JANUARY—FEBRUARY, 1974

JANUARY 1, 1974

W.C.B. PENSIONS INCREASED

Pension payments under the
Workmen’s Compensation Act
increased January 1, 1974 to
reflect last year’s rise in cost-
of-living figures.

Most pensions for permanent
partial or total disability in-
creased by 6.12 percent in
cases involving 1972 injuries,
and by 8.24 percent in those
resulting from injuries of
earlier years.

Pensions to widows and
dependents of fatally injured
workers rose by 8.24 percent.

The increases follow a 7.6
percent rise in the Consumer

Price Index, from 139.8 in 1972 .

to 150.4 last year.

Under the Workmen’s

Compensation Act, a two
percent rise of the C.P.I. in one
calendar year requires a
corresponding two percent

increase in pensions for the

following calendar year.

This means that cost-of-
living increases in pensions for
1973 injuries will depend on
C.P.I. figures for the calendar
year of 1974. If the C.P.I. rises
by at least two percent this
year, a pension increase will be
implemented January 1, 1975.

The C.P.I. rise for 1973 also
effected an increase in
minimum compensation rates.
Unless pre-accident wages
were lower, the minimum
weekly compensation rate for
work injuries on and after
January 1, 1974, is now $42.85,

compared with $39.59
previously.
The increase for widows

brings the monthly WCB
pension to $175.52. Since 1966,
these pensions have increased
by 42.8 percent.

Monthly allowances. for
dependent children are now
$57. 14 for those under 16 years
of age, $64.29 for those between
16 and 18 who attend school,
and $71.42 for those between 18
and 21 who attend school.

For example, a widow with
two children under 16 will
receive $289.80 a month.

Where there is no surviving
widow, children’s allowances
will be $64.29 for those under 16
and $78.56 for those between 16
and 21 who attend school.

PART OF THE LOGGING CREW of two hundred, at the B.C.F.P. Safety Rally, at the
Blackwater Camp north of Mackenzie, in Local 1-424.

IWA SAFETY COUNCIL OFFICERS and Local Safety Directors meeting in the board room
of Woodworkers’ House in Vancouver, January 17-18, to prepare the agenda for the Regional
Safety Conference being held March 1-2, in Kelowna.

THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER 5

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LOCAL 1-424 BUSINESS AGENT George Magnusson, (left
front), with safety committee members, Ernie Calverley

(front row) and, in second row, from left, Peter Dufault, Ray
Helgeson and G. Burton. :

Free oe cece oer ar Fea ieee S gh Nie get UF

REGIONAL SAFETY DIRECTOR Max Salter, examines
“Drott Buncher” with committee chairman Ernie Calverley
and members of crew aft far north operation of B.C.F.P. in

the Mackenzie area of Local 1-424. This machine is now used
extensively in the area.

HYDRAULIC HAND holds tree, while Drott buncher shear,
at bottom, cuts tree in a few seconds.

DROTT BUNCHER lowers tree to chosen position in cutting
and ‘bunching’ procedures.

ON THE LIGHTER SIDE

vantage of her — but the

tombstone will be too heavy to
lift.

Kamloops Katie says that
some day she may find a man
who won’t try to take ad-