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ARY, 1971

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THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER

- ALEX MacDONALD

REPORTS FROM.
THE LEGISLATURE

By ALEX MacDONALD
M.L.A.

The 1971 session of the
Legislature opened here in
Victoria with a bang. But all
the fireworks were in the
corridors outside of the
Assembly; there was certainly
no fireworks in the Throne
Speech, which is supposed to
set out the Government’s
program. This speech was one
of the shortest, dullest, and
emptiest in the 100 years of
British Columbia’s history.

WHY VIOLENCE?
Although Premier Bennett
and Attorney-General
Peterson were quick to pin the
rioting on the NDP and the
B.C. Federation of Labour, this
was just political shafting on

mene ae

t

ALEX MacDONALD

their part. The B.C. Federation
of Labour did organize a huge
protest rally on unem-
ployment, but it was a few
young Yippies and Maoists
who caused the ruckus. How
can you prevent these people
tagging onto a legitimate
protest demonstration, and
grabbing the headlines by
breaking windows, assaulting
police officers, and using filthy
language? Must the vast
majority give up the right of
peaceful protest? I certainly
hope they won't.
FRUSTRATION AND
DESPAIR

Many of the 1200 who
protested are building trades
employees who haven't worked
for almost a year. Their UIC
has run out, many are on the
macaroni welfare dole, the
children are going without
shoes, clothes, or nutritious
food. Although houses are
badly needed, lumber mills lay
off men, and housing starts

have been away down for the
past two years. How much of .
- this deep anger can a

democracy take without a

blow-up?

POOR GET POORER
High prices and_ high
unemployment produce an
explosive mix. According to

‘the Economic Council of
Canada, one out of five of our

non-farm families earn less
than $3,000 a year. In other
words, they are well below the
poverty level. From these
families, only one child out of
eight gets better than
highschool training. It is quite

UNITED FARM WORKERS SUE >
TEAMSTERS' LOCAL FOR $10,000,000

The United Farm Workers’
Union has filed a $10,000,000
punitive damage action suit
against a local of the Team-
ster’s Union in California,

‘charging that the local con-

spired with the employers to
prevent farm workers being
represented by their own
union.

The U.F.W.O.C. is also
seeking actual damages for
each striking farm worker.

The charges of conspiracy
are based on allegations that

the Teamster’s local 890 in
1963, loaned $1,000,000 from
its pension fund to the Bud
Antle Farm which is one of the
largest lettuce growers in
California.

The U.F.W.O.C. states that
the company still owes the
Teamsters $500,000 of the
original money loaned.

The Farm Workers charge
that the Teamsters suffer from
a conflict of interest and can
not legally claim to represent
the employees of a company in
which it has a financial in-

Worker in January.

in B.C

NOTICE TO READERS

Inquiries have been made as to why no mention was
given to the Union’s Prairie Local Unions, in the special
edition on the history of the IWA published in the Lumber

The special edition was the IWA’s contribution to
British Columbia’s Centennial. For this reason, the history
centred on the development and growth of the organization

At a future date the Lumber Worker will feature the
history of the [WA Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba
Local Unions as well as report their present day activities.

common to hear mothers on
welfare talk about shoplifting
for food or clothes for their
children — just to survive. So
you have lots of flash-points.

B.C.’"S WELFARE
BREAKDOWN

In this province, one out of 20
depends on welfare cheques.
Of these, one-half are children;
one-third are mothers who are
deserted, separated, or
divorced; about one-tenth are
the employable-unemployed.
There are very few free-
loaders on Welfare — most-
ly they are the children,
the mothers with young
families, the physically or
mentally handicapped. They
are largely crowded together
in welfare ghettoes, which
makes it harder to break out or
get jobs or training. Thus
Welfare becomes a_ vicious
cycle passing on from parents
to children and grandchildren.

