t AP > epegnammennmnen _ involved in seeking the new | _eemerpeemeasit THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER re NORTHWOOD MEMBERS TAKE STRIKE VOTE Northwood Pulp members of Local 1-424 IWA Prince George, have voted 94.5 per- cent in favour of strike action to back up their demands to gain wage parity with the coast and Southern Interior mem- bers. Approximately 3,500 are agreement. Heading up the negotiations for the Union is Local President Jim Mitchell who stated they are seeking a wage increase of 87 cents an hour in a two-year agreement. The present base rate in the Northwood Pulp operations is $3.58 per hour. The contracts dates which vary in the operations expire August 31 and October 1. E.H.B. WILL PROVIDE BETTER MEDICAL PLAN By BEN THOMPSON Local 1-71 First Vice-President The inclusion of E.H.B. in the newly negotiated Coast Master Agreement will make ‘“‘total’’ medical coverage more mean- ingful to 28,000 IWA members and their families. The Ex- tended Health Benefits Plan provides protection against the extra out-of-pocket expenses which tend to accompany most illnesses. Benefits: Brochures will soon be made available to all participants but, in brief, benefits include: x Drugs and medicines when prescribed by attending physician. : Treatment of licensed Chiropractor or Naturo- path($150.00 per person; $300.00 per family year). Treatment of licensed Osteopathic Physician. Treatment by licensed Physiotherapist ordered by attending physician. * * * x Treatment by licensed ’ Podiatrist. : * Fees of private R.N. nurses ordered by attending physician. x Charges for oxygeh, prothetic appliances, crutches, splints, casts, trusses, braces when or- dered by attending physician. Ambulance service in an emergency. Dental service required as the result of an injury or accident. Hospital room accommoda- tion above normal standard ward. Hospital room accommoda- tion out-of-Province in an *% * *% * emergency while travel- lin ; Reasonable charges for physicians services in an emergency while travelling or on vacation outside of B.C. over and above amount allowed under basic medical coverage. How plan works Reimbursement is made for 80 percent of all eligible ex- penses in excess of ONE $25.00 deductible per person or family each calendar year. If in any calendar year the eligible expenses do not exceed the deductible $25.00, the ex- penses incurred during the last three months of a calendar year may be applied against the deductible for the next calendar year. How Claims are submitted 1. When a member or his family has accumulated receipts for more than the deductible in eligible ex- penses, obtain a claim form from the employer or Local Union. 2. SEPARATE claim forms must be completed and submitted for EACH member of the family along with receipts. 3. Receipts will all be returned as soon as the claim has been processed. NOTE: Members are urged not to wait until the end of the calendar year, but to submit their claims as soon as you have accumulated receipts in excess of the required deduct- ible. Following this practise will result in faster processing and reimbursement of members’ claims. x GRAPHIC ARTS UNION NEGOTIATES NEW PLAN Union members, employed in the graphic arts industry, negotiated a supplementary unemployment benefits pro- gram in a new contract. The benefit scheme, com- bining Unemployment In- surance Premiums, assures 75 pereent of regular wages per week for a period of 51 weeks. Workers, members of the Lithographers and Photo- engravers International Union, are covered by the new plan in . Hamilton, Windsor, » Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal. employee earning $200 a ean receive $150 in a layoff period, with $100 coming from the Unemployment In- surance Commission and $50 from the union-employer plan. The Canadian Lithographers Association — Council of Printing Industries contribute $2.50 per week per employee to finance the fund. The benefit plan is portable, for the 2,500 LPIU members under the contract. William Rastin, president of the LPIU Local 247 in London, com- mented it is the first plan of its type in Canada in the graphics arts industry. AT HUDSON BAY, SASK. 40% WAGE INCREASE WON Seventy-four members of Local 1-184 IWA employed in the bush by the Aspenite Contractors Association, Hudson Bay, Saskatchewan, have won a new 29-month agreement which boosts wages and benefits by nearly 40 percent. Negotiating the agreement for the Union were Regional 3rd Vice-President Stan Parker aided by Local Business Agent Art Friske and Committee