B.C. LUMBER WORKER

FROM PAGE 2

“Officers’ Report”

Your officers are pleased to re-
port that the membership of the
Local Unions within the District
Council rose in the latter part of
1954 to the highest point record-

~ ed for a number of years. This

gain would have been more pro-
nounced but for the slow recovery
in the Interior during the first
half of the year as a consequence
of the strike action in the pre-
ceding months,

This gain in membership
strength may be attributed main-
ly to two causes (1) stabilization
of membership in some areas as
a result of the improved union
security clause in the master
clause, and (2) the co-ordination
of all-administrative and organi-
zational activities throughout the
Southern Interior through the
Regional Office established at
Kelowna.

During the year the District
Executive Board approved a plan
submitted by the District Officers
to provide for.a more complete
membership report, than form-
erly employed. This placed before
the Board a more detailed break-
down of the growth and distribu-
tion of membership strength,
with additional relevant informa-
tion to enable better planning of
organizational work.

For a number of years, the
B.C. District Council has observ-
ed with growing concern the in-
flux of lumber workers from low
wage areas east of the Rockies.

After a careful study of the
situation, and its close relation to
B.C. problems, your District Offi-
cers recommended to the Inter-
national Union, that a complete
survey be made of the member-
ship potential in the lumbering
areas from which workers are
recruited for B.C. operations. On
such information, it was pointed
out, steps might be taken to ex-
tend organization in such a way
as to protect an exposed organi-
zational flank in the Interior.
Approval was obtained for this
survey.

Accordingly, the District Presi-
dent, accompanied by the Inter-
national Vice-president in charge
of organization, Brother Claude
Ballard, and International Repre-
sentative Mike Sekora, proceeded
to the Edmonton district early
this year to initiate the proposed
survey.

: Plan For Alberta

One week was spent in North-
ern Alberta, to conduct the neces-
sary enquiries and to meet with
representatives of affiliated CIO-
CCL unions. Brother Sekora was
assigned to the task of complet-
ing this survey, a report of which
will be presented to the Execu-
tive Board in the near future.

The necessary data has not yet
been assembled, but all indica-
tions point to favorable possibili-

ties in the expansion of the IWA
in that region. Your officers

therefore recommended to the
District Executive Board that a
request be made to the Interna-
tional Executive Board, granting
extension of the jurisdiction of

this Council to cover the Prov-
ince of Alberta, This recommen-
dation was approved by the
Board, and has now been filed
with the International Officers.
It is hoped that at the next meet-
ing of the International Execu-
tive Board that the plan will be
approved, in order that an imme-
diate start may be made on or-
ganizational work, of as great
importance to the lumber work-
ers in B.C. as to those in Alberta.

Agreements formerly reached
with the International Organiza-
tion Department with regard to
“on the job” direction of repre-
sentatives in B.C. are still in
foree. This, in conjunction with
the close cooperation made pos-
sible by the Regional Office, has
enabled well-integrated organiza-
tional projects, with increasing
stabilization.

This improved efficiency has
had a beneficial effect in the
building of membership strength,
which is now at its highest peak
since 1951, and is about, to top
all previous records.

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Marked progress is now evi-
dent in the Interior, since the
successful outcome of strike ac-
tion in that area. Lumber work-
ers in that area are showing a
new respect for the Union, and
their confidence is being won and
held by more efficient serviceing
of their needs.

The Local Unions concerned—
1-423, 1-405, and 1-417.— gave
approval to a plan by which they
pool their available administra-
tive resources through a Regional
Office now established at Ke-
lowna, with the assistance of the
District Council.

Brother Clayton Walls was ap-
pointed by the District Executive
Board as full-time Director in
charge of administration and
organization in that area.

In consultation with the Dis-
trict Office a program for the
conduct of the Union’s affairs
throughout the Southern Interior
was developed and placed in op-
eration on the following basis:
1. The development of a proper

organizational program.

2. An intensification of the

Union’s educational program.
3. A program of suitable social

activity.

4, Administrative plans designed
to adhere to a fixed budget.

5. A public relations program
designed to sell the Union to
the unorganized workers and
the general public.

In addition, plans were placed
in effect to operate a cross-
indexed filing system to place at
the disposal of the Union, full
and complete information on all
members in the three Local
Unions. This has resulted in the
collection of many dues dollars,
which might otherwise have been
lost due to the less efficient rec-
ord systems possible within the
resources of the individual Local
Unions.
revenues and disbursements are
allocated has worked out satis-
factorily.

One very satisfactory feature
of this plan has been the virtual
elimination of duplication in ex-
penditure of time, energy, and
money. Supplies and equipment
can be purchased for the South-
ern Interior membership with
considerable saving. For the first
time in years, all three Local
Unions concerned have been able
to meet their per capita obliga-
tions to the International and the
District.

