;

Unions Score

At Hearings

As a result of representa-
tions made by the B.C. Feder-
ation of Labour and a number
of unions before the Com-
mission of Inquiry into the
Workmen’s Compensation
Act, agreement was secured
from the Workmen’s Com-
pensation Board as to the
necessity of three important
changes in the regulations.
These are:

Elimination of the 3-day
waiting period.

Increased funeral allow-
ance.

Upward adjustment of com-
pensation awarded in years
past.

The Commissioner, Chief
Justice DesBrisay, will re-
sume the hearings during the
latter part of October. The
IWA submission is expected

to be heard early in Novem-
ber.

The Federation charged that
“since 1955 we have witnessed a
worsening relationship between
the Workmen’s Compensation
Board and the workers of this
province. We have had serious
amendments to the Act (1959)
which, while in line with the
changes in policy and interpreta-
tion, are contrary to the accepted
principles of Workmen’s Compen-
sation and to the interpretations
of the late Hon. Gordon Mc-
Gregor Sloan as described in his
Royal Commission Report of 1949-
1952.”

ies

‘CONVENTION

DELEG

Information Requested

Pat O'Neal, Secretary of the
Federation, requested the Com-
missioner to require the Board to
furnish the inquiry with informa-
tion regarding the rejection of
claims which has never been
made available.

It was contended that letters of
rejection addressed to claimants
were so vague that no indication
was given whether additional in-
formation might require consid-
eration. It was also held that the
frequency of rejections was
caused by the inability of the in-
jured workman to show that his
disability was the direct result
of an accident or that it had
“arisen out of and in the course
of the employment.”

In reference to the Board’s in-
terpretation of the Act, the Fed-
eration’s brief asserted: “It is ob-
vious to us that the workmen of
British Columbia are not receiy-
ing the systematic administration
to which they are entitled under
accepted principles of Workmen’s
Compensation.

“Complaints are often heard of
the treatment afforded workmen
who appear for review of their
rejected claims. No transcripts,
written reasons, witnesses or
counsel are allowed. Workmen
complain of abuse in the form of
unnecessarily harsh questioning
and of being made to feel guilty
and confused. ’In short, it is al-
leged that the workman is bullied.

“This is not sympathetic treat-
ment, :

‘During 1955 and _ thereafter,
the Board interpreted the old

definition of accident in a way
never intended by the spirit, in-

ATES LOCAL

IWA, KELOWNA

schedules and things.

-of Mount Everest.

Very few people actually own balloons
these days. Pity. Such a nice, leisurely way to
travel if you're not too fussy about

Full of surprises, too. You'll never

know whether you're going to step out of
your air-conditioned basket onto

the fields of France, the Indian Ocean, or the top

Makes packing a little difficult, perhaps,
but think of the fun you can have
dropping sandbags on your friends.
On the other hand...
do care where you go in B.C.,
then naturally you'll fly B.C. Airlines.
P.S. We traded all our balloons in,

but we've got some dandy little sandbags.

BC AIR LINES sXe

Scheduled and Charter Flights now

also operating from a Base at
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HEAD OFFICE: CR. 8-8466 VANCOUVER

AROUND THE WORLD?

if you are in a hurry, and

RESOLUTIONS COMMITTEE: E

. L. Freer, Local 1-71, Chairman; D. Pratt, Local 1-80; M. J. Corbeil,

Secretary, Local 1-85; F. Copp, Local 1-118; G. Thompson, Local 1-184; K. Johnson, Local 1-207; T. Clarke,
Local 1-217; P. Reid, Local 1-252; R. Beaton, Local 1-283; M. Walls, Local 1-357; E. Kemps, Local 1-353;
A. Corey, Local 1-367; J. Munro, Local 1-405; C. Michael, Local 1-417; S. A. Muir, Local 1-423; GC. H. Webb,

Local 1-424.

tent, or if we may suggest, by
the former Commissioner Sloan
in 1952.”

Considerable attention was
given in the brief to the Board’s
present definition of “accident,”
which was made effective in 1959.
This was held to be unduly re-
strictive.

The brief continued, “It is our

opinion that such decisions have

no place in Workmen’s Compen-
sation law. It is impossible, in-
equitable, conflicting and unnec-
essary to make a decision that
only a part of the disability is
due to the employment.”

“To conform with our expressed
opinions concerning the compen-
sability of disability arising from
those cases where the ‘accident’
was not the direct cause of the
personal injury, but merely the
‘occasion’ or the ‘exciting’, or the

|B

|

| passes on
the Beet
|

of eac

generation . .

‘precipitating’ cause, there can be
no proportioning of compensa-
tion payment.”

Among the amendments to the
Act proposed were the following:

® That payment of funeral ex-
pense be increased to the sum of
$350, as more truly reflecting the
minimum costs of burial.

@® That monthly payments for
dependent widows or an invalid
widower be increased to at least
one hundred dollars a month.

® That a disability table be
furnished to inform claimants re-
garding the basis of assessment
for specified injuries, mutilations
or loss of functions.

® That the practice be discon-
tinued of placing workmen on
“light work” pending complete
recovery from injuries.

®@ That the Section relating to
provision of artificial limbs, eye-

preeding

glasses and dentures be more lib-
erally interpreted.

® That all reference to a ceil-

ing on earnings be deleted from
the Act.

® That no discrimination be
made in payments of compensa-
tion for various periods.

® That the Federation of La-
bour be given the right to nom-
inate one member to the Board.

@ That provision be made for
the continued employment of in-
jured workmen suffering loss of
time due to injuries.

@® That a workman be not re-
quired to work alone at hazard-
ous employment.

@® That workmen of foreign ex-
traction be given the opportunity
to understand safety instructicns
issued in English.

and for 67 years we’ve been passing on the
incomparable experience of fine bootmaking.
Our third generation is just coming along, and
we're mighty proud of them . . . and of the
tradition they are inheriting.

WHEN FINER BOOTS ARE MADE,

WE'LL STILL BE MAKING THEM!

PIERRE PARIS & SONS

51 West Hastings Street,
Vancouver 3, B.C.

Family Teamwork in Craftsmanship since 1907