MAY-JUNE, 1972 THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER EDITORIAL meer Associates MEMBERS COME FIRST AS a recent Province newspaper editorial pointed out, B.C. labour is on the horns of a dilemma, as the result of the government invoking compulsory arbitration on the con- struction industry unions. The waning popularity of the Social Credit government as shown in recent polls, has left labour’s political arm, the New Democratic Party, with an excellent chance of winning the next election. However, any violent confrontation between labour and the law in the next few months would react unfav- ourably against the NDP and lose it vital votes. ; Premier Bennett badly needing an election issue to restore his party’s fallen fortunes, has seized on the con- struction dispute. His compulsion order will create turmoil in the con- struction unions who have already stated, as have other affiliates of the B.C. Federation of Labour, that they will defy all compulsory arbitration. If the unions stick to their guns, a violent confrontation cannot be avoided and Bennett has a ready- made vehicle to ride back into power at the next election. The Province editorial suggests that this would be tragic for both NDP and Labour, and the only al- ternative would be for the unions to achieve settlement prior to the gov- ernment deadline. This sounds reasonable on the sur- face but for the omission of one highly important fact. The construc- tion unions have their employers on the run now. The only salvation for the industry is for compulsory arbi- tration with every prospect of a fav- ourable decision dictated by an employer-oriented government. And while union officials would re- gret seeing an NDP defeat over a labour - government «confrontation, their first responsibility is for the wel- fare of the membership. discuss firm proposals aimed at keeping the town of Ocean Falls alive. The 1,500 residents of Ocean Falls depend on a pulp and paper mill operated by Crown Zellerbach. Their livelihood has been threatened with ex- tinetion since April 15th when the company announced that the mill would be closed down by the end of March 1973. Shareholders have been told that running the mill has become uneconomical. Resources Minister Ray Williston said that he had been in touch with a Japanese firm which might be interested in promoting a timber milling facility in the area. He also said that a ferry service might be initiated to maintain communication and service between Ocean Falls area and the nothern part of Vancouver Island. ‘““‘The Ocean Falls of the future will not be the single-based entity that it is now. It must be a centre in- teach forestry, fishing and other skills to Indians in the area. The president of Crown Zellerbach indicated that his company would study the possibility of stretching its timetable for phasing out the pulp mill. He said, “I don’t want to give any false hopes but the final decision may be not to abandon the town.” He said that ‘‘the company had already met with federal of- If | was you I’d shave th’ fuz .. . People is awful trigger happy up here in Squamish since that guy spotted a Sasquatch foot print. eR Sa BY CLAY PERRY Regional Research Director As the end of the current contract draws near and the industry is forced to negotiate with us, the establishment reminds us more and more frequently about inflation and how ‘big powerful trade unions”’ are going to have to be more responsible, and so on. So its interesting to look at some statistics: IWA Increases as percentage of B.C. Executive average rate & increases * ‘ Percent Percent , : 1964 7.3 5.6 x 1965 5.0 7.7 _ STILLHOPEFOR OCEAN FALLS = % i 1967 6.8 7.8 1968 6.0 8.2 % Representatives of all whatwehavedone—thatwas He said that although the es 3 4 te | provincial government depart- an economic decision. Now, we government would not build a g 2 : : ments and top officials of want to look to the future and technical college in the area, it 1971 7.8 hich, Crown Zellerbach company see what can be done to keep would give consideration to * Overall Increase have met in closed session to Ocean Falls going.” utilizing existing buildings to 1964-1970 57.0 percent 75.6 percent @ Chapmans report on Executive Compensation ; These are percentage increases that take effect on an- nual incomes of $7800 for I.W.A. members, and $20,000 plus for executives. In 1970, I.W.A. members got an average gross increase of $663, while our executive friends netted an average $2120. B.C. Doctors are currently voting on a 6.5 percent in- crease to their fee schedules. That doesn’t sound like much until you remember that it applies to average annual earnings in excess of $40,000 and that their 1970 incomes from the provincial government increased by 10 percent in 1969 with no official increase to their fee schedule. So with any luck their increases this year should average $6400. Premier W.A.C. Bennett, the well-known opponent of : : ust Z ficials, and they have promised inflation and wage increases for working people, has been volving fishing, education, Mates ae i 9 Fi The company president said Pthek ord aiilisation of some. US the highest co-operation. Seana more than 9 percent per year for the past ten that everything possible wo type of pulp, also the So it looks as though Ocean ; ‘eninge | Let? be done to keep the town alive. possibility of installing a Fallsmaynot become a “ghost Epa Miata tuner league stuf, Lets lock aigieator “We are not apologizing for cannery plant.” town”’ after all. _ THIRTY PERCENT OF WORKERS WORK 45 HOURS A WEEK OR LONGER the standard work-week by law or raising the requirement for extra pay work would have a minimal effect on reducing unemployment, says a special officials of the forest industry (from Business week May 6, 1972 No figures are available for Canadian companies, but we have no reason to suppose that they are significantly different). Robert V. Hansperger, President of Boise Cascade Corp., got a 1971 salary of $250,000 up 13.6 percent from 1970. Robert P. Pamplin, Chairman of Georgia-Pacific got only $170,000 in salary, but kept the wolf from the door by exercising $240,000 worth of stock options. George Weyerhaeuser got $195,000 in salary, plus stock options worth $494,500 for pin money. Rayonier’s parent company is I.T. and T. (of South » study issued by Statistics Canada. American Fame) and chairman Harold S. Geneen topped y is based on a survey of employment and unemployment conducted them all with the following: iy ng Some later data, compiled by Nand K. Tandan of the 1971 salary and cash bonus $812,494 ics bureau. It studies the implications of working longer than the standard stock options 795,850 bat 1971 Total $1,608,344 at nearly 30 percent of workers employed in June 1967 actually y — 13.4 percent of them working 55 hours or longer each week. slude those who moonlight at least part-time on extra jobs, as k overtime hours in their regular jobs. : or about $800 an hour. Just a bunch of poor country boys trying to make a living by providing employment for us greedy union guys. We shouldn’t make life difficult for them with all these nasty, inflationary demands.