a ee eae ee a f ee” al 7y'We buy and sell By HAROLD PRITCHETT As the saying goes; ‘‘hindsight is better than foresight,” but at the risk of being guilty of this and for the purpose of assisting woodworkers to obtain a greater share of the results of their jJabor, I set forth some thoughts on the recent I.W.A. settlement. ” In view of the huge profit and roduction records of © the employers and the ever jncreasing living costs of the workers, the settlement was just not good enough. Anyone who aspires to -jeadership of 26,000 workers must know that the best defence is ‘‘Offence’’ and to force the employers to “‘pack the ball”, which throughout the 1968 negotiations they never did. At the outset of negotiations, the announcement by I.W.A. officials that owing to the strike jn the Interior, the strike fund was depleted — this was a defensive position. While strike funds are an important factor, working class solidarity is the most important factor. By announcing to the general public, the union membership and the posses that the strike fund is depleted and since major jmportance was placed on a strike fund, the union announced it was weak. ‘In a strike situation and negotiations, the most important jngredient is unshakable Used Furniture Sporting Goods We are Reasonable We are at 573 E. HASTINGS ST. Beaver Transfer oe ero ewe pce ES et ee ee Gs me om oe © ee om ~ MU 3-3942 "Workers Benevolent Assn. Of Canada Progressive Fraternal Society Caters to all your needs in the Life Insurance field LIFE INSURANCE ENDOWMENTS PENSION PLANS WEEKLY BENEFITS Apply to: B.C. office at 805 East Pender St. or National Office at 595 Pritchard Ave. Winnipeg 4, Manitoba ie lap, Sa TSS ae ‘Woodworkers ~ confidence in leadership, by the membership — and that is only obtaineq when the leadership confides jn the membership. After the union demands are democratically agreed to. membership participation was limited by top secrecy and the result is rumor and growing rank and file frustration. The workers become more susceptible to the employer’s influence through the commercial press, radio and television. With the enactment of Bill 33 by the Bennett government, at the behest of the monopoly employers, it gave a strong indication at the outset, that the employers intended to be tough. in negotiations. With this if mind, union officials should have entereq negotiations with 2 strike yote in their pocket instead of waiting for Billings to’ suggest in the early stages ot negotiations, that talks be suspended while the unio conducts a strike vote. If the membership had beef aroused to the employer offensive and the dangers inherent in Bill 33 with a 100% strike yote in their pocket, ther© would fave been no need tO Picket Billing’s office or make a appeal to ‘‘Wacky’’ Bennett by the union President to mak€ come back t9 . Negotiations. The union being jn an’ offensive position, Billings would pave been busting bS Billings pants to keep negotiations going- The threat of a strike, whethet™ sectional or complete, was 2! reality and is a tactical questio#! which must be decided by leader~ ship. Another tactical questio#! which creates concern amon8: the membership is that of 4 strike deadline. These questions: while important, are in the mais. determined by the over-all strength and in turn this is 2 policy question of mobiliziné union sypport from all Congres*: affiliates, the B.C. Federation of Labor and the many laboF councils throughout B.C. Also i# the king of job that is done if winning public support to the union position, against some 0 the biggest monopolies in B.C. In yiew of the wage settlements already achieve and the continued rise in livin8 costs, 50¢ per hour was not a excessive demand and certainl¥ not excessive if viewed in the light of excessive profits ar productjon records. It was obtainaple. Ironically, the 36¢ per hovt over two years Was half a percent Jower than the guide lit© set by gocred Minister of Labo? > Peterson. I Special Summer — Offer! TOURI: 21 Daysinthe U.S.S.R. TOUR Il: GLOBE 22 Days in Romania, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, German Democratic Republic Take Your Choice — Only INCLUDES EVERYTH|NG! 2679 E. Hastings St. as $989.00 TOURS PS as OK LEST QRS 253-1221 Vancouver 6, B.c. SAP a : . “Three re, CANES APS yaa GN Te 2 PACIFIC TRIBUNE—JULY 26, 1968-~Page 3 SPELT 2h RBG es could have won more’ Henderson mourned JACK HENDERSON, widely respected and loved civic leader, trade unionist and peace fighter, passed away last Saturday in his 87th year. Funeral service was held Wednesday at Mount Pleasant Funeral Chapel. The PT will pay a special tribute to him next week. Fececcccsecceccssesseeeeceves = OVALTINE CAFE 251 EAST HASTINGS Vancouver, B.C. QUALITY SERVICE TUTTE) seececcecogosese / DUNDAS B-A (WALL & DUNDAS ST.) Complete Auto Repair and Service for All Makes Government Certified Mechanic and Vv. W. SPECIALIST Ph. 255-6828 ANNUAL JULY 26 CELEBRATIONS ~ Hear JACK & HILDA PATTERN Speak & Show Slides on CUBA & 20 Other Latin American Countries SAT., JULY 27th - 8 P.M. FISHERMEN’S HALL 138 East Cordova St. Adm. $1.50 includes