WAR ON POVERTY

No sane person wants
violence. But its root causes
are to be found in poverty and
despair. We have to bridge the
gap between those who have
too much and those who have
too little. We have to open the
doors of opportunity to families
who are sinking without jobs,
decent homes, or good food on
the table. The Yippies and
Maoists are just the froth on
the surface. The real challenge
facing democracy is to root out
poverty amidst potential
plenty for all.

NDP REBUKES
OWN MEMBER

For the first time in the
history, of the New Democratic
Party in B.C., a_ sitting
member of the Party has been
soundly rebuked by the NDP
Provincial Executive for at-
tacking the reputation of the
Secretary of . the’ B.C.
Federation of Labour.

Frank Calder NDP-MLA
during a recent session of the
provincial Legislature accused
Secretary Ray Haynes of in-
stigating the brawl which
disrupted the official opening
of the House, January 21.

The NDP Provincial
Executive following a meeting
January 30, released the
following statement.

“While the New Democratic
Party Provincial Executive
affirms the right of any elected
member to speak his mind on
current issues, nevertheless,
this Executive regrets the
unwarranted attack on the
B,C. Federation of Labour and
the labour movement of B.C. in
general, by the use of inac-
curate statements by Frank
Calder, NDP-MLA for Atlin.”’

ART STARK
NEW PRESIDENT

Local 1-367 Haney reports
that as a result of certain
resignations and appointments
of officers in the Local Union,
the following is the new slate of
officers:

President — R. Art Stark

Ist Vice-President — Larry
Crouch

2nd Vice-President— C. G.
Godfrey

Financial Secretary

— Erik Wood
Conductor — Ralph Funk
Warden — Gordon Claypool

vestment

The Teamsters claim to
represent the 1000 farm
workers on the Bud Antle
Ranch.

On July 28, 1970, Teamsters
local 890 announced that they
had signed contracts for farm
workers with Antle and ap-

proximately 190 other
vegetable growers in
California.

The farm union claims the
contracts were signed secretly
and the farm workers were not
given the opportunity to vote
on whether or not they wanted
the Teamsters to be their
union.

The contractors provide an
hourly wage increase of 2c; 4
unpaid holidays per year; No
ban on 2, 4-D, 2,4,5-T, DDT,
ALDRIN and other hard
pesticides; No end to child
labour; No sanitary facilities;
No grievance procedures; No
job security. These contracts
are 5 year agreements. There
is a Teamster union dues
charge of $1.30 per week from
each worker.

On August 24, 1970 Antle’s
workers and 5000 other lettuce
workers struck to protest the
Teamster contract and to
demand representation by the
United Farm Workers’
Organizing Committee.

B. C. FED LIFTS
‘HOT’ BAN ON CRANE

Following
reached in the Crane dispute,
the B.C. Federation of Labour
has lifted its ‘‘hot’’ declaration.
At the same time, the
Federation has referred the
recent actions of Local 303 of
the Potters Union during the
dispute to the next Executive
Council meeting of the
Federation.

Secretary-Treasurer Ray
Haynes stated: ‘‘The recent

settlements

action of the Potters Union in
violating Federation policy in
the Crane dispute has been
referred to the next Executive
Council meeting for action. In
the meantime, the Federation,
having been advised by the
Retail, Wholesale & Depart-
ment Store Union that they
have reached a settlement with
Crane, has notified all af-
filiated unions that all Crane
products have now been
declared “‘fair’’.

CREDIT UNION MOVES
INTO HOUSING FIELD LENDING

A big credit union owned by
federal employees in Ottawa
has been given authority to
move into a lending field ex-
clusively for banks. _

The 36,000-member Civil
Service Co-operative Credit
Society has been designated as
an approved instalment credit
agency under the National

Housing Act. This means it can
use some of its $36 million
assets to make long-term home
improvement loans under the
NHA

Until now, only chartered
banks were in this field, and
the credit union was limited to
a four-year term on its home
improvement loans.

16 East Broadway Telephon

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