AL NAAN

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THE WESTERN CANADIAN

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Vol. XXXI, No. 11

VANCOUVER, B.C.

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Incorporating Jhe B.@. Lumberworker Official Publication of the Jeteraattonal Woodworkers of s¥mertca Regional Council No. 1
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Fund Drive Asked Interior
To Aid Unionists

The B.C.. Federation of Labour has requested the Cana-
dian Labour Congress to launch a nation-wide financial appeal
in support of the more than 3,000 Port Alberni workers idled

by their refusal to cross the

picket lines of the Office Em-

ployees’ Union in that city. Their steadfast loyalty to trade
union principles and censure of the anti-labour policies of
MacMillan, Bloedel and Powell River Ltd. have demanded
sacrifices which now border on hardship.

One hundred staff repre-
sentatives from the Federa-
tion’s affiliates met in Van-
couver recently and agreed
that the attack made by the
giant corporation on union
security for the Office Em-
ployees signalled a drive by
leading industrialists for a
“right to work”, or “right to
scab” law for British Colum-
bia, with expanded compul-
sory arbitration in the offing.

Unions to the Rescue
All B.C. unions have been
asked to raise funds to feed,

clothe and shelter the work-
-ers “on the bricks”, and to
make an advance on such
fund-raising immediately.
The staff conference heard
a detailed report from the of-
ficials of the Office Employees
and the Port Alberni unions
See “DRIVE” — Page 3

Contract

Talks On

Negotiations for the revi-
sion of the Interior master
agreements which expire Au-
gust 31 have commenced.
IWA Regional 2nd Vice-
President Jack Holst headed
a committee which met the
representatives of the North-
ern Interior Lumbermen’s As-
sociation in Prince George,
June 9. On the following day,
Regional 1st Vice-President
Jack MacKenzie and the com-
mittee representing the
Southern Interior Local Un-
ions met with representatives
of the Interior Forest Rela-
tions Association in Penticton.

See “INTERIOR”—Page 6

1st Issue
June, 1964

Fisher Formula
Wins Acceptance

Members of the eight Lo-

cal Unions involved voted by

a 3 to 2 majority to accept
the settlement proposed by
Conciliation Officer Fisher in
their dispute with the coast
lumber operators. Announce-
ment to this effect was made
by the Tabulating Committee
June 9. The Minister of La-
bour was advised according-
ly, as required by the Labour
Relations Act. The employers
also advised the Minister of
their acceptance. The IWA
Regional Policy Committee
and Regional Executive
Board were called into ses-
sion immediately to expedite
plans for drafting the neces-
sary contract provisions pre-
paratory to the signing of the
two-year agreement.

In response to the question,
“Are you in favor of accept-
ing the settlement proposed
by E. P. Fisher, Conciliation
Officer of 1964. coast industry
negotiations?” the total re-
turns were:

The total number of mem-
bers casting their ballots was
the largest in the Union’s his-
tory, thus indicating the in-
tense interest in the issue.

The settlement raises the
base rate by 28 cents an hour
in two years and gives the
journeymen tradesmen an ad-
ditional 15 cents an hour.
These increases formed the
focal point of attention dur-
ing the voting, although other
important fringe benefits were
included in the Fisher for-
mula.

The new base rate of $2.36,
in effect during the 1965-66
contract year, will place the
B.C. base rate on a parity
with base rates negotiated
last year in Washington, Ore-

gon and California (Region
3).

The B.C. contract as well

as the contracts in Region 3

will expire in June 1966, and
thus afford the opportunity
for full co-ordination of Paci-

See “VOTE”—Page 3

Regional Officers St:

ate Position

"We Will Not Be Blackmailed Into Deviation From Majority Rule”

“Our Union is governed by the majority will of its members. We
intend to obey this rule,.as we have in the past, however we may
be attacked. Otherwise our Union will suffer chaos or worse. The
IWA has in the past weathered serious crises, forced by the Com-
munists, only because IWA members insisted upon membership
majority control in the conduct of their affairs.

The Union's procedures allow freedom of speech. Differences of
opinion can be freely stated within the Union. Decisions affecting the
welfare of the membership are then made by referendum ballot or
by constitutionally elected delegate bodies. The majority decision
then becomes the policy to be obeyed and executed by all the Union’s
officers.

Every member has the unquestioned right to criticize the policies
and personalities of the Union’s officers. This does not include the
right to undermine the Union as an organization. The Union’s collec-
tive bargaining goals, arrived at by democratic processes, require
each member’s loyal support. Attacks on majority decisions result only
in disruption, which undermines the strength of the organization.
Disruption defeats democracy.

WHAT‘S

INSIDE
Alberni Ad - - 2

JACK MacKENZIE
Ist Vice-President

The preceding are the views maintained by the Regional Officers
throughout the recent negotiations and settlement. It was our duty.
fo ensure to every member the right to make the most of our demo-
cratic processes. Every decision made and carried out was authorized
by a majority decision of an elected body.

We ask IWA members to recognize that the Union’s ethical and
constiiutional standards were observed by the Regional Officers in
the following instances.

The decision to recommend acceptance of the Fisher settlement.
was a majority decision of the Regional Policy Committee fully repre-
sentative of the Local Unions. This decision placed upon the Regional
Officers the responsibility to submit and explain the recommendation
to the membership with details of the proposed settlement.

The members have given their verdict by secret ballot. This ver-
dict was not for or against any faction. It was a clear-cut expression
of membership opinion based on consideration of their own interests.
It will now be loyally obeyed regardless of minority post mortems
or filibustering.

See “REGIONAL OFFICERS” — Page 3

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FRED FIEBER

Secretary-Treasurer

BOB ROSS
3rd Vice-President

JACK HOLST

2nd Vice-President