“ THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER WON BY CANIM LAKE CREW ‘The 250 members of Local 1- 424 IWA employed at Weld- wood Canada’s Canim Lake sawmill and plywood division, at 100 Mile House, approved a new contract which will give them wage parity with the coast by September 1, 1972. The agreement provides for a 70-cent-an-hour increase in the first two years of the three- year contract. In the last year, employees will get a 14-cent catch-up increase plus all wage increases negotiated by coastal woodworkers. In addition, the agreement calls for the crew to receive all coast fringe benefits by Sep- tember 1, 1972. The Canim Lake operation was the last of the companies represented by the Northern Interior Lumbermen’s Association to sign with the Union. The plant has been’ shut down since November 17, when the sawmill, which is under a different certification than the. plywood division, went on strike to back up contract demands. The plywood employees could not legally strike until the following week but they walked off the job next day when the sawmill picket lines went up. The operation is one of the few whose contract provides the right for the crew to honour a legal picket line. The officers of Local 1-424 report that as the result of this year’s settlements in the NILA, over a third of the 3,800 employees receive now or will by September 1, 1972, wage parity with the coast. ae 2 call ij dt A NEW REGIONAL OFFICERS and board members are installed in office by IWA In- ternational Ist Vice-President Keith Johnson at the Regional Executive Board meeting held November 24. Group left, Fred Fieber, Secretary-Treasurer; Stan Parker, 3rd Vice- President; Jack Munro, 2nd Vice-President; Jack Moore, President; Wyman Trineer, Ist Vice-President; Walter Allen, International Executive Board Member; S. A. ‘Bill’ Muir, International Executive Board Member; Keith Johnson. ‘OVIDES FOR DAYS OFF AT CHRISTMAS Wir It took almost 10 weeks of Strike, but 400,000 General Motors workers got the in- dustry’s pattern-setting UNIONS MERGE A merger between United America and the United Stone and Allied Products Workers has been formally approved by the executive council of the Canadian Labour Congress, CLC President Donald Mac- Donald announced today. The merger, to take effect Jan. 1, was approved by the 1970 conventions of the two unions. The merger statement stressed ‘‘more_ effective bargaining and organizing.” Total international mem- bership of the Steelworkers is 1,300,000 and there are 20,000 Stoneworkers. The Canadian headquarters of the merged union, which will be known as the United Steelworkers of America, will be in Toronto. the Steelworkers ~ of.~ contract from the world’s richest corporation. Canadian UAW members were studying the agreement in Canada as their negotiators tried to pry the same terms out of company officials in this country. Twenty-five thousand GM strikers joined their U.S. brethren in the two-country Shutdown =~." sso. The union made .substantial ‘wage improvements, some 20 per cent for most, over average pre-strike earnings of $4 an hour (with overtime and premiums). : The 30-and-out retirement plan promoted by the union was a major advance for the union, although the company resisted UAW attempts for retirement at any age with three decades’ service and $50 a month. The ceiling was removed from the cost-of- living escalator. Ten Days Off Next year and in 1972 the plants will shut from the day before Christmas through New Year’s Day. With weekends, it means 10 straight days off with pay. * Gordon 7 \WA Haney, were sworn in by Regional 2nd Vice-President ly meeting held November 28 in Mission. Group left, Claypool, Warden; Erik Wood, Financial dent; Art Stark, Ist Vice-President; Morris On out-of-the-plant issues, the employees will be eligible for a tuition refund from the company up to $500 for com- pleting job-related courses at an accredited college. Wages go up 50 cents an hour in most classes. Sixteen cents an hour owed the union above the previous 19-cent hourly cap on the cost-of-living was ap- plied to the old base rates ‘for assemblers and machinery operators of $3.59. The 19-cent COL bonus made the real rate $3.78. So new money is actually 47 cents, about 12.4 per cent, or $4.25 an hour. Base Rate $4.51 Two annual improvements of 3 per cent will be made on the anniversary date, Sept. 14, of the new contract. For assemblers, this will mean another 13 cents an hour each year for a total of 76 cents plus cost of living. The base will be $4.51 in 1972. The cost of living will be worth one cent an hour more for each .4 increase in the consumer price index — no matter how high it gets. A four- percent annual rise in the new | ] contract will mean an extra 35 cents by the time the last adjustment is made in June, 1973. Higher Benefits With 30 years’ service em- ployees may retire with the new higher maximum benefit, $500 a month in company-paid and government-paid pen- sions, at as young as 58. (The previous minimum age had been 60 at $400 top.) At 57 a 30-year man will be able to leave on $460 a month. After October, 1972, the plan gets better with retirement after 30 years’ service available at 56. At age 48, a 30- year employee could get $180 after October, 1972. There is now no age for retirement with some benefit; it had been 55. LIGHTER SIDE Larry the lumber salesman says that the husbands in Honolulu also have roving eyes. “The grass always looks greener in some other girl’s skirt,” he reports. elected’ by SALTER RE-ELECTED Max = Salter, President of Local 1-363 IWA Courtenay, was re-elected president along with his entire slate in the referendum ballot just concluded in the Local Union. Elected with Salter were Bud Berkenstock, Ist Vice- President; L. Scott, 2nd Vice- President; John Planondon, 3rd Vice-President; Karl Lidberg, Financial Secretary, acclamation; Warden, J. Bandet; Conductor, Ray Williams; Recording Secretary, Russ Williams; Trustee, W. Bannerman. Salter was also elected Regional Executive Board Member and Kar] Lidberg was elected alternate Board Member. What about that Retirement Savings Plan you were going fo start this year? You know, the one with: e NO ACQUISITION OR WITHDRAWAL COSTS © INCOME TAX SAVINGS © VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTIONS © 3 INVESTMENT PLANS CHOICES: Guaranteed Principal & Interest at 81%4% for 5 Years INCOME FUND 16 East Broadway Telephone 872-7844 Owned and Controlled by Credit Unions and Co-operati GROWTH FUND CO-OPERATIVE TRUST COMPANY OF CANADA Vancouver 10, B.C. ves in Western Canada — long-time .