AUTHORIZED AS SECOND CLASS MAIL, POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT, OTTAWA, AND FOR PAYMENT OF POSTAGE IN CASH. WORKER Vol. XXXIV, No, 1 VANCOUVER, B.C. 5c PER COPY <> 1st Issue January, 1967 ; SPEAKERS AT the conference on injunctions sponsored by the B.C. Federation of La- bour January 7, at UBC’s International House, were left, Tom Berger, NDP-MLA; B. W. F. Robert McLoughlin, Lawyer; Dr. ogow, Department of Economics Simon Fraser Uni- » versity; Ray Haynes, B.C. Federation of Labour secretary; Don Lanskail, assistant manager of Forest industrial Relations Ltd.; Al Staley, B.C. Federation of Labour presi- dent; Jack Moore; IWA regional president. . JACK MUMM, full-time safety Birecton of Local 1-80 IWA, is shown with a group of fallers at the Copper Canyon logging operation of MacMillan- Bloedel. Mumm and Andy Smith, the regional safety director, were in the operation to discuss safer working condi- tions for fallers. See also page 9 = JOINT CONFERENCE “IWA regional president Jack Moore in a summation at’ the close of the day-long conference on labour injunc- tions January 7, stated, “We are trying to cope with twentieth century problems with nineteenth century mechanisms and injunctions are a nineteenth century mechanism.” _* “If management and labour can come to an understand- ing, we can perhaps exert enough influence on the gov- ernment to enact Tegislation to drive labour relations in this province into the twentieth century,” he added. The conference, sponsored by the B.C. Federation of La- bour to air the whole issue on injunctions, was attended by over one hundred people representing labour, manage- ment, the church, MP’s and MLA’s, at UBC’s Internation- al House. Speakers were Ray Haynes, B.C. Federation of Labour secretary; Don Lanskail of Forest Industrial Relations Lid.; Tom Berger, NDP- MLA; Lawyer B. W. F. Mc- Loughlin; Dr. Robert Rogow of Simon Fraser University, and Jack Moore. Haynes, the first of the six speakers, defended labour’s anti- injunction campaign by pointing out that an injunc- tion banning picketing has never helped to bring any strike or lockout to a con- . clusion. The results, he a] | a HELD ON INJUNCTIONS stated, have been defeats for the unions, workers fired and unions smashed. “At best, all that an injunc- tion does is prolong the dis- pute,” he said. “Injunctions were intended to preserve the status quo. e results are the opposite in labour dis- putes.” “Once and for all, for the record, we are not asking for the elimination of the use of injunctions in all cases, we are only asking for the elimi- nation of the use of injunc- tions in labour disputes. “What the public and the judges fail to understand is that an injunction banning picketing in a labour dispute _has-done its damage even if the union is able to have it set aside later. The fact that the law has come down on the side of the company is psy- chologically harmful to the employees’ strike and can often mean the ultimate de- feat of the strike Haynes was ‘particularly critical of the courts when speaking of the four labour leaders jailed for participating in the Lenkurt Electric de- monstrations. He stated, “This is a sad commentary for our judicial system when supposed impar- tial and learned judges are so out of step with reality that they do not even understand the basic and simple dynamics of a labour dispute. See “CONFERENCE”—Page 3 WHIPPING BOY ee is our society’s traditional whipping boy. The profiteers and their commercial press aides te TAP 1g Pe are shuffling the blame for rising costs on the working oe Kk dt Minin people of the country. The unionized sector of the work ; Pe ‘force is the special attack target of the price manipu- tes . a lators. ' The labour movement stands accused of lighting the flame in inflation. But unions didn’t start the fire. At the start of the economic boom corporation profits climbed to new heights. Wages didn’t keep pace. It ee predictable that workers would fight back in a hid a least to recoup their losses brought on by the higher taxes and soaring prices squeeze. Let’s face it, Canadian workers as consumers are being victimized by one of the greatest exercises in profit- eering in the country’s history. Price increases which have been steadily rising have taken place at a time when profits are already at an all-time high. The grab boys are ae the workers but our captains of business and industr Wag ee are the big bugaboo. Since 1960 the average iain income of labour has increased by 43 percent. Corporate profits, in the same period, soared to 56 per cent. This discrepancy between corporate profit and take- home packet is the reason for the militancy of the work force. The core of our social philosophy is private gain and every man for himself. Can the workers be blamed for demanding a slice of Canada’s affluence? —Prince George Citizen LOCAL 1-85 PROVES ITs COMMUNITY SPIRIT. These children were not photo- graphed in school but in the modern basement of Local 1-85’s Hall in Port Alberni. The Local officers offered the Port Alberni school board space for a class when it became apparent that the new elementary school under construction would not be completed in time for school opening due to the lock-out of carpenters by their employers. A grade two class of boys spent approximately three months attending school in the Hall. The officers recently received a letter from the boys thanking them for the use of the Hall and stating that they enjoyed going to schoo! there more than in the new school. pet Yamin * ‘=