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pe

THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER

AUGUST, 1973

By D.J. O‘DONNELL

Women in the IWA are
beginning to organize, to
become active in the union, to

ensure that the union fights for

the rights of working women.
The first Regional Con-
ference of women was held on
July 2ist, 1973. There were
seven women members of the

Gibbons from the B.C. Federa-
tion of Labour and Gene
Errington from the Vancouver
Status of Women.

A motion of censure of the
Regional Executive Board for
the manner in which the con-
ference was called passed
unanimously. Marge Storm,
Local 1-357 pointed out that the
resolution to hold such a con-
ference was passed by con-
vention two years ago and was
only finally given the go ahead
by the Regional Executive
Board in June of this year.

The letter announcing the
conference was sent out only a
week ahead of time not giving

out of town locals a chance to
participate.

The conference was small,
but it is the beginning of mak-
ing contact with women in all
the different sections of the
woods industry. In response to
a question Jack Moore stated
that there are approximately
1000 women in the IWA out of a
total membership of 47,000.
Most of these women work in
certain types of operations,
largely plywood, cabinet,
and mobile homes. A report
was given on CANADA ROPE,
a Richmond factory which has
ey organized into the

A.

Gene Errington from the
Status of Women gave a
general introduction about the
problems of women in the
labour force. She pointed out
that women consistently get
the lowest paying jobs and that
they lack the organization to
improve their situation. In the
discussion which followed
delegates talked of the diffi-
culties faced in particular by
IWA women.

In 1966, the IWA went on

HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT
CREATED BY LIBERALS

The federal government
deliberately creates unem-
ployment to hold wages down.

That accusation is contained
in an article by Dr. R. C. Bel-
lan, Dean of Studies at St.
John’s College.

The charge is based on the
influence of the ‘‘Phillips theo-
rem,’’ which demonstrates
that when unemployment is
high, wage rates don’t rise
much, and when unemploy-
ment is low, wages tend to
improve.

The theorem appeared in an
article by Prof. A. W. Phillipps
published in 1958 in Britain.

Since then, Dr. Bellan says,
policy in the Anglo-Saxon
elgg has been influenced by

“American and Canadian
economists applied the Phillips
technique to their respective

mon a really effective det
ats called rising food
wh

countries and achieved corres-
ponding results,” he said.

“The federal government (in
Canada) has for years now
been aiming to achieve not full
employment, but . designated
levels of unemployment — the
levels of unemployment at
which prices would be stable or
would rise only slightly.”

Ottawa, he said, ‘“‘makes no
attempt” to provide 100 jobs
for every 100 Canadians seek-
ing work. It provides 94 or 95
jobs per 100 workers.

If the number falls below 94-
95, stimulants are applied; if
the number rises, the economy
‘is considered to be ‘overheat-
ing’ and cooling-off measures
are applied.”

The February budget was
designed to ensure a rate of 5
per cent unemployment in
Canada in 1973, Dr. Bellan
said.

A government policy of deli-
berate unemployment is some-
thing new. It is unknown in
Europe, where employment is
so full that foreign workers
have to be imported.

A British Chancellor of the
Exchequer (finance minister)
once said that ‘‘anyone who
advocates a pool of unemploy-
ment should be thrown into it,”
Dr. Bellan notes.

“The cost of Canada’s deli-
berately arranged unemploy-
ment has been heavy,” he
added. “Billions of dollars

-worth of potential output has
been lost.”

Worse, he said, “hundreds of °

thousands of persons have
experienced bitter des-
pondency. A great many have
beeome hostile and contemp-
tuous of social order; in anger
and frustration quite a few
have turned to crime.”
Heavy unemployment in
Quebec, he said, ‘‘has been a
major factor in the buildup of

' the separatist movement.”

ay

strike and won the basic
demand of equal pay for equal
work. But since that time com-
panies stopped hiring women
which has meant a reduction of
women in the industry and
systematic discrimination
against women in hiring. The
IWA must fight against
discrimination on the basis of
sex and not allow the victory of

“equal pay to be used against

working women.

After a serious discussion of
the problems women face
within the woods industry the
conference passed a number of
resolutions to begin to tackle
those problems. Jack Moore
stated that those requiring
action by the Regional Con-
vention or the B.C. Federation
would be put through the
Regional Executive Board and

sent to the respective con-

ferences.

1. That annual delegated
conferences of women be held
by the Regional Council and
that this annual conference be
accorded the same status as
other delegated conferences
and be it further resolved that
the planning and agenda for
the conference be drafted by a
committee of women IWA
members.

2. That we endorse Local 1-
357’s resolution to the Regional
Convention that equal hiring of
women by number in the For-

est Industry be included as a
contract demand.-

3. That we endorse Local 1-
357’s resolution to the Regional
Convention that the Human
Rights Act be amended by
striking out the final part of
chapter 10 section 5. wae

4. That Local unions within
the Region negotiate women’s
job classifications out of their
seniority agreements.

5. That Regional Council No.
1 negotiate for paid maternity
leave and that extended
maternity leave be granted on
the basis of a medical certi-
ficate.

6. That Regional Council No.
1 negotiate for three days
compassionate leave for
fathers on the occasion of the
birth of their child.

7. That time be set aside at
the regional convention for a
report of the women’s con-
ference.

8. That Regional Council No.
1 go on record in support of the
N.D.P. women’s committee’s
demand for a Ministry of
Women.

9. A motion of censure of the
chauvinistie content of. car-
toons and articles in the
Lumber worker and the
Barker.

10. That the Regional
Executive approach — the
B.C.T.F. with the view to
encouraging women in high
schools to take shoptraining.

IWA WOMEN TO FIGHT FOR RIGHTS

11. That Regional Council
No. 1 press the Provincial
Government to change the
minimum wage act to be non-
restrictive to age or casual
labour.

12. That all local unions send
the maximum amount of dele-
gates to the B.C. Fed Women’s
Conference in September.

13. That Regional Council
No. 1 urge the Provincial
Government to repeal the
regulations under the Fac-
tories Act which prohibits a

_ woman from lifting over 35 lbs.

There was discussion about
the importance of developing
an understanding of the history
of women within the IWA
particularly the exclusion of
women after World War II.
Proposal was made that such a
report be given at the next
annual women’s conference.

Jack Moore appointed
Marge Storm, Local 1-357 as
chairperson of the women’s
committee and Verna Ledger
as secretary. Women interes-
ted in planning for the next
women’s conference should”
contact them through the New
Westminster Local. We want
the next women’s conference
to include women in every sec-
tion of the woods industry
which is why it is crucial that
the Women’s Conference he
given the same status as other
delegated conferences.

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