THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER IN FESTIVAL OF FORESTRY COUNTRIES SHOW INTEREST Seven countries already have indicated their interest in participating in the first In- ternational Festival of For- estry during the 1967 Pacific National Exhibition from August 19 to September 4. - The 14-day event will show- ease loggers’ skills in three one-hour shows daily, as they compete in 11 categories for prize money totalling $36,000. The Festival of Forestry will be divided into three main classifications. The B.C. Novice Logger classification will be restricted to B.C. residents and only those who have never won a first place prize at loggers’ sports held at Sooke, Duncan, Squamish or the PNE. This contest will start on opening day, August 19 and continue on August 21 and 22. From August 23 to August 26 inclusive the second event, the B.C. Championship Log- ger classification, will be open to any B.C, resident. The International Woods- man classification is open to all competitors and will run ’ from August 28 to the close of the 1967 PNE on Labour Day, September 4. The countries competing in this International category are hoped to be the U.S.A., Aus- tralia, New Zealand, Finland, Russia, Sweden and Japan, al- though final confirmation has not been received in every case at this early date. The 11 categories for con- testants in the Festival of For- estry will include standing and horizontal block chopping, ob- stacle power saw bucking and straight power saw bucking, burling, speed climbing, spring board chopping, pole falling, axe throwing, and two hand- saw events, singles and doubles, The seating capacity of the 3-acre Feature Attractions Area, situated in the centre of Exhibition Park, is being in- creased to accommodate many more of the 210,000 people who last year watched and enjoyed the PNE’s B.C. Cen- tennial show, the Festival of Logging. Additional information and entry forms for contestants ean be received by contacting the Festival of Forestry Man- ager, Mr. P. G. (Pip) Martin, at Exhibition Park, Vancou- ver 6, B.C. DOUGLAS PLYWOOD STUDY =: The Industry Committee re- cently undertook the study of six forklift categories at Doug- las Plywood Ltd. Annacis Is- land, New Westminster. The main reasons for study sub- mission were plant expansion and closer definition of work areas. The results are as follows: 5 categories remained at their previous rate of $2.72. 1 category received an up- ward rate revision of 4c per hour, retroactive from Feb- ruary 14, 1966. Regional Council No. 1 was represented on this Committee by Tony Vanderheide. LOCAL 1-217 PRESIDENT Syd Thompson and Financial secretary Doug Evans are shown with a group of Imperial Casket Company employees at a Labour Relations Board hearing held to study complaint lodged by the Local Union that the Company - was engaged in anti-union activities. 1-217 FIGHTS COMPANY UNION The largest casket firm in British Columbia, Imperial Casket Company Limited of Vancouver, has been waging a bitter anti-union campaign to prevent Local 1-217 IWA from gaining certification of its 50 employees. The company is the main competitor of the Vancouver Casket Company Ltd., whose employees are members of Local 1-217. In an attempt to bring a uniform wage standard to the casket industry, the-local un- ion initiated a drive late last year to organize the Imperial plant with the help of re- gional organizer Mike Sekora. The union was also aided in its organizational efforts by several employees working in the vlant. When the company learned of the union’s plans and dis- covered who among the em- ployees were supporting the drive, it immediately fired two of them and set. up a “company union”. The local laid a complaint with the Labour Relations Board which ordered the company to cease its intimi- dation. Nothing daunted, the com- pany attempted to legalize the company union as Casket Employees Association No. 1, and applied for certification of the emnvloyees. The local union which had also submitted an application for’ -certification, charged in a’ written submission ‘to -the- Labour Relations Board ‘that the Association was company dominated and did not repre- sent the majority of the em- ployees. The submission concluded by stating: : “We would like to submit the following points to sub-: stantiate the reasons’ why ° Local 1-217 IWA should be certified to represent the em- ployees of Imperial Casket Company Ltd.: 1. Local 1-217 IWA has 27 members in good standing, and in the best interests of the employees of Imperial Casket Company should be certified