CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 .
2 Our strike fund was never intended to provide continuing income for
e the entire membership during a strike at a level that would maintain

accustomed living standards. It was intended to cushion the membership
against actual want. The reasons are obvious. Strike periods are always of

N’'S C

a valuable financial contribution in this way and demonstrate’ their de
mination to others. It is such action in the past that has won strikes.
SuaseDe NE RUST CON TSN me ey ears emt BRE I

AVERAGE COST PER MEMBER OF TOTAL STRIKE FUND

indefinite length and in recent years tend to grow longer. A forest industry EXPENDITURE 1959 STRIKE
strike, whether at the Coast or in the Interior involves thousands of workers, (Based on average monthly membership for 1959)
as production throughout a whole complex of operations must be halted. Avarigt Total Average Cost
Our Union cannot accumulate a strike fund in the next few years so great | Local No Membership Expenditures per
that we can say to every member on strike, “You can be sure of enough | 1-71 3200 $127,595.36 $39.87
money each week to keep you while you are on strike, no matter how long 1-80 22 a eee 3744 229,392.92 61.27
it lasts.” Any such policy would mean that we intend to match our financial | 1-85 3834 150,976.15 39.38
resources against those of the employers, which are vastly greater. THLiscs Cs EG 83,636.38 ap
ee OS ee ee eee ; 62.70
TOTAL STRIKE FUND EXPENDITURES BY LOCALS— ion emp eeny eile ate \ Bas
1959 STRIKE, JULY 6th et oy on 1069 (uC ee 61,877.08 57.88
Local No. Strike Relief Canteen portation cellaneous Total LOOT 2 1292 58,342.11 A 45.16 + $52.92
1-71 __..... $ 77,770.00 12,032.21 4,486.84 33,306.31 =: 127,595.36 onion. i
es ties 00 3061 1397 80 Soba ae TE Many members prefer to prepare to meet a strike situation in their
Ts 81/260.00 251.47 TOL40 1,383.51 83,638.38" | PY Way, ae as oe heavy assessment each month
1-217 ..._ 367,191.00 Sole eee ete rE ae imarnaliyrminp ee Py I ask your Union’s members
1-357 ——_ 309,439.00 ae ree ne Onn to examine the accompanying tabulations of costs and estimates in order
1-363 _...... 59,738.00 141.85 1,288.21 709.02 61,877.08 that they may see thedu tea oh ae
1-367 —.__ 48,911.25 Bee ee Pe rieae 1 cer, Even on the present basis of “strike relief” instead of “strike pay,”
$1,314,644.50 19,113.93 23,165.70 gl eae IWA strikes are so costly that they require the most careful conservation

which lasted seventy days, cost the strike
member per week ranged from
$3.75 to $8.64, apart from loss of income.

It will be seen that if the strike fund assessment were increased, say,
to $5.50 per month, it would yield only an additional $1,980,000 each year.
If 25,000 members on strike were each to receive, say, $25.00 for 10 w
a strike fund of $6,250,000 would be required. If the strike lasted 20 weeks,
$12,500,000 would be needed.

A constant factor to be reckoned with in IWA strikes is that a large
number of operations employing thousands of workers are affected by each
major strike. 3

Our Union has not abandoned the possibilities of building a large strike
fund, with fully adequate protection for our large membership. Time will be
required to accomplish this purpose without imposing any undue burden

on the members’ present income. ;
The Regional Executive Board will immediately undertake a revision
of strike directives which determine strike benefits in order that uniformity

of strike funds. The 1959 strike,

A major purpose of the strike fund is to prevent scabbing. It is intended
fund $1,423,117.40. The per capita cost per

e to relieve the circumstances of a member who may become so desperate
through lack of food, clothing and shelter for his family that he may be
tempted to scab. Reasonable protection for members in this plight is an
essential requirement of strike solidarity. This is a “must” priority.

Experience has shown that in every strike a large number of members
4, have resources of theix own, in addition to final wage payments, vaca-
tion credits, etc., on which they can rely for the first few weeks. It is not
unfair that these members should be expected to draw on these resources
instead of turning to the Union, as usually they are the members who have

most to gain by a favorable settlement.
My report on the conference decisions must state that the conference

delegates were most realistic in their appraisal of the cost of strikes as com-
puted on any basis. All of us abhor anything in the way of a “means test

during a strike. The delegates were outspoken about imperfection in strike
fund administration during past strikes. But since a stated income for every
member during a strike cannot now be assured, they agreed on steps to

administer strike relief on the fairest possible basis. They declared their
major objective to be the development of a strike organization that would
utilize all available resources in a manner best calculated to win the mem-
bership demands. These available resources include those used. by individual
members, able and willing to do so, to maintain themselves as long-as possible.
If they are now convinced that a strike must be fought, they can make

and even-handed justice may be assured every member on strike to protect

them as fully as possible against any great hardship.

Our most urgent requirement at the present time, is that all members
should clearly understand the implications of the conference decisions, and
determine to utilize our existing and accumulating resources to their best

advantage.

