believed to be in the best interests of the work- ers and the industry. First, I will briefly summarize these demands, that we may quickly realize their exact ex- tent. Later I will return to a consideration of their values and purposes. I give them in the order in which they were stated by the conference, without at- tempting to convey the impres- sion that this order necessarily establishes priority of iraport- ance. 7¢ “DEMANDS” Page 3 ms es AND CONTRACT CONFERENCE — MSRCH 13- 14 fren Cold-CJOR LISTEN TO. 7.00 p.m. + Thursday § CNW Saturday § 7.05 p.m. 4 6.30 p.m. Thursday :CJAV