2nd Issue
May, 1966

LETTER TO PETERSON

THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER

MINISTER CRITICIZED

The following is a copy of the letter sent to the Hon.
L. R. Peterson, Minister of Labour, by Regional Presi-
dent Jack Moore advising the Minister that the IWA
Coast Negotiating Committee regretted the appointment
of an Industrial Inquiry Commissioner without prior
consultation with the Committee.

The letter clearly indicates that the Committee in-
tended no disrespect to Mr. Justice Nemetz in its criti-
cism of the Minister’s action.
Hon, L. R. Peterson,
Minister of Labour,
VICTORIA, B.C.
Dear Mr. Peterson:

‘

This will advise you that the members of the IWA -

Coast Negotiating Committee are deeply perturbed that
at this stage of our dispute with the coast lumber op-
erators you have appointed an Industrial Inquiry Com-
missioner, We consider it regrettable that our Union was
not consulted about this step. No request was made by

‘REGION 3

STRIKE VOTE

“International Woodworker”

PORTLAND, Ore. — With
topheavy approval of a strike
authorization ballot, IWA
members in Western States
Regional Council No. 3 have
served notice on employers
that the Woodworkers are
prepared to back up demands
for a_ substantial share of
profits their labor has produc-

Mae f

ARM,

ed over the past three years.

The Regional Tabulating
Committee announced the fol-
lowing vote in the referendum
on strike authorization:

YES—16,282.

NO—1,262.

our Committee for such an appointment.
In the circumstances, we can only regard Govern-
ment intervention as a preemptory order to cease col-
lective bargaining before any genuine bargaining had
occurred and yield to the opinions of your appointee as
arbiter, ; :
Our Union desires an early and mutually satisfactory
settlement of the dispute but this will not be facilitated
by immediate reference to the Commissioner. This is
samt indicated by the position in which the dispute now
, stands. ae

In advising the Union of the recommendation of the

Conciliation Officer, your Deputy Minister suggested that
a strike vote was a permissible next step. The Union acted
on this suggestion. At that point, no area of settlement
‘ had been disclosed and no terms of settlement could be
submitted to the members of our Union.
The voting of 23,337 IWA members must now be re-
garded by our Committee as a 95% emphatic mandate
to demand genuine collective bargaining with the em-
ployers, failing which, strike action is authorized. Our
primary responsibility is to keep faith with our Union’s
: members. ‘

The Committee, therefore, considers it imperative and
urgent that negotiations with the employers be resumed
without any delay and without an intermediary. Forest
Industrial Relations Limited has been so advised. Direct
confrontation is essential so that the issues actually in dis-
j pute may be more clearly defined. Only eighteen days

remain before the expiration of the master agreement.
We appreciate your desire to avert the danger of an
industry-wide strike. On the other hand, you will ap-
preciate that we must exercise our collective bargaining
rights to the utmost on behalf of our Union’s members.
y We must protest any form of government intervention
that curbs such rights. Experience has shown that full
, use of collective bargaining procedures has been the best
method of settling industrial disputes.

We intend no disrespect to Mr. Justice Nemetz whose
juridical capabilities and integrity command our esteem.
We point out, however, that a number of complex issues
; are in dispute with which he cannot possibly familiarize
himself in the short time at bis disposal. We believe that
the direct negotiations requested would greatly strengthen
his powers of mediation, if reauired, at a later stace.
We ask you to accept our point of view and suspend
intervention until the possibilities of collective bargatung
are more fully explored,

Yours sincerely,
J. A. MOORE,
‘ Chairman,
IWA Coast Negotiating
Committee
4 ee: W. H. Sands, Deputy Minister of Labour
The Hon. Mr. Justice N. T. Nemetz

RA

WHALEN

Well if we DO go on strike | couldn’t think of a better
place fer a picket line!

ON THE LIGHTER SIDE

Tourists in Ireland are un-
derstandably reluctant to buy
ceramic souvenirs stamped
* “Made in Japan.” But the
. Japanese have gotten around
_ the problem, and the souv-

enirs are reported to be sell-
‘ ling very well indeed. The

A woman was boasting to
her neighbor about her highly
successful son. “He lives in a
beautiful apartment and wears
hundred-dollar suits, and he
goes to Europe every year.
Not only that, he goes to a
fancy doctor — he lies on a

, brie-a-brac is still stamped couch and talks to him for an
“Made in Japan” — but in hour and pays him $25 a

Gaelic, oa visit.”
* ssi a = peat The friend was impressed.

A eertain scree: “Twenty-five dollars a_ visit!
( Saale cae What on earth do they talk

_ how she knew they were bout?”
_ authentic, she replied: “About me,” was the proud
_ “They keep pinching me.” _ reply.

U-10938-1