THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER 9, JOHN BILLINGS’ VIEWS ON COLLECTIVE BARGAINING Editor’s note: With the Coast forest in- dustry negotiations due to get underway ina little over two months, it should be of inter- est to woodworkers to know what management’s chief ne- gotiator Mr. John Billings, president of Forest Industrial Relations, thinks of the present collective bargaining process followed in B.C. Mr. Billings made his views known in the following article which is reprinted from the Hiballer, a magazine devoted exclusively to the forest in- dustry. By JOHN M. BILLINGS President, Forest Industrial Relations When we sat down with the negotiating committee of the International Woodworkers of America in 1966 to work out a new master contract for the B.C. coast, we realized very quickly that we were wasting our time. It was quite clear that both sides were merely going through the motions. The Act provides that ne- gotiations must proceed for at least 10 days after which time either side may apply for a conciliation officer. We knew that the union intended to ask for an officer immediately the 10 day requirement had been met. And so they did. We went through conciliation with the union continuing to make gestures because the labour Act said it had to. I think this is typical of the attitude that exists in col- lective bargaining in this province today. Collective bargaining, historically, has been free and open, with la- bour and management bar- gaining back and forth on the basis of strength or weakness until an agreement is reached. But that disappeared long ago. Over the years labour, or management, called on government for legislation to curb the powers of the other side. Government did so. 'The result has been that govern- ment has built an intimidating set of rules and regulations that has completely hindered collective bargaining, instead of freeing it. Collective bargaining, as it come to be practiced in British Columbia, has out- lived its usefulness, Take this 10-day rule. Both Sides are required by the La- bour Relations Act to bargain for at least 10 days at which time either side can apply for Services of a conciliation officer, This officer can do three things:;,he can recom- mend a conciliation board, Can recommend against a board, or he can make a re- hag Rage he hopes will set- ee the dispute. If he recommends a board, that means another step is added to the bargaining pro- cess. All these are additional barriers to the settlement of contract disputes. Not only do they add time to the total process, but the nature of the system is such that it prevents free and open bargaining from the very first moment. For instance, what union leader in his right mind would make a move toward an early settlement under the system as it exists today? He knows he has to go through several steps and that in the end the wage issue is going to be solved by a conciliator or a board. Conversely, management is reluctant to open negotiations with an offer because it, too, knows the process that is in- volved. Any employer would be foolish to take a step until the final stage because the first offer will only become a floor from which to start. The tendency, then, is to hold back until the last stage is reached. These tactics alone prevent true collective bargaining. The union demands such an un- realistic increase at the be- ginning, and management offers so little, or nothing, that there is no middle ground on which to meet. Consequently, “negotiations” proceed with increasing ten- sion to the final stage. By then, events have gathered such momentum that a strike _is often inevitable. Responsible people in la- bour -mangement affairs are asking searching questions ‘about collective bargaining these days, not only in British Columbia but in other areas of the world such as Britain where strikes are assuming the status of a national dis- aster. We, like Britain, are in a vulnerable position. We are an export province. We de- pend on the uninterrupted flow of export commodities at competitive prices to assure our continued prosperity. Plants are going to be closed down and jobs lost if uneco- nomic settlements price us out of world markets. We have to find a better way. Personally, I believe the solution may be found in abolishing the conciliation of- ficer—conciliation board con- cept and striking out fresh with a corps of highly-skilled, highly - paid mediators. The value of such a service has been shown in settlement of some recent strikes by per- sons skilled in bringing two hostile parties together. These mediators should be backed by research staffs that can provide them with a sound basis from which to act. They should be available to be called upon by either party to a dispute at any time. ESQUIRE MEN’S WEAR (Graham Mowatt) Complete Stock of Work and Dress Clothing “THE STORE WITH THE POPULAR BRANDS” BRITISH COLUMBIA Most important of all, these mediators should be men of status. They should be well- respected individuals of rec- ognized ability who will work in the public interest and not necessarily in the interest of either party. ~ To attract people of such calibre, we would have to pay them well. It has been sug- gested that salaries in the range of $25,000 to $30,000 a year would be appropriate. I think that anything less would fail to attract the qual- ity of man that is required for such an important task. There are qualified men around our community who can do this job I envisage; it will take this kind of money to attract them into such a difficult, but im- portant, assignment. Only in this way do I be- . lieve that we can return to true collective bargaining. If the two parties to a dispute cannot solve their differences, then let there bea strike. Ifa mediator fails to produce an agreement, then the next step is a strike. By inserting any other steps in this process we are deceiving ourselves and, in many cases, creating addi- tional hazards to peaceful set- tlement of labour disputes. NOW QUEBEC The Quebec cabinet has ap- proved the principle of creat- ing the post of provincial ombudsman. The appointment of such a “protector of the people” is part of a series of reforms now being considered by the justice ministry. An ombudsman is an ap- pointed official who is entirely free from political ties. He hears complaints of citizens against government policies and decisions. The office originated in Sweden and has already been created in New Brunswick and Alberta. HOLD EVERYTHING ... with Watson Logging and Lumber Gloves. Special designs for chokermen and riggers ... lumber handlers and ‘Cat’ or truck drivers. Ask for them by name . .. Watson Green Chain Mitts, Mill-Rite and Lumber Loader Gloves. 127E 2nd Ave., Vancouver, B.C. WE5-5 PRIMITIVE CONDITIONS AIDING M.B. EXPANSION? By GENE OLLENBERGER Local 1-71 Business Agent The pictures above are of two MacMillan Bloedel Juskatla camp bunkhouses. The new bunkhouse shows that the Juskatla working force are not really the forgotten people of the north or at least not all of them are, for that bunkhouse will ac- commodate 20 men. However, for nearly all the rest of the Juskatla work force it’s the “old ones” such as the one you see pictured here, and these all look much the same on the inside as they do on the outside. The picture of this old one no doubt brings nostalgic memories to many an old time logger who in the good old days said that the bunkhouse was not too bad, but the old ones have not improved with age and the Juskatla camp water supply is considered inadequate and known to have contained certain unpalatable impurities, It would be interesting to know how much the Juskatla loggers while living in near primitive conditions have con- tributed to the company’s expansion in recent years in B.C. other Canadian provinces, the U.S.A., the United Kingdom, and its recent venture into hardwood logging on the island of Bougainville. For a Truly Fascinating Vacation Let IKLIMI show You EASTERN EUROPE ROVAL DUTCH AIRLINES @ See the treasures of the Kremlin. Relax in the resorts on the Black Sea. Sample the rich wines of Hungary. Follow the footsteps of Martin Luther in East Germany. Let the rhythm of the gypsy music take possession of you. 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