.

A COPA

THE WESTERN CANADIAN

Co a |

Y,

MK

iy
if

il

Incorporating The ©.C. Lambermoréer Official Publication of the Jatereatlonal Woeedesorkers of r$merica Regional Council No. 1

Vol. XXXI, No. 5

VANCOUVER, B.C.

Sc PER COPY

ist Issue
March, 1964

SS"

BA) OO. Ee ES
| WORTH CANADIAN FOREST INDUSTRIES LIMITED \

) GRANDE PRAINIF LUMBER DIVIs}O

- ~

rH Tus

~

co)

PLANT
N

IWA STRIKERS PICKETING THE PLANER MILL of the North Canadian Forest Indus-

Grande Prairie, Alberta. Group are Fred Rotenburger; Stanley Rotenburger;

Mark McConaghy; Orville Tass; Bruce Morrison; Karl Sahli; Ed. Gray; Ed. Ricard; Leance
Recard; John Fast; Jack Holst, Regional 2nd Vice-President; Keith Johnson, Local 1-207
Financial Secretary; Arne Christensen, Local 1-207 President.

LOCAL 1-207 REPORTS

Grande Prairie Strikers Face
New Company Intimidation

IWA strikers at the planing
mill of North Canadian Forest
Industries Limited, Grande
Prairie; Alta., have learned
that the company intends to
return their Unemployment
Insurance books next month.
Any attempt to deprive the
strikers of their status as em-
ployees of the company dur-
ing a legal strike will be vig-
orously protested by the Un-
ion, said Keith Johnson, Fi-
nancial Secretary, Local 1-207
IWA. Any Cat ae pe by the
Company a decision
rendered by the Supreme
Court of Canada when a simi-
lar attempt was made by the
Royal York Hotel, Toronto a
few years ago.

The men who have faith-
fully walked the picket lines
for seven months are not dis-

pee ta. the company’s
reaking tactics, reports
Regional 2nd vice-president,
Jack Holst, after a recent

the-spot conference. They

on-
realize that their fight is

|WHAT‘S
|INSIDE

Facts ----3
Editorial - - - 4

spearheading the Union’s at-
tack on low-wage areas in
Alberta, he said. “Their
morale is high and their de-
termination to win the strike
is as great as ever”.

While in Grande Prairie
the IWA officer arranged for
the presentation of the strik-
ers’ case on a weekly radio
broadcast and by means of
newspaper advertisement.
This publicity featured the
appeal made on behalf of the
strikers to employees of the
parent company in British
Columbia, Canadian Forest
Products Ltd. The local man-
agement has offered only
stubborn resistance to all sug-
gestions for mediation of the

- dispute.

IWA members employed by
Canadian Forest Products in
British Columbia were asked
to remind their employer of
what the parent company was
doing to the Union in Grande
Prairie. Their appeal is
quoted below:

“For seven months we have
been on strike at the Grande
Prairie, Alta., planing mill
owned and controlled by your
employer, North Canadian
Forest Products Limited.

“We want you to know the
facts about this strike. Our
employer is your employer.
You are now about to bar-
gain with the Company for a
owt ot You can tell

ompany t you expect
it to bargain with clean hands
and proof of good faith.

$1.40 an hour. After concilia-
tion, we were offered an in-
crease of two cents an hour
now, another three cents in
March, and two cents more
in October. A base rate of
$1.47 an hour is not good
enough in a town where liv-
ing costs are higher than
See “STRIKERS”—Page 2

Statement
Clarifies
Confusion

The advantages to members
of MSA in the Fee Schedule
Agreement negotiated with
the B.C. Division of the Ca-
nadian Medical Association
have been described in a state-
ment prepared for the B.C.
Federation of Labour by Fred
Fieber, IWA Regional Secre-
tary-Treasurer and MSA Presi-
dent. His statement clarifies
the confusion caused by in-
correct reports dealing with
the MSA negotiations. The
three-year agreement now in
force replaces the uncertain
arrangements of the past, be
states, and binds members of
the medical profession within
the Association to clear-cut
fee-charging standards.

