Rie. Me ig B.C. LUMBER WORKER the IWA in Vancouver this | The report dealt with the coast ‘negotiations, and the last-minute settlement reached last mid-sum- mer, A wage increase and three ad- ditional paid statutory holidays were automatically placed in ¢f- fect throughout the Northern and Southern Interior, Category revisions also served to strengthen the wage structure in that region, Alberta contracts negotiated re- cently have boosted the base rate by almost fifty cents per hour in some instances as contrasted with the “disgracefully low wages paid before the advent of the IWA in the Alberta lumber industry.” The story told of this major activity of the Union read as follows. Coast Negotiations “Any report on the 1957 coast negotiations must necessarily Stress the solidarity displayed by the general membership under very trying circumstances. It was also evident that the bargaining Strength of the Union was enor- mously strengthened by the ad- herence of the local unions to the use of one central bargaining au- thority acting in close consultation with them at all times. “The District Policy Committee elected from their number a Dis- trict Negotiating Committee of seven members. This was com- prised of the following: Chairman and spokesman, District President Joe Morris; Secretary, Fred Fie- ber, Local 1-71; and members, G. Smythe, Local 1-80; W. F Allen, Local 1-85; J. MacKenzie, Local 1-118; S. M, Hodgson, Local 1-217; and Joe Madden, Local 1-357. “The bargaining last year took an unusual course. The entire ninety-day period stipulated by law for bargaining was exhausted with- out reaching any basis for settle- ment. The employers would make no wage offer and their proposed centract amendments contemplat- ed a weakening of the contract. Printers of The B.C. LUMBER WORKER LIMITED PRINTERS ‘AND LITHOGRAPHERS An Employee Owned Co, 944 RICHARDS STREET - -PAcific 6338-9 EMBERS GAINED 1T ALL POINTS _ Contract conditions throughout all sections of the lum- “her industry in British Columbia and Alberta have shown marked improvement as a result. of the bargaining strategy eos This claim was fully substantiated in the District Officers’ report submitted to the Annual District Convention week. & Unprecedented Decision “The Chairman of the Concilia- tion Board to which the dispute was finally referred, took unpre- cedented action by recommending a three month adjournment of the hearings. Acceptance of his re- commendations which, -in our opinion, contravened the~ law, would have deprived the union of right to take strike action if con- sidered necessary. The action of the Chairman was effectively re- pudiated by the union's nominee on the Board, Brother Bob Smeal of the CBR. acting on our behalf, “The findings of the Board were then referred by the District Policy Committee to the membership. The membership voted an em- phatic 90% rejection of the Board’s majority report, and by an equally emphatic vote, authorized strike action. A deadline was fixed and all the usual strike preparations were made. Not at any point was there the slightest wavering on the part of the union’s members. Premier Intervened “As the situation grew moré tense, the Provincial Premier, the Hon, W. A. C. Bennett, sought the opportunity to confer with both parties. Our acceptance of hi: invitation to attend such a con- ference in Victoria was in accor- dance with the Union’s policy to explore every possible avenue lead- ing to a satisfactory and amicable settlement. The initial conference sponsored by the Premier dead- locked. “He again summoned both parties into conference in Van- couver on the eve of the date set for strike action. After an all- night session and approximately five hours before the ten am. strike deadline, terms of settlement were reached which the negotiat- ing committee agreed to recom- mend to the membership. Strike Preparations were immediately suspended, pending the member- ship decision, “The wage increase was sub- stantial, especially in view of the adamant attitude taken by the employers from the outset toward all monetary items. Evidently, they had accepted the view that I.W.A. members would not seriously co: sider strike action under the cir- cumstances, Union Stop Won “Your officers consider that the union shop conditions gained, marks an important victory in view of the stubborn opposition offered the union’s proposals in this re- spect for many years. “Another important concession gained was the liberalized vacation provision. Three weeks’ vacation after five years with vacation pay at the rate of 614%.of earnings, signals an advance in this respect not surpassed by any other union in the Dominion, INSTRUCTORS at the CLC sponsored seminar for B.C. staff members January 13-17th, at- Manning Park, B.C., were from left, Howard Conquergood, Kalmen Kaplansky, Andy Andras, George Home. “The settlement won was ap- proved by an overwhelming vote of the membership, and immed- iately the usual steps were taken to complete the necessary formal- ities for all certified operations, including those which bargain in- dependently, so that all contracts throughout the industry might be uniform. Interior Negotiations “As in 1956, Master Agreements for the Northern and -Southern