to represent these employees. ; 2. It has been admitted by Mr. R. Aves, manager of Im- perial Casket Company, in a brief to the Labour Relations Board, that 27 persons would represent a majority of the “employees of Imperial Casket - Company ‘Ltd.::--:--> 3. Local 1-217 IWA has al- ready proved its willingness to serve and work in behalf of its members at -Imperial Casket Company Ltd. 4. The IWA has agreements in all phases of wood manu- facturing in the Province of British : Columbia and ‘is fully- qualified and conversant to handle these - employees’ problems. FROM PAGE 1 : him, and of allowing the la- bour movement to vegetate under his leadership. Reuther did hold out the promise that his resignation would be retracted provided Meany and his cohorts in- dieated a willingness to pur- sue a policy more in line with the organization’s constitu- tion. Observers believe such a step would be scorned by Meany as a sign of weakness which could only add more fuel to the fire Reuther was lighting under the heads of the AFL-CIO, The two men have conduct- ed a running feud for years ever internal and external policy matters and Meany, an old eraft unionist, has re- sented Reuther, who is wide- ly known for his liberal views, _ advocating for more progres- sive measures. Reuther’s recent denuncia- "REUTHER TO HEAD -TEAMSTERS?2" leaders with following a nar- row and negative attitude on foreign policy which has weakened rather than streng- thened the free world’s ef- forts to resist communism and all forms of tyranny. This point is well made be- cause in numerous quarters the AFL-CIO is looked on as another arm of the U.S. gov- ernment and accusations have been made that the infamous CIA has offices in the AFL- CIO Headquarters. It was, however, Meany’s handling of internal policies in the organization that Reu- ther was most critical. He said in the statement: “The UAW International Executive Board, after seri- ous discussions over an ex- tended period of time, ex- presses the view that the AFL-CIO — as the parent body of the American labour movement — suffers from a sense of complacency and ad- herence to the status quo and is not fulfilling the basic aims and purposes which prompted the merger of the AFL and the CIO. “The AFL-CIO lacks the social vision, the dynamic thrust, the crusading spirit that should characterize the progressive, modern labour movement which it can and must be if it is to be equal to the new challenges and the new opportunities of our 20th century technological so- ciety.” Reuther charged that even fundamental issues necessary to further the development of the labour movement were not subject to “creative, frank and meaningful democratic discussion within the highest councils of the AFL-CIO.” He cited as an example, Meany’s violation of the AFL- CIO’s constitution in doing away with the Executive Committee, the body charged with formulating policy rec- ommendations to the Execu- tive Council, the highest gov- erning body between conven- tions. He went on to say that the re-establishment of this body would not resolve the prob- lem. ie “The answer lies essentially in a willingness to permit in- depth discussion of issues, a willingness to evaluate new ideas with an open mind and a willingness to share demo- cratic leadership responsibil- ity in the formulation of policies and programmes and their implementation. Unfor- tunately, the spirit of toler- ance of new ideas and differ- ences of views, and the under- standing that a free labour movement, like a free society, must achieve unity in divers- ity, is sadly lacking.” Reuther’s resignation from the AFL-CIO, and the possi- bility of his organization merging with the Teamsters and other industrial unions, is bound to have wide-spread repercussions throughout the labour movement. Whether these repercus- sions will be harmful to la- bour is difficult to assess at this time. Critics of the AFL- CIO leadership believe, how- -ever, that Reuther’s move -is labour’s salvation. They point out that prior to the merger of the AFL-CIO, both organizations were vib. rant with a sense of purpose and direction which had to be maintained because of the rivalry existing between the two groups. All this was lost following the mer ger and Reuther’s move will force Meany to get off his hands and do Something for the workers he represents. LIE > VICTORY MONTREAL — The 100. 000 - member Canadian Un- ion of Public Employees has captured bargaining rights for 8,000 Hydro-Quebec employ- ees in a major victory over the Quebec-based Confedera- tion of National Trade Unions.