2nd Issue, December

From Page 3

“SUMMARY™

numbering more than 150, attend-
ed the founding convention of the
Canadian Labour Congress, and
also held an East-West IWA con-
ference for an exchange of views
on Canadian problems.

Merger was consummated be-
tween the Trades and Labour
Council and the Vancouver La-
bour Council in Vancouver. Lloyd
Whalen headed the newly-merged
Council, with Ted Jamieson as
the General Secretary-Treasurer.

Threat of police action against
IWA organizers in Alberta,
spurred the re-inforced staff in
that area in fresh efforts to over-
come employer resistance.

The IWA lodged a bitter pro-
test with the Board of Industrial
Relations against a ruling permit-
ting a six-day week in the log-
ging section.

MAY, 1956

Interior Wages and Contract
Conference demanded parity with
the Coast lumber workers. The
‘wage increase demanded on this
basis was 19 cents an hour.

Officers of the newly-merged
Vancouver Labour Council were
installed. The activities of the
councils were consolidated under
one roof in the Labour Temple.

Former TLC and CCL unions
collaborated in action against an
anti-labor employer in Vancouver
with excellent results.

JUNE, 1956

Interior negotiations opened,
with two IWA teams carefully
synchronizing their efforts.

Local Union 1-71 reported a
new membership high of approxi-
mately 5000.

The Local Union in Victoria
won a representation vote over
the Operating Engineers, at-
tempting to gain certification for
workers in IWA-certified plants.

Trouble in the Buttle Lake
ayea with anti-union employers
was ironed out after warnings
were issued.

JULY, 1956

Strike action became necessary
in the operations of the Birch
Island Lumber Co. Ltd., -Vaven-
by, B.C., with 90 workers involv-
ed.

IWA Negotiating Committee
reached a basis of agreement
with employers in the Northern
Interior and recommended a set-
tlement for submission to a ref-
erendum vote. The proposed set-
tlement was approved. A wage
increase totalling 13 cents was
gained, in addition to many im-
portant contract benefits.

Three hundred men employed
by Western Forest Industries
Ltd. walked off the job in protest
against tactics employed by the
Company in arranging early
shift work.

AUGUST, 1956

Settlement was reached in ne-
gotiation with the Western Ply-
wood Ltd. Quesnel. Interesting
feature was a gain made of 644%
of total earnings as vacation pay
after five years’ service, and all
nine statutory holidays, with a
complete health and welfare plan.

Vavenby strike was settled
with a win for the Union. A
wage increase of 11 cents was
gained, and conditions almost
equivalent to those set forth in

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the Southern Interior contract
were also established.

Settlement secured in negotia-
tions under the auspices of a
Conciliation officer was approved
by referendum vote of the mem-
bership in the Southern Interior.

Provincial general election was
called.

SEPTEMBER, 1956

As campaign in the provincial
general election warmed up, the
IWA xre-affirmed its former poli-
tical action policy, at a District
Conference.

Largest political meeting was
that staged by the Labor Council
when representatives of all politi-
cal parties were invited to answer
organized labor’s questions.

Rae Eddie, John- Squire, and
Tony Gargrave were re-elected to
the Legislature.

The District organization lodg-
ed a protest with FIR against a
memo placing an interpretation
upon a Wage Order, discriminat-
ing against cookhouse and bunk-
house employees.

OCTOBER, 1956

IWA contract was secured with
North Western Pulp & Power Co.
Ltd, Hinton, Alberta, which
marked a further advance in the
Alberta wage pattern.

First Educational Institute held
by the newly-merged Vancouver
Council proved an outstanding
success.

Political Education Committee
met for the first time in Ottawa
to determine policy for the Cana-
dian Labour Congress. President
Joe Morris attended.

IWA, after prolonged negotia-
tions, won a category rate revi-
sion which benefitted 23 classifi-
cations in the Coast industry and
provided rate increases ranging
from 3 to 15 cents an hour.

Contract was negotiated with
Western Plywood Ltd., Edmonton,
which raised the base rate for
that area to $1.26 an hour.

