| 8/Lumber Worker/November, 1982 REGIONAL CONVENTION CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES For the information of the membership, changes to the Regional Constitution were adopted by the Regional Convention held in Vancouver, B.C., October 18-22, 1982. Amendments to the Regional Constitution adopted by Convention action shall not be finalized until sixty (60) days from the close of the Convention, and such pro- posed Convention changes shall be published in the “Lumber Worker” and copies of such proposed constitutional changes shall be sent to each Local Union within ten (10) days after the close of the Convention. Any time within this specified sixty-day period, the membership, through their Local Unions, may petition the Regional Secretary-Treasurer to initiate a referen- dum on any amendment adopted by such Convention action. If the Regional Secretary-Treasurer receives a number of petitions representa- tive of one-third (1/3) of the total Regional Council membership, he shall proceed with the referendum within ten (10) days following the sixty (60) day period specified. The following constitutional changes were adopted by the Regional Convention. SUBJECT: DUTIES OF OFFICERS — RE VICE-PRESIDENTS WHEREAS: the resignation of Regional Council 3rd Vice-President, Ernie Clarke created a temporary vacancy in that position, and WHEREAS:The remaining Regional Officers believe that they are able to perform the present workload with little or no inconvenience to the membership at large, and WHEREAS:The Regional Officers have been forced, because of the economics of our industry, to cutback on the spending, wages, travel, etc., and WHEREAS: These actions have resulted in OTEU and Regional support staff working 3 weeks on — 1 week off to accomplish these ends, and WHEREAS: The Regional Officers believe that making the office of Regional 3rd Vice-President a non-full time position makes good ecenomic sense during these recessionary times, and WHEREAS:The Regional Executive Board endorses this move, now THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED That his 45th Annual Convention of |WA Regional Council No. 1 amend Article III Duties of Officers which now reads: REGIONAL DIRECTOR (a) The Regional Director shall be a full-time officer devoting his time to the affairs of the Union and exercising general supervision over all functions of the Union within the Regional Council. All activities of the Regional Director shall be subject to the approval of the Regional Executive Board. (b) The Regional Director as an Associate Officer of the International Union and International Executive Board Member shall be responsible for administering International Policy in the Regional Council. (c) The Regional Director shall hire and supervise all personnel working for the Region, subject to the approval of the Regional Executive Board. (d) The Regional Director shall be responsible for administering the Regional Constitution and executing the instructions of the Regional Convention in line with International Policy. (e) The Regional Director shall direct organization in his respective Region, subject to the provisions of Article XIX, Section 1 of the International Constitution. (f) The Regional Director shall preside over all Regional Conventions and meetings of the Regional Executive Board. REGIONAL VICE-PRESIDENTS In the event the office of Regional Director becomes vacant, the Regional 1st Vice-President shall automatically succeed to that office. The Regional 2nd Vice- President shall automatically succeed to the office of 1st Vice-President, if for any reason that office becomes vacant. The Regional 3rd Vice-President shall automatically succeed to the office of 2nd Vice-President if for any reason that office becomes vacant. In the event the Regional Director is unable to perform any of his designated duties, he shall designate the 1st Vice-President to carry out such duties. When the ist Vice-President is unable to carry out such duties, the President will then designate the 2nd Vice-President, and 3rd Vice-President respectively. The Regional 1st Vice-President, Regional 2nd Vice-President and Regional 3rd Vice-President shall be full-time officers of the Regional Council. REGIONAL SECRETARY-TREASURER The Regional Secretary-Treasurer shall be a full-time officer, and shall have charge of and preserve all books, documents and effects of the Regional Council. SEE “CHANGES” PAGE NINE THIS HAPPENED IN 1951 Circumstances under which a sentence of three months hard labor was imposed upon a coast logger by the stipendiary magistrate at Alert Bay on a charge of fraud laid by the employer with respect to a commissary account are being investigated by Local 1-71, IWA, to determine whether an appeal may be taken to a higher court. The accused is now serving his sentence in Oakalla prison, and legal advice has been sought on his behalf by the Union, upon receipt of the transcript of evidence at the trial. The incident occurred at a small remote logging camp, where ithas not been possible to establish IWA organization, otherwise, as itis pointed out, the matter would have been quickly settled through a grievance commit- tee. As reported to the Local Union, the logger in question had previously sustained a serious injury to his elbow, which required hospitalization, and a period on compensa- tion. Upon recovery he hired out again, and worked four and one-half days when he experienced trouble with his elbow, which caused him to report to the Alert Bay Hospital. ? X-ray reports revealed that a chip of bone had worked loose and that surgery would be required. Boots Demanded While still in hospital under treatment, the superintendent of the camp arrived with the suitcase containing his clothing, and informed him that he was fired. He also demanded return of a pair of logging boots, which he claimed had not been fully paid for at the commissary. The commissary account which included a number of items, such as fare, advances, and purchases apart from the logging boots amounted to $66.43. His earnings had totalled $50.04, leaving an unpaid balance of $16.39. Under these circumstances the logger refused to return the boots as he intended to go back and work out the balance. No provision was made, as is customary, to advance his return fare to Vancouver, as he was left without funds. Fraud Charged The employer then laid a charge of obtain- ing goods under false pretenses, with intent to defraud. Evidence was given in court by the super- intendent who was absent from camp when the logger left for hospital, and a choker- man, with whom the accused had worked. It was alleged that the accused had walked off the job without notifying the hooktender or the first aid man, and it was presumed that he had quit. The logger in giving evidence on his own behalf swore that he had not quit and that he had informed the hooktender and the first aid man he was injured and required hospital treatment. No direct evidence was secured by the court either in support or refutation of the accused’s statements. The magistrate found as follows: “I am convinced accused deliberately set about to defraud his employer, knowing full well that he still owed him for his boots as well as for other merchandise and money advanced. He came to Alert Bay Hospital, and still refused to deliver up the boots which he admitted did not belong to him. As to his evidence I was not convinced as to its truthfulness, and disregarded his explana- tion of why he left camp without notifying his employer or the first aid man. “T therefore find him guilty, and sentence him to three months at hard labor.” SEE “YEAR 1951” PAGE NINE