12 THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER ; 1st Issue September, 1966 THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER 27,500 copies printed in this issue. Published twice monthly as the official publication of the INTERNATIONAL WOODWORKERS OF AMERICA Western Canadian Regional Council No. 1 Affiliated with AFL-CIO-CLC 2859 Commercial Drive, Vancouver, B.C. Phone 874-5261 Editor — Pat Kerr Business Manager — Fred Fieber Advertising Representative — G. A. Spencer Forwarded to every member of the IWA in Western Canada in accordance with convention decisions. Subscription rate for non-members $2.00 per year. Authorized as Second Class Mail, Post Office Department, and for payment of postage in cash. GUEST EDITORIAL COMPULSION WON'T WORK E ARE GETTING more than a little fed up with those editorial writers and radio commentators who keep agi- tating for the introduction of compulsory arbitration to settle labour disputes and prevent strikes. In particular, we are fed up with the would-be experts in industrial relations who advocate the establish- ment of labour courts in Canada, similar to those existing in Australia. As we have pointed out before Au- stralia’s labour courts have not succeeded in eliminating strikes in that country. On the contrary, more production time is lost through strikes in Australia than in Can- ada, in an average year. Nevertheless, Canadian supporters of the labour court system continue to pro- pose it as the cure-all for labour disputes. They argue that, despite its defects, it has contributed to industrial harmony in Australia. Well, this is something that is impos- sible to verify, one way or the other. Who can say whether there would be more or fewer strikes if Australian workers were not subjected to compulsory arbitration? All we can state with certainty is that, under compulsory arbitration, strikes still occur frequently in Australia and result in more lost production than is the case in Canada, But let us suppose, for the sake of _ argument, that the Australian system had some merits. It would still be impossible to transplant it to Canada. This is a sys- fem that was put into effect there more than 70 years ago. Trade unionists in that country have never had any other method of settling disputes, and so they accept it is a necessary evil. But to impose arbitrated, compulsory settlements on a labour movement that has become accustomed to the right to strike would be impossible. Such a basic freedom cannot be taken away from one-and-a-half million workers, in a democratic society, without provoking something akin to a general uprising. If any foreign method of regulating industrial disputes were to be imported, then ideally it should be from Sweden, where strikes are almost unknown. But it is recognized that the many conditions and. factors which make the Swedish sys- tem work do not exist and cannot be created in Canada. The same applies to the Australian labour court setup. Neither it nor any other foreign labour relations method can be transplanted to Canada and made to work. - —Canadian Transport If you are interested in a simple, dignified yet inexpensive funeral THE MEMORIAL SOCIETY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (A non-profit, non-sectarian Society registered under the Societies Act) Has much to offer you Write for free leaflet outlining the co-operative benefits already enjoyed by over 11,000 members to: Box 917, Postal Station “A” Vancouver 1, B.C. 41S ETS ... AND THIS IS WHERE WE GLUE. ... THINGS TOGETHER... SCOTTON APPOINTED NDP FEDERAL SECRETARY Cliff Scotton, editor of Ca- nadian Labour and director of the CLC’s Department of Pro- vincial Federations and. La- bour Councils, has resigned to take over the job of Federal Secretary of the New Demo- cratic Party. CLIFF SCOTTON He joined the CLC in 1959 as Assistant Director of Public ‘Relations and was named edi- _ tor two years later. The new NDP Secretary has long played an active role in politics. He was a member of the British Labour Party, served on the Quebec, Ontario and national Councils of the CCF and was a national vice- president of the CCF Youth Movement. He was the last chairman of the Ottawa Area Council of the CCF and the first to occupy a similar posi- tion in the New Democratic Party. Scotton is the author of ‘A Brief History of Canadian La- bour’ and ‘Canadian Labour and Politics’ and has written numerous articles on all as- pects of trade union activity. He is a member of the Ameri- can Newspaper Guild. He represented the CLC on the Board of Governors of the Canadian Welfare Council and the Board-of Directors of the Religion - Labour Council of Canada, was Secretary of CLC National Committee on Wel- fare Services and a member of the CLC Public Relations Advisory Committee and the CLC National Employment Committee. Scotton is a member of the National Press Club of Can- ada, the Canadian Club of Ottawa, the Canadian Authors Association, the International Labour Press Association and a director of Presse Ouvriere Co-operative, a French lan- guage labour press service. He was born and educated in London, England and served in the British Army before coming to Canada. He is married to a former journal- ist and magazine editor. They have three children, two daughters and a son. EXPERIENCE A committee of one gets things done. % * * Experience is what keeps a man who makes the same mistake twice from admitting it the third time around. % * * The Golden Rule is of no use whatever unless you real- ize it’s your move. * * « It is now proved beyond yon doubt that smoking is one of the leading causes of statistics. * * A closed mind is an eni a indeed. Nothing ever cde 2 in —but odd things are forever coming out, * * * United we stand, divided we furnish big h i Pravda, ig headlines for er eg