From Page 3

F og al
“Report reveals growth, new issues

series of twelve meetings were held with the

The average membership for the twelve-
month period ending May, 1964, showed an in-
crease over the previous year of 1759 members.

The Regional Executive Board in March 1964
adopted an enthusiastic program on publicity, to
be implemented during Coast and Interior nego-
tiations.

Financial requirements of the Regional Coun-
cil are to a great extent dependent on the required
functions of the Regional Council.

There has been a substantial increase in aver-
age membership over the last five years. This is
due partially to the booming economy which re-
sults in organized operations putting on extra
shifts or expanding their operations and secondly,
the success of the organizational department

which has organized and certified a number of

operations throughout these years.

To understand this point more clearly, we
list the average membership of the Regional
Council in the last five years, based on the
twelve-month period on which the Regional
Convention Call was issued.

AQ (i leas ae Se 33,909
BL Ge ee, 31,964
OG 2 pee ee a 32,796
LOGS eek Ee es 33,740
SOG 4 eae ae eee eee ee 35,499

The increase in membership in the last fiscal
year ended June 30, 1964, resulted in an increase
in per capita income of $25,225.50. The financial
position of the Regional Council is greatly affected
by this increase and would be materially affected
if there was a slump in the economy of the indus-
try which would result in layoffs of membership
in operations.

In this year’s negotiations, the Regional Execu-
tive Board considered a proposed program of pub-
licity prepared by Brother C..G. MacNeil in be-
half of the Regional officers. This program set out
weekly radio broadcasts on stations on the coast
of British Columbia, along with provisions for
bulletins, bumper strips, posters, newspaper ads,
etc., and the Board and all Local Unions very
enthusiastically supported this program.

It is fair to say that the Local Unions immedi-
ately requested increased coverage by adding
radio stations to the list proposed, and went on
an all-out campaign to support all aspects of the
publicity program.

In the Interior of British Columbia, at the
Wages and Contract Conference, a similar program
was adopted covering radio stations throughout the
entire Interior, and likewise, bulletins, posters,
bumper strips, etc., were requested and made
available to the Local Unions.

The position of the lumber industry this year
was such that our publicity program caught fire
and built enthusiasm among the membership,
and even the general public, to a point that it
became embarrassing to employers and resulted
in the type of pressure that effected the terms of
settlement in negotiations both in the Coast and
Interior of British Columbia.

The total cost of publicity in 1964 for coast in-
dustry negotiations was $25,189.20.

The total cost of publicity for the interior nego-
tiations was $6,969.63.

Total cost of publicity in coast and interior
negotiations for 1964 — $32,158.83.
In using comparative cost of publicity during

negotiations in a previous year, the following ex-

penditures in 1962 should be of interest:
General Fund __ $1,827.92
Strike Fund 3,536.94

$5,364.86

The officers are convinced that in future nego-
tiations enthusiastic programs on publicity will be-
come an integral part of negotiations.

It was not possible in the early months of this
year to intelligently analyze our required finances
for a number of reasons. The Regional Executive
Board on a number of occasions had discussions on
the functions of the Regional Council. From time
to time the Board considered problems which in-
volved service of the Region and when the author-
ity of the Regional Council and its functions were
in question it was impossible to project what
would be required of the Regional Council. A
budget can only be prepared once you determine
what you are going to do. When that is done, you
can relate its cost. ; :

‘In reviewing Exhibit “B” of the Audit of Grif-
fiths & Griffiths for the fiscal year ending June 30,

1964, we find items of interests.

THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER

JACK HOLST
Second Vice-President

Normal expenditures under Interior Regional
Office should be discontinued next year, which
will result in a saving of approximately $10,000
per year.

Printing costs of the Western Canadian Lum-
ber Worker were substantially reduced by
putting out the paper to bid, and new printing
processes have resulted in a reduction in print-
ing costs.

There will be no area negotiations in British
Columbia in 1965 which will materially affect
financial requirements in the next year.

This convention will make important decisi-
ons on the functions of the Regional Council.
The delegates to this convention should care-
fully analyze the requirements and financial po-
sition of the organization.

STRIKE FUND

In reviewing the audit for the fiscal year end-

ing June 30, 1964, there are a number of items of
interest. .

Investments are gradually changing to gilt-
edge securities that can be marketed at par at
any time; also, the interest earnings are substan-
tially rising. Interest earned on investments in
the last year is $112,820.82.

There has been an increase in strike assess-
ment income as a result of the increase in aver-
age membership.

Moneys paid out for spot strikes is higher than
normal.