Interior had been negotiated for a two year term, the District Pol- icy Committee was relieved of the necessity of conducting In- terior negotiations and enabled to concentrate on the struggle at the Coast. A wage increase, raising the base rate to $1.53 an hour was automatically given effect on Sep- tember 1 Three additional statutory holidays were also in- cluded in the Master Agreements at the same time. The Interior Agreements terminate on August 3ist, and the membership demands in that area will require further consideration at this convention. Interior Category Revisions “Important progress was made during the past year toward a full- er implementation of the under- standing reached with Interior em- ployers two years ago regarding category revisions. Important ad- justments were negotiated in all the major operations, many long standing grievances were elimin- ated, and serious inequities were remedied. “Your officers were able to demonstrate successfully to the Interior employers, the justice of negotiating a more equitable wage structure to provide uniform rec- ognition of special skills. These revisions have not been completed in all operations, but as a result of last year’s progress, it is believed that all Interior employers will find it impossible to evade much longer their obligations in this re- spect. *I.W.A. members in the Inter- ior were most appreciative of the efforts made by your District Of ficers to initiate a long overdue solution of this problem, especially OUR AUTO INSURANCE RATES DID NOT increase on August 1st TO SAVE PREMIUM DOLLARS, PHONE EM 3710 or write: Co-Operative Fire & Casualty Co. 68 EAST BROADWAY VANCOUVER, B.C. the singular wage scale. The in- creases ranged up to 30 cents an hour and averaged 10c an hour. Alberta Negotiations “It became necessary for your officers to give considerable at- tention to negotiations conducted by Locals 1-207 and 1-206 in Al- berta during the past year. The organization in that province is still in the formative stage. All efforts to negotiate satisfactory contract conditions have met with determined opposition on the part of the employers. An inescapable handicap to these negotiations is the fact that wage rates were dis- gracefully low prior to LW.A. in- tervention. “In the majority of the opera- tions, the rates usually ranged be- tween 60 cents and 80 cents an hour. The Agreements negotiated last year in the operations, certi- fied to the I.W.A,, established noteworthy improvements in many respects, and gained addi- tional wage increases. Under I.W.A. contracts, the base rate has now been increased to at least $1.15 an hour. “Equally important is the fact that contract provisions now ne- gotiated in the Alberta operations gain for the workers there, many of the contract benefits regulating working conditions _ commonly found in British Columbia, which were unknown in the Alberta lum- ber industry until the advent of the LW.A, Local 1-252 Negotiations “The effective steps taken by the officers and members of the most recently chartered Vancou- ver local union, 1-252, to stabilize the wage position of its members, is deserving of special mention. Because of the special circum: stances, these negotiations did not form part of the Coast bargaining programme, although full support was tendered the local union by the District Council. “The dispute with the employ- ers in the Vancouver woodwork- ing plants reached a point where a strike vote became necessary. The members backed up their de- mands with a 92 per cent strike vote. As a result, a settlement was reached which awarded wage in- creases for skilled tradesmen ranging from 35c to 50¢ an hour, spread over a two year term. Spec- ial adjustments were ‘made for a number of skilled categories to remedy some long standing griev- ances. Nine paid statutory holi- days were also written into the new contract. “Your officers record this sub- stantial victory on the part of Local 1-252 with warm congratu- lations to the officers and mem- bers. Special Contract Problems “At a number of points during the past year, provocative action on the part of employers in the neglect of grievances or misin- terpretation of contract provisions, caused the aggrieved workers to lodge a protest by stopping work. In each instance, prompt action was taken by your District Offi- cers to mediate the dispute and affect an agreement enabling a resumption of production. “There were six such occur- rences, All of them could have been avoided had. management taken a more conciliatory attitude. Your officers have steadfastly en- deayoured to impress the bargain- ing representatives of .the em- ployers that I.W.A. members de- sire to maintain the contract con- ditions provided these are not voided by inexcusable breaches of the contract by anti-union em- ployers.” * * * He: “I think, dear, that you fib a little occasionally.” She: “Well, I think it’s a wife’s duty to speak well of her husband at times,” SERIOUSNESS of the present unemployment situation eh in Port Alberni and - surrounding areas is well illustrated by the above photograph taken by the officers of Local 1-85, IWA, who estimate that there are some 2,500 un- employed persons secking work there as of January 15th,