Here is a book that says what unionists have known for years but says it very well. It might be called a busy man’s version of John Port- er’s “Vertical Mosaic.” Berton makes the point that our value system is distorted, that our Puritan or Calvinist ethic places money ahead of people. He points out that there is a corporate elite, an establish- ment, that the corporate elite is Anglo-Saxon, white, rich and mainly protestant. So what else is new? The value of the book is its readability. His chapter on THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER BOOK REVIEW THE SMUG MINORITY . . - BY PIERRE BERTON: poverty relies heavily on sta- tistics contained in the On- tario Federation of Labor Poverty booklet. His analysis of the ruling class relies heav- ily on Porter. But he uses Canadian analogies and com- parisons. Gordon Sinclair, Al- lan Lamport and Yorkville Hippies; Lord Thomson and control of the press. He even manages to dig up a quotation from an old Mayor of Toron- to, Hiram McCallum, original- ly of the Oshawa McCallums, which for old timers around Toronto brings back memo- ries of the thirties, as indeed the whole book does. As a trade unionist and a political activist, I get the message. I got the same mes- sage many years ago from Henderson’s “Case for Social- ism,” Shaw’s “Intelligent Women’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism.” “Who Owns Canada” and various League for Social Reconstruction, and Fabian pamphlets. I am left with the question what is the reader supposed to do about the injustices, and above all what does Berton intend to do. Write more books? fa ten ee ee, LOCAL 1-417 PRESIDENT Bob Schlosser addressing striking members employed by K. P. Wood Products, Nicola Valle in the Legion Hall, Merritt. y Sawmills and O’Neil-Devine Ltd., February 16, STRIKE PROGRESS REPORT Striking IWA members em- ployed by K. P. Wood prod- ucts, Nicola Valley Sawmills and O’Neil-Devine Ltd. met in the Legion auditorium on February 16, 1968 to discuss strike progress reports by their Local Union President Bob Schlosser and IWA Re- gional representative Tony Vanderheide. Schlosser reported the ap- pointment of Jack Sherlock as a mediator in.the current stalemate and announced that an initial meeting had been scheduled for Monday, Feb- ruary 19 in Vancouver. In his address Vanderheide branded supervisory person- nel at Nicola Valley Sawmills who are presently producing lumber behind the legal IWA picket line as “scabs” and issued a warning that this Company is endangering the future of sensible Jlabour- management relations at this Operation because IWA mem- — will never tolerate “scab- Vanderheide further charg- ed the Industry negotiators with unnecessarily forcing lardships on the community and IWA members in the face the recently reported 50% in its for the year Weldwood of Canada Ltd. which Company by Sep- tember 1968 will pay their employees “equal pay for equal work” regardless of the geographic location of the Company’s operations. Parity does not spell ruination for the Interior forest industry and higher wages paid to workers bring prosperity to COMING TO VANCOUVER? STAY AT THE AUSTIN MOTOR HOTEL Wonderful comfort at low prices. Right in the heart of downtown Vancouver, Granville at Davie. Completely refurnished, with TV, dining and lounge facilities. Delicious buffet luncheons. All public rooms air - conditioned. Lighted parking for 150 cars. Single without bath $4.00 — $5.00 With bath or shower $5.00 — $7.00 Write or phone for our lower weekly and monthly rates, Telephone 685-7235 Vancouver Member: CAA and AAA the community in which they live. "STUDY" REFUSED The IWA Coast Negotiating Committee informed Labour Minister Peterson February 13, that the Union would not participate with the employ- ers in a joint study of the forest industry. The Committee wired the Minister stating: “We agreed to participate in your sugges- tion of a joint study of the forest industry, only if facts concerning certain points would be among the terms of reference. “Tt is obvious, after meet- ing with the industry, that they will not agree to many of the facts we feel have to be obtained to understand the true state of the lumber in- dustry. “We therefore decline your invitation to participate in a joint study, and request that your government make avail- able to all parties, any and all facts and statistics about every aspect of the forest in- dustry, including all the points of reference which the IWA earlier submitted to you.” Peterson had proposed the joint study January 29. The Union agreed to participate provided that the companies and government agreed to the terms of reference set out by the Negotiating Committee. The Union also insisted that the books and records of the companies involved be open for inspection; that the study go back at least to 1960; and that the provincial govern- ment assume the financial re- sponsibility of -any cost in- volved. The terms of reference were rejected by the employ- ers who accused the Union of misrepresenting the com- panies’ positions. The employers then sub- mitted their proposals as guidelines for the study which in turn were rejected by the Union as being far too re- strictive. LABOUR AND N.D.P. SUPPORT FERRY MEN Organized labour and the New Democratic Party have given their unqualified sup- port to the B.C. ferry employ- ees’ fight for job security and the right to bargain collec- tively. NDP provincial president Norman Levi stated: “It is tragic that the bar- gaining ineptitude and social reaction of the Socred govern- ment have brought matters to their present pass. The gov- ernment has managed to alienate all of its employees by its arbitrary and reaction- ary stand against granting to its own employees what it grants, by law, to most other classes of employees in .the province.” In pledging its complete support for ferry employees, the B.C. Federation urged the government to meet with the ferry workers on the basic is- sue of union recognition. It stated: “The past failure of this government to grant bargain- ing rights to its employees is the root cause of the present impasse. — “Surely, public employees should not be forced to leave their jobs to secure some- thing as fundamental as bar- gaining rights and a proper. grievance and arbitration pro- cedure; something which is re- quired by law for all organ- ized labour in the private sec- tor. “It behooves this govern- ment to review its whole pol- icy and attitude towards its own employees. There must be no second class citizens in ~ this province.” From the first fall of powder to the last grain of corn, Lucky Lager goes down great — the taste for men with a taste for action on skis. Lucky’s blended and brewed Western- style —- delivers big beer flavour glass after glass, great beer quality case after case. Next time you ‘‘sit back’’, grab yourself a Lucky Lager, the B.C. beer for men who knowa good beer when they taste it.