Dispute Nears Crisis

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Dierict Cowselt No.

“Vol. XXII, No.9 <> 9

1st ISSUE, MAY -

VANCOUVER, B.C.

5c PER COPY

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Interior Meet
States Demands

Nine points for revision of the master contract in the
Northern Interior were outlined by the 50 delegates at-

tending the IWA Wages and

Contract Conference, Prince

George, May 1, as the basis of their negotiations for re-
newal of the agreement which expires August 31.

‘The contract demands as pro-
posed by a special committee and
ratified by the conference were:

1. Six cents an hour wage
increase across the board.

2. Pay for all statutory holi-
days, named or declared.

3. More union security.

4. Forty-hour week with
rate and one-half for all work
performed on Sunday, regard-
less of hours worked during
the week, and overtime rates
for all production work on
Saturday.

5. Retention of seniority on
re-hiring after layoff, on basis
of present Quesnel Plywood
agreement.

6. Category rate revisions.

7. Daily rate of $20.00 for
piece workers, with right to
bargain for piece work rates.

8. Clarification of present
board and lodging clause of
present agreement.

9. Earlier termination date
for contract.

The conference was attended
by District Officers Joe Morris
William Gray, and George Mit-
chell,..as well as the Associate
Research Director Joe Miyazawa,

Full Backing Essential

District President Joe Morris
in opening the conference, charg:

WHAT'S
INSIDE

IWA Pix ...... 5-8

Safety Poges.. 6-7
Women’s Pose

ed the delegates with their re-
sponsibility to define and present
the desires of the membership.
The negotiating program ust
have the full backing of the mem-
bership, he declared, in order that
the decisions made might be car-
ried to success.

Associate Director of Research,
Joe Miyazawa, outlined the pro-
duction and marketing trends in
the Interior lumber industry,
pointing to the steady increase in
shipments.

He stated that the outlook for
the sale of Interior lumber was
bright.

The Conference authorized the
Negotiating Committee to pro-
ceed with the presentation of the
demands formulated when bar-
gaining talks with the operators
commence during the month of
June.

TOP AWARD
WON AGAIN ~

The Public Interest Award
1953, for exceptional service
in the field of safety has’
been won by The B.C. Lum-
ber Worker for the second
consecutive year.

This announcement was
conveyed recently to District
Secretary - Treasurer George
Mitchell by Mr. Ned Dear-
born, President of the Na-
tional Safety Council, Chi-
cago.

The President, of the Na-
tional Safety Council accom-
panied this notification with
warm congratulations to the
(WA for outstanding achieve-
ments in accident prevention.

Green Gold-CJOR

LOGGERS’
EXEMPTION
URGED

Penalty imposed upon log-
gers because of high travel-
ling expenses was described
in the House of Commons
recently, when Tom Barnett,
M.P., Local 1-85, IWA, urged
that income tax exemptions
be made in respect of expen-
ditures arising from the con-
ditions of their employment.

Barnett said that especially in
British Columbia many workers
were hit hard with travelling
expenses, and it was unfair they
should pay taxes on them.

Stating that it cost $40 to $50
in each direction for lumber
workers each time certain camps
opened and closed, and that this
happened more than once a year,
he said:

“The loggers realize perfectly
well that when any of the execu-
tives of those logging corpora-
tions travel to and from those
camps they travel on company
expense accounts, and those ex-
penses are deductible for income
tax purposes as costs of the: op-
eration of that company.

Coupon Clippers Favored

“Whereas in the loggers’ case,
they have to dig out that amount
from their own pocket.”

Canada’s tax policies, he said,
were “weighted in favor of the
coupon clippers.”

He could not agree with the
argument that this deduction of
travelling exenses would be im-
possible for tax authorities from
an administrative point of view.

