SY VOL. XL, No. 4 qameciase sia VANCOUVER, B.C. > lumber worker MAY-JUNE, 1972 BY COAST NEGOTIATING COMMITTEE A REAL UNION MEMBER — Local 1-417 IWA member Ed Timmath is shown receiving his 25-year pin and scroll from International Secretary-Treasurer Bill Botkin at the Local’s 14th Annual Delegated Meeting April 29, in Kamloops. LOCAL 1-417 HONOURS TIMMATH Ed Timmath, a long-time member of Local 1-417 IWA was honoured by his fellow members during the Local’s Annual Delegated Meeting April 29, in Kamloops. Ed, who works in the Vale- mount area, was presented with his 25-Year Pin and classe Bulk Ennombre| third troisiéme PERMIT No. 2075 VANCOUVER, B.C. Q ro) 2 ca) THE LUMBER WORKER RETURN REQUESTED 2869 Commercial Dr., Vancouver, &.C. WEEMS Scroll by International Secre- tary- Treasurer Bill Botkin who praised his organizational work on behalf of the Union. During the early days Ed organized the majority of the mills in the North Thompson area working as an “inside or- ganizer.” Acting on his own, he would find employment in an unorganized operation and preach the benefits of belong- ing to the IWA. When the operation was ripe for organizing, Ed would contact the Regional Organ- izers to move in and he would move on to another operation. This type of life was far from easy and he often found him- Self jobless. In paying tribute to Ed, the See “TIMMATH” Page 2 f | ries | f faa fi fi x > De it@ tcr ms mcoewcy tl CW | ay= es ad ees ed The IWA Coast Negotiating Committee has informed Forest Industrial Relations head John Billings, that the forest. industry’s offer of 71.5 cents an hour increase in a three-year agreement, is “totally unacceptable” to the Union. The offer calls for a 25 cents an hour increase June 15, a further 22.5 cents an hour June 15, 1973, and a final 24 cents an hour June 15, 1974. Regional President Jack Moore, spokesman for the Coast Committee, stated that the IWA will never consider signing a three-year contract in the forest industry. Commenting on the dustry’s proposals, Moore said, that while the money was the largest offer ever made by the employers, it still fell far short of being acceptable. _ He added, that while a sub- stantial wage increase is a “must”? in this year’s negoti- ations, it is no more important to the Union than gaining revisions for loggers, a pension and dental plan, an improved health & welfare programme and other vital proposals contained in the: list of in-- demands presented to the industry. Moore went on to say that the Negotiating Committee was optimistic that now the em- ployers were meeting with the Union, genuine bargaining could commence with the possibility of a settlement being achieved prior to the expiration date of the agree- ment. The Union strike vote which has been underway for the past two weeks is almost completed and the results will be released by the Regional Council, Local by Local, after June 12. . In the meantime, the Negoti- ating Committee is requesting the members to stay on the job. JACK MOORE . . » the IWA will never sign a three-year agreement. FALLERS BREAK OFF TALKS: OBJECT TO LOCAL-ELECTED ADVISORS Fallers meeting with the IWA Coast Negotiating Com- mittee June 6 in Vancouver, bluntly indicated that they had no intention of going along with the democratic principles of the Union. The Negotiating Committee had proposed the meeting in an effort to resolve the present impasse with the forest in- dustry. Attending the meeting were three fallers’ representatives from each of the coast logging Locals, the Negotiating Com- mittee plus two IWA Inter- national officers. During the 24 hour meeting, members of the fallers steer- ing committee objected to those fallers elected by the Local Unions to act as advisors to the Negotiating Committee. Regional President Jack Moore said that it was obvious that the fallers’ choice of selecting advisors to aid the Negotiating Committee “‘has to be the fallers’ steering com- mittee’s choice or they won’t accept.” This was borne out by the fallers stating prior to walking out of the meeting that, ‘‘We don’t care who’s elected by secret ballot of the Local Unions we'll appoint our own advisors.”’ Chuck Evans, spokesman for the fallers, has accused Moore of refusing. to recognize the steering committee. He also claims the Regional officers are trying to break the com- mittee. ‘Moore stated that this is far from the truth. The IWA is more than willing to aid the fallers, he said, but within the democratic structure of the Union. SNE eEee eee POVERTY REPORT WITHHELD FROM INDIANS A report accusing the Social Credit government of adding to the poverty of British Colum- bia Indians through high taxa- tion, has been withheld for four years at the insistence of the provincial government. The report prepared in 1967 by B.C. University professors Stanbury and Fields for the federal government was a study on taxation of B.C. In- dians. Four chapters of the report depicted the Indians as being caught in a web of poverty because of provincial taxation on their lands. Part of the report was released the same year but the four contentious chapters remained secret until leaked recently in Ottawa. B.C. Municipal Affairs Minister Dan Campbell has denied that the B.C. gov- ernment had requested the report be kept secret. How- ever, Finance Minister John Turner’s parliamentary secretary Judd Buchanan stated that the federal gov- ernment would gladly release the report if the provincial government consented to it. Dan Campbell, when ques- tioned on the confidential chapters, refused to comment. Tom Barnett, NDP-MP for Comox-Alberni raised the question in the House of Commons May 18, 1972. The following is the Hansard report on the subject: (English) “Request for tabling of Stan- bury-Fields Report. Mr. Thomas S. Barnett (Comox-Alberni): Mr. -Speaker, I have a question for the Minister of Indian Affairs and Nothern Development on another matter. Mr. Woolliams: Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker: Order, please. The Chair has recognized the hon. member for Comox- Alberni and will return to a supplementary by the hon. member for Calgary North in a moment. Mr. Barnett: Mr. Speaker, my question for the minister concerns the request for tabling of the Stanbury-Fields report and the response of the parliamentary secretary during the adjournment debate on May 1 when he said in effect that the federal government would have tabled the report if it could have secured the con- currence of the government of British Columbia. Later a public statement by the British Columbia Minister of Muni- cipal Affairs was reported in which he denied the allegation that the report was being kept See “INDIANS” Page 2