THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER

CONFERENCE SCORES W.C.B.

Delegates attending the 24th
Annual Safety Conference
August 17-18, at Woodworkers’
House in Vancouver, again
_ scored the Workmen’s Com-
pensation Board inspectors for
their failure to insist on having
a union representative present
when making inspection tours
of manufacturing plants and
logging camps.

The Conference also
. eriticized what the delegates
referred to as ‘‘Workmen’s
._ Compensation Board kick-

backs”. The Council officers
reported that the Board, in the
dispensation of funds under
Section 32 of the Act, will direct
to the companies full com-
pensation benefits for walking
wounded employees.

The delegates approved a
motion demanding that the
provincial government enact
legislation prohibiting such
“kickbacks” in the future.

The Conference was also
intahly critical of the forest

companies using incentives for
safety records and went on
record aS opposing such
programmes and incentives. It
was suggested that money
spent on such measures would
be better directed to improving
safety conditions on the job.

Other resolutions called for
the elimination of night
logging, improved safety
conditions for the public on
logging roads, hazardous
noises be controlled at source,
a request to the WCB that a
two-week follow-up inspection

_be made where work orders

have been issued.

All in all the delegates dealt
with 32 resolutions and ap-
proved 5 recommendations.
These were:

@ Requests that the
Regional Safety Director
contact the Department of
Industrial Transport re the
availability of inspections
made by that Department.

@ Water, coffee, and
refreshments be supplied to
the Regional Safety Con-
ference delegates.

© That the next Regional
Safety Conference be held in
Kelowna March 1 and 2, 1974.

@ That the Safety Council
officers and Local Safety
Directors meet two months
prior to the Regional Safety
Conference, on January 17,
1974.

® That the Regional Officers
set up a committee to study the
facilities of the Regional Safety
Director with a view to
establishing a functioning
Safety Department within the
Regional Council.

During the second day the
delegates heard addresses
from members of the Work-
men’s Compensation Board
and afterwards broke into
“buzz”? groups to evaluate
what had been learned.

ON THE LIGHTER SIDE

Chokerman Charlie told us
about a new organization
called ‘“‘Athletics
Anonymous.”’ When you get
the urge to play golf, handball,
or indulge in any other
strenuous activity, they send

in 1972 Led Group A” in the shing

someone over to drink with you
until the urge passes.

Kk

A bigamist, says Sawmill
Sue, is a man who likes to keep
two himself.

AV LAKE CEDAR EMPLOYEES, members of ere 1-367 IWA avai were awarded
} 's Compensation Board Meritorious Safety Performance plaque, for achieving
rec le division. |1WA members shown in

Letter received by the tax
department from an Interior
mill operator: ‘‘Enclosed is
$1,000. I feel I would not be able
to sleep unless I paid you. If I
still can’t sleep, I ll send you

. the rest.”’

es Glason front row, third from left, Local 1-367 Safety

‘Local 1-367 First Vice-President Joe Fowler back
= oe from left.

REGIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL officers pose for their
picture during the Safety Conference August 17-18. Group
left, Jack Welder, 2nd Vice-Chairman; Erich Ewert,
Chairman; Jack Mumm, Ist Vice-Chairman; Verna Ledger,
Recording Secretary; Bob Birchette, 3rd Vice-Chairman.