THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER AUTHORIZED AS SECOND CLASS MAIL, POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT, OTTAWA, AND FOR PAYMENT OF POSTAGE IN CASH. WORKER. Vol. XXXVI, No. 21 VANCOUVER, B.C. 5c PER COPY BROADWAY PRINTERS LTD. 1st Issue November, 1968 bas \ THREE IWA OFFICERS | ELECTED TO FEDERATION A major upset in the B.C. Federation of Labour elec- tions was the defeat suffered by incumbent Third Vice- President Len Guy at the hands of popular Charles Stewart of the Amalgamated Transit Union. JACK MacKENZIE ...» elected by acclamation. Stewart beat out Guy for the third vice-presidency post by a vote of 253 to 208. Ray Haynes, easily retained his post of Federation Secre- tary, when he was opposed by Tom Clarke, Ist Vice-Presi- dent of Local 1-217 IWA Van- couver. The vote was 337 to 134. IWA Regional Ist Vice- President Jack MacKenzie was elected the Federation’s 1st Vice-President by accla- mation, taking over from Re- gional President Jack Moore who declined to run this year. Other top officers elected by acclamation included: President E. T. Staley, George Johnson, 2nd Vice-President; Don Crabbe, 4th Vice-Presi- dent, and F. S. Dunphy, 5th Vice-President. The 5th Vice- Presidency is a new post, ap- proved by convention action this year. Elected to the thirteen-man executive were: John Squire, Business Agent and Recording Secre- See “ELECTIONS”—Page 2 aoe elected to. Council ~ TLAND GI AND BU BARLENDERS UNION } LOCAL 676 CONVENTION ENDORSES BILL 33 CAMPAIGN STRATEGY PLANNED BY SPECIAL CONFERENCE Increased unemployment, restrictive labour legislation and the political apathy of trade union members, were a few of the many problems discussed by the 450 delegates attending the 13th Annual Convention of the B.C. Fed- eration of Labour, November 4-8, in Vancouver. In a convention, less dominated by politics than last year, delegates conducted an enormous amount of business, heard from numerous guest speakers, and elected new officers for the year. Highlighting the discussion on the opening day was the debate on Bill 33. Delegates gave approval to the strategy campaign mapped out to fight Bill 33 by the special confer- ence last March. This propos- ed calling on all unions to re- fuse to participate in proceed- ings before the mediation commission while the compul- sory and other objectionable clauses remain in the legisla- tion. -The only major crack to split the unity of the conven- tion developed over the ad- mittance of the United Fisher- men and Allied Workers’ Un- ion to the CLC. The Fishermen’s Union, which has been accused of Communist domination, had applied for affiliation. Pro- fishermen delegates charged during the debate that the CLC was stalling on the issue. Federation President Al Staley, a member of the CLC executive council, denied this. He stated that the initial ap- plication of the Fishermen had omitted to say that the Union would abide by the CLC con- stitution. By the time the ap- plication had been sent back and returned with the obliga- tion, the Fishermen’s Union and the Packinghouse Work- ers’ Union (a CLC affiliate) were in the middle of merger discussions. Due to these dis- cussions, the CLC decided to table the application to see if the merger would be affected. One other major flare - up occurred when the Report on manpower, automation and technological changes, stated that a three percent unem- ployment level was tolerable. This statement angered the delegates who had the Report referred back to the commit- tee with instructions to incor- porate a clear statement that every worker willing and able © to work should be employed. The executive reported dur- ing the convention that the membership of the B.C. Fed- eration stands at an all-time high of 136,000. This is an in- crease of 3,192 over last year. There are now 87 unions with 282 locals affiliated to the Fed- eration. Notwithstanding this mem- ss THREE MEMBERS of the O.P.E.I.U. who took an active bership increase, delegates were informed that the Feder- ation was ‘in financial difficul- ties and affiliates would be asked to approve a dues in- crease next year. The cost of fighting injunc- tions and the operating losses sustained by the Federation’s newspaper, The Labour Statesman, were the chief fac- tors responsible for the or- ganization running in the red, Secretary Haynes told the convention. The present dues are now See “CONVENTION”—P. 2 interest in the Convention affairs were Opal Skilling, Judy Barrs and Jean Mohart, who made a strong plea for women’s rights in labour relations when the Report of the Federation’s Human Rights Committee was debated.