Full text of the statement is
quoted below.

“There has been consider-
able misunderstanding on the
matter of negotiations be-

See “STATEMENT” — Page 3

NEGOTIATIONS BEGIN

IWA Ten-Man Team

Presents Union's Case

The biggest profits in the history of the lumber industry
can easily provide for the demands presented by the IWA.
This was the determined view of the ten-man IWA negotiating
team which confronted Forest Industrial Relations Ltd,
March 16, as bargaining talks opened in the coast lumber
industry. Both sides settled down for the usual ten-day pre-

liminary sparring match to test out the strength

of opposing

interests, The high stakes make the legal ninety-day negoti-
ating period one of crucial importance.

Following the recent Wages
and Contract Conference, the
Local Union delegates re-
ported to the Union’s mem-
bership. Reports from mem-
bership meetings all indicate
enthusiastic support for the
demands. The consensus of
opinion is that the demands
form a well-rounded “pack-
age” fashioned to meet the
most urgent needs of the
working force. The discus-
sions reflected a hardening of
determination to set a higher
price on labor’s contribution
to the record-breaking profits
of the employers. Production
pressures for greater and still
greater output per man with

lowered labor costs has pro-
voked a militant mood.
Pending a report from the
Negotiating Committee, little
has been learned about the
attitude of the employers.
Traditionally, they have al-
ways said “NO” to every-
thing and forced the Union
into compulsory conciliation.
This year, the negotiators say,
the employers can neither
claim poverty, nor ruinous
competitive markets safely.
“The employers never had it
so good”, they say. “The way
is clear to decide upon a pro-
per share for the workers, to

See “NEGOTIATIONS”—Page 2

SUMMON

all employees.

COAST DEMANDS ,

1. A wage increase of 40c per hour across the board to

2. Amend Article XIII, Travel Time, to provide for pay
from marshalling point to marshalling point.

NAT TTT TTT NT

10.

11,

12.

3. To. provide for an Article stating that wherein a
portion of an operation is contracted or sub-con- =
tracted, the company signing the agreement will =
agree that all wages and conditions of the Master 2

Agreement shall apply.

. To amend Art. XIV, Health & Welfare, to provide E

for the following:

(a) Weekly Indemnity benefits—$50.00 per week for =
39 weeks. Eligibility to be based on 1 and 6 on 2
the basis that where a covered employee quali- =

fies for benefits due to illness, he will be paid E

retroactive to the first day of disability.

(b) Employees who have been covered by Forest &
Health and Welfare Plans 1 and/or 2 3

Industry
for a total of two years, shall be entitled to
maintain full coverage for a period of 6 months.

. To provide in Article X, Vacations with Pay, for the

following:

(a) An additional week’s vacation with pay for all
employees. :

(b) That all earned vacations must be taken. Delete
all reference to pay in lieu of holidays.

(c) To provide payment of Vacation Pay equivalent
to regular earnings per week or the percentage
rate, whichever is the greater amount.

. Amend Article V, Hours of Work, to provide for

double time for all overtime work.

NOTITOOUGNSTASPNAU SUA SOPEOTETEROUISL ACESS ANSON

. That the rates of pay for Shingle employees be re- |

vised as follows: Shingle Sawyers—$2.96. per hour =
plus 5lc per square for all squares in excess of 20 &
squares, and that- junk and wide-way rates be ad- :

justed accordingly.

Packers — $2.41 per hour plus 39%c for all squares |

in excess of 20 squares.

Shake Re-Sawyers—$2.96 per hour plus 5lc per
square for all squares in excess of 20 squares. .
Groovers and Rebutt, Feeders and Packers rate to be:

$2.41 per hour plus 39%4c per square for all squares
in excess of 20 squares.

. Pay days every second Friday.

Delete Section 5(b) of Article VII and negotiate pro-
visions for a Standing Committee made up of one
representative from each Local affected, together
with one Regional officer.

That we demand an additional 30c an hour increase
in rates for all tradesmen and improvers in the in-

dustry.

That a complete survey be made of categories and
rates paid to Planermen.

That we negotiate for a one-year agreement,