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THE WESTERN CANADIAN

LUMBER

AUTHORIZED AS SECOND CLASS MAIL, POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT, OTTAWA, AND FOR PAYMENT OF POSTAGE IN CASH.

WORKER

Vol. XXXVI, No. 18

VANCOUVER, B.C.

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BROADWAY cca PRINTERS LTO.

2nd Issue

September, 1968

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IWA delegates attending the 31st Annual Constitutional Convention in the Hotel Georgia, September 9-13, in Vancouver
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NDP LEADER

THANKS LABOR'S SUPPORT

In a vivid and hard hitting
speech, T. C. Douglas, Federal
Leader of the New Demo-
eratic Party and NDP candi-
date in Nanaimo - Cowichan
and the Islands, demonstrated
to the IWA Regional Conven-
tion, September 11th, that the
legislative aims of the trade
union movement and the
NDP coincide and interlock.

The popular speaker, who
received a standing ovation,

expressed appreciation for the
support tendered the NDP in

the June 25th Federal general

T. C. “TOMMY” DOUGLAS

DOUGLAS

the CCF has never been in
power. Ask yourself: what is
power?

“Truth is power, ideas are
power, programmes are
power. By that standard your
movement has been in power
for a long time. You have
forced reluctant governments
to do things they would never
have done if you hadn’t been
there.”

“This will be known as the
century of revolution,” he
said. An ad hoc Committee of
experts had warned President
Johnson of the “triple revolu-
tion” now under way. Tech-
nology was changing the face
of the world; the poor and
forgotten people demand a

voice in national affairs: and

all over the world there is a
growing mass protest against

1 all forms of imperialism.
These revoluti ges,
ot.

r See “DOUGLAS

Convention,

PRIOR TO JAN. 31, 1969

“SPECIAL CONVENTION” CALLED
TO STUDY UNION STRIKE FUND

The political static which
occasionally enlivened the
proceedings of the 3lst IWA
Annual Convention, Vancou-
ver September 9th to 13th,
did not deter the 162 dele-
gates in attendance from mak-
ing substantial progress with
a heavy agenda.

It was apparent, however,
that the previously-announced
challenge to the administra-
tion intluenced alignments in
some debates and provoked
several roll-call votes as tests
of strength. Certainly, the
election of Regional Officers
was a topic under constant
discussion in the corridors and
in the caucus rooms. After
nominations, it was realized
that the Convention had set
the stage for one of the most
hotly-contested elections
known in the IWA. Only the
tabulation of the vote after
October 23rd will determine
the outcome of this particular
debate. Nominations are re-
ported elsewhere in this issue.

The approaching elections
were responsible for the post-
ponement of decisions on a
number of urgent and contro-
versial questions.

SPECIAL CONVENTION

The decision was reached to
initiate a study of all aspects
of the strike fund adminis-
tration and report on same at
a special convention to be
held prior to January 31st,
1969. The challengers ex-
plained that they did not de-
sire this to be an issue during
the election campaign.

PER CAPITA TAX

Any discussion of an in-
crease in the Regional per
capita tax will be reported
upon after preparation of a
revised budget by the Re-
gional Executive Board to be
reported upon at the next

NEGOTIATION -
PROCEDURES

Suggested improvements in
negotiating procedures were
referred for study and con-
sideration by the next Con-
vention: The Convention de-
feated a resolution which
would have provided repre-
sentation on the basis of mem-
bership strength, with a
spokesman’s smaller commit-

tee.
JOB EVALUATION
Job evaluation in both the
plywood and sawmill sections
will be under review by two
delegated Conferences to be
called prior'to May 1969.
OFFICERS‘ REPORT
As usual the Officers’ Re-
port was referred to the Offi-
cers’ Report Committee. This
Committe reported on the
final day of the Convention.

The report, which is publish-
ed in full elsewhere in this
issue provided the occasion
for a hard-hitting debate be-
tween the contenders for of-
fice nominated the previous
day. ; Fe
Although the Committee

“commended the 1968 Coast

Negotiating Committee and
the IWA members on strike
in the Southern Interior, both
items were hotly debated.

Charges of mismanagement
of the strike levelled by Syd
Thompson and his supporters,
were refuted by the three
Local Union Presidents who
had formed the Southern In-

_ terior Negotiating Committee.

3 CANDIDATES FOR
REGIONAL OFFICE — PAGE 6-7

Jack Moore took the floor to
disclose facts not previously
known to the majority of the
delegates. He disclaimed per-
sonal responsibility for events
in the Interior prior to his
term of office and contended
that he had correctly perform-
ed his duty in the implementa-
tion of majority membership
decisions.

In this matter, as in refer-
ences to the 1968 Coast nego-
tiations, the delegates were
left to choose between Thomp-
son’s bitter condemnation of
Moore’s record and Moore’s
cool statement of the facts as
disclosed on the record.

The Convention adopted the
Committee’s report without
amendment.

Recorded below in summary
are the main decisions reach-
ed by the Convention.

CONVENTION DECISIONS
The Regional Convention:
© Instructed that Local

Unions shall in future conduct

a Regional ballot in accord-

ance with the provisions of

the International. Constitution.
° Raised lost-time compen-

Sation for Officers and Com-
mittee members to $30.00 a
day.

© Raised the per diem al-
lowance for officers and com-
mittee members to $10.00 a
day when away from place of
residence.

© Make the Regional 3rd

Vice-President a full-ti
Officer. aes

See “CONVENTION”—P, 2

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