WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER Members Expose Bill 42 Traps By IWA Legislative Reporter VICTORIA—‘No embarrass- ment for trade unions is con- sidered by this Government as too great or too small for in- clusion in the amended Labour Relations Act,” declared Opposi- tion members of the Legislature at the conclusion of their fight against Bill 42. Numerous problems facing trade unions and relating to the future ad- oa of the Act were brought to light. Additional powers now conferred upon the Registrar appointed under the Act were queried. The need for a completely independent Board was emphasized, as greater control now vested in officials who are civil servants, and thereby directly under the Minister. Votes may be taken under “regu- lations” which are not yet known, and may never be fully disclosed. The report of the majority on a Conciliation Board is now the official report of the Board. The Minister is under no requirement to make min- ority reports available to the parties to the dispute. The word “reports” has been changed to read “report”. It has now been discovered that the Board wants changes to regularize practices in the past known to lack the authority of the Statute. - Only experience under the Act will disclose the actual intention of the amendment which enables an Arbi- tration Board to determine “any question as to whether any matter is arbitrable’. Compulsory Arbitration The Minister contended that this amendment is governed by Section 22 remaining in the Act which: re- quires arbitration without a work stoppage as compulsory, when an agreement is in force. More Arbitration Seen Consensus of opinion in the Legis- lature was to the effect that it will increase the references to arbitration, and that there is still a distinct danger that matters usually dealt with in general negotiations may be placed under compulsory arbitration. Within the eighteen day period fol- lowing the Minister’s release of rec- commendations by either the Con- ciliation - Officer or a Conciliation Board, if one is appointed, a decision given the Minister may be super- seded by a changed decision. This was seen as an opportunity for the employers to. confuse the situation to the disadvantage of the Union. Alex Macdonald stated that this pointed up the objection to a dictated strike vote on any offer as an un- realistic procedure. The inclusion of “other person” in the penalty sections was recognized as intending action against the Feéd- eration or other unions acting in sym- pathy with a union on strike. Under this Section, as amended, Federation or Congress officials acting in sup- port of a striking union may be charged in court with alleged viola- tions of the Act. Financial Accountability The Opposition group offered no definite objection. to which requires unions to furnish the membership with audited and de- tailed financial statements. This addi- tion to the Act was described as a “gratuitous insult” to the trade union movement. Said John Squire MLA, “In my long experience at trade union work, I do not know of a single instance where a union has failed to provide such statements even more fre- quently than now demanded.” He described the care taken by Local 1-85 IWA, Port Alberni to in- form the general membership of the Local Union on their financial affairs. A Bold Promise We do not want to sound immodest, but I can say that if China is admitted to the United Nations, then world affairs will be positively settled. —Chinese Foreign Minister Chen Yi. A New Force The fate of humanity can no longer be decided by a few large and powerful nations. We too— the younger nations—have a word to say, and that word will surely echo down the years. —Indonesian President Sukarno. So easy to take... MU 4-121 © P6967-2 B.C’s favorite because of the taste! The true taste of hops—vigorous and bracing. so deeply satisfying. The Best Brews in the World come from Carling’s for free home delivery phone: WA 2-7530 ° VU B-2636 ¢ LA 2-0343 THE CARLING BREWERIES (6.C) LIMITED This advertisement is not published or displayed by the Liquor Control Board or by the Government of British Columbia a Employers’ pressure them into acceptance in the United States and Cana Workers who have been victimized into acceptance of wage cuts failed to secure reliable information avail- able through their own unions and “pushed the panic button” without realizing the, importance of acting in concert with their fellow-workers, organized in the same industry. Every such instance is being ex- ploited to the hilt by the employers in an effort to convey the impression that some workers are showing “commonsense”, and helping to “keep the economy afloat”. In all such in- stances, it is reliably reported, com- pany profits are finally subsidized by the new sub-standard wage rates. 