Buy Own Tools

A plea for skilled workers who
have to buy their own tools was
also made by Barnett. They
should be allowed to deduct these
costs for income tax purposes, he

7.00 p.m.
Thursday

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Negotiators Make Full

Effort To Settle Issues

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One important fact became apparent this week, as
the IWA District Negotiating Committee remained in
almost continuous sessions with Forest Industrial Rela-
tions ‘Ltd. under the supervision of Conciliation Officer
Reg Clements, that a determined effort was being made
to reach a mutually satisfactory settlement in regard
to the terms of the Coast master contract, during this

stage of conciliation.

IWA spokesmen refrained from
any comment regarding the trend
of the discussions, merely stating
that all possibilities of agreement
were being thoroughly explored.

The impression was given that
some strenuous bargaining was
under way through the agency of
the Conciliation Officer, as the
issues between the parties were
such as could not be ironed out
quickly.

This was realized by observers
when the eight proposals of the
Union were contrasted with the
16 counter-proposals of the op-
erators.

Early Announcement
Predicted

In a statement to the Union,
District Sec.- Treasurer George
Mitchell said, “In accordance with
the policy laid down by the
Union’s Wages and Contract Con-
ference, the Negotiating Commit-
tee is exerting every effort
through the conciliation proced-
ures to reach a settlement which
may be recommended for accept-
ance by the membership.

The members of the Negotiat-
ing Committee consider, that as
long as the employers’ represen-
tatives are willing to work with
them in an effort to get a better
and more workable contract, they
should cooperate with the Con-
ciliation Officer, Mr. Reg Cle-
ments, .

“While matters are in this fluid
position, nothing should be said
that might jeopardize the chances
of success. It is safe to say that
an announcement in regard to

the results may be expected at
any time.”
Support Required

“While the Union’s spokesman
are pressing the demands of the
membership at the bargaining
table, I know that all the issues
involved are being discussed with
intense interest throughout ‘the
Local Unions. This is as it should
be. IWA members should be pre-
pared for any eventuality, for
the major purpose in view is the
betterment of their circum-
stances, in a manner that may be
satisfactory to them.

If the Union’s demands, and
the reasons which prompted the
membership to present these de-
mands are discussed and clearly
understood in all sections of the
industry, organization in support
of the demands will become uni-
fied, and strengthened.

The individual member may not
have the opportunity to sit at
the bargaining, table, but he is
nonetheless a party to the discus-
sions which are ‘taking place
there. It is the collective will of
all the members that governs the
views presented by the Union’s
negotiators.

‘This originates with the opin-
ions developed by members out
of their experiences on the job,
and in their community relations.
It follows, therefore, that as the
Union negotiates with the em-
ployers, opinion among the work-
ers on the job, and in the com-
munity, should be kept in focus
on the purposes declared by the

Union.”

Joint Labor Rally
To Discuss LRA

The trade union movement of British Columbia has
not abandoned the fight against the recently-enacted

Labor Relations Act; it now

appears from the announce-

ment: that Lower Mainland Unions will convene a joint
meeting in the Electrical Workers’ Auditorium, 411 Duns-

muir Street, June 5.

The conference is sponsored
by the joint committee of the
B.C. Trade Union Congress, thé
B.C. Federation of Labor, and
the Standard Railway Joint Leg-
islative Committee.

The conference will be attended
by Executives, shop stewards and
interested members as arranged
by the Labor Councils.

The B.C. Federation of Labor
has urged all CCL unions to send
a full quota of representatives to
this important meeting, at which
plans will be laid to determine

future strategy.
——

argued, in the same manner as
businesses are allowed to deduct
equipment costs.

Loggers should also be allowed
to deduct heavy duty clothing
from their incomes for taxation
purposes, he said.

William Bendickson (Kenora-
Rainy River), parliamentary as-
sistant to the minister of finance,
said he would answer Barnett’s
argument later in consideration

LISTEN TO

A
L
s
°

of the budget resolutions.

CKNW

Saturday

7.05 p.m.

HONORED

HARRY CHAPPELL, President
of the C.B. of RE, recently
appointed technical advisor to
the Canadian workers’ delegate
at the forthcoming conference of
the International Labor Orga-
nization.

:CJAV

6.30 p.m.
Thursday