_ | THE WESTERN CANADIAN x ,s Le 4 s - AUTHORIZED AS SECOND CLASS MAIL, POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT, OTTAWA, AND FOR PAYMENT OF POSTAGE IN CASH. Vol. XXXIII, No. 14 VANCOUVER, B.C. 4] j ESS SEA Re i) INTERNATIONAL Longshoremen’s and Warehousemen’s Union Canadian Area President Roy Smith leaving Van- couver Courthouse for Oakalla prison on June 17. FEDERATION FOR I.L.W.U. PAYS BAIL LEADERS At press time it was reported that the B.C. Federation of Labour paid the fines for the ten I.L.W.U. leaders jailed June 17 for contempt of court. The Federation paid the fines from its Defence Fund after federal Labour Minister Nicholson promised the Union that he will re- commend amendments to the Labour code so that I.L.W.U. members will not have to work on statutory holidays. The present contract be- tween the Longshoremen’s Union and the B.C. Maritime Employers’ Association ex- pires this July 31. The Union is seeking a 50c per hour wage increase. A conciliation officer has been appointed but negotia- tions have completely col- lapsed. The Longshoremen’s Union says it will not bargain with the employers until the 10 recently jailed Union lead- ers are released. These 10 refused to pay fines totalling $4,100 — and were sentenced to terms of three months each on charges of contempt of court after they failed to appear before the court to give reason why they allegedly ignored an in- junction ordering them not to allow longshoremen to refuse to work the Victoria Day holiday. They make up a large part of the Union’s ne- gotiating committee and one of them, Roy Smith, is presi- dent of the Canadian area and spokesman for the committee. The imposed jail terms will expire in late September but the ILWU is still hopeful that an amnesty for these 10 of- ficials can be granted and that they can be released without serving their full term. The B.C. Federation of La- bour recently sent a telegram to Her Majesty the Queen seeking a full pardon, In the meantime it is re- ported that a slow down in lumber handling was felt in New Westminster, Vancou- ver, Vancouver Island ports and Prince Rupert for a one- day period earlier this week. CASKET PLANT CLOSES The Vancouver Casket Company, strikebound by Lo- eal 1-217 IWA since April 12, 1965, has closed down. The Company is now hav- ing its caskets shipped here from the East to beat paying decent wages to its union em- an-hour increase per year over a two-year agreement. The Company turned down the majority and minority re- ports of a Conciliation Board which differed only in the wages recommended while agreeing on the need for im- aig in the fringe bene- ts. The Company had made a final offer of 40 cents over four years from the expiry date of the old contract which was rejected outright by the de PER COPY The present agreement be- tween Local 1-424 and Weld- wood of Canada expires on August 31, 1966. The coordinating committee — representative of the four Weldwood operations in the Quesnel area — met on June 3 with Local Union Officers and Regional Secretary Treas- urer Fred Fieber in order to draft the Union’s proposals for contract revisions. A mass meeting of all Weld- wood - (Quesnel) employees held on June 5 in the Legion Hall discussed and endorsed the following demands: 1. An Across-the-board Wage increase of sixty-four (64) cents per hour to all em- ployees. (a) An upward revision in tradesmen’s rates. (b) Certified Millwright’s rate to be written into the agreement. (c) An additional increase of forty (40) cents per hour for First Class Rivermen and Boatmen. (d) Negotiate additional up- ward adjustments in rates for Jackhammermen, Blasters’ Helpers, First Aid Men. CONVENTION SEPT. 26-30 The 29th Annual Conven- tion of Regional Council No. 1, will be held September 26- 30, in the Hotel Georgia, Van- couver. Approximately 150 dele- gates are expected to attend the five-day conference. Included in the convention business this year will be the election of Regional officers. A number of visitors from the International Union and other organizations are ex- pected to be in attendance. PARITY WITH COAST | (e) Negotiate categories and rates for Hard Rock Sur- face Blasters and Log Bronce Operators. (£) Delete from the Agree- ment the category of Mainten- ance Utility. (g) Improvement in ply- wood evaluation procedure and inclusion of accelerated wage curve. (h) Piece-workers to re- ceive across-the-board wage increase. 2. Travel Time Travel time one way from marshalling point to be agreed upon. 3. Shift Differential Amend Article V, Section 5, to provide fifteen (15) cents differential on afternoon shift and twenty (20) cents differ- ential for graveyard shift WORKER ist Issue July, 1966 | QUESNEL MEMBERS SEEK when not on short shift. Write into the agreement the pres- ent work schedule. Afternoon Maintenance Shift to be on a Monday to Friday work week. 4. Vacations with Pay _ (a) Amend Article X to provide for three weeks at six and one-half (614%) per-.- cent after one year; four weeks at eight and one-half (844%) percent’ after five years; and five weeks at ten and one-half (10142%) percent after ten years, (b) Amend Article X to provide that all holidays earned must be taken. (c) To provide that vaca- tions shall be taken at a time convenient to the employee. See “QUESNEL”—Page 6 INTERIOR DISPUTE The 1964 dispute between Local 1-405, 1-417 and 1-423 and the Southern Interior lumber operators — repre- ~ sented by the Interior Forest’ Labour Relations Association — was resolved after both parties accepted the terms of settlement proposed by Con- ciliation Officer R. S. Raguin. Part and parcel of the ac- ‘cepted terms of settlement was Section 15 of the Concil- iation Officer’s report, which reads as follows: “Tt is further recommended that a Joint Committee be es- tablished. This Committee to be composed of not more than four directors of the As- sociation and a like number of Union officials, one of whom will be a Regional Of- ficer. While I am not recom- mending general terms of ref- erence under which the Com- mittee will operate I do rec- ommend that specific items such as travel time, contract- ing out, equalization of the base rate, classification ad- justment and possible im- provements to the Health and Welfare Plan be considered by the Committee. It should also be understood that any member of the Committee whose operation or local un- ion is involved in a dispute being dealt with by the Com- mittee should exclude him- self from the deliberations of the Committee.” Subsequently a meeting of the Southern Interior . Joint Industry Committee was held on June 23, 1966 in Penticton in order to resolve several urgent problems. The IWA was represented by Del Pratt (Regional 2nd Vice Presi- dent), Jack Munro (Local 1-405), Bob Schlosser (Local See “DISPUTE”—Page 5 SOME OF THE VANCOUVER Casket Company employees thrown out of work because - the firm decided it was cheaper to ship caskets in from the East than pay decent union wages to the crew. This photo was taken when the emplcyees struck the plant April 12, 1965. Also shown in the picture are Local 1-217 1st Vice-President Tom Clarke and Recording Secretary George Kowbel who handled the negotiations for the members.