refreshments. ALL WELCOME Ausp: Canadian-Cuban Friendship Committee SERVICE By IWA OBSERVER Over the weekend of July 14-15 Coast woodworkers on the Mainland, Vancouver Island and the Queen Charlottes began balloting on proposed changes to their Master Agreement with Forest Industrial Relations (FIR). Following a down-the- middle split in the IWA negotiating committee, with the deciding vote being cast by Jack Moore, IWA Regional President, the proposed package was presented to woodworkers with a recommendation to accept. A widely held opinion among Victoria’s Woodworkers is that while the position of Sid Thompson, president IWA Local 217, to vote rejection was motivated more with an eye to the upcoming elections at the fall regional convention than any other concern over the real wage and fringe benefits for coast woodworkers, it is nonetheless understandable; but what he is attempting to speak for is a large body of opinion within the ranks, who are disgusted both with the inept tactics of the negotiation committee and the gaunt-looking settlement. Main features of the proposed settlement, on the plus side, include a 36-cent increase over two years, some minor changes in annual vacations and vacation pay. The value of the package is within Prime Minister Trudeau’s wage ‘‘guideline’’ of 6-percent. On the minus side, job evaluation, a discredited system of revising wage scales on new and changed job categories, has been extended to include sawmill workers. Previously it was in use . in the plywood section of the industry only. Further, additions to the “sanctity of the agreement”’ clause require union officers to ’ order workers back on the job. should they be forced to take action on their own to straighten out the mess which trade union bureaucrats and the lumber barons are creating. At this point, a more positive settlement, more in line with the real wage and fringe benefit neéds of the loggers and mill workers, and. more in line with what the ‘fat cat’ forest industry can pay, is all but lost. Leadership blunders, TED HARRIS 757 East Hastings St. Vancouver 4. B.C. Painters’ and Poperhangers’ Supplies — Sunworthy Wallpaper Reg. 45c—Now 19c a Roll ’ contributing to the creation of an unfavorable bargaining position were; a) Gutting of the | regional strike fund by the over lengthy 8- month Interior strike: b) No alternative steps, in the absence of a strike fund and in face of a tight employer collection, being taken to co- ordinate the wage drive by wood, pulp and steel; c) No education and mobilizing action to organize rank and file initiative down below; d) No program to win public opinion behind woodworkers; e) Dragging negotiations out too long, giving the employers a whole additional month to prepare and get set for a strike. It would appear that to extricate themselves from the confusion of this defeat and to ensure that never again does the IWA get trapped into this kind of a situation, that the next steps ahead for woodworkers will be to elect as many delegates as possible to the IWA Regional’ convention, who are committed to policies and leadership which will unite woodworkers around a militant class program of ‘revitalizing and rebuilding the union. Past experience should lead thoughtful woodworkers to conclude that such a program must spell out action to insure: 1) A democratic leadership which will keep the rank-and-file informed, and not in the dark; 2) A democratic leadership which will work to strengthen grass roots organization in the camps and mills: 3) A democratic leadership which will.encourage rank and file initiative in struggle — not undermine it; 4) A democratic leadership which will cemént a_ broad alliance of all workers and the unions in the forest industry in particular, and in the broad movement of labor in general. DRY CLEANING 8 Ibs. $2. .25¢ each additional lb. Drapes, Blankets, clothing, etc. You leave it - We do it. 2 HOUR SERVICE LAUNDRETTE 2633 Commercial Dr. Phone 879-9956 Classified Advertising BUSINESS PERSONALS HALLS FOR RENT REGENT TAILORS LTD.—Cus- tom Tailors and Ready-to- Wear. 324 W. Hastings St. MU 1-8456 or 4441 E. Has- tings — CY 8-2030. See Henry Rankin for personal service, UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT 34 TRANSFER — 1656 East Broad- way. ALL MOVING JOBS rea- sonable. CALL: MR. TURNER 874-5410. WEST END RADIO — Special- izing in TV Repairs. Latest precision equipment used. (Formerly OK Radio Service). Now at 1721 Robson Street. MU 3-2618. CLINTON HALL, 2605 E. Pender, Available for banquets, meet- - ings, weddings, etc. Phone _* 253-7414. RUSSIAN PEOPLE'S HOME — Available for meetings, ban-. quets and weddings at reasun- able rates. 600 Campbell Avé. ; 254-3430. UKRAINIAN CANADIAN CUL- TURAL CENTRE — 805 East. Pender St., Vancouver 4. Available for Banquets, “ed- dings. Meetings. Phone: 254- 3436 or 876-9693. NOTICES “RUSSIAN TAUGHT TO begin- ners and advanced students. PHONE 683-4665. IT PAYS to sell the Pacific Tribune — Call E. Crist Circulation 685-5288 PENDER Auditorium] (Marine Workers) 339 West Pender Phone MU 1-9481 Large and Small Halls for Rentals 3 a 7 4 4