A SAFE AND
PROSPEROUS
1964

Pew Vear’s Message

BY JACK MOORE

Regional President

A® WE enter the year 1964 the IWA in western Canada
is faced by many challenges and just as many oppor-
tunities. This is the year we negotiate new contracts covering
34,000 woodworkers on the coast and in the interior of the
province of British Columbia. The lumber industry every-
where in the province is in excellent condition, and provided
Wwe remain united and fully support the contract changes
and improvements recommended by the Wage and Contract
conferences, the Woodworkers will gain substantial wage
increases and better working conditions.

The employer groups can only defeat us in our rightful
demands for higher living standards if we allow division and
dissention to enter our ranks.

Another challenge we must meet head on is the organizing
of the unorganized workers, particularly in Alberta and
Manitoba. Many of these workers in the mills and camps have
never known Union protection, and wages in too many in-
stances are as low as $1.00 and even less per hour. Until
these workers are organized and their living standards
brought up to decent levels our hard-fought gains are always

in jeopardy.

In our rapidly changing world more and more wealth is
being produced by fewer and fewer workers. The problem
facing our country is how to distribute this wealth more
+ nea and to insure that no member of our society is
eft out.

As long as we have unemployment, those not working are
not getting any share of our industrial productivity. We in
the IWA can assist in overcoming this problem by raising
our members’ standard of living and by reducing working

These are but a few of the challenges we must meet in
1964. In unity there is stren, lies the ability

The Regional Officers are pleased to announce
that cartoons by Len Whalen, cartoonist of the
highly popular “The Rangitangs,” will be a regu-
lar feature of the Lumber Worker starting in this

gth, and in strength
to progress. Probably our greatest challenge in 1964 is to

remain united, retain our strength. issue.

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Part 7

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IWA Docu
‘41 Convention — An

"This organization is bigger than any individual, yes, than any
group of individuals. There are men, women and children in this
country who depend on this organization for a better day, better liv-
ing, better education and better standards of life and the right to be a
a of it. Let us make the IWA a good sound organization as it should

“a

Spoken at the close of the 1941 International Convention of the
IWA, these words describe the attitude
in which the delegates opened a new
day for the IWA.

When agreement was reached on
the recommendations of the Unity Com-
mittee of Four, jubilant delegates called
for song. They turned their backs on five
years of factional disputes by an em-
phatic insistence that membership wel-
fare be the paramount consideration.
This purpose was accomplished by the
firm establishment of clear-cut demo-
cratic ures. The Union then as-
sumed the characteristics which have
since given it a predominant position
among American woodworkers. lt was

i CO RAE

THE WESTERN CANADIAN

Te)

Incorporating Vhe 2. Lecmboreverkers Official Publication of the Jeterwational Weodeorkers of Hertea Regional Council No. 1

Vol. XXX, No. 24

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2nd Issue
December, 1963

VANCOUVER, B.C. 5¢c PER COPY — ES

TEAMWORK CAN GET US MORE IN “64”

These cartoons will deal with all sections of
the industry and will provide readers the oppor-
tunity to enjoy Mr. Whalen’s master touch at
depicting the forest industry’s own particular brand
of humour in a manner that has endeared him to
thousands of British Columbians.

ATA es

listoric Turning Point
an historic turning-point for the International Woodworkers of America.

: The anti-communist leaders, with careful planning and forceful
logic, won majority support. Wisely, they gave less attention to post
mortems than to remedial action of a positive nature. The pro-com-

munist faction wilted by the members for the members. This belief
remains as the hallmark of IWA administration.

A new model union emerged from the 1941 deliberations and
the membership referendum which followed. The important and en-
during results achieved required a brief examination of the changes
which gave the Union new growth and vitality.

It was obvious that confidence in the International leadership

had been largely destroyed because of pro-communist maladmin-
istration.

The election of loyal and trustworthy officers was essential. The
late Worth Lowery headed a slate of officers selected from among
those who had consistently opposed the questionable tactics of the
past. Attempts to form a compromise or “unity” slate to include some
of the former officers were quickly repudiated. Lowery was elected
by a 12,076 to 8,853 vote with majority support on the Executive
Board. The convention took the significant step of electing a balloting

See “’41 CONVENTION” — Page 4