THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER

“UNDECLARED WAR"

By LOCAL 1-71

A headline in the June is-
sue of the Workmen’s Com-
pensation Board’s News Bul-
letion triumphantly stated:
“Crown Zellerbach captures
four safety awards.”

It appears that Crown Zel-
lerbach intends to repeat this
performance by “cavturing”
similar awards in 1966. We
think that “capture” is the ap-
propriate word, because it
suggests that one goes out to
war and brings back the
enemy at gunpoint.

THE ENEMY

The enemy in the following
situation being the man who
has the audacity to get hurt
and to apply for comvensa-
tion, but is “captured” in
Crown Zellerbach’s unde-
clared war on. compensation
and decisions of the Board of
Review.

Brother Kenneth Kroeker
was employed by Crown
Zellerbach at their Beaver
Cove-Kokish operation as a
chokerman. On January 31st
he fell, injuring his knee. He
was assisted up to the land-
ing, the First Aid Attendant
was radioed for and Brother
Kroeker was taken into
camp. The next morning he
was examined by the visiting
doctor, who immediately re-
ferred Brother Kroeker to a
doctor in Vancouver. An
operation in Vancouver Gen-
eral Hospital followed and
after a period of recuveration
he was certified as able to re-
turn to work on April Ist.
The Compensation Board in-
vestigated, reviewed, allowed
and paid the claim.

THE GUN

Brother Kroeker then re-
ceived this letter dated April
14th from the Compensation
Board:

“Re: Your Claim

The decision of the Board
of Review has been appealed
to the Board of Commission-
ers and a hearing has been set
for Wednesday, May 4th, at
10 a.m. in the Board Room of
the Board’s premises, 707 W.
37th Ave.

Since this matter is of im-
portance to you and could re-
sult in a reversal of the Board
of Review decision it is im-
portant that you appear in
person and that you contact
your union with a request
that you be represented by an
appropriate union officer or
you may be represented by

counsel should you so desire.

Very truly yours,
(Signed) “R. M. Bagshaw”
Executive Secretary.”
_The letter is a gun to
Brother Kroeker’s head, say-

i$ “come or else.” It con-
tains absolutely no indication
on what basis this appeal was
anted, what evidence was
sented in order that.

ker’s claim

when a man

This letter was written two
and one-half months after the
accident. All reports had been
filed, investigation made, the
claim approved, medical and
the fmal time loss payment
made before this letter was
sent.

The hearing was called
when Crown Zellerbach sent
in a mere letter of request for
a verbal hearing. Chairman
Eades complained about the
technicalities being raised by
the Union and repeated that
the Company should be heard.

Brother Kroeker is now be-
ing ordered to pay back to the
Board all the time loss com-
pensation paid to him. Sug-
gestion was made by the Com-
pany representatives that, be-
cause a similar accident in
December was _ disallowed,
this claim should also be dis-
allowed; suggestion was made
that, because there were no
witnesses, the man did not
slip or fall, suggestion also
made that the man was a
slacker because he refused
light duty. These suggestions
swayed the Board who now
say that Brother Kroeker has
not proved he was injured on
the job and Crown Zellerbach,
therefore, has succeeded in
capturing one of the enemy.

THE WAR

This is a vicious undeclared
war that Crown Zellerbach is
waging. It is a war that is
morally wrong, creating and
spreading hardship and mis-
ery. These are people, your
employees, not claim num-
bers. Compensation is a
helping hand but the use of
this undeclared war as a club,
is down, is
sadistic.

The Union suggests to all
Companies that we are will-
ing to jointly declare war—
against accidents! Let’s get
an active Accident Preven-
tion program rolling. Com-
pensation Board Awards will
then be won, not captured.

ON LIFE

Keep on going and the
chances are you will stumble
on something, perhaps when
you are least expecting it. I
have never heard of anyone
stumbling on something
sitting down.

* * *

Middle age is that perplex-
ing time of life when we
hear two voices calling us,
one saying “Why not?” and
the other, “Why bother?”

*

The only gracious way to
accept an insult is to ignore it;
if you can’t ignore it, top it;
if you can’t top it, laugh at
it; if you can’t laugh at it, it’s
probably | deserved. .

Unhappiness is not know-
ing what we want and killing
ourselves to get it.

Make saving
a habit

with a

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