The delegates to this Convention should be
fully aware of the problems encountered in in-
vesting Strike Fund money when there is danger
of legal action under anti-labour legislation. It
must be a point of major concern to us to remain
in a position to safeguard our finances as much as
possible. This can best be done by continuing the
present policy on nature of investments. —

With an increased trend towards spot strikes
and also industry strikes becoming longer in dura-
tion, we must have investments of a nature that
can be disposed of without loss in purchasing costs.

EDUCATION

URING the past year, Research and Education

Department has conducted a number of edu-
cation sessions in the various Local Unions. In the
main, the subjects most requested have been Con-
tract Analysis and Grievance Procedure. B ecause
of a particular problem in the Plywood plants in
Alberta, a Special Conference was designed and
held in Local 1.207 with the membership from
three plywood plants in the area.

The Union Training Program of the Interna-
tional Union has been conducted by Locals 1-80,
1-217 and 1-423, with 50 participants: We are
‘pleased to see those Locals actively engaged in
this work, as it must be evident that this method
is probably the only effective way in which our
Union can reach the greatest number of members.
Again this coming year, in conjunction with the
Research and Education Department of the Inter-
national Union, plans have already been made to
conduct an instructor’s course. Correspondence
on this has already been ‘circulated.

In addition to the above training program,
plans are under way to hold special education
conferences for both full-time officials and com-
mitteemen on topical subjects such as the Canada
Pension Plan.

This year a new experiment was attempted
in tying together education and negotiations. A

plant committeemen in the various Southern
Interior localities. The Research and Education

Department produced a brief outlining the ne- ;

gotiating issues along with. statistical data sup.
porting the Union’s case. A total of 268 partici.
pants took part in the program. Your Regional
officers are of the opinion that such a program,
especially where the membership is spread over
a large geographical area, is beneficial and neces-
sary to generate the kind of support required to
conclude successful negotiations.

POLITICAL ACTION

Oo” Union’s policy on political education and
action, in accord with that of the Canadian
Labour Congress and the B.C. Federation of La-
bour, remains unchanged. We have at all times
declared our support of the New Democratic
Party. Your officers have participated in the af-_
fairs of the Party since its founding. IWA Local
Union delegates have taken an active part in the
policy-making of the Party’s provincial and fed-
eral conventions.

Many members of our Local Unions, acting at
the constituency level, have actively supported the
NDP in election campaigns. Their voluntary con-
tributions in time and money proved to be invalu-
able. The results have demonstrated that more
wide-spread political action on the part of trade
union members can establish a government pledg-
ed to protect organized labour’s interests.

We record with pleasure the re-election to the
Provincial Legislature of Rae Eddie from New
Westminster (Local 1-357), John Squire from Al-
berni (Local 1-85), and Tony Gargrave from Mac-
Kenzie (Local 1-217). Frank Howard, a former
President of Local 1-71, represents Skeena in the
House of Commons.

Our reasons for political action through the
medium of the New Democratic Party also remain
unchanged.

We still require direct representation in the

Provincial Legislature and the Federal Parliament -

through a political party of which we form a part.
Only the New Democratic Party is pledged to ad-
vance our legislative aims and can freely express
the needs of the workers as stated by the workers.

The opposing parties have failed the trade
unions. When in power, they have enacted anti-
labour legislation which hampers free collective
bargaining.

No adequate measures have been taken to
cope with the problems of technological unem-
ployment. Medicare has been side-tracked. In-
fluential leaders of the business community are
exerting political pressure to secure “right to

work” Jaws as well as compulsory arbitration to
outlaw strikes.

Evidence has accumulated to show that the
opposing parties rely on big business firms for
their campaign funds. The Ottawa Journal re-
ports that Canadian business men contributed
over twenty million dollars for this purpose in a
two-year period. Liberal, Conservative and Social
Credit party organizers have admitted that the

bulk of their campaign funds are obtained from —

the employing interests. It is a political fact that
he who pays the piper, calls the tune.”

In contrast, the New Democratic Party relies

on the dues paid and donations made by those who ©

believe the way to social progress lies in the elec-

tion of a social democratic government responsive _

to the needs of people and responsible to a peoples’
party.

At the founding of the New Democratic Party,
the participating CLC trade unions agreed to af-
filiate and pay affiliation fees per member affili-
ated. In this respect they would follow the ex-

ample of the British and Scandinavian trade -

unions. It was intended that this would poe

the political arm with an important source i

revenue. More important still, this plan aimed
to provide the affiliated Local Unions with the
constitutional right to representation in the Partys ¢

‘activities including policy-making, as well as

nomination and election of candidates. >

i We take Sis opportunity to remind Local
nions of the importance of maintaining their .
political affiliation. There has been a tendency —

for interest in political activity to lag betwee?
elections. Revenue is required to prepare oy

elections that may not be too far distant.
have the obligation to support the party t

speaks for us at every session of the
See “REPORT” — Page 7