NOVEMBER, 1956

Merger convention brought to-
gether the B.C. Trades Union
Congress and the B.C. Federation
of Labour in a memorable merger
convention attended by 400 dele-
gates. Wm. Black was elected
President, and Joe Morris 1st
Vice-President.

IWA won a strike in Alberta
against Imperial Lumber Co. Ltd.,
after a 97-day fight. Wage rate
increase of 22 cents an hour was
gained.

The Union charged MacMillan
& Bloedel Ltd. with sabotage of
the safety program.

DECEMBER, 1956

New Labour Council was form-
ed in Prince George, and charter
presented by Joe Morris, District
President.

Top-level talks between the
IWA and the Pulp & Sulphite
Workers were resumed.

District Committee to study
International structure of the
Union’s organization met to for-
mulate proposals.

CONGRATULATIONS

pe

LOCAL 1-207

HOLDS

ANNUAL MEETING

Annual meeting of Local

1-207, IWA, recently held in

Edmonton, Alta., heard reports on the successful outcome
of strike action in the Imperial Lumber Co. operations,
new agreements, and additional certifications secured in
other operations, indicating unprecedented progress for
the IWA in the Alberta lumber industry.

Satisfaction was expressed at
the agreement recently negotiated
with Western Plywood (Alberta)
Ltd., where the base rate had
been raised to $1.26 an hour.
This was heralded as establishing
a new wage pattern for the Al-
berta lumber industry.

After a 97-day strike in opera-
tions of the Imperial Lumber Co.
Ltd., Marlboro, Blue Ridge, Barr-
head, and Kinuso, picket lines
had been withdrawn when a mem-
orandum of agreement had been
signed. It was reported that the
contract will be signed at an
early date.

District Staff Present

In attendance at the annual
meeting were William Gray, Dis-
trict 1st Vice-President; Ed Sud-
hues, District Representative;
Mike Sekora and Charlie Mar-
shall, International Organizers;
and District Safety Director,
John T. Atkinson.

Guest speakers on the occasion
were: Chairman, K. A. Pugh,
Board of Industrial Relations;
Charles Gilbert, President, Al-
berta Federation of Labour; Nor-
man Landsdowne, CLC Director;
and Jim Shewchuck, CBRE.

The four delegates elected to
attend the District Convention in
February were Mike Sekora, Wil-
fred Marchand, Arne Christensen,
Keith Johnson, Allen Sloan, al-
ternate.

Officers Elected

Officers for the ensuing year
elected were: President, Arne
Christensen; 1st Vice-President,
Hedly P. Caird; 2nd Vice-Presi-
dent, Keith Johnson; 3rd Vice-
President, John Gregor; Finan-
cial Secretary, G. R. Schwarz;
Recording Secretary, Frank
Pukanich; Conductor, John
Bunz; Warden, Leo Beaudin;
Trustees, George Meltzer, Wm.
Hrdlicka, George Clark.

District Executive Board mem-
ber elected was Mickey McDer-
mott, Western Plywood, Edmon-
ton.

Report on organizational prog-
ress was given by District Vice-
President William Gray.

Successful recovery of back-
pay for a number of workers in.
the Clearwater Timber Products
Ltd. operations, amounting to
over $900, was reported.

The staff representatives re-
ported that eight new certifica-
tions had been secured, and that
prospects in this regard were
bright for the next year.

Father: “When I was a boy, I
thought nothing of a ten-milé -
walk.”

Son, who is a little tired of
hearing about the good old days:
“Well, I don’t think so much of
it myself.”

] IWA DISTRICT OFFICERS
° Dew PLYMOUTH’S

Fon JOHNSTON MOTORS

THE STYLE-PACING CAR OF 1956
WITH PUSH-BUTTON “TOUCH & GO”

SPECIAL FINANCE PLANS ARRANGED FOR IWA MEMBERS
JOHNSTON MOTOR CO. LTD.

7th AVE. & MAIN STREET

VANCOUVER 10, B.C.

(Right next door to B.C. District Council No. 1)