N day that the IWA Wages and Contract Conference O ‘Sond the Union’s contract demands for 1961, the Union must prepare for action on the economic front. As negotiations move from stage to stage, spokesmen for the organization will be faced with the use of economic power to defeat the Union's purposes. An employer has served notice of the intention to reject all anticipated proposals. one may safely forecast the Union’s decisions, least of ail the aha ioyere The demands will be based on the needs of the rank and file workers, as expressed by the workers themselves. The final result will be a distillation of member- ship views phrased in contract language. Every point of view will be heard and considered before decisions are made. This careful adherence to democratic procedure is the basis of all IWA bargaining. The accountability of negotiators to the membership is an IWA feature to be constantly borne in mind. The Regional Policy Committee, directing policy in the name of the Union, is fully representative of the members in every Local Union involved. The Conference selects its negotiating spokesmen. The conference hears from the Research Department the evidence on which the Union’s case rests. What are the conditions which make for success on this economic front, as bargaining moves towards the settlement stage? ; Evidence and logic must support the demands. Experience and skill in negotiations are indispensable. Above every other consideration, however, stands the requirement of a’ unified militance on the part of the membership. The entire membership shares in formulating the demands. The entire membership should throw its undivided weight behind the demands at every stage. “United we stand, divided we fall” is a well-worn axiom, not yet out-worn. “The Union’s Political Front” While the Union’s Wages and Contract Conference formu- lates the Union’s demands and prepares to negotiate, all its plans may easily be upset by the Provincial Government. It is not known what Hon. Mr. Peterson intends to do, or when he intends to do it. He has not shown himself to be in a friendly mood. He wants to prevent strikes. He wants to keep wages from rising. He is ina position to enact laws that could all but ruin IWA negotiations. Quite obviously he is under pressure from the employers. Some employers want laws which will in effect ban effective Strikes, This will mean that the IWA will have to consider what happens to negotiations in the lumber industry, if the use of , the strike weapon as a final expedient is denied the Union. Forest Industrial Relations could reject all demands with impunity. Every worker in the industry should remember that if the Union’s right to use the strike weapon, as a last resort, is lost, his opportunity to get higher wages goes with it. Possibly, Mr. Peterson would prefer to get “right to work” legislation as in some American States. This could deny the union the right to retain union shop conditions as now written into the contract. Suppose he takes this method of tearing up the IWA contract, as was done to some Unions in the a what will the Union’s Wages and Contract Conference Mr. Peterson has given the impression that he is waiting to pounce. Victoria politicians are well aware of the impor- tance of IWA negotiations. This makes it important that the Union's battle on the political front must be fought and won Soon. For the sake of success in IWA negotiations it must “hot be set aside for a more convenient season. ee of the next issue of the WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER is February 16th. Deadline for ad copy is February 3rd, and for news copy February 10th. : u ‘ . " The Union's EconomicFront WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER EE FS 4 “ABS 2 The Big Question — What's In Store Ber our? . xo ab MacKenzie Fleads Committee President John MacKenzie, Local 1-118, Victoria heads the Committee elected to conduct the by-election campaign in Esquimalt-Saanich. An early by-election is expected, owing to the resignation of General Pearkes to accept the post of Lieutenant- Governor for British Columbia. Glenn Hamilton was the choice of candidates made by a convention which represented the trade unions, the CCF, and New Party Clubs in the constituency. Glenn Priestley was named Official Agent. Pat Thomas is Vice-Chairman of the. Campaign Committee. Ian Campbell is Secretary, with Gordon Stevenson as Public Relations Off- cer. Organizer in Saanich is D. McCue, and in Esquimalt, G. Mit- chell. The standard-bearer in this by- election will be known as a New Party candidate. The results of this by-election, when called, will com- mand national attention, as in Peter- boro. Funds Required The officers of the B.C. Federation of Labour have surveyed the situ- ation and plan to assist the local cam- paign in every way possible. Frank McLaughlin, the Federation’s Assis- tant Secretary and IWA Regional Ist Vice-President, Jack Moore, have conferred with the Constituency cam- paign officials. When interviewed recently by this publication, John MacKenzie was confident. “The New Party is able to sweep the riding. Enthusiasm for the campaign is mounting, but.we have a tough job on our hands to get the New Party message across to a widely diversified electorate, Our need for funds is most urgent”, Interest Rates On Small Business Loans Government approved loans for small business, set up in pre- Christmas legislation, are going at an effective rate interest of 5% to 5% per cent, Finance Minister Fleming said recently, He was replying in the Commons to a question on whether a uniform rate of interest had been worked out. Mr. Fleming said this had been discussed with the chartered banks and he understood the rates took into account the credit rating of the indi- vidual applicant, Iess an allowance provided by the government guar- antee against default. Only Three Times? “I have one loyal supporter, any. way. He writes me that he voted ’ for me three times in the 1956 elec. tion”; S. Carnell, M.L.A. (South "Heard In The Legislature” THERE’S AN OMINOUS NOTE in the words of the Minister of Labour, said Tony Gargrave in reference to Hon. Mr. Peterson’s Promise of new labour legislation. * * * PRESIDENT KENNEDY said it. “Business might borrow an idea from trade unions, and set up codes of ethical practice to avoid happen- ings such as these large electrical companies trying to defraud the government”. President Kennedy will be frequently. quoted on the Legislature. * * * “THE MINISTER OF HIGHWAYS doesn’t play around with mil- lionaires; he makes them”. Alexander Macdonald (Vancouver East), * * * “WHEN NERVOUS before a high official, just try to picture him in his underwear”, explained Mrs. Camille Mather, M.L.A. (Delta) as she told the House about being nervous in unfamiliar circumstances, * * * WHO IS RIGHT? Hon. Mr. Williston says that “Mr. Axel Wenner- Gren is held in very high regard by one of the oldest and most respected Socialist Governments in the world”. Mr. Alex Macdonald (Vancouver East) says that Wenner-Gren was the wartime and post-war front-man for Alfred Krupp, whose “per- formance was equivalent to offering allegiance to Lucifer, in case he should gain control of mankind”, * * * IMPORTANT PEOPLE do not overwhelm me. “The most impor- Camille Mather, M.L.A. tant man I know, I have married’, Mrs. (Delta), wife of Barry Mather, Vancouver Sun columnist. * * * “SOME OF THE LANGUAGE in the Legislature is unparliamentary —but then so are some of the topics and the characters, Things would change for the better if the House published a verbatim record as in Ottawa”. Jim Rhodes, M.L.A. (Delta). and just what I’ve been looking COMPLETE-WITH TWO 16” CHAINS YOU SAVE 30% on the cost of your ys spare chain (including pivot grip) UGHTWEIGHT (20 LBS.) 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