IWA Names Its Member On Job Evaluation Team onndsl Petuaticn ot te Intornational Woodworkers of America deata Cocca Vol. XXII, No. 18 <> * 2nd ISSUE, SEPT. 1955 - VANCOUVER, B.C. 5c PER COPY S Board Decides Varied Issues Sessions of the IWA District Executive Board which opened Monday, September 19 lasted three full days, an unusual development which has not occurred for a number of years, and which was attributed by its members to the growing volume of business to transact on behalf of the Union’s members. Commenting on this situation, after reporting on the plywood job evaluation appointment and the shingle mill recommendations, the District Secretary-Treasurer, George Mitchell said in part: “From my knowledge of de- veloping trends in the trade union movement, I am ready to predict that administrative bodies such as our District Board, will in future be burdened with more rather than less work. As we develop the efficiency of our or- ganization to service the needs of the workers on the job, our administrative problems grow in size and complexity. “Much more is expected of a trade union today than a few years ago. It is also true that the Union must deal with a wider range of problems, as it seeks to raise the standards of wages and working conditions, and also give protection to all phases of the workers’ economic well-being. “Tt occurred to me that our union’s members would be in- terested in a brief account of the Board’s proceedings which have just ended, that they might gain some insight into the nature and range of the decisions re- quired by our Union, and, in- cidentally, the amount of work in constant progress to accomplish the desires expressed by the membership. “First of all, we should remind the public that the District Exe- cutive Board is an elected and fully representative body. Each Local Union seats a delegate on the Board, in addition to the officers elected at the district Convention, Although District Conferences are convened at in- tervals to consider matters of major policy, in effect the right to decide administrative questions is vested in the Executive Board between District Conventions, “This power, is, of course, exercised as indieated by the Constitution and the policy de- cisions of the highest authority, the Union's conventions. Under the procedure followed by the IWA, this Board scrutinizes ali pena ERR SEES WHAT'S INSIDE the affairs of the Union in this District, and issues authority for the administrative acts of the elected officers. This fully safe- guards the rights of IVA mem- bers in the full control of their Union’s business. “I think it should be stated here, that in dealing with this range of problems as they did, the Board carried out the pledge given dur- ing the recent negotiations, to the effect that a master contract would be negotiated and policed, which would deal with the special problems in all sections of the industry, as well as the over-all requirements of the workers in the industry.” After dealing with a number of subjects, which had been con- sidered by the Board, the IWA official said: Operating Engineers "Members of the IWA are See BOARD Page 3} VACATION DISPUTE SETTLED Persistent efforts exerted by IWA District Officials to gain general acceptance of a former arbitration board in-“ terpretation of the van*met final success last week, when Lumby Timber’ Co. Ltd. agreed to allow the five per cent vaeation credit, one year earlier than has been their custom, The interpretation of the vacation clauses in the con- tract had been won in an arbitration award in a dispute with the S. M. Simpson Co., Kelowna. The majority of the operators then fell in line with a few exceptions among which the Lumby firm was the most obstinate. The arguments presented by IWA _ representatives, George Mitchell, William Gray, and William Muir, broke down the company’s opposition, and the employees will no longer sacrifice one week’s ‘vacation pay as they graduate into the five-year class. Kw & * ¥* * kw AL BUSCH GETS NOD FOR PLYWOOD JO wk OK wk * Appointment of a plywoo INT SURVEY pa kw & d worker, Al Busch, a mem- ber of Local 1-217 IWA, to the two-man team which will undertake a job evaluation program in the plywood section of the B.C. lumber industry, was announced this week by the IWA District Executive Board. di In reporting to the Union on this matter, the District Secre- tary-Treasurer, George Mitchell, explained the circumstances re- lating to the appointment as follows: “An important decision was made this week, which required prolonged consideration, as it axose from the contract settle- ment made earlier in the year. It will be remembered that the Un- jon-agreed to appoint one mem- ber of a two-man team, jointly named by the IWA and the em- ployers to undertake an intensive job evaluation in the plywood sec- tion of the industry. . Application were invited from among members of the Union, es- pecially in the plywood plants. Because of the exacting technical qualifications required, the appli- cants were requested to undergo searching tests in regard to their abilities and aptitudes. The appointment made by the District Executive Board, which I am authorized to an- nounce this evening, was that of Brother Al Busch, a member of Local 1-217, IWA. Al Busch has been employed in the ply- wood - industry for nineteen years, and is at present a main- tenance welder in the Vancou- ver Plywood Division of Mac- Millan & Bloedel Ltd. I think the members will also be interested in the fact that Al Busch has been active’ in the AL BUSCH work of Local 1-217, IWA, as a job steward, a member of the plant committee, and fora per- iod as a member of the Local Union Executive. In discussing the appointment with Al, he reminded us that he has for many years been especi- ally interested in the problems of the plywood workers, and especi- ally those now to be dealt with, as the records of numerous con- ferences will show. He expressed agreement with the desires of the Board, that job evaluation in the See BUSCH Page 3 _ GLIMPSE 18TH AND 19TH IWA Constitutional Convention in session at the Grand B.C, delegates are in the lower and upper right hand corner of the picture. OF MILWAUKEE MEET T aS ~s Ball Room of the Hotel Schroeder, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. LISTEN TO Green Gold-CJOR 7.00 p.m. 4 CKNW 7:05 pm. Sat, CVA 6:30 p.m. Thur. Thursday 3 CKPG - Ist and 3rd Thursday - 6 p.m.