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THE WESTERN CANADIAN

to UU I

Incorporating The 2. Lumberuorker Official Publication of the Jeternatéonal Woedworkers of sémertea Regional Council No. 1

VOL. XXVIII, No. 17 <= VANCOUVER, B.C.

1st Issue,

5c PER COPY September, 1961

UNION SHOWS PROGRESS IN

OFFICERS REPORT |

Circumstances which determined the terms of this year’s coast settlement were outlined in the Officers’
Report submitted to the Annual Convention of Regional Council No. 1, TWA, which opened in Vancouver, September
6. All phases of the Union’s activities were comprehensively reviewed, indicating that the organization has main-
tained a position of strength. The full text of this report follows.

GREETINGS

In reporting on the second year’s operation of the Regional
Council to this convention your Regional officers will endeavor to
set forth the problems that the Regional Council has faced during
the past year, and will give an indication as to the manner in
which they feel that the problems can be resolved to increase the
effectiveness and efficiency of the organization.

When the Regional Council took over many of the former res-
ponsibilities of the International Union in the fields of organiza-
tion, research and education after the 1959 strike, we did not
know all the problems or the additional costs that would be in-
volved in the increased responsibilities that were being accepted
by the Regional Council. The position, too, was somewhat compli-
cated by the fact that in the realignment of the International
Union the boundaries of the Regional Council were extended to
the Manitoba and Ontario border, bringing into the jurisdiction
of the Regional Council a large unorganized area of which we had
little knowledge. However, we have used well the time since this
realignment in order to consolidate the interests of our Union in
western Canada.

When we met last year we held our convention for the first
time in our own building, under circumstances that were very
trying, because of the unfortunate illness of the Regional Secre-
tary-Treasurer, which happened just prior to the convention; and
since that time we have been saddened by the loss of Brother
Mitchell, a man who gave much of his time and effort to the fur-
therance of the goals of our organization.

The officers feel that the period of consolidation as a Regional
Council has been successfully concluded during the past year. At
the present time the requirements of the Local Unions for addi-
tional services and assistance are becoming clearer and there is
every indication that there is a desire on the part of most Local
Unions in the Regional Council for greater coordination and co-
operation between the Locals and the Council for the solution of
our common problems. This is developing because of the aware-
ness of the Local Union officials to the change in the attitude of
the employers. Everywhere, in all sections of the Regional Coun-
cil, employers are adopting a very tough attitude with regard to
the problems that arise in the various divisions of the industry.
This attitude on the part of the employers’ organizations is, of
course, moulded to some extent by the climate of opposition to
the Trade Union movement being created through the media of
government, trade associations and other groups who always sup-

ort the position of privilege against the social objectives of the
Trade Union movement. Our answer to this must be through the
development of a uniform approach, and a coordinated effort at
all levels of the Regional Council to protect the interests of our
membership before the general public.

We have seen once again the enactment of another piece of
anti-union legislation on the part of our provincial government.
This legislation, introduced as Bill 42, to amend the Labour Rela-
tions Act, placed further restrictions on the Trade Union move-
ment and its activities in the fields of collective bargaining. It has
created uncertainties amongst the officers and stewards of all the
Unions in British Columbia regarding their conduct of relations

This edition of the Western Canadian Lumber
Worker features the issues before the Twenty-
fourth Annual Convention of Region 1, IWA, as
stated in the Officers’ Report and the President's
Address.

The next issue, to follow immediately after the
convention, will rec convention decisions.
Readers will thus have a full account of the pro-

ings.

necessary to police their contracts. There exists a fear that they
may become ensnared in the legal restrictions set forth in this
legislation. The Regional officers have endeavored, wherever pos-
sible, to assist Local Unions in their problems and to advise them
as to their position under the Law.

The unemployment problem which was developing at the time
of the last convention assumed chronic proportions over the ‘win-
ter and had an adverse effect on the whole economy; ‘with a re-
sulting reduction of job opportunity for our people. It has resulted
in a steady lowering of the consumer spending power available
within the nation to buy the products that the workers of the
nation produce, This is a matter that is of great concern to every-
one. Unless we can prevent this continued rise and fall of the em-
ployment opportunities the long-term social objectives of the
Trade Union movement will be jeopardized because there is no
opportunity for increasing the tempo of social progress where
the economy is subject to cyclical and structural unemployment.

ORGANIZATION

_In reporting on organization we must say that, during the
period that we are concerned with in this report, the membership
average is down approximately 2,000 due to the economic situa-
tion of the industry over the past winter. Because of declining
prices and markets there was considerable reduction of the work-
ing forces in all areas covered by the Regional Council. Other
factors contributing to the reduction of jobs have been the grad-
ual introduction into the industry of new techniques of produc-
tion, automation and mechanization. These changes, while con-