2nd Issue July, 1964 THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER BOARD E XPLODES CHARGES Local 1-217 censured for malicious, disruptive act Charges of unconstitutional action against the Regional Executive 1-217 have been censured by resolution of the Regional Executive Board, with only two dissenting votes. The Board's resolution implies that no justification exists for reference to the International President of decisions of the Board established under precedents approved by Regional Conventions. Members of the Board took strong exception to action which suggested trustee- ship for Region 1, to deprive the membership of the right to control their own affairs. This was wholly unwarranted, it was claimed, because of failure to substantiate the charges. As a result of the charges, International President Hartung, in compliance with the provisions of the Constitution, called two officers of the Local Union and the Region into consultation. On that occa- sion he made no ruling nor did he issue any order. Board by the officers of Local bers of the Union. At a subsequent meeting, the Regional Executive Board decided to call for a special meeting of the International Executive Board to consider the situation arising from the charges. It was claimed by members of the Board that all those charged by Local 1-217 should be heard in their own defence. It was also considered that the nature of the charges are such as to require immediate clarification for the information of the mem- Regional President Jack Moore stated that the members of the Union are entitled to a full disclosure of all the facts to assure them that the financial integrity of the Regional administra- tion has been maintained despite the accusations of Local 1-217. The full text of the resolution adopted by the Regional Executive Board, dealing with the charges, is quoted below: Resolution discloses facts. WHEREAS: The Officers of Local 1-217 have formally charged the Regional Officers and the Regional Executive Board with viola- tions of Article VI, Section 5(c) of the Regional Constitution relating to the administration of the strike fund, and WHEREAS: no sums have been disbursed from the strike fund for the purposes alleged, namely, to explain the terms of the settlement proposed by Conciliation Officer Fisher in the Coast negotiations this year and the recom- mendation of the Policy Committee, and WHEREAS: the officers of Local 1-217 have requested the intervention of the International President under a section of the International Constitution intended to safeguard the Union against criminal acts on the part of its officials and have thereby deliberately slandered the Regional Officers and the Regional Executive Board; and WHEREAS: the International Constitution states, “Each Regional Council Constitution shall contain a provision establishing a strike fund,” thereby indicating that the strike fund so established in Region 1 is entirely within the jurisdiction of the membership in Region 1, an WHEREAS: the section of the International Constitution invoked by the officers of Local 1-217 against the Regional Officers and the Regional Executive Board indicates their desire to have Region 1 placed under a trusteeship, without conclusive evidence of malfeasance in office, to deprive IWA members in Region 1 of the control of their own affairs, and WHEREAS: the charges made by the offi- cers of Local 1-217, if upheld, would declare illegal the procedures in regard to disburse- ments from the strike fund in past years as approved by Regional conventions, and WHEREAS: the officers of Local 1-217 sub- mitted claims in 1957 for reimbursement from the strike fund for expenses totalling $3,073.39 for such items as radio programs, lost-time pay for fifteen scrutineers and hall rentals, which were paid from the strike fund in a year when no strike occurred. Ifthe past procedures were illegal Local 1-217 profited thereby more than any other Local Union and would have protested non-payment of their claim at the time, and WHEREAS: by acceptance of such reim- bursement, Local 1-217 officers gave approval to practices consistently followed by the Union in past years which they now allege to be illegal and unconstitutional, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: That the Regional Executive Board condemn the action taken by the officers. of Local 1-217 in making groundless charges against the Regional Of- ficers and the Regional Executive Board as motivated by malice, with the obvious inten- tion of disrupting the activities presently en- trusted to the Regional Officers and the Regi- onal Executive Board for unworthy political purposes, and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That this Regi- onal Executive Board does now state that the Regional Officers received explicit majority instructions from the Regional Executive Board relating to the strike fund which are now im- properly alleged to be unconstitutional and illegal and declare such allegations to consti- tute cheap political disruption, creating sus- picion and confusion by baseless innuendoes in order to serve the political ambitions of the accusers, and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That the opinion of the Regional Executive Board as stated herein be communicated to the entire mem- bership of the International Union and the general public, that the good name of the Union may ‘be cleared. ALBERTA BOARD UPHOLDS IWA Company union rebuffed, strikers hold rights * * * DECISION APPEALED, The Alberta Board of In- dustrial Relations has upheld the protest of the IWA and ruled that an employees’ as- sociation formed of strike- breakers in the planing mill of North Canadian Forest In- dustries Ltd., Grande Prairie, is not a proper bargaining agent and cannot therefore be certified. North Canadian Forest Industries Ltd., Grande Prairie, is a wholly- owned subsidiary of Cana- dian Forest Products Ltd., Vancouver, B.C. Counsel for the Company supported the application on behalf of the newly-formed employees’ as- sociation. FIRST ON RECORD The Board records the fact that this was the first instance in its history when such an application had been ma os during the progress of a lega strike. The IWA strike has been in progress since August 1963, with constant mainten- ance of picket lines. The IWA contended before the Board that the applica- tion was illegal, inasmuch as it would accomplish the re- vocation of the IWA certifica- tion, destroy the status of em- ployees on strike and sanc- tion the formation of a com- pany union as defined in the Alberta Labour Relations Act. In its statement of reasons for the judgment, the Board made the following points. REMAINS A LEGAL STRIKE The strike is a legal strike and remains a legal strike un- til settled. The employees engaged in strike action shall be deemed to be employees of the Com- pany. The decision of the Supreme Court of Ontario in the Royal York Hotel, Toron- to, strike was cited. The eighteen strikers out of the original fifty-two who have sought other employment can- not be assumed to have ter- minated their employment with the Company. Thirty- seven persons retain an inter- est and participation in the strike, although only nineteen are actually on the picket line. It is illogical to suggest that the employees now gainfully employed by the Company should be indefinitely barred from the right to join a trade union and enjoy collective bargaining privileges. UNFAIR LABOUR PRACTICE The meeting of thirty-nine employees which adopted a constitution for their employ- ees’ association was held on company time, on the Com- pany’s premises with payment of wages for those in atten- dance. The Articles of Incorpora- tion for the employees’ asso- ciation conferred unusual dic- tatorial authority on the Di- rectors of the Association for a maximum period of sixteen months. JOHNSON SUED * Application has been made to the Alberta Supreme Court by the newly-formed employ- ees’ association of strike- breakers in the planing mill controlled by Canadian For- est Products in Grande Prai- rie to set aside the decision of the Board of Industrial Rela- tions upholding the IWA cer- tification. Steps have been taken by the IWA Regional Executive Board to oppose the motion in court. Notice has also been given by counsel for the employ- ees’ association that Keith Johnson, Financial Secretary, Local 1-207 will be sued for libel and defamation of char- acter for calling the strike- breakers “scabs” on a radio program. The apology de- manded has not been tend- * * ered by Johnson. The Region- al Executive Board prepared to defend his interests in court. The strike situation in Grande Prairie was reviewed by the Regional Executive Board during its recent meet- ing. Instructions were issued that a communication be ad- dressed to Canadian Forest Products Ltd. requesting the company’s participation in genuine mediation to settle the strike issues. The President of the Al- berta Federation of Labour has been notified of the cir- cumstances and advised that lumber shipped from the plan- ing mill in Grande Prairie is produced behind a legitimate IWA picket line.