~ 1 WiorA,) 38,000 copies printed in this issue THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER \thewestern canadian lumber worker Published once monthly as the official publication of the INTERNATIONAL WOODWORKERS OF AMERICA Western Canadian Regional Council No.1 Affiliated with AFL-C10O-CLC 2859 Commercial Orive, Vancouver, B.C. Phone’ 874-5261 Editor—Pat Kerr Business Manager—Fred Fieber Advertising Representatives—Elizabeth Spencer Associates Forwarded to every member of the IWA in Western Canada inaccordance with convention decisions. Subscription rate for non-members $2.00 per year. EDITORIAL OROADWAY PRINTERS LTO. THE PROPER COURSE THE IWA believes it has taken the proper course in not attacking the government's new Labour Code. The decision of the Regional Officers and majority of the Local Union officers to give the Bill a fair trial, indicates responsibility and leadership. In doing this, they are not negating the right to question sections of the Bill that disturb them. Some of these sec- tions are ambiguous and require ex- planation. ; Nor does it prevent the Union from criticizing the government at a later date, if needed amendments are ignored. However, as Regional President Jack Munro pointed out, the Bill appears to be a genuine and refreshing attempt by the NDP to bring in decent labour legislation, something that has been badly needed in British Columbia. The IWA feels that to defeat such a commendable move by attacking the Bill before its had a fair trial period, is not the answer. Greater progress can be made through cooperation with the government, which must be as anxious as labour, to maintain industrial peace. The IWA also has enough confidence that a government, which has given this province the most advanced social legislation in Canada, would not betray the workers, by forcing a horrendous labour bill down their throats. What is the difference bet- ween corporate welfare bums and just welfare bums? This question was provoked by a reading of two front-page newspaper stories . . day, same page. One story told of a woman who left her estate to her dogs. She went to her reward, leaving behind $14 million. The dogs got $9 million of it to keep them in the style to which they were accustomed, living in air- conditioned kennels, eating heartily, and having weekly medical check-ups. Her husband had made his millions in oil . . . He might have qualified as a corporate welfare bum .. . as there is no better way of making tax-free millions in the U.S and Canada than from oil. Whether or not he would have minded his money going . Same [ TELL IT LIRE IT TT Ra FAI SEA “LIGHTNING” STRIKES TWICE McFARLAND, Calif. — Marcos, Herrera may have to remove the engine from his car to keep it from being stolen, Police said Herrera ob- served &@ man pushing his car out of his driveway and gave chase. The man said he was repossessing the car. Herrera called police and then chained and padiocked his car to the pipes on his gas metre, A few hours later, the neighborhood was awakened to a loud clattering as the determined bandit, trailing metal pipes and the gas metre, tried to fiee in Herrera’s car. The auto stalled and the man again fled. 1973 AREY: pea LFARE BUMS? to the dogs is unanswerable, but $3 million of his estate did go to the tax collectors. Now, suppose some of his tax money went to pay “‘welfare bums’’? He’d turn over in his grave. So would Connie Smythe, the old but indefatigable hockey tycoon. Mr. Smythe, of course, is alive and well and taking care of ... not dogs .. . but 55 thoroughbred horses on his 1,800 acre farm in the Caledon Hills. At a good guess, the cost of keeping the horses in the Style worthy of Connie Smythe would be enough to feed at least 300 people. Now, what did Connie Smythe, the horse lover, have to say on the “‘bum” question? He said that New Democrat David Lewis is responsible for “more bums on this welfare thing than anywhere else in the . .. He’d steal a hot stove and come back for the smoke. ..- Wilson Mizner, 1876-1933 AS Ge=ag world’’. Well, now, how much more ground can you cover? He said, ‘‘You should get exactly what you work for. Take care of the maimed and the sick, those people that need help. The rest, as far as I’m concerned, can have soup kitchens if they want them and that’s it’’. Which brings me back to the woman who left her money to the dogs. Did she get exactly what she worked for? Does anyone who inherits vasts sums of money get exactly what they worked for? A letter in the Toronto Star, on the same day, asks the question, ‘‘Why should working men and women who are struggling to raise a family of their own support welfare bums who refuse to work?’’. .. The writer is a working woman and perfectly entitled to write letters to the editor, saying what she thinks. But did she read the front - page of the Star, which told a different story? None other than federal Health and Welfare Minister Marc Lalonde said that only 12 per- cent of people on welfare are able to work. 88 percent of them are sick, disabled, old, or mothers with young children. For many who are able to work, he says, there are no jobs. He says the federal and provincial governments should get together and create jobs through community employ- ment programs. A good idea. . . something, by the way, which ‘is being done in Manitoba. As Mr. Lalonde says, it’s time to ‘‘explode the myth that all people on welfare are slobs” . . . but old myths die hard, don’t they? When yer slash burnin’ ya gotta keep on yer toes... you was Sittin’ on a smoldering log! CLC-CUPE DISPUTE REACHING CLIMAX CUPE’s dispute with the CLC won’t reach a climax until the national union’s constitu- tional convention in Montreal in November. The executive council of the CLC voted 19 to 8 to accept applications from three pro- vincial government employee organizations for direct af- filiation. The Canadian Union of Public Employees claims jurisdiction over the 120,000 provincial government em- ployees in nine provinces. In the tenth, the B.C. Government Employees Union has had direct affiliation with the Con- gress for some time. The three provincial organizations now at issue, in Alberta, Newfound- land and Prince Edward Island, with a total of about 35,000 members, may join the B.C. union to form a national association of provincial, employees. The groups in\ Ontario and Saskatchewan | might also be interested. The stakes are large, the | debate on both sides has been vigorous. Most objective ob- servers consider that honest, differences of opinion were , involved between responsible people. The September meeting of the executive council of the | Ontario Federation of Labour | expressed the hope that CUPE would continue to pay per capita to the Congress for the sake of maintaining unity in the ranks of organized labour. f B.C. CUPE MEMBERS FAVOUR CONGRESS The B.C. Division of the Canadian Union of Public Employees has warned its national executive against pulling out of the Canadian Labour Congress on account of a dispute over the affiliation of the B.C. Government Em- ployees Union. In 1967 the CLC granted CUPE jurisdiction over all government employees organizations except the B.C. GEU, which was a direct affili- | ate of the Congress. The president of the division, who is also a national vice- president,.said that the deci- sion of the B.C. Union te remain outside CUPE must be respected and that no one had the right to deny them that choice or to try to keep them out of the house of labour. CUPE, the division said, should maintain its affiliation with the Congress. GOVERNMENT MONEY FOR REGIONAL COLLEGES More than $2.3 million has been granted to nine B.C. regional colleges under the College Capital Funding Program for acquisition of buildings and sites, according to Order-in-Council approved Oc- tober 9. The following colleges have been authorized to borrow the following amounts: Camosun_ College, $216,300; Capilano College, $122,000; Cariboo College, $314,000; New Caledonia college, $353,325; Douglass College, $77,775; Malaspina College, $389,200; Okanagan College, ji $81,000; Selkirk College, $224,50; Necanrioee City . College, $528,000.