Vs

SUL IU! NW Ss

Let's Face Facts

Vancouver Magistrate Les Bewley was reported in
The Province paper recently as stating (before fining a
man for defrauding the Unemployment Insurance Fund)
“that stealing from the UIC is one of the lowest types
of crimes.” In this we heartily concur.

Unfortunately, Magistrate Bewley didn’t stop there.
He further remarked that, “the Unemployment Insur-
ance Fund is near exhaustion mostly due to thefts such
as yours.”

We take violent issue with this statement. It’s tanta-
mount to saying, in our opinion, that the majority of
workers who have drawn UIC benefits are liars and
thieves.

In the peak year 1956, there was over nine hundred
million dollars in the UIC Fund. This was considered
more than ample to look after any serious rise in un-
employment.

For anybody to suggest labour’s dishonesty as the
reason for the depletion of this vast fund, is irresponsible.
For a magistrate of the Court to state it is completely
shocking.

The real reason for the Fund’s depletion was the
bankrupt economic policies of the Liberal and Conserva-
tive governments, which were incapable of coping with
the unemployment spread.

As for Magistrate Bewley, we can only suggest that
his remarks were made through either sheer careless-
ness or through ignorance of the subject. =

TU

ru

N

ow

Publication date of the next issue of the WESTERN CANADIAN
LUMBER WORKER is March 7. Deadline for ad copy is Feb-
ruary 21, and for news copy February 22.

Published Twice Monthly on the First and Third Thursdays by
INTERNATIONAL WOODWORKERS OF AMERICA
(AFL-CIO-CLC) Regional Council No. 1

Editor . . . Grant MacNeil
REGIONAL OFFICERS:
President —..

Ist Vice-President —_
2nd Vice-President

wan... Jack Moore
Jack MacKenzie
.. Jack Holst
Se OD. ROSS

. Fred Fieber

3rd Vice-President ..
Secretary-Treasurer 0-2 en-veennrecceeense-nseengecennetyesarrnees
International Board Members .......... Joe Madden, Walter F. Allen

Address all communications to:
FRED FIEBER, Secretary-Treasurer
2859 Commercial Drive, Vancouver, B.C,

TR. 4-5261 - 2

Subscription Rates .................... $2.00 per annum
Advertising Representative ......... G. A. Spencer

Authorized as Second Class Mail, Post Office Dept., Ottawa,
and for Payment of Postage in Cash,

27,500 COPIES PRINTED IN THIS ISSUE

Me ad

MONTREAL — Claude Jo-
doin, President, Canadian La-
bor Congress, has received
the ‘first annual Human
Rights Award presented by
the Jewish Labor Committee
of Canada.

The award, presented on
the occasion of the Commit-
tee’s annual banquet held at
the Queen Elizabeth Hotel,
is a bronze plaque on which
is engraved two clasped
hands, the symbol of brother-
hood. It will be granted each
year to a person who has
made an outstanding contri-
bution to the advancement
and defence of human rights
in Canada.

Mr. Jodoin was the first
president of the National
Committee of Human Rights
of the Trades and Labor Con-
gress of Canada in 1946.

LOOK FOR THIS NAME

It is your Guarantee that

you can’t buy a better
Glove ANYWHERE

Union Made by

JOHN WATSON LTD. .

127 - 2nd Ave., E. Vancouver B.C.

STRIKE FUND INCOME PER YEAR BASED ON

33,000 MEMBERSHIP
Member- @ 1.00 @ 2.00 @ $3.00 @ $5.00
per month per month

ship per month per month per month
33,000 $396,000 $792,000 $1,188,000 $1,584,000 $1,980,000
COST OF STRIKE PAY TO ALL MEMBERS (COAST)

Based on average Coast membership of 25,000
Members Term @ $20.00 week @ $25.00 week

@ 4.00

25,000 _._ 1 week $ 500,000 $ 625,000
25,000 _____.. 10 weeks 5,000,000 6,250,000
25,000 _.... 15 weeks 7,500,000 9,375,000
25,000 _____ 20 weeks 10,000,000 12,500,000

BIG PAUL

When Big Paul Bunyan (“Mimi” to

his very close friends) was through with

one of his projects, like scooping out

the St. Lawrence River or slashing the Grand
Canyon across what was previously

a perfectly good piece of desert, ©

he’d climb aboard his Blue Ox “Babe”

and lumber off home.

“Babe”, they say, was 24 axe handles and
a plug of tobacco wide, but any way

you look at it a big dumb ox was what it
really was. Which just goes to show

that for a big man Paul wasn’t

smarter than the average bear. He
have known that the best way to ioe

around B.C... . quickly,
comfortably .. . is eo and

one of B.C. Airline’s flights.
Every other logger knows that.

FOR FULL FLIGHT INFORMATION
CONTACT YOUR NEAREST 8.C.A.L. AGENT

BC. AIR LINES...

Scheduled and Charter Flights now
also operating from a Base at
Kelsey Bay. f