members Barry Gagnon, Robert Pahlke and Neal Menard. The crew had struck the operation June 23 following a breakdown in negotiations. STAN PARKER The old agreement expired last April 1. The hourly wage increases gained — all of which are heavily loaded on the front end of the agreement, ranged from 90 cents for labourers to $1.52 for fallers and buckers. Cooks, who under the old agreement earned as low as $50.00 per week, will now earn $100.00 per week during the first year, $110.00 per week February 1, 1973, and $120.00 per week January 1, 1974. Fringe benefits negotiated include a Health & Welfare Plan fully paid for by the employer plus a floating Statutory Holiday bringing the total to ten. GABELMANN NDP CANDIDATE IN NORTH VAN— SEYMOUR RIDING Colin Gabelmann, Legisla- tive and Political Action Director for the B.C. Federation of Labour, has been chosen the New Democratic Party candidate to contest the North Vancouver-Seymour seat in the provincial election. Colin was raised in Osoyoos, attended UBC and worked in a variety of jobs. : For the last three years he has been the Legislative and Political. Action Director for the B.C. Federation of Labour. He has been a member of Local 580, Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union for four years. Active in the NDP for 12 years, Colin Gabelmann has served on the Provincial and Federal Executives of the Party, has worked as a full- time organizer and recently, at the request of the Ontario NDP travelled to Ontario to serve as campaign manager for Ontario NDP Leader Stephen Lewis. He represents the Federa- tion on a number of com- munity organizations includ- ing the United Co-op Housing Society, the Social Policy and Research Committee of the U.C.S., and the Lay Advisory Committee of the College of Family Physicians. As Legislative Director, he has assisted a number of trade unionists with difficult. Work- men’s Compensation problems. As the trade unionist with the best chance of winning in the next provincial election, Colin Gabelmann may be the first trade unionist for several years to sit in the Legislature to present the views of the labour move- ment. His extensive political experience, combined with his Federation work, ensure that he is fully equipped to do an effective job in this role, if elected. SURVEY SHATTERS WELFARE MYTHS A survey by the Canadian Council on Social Development may help shatter many myths about young people on welfare. A random sampling of 300 youthful welfare applicants in cities found: e Most did not come from well-off families. e The average education was Grade 10. e Most were single males, with their average age 20. e Most grew up in the country, not in big cities. e Most live away from home, and 55 percent grew up in places other than the city in which they applied for welfare. e Most had held jobs. e Few were obviously or admittedly deeply involved with drugs. : “The study showed that, generally speaking, young people looking for social assist- ance appear to be legitimately in need.”’ It also confirmed statistical evidence that the current high rate of unemployment is a sig- nificant cause for the major rise in the number of young people applying for assistance. The study found little co- ordination and communication among departments and agencies of federal or provincial government on youth programs. On the com- munity level, youth are generally barred from the decision-making process that affects their future. “Our confused reaction to their needs suggests the urgency of radical shifts in public attitudes and values,” the report says. And the young people wanted more than financial help. They wanted counselling for their problems, and, more than any- thing ‘“‘to be recognized and treated as a person.” The reports recommenda- tions include a national policy conference on the needs of young people, a _ federal- provincial-municipal _confer- ence of welfare officials on the problems of youth and social assistance, a country-wide net- work of housing for youth, and a network of youth manpower centres, separate from but co- ordinated with Canada Man- power Centres. Above all “‘provincial educa- tion departments and local school board should examine their goals and practices for preparing young people for a rapidly changing society.” POPULATION CLIMBS Statistics Canada estimated the Canadian population at 21,788,000 on April 1, up one percent since the June 1, 1971, census. At the present rate of increase Statistic Canada now estimates the population will reach 22,000,000 by next January 20.