: ~ ot TP i < _ Stuart Hodgson. i THE WESTERN ; A CANADIAN Wy y | \ Ny } lf ] Incorporating The é.2. Lunberworker Official Publication of the Jeternattonal Woodworkers of femertea Regional Council No. 1 VOL. XXVII, No. 9 SOEs VANCOUVER, B.C. Se PER COPY Ist Issue May, 1960 Sa UNEMPLOYMENT IGNORED PART OF THE B.C. DELEGATION attending the Canadian Labour Congress Convention in Montreal April 25, are seen here beside the new TCA Jet Airliner that flew them to Montreal. New Unity Meet Shows Progress Latest unity meeting held between the Executive Boards of the IWA and the International Brotherhood of Pulp, Sulphite and Paper Mill Workers, in Chicago, April 2, was highly successful, ted Regional 1st Vice-president, Jack Moore who attended |\the conference along with Regional No. 1, International Board Members Walter Allen and In attendance at the méet- ing as an observer was Adolph Germer, long time friend df John Burke, International Presi- dent of the Pulp, Sulphite and Paver Mill Workers, and former Director of Organization for the International Woodworkers of America, The following is a statement issued following the meeting and signed by the International Presidents of the two partici- pating Unions. WHAT'S INSIDE “A joint meeting of the Execu- tive Boards of the International Woodworkers of America and the International Brotherhood of Pulp, Sulphite and Paper Mill Workers was held in the Con- gress Hotel, Chicago, Illinois, on April 2, 1960. “The general purpose of this meeting of the joint Executive Boards was to give the board members an opportunity to get better acquainted with each other and to discuss the ten point Interim Working Agree- ment, ‘It was anticipated that through such a discussion some plan could be worked out -by which the two unions could work more closely together for the good of the membership of both organizations in all areas, to explore the possibilities of See “UNITY” Page 3 Political Action Problems Face B.C. Labour Probability of a provincial general election in September has faced trade unions in British Columbia with problems of political action which will not form an essential part of the discussions on the proposed new party and which will demand the attention of the convention of the Canadian Labour Con- gress. Because it was recognized at the last Convention of the B.C. Federation of Labour that an election would be held in this province before any national plan could mature, the decision was made to support the election of a CCF Government in the meantime. Picture Changing Developments based on this decision may yet change the whole political picture in British Columbia, Decisions reached at the 1958 provincial conventions of both the CCF (B.C.-Yukon Section) See ’’PROBLEMS” Page 2 w* * Bra x Charges B.C. Federation In Brief * Ww To Starr bra x Charge that the interests of 100,000 unemployed citizens in British Columbia are being grossly neglected by both the Provincial and Federal Governments is contained in a brief prepared by the B.C. Federation of Labour for presentation to the Federal Minister of Labour, Hon. Michael Starr, on May 2nd. The submission will be made by a large and representative delegation from B.C. trade unions, following the CLC convention in Montreal. The delegation to meet the Minister will include the officers of the IWA Regional Council. ithough unemployment has not affected the lumber industry as seriously as the building trades, IWA officials consider that un- less unemployment in any sec- tion of the economy is checked promptly, all sections will even- tually suffer lay-offs. There is also general concern over the displacement of workers ren- dered redundant by improved mechanization and to some ex- tent automation. Factors Responsible The Federation’s brief sets forth some of the factors which, in the opinion of the unions, are causing an unusual and grave volume of unemployment at this time of the year. It is stressed that the situation can- not be regarded as a seasonal one, but that a hard core of chronic mass unemployment is becoming more and more evi- dent. Technological unemployment is shown to exist. By reason of this technological advance, pro- ductivity is rapidly rising. Fewer workers are required to keep pace with the market demand. As employment. declines, the available domestic market shrinks, and export trade is handicapped by inability to pur- chase the imports by means of which foreign customers pay for B.C. exports. Immigration Blamed The situation is aggravated, states the brief, by the increase in the labour force due mainly to immigration and an increased birth rate. Job opportunities are fewer, while the available em- ployable workers are in greater number, The trade union brief states that the human suffering and indignities involved are intoler- able. Many citizens are losing their homes, because they are unable to keep up with their mortgage payments, Many are trying to live on the restricted income provided by Unemploy- ment Insurance benefits, and are nearing the point of ex- hausted benefit rights. Some re- ceive social assistance and some are receiving no aid what- See “BRIEF” Page 3 Federation Appoints McLaughlin An IWA member, .P. F. (Frank) McLaughlin has been appointed Assistant Secretary of the B.C. Federation of Labour to fill the vacancy caused by the ° resignation of C. P. Neale. The newly-appointed Assistant Secretary is a member of Local 1-367 IWA. When working as road foreman for the Fleetwood Logging Co. (Camp Y) he was named Secretary of the IWA Camp Comunittee. Later he was appointed as organizer by the IWA Regional Council, and while in this post was assigned work in the Prince George area as well as in the Fraser Valley. ~ Prior to his membership in the IWA he had been active in the Rock and Tunnel Workers Union, Local 168. IWA Wage Conference In Kelowna May 14-15 IWA delegates from the Northern and Southern Interior Local Unions will attend a two-day Wage and Contract Con- ference in Kelowna, May 14-15, to discuss new contract terms for the Interior. The present Interior Contract expires August 31, and was a two-year agreement. The Regional Executive Board will also meet in Kelowna, May 11-12. This meeting will be followed by a meeting of the Regional Policy Committte May 13. LISTEN TO Green Cold-CJ0 7:00 p.m. 7 CkP Thursday ; Ist and Last Thursday 6:00 p.m.