During the year, the IWA has
secured twelve new certifications
in the area covered by the South-
ern Interior Regional administra-
tion. In addition, the IWA has,
for all practical purposes dis-
lodged the WIUC from the Cran-
brook area. The workers in many
operations formerly certified to
the WIUC have applied for certi-
| fication under the IWA. Orga-
nizational activities in the opera-
tions affected are now being car-
ried forward with vigor so that
confidence in the IWA may be
fully restored.

Educational activity in the

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LOAN MONEY ON

Suits, Overcoots, etc. .
Loggers’ Boots, Sleeping

Bags, Suitscases, Radios,
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The system by which,

Modern bunkhouses recently completed at the Shelley Sawmills
Ltd., in the Prince George area, are the result of the constant pres-
sure exerted by the IWA for improved living conditions for the
members.

As shown above, there are five rooms in each building with two
men to a room. The buildings are completely insulated and lined
with gyproc. They are painted inside and out and have running
water and electricity: The wash house contains flush toilets, showers,
hand basins, cement floors, and has an automatic oil furnace in the

basement.

Similar bunkhouses are being constructed elsewhere in the In-
terior and the Union is keeping a close watch to see that all camps
and mills in this area are making some effort to raise their sanitary

standards.

Southern Interior this past year
was effectively stimulated by two
very successful Institutes at Ke-
lowna and Cranbrook.

The Southern Interior member-
ship welcomed the extension. of
the Union’s Safety Program into
that, district with the assistance
of the District Safety’ Director.
The Safety Director spent ap-
proximately three months in the
area, and gave material assist-
ance to the Local Unions in lay-
ing a sound basis for a continu-
ing program.

Special assistance was given
the staff in the Southern Interior
by the Associate Director of Re-
search and Education, who con-
ducted a week’s seminar that
staff members might be equipped
to conduct necessary educational
work in the Local Unions.

A mimeographed bulletin en-
titled “IWA Interior News” is
issued regularly by the Interior
Regional Office to enable an ex-
change of news and views among
the members of the three Local
Unions and to carry information
regarding social and educational
activities.

Attention has been given pub-
licity for the IWA in the press
and over the local radio stations
with favorable results. The prin-
cipal weeklies gave a great deal
of space, in text and pictures, to
the educational institutes and to
the tours of the District Safety
Director. ‘

Because of special conditions
prevailing in the area, it has been
difficult to promote any large-
scale social program, but con-
siderable progress has been made.
In this connection we desire to
commend the work of the Wom-
en’s Auxiliary in the Cranbrook
area, for sponsoring numerous
social events.

In summary, it may safely be
claimed that IWA organization in
the Interior has achieved stability
and growth which is in advance
of all previous endeavors. The|
administrative plan in operation
has proved beneficial to the mem-

bership in the area, as well as to
the Union at large.
WOMENS, AUXILIARIES

The activities of our, Local
Unions were ably supplemented
last year in the services rendered
by the Women’s Auxiliaries.
Their faithful attention to the
needs of brothers confined to
various hospitals in the province
has been most warmly appreciat-
ed on all sides. Their hospital
visiting reports, which we grate-
fully and regularly publish, indi-
cate the many hours of effort
expended by them to brighten
the tedium and misery of hospi-
tal treatment. We acknowledge
this service to sick and injured
brothers, as a most important
service in the building of loyalty
to the Union.

At many points, the members
of the Auxiliaries have regularly
promoted social events, which
have rendered important assist-
ance to the Local Unions in pro-
moting sound and fraternal mem-
bership relation.

Your officers believe that the
members of this Union desire us
to pay a grateful tribute to the
work of the ladies, and to extend
to them our good wishes with
the assurance that we welcome
with good will their valuable
contribution to the effort which
has built the prestige and
strength of the IWA.

FINANCES

Your officers are pleased to
report that the District Council
is in a sound and solvent finan-
cial position despite the fact that
contingencies which arose last
year taxed our resources to the
limit. The items of increased
expenditure, which appear on the
audited financial statements,
arose from the necessity of pro-
viding increased service to meet
the demands of the membership.

Additional equipment was pur-
chased to improve the efficiency
of the District Office, and has
proven to be a sound investment.”

In carrying out the instructions
of the Union with regard to the

See “REPORT” Page 9

MAIL ORDER

INSTRUCTION IN INDUSTRIAL FIRST AID

wailable through Correspondence Courses leading to Industrial
First. Ald Certificates approved aH

by thi

rkmen’s Compensation
Course in Timekeening and