Pe JUNE-JULY, 1976 THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER 17 AT ANNUAL MEET NEW GUN CONTROLS SCORED BY LOCAL 1-424 IWA member of Local 1-424 Prince George, voted at their 3ist Annual Delegated Meeting April 10-11, to give full support to those groups protesting the federal government’s proposed gun control legislation Bill C- 84. George McKnight, a mem-- ber of the Prince George Con- servation and Outdoor Recrea- tion Education Instructors, told the delegates that the pro- posed Bill was punative to hunters and was a smoke screen to draw attention from the capital punishment issue. He stated that under the new Bill hunters would be required to pay a one hundred dollar gun registration fee each year and this fee would have to be paid for a five-year period in ad- vance. He was not certain if the fee covered a person with more then one gun. Other requirements of the legislation would call for two guarantors per application, al- low police to search premises of permit holders without war- rants, make persons owning firearms or ammunition liable to five years inprisonment for any misuse of the firearms by others, and anyone handling, owning or selling .303 or .308 calibre ammunition subject to five years imprisonment. : The subject of making finan- cial contributions to political parties also provoked wide dis- cussion. The Local Executive Board was criticized in a re- solution for donating $5,000 to the New Democratic Party in the last provincial election. The resolution suggested that the money could have been put to better use in the Local Union and financial con- tributions should not be made without a referendum vote of the membership. Speaker after speaker argued that money spent backing the NDP was well spent as it was the only party looking after the interests of the workers. The delegates overwhelmingly endorsed the Executive’s action by sup- porting the resolution commit- _tee’s motion of non-concur- rance on the resolution. Guest speakers at the con- ference included International 2nd Vice-President Fernie Viala, Regional President Jack Munro, Regional 1st Vice-Pre- sident Wyman Trineer, Re- gional 2nd Vice-President Stan Parker, Local 1-363 President Lorne Scott, Local 1-357 Presi- dent Gerry Stoney, Local 1-417 ist Vice-President Jack Kers- sons, NDP-MLA Dave Stupich. Viala and Munro, as the key- note speakers, confined the majority of.their remarks to the bitter strike three thousand IWA members of Regional Council No. 5, were waging against the Weyerhauser Com- pany in the Southern United States. Both officers pointed out that the strikers were fighting the battle for the whole organiza- tion and it was imperative for the Union to win. They sug- gested this could be accom- plished if everybody in Region- al Council No. 1, completely supported the campaign now _ under way to help the strikers. Trineer spoke briefly on the federal government’s Anti-In- flation Board policy and the CLC’s critical objections to it. Parker in his address paid tribute to Grant MacNeil, the former CCF-MP-MLA and Public Relations Director of the Regional Council, who passed away March 29, in North Vancouver. Other. business of the meeting included dealing with resolutions, approving the Of- ficers’ and financial reports, electing delegates to a number of conferences and conven- tions, and electing executive Board Members. At a meeting prior to the close of the conference, the Executive Board appointed Larry Dockendorf as Business Agent, to help handle the vast amount of work the officers and other Business Agents have to cope with. The Officers’ Report covered the Local Union activities during the past year and pre- dicted that the Local could look forward to even greater pro- gress in the future. As usual the delegates and visitors were treated to a splendid banquet and a gala evening of dancing on the Saturday night. COMMITTEE OPPOSES MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS The Compensation and Safety Committee of the B.C. Federation of Labour has ex- pressed strong opposition to the system of medical exam- inations and investigations as proposed in the Industrial Health and Safety regulations. In a presentation to public hearings currently Meteor held in Richmond, the Federation Committee stated its grave eoncern that the medical examinations could be misused by employers to terminate em- ployees, particularly older workers, with potential health problems. Workers losing their Jobs in this way would be on a one-way road to welfare, with those over 50 being completely Saurable since they are not conducted by the federal and provincial governments. Federation Legislative Director Carolyn Gibbons commented: “We recognize the need for regular and detailed medical examinations in certain indus- tries such as lead smelting. We also recognize the desirability of having such medical exams by doctors specializing in in- dustrial health. Nevertheless, we cannot accept the proposed program until there are guar- antees built into the regula- tions that any workers losing employment as a result of potential health problems will be entitled to full rehabilitation including a living allowance equivalent to compensation payments.”’ WALTER SIMCICH PASSES Walter Simcich, the former International Director of Re- search for the IWA, passed away March 19 in California, of a heart attack. Walter was well liked and highly respected by [WA mem- bers in Regional Council No. 1, for his hard work and ability during contract negotiations on the Coast and in the Interior. IWA members in the Interior will especially remember Walter’s dedication during the bitter seven and one half months strike in 1967, when he worked night and day in an ef- fort to prove to the govern- ment-appointed mediator, the justice of the Union’s case. Born in McKeesrock, Pen- na., he graduated from Antioch College, Ohio. Following graduation, he went to work as an organizer for the packing- house workers in Salinas. During most of his career, he was employed in the labour movement either as an or- ganizer or a research consul- tant. More recently he worked as a consultant and development director for his alma mater, and as a development director of the YWCA in San Francisco. Private last rites were con- ducted in Marin County, Cali- fornia, April 2. Walter is survived by his widow, Frances; a daughter, Tina; two sons, Michael and Peter, and a sister. WALTER EDGAR PASSES Brother Bill McCormick, a member of the Committee at CFP’s Beaver Cove operation, . has advised Local Officers that Brother Walter Edgar, a long- time member of Local 1-71, IWA, passed away December 30th, 1975 in his home town of Plaster Rock, N.B. of a heart attack. Brother Edgar came to work as a boomman for CFP in Englewood in 1948 shortly after his discharge from the Can- adian Forces. He was an IWA supporter during the 1948 ‘Revolution’”” and served on Committees at Englewood, Camp “‘N”’ and Beaver Cove up until his retirement. Brother Edgar had kept in touch with his friends at CFP through Brother McCormick and he will be missed by them. He was 76 years of age at the time of his death. VOLUNTEER When you volunteer to donate blood at a Red Cross clinic, you get as well as give. As a result of the careful screening process which all potential donors must undergo, whether or not you qualify as a blood donor, you learn your blood type and your blood count. ON VOLUNTEER BASIS LOCAL 1-417 MEETING VOTES MONEY TO STRIKERS Members attending the 18th Annual Delegated Meeting of Local 1-417 IWA, May 1-2, in Merritt, voted overwhelmingly to support the IWA Weyer- haeuser strikers in the Southern United States by con- tributing $1.00 per member per month on a volunteer basis. The meeting also endorsed an Officers’ Recommendation to contribute an immediate cheque for three thousand dollars from the Local’s general fund. The motion of support followed a stirring speech by George Mizell, one of. the strikers at Weyerhaeuser, who was brought to Canada to report on the strike which com- menced last February 10. During his stay in the Local Union George visited all the Weyerhaeuser operations certified to the IWA and ad- dressed the crews during their lunch and coffee breaks. The approximately one hundred delegates in attend- ance conducted a large amount of business during the two-day meet. This included dealing with some seventy resolutions, approving the Officers’ and Financial Reports, hearing from a number of guest speakers, and electing dele- gates to the various conven- tions and conferences. International 2nd _ Vice- President Fernie Viala, Re- gional ist Vice-President Wyman Trineer, and Regional 2nd_ Vice-President Stan Parker also reported on the Weyerhaeuser strike and com- mended the delegates for their staunch support of their Southern brothers. The New Democratic Party~ also received strong support at the meeting when the dele- gates voted by a wide margin to affiliate the Local to the NDP. The Federal Wage and Price Controls were bitterly con- demned by the delegates as the meeting gave broad support to the CLC’s stand to fight the government over the issue. Other resolutions called for an increase in the Regional. Strike Fund Assessment, the Unemployment Insurance Act be amended so employees are not required to exhaust their holiday pay prior to receiving benefits when laid off, and that weekly indemnity benefits be payable from the first day in case of illness. Delegates elected to the various conventions and con- ferences were: Regional Convention Kevin Kelly, Jack Kerssens, Victor Fast, Ted MacDonald, Bill Hobbs, Les Lawless. Al- ternates Ken Schneider and Larry Jensen. Regional Safety Conference — Carol Toth, Larry Viers, Vi Graff, alternate. Z B.C. Federation of Labour Convention — Kevin Kelly, Jack Kerssens, Les Lawless, Al McLeod, Vic Fast. Altern- ates Ted MacDonald, Larry Jensen. The Officers’ Report reviewed the activities in the Local over the past year and predicted improvements in 1976. The Report noted that while the financial picture of the Local was gloomy in the early part of the year due to the unemployment in the industry, marked improvement was shown in safety and the number of grievances and arbitration cases won. However, the © officers warned that in the last two months the Workers’ Compen- sation Board was taking a harder line in granting claims to injured workers. This the officers put down to the pressure the Employers’ Council of B.C. was exerting on the provincial government. ’ As in past years, the Local sponsored its usual Banquet and dance which the delegates and guests always look for- ward to and enjoy. “B.C. TODAY” BRINGS FRESH NEWS Tired of slanted political coverage in the daily news- papers, their bad reporting, or jaded by their lack of imagina- tive articles? If so you now have the opportunity to sub- scribe to a new paper which has been designed to stimulate reader interest. B.C. Today is the brain child of two legislative reporters, Peter McNelly, who was the legislative reporter for The Province and the Victoria Times and Gordon Pollard, a former reporter with the Prince George Citizen, the Medicine Hat News, and - the Canadian Press parliamentary bureau in Ottawa. The paper will be financed solely from subscriber reven- ues, rather than advertising. It will be published twice a month and subscriptions will cost $12.00 el year. Emphasis will be placed on original news, features and columns. Reader participation will be sought through letters to the editor plus the viewpoint of noted people. The paper will also concen- trate on B.C. affairs. While the paper is interested in at- tracting readers from all areas of the province, special atten- tion will be given to news coverage of interest to rural readers. Emphasis has also been made to make the format of the paper as attractive as its reading content. 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