17-Cent An Hour Cut One Local Union meekly accepted Unions Alerted To Resist Wage Cut International unions have warned their members that em- ployers are taking advantage of the unemployment situation to of wage cuts. Well-laid plots make it appear to ill-informed workers that they must take lower wages or lose their jobs. This pressure is evident at many spots da. a 17-cent-an-hour wage cut, over the Protest of union members in com- panion locals, The company had threatened removal of the work to another plant in an unorganized area, Little was gained in security, for if the Local Union files a demand for a pay raise in two years, the company will then decide on whether to go ahead with the transfer of op- erations. The deal is working out fine for the firm. Some local unions have worked out speed-up plans to enable the company to maintain its profit posi- tion. Another group of workers agreed to work “payless weeks” to help the firm. Plans Profits Remain High The claims made by the manu- facturers are not consistent with the — facts. Profits remain at a high level. — When all the circumstances are 2 properly investigated, unions have F successfully resisted the threats made by the employers. The hold-the-line and pay-cut agreements are exceptions to the general trend, but are given promi- nence. Wage levels generally are — rising, without damage to the econ- omy. If wage levels decline, the re- sults would be disastrous, say the President's advisors. The situation directs attention to the importance of the work done by organized Jabour’s own research staffs. Workers are warned that they are easily victimized when they be- lieve the employers’ claims before they get the facts procured for them by the Unions. Following this our Canadian Goy- ernment rushed, almost insanely, into the purchase of Bomarc. The Govern- mental chorus echoed the swan song of the manned aircraft and ‘praised the glories of the nuclear missile. On February 10, 1961 our illus- trious and new Minister of De- fence stated: “Do the proponents of this plan (withdrawal from NORAD) as- sume that there is no longer a bomber threat to this continent ” (MONTREAL GAZETTE, FEB. 11, 1961) In just two short years the Gov- ernment of Canada has indicated that it is wandering around in a muddle, becoming smeared with the grime of confusion, and is leading Canada dir- ectly into the possession of nuclear weapons. Mr. Harkness, with the obvious tacit approval of the Government, is trying to throw Canada into the posi- tion of now buying Yankee made jet fighters. His outright condemnation of those whom he classifies as ‘neu- tralists’ and ‘pacifists’ is designed to pave the way for a gradual reversal of past government attitudes. Canadian Defence Shows Confusion On February 20, 1959 our illustrious Prime Minister stated: “In recent months it has come to be realized that the bomber threat against which the CF-105 was intended to provide defence has diminished, and alternative means of meeting the threat have been developed much earlier than was expected”. (PAGE 1221, HANSARD, FEB. 20, 1959) Canada’s military policy, under both the Liberals and Conservatives, has been such that if an individual in society acted the same way he would probably be committed to a mental hospital. We spent hundreds of mill- ions of dollars developing the Avro Arrow (CF-105). Then we ripped the Arrow to pieces with hack saws and cuting torches, presumably because we didn’t need it. We decided to place Bomarcs and nuclear war heads on Canadian soil. Now we are back in the position of buying the type of aircraft that we originally destroyed. And any who speak out against this madness are immediately classified as a bit mad themselves. Throughout all of this foolishness our Secretary of State for External Affairs is campaigning for disarma- ment. Who is going to believe that he is serious when we are building up our armaments at home? Apparently the adage of practicing what one preaches has been repealed by the Conservative government along with all the other adulterations and des- tructions of sense and logic that the Tories have engaged in. Scribes Secure Reforms Two Toronto Telegram report- ers, Frank Drea and Harry Allen, have captured the coveted Hey- wood Broun award of the American Newspaper Guild. The Broun award for the best ex- ample of crusading journalism in the past year went to Drea and Allen, both members of the Toronto News- paper Guild, for a series of articles last summer exposing squalid work- ing conditions of immigrant labour in the Toronto area. The Toronto re- porters are the first Canadians to win the award. Their series in the Telegram, touched off by a tunnel tragedy which killed five immigrants, pushed the Ontario government into setting up a commission on industrial safety, re- sulted in a crackdown on employer income tax and kickback violations and aided building trades unions in an organizing drive among thousands of immigrant workers in the housing field. Transfer Approved A U.S. Court of Appeal has de- cided that a worker is entitled to collect damages if the employer switches operations to another point and doesn’t transfer him. It was held that the worker was entitled to the transfer under the seniority clause in the agreement, although it mentioned no_ specific transfer privilege. The effect of the decision was that the worker held his rights because the contract cov- Labour Income Drops Labour income dropped 2.3 per cent between December, 1960 and January, 1961, according to the Dominion Bureau of Statistics. In January Canadian paid workers received an estimated $1,494,000,000 in the form of salaries, wages and supplementary income. ered work done in the shop, and not at the physical location. Unless the free world can both produce and share prosperity it cannot expect to claim convine- ingly that its way of life is super- ior to communism. — Mr. Harold Macmillan, so convenient... keep track of expenses with a CUR @ open your account with us today. CANADIAN BANK OF COMMERCE 800 Branches in British Columbia ACCOUNT @ you receive a monthly statement with your cancelled cheques. RENT