2nd Issue Aug., 1965 THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER SENIORITY ~) PROBLEMS By SYD THOMPSON President, Local 1-217 VER the years there have been more argu- ments with management at plant level on the application of seniority than any other half dozen problems put to- gether. We are now finally break- ing the ice in instituting job training programs and plant seniority in most of the larger operations, both essential for proper application of senior- ity. Recently an agreement was signed at the over 1,000-mem- ber Vancouver plywood oper- ation between management and the Union to eliminate all production departments. The operation is now divided into two departments, main- tenance and production. Earlier, this summer, a job training program was worked out and signed. After num- erous meetings and much dis- cussion a job training program was also agreed upon at Eburne Sawmill. For some time now in this operation all production jobs have been in one department and mainten- ance employees in another. Much of the credit in bringing this about in these two operations is due to the hard work of the plant chair- men and committee members. We now have job training programs established in all of our plywood operations and are beginning to make head- way in the sawmill section of the industry. The various job training programs are not perfect by any stretch of the imagination as nearly all of them have at least one feature that is un- desirable. However, in the course of negotiations, some- times lasting well over one year, compromises had to be made in order to obtain our overall objectives. We now need to pursue this matter at the Regional level and the original job training program principles HELEN AHO “Miss 1.W.A.”, a contestant in the 1965 submitted by the Union to Forest Industrial Relations was a good document based on experience and existing agreements. The counter proposal by John Billings unfortunately included all of the major un- desirable elements, such as job protection for key em- ployees, and protection for qualified trainees against em- ployees not participating in training plans. These proposals negate the principle of seniority as we understand it and must not become part of any overall agreement covering the en- tire industry. A job training program is essential in any operation if senior employees are to be given the opportunity to ob- tain whatever job they desire. Without on the job training it is frequently impossible to qualify for the more compli- cated and better paying jobs. With a job training program far too often people are hand- picked out of line with senior- ity and sometimes hired di- rectly off the street for the better paying jobs. Only a job training program can cor- rect this situation. Departmental seniority likewise prevents proper im- plementation of the principle that the man with the most whiskers is entitled to the better job. The more depart- ments, the more people are hemmed into small corners that they cannot get out of. With the elimination of de- partments the entire work force then has the opportun- ity to bid and obtain jobs in line with seniority. Job training and elimina- tion of departments go hand in hand in establishing the principles that we have out- lined. Industry - wide recognition of these facts is long over- due. With the progress now being made in the larger operations we are hopeful that before too long this will become industry-wide policy. Queen the Shuswap Contest and John Kelly, Ist Vice P eed of Local 417, 1.W.A., at the Queen Candidates’ Banquet held at the Salmon Arm Motor Hotel. LOCAL 1-80 IWA OFFICIALS Fernie Viala and Jack Mumm meet with a group of fallers at Crown Zellerbach’s Nitinat Logging Division, Vancouver Island. MacNEIL COMPLIMENTED Mr. Grant MacNeil, Regional Education Director, International Woodworkers of America: It is with considerable in- terest that I have read the Special Issue of the’ Lumber Worker (Vol. XXXII, No. 14) dealing with the problems of collective bargaining and automation. I found it to be an excellent piece of work and it will prove most valu- able in the research we are doing on this very subject here at CLC headquarters. In- deed it has been our hope that either late this year or very early in 1966, we will be able to publish a pamphlet on the very subject of “How Collective Bargaining can be used to Alleviate the Hard- ships Associated with Tech- nological Change”. JouHN L. FRYER, Assistant Director of Research, Canadian Labour Congress. The Editor: People around this office have been pretty impressed with your special issue on Automation and Collective Bargaining. Grant MacNeil must have done a tremendous lot of digging among union contracts to collect the mater- ial and put it together. I should think his article would be very useful indeed to union negotiators all across the country. MARGOT THOMPSON, Editor Steel Labor, Canadian Edition. Grant MacNeil, IWA Regional Education Director: Congratulations on your exceptionally well-written ar- ticle on bargaining and auto- mation in the July issue of the Lumber Worker. I am sure this involved a massive research job. You have certainly made an excel- lent contribution to the sub- ject. Morven Lazarus, - Cooperative Press Association. JOHN SAUNDERS, a member of the National and Local Govern- ment Officers Association, T.U.C., England, is visiting Canada for six months on a bursary provided by the Imperial Relations Trust. John who works as a deputy County Librarian in East Sussex County, will also visit the North- west Territories on a special tour arranged by Stu Hodgson, the former Financial Secretary of Local 1-217 IWA, who is now the Territories Deputy Commissioner. BURSARY WINNER Local 1-85 IWA Port Al- berni, reports that the suc- __ cessful contestant for the IWA Bursary in the amount of $500 was Eileen Cavers of Port Alberni, a student of A.D.S:S. Since 1955, IWA Local 1-85 has awarded a $500 Bursary annually. The Bursary is open to all Grade 12 students in the Alberni Valley and to the sons and daughters of members of Local 1-85 wher- ever they may be attending schools in B.C. providing they will continue their education in a recognized Canadian Col- lege or University. Of the applicants for the Bursary, Eileen Cavers re- EILEEN CAVERS ceived the highest marks. Miss Cavers plans to enroll in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Victoria. DOCTORS NEEDED Canada is usually called one of the most civilized nations on earth (it has the second-highest standard of living, after the U.S.), but we’re short of doctors, There are fewer medical men per patient in Canada than in at least 20 other countries.